Obituaries

It is with sadness yet with hope in the Resurrection that the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco announces the passing of V. Rev. Father Peter Staviski, who reposed in the Lord on March 31, 2024 at the age of 85.

In the Greek Orthodox Church, there is an important and long-standing tradition of praying for our departed brothers and sisters. Saturday (except for Lazarus Saturday and Holy Saturday) is the day of the week that is traditionally reserved for those who have fallen asleep because our Lord’s own salvific passing took place on Great and Holy Saturday.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America Eulogy for Lila Prounis Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Greek Orthodox Cathedral New York, New York January 9, 2024 Beloved Children: Othon and Amelia, Dear Grandchildren: Alexa, Philip, Alexander and Karina,

On Sunday, January 7, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Divine Liturgy and 10 year memorial service for the late Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine. 

Presvytera Nikki Stephanopoulos, passed away at her home in Beachwood, Ohio on September 29, 2023 at the age of 90. Her husband, the Rev. Dr. Robert G. Stephanopoulos was by her side.  Born in Minnesota, Presbytera Nikki was a public relations dynamo and a mentor to many women, and men, who served the Church alongside of her.  

Passing of Rev. Fr. Sarantos Serviou

 May His Memory Be Eternal!!!

Rev. Fr. Sarantos Serviou passed away peacefully on Friday April 28, 2023 surrounded by his family.

On June 15, 2023, the funeral for Mr. George Psaros, who fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 83 on Monday, was held at All Saints Greek Orthdodox Church in Weirton, WV. The service was a beautiful tribute to a man who lived his life in service of this family, his Orthodox Christian faith, his beloved community at All Saints parish, and all those who needed him.

Dear children in Christ Jesus, the falling asleep in the Lord of your father, husband, and grandfather, George, is a time when the precious bonds of family and friendship take on even more profound meaning. The passing of your familial patriarch is a time of sadness and loss, but also a time of reflection and gratitude. In this time of remembrance, you will share many stories and moments from times gone by will suddenly come before your minds. As your spiritual father and friend, we counsel you to open wide the gates of memory and allow the story of George’s extraordinary life to come upon you, accepting the tears of your grief as cleansing your hearts

It is with tremendous sadness yet with hope in the resurrection that Saint Basil Academy announces the unexpected falling asleep of our beloved Father Anthony Falsarella who served our community with faith, love, and devotion for many, many years.

It is with every hope in the Lord’s resurrection that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America shares the sorrowful news of the passing of Eva Kafetzis, long-time receptionist of the Archdiocesan headquarters.

Even in the midst of this pain and grief that we observe at this moment, we make our solemn affirmation: Christ is Risen! Even now, our beloved Father Angelo is joining in our declaration of Faith. His untimely and truly unjust passing from this world to the next cannot, and will not, silence his voice. In the heavens, his faith echoes throughout eternity.

Rev. Protopresbyter Angelo Artemas, of Woodland Park, NJ, fell asleep in the Lord on April 20, 2023, after a short but powerful fight with cancer (glioblastoma). Father Angelo is survived by his loving and dedicated wife Patricia and their adored daughters Katie (New York), Maria (New York), and Eleni and son-in-law Brandon Putre (Denver).

Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! On this sad and painful day, We greet one another with our most defiant affirmation of life. We say, “Christ is Risen!” Since becoming Archbishop of America, if there is one life that I have come to know, who exemplifies what it means to be risen with Christ, it is our beloved brother, a husband, father, sibling, uncle, friend: James – Δημήτριος – Jimmy Pantelidis.

Συντετριμμένοι σήμερα, ἡμέρα ἀφιερωμένη σὲ ὅλες τὶς ψυχὲς τῶν κεκοιμημένων, ἡμέρα ἀμετρήτου πένθους καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς περισυλλογῆς, ἀναπέμπουμε προσευχὲς καὶ ἀναστεναγμοὺς πρὸς τὸν Κύριο τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου γιὰ τὴν ἑκατόμβη τῶν νεκρῶν τοῦ πολυνέκρου δυστυχήματος στὰ Τέμπη τοῦ νομοῦ Λαρίσης. Ἕνα δυστύχημα ποὺ ἀπὸ τὴ μία ὀφείλεται σὲ ἀνθρώπινο λάθος, στὴν ὀλιγωρία πρὸς τὴν ἀναβάθμιση τῶν συστημάτων τοῦ σιδηροδρομικοῦ δικτύου. Λυπᾶμαι ποὺ δὲν προσευχηθήκαμε, καὶ πρῶτος ἐγώ, ἐκ τῶν προτέρων πρὸς τὸν Κύριο νὰ φυλάει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μας ἀπὸ τέτοιες καταστροφές.

Today is a day dedicated to the souls of all those who have fallen asleep, as well as a day of immense mourning and sincere meditation. For it is with deep sorrow that we offer up prayers to the Lord of the living and the dead on behalf of the large group of individuals who perished in the tragic train crash at Tempi, Greece, a municipality in the greater region of Larissa. It is a rather unfortunate accident caused by human error and negligence in making necessary upgrades to the infrastructure of the railroad network and its systems. And I am saddened that we did not pray in advance to the Lord — first and foremost, I, myself — to protect our people from these kinds of catastrophes.

With the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, Bishop Constantine of Sassima traveled to Saint George in Albuquerque, New Mexico and to Prophet Elias in Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 4-5, 2023, for the occasion of the centennial of the mining accident in Dawson.

The renowned Orthodox theologian and churchman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamon, who taught at Holy Cross in the 60s, passed away on February 2, 2023, the feast of the Meeting of our Lord.

Trisagion at the Archdiocese Chapel

Father Constantine G. Shiepis of Canton, age 91, passed peacefully on Sunday, October 23rd, 2022 surrounded by his family.

It is with deep sorrow and every hope in the Lord’s resurrection that His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announces the sudden passing of Metropolitan Ilia (Katre) of Philomelion of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America.

(RNS) — Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, without a doubt the most renowned and popular Orthodox Christian theologian of recent decades, died on Wednesday (Aug. 24) at 87. A convert to Orthodox faith, he became bishop of the see of Diokleia and was considered the most prolific and proficient communicator of patristic theology and Orthodox spirituality in our generation.

Father Polycarpos Krithinakis has been laid to rest. Again.

His connection to Charlotte goes back nearly a century to when he was the first full-time priest assigned to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The story we are about to tell is how his journey brought him back to Charlotte — Evergreen Cemetery specifically — one July morning all these years later.

The sudden passing of Paul Melis, a loving, caring, and philanthropic pillar of his family, this wonderful parish, and the Omogeneia, strikes at the very heart of all of us. He was a son of this Parish, who attended this Parochial School. When I heard of his passing, I made certain that I would be able to come today and pay my respects, and to offer a few words that I pray will be of comfort.

How worthy and right it is to pray today in this Church – pastored by the late Father Constantine Bebis, the twin brother of this legendary professor and scholar. Here, at the center of his family’s life for many decades, we come together to lay to rest one of the giants of our precious School’s faculty, a figure known to literally generations of priests.