wfn.org | Archdeacon Gerasimos to be ordained Bishop for Archdiocese of America

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Archdeacon Gerasimos was one of three clergymen of
the Archdiocese of America elected as Auxiliary Bishops to Archbishop
Demetrios

                    GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
February 1, 2002
Contact:  Nikki Stephanopoulos

               ORDINATION OF BISHOP-ELECT GERASIMOS MICHALEAS
             SATURDAY, FEB. 9th AT ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL, BOSTON

NEW YORK, NY- His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek
Orthodox Church in America, assisted by several hierarchs, will ordain The
Rev. Dr. Archdeacon Gerasimos Michaleas to the episcopacy as Bishop of
Krateia on Saturday, February 9th at the Annunciation Cathedral, Boston,
MA.  The Orthros will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the Ordination, followed by
the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, at 10:00 a.m. Co-celebrating hierarchs
will include:  Archbishop Iakovos, Former Archbishop of North and South
America; Metropolitans Iakovos of Krinis, Maximos of Ainos, Methodios of
Aneon, Isaiah of Proikonisos, Meliton of Philadelphia, Tarasios of Buenos
Aires, Paisios of Tyana. Also, Bishops Nicholas of Detroit, Vikentios of
Apameia, Dimitrios of Xanthos, Savas of Troas, John of Amorion, Philotheos
of Meloa and Anthimos of Olympos.

Bishop-elect Gerasimos, who has been serving as Administrative Assistant to
the President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology, has been
named Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod. His Eminence
Metropolitan Methodios will preside at his ordination to the priesthood on
Saturday, February 2nd at Holy Cross Chapel, Brookline, MA. The Mega Minima
(Formal Election Announcement) of Bishop-elect Gerasimos will take place on
Friday, February 8th, at Holy Cross Chapel.

On December 11, 2001, Archdeacon Gerasimos was one of three clergymen of
the Archdiocese of America elected as Auxiliary Bishops to Archbishop
Demetrios by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, upon the
recommendation of the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America.
Bishop-elect Savas (Zembillas) will be ordained to the episcopacy as Bishop
of Troas on February 2nd and Bishop-elect Andonios (Paropoulos), will be
ordained Bishop of Phasiane on Saturday, February 23rd. His Eminence
Archbishop Demetrios will preside at both ordinations at the Archdiocesan
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New York City.

Bishop-elect Gerasimos was born on August 2, 1945 in Kalamata, Greece where
he completed his primary and secondary education. In September 1969 he
matriculated at Hellenic College, Brookline, MA, graduating in 1973 with a
B.A. with High Distinction. He continued his studies at Holy Cross Greek
Orthodox School of Theology, earning his M. Div. with High Distinction in
1976. Following graduation, he was appointed Registrar of Hellenic
College/Holy Cross, a post that he held until 1979.

On December 16,1979, he was ordained to the Diaconate and appointed
Archdeacon to His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, serving in this position
until 1996. From 1980 until May 1986, he was Dean of Students of HC/HC.
During this period he developed the Orthodox Actionline, the telephone
call-in ministry of the School. In September 1986 he entered the Master of
Arts Program at Boston College. Upon successful completion of this program,
he was accepted into the Doctoral Program at Boston College School of
Education earning a Ph.D. in School and Counseling Psychology in June 1993.
His doctoral dissertation was a study of intellectual deficits in a severe
alcoholic population.

Bishop-elect Gerasimos taught for a number of years at Hellenic College as
well as Northeastern University, where he holds the title of Senior
Lecturer. At the same time he was appointed a staff member at the Veterans
Administration Medical Center (Boston), in the Department of Psychology
(1991-1995). In 1990, he was reappointed as the Dean of Students at
Hellenic College/Holy Cross, a post that he held until 1998, when he became
Director of Admissions and Records. In 2000, he was named Administrative
Assistant to the newly-elected President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross
School of Theology, the Rev. Father Nicholas Triantafilou.