wfn.org | METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS TO BE ENTHRONED APRIL 2 IN ASCENSION

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

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215
Web: http://www.goarch.org
Email: communications@goarch.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2005

Contact: Frosene Phillips 925.368.3098
frosene@comcast.net
Nikki Stephanopoulos 212.570.3530
nikki@goarch.org
www.goarch.org/en/special/metgerasimos

METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS OF SAN FRANCISCO TO BE
ENTHRONED APRIL 2 IN ASCENSION CATHEDRAL, OAKLAND

San Francisco, CA - His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Primate
of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, will preside at the enthronement
of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco on Saturday, April
2 in the Ascension Cathedral, 4700 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, beginning at
10:30 a.m.  A luncheon will follow in honor of Metropolitan Gerasimos
hosted by the Ascension Cathedral.  Metropolitan Gerasimos will celebrate
his first Hierarchal Liturgy, Sunday morning, April 3 in the Annunciation
Cathedral, 245 Valencia St., San Francisco beginning at 10:30 a.m. Clergy
of the Metropolis of San Francisco will assist him.

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
elected the new Metropolitan of San Francisco on February 22, 2005 to
succeed Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco who fell asleep in the Lord
on December 25, 2004.

In his first Pastoral Address to the Clergy and Faithful at the Holy
Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix, AZ, March 13, His Eminence Metropolitan
Gerasimos said: "??The Fathers of the Church went to the desert, not as
teachers, but as pupils and pilgrims. They went to the desert in order to
learn the lessons the desert itself had to offer. ??I come to this
Metropolis, to this unique place, not in order to impose upon it some
preconceived notions taken from another place or time; that would be as
foolish as attempting to transplant and grow wetland plants in the desert,
I have come rather seeking to learn the lessons that this place has to
teach, to plant myself in the unique soil of this region, and to preserve
and build up the parish communities that thrive here, like indigenous
plants. And as I prepare for the day of my enthronement in the Metropolis
of San Francisco, I have constantly before me the accomplishments, visions
and expectations of my predecessor, the late Metropolitan Anthony, who also
had the experience of the desert."

The entire Enthronement Ceremony will be
Broadcast Live on the INTERNET
Saturday, April 2 beginning at 10:30 a.m. (PST).
www.goarch.org/en/special/metgerasimos

The doors of Ascension Cathedral will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday for early
arrival. Shuttle service will be provided at additional parking sites
available at the Mormon Temple and Cerebral Palsy Center. For more
information, call 415.753.3075 or visit
www.goarch.org/en/special/metgerasimos.

METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS OF SAN FRANCISCO

 Metropolitan	Gerasimos  was	born  in  Kalamata,  Greece  to Nicholas and
Anastasia  Michaleas.  Upon  successful  completion  of  his elementary and
secondary  school  education in Greece, he immigrated to the United States.
In 1970, he enrolled at Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, where
he  received  his  B.A.  with  High Honors in 1973.  That same year, he was
admitted  to  Holy  Cross School of Theology, where he completed his M.Div.
Degree in 1976 with High Honors.

In  1977  he  joined  the  administration  of  Hellenic College/Holy Cross,
serving  as  Registrar	until  1979.   During  his  tenure in this post, he
organized  and	updated  the  Registrar's  Office,  creating  the Office of
Admissions and Records for the school.

He  was  ordained  to  the  diaconate  in  1979  and was called to serve as
Archdeacon  to	His  Eminence  Archbishop Iakovos, a position he held until
1996.	Concurrently,  he  was	appointed  Dean  of  Students  at  Hellenic
College/Holy Cross from 1980 until 1999.  As Dean, he created the "Orthodox
Actionline,"  the  first  Archdiocesan	telephone ministry directed towards
those  who  do	not  have substantive ties to the Church.  Eventually, this
ministry  became  an official part of the Office of Field Education at Holy
Cross.

Also  during his tenure as Dean of Students at Hellenic College/Holy Cross,
he  became centrally involved in the success of various programs benefiting
future	priests  of  the  Greek  Orthodox  Archdiocese of America and their
families.   Specifically, he organized and monitored programs that evaluate
and  assist  individuals at Hellenic College/Holy Cross with development in
both  their  emotional	and  spiritual	growth.   These  programs have been
modified to suit the needs of the institution's current student population.

In 1984 he enrolled in the Master's Degree Program in Counseling and School
Psychology  at	Boston	College.   After  receiving  his degree in 1986, he
entered  the  doctoral program. He received his Doctorate in Counseling and
School	 Psychology   in   1993.   His	doctoral  dissertation	is  titled,
"Intellectual Deficiencies in a Substance Abuse Population."

While  maintaining  his position as Archdeacon and Dean of Students, he was
appointed  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the Outpatient Clinic of the V.A.
Medical Center in Boston, a post he held until 1996.

In  1998,  he  became  Director  of  Admissions  and  Records  at  Hellenic
College/Holy  Cross.   In  2000,  he became Administrative Assistant to the
Rev.  Nicholas	Triantafilou,  President  of Hellenic College/Holy Cross, a
post  he held until he was elected Bishop of Krateia by the Holy and Sacred
Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in December of 2001.  He was appointed
by  His  Eminence  Archbishop  Demetrios  as  Chief  Secretary	of the Holy
Eparchial  Synod  of  the  Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  As Chief
Secretary, he assisted the Synod in the promulgation and realization of its
decisions.

In  the  area  of academic achievements, he taught courses in Psychology at
Hellenic  College,  as well as courses on Teleturgics at Holy Cross.  Since
1985,  he  has	been  Senior  Lecturer	in  the  field	of  Personality and
Psychology  at Northeastern University, University College.  The University
Press of America published his dissertation in 1994.  He is the author of a
number	of articles published in periodicals in the area of psychology, and
is  a  member  of  the APA (American Psychological Association) and the ACA
(American Counseling Association).

***************************************
Get your first 10 digital prints or your first roll of film FREE at:
http://www.orthodoxphoto.com

TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE LIST:
http://www.goarch.org/listserv/

The Archdiocese list is being made possible by the Greek Orthodox 
Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries.