wfn.org | Greek Orthodox Ordination for Bishop elect Andonios Paropoulos

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                    GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2002
Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos

               ORDINATION OF BISHOP-ELECT ANDONIOS PAROPOULOS
                SATURDAY, FEB. 23RD AT HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL

NEW  YORK,  NY-  His  Eminence  Archbishop  Demetrios, Primate of the Greek
Orthodox  Church in America, assisted by several hierarchs, will ordain The
Very  Rev. Archimandrite Andonios Paropoulos to the episcopacy as Bishop of
Phasiane  on  Saturday,  February 23rd at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the
Holy  Trinity,  New  York City. The Orthros will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the
Ordination,  during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, at 10:00 a.m. The Mega
Minima (Formal Election Announcement) will be read at 4:00 p.m. on February
22nd at the Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Paul.

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, Tarasios of
Buenos Aires, Paisios of Tyana. Also, Bishops Philotheos of Meloa, Anthimos
of  Olympos, Vikentios of Apameia, Dimitrios of Xanthos, Savas of Troas and
Gerasimos of Krateia.

Bishop-elect  Andonios,  who  will continue in his positions as Director of
St.  Michael's  Home  and  the  Department  of  Philanthropy, was one three
clergymen  of  the  Archdiocese  of America elected as Auxiliary Bishops to
Archbishop  Demetrios  by  the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on
December  11,2001,upon  the  recommendation  of  the Eparchial Synod of the
Archdiocese   of  America.   Bishop  Savas  of  Troas,  Chancellor  of  the
Archdiocese,  was  ordained  to  the  episcopacy on February 2nd and Bishop
Gerasimos  of  Krateia,  Chief  Secretary  of the Holy Eparchial Synod, was
ordained on February 9th.

  The  grandson of immigrants from Pontus in modern-day Turkey, Bishop-elect
Andonios  was  born  in Jersey City, New Jersey on January 15, 1953.  Known
also  by  his  legal  name  of  Allen,  he  is  the middle child of Despina
(Xanthopoulos)  and  Steven Poulos and, along with his parents, brother and
sister,  attended St. Demetrios Church.  Following his education at Stevens
Academy,  a  private  college-preparatory  high  school, he enrolled in St.
Peter's  College  from  which  he  graduated  with  a  Bachelors  degree in
Accounting.   During  this time, he became actively involved in parish life
and served as treasurer on the Parish Council.

In  1976,  he  entered  Holy  Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA. He
graduated  in 1979 receiving a M.Div. with Distinction and was President of
the  graduating class.  In January 1980, he was invited to work at Hellenic
College/Holy  Cross  and  served  for 3= years in various capacities in the
Office  of Student Life.  He accepted the position of Associate Director of
St.  Basil's Academy in August of 1983 and the following summer assumed the
Directorship  of  the  National LOGOS Office at the Archdiocese in New York
City.

  On  August  18,  1985,  at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity,
Archbishop  Iakovos ordained him into the Holy Diaconate and he assumed his
baptismal  name  of  Andonios.  He served as Deacon to the Archbishop until
December  3,  1989,  when  he  was  ordained  a priest at the Church of our
Savior,  Rye,  NY  by  Archbishop  Iakovos.   Following  his ordination, he
continued  to serve in the both the Office of the Archbishop and the Office
of  the  Chancellery  as  Assistant  Chancellor  and Personnel Director. On
February 24, 1991, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.

Following  a  sabbatical in Greece from 1991-1992, Father Andonios returned
to  the Archdiocese and was subsequently assigned to the parish of Zoodohos
Peghe  in  the  Bronx  until  1995.   At  that  time,  he  returned  to the
Archdiocese  to  assist  with  the  retirement  of  His Eminence Archbishop
Iakovos  and  also  assumed  the  position  of  Coordinator  for  the  1996
Clergy-Laity  Congress,  which was held in New York.  In July of that year,
he was appointed Director of St. Michael's Home in Yonkers and in June 2001
also  assumed  the  Directorship  of  the  newly  established  Archdiocesan
Department of Philanthropy.

In  addition to his parents, Bishop Andonios' immediate family includes his
brother  and  sister-in-law, Steven and Francine Poulos of Canton, Ohio and
his sister and brother-in-law, Denise and Perry Cecchini of Rutherford, New
Jersey, as well as four nieces and a nephew.