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: May 14, 2007
Contact: Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos Cell: 617-680-7222 Email: communications@goarch.org
Archbishop Demetrios Names Fr. Mark Arey as the New Director of the Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
New York ? Archbishop Demetrios of America, folllowing the retirement of His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, has appointed the Rev. Fr. Mark Arey to succeed him as the Director of the Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Bishop Dimitrios has been the Director of this Office since September 1998. Commenting on his departure, Archbishop Demetrios said: â??Bishop Dimitrios leaves behind a legacy of true ecumenical bridge-building and an unflagging dedication to the work of the Gospel. All of us have witnessed his humility, his dedication, and his abiding love for the Church. We know that he will remain with us in prayer and will continue, as a special consultant, to assist the new director, Father Mark Arey, who is also very capable and fully willing to serve.â??
Fr. Arey leaves his current position as the Priest of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Nashville, TN, the host parish for last year's widely acclaimed 38th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, where he has served since 2004.
Fr. Arey has served the Archdiocese in various capacities: As pastor of the St. George Tropaiophoros Church in New York City (1998 ? 2004)), the Archdiocese Headquarters as Director of Communications (1998,99), ad interim Director of Leadership 100 (1997,98), as pastor of the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Frederick, MD, Holy Trinity in Nashville, TN (1983-88), St. Barbara in New Haven CT, and as the assistant priest at the Annunciation Cathedral in Baltimore, MD, where he was ordained in 1979.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland, a Master of Divinity Degree with honors from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and a Master of Science in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Maryland.
Archbishop Demetrios commented on the appointment of Fr. Arey, who served in the past in a large variety of activities related to ecumenical issues: "Father Arey's appointment is a very promising extension of his service to our Archdiocese, and we know that with the help of God he will continue to serve with the same zeal, dedication and care that he manifested during the Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, TN in 2006.
Fr. Arey will begin his work on June 1, 2007.