Father John Theodosion
My friends in Christ, I am very honored to have the opportunity to share a little bit about my life with you I hope you find this interesting. My background is such. In 1965, I was born to Nick and Mary Theodosion (currently Fr. Nick and Presbytera Mary who are serving in the parish of the Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker parish, in Gainesville, Florida), and raised in Cleveland Ohio. My childhood interests included GOYA, summer camp, swim team, cycling, playing the violin, as well as listening to popular music. While at summer camp when I was seventeen, I felt as though God was calling me to be a priest. After my graduation from high school in 1983, I went straight to Brookline, Massachusetts to Hellenic College where I earned my Bachelors Degree, then I went to Holy Cross School of Theology and earned my Masters of Divinity Degree. During my time at the Seminary I had many odd jobs that ranged from pumping gas, to being a cashier at Filene’s Basement. My interests included working the Orthodox Actionline (a telephone service for people to call and ask questions about the faith or personal issues), volunteering at the Pittsburgh Diocese Summer Camp and retreats, and fixing my old broken down cars.
When I graduated from seminary, I went to work as a parish youth director at the parish of Saints Constantine and Helen in Newport News, Virginia. At this time, DT, (now Fr. Demetrios Tsigas), and I were roommates. In October of 1992 I met my future wife Presbytera Athena who was born and raised in Belleville, New Jersey. She was the answer to my prayers and we really hit it off. We were engaged in July of 1993 and were married in May of 1994. In April of 1995 our first daughter Vasilia was born, in June of 1997 Alexandra was born and in October of 1998 our son Nicholas was born, and they are our pride and joy. Years later God blessed with two more children, Joseph who was born in 2009 and Andreas who was born in 2011. Having 5 children hasn’t been easy for Presbytera and I but we truly believe and consider our family to be a labor of love.
After working in Newport News for 2 years I moved to New Jersey in July of 1993 to be closer to Presbytera Athena and while living here I worked in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Office of Youth Ministries as an assistant to Fr. Angelo Artemis.
I enjoyed my time at the Archdiocese and in Newport News very much and I experienced many new things, and attended youth ministry training seminars. The experiences and information I learned during this period of my life were a very important influence on my life and continue to help my ministry today.
Although my time at the Archdiocese was very fruitful I felt that God was continuing to draw me closer to the priesthood. In July of 1995 I was ordained to the diaconate by the then Bishop Maximos in my home parish of Saints Constantine and Helen in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. I was then assigned to the parish of St. George in Piscataway New Jersey and was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Silas in November of 1995. I faithfully served the parish of St. George from September of 1995 to April of 2004 and there I really developed into the priest I am today. I thank God for my time there because our family was blessed to enjoy so many beautiful relationships and I learned so much under the direction of Father Anthony Pappas having been his assistant for 7 years.
I was transferred to Saint Andrew parish in Randolph New Jersey in May of 2004 and am grateful for the opportunity to serve this parish till the present.
To conclude I wish to thank God for his guiding hand in my life. He has blessed me in ways I could never have imagined; with a beautiful family; with tremendous learning experiences; and especially for the wonderful opportunities He has given me to serve the people of His Holy Church. Glory be to God.
What Are You Chasing After?
Father John’s Message
Friends in Christ, the Bible tells us “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 (NIV) Here is a little story to help us keep perspective on our pursuits in life. An American investment banker was vacationing in a small village in Greece. While walking near a pier he observed a small boat with just one fisherman. Inside the boat with the village fisherman were several yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the man on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. “Only a little while,” replied the fisherman. The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The man said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” The fisherman responded, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take an afternoon nap with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I relax and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat and with the proceeds generated from the bigger boat buy a fleet of boats. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you could sell directly to a processor. You could eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small village and move to a big city where you could run your expanding enterprise.” The village fisherman asked, “But how long will this take?” The American replied, “15 to 20 years!” “But then what?” asked the fisherman. The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. You can sell your business and retire and move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take naps with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could relax and play guitar with your friends. You would have a full and busy life.” The village fisherman smiled at the American, quietly gathered his catch and walked away. What are you chasing after in life? How (and with whom) you spend the bulk of your time may reveal much about your priorities. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV) Each one of us must ask ourselves, “What kind of treasures am I building? Are these treasures temporary or will they last forever? We must take a look at our lives and examine our priorities. Are you satisfied with your priorities? Are the investments you make in time and relationships in line with your priorities? And, are your priorities in synch with the teachings of the Lord, the Bible, and the teachings of His Church? Take some time for self-examination look into your heart and pray that the Lord will enlighten your mind and heart to do all things for His glory.
Letter to Parishioners
Letter on 60th Anniversary of the Church
Ecumenical Patriarchate
BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople, His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the Feastday of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior.
Born Demetrios Arhondonis in 1940 on the island of Imvros (today, Gökçeada, Turkey), His All-Holiness Bartholomew was elected in October 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of the 2000-year-old Church founded by the Apostle Andrew. His formal office is Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch, a historic title dating to the sixth century.
A citizen of Turkey, the Ecumenical Patriarch received his elementary and secondary education in Imvros and Istanbul. After
completing undergraduate studies at the historic Theological School of Halki, he pursued graduate studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome (Italy), the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey (Switzerland), and the University of Munich (Germany). His doctoral dissertation, submitted to the University of Athens (Greece) was in the field of Canon Law, and he was a founding member of the Society of Canon Law of the
Oriental Churches.
Ordained to the Diaconate in 1961 and to the Priesthood in 1969, he served as Assistant Dean at the Theological School of Halki (1968–72) before his appointment as Personal Secretary to the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios (1972–90) as well as election as Metropolitan of Philadelphia (1973) and, subsequently, Metropolitan of Chalcedon (1990).
HIS EMINENCE
ELPIDOPHOROS, Archbishop of America
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America, Most Honorable Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is the eighth Archbishop of America elected since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922.
Archbishop Elpidophoros was born in 1967 in Bakirköy, Istanbul. He studied at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki —
School of Pastoral and Social Theology, from which he graduated in 1991. In 1993, he finished his postgraduate studies at the Philosophical School of the University of Bonn, Germany, submitting a dissertation entitled, “The Brothers Nicholas and John Mesarites: Defenders of Orthodoxy in the Union Negotiations from 1204 to 1214 (in the historical and theological framework of the era).” He was ordained a Deacon in 1994 at the Patriarchal Cathedral and was thereafter appointed as the Codecographer of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
In 1995, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod. From 1996-1997 he studied at the Theological School of St. John the Damascene in Balamand, Lebanon, where he improved his knowledge of the Arabic language. In 2001, he presented his doctoral dissertation at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki under the title, “The Opposing Stance of Severus of Antioch at the Council of Chalcedon,” earning him a Doctorate of Theology with highest distinction. In 2004, he was invited to Holy Cross Greek
Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, where he taught as a visiting professor for one semester.
In March 2005, at the proposal of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he was promoted by the Holy and Sacred Synod to the position of Chief Secretary and was ordained to the priesthood by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Patriarchal Cathedral. In 2009, he submitted two dissertations to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki — School of Pastoral and Social Theology and was unanimously elected Assistant Professor of Symbolics, Inter-Orthodox Relations and the Ecumenical Movement. The dissertations are entitled: “The Synaxes of the
Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne (1951-2004)” and “Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses: Historical and Theological Aspects. Text – Translation – Commentary.” In 2018, he was elected full professor at the same university, a position he held until his election as Archbishop of America.
In March 2011, he was elected Metropolitan of Bursa, and in August of the same year was appointed Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Holy Trinity on the island of Halki. He has served as the Orthodox Secretary of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation and as a member of the Patriarchal delegations to the General Assemblies of the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches. He was the Secretary of the PanOrthodox Synods in Sofia (1998), Istanbul (2005), Geneva (2006), and Istanbul (2008). He has been an active member of the World Council of Churches serving on its Central Committee and also serving on its Faith and Order Commission since 1996.
On May 11, 2019, he was elected Archbishop of America by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was enthroned at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City on June 22 of the same year.
