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Rev. Christakos
joins church Sunday
August 4, 2005
By Kathleen A. Shaw
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
kshaw@telegram.com
WORCESTER
Deacon Gregory N.
Christakos will be ordained to the
priesthood Sunday at St. Spyridon
Orthodox Cathedral, by Bishop Methodios
of Boston.
The new priest will
join the congregation, located at
102 Russell St., to serve with the
Rev. Dean N. Paleologos, cathedral
rector. Deacon Christakos and his
wife, Eleni, will be welcomed to the
community with a reception to follow
at Union Station, The Restaurant.
The ordination will
follow the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy
scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
Deacon Christakos
is a Massachusetts native who grew
up in the Lawrence and Andover areas
and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree
in history from the University of
Virginia in 1995, where he also played
varsity rugby. He attended a semester
at Oxford University in Britain. After
working six years as office manager
for a law firm in Virginia, he was
accepted at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology, Brookline. He
did internships at St. Philip's Church
in Nashua, N.H., and the Hellenic
Nursing Home, Canton. He met his wife,
Eleni Pitsillides, while serving in
New Hampshire. She is a pharmacist
and was working in Manchester, N.H.
They were married May 29, a week after
his graduation from seminary. He was
ordained a deacon by Bishop Methodios
on June 26.
Rev. Paleologos
said the day when the cathedral would
have a second priest "has been
long coming" for the Greek community
in this area. The new priest will
oversee youth ministries, including
GOYA, the dance group and Little Angels.
"Under the
spiritual guidance and direction of
Father Dean, Rev. Deacon Gregory will
help to expand the spiritual growth
of our community and allow for a more
comprehensive attention to our community's
spiritual outreach," according
to William P. Kiritsy, parish council
president.
St. Spyridon is
a spiritual center for about 2,000
families in Worcester and surrounding
towns. The cathedral is involved in
a number of programs to benefit the
wider community, including the Orthodox
Food Pantry, which serves poor families
in the area.
Eastern Orthodox
Christians, like Roman Catholics,
believe that bishops are successors
of the original apostles chosen by
Jesus Christ and that priests at ordination
receive the sacrament of Holy Orders
through the laying on of hands from
a bishop, who is part of that succession.
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