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Annunciation Cathedral
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| January 2005 Herald San Francisco, CA | event calendar announcements main index |
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METROPOLITAN ANTHONY OF SAN FRANCISCO DIES FOLLOWING SHORT ILLNESS
In announcing the passing of Metropolitan Anthony, Bishop Anthimos of Olympos, a close friend and assistant at the Metropolis, noted, "Although we are deeply saddened by the passing of this very dynamic hierarch of the Church, we are confident he is with the Lord. The Lord took him on Christmas Day, as if to remind us that his entire life and ministry were a gift to us, to his family, to the Church." Assisted by Fr. Stephen Kyriacou, the Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral, the Bishop led the family in prayer prior to the Metropolitan’s death and conducted a Trisaghion (memorial service) immediately following. Metropolitan Anthony’s body lay in state in the Bishop Anthony Chapel of the Annunciation Cathedral from Monday, December 27, through Tuesday evening, December 28. Hundreds of faithful paid their respects and signed the Book of Condolences on Monday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and also on Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Orthros (Matins) were celebrated on Tuesday at 9 a.m., with a Divine Liturgy following. On Tuesday evening, at 7:30 p.m., a Trisaghion Service was celebrated, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. Many of the faithful followed the proceedings on a large screen set up in the Korinthias Hall. The Cathedral Philoptochos, under the leadership of Angie Leventis, President, offered hospitality to the family, to visiting clergy and to all those who came to pay their respects throughout the two days. The Parish Council, under the leadership of Tom Nuris, President, organized the ushering and tended to many of the other details. The combined efforts of Annunciation’s parishioners, which were conducted with utter dignity, and flowed seamlessly, did not go unnoticed. Many of the hierarchs and the 150 priests who participated, noted that they were impressed with our preparations, which also included the closing of Valencia Street on Tuesday and the escort of the body by the California Highway Patrol on Tuesday evening, following the Trisagion. Funeral Services were held Wednesday, December 29 at the Ascension Cathedral, Oakland, beginning with Orthros (Matins) at 8 a.m., and followed by the Divine Liturgy, at 9 a.m. The Funeral Office got underway at 11 a.m. Until preparations are finalized for Metropolitan Anthony’s final resting place at the Monastery of the Theotokos the Life-Giving Spring, in Dunlap, California, in accordance with his wishes, his body was entombed temporarily in the Greek Orthodox Memorial Park in Colma. Also, in accordance with Metropolitan Anthony’s expressed wishes, donations to the Heritage Museum are requested. Checks should be forwarded to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, 372 Santa Clara Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127. A resident of San Francisco for the last 26 years, Metropolitan Anthony emerged from humble and austere beginnings. The son of Emmanuel and Eleftheria Gergiannakis, he was born in the village of Avgeniki on the island of Crete, Greece, the third of six children, growing up during the brutally difficult years of the Nazi occupation. He was the first member of his family to leave the village, attending the ecclesiastical school of Chania, Crete, and ultimately graduating from the internationally renowned Halki Theological School of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1960. He was ordained a deacon on July 27, 1958, and a priest on September 29, 1960. After his ordination to the priesthood, he came to the United States to pursue postgraduate studies and serve the Church in this country. While serving as a parish priest, he earned a Masters of Divinity at Yale University and pursued doctoral studies in Contemporary Church History at the University of Chicago, and in Russian and Balkan History at the University of Wisconsin. In 1974, he was appointed Dean of the St. George Cathedral in Montreal, Canada, where he remained until his elevation to the episcopacy on May 21, 1978. As titular Bishop of Amissos, he served the Eighth Archdiocesan District in Denver, Colorado, until his election as Bishop of San Francisco in 1979. Metropolitan Anthony was enthroned as the first bishop of the newly-created Diocese of San Francisco on June 7, 1979. He served as the Bishop and later Metropolitan of San Francisco for over twenty-five years, overseeing the western states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. During that time, he was responsible for a tremendous expansion of ministries and programs, an unparalleled period of ferment and renewal. His tenure saw the founding of over twenty new parishes and missions in the Metropolis of San Francisco, nearly one parish for each year of his ministry, as well as the establishment of three monasteries. He was the founder of St. Nicholas Ranch, the Greek Orthodox conference and retreat center located in the Sierra Nevada foothills. He was also the driving force behind the construction of the Monastery of the Theotokos the Life-Giving Spring on the premises of St. Nicholas Ranch. He developed the annual Metropolis Folk Dance Festival into the largest exhibition of authentic Greek folk dance, costume, and music in the world. Together with the Metropolis Philoptochos, he created the Bishop Anthony Student Aid Endowment Fund, a multi-million dollar scholarship account providing funding for seminarians and students from the Metropolis to attend Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America. He proved a source of inspiration for countless thousands, not only Greek Orthodox faithful, but also religious and civic figures who recognized in him a great leader and a true man of faith. Metropolitan Anthony will be remembered for his enthusiasm, his vigor, and his prophetic vision for the Metropolis of San Francisco. He challenged his faithful to be more than we believed we could be, to accomplish more than we ever thought possible, to dream great dreams and to make them a reality. A source of inspiration for countless thousands, not only Greek Orthodox faithful, but also religious and civic figures who recognized in him a great leader and a true man of faith, his presence and legacy will be felt for generations to come. THOUSANDS MOURN PASSING OFMETROPOLITAN ANTHONY His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony was interred on December 29 with funeral services and orations that not only grieved the loss of a man of faith and a great spiritual leader, but also celebrated a life of ministry and a legacy of inspired and visionary service. Over two thousand mourners attended services on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, paying tribute to a man whose dynamic personality and presence shaped the course of the Metropolis of San Francisco for more than a quarter of a century. On Tuesday evening, December 28, the Trisagion service was celebrated in the Bishop Anthony Chapel of the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco, by Archbishop Demetrios of America, with hundreds of mourners seated in overflow accommodations in the cathedral hall. Remarks were offered afterwards by Mr. Theofanis Economides, Vice-President of the Metropolis Council, Fr. Theodore Dorrance, President of the Metropolis Clergy Brotherhood, Mr. Demetrios Touloupas, Consul General of Greece, Mr. Nicholas Theophanous, Honorary Consul General of Cyprus, Bishop Anthimos of Olympos, Metropolitan Soterios of Canada, designated envoy of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Demetrios. On Wednesday morning, December 29, Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, the senior member of the Eparchial Synod, presided over the funereal Divine Liturgy at Ascension Cathedral in Oakland, California, assisted by clergy of the Metropolis. Archbishop Demetrios presided over the funeral service together with members of the Holy Eparchial Synod and other hierarchs. Over one hundred clergy from various Orthodox jurisdictions participated in the funeral. A choir specially assembled with choir members from throughout the Metropolis led the singing for the Divine Liturgy and the funeral. Afterwards, remarks were offered by Fr. John Bakas of St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles, who spoke of Metropolitan Anthony as a man who "reached what could not be reached," and Fr. Stephen Kyriacou of Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco, who described Metropolitan Anthony with the words of a folk hymn as an eagle soaring towards the rising sun. Condolences were also offered by Bishop John Wester of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco on behalf of Archbishop William Levada, and Bishop William Swing of the Episcopal Diocese of California. Bishop Anthimos of Olympos offered a deeply personal reflection on Metropolitan Anthony as "the bishop of the people," and urged those present to fulfill Metropolitan Anthony's vision of a Hellenic Heritage Center at St. Nicholas Ranch. Metropolitan Soterios of Canada offered condolences on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Finally, Archbishop Demetrios of America offered the eulogy, praising Metropolitan Anthony as a man whose faith expressed itself in freedom, in creativity, and in joy. After the Makaria luncheon, a funeral procession nearly a mile long led to the Greek Orthodox Memorial Park in Colma, California, where Metropolitan Anthony was temporarily interred, pending final interment at the Monastery of the Theotokos the Life-Giving Spring, where it was His Eminence's wish to be buried. The Metropolis of San Francisco has declared an official period of mourning throughout the forty day period from December 25, 2004, until February 2, 2005. The fortieth day will be observed at the Cathedral on Sunday, January 30th, which this year coincides with the Feast of the Three Hierarchs. Memorial services will be conducted following the Divine Liturgy. Faithful from throughout the Bay Area are invited to attend the services as we remember the life and legacy of Metropolitan Anthony and pray for the repose of his soul. CHRISTMAS TREE PROJECT Nan Cusulos, chairman
of this year’s project, writes: Before Christmas, we took the gifts to Raphael House, located on Sutter Street. Established in 1971, it was the first shelter in San Francisco for homeless families, and continues to thrive with many existing programs. One of them is a children’s program where the children receive discipline and caring support to sustain them through the confusing and unstable experience of homelessness. Our children of the parish are fully aware that they are buying gifts for their peers who are less fortunate. One of the little boys, upon returning his gift for a four year old boy, said to me: “My daddy has a list of houses and I asked him if he would give one to this little boy to live in.” That is the spirit of Christmas. Thank you, again, for joining in our project and showing the children at Raphael House the love of God and people who care. I also thank Helen Markanton for helping me in our endeavor. GRATEFUL GIVING When God made the world, the Creator showed Adam and Eve a wonderful garden and commanded them: “Cultivate and care for it” (Gen. 2:15). We are thus charged with the task of being caretakers, or stewards, of everything around us. This requires 1) Faith, 2) Gratitude, and 3) Openness of Heart. FAITH. We look beyond all things in everyday life to discover the presence of God, a presence that is sustained by faith. The closing prayer of the Liturgy acknowledges “every good and gracious thing comes from You, the Father of Light.” GRATITUDE. Recognizing that God is the origin of everything we possess brings gratitude for everything in life. Christians are called to be grateful. We express this in the Liturgy, where the very word Eucharist means “showing gratitude,” or “giving thanks.” Every time we pray in the Liturgy, we hear the priest say, “Let us give thanks to the Lord,” and we respond, “It is fitting and right to give thanks.” OPENNESS OF HEART. Gifts from God are not meant for our own use only. Our blessings are meant to be shared. In this way, we help build up the Church and make this a better world. John Chrysostom, the great Patriarch of Constantinople, whose Liturgy we celebrate most days during the year, cautioned, “Not to enable the poor to share in our good sis to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” This sounds a little harsh to our modern ears. Think about it, though. Chrysostom is really right on about this. If we think of our blessings in this way, then our heart opens, not because we open it, but because it is meant to be open. In this way, we embrace not only those around us, but all of creation. 70TH (OR IS IT 85TH) ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION We are making plans to mark the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Annunciation. Recall that our community begin in 1921 as St. Sophia. Following six years in a church at Hayes and Pierce Streets in San Francisco, in 1927. the community acquired the Valencia Street Theater, which it turned into a church. Meanwhile, the community was named as Cathedral Church for the newly established Diocese of San Francisco. (Initially there were four Dioceses which made up the Archdiocese, established in 1922; these were: New York, Boston, Chicago and, of course, San Francisco.) In 1936 the community reorganized as “United Greek Orthodox Community of San Francisco, The Annunciation.” Since then, it has been known, simply, as “Annunciation Cathedral.” November 11, 2006 is the date selected for this gala celebration. Please note the date on your 2006 calendars. HAPS TO SPONSOR GREEK LETTERS DAY AT CATHEDRAL Greek Letters Day will be celebrated by the Hellenic American Professional Society of Northern California on Sunday, February 13 at the Annunciation Cathedral. An Artoclasia will be held to honor scholars (the 2005 Scholarship recipients are Erica L. Holland, Erene N. Kuvetakis, and Christos N. Theophanous). A luncheon will follow, at 1:00 p.m., ($40 per person), during which two AXION Award recipients will be recognized (they are Peter A. Bagatelos, Esq. and Patricia Kay Lagiss) and the scholarships awarded, as noted above. For reservations or additional information, please call George Mattis, Loys Rodatos or Virginia Lagiss. THINKING ABOUT AN EVENT IN THE ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL’S KORINTHIAS CENTER? First, call Mike Canellos, at 415 864-8815, or 415 864-8000 to book the date for your event. Then, call Jack Spachis, our caterer, on his cell, at 415 609-1977, or at the restaurant, at 415 647-3200. He will happily help you discuss and plan your business luncheon, baptismal or wedding reception, or any other event requiring food and use of the Cathedral’s facilities. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOLY TRINITY PARISH On December 30th, the Holy Trinity Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary. Many parishioners of the Annunciation Cathedral were on hand at the Sheraton Palace to mark this most important occasion. Holy Trinity is one of the oldest parishes in the United States, having been incorporated in 1904, and the oldest parish west of Chicago. As befitting the occasion, parishioners were honored for their many years of service to the parish, and Father Anthony Kosturos and Metropolitan Anthony were remembered for their services to the Parish and the Metropolis, respectively. RECENT SERVICES AT THE CATHEDRAL FUNERAL Anthony S.
Bagatelos, who fell asleep in the Lord on December 5, was
buried December 10. He is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann Bagatelos-Land,
and a son, Anthony S. Bagatelos. PHILOPTOCHOS 23rd ANNUAL CRAB FEED Always a sell-out event, our 23rd annual crab feed will take place Friday, January 21, 2005. No host refreshments will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. The Annunciation Cathedral Ladies Philoptochos is sponsoring and chairing this event. For reservations, please call Anna Dricos or Ackie Argyres . The admission is $40 per person. Reservations will be secured only by receipt of payment. Tickets must be paid for by January 14th If you prefer, you may complete and return the form below, by January 14th
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6: MINI COOPER SUNDAY The Mini Cooper committee is pleased to announced that the drawing for our 2005 Mini Cooper will take place at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, February 6 (which is also “Super Bowl Sunday”). We are definitely in the home stretch. The last big gathering before February 6 will be the Crab Feed, January 21. This is definitely the time to put out $111 for the opportunity to win a 2005 silver metallic Mini Cooper, secured by the Annunciation Cathedral through Mini of San Francisco. The car which is being raffled off includes the following options: premium package, multi function steering wheel, glass moon roof, air conditioning, automatic transmission and a CD stereo player. Vehicle tax and license for this Mini Cooper arer also included. The winner will be notified by mail, that is, in writing, and must be at least 18 years of age to win. The winner accepts the responsibility for insurance, income taxes and other costs of owning a vehicle. All that having been said, we think this is a great raffle, and this is why people are responding so well. For additional information, see Michael Bagatelos, our Mini Cooper chair, or call the Cathedral, at 415 864-8000. CATHEDRAL TO OFFER CLASSES IN BYZANTINE CHANT, BEGINNING JAN. 18 In its ongoing service to the parish but also to all the parishes,
as Cathedral of the Metropolis, beginning January 18, the Annunciation
will be the setting for a Beginning Byzantine Chant class as well as
an Intermediate Byzantine Chant class. The beginning class, which is
designed for individuals who have never encountered Byzantine notation,
is open to all who wish to learn the fundamentals of church music and
serve their respective parishes in the Bay Area by learning the various
hymns from Vespers and Orthros (the evening and morning prayer services
of the Orthodox Church.) This class will be held at the Annunciation
Cathedral, 245 Valencia Street, San Francisco (between 14th Street and
Duboce), Tuesday evenings, beginning January 18, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Note: The beginning and intermediate classes have been combined into one class meeting on Thursday's at 6:30 pm) PRE-MARRIAGE CLASSES AT THE CATHEDRAL As announced in the last two issues of the Herald, beginning 2005,
couples planning to be married at the Cathedral will meet with Father
Stephen (or another member of the Cathedral clergy) on four occasions
prior to their marriage. The first and fourth meetings will be private,
while the second and third meetings will take place with other couples
who are also planning to be married within the same six-month period.
Those meetings will take place on Tuesday, February 8, 7-9 p.m. and Tuesday,
April 19, also 7-9 p.m. The meetings will take place in the second floor
conference room. The meetings will deal an overview of the Orthodox perspective
of marriage, marital relations, celebrating and growing, and a number
of issues, including in-laws, communication, and fighting fair, money
management, and mixed faiths, as applicable. COMMUNITY LINK - CREATING CONNECTIONS What is Community
Link?
An Expanding Circle of
Care How do I request a visit? DATES TO REMEMBER
PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY SCHEDULE
January 2005 Herald |
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Metropolitan
Anthony,
the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco,
with jurisdiction over the seven western states, died
Christmas Day, December 25, 2004, five weeks after he was diagnosed with
Burkitt’s Lymphoma. He was 69 years of age. At the time of his
death, he was surrounded by clergy, family and friends, including his
sisters, Eleni Koniaris and Chrysoula Antonopoulos and
their families, and his sister-in-law, Giannoula Gergiannakis, and her
family. Metropolitan
Anthony was predeceased by his brothers, Mihalis Gergiannakis and George
Gergiannakis, and a sister, Stella Roumeliotakis. He also leaves behind
twelve nephews and nieces and a number of grand nephews and grand nieces