METROPOLITAN METHODIOS APPOINTS FR. CLEOPAS STRONGYLIS DEAN OF THE ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

        

         His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios has announced the appointment of the Very Rev. Dr. Cleopas Strongylis as Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral of Boston.           

        Fr. Cleopas was born in Athens, Greece on August 20,1966.  Following his primary and secondary education, he enrolled and subsequently graduated from the School of Theology of the University of Athens.  Thereafter he studied at the University of Durham, England where he earned a Master of Arts degree in 1992.  Coming to America he studied at and later graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology earning the Master of Theology degree.  After taking courses at Boston University and Harvard Divinity School, Fr. Cleopas earned a Doctorate degree from the University of Thessaloniki in 1994.  He is the author of several books including his latest, “Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis and the Rizareios Seminary of Athens (1984-1908), published in 2008.   The tome was presented late last year at a special ceremony in Athens attended by the author and more than 400 clergy and laity, including His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos and professors from various universities and colleges.           

       Father Strongylis, who is the Director of Greek Education of the Metropolis of Boston, has been serving the Holy Trinity Parish in Lowell, MA since August 2004.  Metropolitan Methodios is confident that Fr. Cleopas will minister the Cathedral Community with zeal and enthusiasm.  He gave Fr. Cleopas a clear mandate to embrace the entire parish, especially its young adults and married couples, and reach out to the plethora of Greek Orthodox residing in the Greater Boston area.          

      Metropolitan Methodios will install Fr. Strongylis at the Annunciation Cathedral on Sunday, March 1.