Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada

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His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada and Exarch of All the Arctic is the Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada, under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Life

The future archbishop was born in 1936 to George and Anastasia Athanassoulas in Lepiana, Arta, Epirus, in northwestern Greece. After completing his basic education, he attended and graduated from the School of Theology of the University of Athens. He then entered the Universite de Montreal from which he graduated with a Master's degree in Theology. Metr. Sotirios speaks Greek, English, and French. As a layman he served as Dean of Students at Holy Cross School of Theology in Boston, Massachusetts.

On July 17, 1962, he was ordained a deacon. The following day he was ordained a priest and assigned to serve in Canada. On December 18, 1973, he was elected to the episcopate, and on January 27, 1974 he was consecrated Bishop of Toronto. From 1968 to 1996, he served as a member of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Archdiocese of North and South America. During 1996, he served as administrator of the archdiocese after the retirement of Abp. Iakovos (Coucouzis) and before the installation of his successor Abp. Spyridon (Papageorge).

On September 24, 1996, Bp. Sotirios was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto and Exarch of All Canada. During his episcopate as Bishop in Canada, the number of parishes in the metropolis increased from twenty-two to seventy-five. Additionally in 1993, the Convents of St. Kosmas of Aitolos in Ontario and the Virgin Mary of Consolation in Quebec were established. In 1998, the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy was founded under his leadership.

On June 12, 2019, Abp. Sotirios was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Canada and Exarch of All the Arctic.

Succession box:
Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada
Preceded by:
Theodosios (Sideris)
Ninth District
Archbishop of Canada
1974-Present
Succeeded by:
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Sources