By Theodore Kalmoukos

BOSTON, MA – Hundreds of friends from Boston, throughout Massachusetts and New England, and also from New York, New Jersey, and Florida accompanied Fotini Tournas, beloved sister of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston to her last resting place in the Gardens Cemetery of Gethsemane of West Roxbury. She died on Holy Wednesday, April 12, in a Boston hospital after a brief illness.

The Annunciation Cathedral of Boston was filled to capacity on April 18 for the funeral service which was different from the ordinary one since we are in the Bright Week of the Resurrection of Christ. The reverend priests of the Metropolis of Boston and the choir of the Holy Cross Theological School along with guest cantors chanted the hymns.

His eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America officiated, assisted by Metropolitans Evangelos of New Jersey, Gerasimos of San Francisco and Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, chancellor of the Metropolis of San Francisco. Present at the burial was Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, who arrived late due to flight delay. Bishop Kennedy represented Roman Catholic cardinal of Boston Sean Patrick O’Malley. Greece was represented by Her Excellency Counsel General of Greece in Boston Iphigenia Kanara, who had also participated in the wake the night before.

Also present at the funeral were Rev. Christopher Metropulos president of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek-Orthodox School of Theology, professors and students, Paulette Poulos Executive Director of Leadership 100, businessman and philanthropist George Behrakis, Fr. Alexander Karloutsos from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and former president of National Philoptochos Aphrodite Skeadas with her husband, Peter.

Also, hundreds of Greek-Americans attended the wake, including presidents and members of parish councils from through New England, the president of the Hellenic-American Societies of New England Miltiadis Athanasopoulos, former and current presidents and members of board of directors of various societies and associations from across New England.

Metropolitan Gerasimos delivered the eulogy. He said among other things that “if we believe that Christ was resurrected from the dead, Fotini has already been resurrected with the resurrected Christ.”

Archbishop Demetrios delivered a deep and thoughtful homily and praise for Tournas. Metropolitan Methodios thanked the archbishop and the hierarchs who had come from far away to honor her memory, the clergy of the Metropolis of Boston and all those who attended his sister’s funeral.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston Ministries Fund, 162 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA  02445.