BOSTON – Protopresbyter  Vasileios Tsourlis, has been serving as the Dean of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Charlotte, North Carolina and Vicar of the NE Conference at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, was appointed presiding priest of St. Demetrios Cathedral parish in Astoria New York effective March 1.

Fr. Vasileios is a learned priest with graduate theological studies. He is married to presbytera Maria, who is a physician’s assistant and they have two children, Konstantinos who is 18 years old, and Eleni who is ten-and-one-half. His father and brother are priests – the former is retired and the latter is in active ministry in Germany.

During his interview with The National Herald Fr. Vasileios said, “I would like to clarify that while I will start my ministry at St. Demetrios on March 1, I will be going there two days every week in order to observe the parish and get to know it because if I am not mistaken it is one of the largest parishes in America.”

He also said, “firstly I would like to thank God, Who kept us healthy in the pandemic, and also our Archbishop Elpidophoros, who selected me for this historic parish. It is indeed a great honor and at the same time a huge responsibility spiritually and also personally. Also I like to express my thanks and gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, who with his spirituality and the help of the Holy Spirit he brought me here to America. I didn’t know anybody in the priestly circles here. He had come to my church in Volos and after the Liturgy he told me “Fr. Vasileios you will come with me to America. I have been serving in the Metropolis of Atlanta for the past eleven-and one-half years.”
Asked about his initial thoughts about the St. Demetrios Cathedral parish he said,  “honestly I don’t know details about the parish; I simply know some very basic things after a first meeting with the parish council and the clergy.”

He emphasized that, “I want to tell you that I will visit every house, every store, and business – wherever there are Greeks, Greek-Americans, and Orthodox, all the associations and societies, I want to work for the good of all of them.”

Speaking about the High School of the parish he said, “the School is the first on my list of work. I have been given the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, since I will receive my doctorate in Theology this summer, to teach religion at the School.”

He also said, “I will be available for all people twenty-four hours a day. My mobile phone is never turned off. I will be available to all. I will be a father to all. I don’t discriminate against anybody. I go to St, Demetrios to serve the Omogenia and Orthodoxy.”