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A Biographical Sketch of Fr. George Papadeas
Born June 5, 1918, Altoona, Pennsylvania. Parents: The late Louis &
Bessie Papadeas.
Graduated from Altoona High School, June 1937.
Enrolled in the Charter Class of the newly founded Greek Theological
Seminary, Pomfret Center, Conn, in September, 1937.
Graduated June 1942. Valedictorian.
Married Bess Matthews, February 8, 1942. Parents of 5 Children and 7
Grandchildren.
Studied also at General Theological Seminary in NY, New York University and
Hofstra University.
- First Greek American graduate of our Seminary to be ordained into the Holy
Priesthood, March 25, 1942, and assigned as the Deacon, Sunday school
Director and Greek School Teacher at the Cathedral in NYC
- Served as the Deacon to Archbishop Athenagoras of Blessed Memory until
1945, while still fulfilling his duties at the Cathedral.
- Ordained a Priest on March 18, 1945, and served as an Assistant Priest
under the late Fr. Basil Efthimiou, a luminary of our Church, until
September 1, 1950.
- Assigned by the late Archbishop Michael on September 1, 1950 to organize
the first Greek Orthodox Church on Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk
Counties). Hempstead, L.I. was chosen as the geographical location to
serve these 2 vast Counties. For 7 months until our Edifice was constructed,
we were hosted by the St. Paul Episcopal Church in Roosevelt, L.I. Our new
two floor Parish Center, located on Greenwich St. in Hempstead was completed
in 1951. The top floor, a few steps from the street level, served as our
Church and the lower floor for our Sunday School, Greek School and social
Functions.
- The Parish, named in honor of the Apostle of Nations St. Paul grew
rapidly, as a result of the influx of our people moving to Long Island from
the Metropolitan New York area. With many innovative programs, unknown to
our Church in America, St. Paul's became one of the most dynamic Parishes of
our Archdiocese.
- Utilizing foresight we planned simultaneously with our rapid growth. The
lack of foresight of practically all the Metropolitan area Communities was a
valuable lesson to us. A new location was acquired on stately
Cathedral Avenue, our original Edifice on Greenwich Street was sold to the
R.C. Church of Our Lady of Loretto, and our new, imposing Byzantine Church,
a Chapel, and a large Community Complex was erected on Cathedral Avenue in
1957. This feat was accomplished without any major contributions. It was the
result of the totality of the Community commitment. Truly a monument
to Orthodoxy in America, St Paul's became one of the leading 5 Parishes in
America.
- The St Paul's Parish was blessed with the 3 Weeping Icons of our Holy
Mother, the first of which was on March 16, 1960.
- His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos appointed Fr. Papadeas as the Dean of the
Archdiocesan Cathedral on September 1, 1963, to undertake a major operation
of reorganization.
- In 1970, Fr. Papadeas was sent by His Eminence on a Nationwide Tour to
promote the opening of the Ionian Village, which he organized and directed
during the first two years.
- That same year Fr. Papadeas was sent to organize the Ionian Village in
Greece, and to be his Eminence's representative to the Church of
Greece and the Greek Government.
- While in Greece, he filled a crying need by organizing the first
systematic Eastern Orthodox Parish at the USAF Base in Athens, to serve the
spiritual needs of the Military and the U.S. Embassy Orthodox Personnel. He
served there from 1971-1975.
- At his specific request for a Florida assignment, he was appointed Pastor
of the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona Beach, April 1, 1975.
Fr. Papadeas served St. Demetrios until June 30, 1983, haveing retired at
65, mainly due to a severe bronchial asthmatic condition.
Father Papadeas has always served the needs of his Parish, but also was not
oblivious regarding the needs, that he felt needed to be fulfiled, even though
they were beyond his Community boundaries, and for which he took the initiative.
He has served as:
- President of the National Clergy Benevolent Association for many years,
which was forerunner of the present Pension Fund of our Archdiocese.
- President for years of the Clergy Fellowship of the 1st Archdiocesan
District.
- Secretary of the Executive Board, Metropolitan Council of Churches.
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Hellenic College.
- Member of Orthodox-Anglican consultations.
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees of St. Basil's Academy.
- Secretary of the Mixed Council of our Archdiocese.
- Vice President and Founding Member of the Greek Orthodox Home for the Aged
in Yonkers.
- Co-Founder of the Cathedral Day School in NY, 1949
- Leader of Summer Cultural Tour in Greece 1961, which was a Pilot Program
of the Archdiocese, prior to establishing a permanent Camp in Greece.
(Ionian Village). 37 Teenagers from all over America thoroughly enjoyed
their stay in Greece.
- Founder and First Orthodox Chaplain of "St. Paul's Society" New
York City Police Dept. in 1958 until 1971 when he was assigned to Greece.
- First Orthodox Chaplain of the Honor Legion of NY City Police Department.
- First Orthodox Chaplain of the NY Metropolitan Newspaper Reporters Assn.
- Founder and First President of the "Holy Cross Alumni Assn." in
1950, and served as President for the first 4 years.
- Founder and initiator of Parish Programs and Organizations such as the
"Mr. & Mrs. Club," while at St. Paul's: programs, which were
accepted and integrated in our Parish life in America.
- With Fr. Leonidas Contos, Fr Papadeas was the first Greek American Priest
to receive the Gold Cross of the Phoenix from King Constantine f Greece in
1964.
- Fr Papadeas was commissioned by Archbishop Iakovos to organize the first
and only Clergy-Laity Congress in Athens, Greece, July 1968.
- In cooperation with the late Nicholas Andromidas, who wrote an
"Easter Miracle Play", Fr. Papdeas participated in presenting the
first Orthodox Easter program on CBS-TV over a national hook-up in 1957, and
thus introduced our Church to Miss Pamela Ilott, then director of Religious
Programming and now Vice President of CBS-TV. The star of the play was none
other than William Shatner.
- Commissioned by His Eminence, together with Fr. Constantine Volaitis, to
visit the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria,
and the Church of Greece to request Icons and other Religious historical
items for exhibit in the NY World's Fair in 1966.
- Organized the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Fellowship of Central and East
Florida in 1982, and was elected its first President.
- Since assuming his duties as Pastor of St. Demetrios in Daytona Beach, he
initiated the Annual Memorial Service in New Smyrna, where 500 Greeks landed
in 1768, with a promise of a land grant after three years from Dr. Turnbull.
- Organized the Epiphany Day Services in DeLeon Springs, which was attended
by the Orthodox Clergy and Faithful of East-Central Florida.
- Organized the First Greek Festival in Florida at St Demetrios Parish
Center. Soon after, one by one all the Churches organized similar Festivals.
- Co-Founder and Secretary of the Retired Greek Orthodox Clergy Assn.
- Organized the Greek Orthodox Church in Inverness, Florida, October 1981,
now located in Lecanto and traveled 114 miles bi-weekly each way.
- Now beginning the Greek Mission in Ocala traveling bi-weekly from Daytona
to Ocala.
Father Papadeas has also compiled and translated into English the Complete
Services of Holy Week-Easter. Until seven years ago, it was the only Book
of its kind in the Orthodox world. He has also published a handsome hard cover
Greek-English edition of the Liturgy. A third Book is a Greek English edition of
the Akathist Hymn, used during the first 5 Fridays in Lent. H also wrote the
Life of St. Paul in Greek. On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of St. Paul's
in Hempstead, he wrote a concise History of the Parish.
While serving at St Paul's the Sunday School in Hempstead, which had swelled
to 1200 students, with a Teaching and assisting staff of 125, with the
cooperation of the Teachers he published a complete series of Sunday School
Books for students and Teachers from Kindergarten through the 12th grade. These
books were requested by my Communities in the US, until the Archdiocese
published its own present books.
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