OUR PATRON SAINT

St. Demetrios’ Feast Day is Celebrated Every Year on October 26.

Saint Demetrios was a Thessalonian, a most pious son of pious and noble parents, and a teacher of the Faith of Christ.

When Maximian first came to Thessalonica in 303 A.D, he raised the Saint to the rank of Duke of Thessaly. When it was discovered that the Saint was a Christian, he was arrested and kept bound in a bath-house. While the games were under way in the city, Maximian was a spectator there.

A certain friend of his, a barbarian who was a notable wrestler, Lyaeus by name, waxing haughty because of the height and strength of his body, boasted in the stadium and challenged the citizens to a contest with him. All that fought with him were defeated. Seeing this, a certain youth named Nestor, aquaintance of Demetrios’, came to the Saint in the bath-house and asked his blessing to fight Lyaeus single-handed.

Receiving this blessing and sealing himself with the sign of the precious Cross, he presented himself in the stadium, and said, “O God of Demetrios, help me!” and straightway he engaged Lyaeus in combat and smote him with a mortal blow to the heart, leaving the former boaster lifeless upon the earth.

Maximian was sorely grieved over this, and when he learned who was the cause of this defeat, he commanded straightway and Demetrios was pierced with lances while he was yet in the bath-house, As for Nestor, Maximian commanded that he be slain with his own sword.

OUR PARISH PRIEST

The Very Reverend Archimandrite Fr. Photios Tsamis

The Very Reverend Archimandrite Fr. Photios Tsamis was born in Cholargos of Attica in 1983. He was raised in Aigaleo, one of the western suburbs of Athens, where he attended elementary, middle and high school.

At the age of 18, he started his studies at the Faculty of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, obtaining his Bachelor in Theology, and subsequently pursued Postgraduate Studies in Ecclesiastical History at the same University.

After completing National Military Service in 2011, Fr. Photos went to Besançon-France on a scholarship from the Vatican City-State, attending French language courses at the Centre of Applied Linguistics of the University of Franche-Compté. The same year he obtained the scholarship of the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Master studies in InterChristian Relations at the Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Orthodox Theology in Chambésy-Geneva. The Program consisted of profound studies in Orthodox Theology in Chambésy, basics of Protestant-Calvinist Theology at the University of Geneva and enriched studies in Roman-Catholic Theology at the University of Fribourg.

After obtaining his Master's degree, Fr. Photios was hired as Auxiliary Staff of the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where he offered his services at the Panorthodox and InterOrthodox Preparatory Committees for the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church.

On February 28 2015, Fr. Photios was tonsured as a Monk by H.E. the Bishop Makarios of Lampsakos (now Metropolitan of Anea) and the next day, Sunday of Orthodoxy, he was ordained a Deacon in Chambésy-Geneva, by H.E. the Metropolitan Ieremias of Switzerland (now Metropolitan of Ankara).

As a Deacon, he served the Greek-Orthodox Parish of Geneva at St Paul's Patriarchal Stavropegion in Chambésy and the Secretariat of the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as the Secretariat of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Orthodox Theology. In 2017, he was ordained a Priest by the Metropolitan of Switzerland Ieremias and the same year was blessed to receive the title of Archimandrite of the Most Holy Archdiocese of Constantinople by the hands of HAH the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios, during the Golden Jubilee of the Orthodox Center.

Further pursuing theological studies, Fr. Photios commenced Doctoral studies at the University of Fribourg, returning to Greece in 2018 and was appointed at the parish of St Charalambos in Ilysia, of the Archdiocese of Athens.

In March 2020, with the blessings of HAH the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios and HE Archbishop Sotirios, Fr. Photios came to Canada to assume the Parish of Holy Cross in Laval. In March 2021 HE Archbishop Sotirios transferred Fr. Photios to the Parish of St Demetrios in Hamilton, there to continue his ministry.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Parish Priest: The Very Reverend Archimandrite

Fr. Photios Tsamis

President: Anastasios (Tom) Zafiridis

Vice-President: Frank Spiridoulias

Secretary: Tina Edwards

Treasurer: Dimitrios Nikolaidis

Treasurer for Senior’s Building:

Nick Triantafillou

Advisor to the Board: Nathan Hondronicols

Dance Group: Sue Zafiridis and Tony Halkeas

Building Committee: Athanasios Kavouras

GOYA: Sophia Zafiridis-Savruk and Fr. Dimitrios Gianniou

Festivals: George Thersidis

Food, Beverages & Funerals : Frank Spiridoulias

Entertainment: (By Committee)

Board Members: Elias Thersidis, Peter Kourtakis, Fotini Edwards (Greek School), John Kartas, and Eleftherios Tsiliganos

Community Secretary: Ekaterini (Rena) Georgakopoulos

Cantors: Peter Toublis, Nick Miminas and George Sholarchos.

Role of the Community Council

The role and responsibilities of the Church Council members is to represent their parish and the Orthodox Christian faith as leaders of the community. The Council consists of the Priest and the elected members.

Mission of the Community Council

Our goal as the parish council is to practice and proclaim the Orthodox Christian Faith pure by setting an example for the parish and ensure that we provide an enjoyable and comfortable experience through our administration services towards our membership and non-members entering the front doors every day.

As ambassadors of Faith and your council representative, we encourage you to feel free and approach us for any inquiries you may have.

Council Meetings occur on the First Monday of every month at 7:30 pm unless otherwise communicated.

NOTES OF INTEREST

For your Reference, the Following Services are not Permitted on the Dates Mentioned Below:

WEDDINGS:

✤ January 5-6 (Epiphany)

✤ Lent and Holy Week

✤ August 1-15 (Fast of the Theotokos)

✤ August 29 (Beheading of St. John the Baptist)

✤ September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross)

✤ December 13-25 (Christmas Fast)

✤ Weddings are not allowed on the day before all major Feastdays of the Church, all Holy Days of Our Lord, and Holy Pentecost (see above).

✤ Weddings are not allowed on these days unless absolutely necessary and then only by special permission from the Metropolitan.

BAPTISMS:

✤December 25 – January 6

✤ Holy Week

✤ Major Feast Days

✤ Baptisms are not allowed on these days unless in the case of an emergency or when absolutely necessary and then only by special permission from the Metropolitan

FUNERALS

✤ Funeral Services are allowed on any day of the year, except on Sundays, unless absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the Metropolitan.

MEMORIALS

✤From Saturday of Lazarus through Sunday of Thomas

✤ All the Feast days of our Lord

✤ On August 15

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Community of Hamilton & District