His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos has announced the appointed of Rev. Fr. Aris P. Metrakos as the new Proistamenos of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, California. Father Aris’ first Divine Liturgy in San Francisco will be on Sunday, June 8. “I have known Father Aris since his days at Holy Cross, and he is a devout and faithful priest who will be a tremendous asset to the Metropolis of San Francisco, and to the faithful at Holy Trinity,” says Metropolitan Gerasimos.
Since December 1994, Father Aris has been serving the community of Holy Trinity in Columbia, South Carolina. He is also an Orthodox Christian chaplain to the University of South Carolina, where he serves an active Orthodox Christian Fellowship chapter which he founded. Father Aris was ordained to the Diaconate in January 1988, and to the Holy Priesthood in January 1989. Following ordination, he also served parishes in the Metropolises of Boston and Atlanta, prior to his assignment in Columbia, South Carolina.
“After being ordained for 20 years, Presvytera Valerie and I recognized that it was time to take on a bigger challenge and try to use some of the lessons I have learned through my years as a priest and apply them in a more dynamic setting”, Fr. Aris stated. “This is a move that the entire family is excited about, and Presvytera and I have great respect and personal affection for Metropolitan Gerasimos.”
A contributing columnist to OrthodoxyToday.org, Father Aris has also been featured in The Presbyter and Praxis. He travels regularly to lead programs and retreats for adults, dealing with a variety of themes including Missions, Parish Renewal, Evangelism, Prayer, and Spirituality. He also has extensive experience in planning and leading large youth retreats. Through the summer of 2007, Father Aris was active in the Metropolis of Atlanta’s St. Stephen Summer Camp, which he helped to establish in 1993. He has also worked with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s ministry in Romania to find ways to strengthen their youth ministry through a variety of efforts, including leading two short-term mission teams.
Father Aris holds a Master of Divinity (Summa Cum Laude) from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, where he was student body president and the recipient of numerous awards for academic excellence. Prior to attending Holy Cross, Father Aris attended and graduated from the US Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Designated a Naval Aviator, he flew the P-3C Orion with Patrol Squadron 49 in Jacksonville, FL, where he and Presvytera Valerie (Decker) met while singing together in the church choir. He is also a talented guitarist, an amateur linguist, and a former martial artist with two black belts in Karate.
Father Aris and Presvytera Valerie, a student at the University of South Carolina School of Law, are blessed with two sons, Nicholas (1990) and Stefan (1994).
4th Thursday after Pascha
