New York, October 2, 2026
Photo: hellenicnews.com
A new bishop has been elected for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Metropolis of New Jersey.
Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos was elected Metropolitan of New Jersey by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople yesterday, reports the Orthodox Observer.
He succeeds Archbishop Apostolos, who was appointed to the Archdiocese of Canada in July.
“For many years, I have had the blessing of witnessing firsthand his devotion to Christ and His Church, his fidelity to the Mother Church of Constantinople, and the extraordinary care with which he has undertaken every ministry entrusted to him,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said.
Metropolitan Athenagoras will be enthroned on Saturday, November 7, at 11:00 AM at the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey. The next day, Sunday, November 8, he will celebrate his first Divine Liturgy at the cathedral as Metropolitan of New Jersey.
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Metropolitan Athenagoras born in Reutlingen, Germany, in 1970 and grew up in both Germany and Greece. As a young man, he spent several years in monastic life on Mount Athos. He was ordained a deacon in 1997 and a priest in 1998. The following year, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
He served in Germany for more than 20 years, including as Hierarchical Vicar of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany for the states of Hessen and Rhineland-Palatinate. Among his accomplishments were founding the first Orthodox chapel at Frankfurt International Airport, a 24-hour Orthodox crisis hotline, and the first Greek Orthodox youth camp in Germany.
In 2017, he moved to Toronto to serve as Dean of the Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy and Office Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada. He came to the United States in 2019 to serve the Archdiocese and Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, first as chaplain. In 2021, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod and Spiritual Advisor of the National Philoptochos Society, and later took charge of the Archdiocesan Department of Religious Education.
The Holy Synod elected him Bishop of Nazianzos on May 19, 2021. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on June 5, 2021. He has since also served as Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria.
Metropolitan Athenagoras holds a Master of Theology and a Doctorate in Orthodox Theology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, along with degrees in German language. His studies have also covered pedagogy, German literature, Roman Catholic and Protestant theology, Judaism, Islamic studies, and comparative religion.
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