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| THE MONTREAL GREEK TIMES GOPHER NEWS SERVICE |
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July 2026
Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey elected new archbishop of Canada
(GIF) article photo
By Dimitri Papadopoulos
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, meeting under
the chairmanship of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, unanimously
elected Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey as the new archbishop of
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
The election took place at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in the
Phanar district of Istanbul, where the members of the synod had convened
in session. With the vote, the hierarch who has led the Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of New Jersey since 2023 becomes the spiritual leader of the
Greek Orthodox faithful across Canada, succeeding Archbishop Sotirios,
whose ministry in the country spans more than five decades.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Canada congratulated the
archbishop-elect and said they look forward to welcoming him as he
begins his pastoral ministry. The organization described him as an
accomplished and distinguished clergyman of the Mother Church of
Constantinople, whose experience and commitment will serve him as he
builds on the legacy of his predecessor. Its president, Archon Evagelos
Sotiropoulos, characterized the election as a historic day for the
Archdiocese of Canada and expressed gratitude, on behalf of all
Archons, to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the members of the synod. He
added that the archbishop-elect's love for the Church and dedication to
its mission will inspire and strengthen the spiritual life of the
faithful throughout the country.
The Archons also joined the many individuals who have paid tribute to
Archbishop Sotirios for his lifetime of service to the Church, his
humble demeanour and his success in growing Orthodoxy and preserving
Hellenic traditions in Canada. During the period of transition, the
organization said, it will continue to serve and support the Ecumenical
Patriarch and the archbishop-elect.
The new archbishop was born Evangelos Koufallakis on the island of
Rhodes in 1969, the second of four children of Ioannis and Stergia
Koufallakis. He completed his general education at the historic Patmias
Ecclesiastical School on the island of Patmos, where he was introduced
to Byzantine music and hymnology. In 1993 he was tonsured a monk at the
Holy Monastery of Panagia Paramythia in Rhodes, receiving the name
Apostolos, and was ordained a deacon the same year by the late
Metropolitan Apostolos of Rhodes. The same hierarch ordained him to the
priesthood in 1996. He graduated from the School of Theology of the
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2000 and pursued further studies
at the Boston University School of Theology.
His ministry in North America has spanned both coasts of the United
States. In 2009 he was appointed director of the Hellenic Cultural
Center of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and in 2011 he
became chancellor of the Metropolis of San Francisco. On Nov. 28, 2014,
the Holy and Sacred Synod elected him auxiliary bishop with the title
bishop of Medeia. In 2018 he was named chief secretary of the Holy
Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America, and in 2019 he organized
the enthronement of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. He also oversaw
the 45th Biennial National Clergy-Laity Congress in 2020, held virtually
with more than 1,200 delegates participating.
In February 2021 he was assigned the liturgical and pastoral
responsibilities of the then vacant Metropolis of New Jersey, serving as
patriarchal commissioner. On July 24, 2023, following the favourable
recommendation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the synod
unanimously elected him metropolitan of New Jersey, and he was enthroned
on Sept. 16, 2023, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint John the
Theologian in Tenafly, N.J. The metropolis he has led since then extends
across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
In Canada, he assumes leadership of an archdiocese that has grown
substantially under Archbishop Sotirios. Born in Lepiana, in the Arta
region of Epirus, Greece, in 1936, Sotirios was elected bishop on Dec.
18, 1973, and ordained on Jan. 27, 1974. He was elevated to
metropolitan of Toronto in 1996 and became archbishop of Canada in
2019, when the metropolis was raised to the rank of archdiocese. At
the time of his election as bishop there were 22 parishes in the
country; today the archdiocese counts some 75 parishes serving an
estimated 220,000 faithful. His tenure saw the establishment of
institutions including annual youth assemblies, the monthly newspaper
Orthodox Way, social services programs, monastic communities in
Ontario and Quebec, Greek Orthodox day schools in Ontario and the
Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada operates under the jurisdiction
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and has its
headquarters at 86 Overlea Blvd. in Toronto.
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