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[[Image:Ιερομάρτυς Ιωάννης της Σάντα Κρουζ.png|thumb|Icon of Fr. John Karastamatis (1937-1985).]]
Father '''John Karastamatis of Santa Cruz''' (August 8, 1937 - May 19, 1985) was the first [[parish]] [[priest]] and one of the founders of the [http://propheteliassantacruz.org/?page_id=2 Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church] in Santa Cruz, California. Although there is some veneration of him as a [[hieromartyr]], he has not yet been formally [[canonization|canonized]], and his veneration is controversial.
He was a fervent preacher of the [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Faith]] and "ministered to the unemployed, homeless and drug addicts of the city"<ref name=BLACKWELL>Ken Parry, et. al. (Eds.). ''[http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203214_ss1-14 John Karastamatis].'' '''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity.''' 2001.</ref><ref group="note">"He was the kind who wanted to help everybody," Anastasia Karastamatis said. "They'd come to the door at 2 o'clock in the morning and I'd worry -- saying we didn't know what they'd been drinking, what drugs they were on. It was hard for me. But he'd say, 'They need me; that's what I'm here for.' "<br>
