View source for Evangelos (Kourounis) of New Jersey

His Eminence Metropolitan '''Evangelos (Kourounis)''' is the ruling hierarch of the Greek Orthodox [[Metropolis of New Jersey]] within the [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]].

==Life==
Born in New York City on [[September 20]], 1961 to John and Magdalene Kourounis, Evangelos attended the Greek-American parochial schools of St. Eleftherios and St. Spyridon in New York City. He enrolled in [[Hellenic College (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Hellenic College]], in Brookline, Massachusetts from which he graduated in 1983 and then continued his studies at [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross School of Theology]], graduating in 1986 with a Masters of Divinity Degree.

In 1987-88 he attended the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey of the University of Geneva, Switzerland from which he received a Certificate of Ecumenical Studies. 

He was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[diaconate]] on [[February 1]], 1987 at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Eleftherios in Manhattan and to the Holy [[Priest]]hood on [[July 30]], 1989 by [[Philotheos (Karamitsos) of Meloa|Bishop Philotheos of Meloa]] at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in New York City.

Archbishop [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos]] elevated him to the rank of [[archimandrite]] on [[March 30]], 1991 at Ss. Catherine and George Greek Orthodox Church in Astoria, New York. He served as [[deacon]] to the Orthodox Center of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Geneva during 1987-1988, as deacon to Abp. Iakovos and as Assistant Director of Archives of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese during 1988-1989. From August 1989 until September 1993 he served as assistant to the Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, New York. 

Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Fr. Evangelos served as [[protosyngellos]] of the Diocese of New Jersey from 1993 to 1999. He served as Director of the Registry of the Archdiocese from 1996 to 2001, and as President of the Spiritual Court for the Archdiocesan District from 1996 until April 2003. 

From October 2001 until his election to the episcopacy, he served as Dean of the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria "St. Demetrios Cathedral". 

On [[April 12]], 2003, upon the recommendation of and nomination by the [[Synod]] of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Synod of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] of Constantinople under the presidency of Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew]] unanimously elected Fr. Evangelos as spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey. 

The "Mega Minima" (Official announcement and declaration of the Election) of Fr. Evangelos was read on [[May 9]], 2003 at the Archdiocesan [[Chapel]] of St. Paul the Apostle. Abp. [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetrios]] together with Abp. Iakovos, Metr. [[Methodios (Tournas) of Boston|Methodios of Boston]], Metr. [[Alexios (Panagiotopoulos) of Atlanta|Alexios of Atlanta]] and several other hierarchs, [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Fr. Evangelos to the episcopacy on Saturday, [[May 10]], 2003 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. 

The [[enthronement]] of Metr. Evangelos as the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey which includes the mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the Greater Philadelphia area, took place on Sunday, [[May 11]], 2003 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey. 

Metr. Evangelos succeeds Metr. [[Silas (Koskinas) of Saranta Ekklesia|Silas]] and Bp. [[George (Papaioannou) of New Jersey|George]]. With the new charter granted to the archdiocese by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2003, the Diocese of New Jersey, which was established in 1977, was elevated to a Metropolis. Therefore, Metr. Evangelos is the first hierarch enthroned as Metropolitan of New Jersey.

The metropolis is comprised of fifty-four parishes in New Jersey, the Greater Philadelphia area, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Abp. Demetrios stated, "I am sure that by the Grace and strength from God, the new Metropolitan of New Jersey will prove to be a true imitator of our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ and will lead the devoted flock of his God-saved Metropolis to 'springs of living water" (Rev. 7:17).

==Source==
*[http://nj.goarch.org/metropolitan_evangelos1.htm Biography on the website of the Metropolis of New Jersey]



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{{succession|
before=[[George (Papaioannou) of New Jersey|George (Papaioannou)]]|
title=Metropolitan of New Jersey ([[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek]])|
years=2003-present|
after=&mdash;}}
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[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Holy Cross Seminary Graduates]]