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→Early life: spelling correction
Deacon Anthimos returned to Patras upon his ordination to the priesthood on [[August 27]], 1972. He became a member of the Gerokomion Monastery of the Virgin Mary, while serving the church of St. Sophia in Patras. Shortly after receiving his degree from the University of Athens, he applied to the Doctor of Ministry program at Boston University's School of Theology. He was accepted and moved to Boston, where he served as [[proistamenos]] of the church of the [[Dormition]] of the Theotokos in Burlington, Vermont. Fr. Anthimos received his doctoral degree in 1977 and returned to Patras, where he was appointed [[Hegumen]] of the Gerokomion Monastery. He was shortly summoned back to America, however, to become [[Dean]] of the Cathedral of SS. Constantine and Helen in Brooklyn, New York. The following year, he was transferred to Astoria to serve as dean of the combined communities of St. Demetrios and SS. Catherine and George.
On [[April 7]], 1987, the [[Holy Synod]] of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected Fr. Anthimos as [[titular bishop]] of Troas. At his consecration on [[May 17]] of that year, he was appointed as [[choroepiscopos]] (village bishop) of Astoria. (Although this is a former office in Orthodox canon law, in this case the term seems to have been more intended to desctibe describe the scope of his responsibilities with respect to the Astoria community.) In 1989, his duties were expanded to include oversight of parishes throughout Queens, Long Island, southern Connecticut, and upstate New York. He was also named as director of the [[Hellenic Cultural Center]], an institution of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] based in Astoria.
On [[January 1]], 1997, Bishop Alexios was designated as Archepiscopal Vicar for the Diocese of Atlanta, following the death of [[Philip (Koutoufas) of Atlanta|Bishop Philip]]. In 1999, Bishop Alexios was elected as the new bishop of the Diocese. At the end of 2002, the Diocese of Atlanta was upgraded, along with the other dioceses of the American church, to the status of Metropolis, and Bishop Alexios was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan.
