1,500 Attend Ceremony for Orthodox Leader
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About 1,500 people gathered Saturday for the enthronement of Metropolitan Gerasimos Michaleas, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Church for seven states.
The Ascension Cathedral in Oakland was packed as speeches were made in English and Greek. Outside, a 6-foot gold staff with a cross on top was passed to Gerasimos, 59, before he made his way down a red carpet and into the church.
As the metropolitan of San Francisco, Gerasimos will preside over 70 parishes with 150,000 members in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. He succeeds longtime Metropolitan Anthony Gergiannakis, who died on Christmas.
Gerasimos was born in Kalamata, Greece, and graduated from high school there before moving to the United States in 1969 to attend college.
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