Join us on Sunday, September 11, 2016 for our Freewill Offering Luncheon in support of our Seminary and Theological Students
Honoring…Our Founding Priest and Pastor Emeritus, of blessed memory
Supporting…Our Parish Seminarians & Theological Students
The Rev. Father Demetrius T. Dogias was born on March 9, 1939, in Elizabeth, NJ, and was raised in Poughkeepsie, NY. He fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, February 4, 2013, the Third Day of the Presentation of our Lord to the Temple.
In the fall of 1957, Father was accepted into the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School in Brookline, MA, from which he graduated in June 1963, ranking among the top three in his class. While at Holy Cross, he served in the Choir as accompanist and student conductor under the famed choral conductor and composer Dr. Christos Vrionides. He was a Librarian’s assistant, and served on several committees. During his final year at Holy Cross, he and the former Eleutheria Tsakiris from Itea, Greece, and Long Branch, NJ., were married in Asbury Park, NJ, on 3 February. In 1970, having received the prestigious Taylor Scholarship by the Greek Archdiocese, Father Dogias would continue his graduate studies at Fordham University, where he pursued studies toward an MA in Medieval History, with emphasis on Byzantium.
Ordained into the Holy Priesthood of the Orthodox Church in Troy, NY, on 10 March 1963 by His Eminence Metropolitan Germanos Polyzoides, Father served in several Parishes: 1963-65 at St. Paul’s, Hempstead, NY (as assistant); 1965-68 at St. George, Oklahoma City, OK; 1968-71 at Assumption, Danbury, CT; 1971-74 at Sts. Constantine and Helen, Washington, DC (assistant); 1974-81 at St. George, Albuquerque, NM; and finally 1981-2006 at Annunciation of Sacramento. Following his retirement he also served as interim Dean of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Honolulu, HI, 2007-2008. He also assisted in Stockton, Modesto, San Francisco, Castro Valley, Salinas, El Cajon, and San Diego, CA, Reno, NV, and Albuquerque, NM during his retirement. In 1974 Father was granted the title of Father Confessor, and in 1975 that of Stavrofor Economos. And in June 1988, marking his Silver Anniversary in the Holy Priesthood, he received the highest honor for a married Orthodox priest, that of “Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne of Constantinople.”
In addition serving on several Diocesan Councils and Committees, Father Demetrius served for twenty years as Vicar of the Valley and was responsible for the parishes of northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. Father Demtrius served on the Archdiocesan Presbyters’ Council for three terms and was honored by his peers to serve one term as President of the Diocesan Council of Presbyters. In addition, Father was co-founder of the Fellowship of Eastern Christian Clergy, one of the very first of its kind, whose purpose was better understanding and fellowship among those clergy and their parishes. He had also served as a member of the Northern California Ecumenical Commission and had participated in its various ecumenical functions.
During his retirement years, Father compiled the Hagiologion: Lists of the Saints recognized by the various Orthodox Churches, universally and regionally. He also wrote an unpublished factual survey, demonstrating that today’s royal and princely families of Europe all carry the blood of the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Emperors of the 10th to the 15th centuries and a historical fiction book, The Empire of Ellas, based on the premise that Alexander the Great had lived into his late 60’s, and how that had changed world history. It was also in the midst of his retirement that our Parish dedicated her recently constructed main building to Father Demetrius and Presvytera Eleutheria, and to the Founders.
On August 4, 2013, with joy-filled, yet humbled hearts, the Parish of St. Anna honored our founder and Pastor Emeritus of blessed memory by establishing the “Reverend Father Demetrius Dogias Seminarian Scholarship Fund”, to express our continued prayers and financial support of our Parish Seminarians and Theological Students. For 2016 we will use a portion of our scholarship funds, currently totaling $28,950.00, to assist the following students: Jason Ivey (Holy Cross), Peter Dogias (Holy Cross), Kevin Mellis (Holy Cross), Dane Johnson (Holy Cross) and Kyle Sterner (Hellenic College). Since 2013, we have supported a total of nine students from or attached to our Parish!
We elevate the scholasticism as well as the faithful, distinguished, and humble service of our beloved Fr. Demetrius, hoping that his years in Seminary, his marriage, his family and his years of ordained ministry, most notably to our parish, will serve as an inspiration to each of our young men and women. Eternal be his memory!