Photo: Dimitrios Panagos

Metropolitan Epiphanios

Metropolitan Epiphanios (Perialas) of Bryoula, former Metropolitan of Spain and Portugal, fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, May 9, 2011 following a long fight with cancer. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca, New York.

Metropolitan Epiphanios of Bryoula, in the world Constantine Perialas, was born in Ithaca, New York, in 1935. He was a graduate of Syracuse University and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He served for 30 years as a professor of speech and communications at Ithaca College. He also served for a period as a vice president of the college, in charge of student affairs. The college established the Perialas Prize in Epiphanios’ honor in 1997. The prize is given to three students annually. In 1984 he was ordained to the priesthood (taking at that time the name Epiphanios) and served in a variety of parishes, including St. Catherine’s in Ithaca (for 15 years) and the Assumption (Koimisis of the Theotokos) Greek Orthodox Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, from which he was elected Metropolitan. On April 12, 2003, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected Fr. Epiphanios as the first bishop of the newly-established Metropolis of Spain and Portugal. In March of 2007, Metropolitan Epiphanios informed the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of his intentions to retire. The Holy Synod then elected him as Metropolitan of Bryoula after which he returned to the U.S. in mid-summer 2007. He passed away on Monday, May 9, 2011.

May his memory be eternal.

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