Rev. Fr. Bob Athas

Fr. Robert T. Athas (Epaminondas Athanasakos) was born in New York City, the son of Louis and Joy Athas.  He grew up in Bayside, New York and graduated Bayside High School in June 1964.  After receiving the BA from Hellenic College in June of 1968, he attended Saint Vladimir’s Theological Seminary while working part-time at the Archdiocese. He earned a Masters of Divinity in June 1974. He married Anthe Demeter in June 1972 and on December 6, 1972 he was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Philotheos of Meloa at the St. Nicholas Church in Flushing NY, and served as His Grace’s Deacon until he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Philotheos on October 13, 1974 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. He was elevated to the rank of Economos and was made Father Confessor (Pnevmatikis Patrotitos) by Bishop Philip of Daphnousia on November 6, 1983, at Holy Trinity in Tulsa Oklahoma. On December 19 of 1999, Fr. Bob was awarded the rank of Protopresbyter by His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios.

Father Bob and Presvytera Anthe served the communities of Saint Spyridon, Newport, RI; Saint Peter, Danville, VA; Saint Nicholas, Babylon, NY; Saint George, Albuquerque, NM; Holy Trinity, Tulsa, OK; Holy Trinity, Norwich, CT and Dormition of The Mother of God, Burlington, VT. Fr. Bob also enjoys serving one week each summer at the Metropolis of Boston Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, NH.

Fr. Bob retired from full-time ministry in August 2013, and in response to the needs of the Metropolis of Boston and at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios he served as a supply priest for the next several years until he was assigned to serve the parish of Saint Vasilios on the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month. Beginning in 2016, in the weeks when he was not serving at Saint Vasilios he would fill in where needed. As Saint Vasilios was beginning to return to in-person services in June 2021, after having been shut-down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Father Bob responded again to the needs of the Metropolis and in particular to the parish of Saint George in Keene, New Hampshire, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, began serving there the intervening two Sundays a month.