Archbishop Apostolos (Koufallakis)

Archbishop Apostolos (Koufallakis) (1969-____)

Early life of Evangelos Koufallakis

In 1969, Evangelos Ioannou Koufalakis was born on the Island of Rodes, Greece (not far from Turkey, and one of the Dodecanese Islands), to Ioannis and Stergia Koufallakis. He was the second of their 4 children.

Evangelos Ioannou and his siblings were baptised into the Orthodox Christian Church in their home village, and they were raised in the bosom of the Greek Orthodox Church in Rhodes (a part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople).

He completed his primary and secondary education near his home.

Higher education

In 1990, Evangelos was accepted into the Ecclesiastical School of Patmos where he studied Orthodox Byzantine Music, and Hymnology.

Patmadia School of Patmos

This school is near the Cave of the Apocalypse, and the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian.

Entrance to the Cave of the Apocalypse

Monastery of Saint John the Theologian

Monastic tonsure

In 1993, in the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Evangelos Koufallakis was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Apostolos.

Diaconal ordination

On 20 June, 1993, the Monk Apostolos (Koufallakis) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Apostolos (Dimelis) of Rhodes.

Diaconal service

Hierodeacon Apostolos (Koufallakis) was assigned to serve as deacon to the Metropolitan of Rhodes, Metropolitan Apostolos (Dimelis). He served in the capacity for 2 years.

Further education

In 1995, Hierodeacon Apostolos was accepted into the University of Thessaloniki in northern Greece.

Presbyteral ordination

On 28 July, 1996, Hierodeacon Apostolos (Koufallakis) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Apostolos (Dimelis)] of Rhodes.

Pastoral service

At first, the Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) continued his studies, and he served under obedience to the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, Metropolitan Panteleimon II (Chrysofakis).

In 2000, the Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) graduated from the University of Thessaloniki with the Master of Divinity Degree.

Move to USA, 2001 ; further education

In 2001, with the permission and blessing of his spiritual father, Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) travelled to the United States of America for further theological studies.

He was accepted into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America by by Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis), who blessed his continuing study, while he served simultaneously in communities of the Holy Metropolis of Boston. In 2002, Hieromonk Apostolos was accepted into Boston University at Boston, Massachusets.

In 2004, Hieromonk Apostolos received the Master of Sacred Theology Degree from the School of Theology of Boston University.

Boston University

Continuing pastoral service

From 2004 to 2008, the Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) was assigned by Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) to serve as Priest-in-Charge of the Cathedral of Saint Demetrios and Saint Catherine in the historic Community of the Astoria, New York. He served there with dedication, and he carried out a rich spiritual ministry.

Saint Demetrios and Saint Catherine Cathedral

On 20 March, 2008, Hieromonk Apostolos received the Citation of Honour for his “profound devotion to the Greek Orthodox Church and to the Greek American Community”, during the Greek Independence Day celebrations.

In March, 2009, the Hieromonk Apostolos was assigned to serve as director of the Archdiocesan Hellenic Cultural Centre of the Archdiocese of America in Astoria, New York.

Hellenic Cultural Centre, Astoria

In November, 2011, Hieromonk Apostolos was transferred to serve as the Chancellor (Protosyngellos) of the Metropolis of San Francisco under the omophor of Metropolitan Gerasimos (Michaleas).

Episcopal ordination

In 2014, Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) was nominated to become a bishop.

On 28 November, 2014, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously elected him to become Bishop of Medeia, as Vicar-Bishop (Auxiliary Bishop) to the then Archbishop of America, Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis).

Hieromonk Apostolos (Koufallakis) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

On 20 December, 2014, Archimandrite Apostolos (Koufallakis) made his Confession of Faith before the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople at the Phanar, Constantinople (Istanbul).

On 20 December, 2014, Archimandrite Apostolos (Koufallakis) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by members of the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople, including Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis).

Episcopal service

In accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople, as Vicar-Bishop, Bishop Apostolos (Koufallakis) was given the title Bishop of Medeia.

In 2018, Bishop Apostolos was assigned to serve as Chief Secretary of the Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese of America.

In 2019, Bishop Apostolos was given the responsibility of planning for the service for the enthronement of Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambrianidis) of New York and the United States of America. The enthronement took place on 22 June, 2019.

In 2019, Bishop Apostolos was assigned to serve as Spiritual Advisor of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society of America.

On 3 February, 2021, Bishop Apostolos was assigned by Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambrianadis) of America to serve as Patriarchal Commissioner of the then-vacant Holy Metropolis of New Jersey, including the responsibility for its liturgical and pastoral needs. This assignment came after the dethronement (8 October, 2020) of its previous bishop, Metropolitan Evangelos (Kourounis). He received this responsibility in the context of many controversies which he inherited.

On 6 December, 2022, Bishop Apostolos celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the recently-reconstructed Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan, New York City, since its destruction on 11 November, 2001.

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Manhattan

Metropolitan of New Jersey

On 24 July, 2023, following the favourable recommendation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis), Bishop Apostolos (Koufallakis) was elected by the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople to become Metropolitan of the newly-restored Metropolis of New Jersey. He was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan.

On 16 September, 2023, Metropolitan Apostolos (Koufallakis) was enthroned in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian, Tenafly, New Jersey, as metropolitan the Metropolis of New Jersey. The enthronement was led by Metropolitan Kyrillos (Kogerakis) of Rhodes, Representative of Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Saint John the Theologian Metropolitan Cathedral, Tenafly, New Jersey

Following the Rite of Enthronement, a celebratory Gala Banquet was held at The Venetian, which included greetings from The Honourable Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey ; His Excellency Evangelos Savva, Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States ; and The Honourable Konstantinos Konstantinou, Consul General of Greece in New York, among many other notable leaders of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey.

Later in September, 2023, Metropolitan Apostolos was assigned to serve for one year as a member of the Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese of America.

On 9 April, 2024, Metropolitan Apostolos (Koufallakis) presided over the first Clergy-Laity Conference of the Metropolis of New Jersey since his enthronement. Present also was Archbishop Elpidephoros (Lambrianidis), head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the new Chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey, Archimandrite Nektarios (Cottras).

On 13 January, 2025, there was a large celebration in honour of the 10th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Metropolitan Apostolos. The event took place at the The Venetian Catering Hall in Garfield, New Jersey.

Archbishop of Toronto and Canada

On Wednesday, 22 July, 2026, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, under the presidency of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, elected Metropolitan Apostolos (Koufallakis) of New Jersey to become the next Archbishop of Canada, following the retirement of the previous incumbent, Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) earlier in the month.

Soon after the elections, on 28 July, 2026, Archbishop Apostolos sent a letter of greeting to the clergy and parishioners of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Canada. In this letter, he informed the Faithful that the enthronement had been scheduled for 19 September, 2026, at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Bishop of Medeia 2014-2023. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by : ____.

Metropolitan of New Jersey 2023-2026. Preceded by : Metropolitan Evnagelos (Kourounis). Succeeded by : ____.

Archbishop of Toronto and Canada 2026-____. Preceded by : Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas). Succeeded by : ____.

References

Orthodoxia.ch record of Archbishop Apostolos (Koufallakis)

Wikipedia article about Archbishop Apostolos (Koufallakis)

Additional information :

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Biography : Archbishop Apostolos of Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Toronto

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Constantinople (Ecumenical Patriarchate)

Ecumenical Patriarchate web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Greek Canadians

Greek diaspora

Orthodoxwiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic

Grokipedia article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada

Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou)

Patriarch Demetrios (Papadopoulos)

Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis)

Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis)

Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis)

Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis)

Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas)

Bishop Theodosios (Sideris)

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis)

Bishop Athenagoras (Salmas)

Metropolitan Apostolos (Dimelis) of Rhodes.

Montreal Greek Times : Apostolos of New Jersey elected new Archbishop of Canada (22 July, 2026)

Orthodox Times : Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey elected as the new Archbishop of Canada (22 July, 2026)

UOJ News article : "Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey elected as the new Archbishop of Canada" (22 July, 2026)

Statement by the Archons in Canada on the Election of a new Archbishop (22 July, 2026)