IN MEMORIAM · FATHER GEORGE SAITANIS

The late Reverend Father George Saitanis, beloved priest and respected throughout the Greek community, passed away on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 in Montreal.

Wake and funeral programme

Thursday September 4, 2014 from 11am to 9pm
Public viewing at Koimisis Tis Theotokou Church (founded by the late Revered Father in April 1968).

Friday September 5, 2014

8:30 am The body will be transported to Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Church – the second church he founded and served for many years until he retired.

9 am Divine Liturgy at Evangelismos Tis Theotokou

11 am The funeral service will be held at Evangelismos Tis Theotokou, attended by all priests and cantors of the region.  As per the late Reverend Father’s wish, as well as, that of his family, in lieu of flowers, please make your donations to the Monastery of Panagia Parigoritissa in Brownsburg-Chatham, Quebec.

His beloved children,
Iro and Panayiotis,
grandchildren Andriani, Stavroula and George
His godchildren and his relatives

Press Release
Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal

I, the President of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal,  on behalf of the members of the Board of Directors and the Regional Councils, the Clergy, the executive personnel, the teachers and the staff express our deepest sympathies to Argiro (Ero) Saitanis to her husband Panayiotis Theofanous and their children Andriani, Stavroula, George, on the passing of their beloved father and grandfather, the late Reverend Father George Saitanis.

A pillar in our community, the late Reverend Father George served Montreal’s Greek orthodox community and Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Church with devotion and dignity, as spiritual leader for 51 years.

We pray the family will be spared of any further sorrow.

May he rest in peace and may his memory be eternal.

Nicholas T. Pagonis
President

Editor’s Note

The Very Reverend George Saitanis – “Father George” as he was known to so many of us – will always be remembered for his determination to serve and accomodate the ever-growing number of Greek immigrants flocking to Parc Extension in the sixties and seventies at first as pastor of Kimisis Tis Theotokou «Panagitsa» and later «Evangelismos Tis Theotokou» Greek Orthodox churches, his love and support of youth, his and his presbytera’s work in founding a Sunday School at Bartholomew-Vimont School on Saint-Roch Street, the organization of summer day camps for working families at the “Blue Church”, the formation of a young adults association he named the Junior Parish Commitee (but better known to its members as the JPC), his and his presbytera’s generous house parties for youth, and not least of all his distinct and gifted voice and chanting of Orthodox hymns.

His legacy lives on in the many faithful to whom he ministered and the unprecedented number amongst them that he inspired to serve the Orthodox Church as monks, nuns, priests, chanters or simple lay servants.

Αἰωνία ἡ μνήμη !

James D. Smirnios
Member, Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council of Toronto Canada