Your Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios,
We respectfully ask for your blessing. We have recently heard that Father Evangelos Aravantinos of St.Nicholas and St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church of East Vancouver will be transferred.
We are hoping that perhaps the decision has not been finalized and we ask with our sincerest hope that you with your magnanimity will permit Father Evangelos Aravantinos to remain as priest of St. Nicholas and St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church of East Vancouver.
We respectfully ask this as Father Evangelos Aravantinos has been our priest for approximately nine years and over the years we have built a trust and bond with him as our priest. We also acknowledge and understand that your Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios has many obligations and that some changes are necessary. We were hoping ,however, that perhaps there would be some way in which Father Evangelos Aravantinos would stay.
Our request is for the greater good. We believe that Vancouver needs a stabilizing factor as it has already undergone many changes with respect to its clergy. If Father Evangelos Aravantinos is also relocated that would result in all three of Vancouver’s Greek Orthodox Churches having new clergy with no long established ties with the community as a priest. We humbly believe that our community will greatly benefit by having at least one of our priests with a long standing history as a priest in our community and one with whom we have built strong bonds because he has baptized our children, buried our parents, married our children etc such as Father Evangelos Aravantinos. Such bonds can only happen through time and we humbly request that your generosity of spirit will permit Father Evangelos Aravantinos to remain as our priest and he is a very good priest. We believe under the present circumstances that the Greek Orthodox Community of Vancouver will greatly suffer if we also lose Father Evangelos Aravantinos. We need a stabilizing factor in our community and we humbly request that you allow Father Evangelos Aravantinos to stay.
With deepest respect,
Your children in Christ
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 17, 2014
October 16, 2014
I have been reading your stories about how Father Evangelos has supported families through their hardest times and these memories confirm exactly why he must stay. Behind the scenes I am preparing a formal request to present your collective thoughts directly to the Metropolitan. Your grace and patience while we navigate this uncertainty is truly inspiring.
Reached 100 supporters
October 16, 2014
October 14, 2014
Father Evangelos has been the steady heartbeat of our parish for nine years and seeing the signatures climb proves how much that stability truly means to us. We need to reach one hundred people before this reaches the office of the Metropolitan so please get this link to someone else in the congregation today.
119 Comments
I am an alter server at Saint Nicholas' church and I believe I speak for all of us when I say that father Evangelos has been a huge factor in us continuing to serve
Father was very supporting to me and my family in the very difficult moments of my life when I was diagnosed with cancer and I had to undergo harsh treatments. Father Evangelos is full of kindness and carrying and a blessing for the orthodox community, both Greek and Romanian.
Father Evangelos has meant a lot to this community and I think it would really change the social fabric of the community if he was taken. There needs to be so respect to the community members and I do believe listening to our collective voice would show us just that.
I question why a priest who is loved and admired by his congregation and nowhere near retirement is being transferred out? Has something happened? If not then why does this need to happen.
He is the reason why we want to be in Church on a weekly basis. He relates to each and every person, no matter the age or situation, and is always so deeply welcoming.
This is appalling that priest are transferred for no valid reason!!!!
He would be a great loss to this community.
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Your Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios,
We respectfully ask for your blessing. We have recently heard that Father Evangelos Aravantinos of St.Nicholas and St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church of East Vancouver will be transferred.
We are hoping that perhaps the decision has not been finalized and we ask with our sincerest hope that you with your magnanimity will permit Father Evangelos Aravantinos to remain as priest of St. Nicholas and St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church of East Vancouver.
We respectfully ask this as Father Evangelos Aravantinos has been our priest for approximately nine years and over the years we have built a trust and bond with him as our priest. We also acknowledge and understand that your Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios has many obligations and that some changes are necessary. We were hoping ,however, that perhaps there would be some way in which Father Evangelos Aravantinos would stay.
Our request is for the greater good. We believe that Vancouver needs a stabilizing factor as it has already undergone many changes with respect to its clergy. If Father Evangelos Aravantinos is also relocated that would result in all three of Vancouver’s Greek Orthodox Churches having new clergy with no long established ties with the community as a priest. We humbly believe that our community will greatly benefit by having at least one of our priests with a long standing history as a priest in our community and one with whom we have built strong bonds because he has baptized our children, buried our parents, married our children etc such as Father Evangelos Aravantinos. Such bonds can only happen through time and we humbly request that your generosity of spirit will permit Father Evangelos Aravantinos to remain as our priest and he is a very good priest. We believe under the present circumstances that the Greek Orthodox Community of Vancouver will greatly suffer if we also lose Father Evangelos Aravantinos. We need a stabilizing factor in our community and we humbly request that you allow Father Evangelos Aravantinos to stay.
With deepest respect,
Your children in Christ
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 17, 2014
October 16, 2014
I have been reading your stories about how Father Evangelos has supported families through their hardest times and these memories confirm exactly why he must stay. Behind the scenes I am preparing a formal request to present your collective thoughts directly to the Metropolitan. Your grace and patience while we navigate this uncertainty is truly inspiring.
Reached 100 supporters
October 16, 2014
October 14, 2014
Father Evangelos has been the steady heartbeat of our parish for nine years and seeing the signatures climb proves how much that stability truly means to us. We need to reach one hundred people before this reaches the office of the Metropolitan so please get this link to someone else in the congregation today.
119 Comments
Father has done nothing but add positively to our lives,he has helped increase the attendance of services as well as supporting our youth. Our parishioners trust and love him and Presvitera with all our hearts. The wishes of a few should not effect the many who greatly benefit from him as our priest.
I am an alter server at Saint Nicholas' church and I believe I speak for all of us when I say that father Evangelos has been a huge factor in us continuing to serve
Father was very supporting to me and my family in the very difficult moments of my life when I was diagnosed with cancer and I had to undergo harsh treatments. Father Evangelos is full of kindness and carrying and a blessing for the orthodox community, both Greek and Romanian.
Father Evangelos has meant a lot to this community and I think it would really change the social fabric of the community if he was taken. There needs to be so respect to the community members and I do believe listening to our collective voice would show us just that.
I question why a priest who is loved and admired by his congregation and nowhere near retirement is being transferred out? Has something happened? If not then why does this need to happen.
He is the reason why we want to be in Church on a weekly basis. He relates to each and every person, no matter the age or situation, and is always so deeply welcoming.
This is appalling that priest are transferred for no valid reason!!!!
He would be a great loss to this community.
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Father has done nothing but add positively to our lives,he has helped increase the attendance of services as well as supporting our youth. Our parishioners trust and love him and Presvitera with all our hearts. The wishes of a few should not effect the many who greatly benefit from him as our priest.