Parish Priest
Throughout the process of finding a property and raising the funds, several priests, some already mentioned, worked hard to realize the dream of establishing a new parish. Fr. Makarios Mannos, a monk who was serving in Pueblo, CO, at the time, helped with the initial ideas for a church. Fr. Luke Uhl and Fr. Mark Leondis, at the Denver Metropolis, added their support and gave services in Colorado Springs while working at their primary jobs in Denver. His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah approved and supported the plan for a new parish. Fr. Stephen Powley, assigned to provide spiritual guidance to inmates at the Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado, helped by giving the liturgy and assisting in numerous ways with his wife, over the years. Most recently, Fr. Dennis Schutte and his family arrived from Massachusetts to become the first, full-time priest and serves in that capacity as of this writing, in 2006.
The priest’s duties include pastoral care, performing the liturgy every Sunday morning, and training the assistants but also entails providing all manner of religious rites concerning the birth, marriage, and death of parishioners. The priest oversees the Parish Council, Church Adult and Youth Education and post-liturgical coffee hours and meetings. In addition, he performs outreach to shut-ins who are members unable to physically visit the church. Fundraising is another important function and involves myriad activities throughout the year to raise money for the church and the Metropolis. Greek Orthodox priests typically are trained at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Parish Council Presidents
The priest leads the parish but the Parish Council Presidents, along with the council members, execute the many projects that the church requires to maintain the physical building, raise money, provide adult and youth education, buy religious materials, etc. Leaders of the council of this church have been John Topakas, Phil Yannias, Evan Caracostas, Andy Dabit, and Norm Struck. Council members are voted on and can serve for one or several terms in office.
Philoptochos
Women of the church also serve in the administration, supply, and outreach of the church both independently and through the Ladies’ Philoptochos Society. The mission of the society, which has a national chapter, is to aid the poor, sick unemployed, orphaned and imprisoned, handicapped, the widowed, and others in need of help through missions and outreach in the spirit of Orthodoxy. The Society also promotes activities at the parish level with the coordination of the priest and the council.
Activities
The church sponsors many activities ranging from adult and youth education to fundraisers. The church set up youth and adult education in the Fall of 2006 while it had organized fundraisers for several years to include manning a food booth at Old Colorado City for Territory Days held on Memorial Day weekend, hosting a charity local golf tournament, and running a Greek Festival with food and dance events at the church.
Conclusion
As of 2006, the church had 55 member families and was growing steadily every year since its inception in 1997. With sustained stewardship support from the membership and ongoing fundraisers, the church achieved financial stability to meet its annual salary and benefits obligations to the priest, and for the basic utilities, maintenance and insurance payments for the physical building. Archangel Michael will continue to grow and serve its community, as well as approved local and national charities, causes and relief efforts in its Christian service.
Written and compiled by Maj. Basil D. Georgiadis, USAF Retired, Ph.D, Department of History, USAFA. April 15, 2006.
