Mastrogiannopoulos p. Ilias
Blessed Father Ilias Mastrogiannopoulos (1919-2020) was a great personality of recent church history. He was distinguished by simplicity, deep faith, and broad culture. He came from an aristocratic pious family and from a young age he dedicated himself to God, indeed offering all his property to the missionary work of the Church.
He was born in Athens on October 10, 1919. His father was Dimitrios Mastrogiannopoulos, a great doctor with his own clinic in the center of Athens, and his mother was Maria Matthopoulou. His sister was the late philologist Stamatia, also dedicated to God, head of the "Eusveia" Brotherhood for a number of years. His maternal relatives were the Archbishop of Patras Ierotheos and the elder Father Eusevios Matthopoulos. He began his general studies at home and then attended the Ionian School and the Experimental High School of Athens. He completed his theological studies at the Theological School of Athens, receiving his degree with honors in 1942.
In 1938 he entered the Brotherhood of Theologists "LIFE". On November 8, 1945, he was ordained a Deacon by the Titular Metropolitan of Patara, Meletios, and on August 6, 1949, an elder by the Metropolitan of Alexandroupolis, Joakim, and ordained an Archimandrite. During this period, with the permission of the Archbishop of Damascenes, he served as a preacher in various Temples of Athens and in 1952 he received from the bishop of Rogon Dionyssios permission and blessing of a confessor.
He was the head of the Brotherhood from 1959 to January 1966. From 1960 to 1964 he organized the pioneering theological Conferences "Ephesus", where personalities from the Orthodox diaspora were invited and spoke such as: Alexander Smeman, Ioannis Meyendorff, George Florovsky , Olivier Clement et al. He also supervised the publication of theological symposia, which bear the titles: 1) "Theology, truth and life", 2) "Monasticism and the modern world" 3) "Our liturgy" 4) "The living word".
From 1968 to 1971 he took over the direction of the Higher Priestly Training School of Tinos, while after 1971 he taught for two years at the Higher Ecclesiastical School of Athens. He participated creatively and subtly in various Synodal and Archdiocesan Committees, with his most recent participation in the Special Synodal Committee for Functional Revival. In 2004, the Synod of the Church of Greece awarded him the highest honor of St. Paul.
He was born in Athens on October 10, 1919. His father was Dimitrios Mastrogiannopoulos, a great doctor with his own clinic in the center of Athens, and his mother was Maria Matthopoulou. His sister was the late philologist Stamatia, also dedicated to God, head of the "Eusveia" Brotherhood for a number of years. His maternal relatives were the Archbishop of Patras Ierotheos and the elder Father Eusevios Matthopoulos. He began his general studies at home and then attended the Ionian School and the Experimental High School of Athens. He completed his theological studies at the Theological School of Athens, receiving his degree with honors in 1942.
In 1938 he entered the Brotherhood of Theologists "LIFE". On November 8, 1945, he was ordained a Deacon by the Titular Metropolitan of Patara, Meletios, and on August 6, 1949, an elder by the Metropolitan of Alexandroupolis, Joakim, and ordained an Archimandrite. During this period, with the permission of the Archbishop of Damascenes, he served as a preacher in various Temples of Athens and in 1952 he received from the bishop of Rogon Dionyssios permission and blessing of a confessor.
He was the head of the Brotherhood from 1959 to January 1966. From 1960 to 1964 he organized the pioneering theological Conferences "Ephesus", where personalities from the Orthodox diaspora were invited and spoke such as: Alexander Smeman, Ioannis Meyendorff, George Florovsky , Olivier Clement et al. He also supervised the publication of theological symposia, which bear the titles: 1) "Theology, truth and life", 2) "Monasticism and the modern world" 3) "Our liturgy" 4) "The living word".
From 1968 to 1971 he took over the direction of the Higher Priestly Training School of Tinos, while after 1971 he taught for two years at the Higher Ecclesiastical School of Athens. He participated creatively and subtly in various Synodal and Archdiocesan Committees, with his most recent participation in the Special Synodal Committee for Functional Revival. In 2004, the Synod of the Church of Greece awarded him the highest honor of St. Paul.
