Bishop Sotirios (Trampas)

The blessed Bishop Sotirios (Trampas) was born in Arta in the year 1929, where he received his encyclical and secondary education. He studied at the Theological School of the University of Athens. He was ordained a Deacon in 1956. He served as a Preacher of I. Diocese of Mithymni. In 1960 he was ordained a Presbyter and promoted to an Archimandrite. During the years 1965-1968 he served as a military preacher. He was then appointed Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, until December 1973. In November 1975, he was assigned to Korea and appointed Priestly Head of the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas in Seoul and General Episcopal Commissioner for the Far East. In 1982 he was appointed Director of the Theological Seminary "St. Nicholas" Seoul and in 1986 President of the missionary organization "Orthodox Eastern Mission" established by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which was active outside of Korea and in other countries of the NE. Asia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and India. In 1993 he was elected Assistant Bishop of the Metropolitan of New Zealand, with the title of the Diocese of Zealot. In 1995 he was appointed Head of the newly established missionary institution "Exarchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Korea". In 1999 he was declared an Honorary Citizen of Seoul, for his 25 years of service in Korea. He has received the Priest's Award from the "Georgi and Katigos Laimos" Foundation and has also been awarded by the Academy of Athens with its bronze medal. On April 20, 2004, he was elected Metropolitan of the artistic Holy Metropolis of Korea. On May 27, 2008, he was elected Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia. He fell asleep in Korea on June 10, 2022.