Greek ministers, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined Orthodox Church leaders in Toronto on Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the enthronement of Archbishop Apostolos of Canada at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain presided as the representative of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The ceremony followed Apostolos’s election by the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Holy and Sacred Synod on July 22, after his service as Metropolitan of New Jersey.
Apostolos succeeds Archbishop Sotirios as head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada, which serves communities across the country under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Greek and Canadian officials attend Toronto ceremony
Greece’s delegation included Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki, and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou. Chrétien and Ford were among the Canadian political figures attending.
Metropolitan Ilarion of Winnipeg, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, attended with Bishop Andriy of Toronto. The congregation also included clergy from other Orthodox jurisdictions and representatives of other Christian traditions.
A call for unity and service
In his enthronement address, Apostolos appealed for unity among clergy, the Greek community, and the wider Church. He described his new responsibilities as taking up Christ’s cross rather than accepting secular power.
He also thanked Sotirios for his years of work building the archdiocese, supporting education, and serving young people. The patriarchal message, read by Nikitas, emphasized the new archbishop’s ministry within Canada’s multicultural society.
Archbishop Apostolos of Canada: From Rhodes to North America
Born Evangelos Koufallakis on the Greek island of Rhodes, Apostolos studied at the Ecclesiastical School of Patmos before pursuing theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He later earned a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Boston University in 2004.
He became a monk in 1993, receiving the name Apostolos, and was ordained a priest in 1996. His American ministry included parish assignments in Massachusetts and service as dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, New York.
Apostolos subsequently served as chancellor of the Metropolis of San Francisco and was ordained a bishop in 2014. He assumed pastoral responsibilities in New Jersey in 2021 before his election as metropolitan on July 24, 2023. His move to Toronto follows more than two decades of ministry among Greek Orthodox communities in the United States.
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