Metropolitan Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
Metropolitan
Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh is the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of Pittsburgh which includes all of Ohio
, Pennsylvania
and West Virginia
. The Metropolis consists of 53 parishes and six monastic communities which minister to the needs of thousands of Greek Orthodox faithful. The Metropolis offices are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Bishop Savas was elected to the office of Metropolitan of Pittsburgh on November 2, 2011, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople
, and was enthroned December 8, 2011 (scheduled).
, on June 11, 1957, the second of six children of Skevofylax ("Steve") and Stamatia (Georgiades) Zembillas. Graduating from Andrean High School in Gary in 1975, he entered Colby College
in Waterville, Maine
, where he earned a BA in Philosophy and English Literature (1979). He also graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts
(1984, M.Div. with highest honors). He continued his studies at Oxford University, England
, under the supervision of then Bishop Kallistos Ware.
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
(1995-1997), and was subsequently assigned (now as archimandrite) to pastor the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios in Merrick, New York
(1997-1999).
(2001-2011), overlapping times when he was also the Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (1999-2009) and Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Church, Society and Culture (2009-2011).
Metropolitan Savas has been an active participant in the social network structures of the Internet, engaging issues of contemporary culture and society from an Orthodox Christian perspective. He has led numerous pilgrimages of young adults to Constantinople and the Holy Land, in addition to missionary teams to Kenya and Tanzania. He is presently the Chairman of the Committee for Church and Society of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America
.
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh is the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
Metropolis of Pittsburgh which includes all of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The Metropolis consists of 53 parishes and six monastic communities which minister to the needs of thousands of Greek Orthodox faithful. The Metropolis offices are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Bishop Savas was elected to the office of Metropolitan of Pittsburgh on November 2, 2011, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and was enthroned December 8, 2011 (scheduled).
Early life and education
Metropolitan Savas was born Savas Zembillas in Gary, IndianaGary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, on June 11, 1957, the second of six children of Skevofylax ("Steve") and Stamatia (Georgiades) Zembillas. Graduating from Andrean High School in Gary in 1975, he entered Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
in Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, where he earned a BA in Philosophy and English Literature (1979). He also graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
(1984, M.Div. with highest honors). He continued his studies at Oxford University, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, under the supervision of then Bishop Kallistos Ware.
Early service
He served as parish priest of the Greek Orthodox Church of the AnnunciationAnnunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
(1995-1997), and was subsequently assigned (now as archimandrite) to pastor the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios in Merrick, New York
Merrick, New York
Merrick is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 22,097. The name "Merrick" is taken from Meroke, the name of the Algonquian tribe formerly indigenous to the area...
(1997-1999).
Early episcopacy
Prior to his election to the throne of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Savas served as the titular Bishop of TroasAlexandria Troas
Alexandria Troas is an ancient Greek city situated on the Aegean Sea near the northern tip of Turkey's western coast, a little south of Tenedos . It is located in the modern Turkish province of Çanakkale...
(2001-2011), overlapping times when he was also the Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (1999-2009) and Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Church, Society and Culture (2009-2011).
Metropolitan Savas has been an active participant in the social network structures of the Internet, engaging issues of contemporary culture and society from an Orthodox Christian perspective. He has led numerous pilgrimages of young adults to Constantinople and the Holy Land, in addition to missionary teams to Kenya and Tanzania. He is presently the Chairman of the Committee for Church and Society of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America
Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America is an Eastern Orthodox organization of church Hierarchs in North and Central America....
.
See also
- Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaThe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Demetrios of America.-About the Archdiocese:...
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of ConstantinopleEcumenical Patriarchate of ConstantinopleThe Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...