Fr. Meletios Gianniodis

Presiding Priest

Voice: (724) 684-5411
Email: Contact the Parish Office

As a young boy growing up in his tiny village on the Greek island of Chios, Fr. Meletios Gianniodis listened with wide eyes as his grandmother told him stories of a “magnificent church” in a little American city called Monessen.

As he grew older, he fell more in love with his grandmother’s stories of her early life in the booming steel mill towns in the Mon Valley and he dreamed of visiting the great city.

Her stories helped foster his love for his faith and the church, and he knew when he was just 12 years old he would become a priest.

When I grew up, I heard stories of Monessen, Monongahela and Donora,” said Meletios. My grandmother (Catherine Flamos) would tell me it’s a blessed place. She said happy people lived here and the people were kind and courteous.

And she would tell me stories of this magnificent church called St. Spyridon in Monessen.

His lifelong dream to come to Monessen not only came true, but his life has come full circle as he is the new priest at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church.  He conducted his first sermon Jan. 26.

Fr. Meletios describes life in his village as peaceful and not very hectic he attended traditional schools in his village and a theological university.

I always knew growing up I wanted to be a priest.

He spent his life in Chios as priest of St. Marina Church in Ververato, where about 250 faithful attended services every Sunday.

Meletios dedicated every second of his life to the church, where the children often flocked around him to play and the older ladies in the village loved to have him over for coffee.

He helped build a museum for the village and refurbish the rectory and the church and started two Sunday schools.  He is overjoyed to continue his ministry with the parishioners of the St. Spyridon Community.

Dn. Bill Leogas

Voice: (724) 684-5411
Email: Contact the Parish Office

Deacon Vasilios (Bill) Leogas has been actively involved in the life of St. Spyridon Church for over 50 years, serving at various times as choir director, parish council president, and festival chairperson. Upon his retirement from Westinghouse/Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory where he worked as a subcontract printing coordinator, he received a blessing from (+) Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, to enter the Diaconate Program at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, MA. After completing the three-year program, he was ordained a deacon on August 6, 2014, by His Eminence, Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh. Deacon Bill and his wife, Diakonissa Mary, have one son, Bill Jr.