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Rt. Rev. Dionysios Demessianos
served 1936 - 1939
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(Note: Dionysios Demessianos started his career as a priest under the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He was later defrocked. He served Holy
Trinity as an independent priest. We have noted him a "Right Reverend" or "Rt. Rev." to separate him from the other priests that served.
Additionally, this article deals with the topic of independent parishes. It's important to note that after the establishment of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922, there were many independent parishes in the United States who did not want to be under the jurisdiction of
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The church gradually brought almost all of these independent parishes under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
within a twenty year period.)
Rt. Rev. Dionysios Demessianos was a significant figure in Holy Trinity's history. At the time he served, Holy Trinity's parish council wanted
Holy Trinity to be an independent parish and not under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New York. The parish council's vote for independence
affected the way Holy Trinity was viewed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese for decades.
Historical background:
Dionysios Demessianos was born in 1887 on the island of Corfu. He graduated from the Greek Theological School in Halki and the University of
Athens. He was appointed by the Greek government as a chaplain in the Greek army. He came to the United States in 1922 from Smyrna, Asia Minor.
The Archbishop of Athens assigned him to a parish in the United States to meet the needs of the growing number of Greek immigrants.
He arrived in the United States with his Presvytera Cleo and their children, Mary, Katerina, and Alex.
Reverend Dionysios' first assignment was at St. Spyridon in Newport, RI. He was the second priest in their history. He served from 1924 -1927.
In 1927, Rev. Dionysios Demessianos came to Detroit as the priest of the Hellenic Orthodox Church, St. Sophia. When he failed to receive his
salary, he resigned and organized his own congregation, the Independent Hellenic Orthodox Church. Theodore Gerasimos, president of the older
congregation, sued him for the financial loss which he had sustained due to his departure. Mr. Gerasimos was ordered to pay all the court costs
of his action. Later, he secured the writ, claiming that Father Demessianos owed him obscure obligations. The damage done to the Independent
Hellenic Orthodox Church was severe but not irreparable. The sad members of the congregation worshipped in tears and begged all Detroit
Christians to help them.
During this time period, Reverend Dionysios was defrocked by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Instead of choosing a different career, he chose
to serve independent parishes that did not want to be under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese. During this time he (and possibly others)
created the "Autonomous Hellenic Orthodox Archdiocese SE", an independent church.
In 1929, family members recall Reverend Dionysios sending a letter asking the Archbishop if he could marry two family members and his
request was denied. He no longer had the authority to perform sacraments recognized by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
In 1933, he was appointed priest of the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Holy Cross in Birmingham, Alabama.
Reverend Dionysios at times struggled to pay his monthly bills. Several family members helped him with his living expenses. Presvytera Cleo did not travel
with him. She stayed on the east coast close to her children.
The Vote for Unification and the Aftermath:
Fr. Vasilios Lokis arrived at Holy Trinity in 1936 as an assistant priest to Fr. Constantine Tsapralis. Fr. Lokis wanted to unite the two
churches in San Francisco. Fr. Lokis believed very strongly that the two communities should be together and he started a campaign to unite
Annunciation and Holy Trinity. Members of Holy Trinity's parish council felt his speeches were inflammatory and incited anger and rioting.
The president of Holy Trinity's parish council wrote letters and sent telegrams to the Archdiocese requesting his removal.
Holy Trinity's parish council filed a lawsuit (injunction) preventing Fr. Lokis from entering Holy Trinity property. Both churches took a
vote for unification in 1936. Annunciation voted for unification and Holy Trinity voted against it. The lawsuit was settled and as part of
the settlement Holy Trinity dismissed Fr. Lokis. Holy Trinity's parish council, voted to be independent of the Archdiocese. They hired
Reverend Dionysios as Holy Trinity's next priest. At the time the San Francisco Examiner erroneously reported that Reverend Dionysios was
under the Patriarchate of Antioch.
In 1937, Reverend Dionysios was uncanonically elevated to the "episcopacy" by the schismatic "Living (or Renovationist) Church" of Russia.
He took the name "Damaskinos Demessianos".
Reverend Dionysios lived at 1211 1/2 Guerrero Street. He served until 1939. The parish hired Fr. Ambrosios Mandalaris as their next priest. Fr. Mandalaris was under the
jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York. Holy Trinity's history as an independent parish lasted three years.
Reverend Dionysios' health declined in the late 1940s / early 1950s. He was diagnosed with colon cancer and had surgery . He spent his
retirement years in Newport, RI. Reverend Dionysios passed away in 1960 at the age of
73. He died in San Francisco and his body was brought back to Newport , RI. He is buried next to Presvytera Cleo at the Newport cemetery.
The information in this article was compiled from newspaper articles, oral history interviews, family letters, and church records. Questions regarding
this article? Please send the historical society an email.
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