Biography: His Eminence Archbishop-elect Apostolos of Canada

His Eminence, Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey was born Evangelos Koufallakis on the island of Rhodes, Greece. He is the second of four children of Ioannis and Stergia Koufallakis. He completed his primary education on the island of Rhodes. In 1990, he was accepted at the historical Ecclesiastical School of Patmos, also known as Patmeada, where he was first introduced to, and later mastered, Orthodox Byzantine Music and Hymnology.

On April 29, 1993, Evangelos was tonsured a monk at the Holy and Sacred Monastery of Panagia Paramethea, at which time he received the name “Apostolos.” On June 20, 1993, Father Apostolos was ordained to the holy Diaconate by his spiritual father, Metropolitan Apostolos of Rhodes. He served the Metropolis of Rhodes as the deacon to the Metropolitan and after one year received the Offikion of Archdeacon.

In October of 1995, Father Apostolos passed the General Panellenian exams and was accepted at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in the area of study of Pastoral and Social Theology. During his theological education, Father Apostolos was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on July 28, 1996, and received the Offikion of Archimandrite by…