On Sunday September 7, 2025, our parish will welcome the return of Father Angelo to serve at Prophet Elias as his schedule permits. Father Angelo and Presbytera Mary look forward to seeing everyone again in Santa Cruz. Please attend and surely welcome them both that Sunday. Many joyful parishioners await! Amin!
Rev. Protopresbyter Angelo Pappas
Rev. Protopresbyter Angelo Pappas was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Christos and Panayiota Pappas. In 1972, he graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA Degree in Political Science and was in business and finance until 1987. Then, with the support of his family, he attended the Hellenic College / Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts.
Prior to attending Holy Cross, he was Ordained into the Diaconate and served the Annunciation Cathedral in Baltimore. In his tenure there, he was the Greek Orthodox Chaplain to Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of Maryland Hospital and served on call at various Baltimore Hospitals.
Upon entering the Seminary, he was Metropolitan Methodios’ Deacon and was also assigned to the Chaplaincy at Massachusetts General Hospital, Deaconess-Beth Israel Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After graduation, he was assigned to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
In his 18 years of service to the Saint Nicholas community, Father Angelo served on the Ethics Committee at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, commissioner to the Portsmouth Housing Authority, Chaplain to the University of New Hampshire, and Boston University. He was also Chaplain to the Portsmouth Fire Department, as well as Portsmouth Police and Seacoast Emergency Response Team, and the New Hampshire Fire Academy. He also established the Suicide Prevention Council for the New Hampshire Seacoast Region and was also given a Citation by then Governor John Lynch for his work in Suicide Prevention and was appointed to the Governor’s Committee for Suicide Prevention. He also served on the New Hampshire Disaster Behavior Response Team for many years.
He received the New Hampshire Medal of Merit, as well as Citations from the States of Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island, for his Fire Service in Greece and was awarded the Paul Harris Medal from the Portsmouth Rotary International.
Father Angelo was able to be part of the Rescue and Recovery at the World Trade Center Disaster of 9/11, and later part of the IOCC team in New Orleans in the Hurricane Katrina event.
In 2007, Father Angelo was also part of the response team to Virginia Tech shootings. He was also sent to Greece for Fire Fighting in the 2007 fires. Later, he was sent back to Greece to help distribute financial aid to the areas stricken by the fires.
In 2010, he asked to be assigned to Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, so as to be close to family in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While in Myrtle Beach, he was Chaplain to Grand Strand Hospital and Orthodox Chaplain to Coastal Carolina University of which he helped create the Chaplaincy Council on Campus
In 2015, Father Angelo was asked to speak at an International Conference on the Island of Rhodes, Greece, on the topic of “Terrorism and Mental Health.” He also attended Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary for Post Graduate Studies, as well as extensive studies in Critical Incident Stress Management.
In July 2017, after serving the parish of Saint John the Baptist for seven years, Father Angelo officially retired from active parish life, and retired from the Myrtle Beach Fire Department as Chaplain.
Father Angelo is BLESSED to be married to Presbytera Mary Poulos Pappas from Fayetteville, North Carolina for 46 years and they are both BLESSED with great children, Chris, Dino and his wife Emily, Penny and her husband Martin and three wonderful grandchildren, Angelo Andrew, Maria Theodora (Doris), and Noah.
