Oakland, USA - The Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday installed a new leader for the western United States as about 1,500 faithful watched.
Gerasimos Michaleas, the new metropolitan of San Francisco, will preside over 70 Greek Orthodox parishes with 150,000 members in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
"I have tried to serve without asking the Lord about my place at the table. I have followed the road before me, prayerful that I would not lose my direction or my purpose, which was, is and always shall be to serve God and his people," Michaleas said in ceremonies at the Ascension Cathedral in Oakland.
Michaleas, 59, replaces Metropolitan Anthony Gergiannakis, who died on Christmas.
Michaleas was born in Kalamata, Greece, and moved to the United States in 1969 to attend college. He received a bachelor's degree from Hellenic College in Brookline, Mass., and continued studies at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
He was ordained in 1979 and appointed archdeacon to Archbishop Iakovos of Chicago. In 1990, he became dean of students at Hellenic College and later earned a doctorate in psychology from Boston College