The spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox church in seven western states has died after battling a rare form of cancer, church officials said Sunday.
Metropolitan Anthony Gergiannakis died Saturday at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, where he had been admitted in November for treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma, a malignancy of the lymph nodes. He was 69.
An exact cause of death is expected to be released Monday, medical center spokeswoman Claudia Morain said.
Archbishop Demetrios, leader of America's Greek Orthodox Christians, issued a statement saying the San Francisco leader leaves "a precious legacy" that includes "a remarkably strong love for the people, a burning passion for Orthodoxy and a joy for multidimensional ministry."
Metropolitan Anthony, so-called from a tradition of referring to church leaders by first name, was spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco. In that role, he presided over 70 Greek Orthodox parishes with 150,000 members in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
Expanding the reach of the church through ministry, evangelizing and construction programs will be among his most lasting accomplishments, said the Rev. Theodore Dorrance, a Portland, Ore., pastor who is president of the organization that represents all clergy in the metropolis.
During the 25 years he led the Metropolis of San Francisco, Metropolitan Anthony oversaw the construction of three monasteries and about two dozen parishes and missions, as well as renovations to existing churches.
"It was God's providence that brought him out to the West, which has always been seen as a frontier," Dorrance said. "He saw himself as a visionary and creative."
His vision was not just limited to the western United States. Remembered as a charismatic leader, Metropolitan Anthony also established programs to evangelize aboard, sending teams of missionaries or money to Africa, Romania, Albania and states of the former Soviet Union.
"He was a doer, very active," Dorrance said. "He was out there in the midst of his people - always traveling, very vivacious, outgoing."
He maintained a particular interest in youth programs. He started an annual folk dance, costume and music festival that has evolved into a competition involving thousands of children from throughout the western parishes. He also began a multimillion dollar scholarship program to fund seminarians and students from the metropolis to attend Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Mass.
"He truly was a man of vision and determination," the Rev. Demetrios-Earl Cantos said.
Cantos is director of another of Metropolitan Anthony's projects, the Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in the Sierra Nevada east of Fresno.
Metropolitan Anthony became bishop of the newly created Diocese of San Francisco in 1979 and in 1997 was elevated to metropolitan, an office that is similar to an archbishop.
Last summer, he announced plans to retire at the end of 2005 but was admitted to the medical center in November after complaining of fatigue. He had been undergoing chemotherapy.
Born in 1935 in a village on the Greek island of Crete, he came to the United States after being ordained as a priest in 1960, earning a master's of divinity degree from Yale.
In 1974, he was appointed Dean of the St. George Cathedral in Montreal, where he remained until his elevation to the episcopacy in 1978. He also served the archdiocese of Denver before coming to San Francisco.
A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday at Ascension Cathedral in Oakland.