Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation

Atlanta, GA

The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation was established in 1905 with services held on the second floor of a sporting goods store at 111½ Whitehall Street. Founding members of this parish were Gerasimos Avgerinos (Algers), Constantine Boutos, Constantine Charalambides, Christos Kotsakos, Nicholas G. Kouloukes, John Stavropoulos, and Constantine Verghiotes (Verge). From an original membership of 72, the parish has grown to its current membership of approximately 1200 families.

As the membership grew, the parish moved to other locations; a Presbyterian Church on the corner of Garnett Street and Central Avenue (1906-1928) to a converted Jewish Temple on the corner of Pryor and Richardson Streets (1928-1967) to the current location at 2500 Clairmont Road. (1967-present). Guiding priests during the development of the parish included Father Panos Constantinides, 1933-1955, and Father Homer P. Goumenis, 1963-1997.

The parish originally served first generation Greek immigrants from the Peloponnesus, primarily from the district of Argolis. Currently the Cathedral serves Greek-Americans of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations as well as many who converted to Greek Orthodoxy from throughout metropolitan Atlanta.

Today, services are celebrated by Father Christos P. Mars. The Parish Council President is Stephen Georgeson. In 2002 the 13 million dollar community center and gymnasium adjacent to the Cathedral was completed and dedicated. In an effort to retire the mortgage as quickly as possible, the use of the facilities by the parish and the community at large is now underway through marketing and leasing by a professional management company.

The Cathedral fosters the Greek Orthodox faith through community prayer, worship and religious programs to help perpetuate a Hellenic heritage inseparable from the faith, and to assist the larger community in its needs. The Cathedral has over 32 ministries and programs that further its mission as an Orthodox church. A Sunday School program on Sunday mornings teaches the faith to children from primary grades to high school. Confirmation classes guide converts to Orthodoxy. GOYA, Junior GOYA, and JOY youth groups participate in sports activities, retreats, and general fellowship programs throughout the year. Summer camp every summer, since the early 1960s, combines recreation with religious learning. There is an afternoon Greek school promoting language and culture and an annual Greek festival in the fall. The Ladies Philoptochos Society provides for the needy and sponsors lunches for the “Golden Group” of the parish. The church sponsors the Hellenic Tower for senior citizens and participates in an ongoing soup kitchen to feed the poor.

This parish would like to be remembered “as a vital, vibrant parish and a beacon of Greek Orthodoxy for the entire Southeast. As the Cathedral of the Metropolis of Atlanta, our mission and responsibilities far exceed those of an ordinary parish. Our responsibility is to fulfill, through our many programs, ministries and philoxenia, the pastoral vision of our spiritual father and leader, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios. As such we continuously strive to be a beacon of our Greek Orthodox faith for the entire Metropolis.”

To visit the parish website, please click here.