Born: January 11, 1925
Died: December 3, 2006

The Very Rev. Father Peter Kyriakos was born on January 11, 1925 in Almyros, Greece to Nicholas and Kaliope Kyriakos. He arrived in the United States on December 24, 1946, where he entered the Greek Orthodox Seminary, graduating in 1950 from the Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA. From 1950 to 1952 he pursued graduate studies in Pastoral Psychology at the Andover ­Newton School of Theology in Newton, MA.

He was married to the former Kay (Evdokia) Kaloutsi from Aigion, Greece on August 28,1952 in the chapel at the Holy Cross Theological School in Brookline, MA.

He was ordained a Deacon on October 25, 1952 at the Annunciation Cathedral of Boston by Bishop Ezekiel of Nazianzos. For two years he served as a Deacon at the Cathedral of Boston with His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos.

He was ordained to the Priesthood on November 21, 1954 by Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus. He served the Annunciation Cathedral of Boston until 1961. He was then appointed by Archbishop Iakovos to the position of head pastor of the American Hellenic Community of the Greater Cleveland, Ohio and later Dean of the Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Cleveland. On September 1, 1973 he assumed pastoral duties at the Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle, New York until his retirement in 1996.

Father Peter has received the following Offika (ecclesiastical titles): Confessor, Sakallarios, Economos and Protopresbyter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America and the Ecumenical Throne. In 1982 he received the Gold Cross from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in recognition of his many years of dedicated service to the Church.

Father Peter has served in the First Archdiocesan District on the National Council of Presbyters. He directed the religion radio program of the Archdiocese in Boston, MA and Cleveland, OH and served as the Secretary of the Archdiocesan Spiritual Tribunal. He also served as the Treasurer of the Westchester Orthodox Clergy Association and as a member of the Board and of the Executive Committee of the New Rochelle Inter-Religious Council, which in 1996 honored him as Man of the Year. Father Peter also served on the Mayor's Clergy Advisory Committee as well as on the Board of the Saint Basil Academy and the St. Michael's Home for the Aged.

Father Peter and Kay Kyriakos have four children and their spouses Nicholas & Vicki Kyriakos, Linda & Mario Faustini, Steven & Francine Kyriakos and Dean & Michelle Kyriakos and eight grandchildren: Christina, Peter, Nicholas, Kayti, Anjelique, Andrew, Anthony, and Elena.

"Father Peter Kyriakos had many-gifts ..... his deep faith, his angelic voice, his gentleness, his smile, his golden heart and his love for all people. Father Peter will be remembered as a "Priest of Priests" whose love for his Church and family were clearly evident by all those who were privileged to know, admire, and respect him" (Paulette Poulos).

Father Peter was one of the first who began a radio ministry. He started in 1951 at the Boston Cathedral and later conducted the Archdiocesan Radio Ministry Program in the New York City and its general area. His closing prayer became is land mark and many learned this prayer and recited it with him as he ended his weekly radio message. His biography would not be complete without including this prayer.

Κύριε, δός μοῦ τήν δύναμη νά κάμω τό ἒργο
μου ὃσον ἠμπορῶ καλύτερα.
Χάρισε μοῦ σύνεση, φρόνηση καί προσοχή
στήν καθημερινή μου ζωή.

Κύριε, δός μοῦ τήν δύναμη νά βλέπω τό καλό
τό ἃγιο, το ὂμορφο .
Δῶσε στήν γλώσσα μου τόλμη νά λέγει τήν ἀλήθεια
καί εὐθυκρισία στήν κρίση μου.

Κύριε, κάνε τήν καρδιά μου πλατιά
Γιά νά χωρεί ὃλoυς καί νά ἀγαπά ὃλoυς.
Δός φωτισμό στόν νοῦ μου
νά λoγικεύεται καί να ὀρθοφρονεί.

Κύριε, χάρισε γαλήνη στήν συνείδηση μου,
αὐτοχή στά νεύρα μου,
ὑπομονή στίς πικρές στιγμές τῆς ζωῆς μου,
καpτεpία στίς θλίψεις μου,
καί ΕΝΑ Φiλo νά μέε ἐννοεί
καί νά μοιράζομαι σιωπηλά μαζί
του τίς xαpές μου καί τά δάκρυα μου,

Άμήν!