Rev. Father Constantine J. Andrews
December 8, 1917 – April 1, 2019

It is with joyful sadness that the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco announces the passing of Rev. Father Constantine J. Andrews, who reposed in the Lord on April 1, 2019 in Snohomish, Washington at the age of 101.

“I had the opportunity to visit Father Constantine during my numerous trips to the Seattle area. Even in his advanced years, he was alert and engaging, and I will always recall with great fondness his sincerity and humility when recollecting his many years of service to the Church,” remarked His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos. “What a long and blessed life he had with his family, and what a gift this was to all those who knew him throughout his distinguished ministry. Father Constantine’s passing is truly the end of an era, as I believe he was the last remaining graduate from the first graduating class of Holy Cross in Pomfret, Connecticut. The students in those early years became some of the finest priests of our Archdiocese.”

Father Constantine’s funeral will be prayed at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco, Maine. He will be laid to rest next to his beloved Presvytera Joy who reposed in the Lord in 2008.

May his memory be eternal!

Obituary for Father Constantine J. Andrews

Rev. Father Constantine Andrews was born on December 8, 1917 in Denver, Colorado and reposed in the Lord on April 1, 2019 in Snohomish, Washington. He was the son of John C. Andrews of Paleohorion. Kynouria, Greece, and Catherine, nee Hronakou of Vrontamas, Laconia, Greece.

Constantine attended St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic grade school, and then attended West Denver High School, graduating in 1936. During these years he also attended the Greek Afternoon School of Koimissis Parish of Denver. He also attended one year in the School of Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado, with the intention of pursuing studies in Electrical Engineering.

However, in September 1937 upon hearing of the opening of the Holy Cross Theological School in Pomfret, Connecticut, he chose to enroll there to prepare and study for the priesthood. Constantine graduated with a degree in Theology in 1942. During his senior year be worked as a fulltime secretary to the Dean, and was assigned to reorganize and head the Adelphaton Department, a position he held until May of 1943.

Constantine married Joy Seferlis from Springvale, Maine on July 18, 1943 with Bishop Cavadas officiating. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on August 15, 1943 in the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Ipswich, MA, by the Dean of the Seminary, Bishop Athenagoras Cavadas, who was also the Bishop of Boston. On September 1943, Deacon Constantine was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop Athenagoras, who later became the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

Father Constantine served as pastor in the following parishes:

Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, Greek Orthodox Church in Haverhill. Massachusetts, from September 1943 to June 1952. While there he also taught in the Greek-Afternoon School. He also served as Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Ministerial Association of New England, whose President was the Pastor of the Boston Cathedral, the late Archbishop Iakovos. Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from July 1952 to October 1959. While there he also served the Greek Orthodox communicants in all of Ontario, until Parishes were formed in London and Hamilton Ontario, which he helped to organize. He organized a Boy Scout and a Girl Scout Troop in Saint George parish, and became the first Scoutmaster of the Boy Scout Troop. He organized the youth of the parish into two groups, the Canadian-born and Greek-born GOYAn’s, and eventually brought the two groups into one.

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in St. Louis, Missouri from
October 1959 to September 1973. Here he served as Religious Advisor to the Eastern Orthodox Students at Washington University from 1960. Bishop Meletios of Chicago appointed him as Diocese Religious Advisor of GOYA for the states of Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois. He was elected President of the Eastern Orthodox Church Federation in November 1963 in St. Louis. He served as the official Greek Orthodox Church in the Ecumenical Movement in St. Louis, and lectured on the Greek Orthodox Church to many Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish groups. In 1968, he was on the faculty of Notre Dame College for Nuns in St. Louis, as a visiting lecturer in Ecumenism.

Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Upper Darby, PA from September 1973 to September 1979. As the senior Greek Orthodox Priest in the Philadelphia area. Fr. Constantine was appointed by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos to be his personal representative on the Host Committee of the 23rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress held on the week of July 4, 1976 in Philadelphia, PA. Father Constantine was also appointed as Chairman of the Church Events Committee for the Clergy-Laity Congress.

Father Constantine served as Chancellor of the Detroit Diocese under Bishop Timothy (Negrepontis) from September 1979 to August 1980.

Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church of Norristown, PA from November 1980 to October 1984. In November 1980 His Excellency Metropolitan Silas assigned Fr. Andrews to serve the Greek Orthodox Christians of Norristown and surrounding areas. These faith Greek Orthodox Christians purchased a small church and were served occasionally by Clergy coming from the Philadelphia area.

Through the efforts of Father Constantine, on December 7, 1980 the parish was officially chartered by the Archdiocese. Father Andrews helped organize the “Onomatodosia” event on May 17, 1981 at which Metropolitan Silas officiated, and the parish received the name of “Saint Sophia”. Father Andrews organized the Church Choir, the Sunday School, and the Ladies Society into the "Faith, Hope and Agape Philoptochos Society".

After his retirement Father Constantine was appointed by Metropolitan Silas as “Father Confessor” to the eight Parishes in the Delaware Valley. In 1991. Father Constantine received the Citation for the Seminary Class of 1942 on behalf of the First Graduating Class, and responded on behalf of his classmates at the Fiftieth Commencement Exercises of the Holy Cross Orthodox Theological School in Brookline. Massachusetts.

Father Constantine was predeceased by his devoted Presvytera Joy in 2008. He is survived by his four children; Kathryne, John (wife Elaine), Nicholas (wife Nicole) and Demetra-Carol (husband Dr. Carl Vartian). He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren: Christopher Vartian and Zoe Andrews.

The funeral service will be prayed on Thursday, April 11 at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco, Maine. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the parish or charity of your choice.

May his memory be eternal!