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January 18, 2022

One of the Last Living Spiritual Children of Saint George Karslides, Fr. Haralambos Anastasiades, Has Reposed

St. George Karslides with two spiritual children that would one day become priests; Fr. Haralambos is on the right.
 
On the feast of Theophany, 6 January 2022, Protopresbyter Fr. Haralambos Anastasiades departed to the Lord, and his funeral took place the next day in the Church of Saint John in Argyroupoli of Drama.

The late Fr. Haralambos Anastasiades was born in Argyroupoli, Drama. He had Saint George Karslides as a spiritual father from the time he was in high school. When he asked Saint George about what he should become in the future, since he couldn't decide, he recommended to him to become a teacher. This is why he studied at the Zarifio Pedagogical Academy of Alexandroupolis. After some years of service in Primary Education, he no longer felt satisfied as a teacher, so he sought the advice of Saint George again, who planted the seed in his head to become a priest, though he told him to wait till the right time until he was fully ready. Meanwhile Saint George reposed, and he approached another charismatic spiritual father about becoming a priest, who also told him that when he is fully decided then he will be ready. When that priest also reposed, he knew he wanted to be a priest and take over for the priest that had reposed. So after ten years as a teacher, he went and studied at the Higher Priestly Center of Tinos and then joined the ranks of the clergy.


He was ordained a Deacon on the 5th of January 1969 in the Church of the Holy Trinity of Prosotsani, and a Presbyter on the 6th of January 1969 in the Metropolitan Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos of Drama, by the late Metropolitan Dionysios of Drama.

He served as a priest from the 7th of January 1969 in the Church of Saint George in Monastiraki, and from the 2nd of December 1969 in the Church of Saint George in Koudounia until his retirement in 2006.

From 1983 he served as a teacher of priests in Koudounia.

At the 28 minute mark of this documentary about Saint George Karslides, you can hear Fr. Haralambos speak about his relationship with Saint George.