Patriarchal Delegation Visits St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery, Cordons Off Rooms

BOSTON – The patriarchal delegation investigating the allegations circulating around the scandal at the St. Irene Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery in Astoria, NY has ordered that the chambers of the abbot Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana, deputy abbot Bishop Vikentios of Apameia, and former nun Christonymphi Fitzpatrick be sealed. The three-member delegation visited the premises of the monastery, located on Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, on Sat. Nov. 13 and conducted an investigation. The previous day, Friday Nov. 12th, the delegation visited the St. Markella Cathedral in Astoria, NY – the headquarters of the Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America, under the leadership of Metropolitan Pavlos Stratigeas – where its members reportedly met with an individual who belonged to the St. Irene Chrysovalantou monastery but left eight years ago over serious reasons. Metropolitan Pavlos reportedly received the members of the delegation in tears.

Sources also tell The National Herald that during the patriarchal delegation’s Nov. 13th visit to the St. Irene Chrysovalantou monastery, they were joined by a Greek American businessman, who insists that he lived in the monastery’s third floor for 13 years. He reportedly claims to have first-hand knowledge of events that transpired inside the walls of the monastery which are now surfacing. He has already given two statements to the FBI at their Manhattan offices, as well as to local police authorities at the 114th precinct. He has also sent a signed written account to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Oct. 30, 2010.

This witness reportedly gave the members of the patriarchal delegation a detailed tour of the monastery, including Metropolitan Paisios’ private chambers on the third floor, the private room that he had stayed in on the third floor when he used to live at the monastery, as well as Bishop Vikentios’ chambers on the second floor.

This witness gave a taped statement to the patriarchal delegation earlier in the day at a Manhattan hotel at 9:30 a.m., where he provided further details on this matter, and suggested that he accompany the delegation to the monastery to back up his allegations. He arrived at the monastery together with the delegation at noon.

Members of the patriarchal delegation reportedly asked this businessman and other key witnesses questions about Metropolitan Paisios, as well as Bishop Vikentios, who was a cofounder of the monastery and associate of Metropolitan Paisios for nearly 40 years.

The businessman also reportedly suggested that he accompany the delegation to the St. Nectarios Church in Brooklyn, a dependency of the St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery and most recent residence of Bishop Vikentios. It is not known if this visit ultimately took place.

St. Irene Chrysovalantou Chief Secretary Dr. John Kotsaridis was also at the monastery at the time of the visit, but did not return calls left for him by TNH on Nov. 13 and 14. Metropolitan Paisios’ driver George Lazinos, and the monastery’s chanter George Meridis – both residents of the monastery – were also present during the visit, along with Soula Georgakis, who also lives at the monastery together with her two teenage daughters. All the aforementioned were questioned by the patriarchal delegation.

Sources tell TNH that the delegation has nearly completed its investigation, and its members could leave as early as Monday Nov. 15 or Tuesday Nov. 16. The members of the delegation have contacted the Ecumenical Patriarchate and are currently awaiting instructions regarding who will assume temporary administration of the Monastery until the next meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on December 1, where a final decision is expected to be issued.