Rev. Fr. Anthony K. Moschonas

Rev. Fr. Anthony K. Moschonas 1/15/1939 – 8/13/2011 died peacefully surrounded by his family. Fr. Anthony was born the second son of three on the island of Kefallonia, Greece to Constantine and Vavilonia Moschonas. He knew from an early age that he would become a priest and in 1967 he moved his family to Brookline MA and enrolled in Holy Cross Seminary. His first parish was Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Sioux City Iowa. Holy Trinity was a small community of 110 families and it was here that Fr. Anthony learned the skills needed to be a parish priest. One of the highlights in Sioux City was leading the celebration of Holy Trinity’s 75th anniversary as a parish in 1973. In November 1974, Fr. Anthony was assigned to his beloved parish St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Tucson, AZ. He served his community tirelessly for 30 years. During his time at St. Demetrios he initiated the Thanksgiving dinners with the collaborative efforts of the Salvation Army. Every year, this program serves thousands a warm dinner on Thanksgiving to the homeless and forgotten people of the city. Fr. Anthony was recognized by the National Salvation Army in 2003 with the Sally Award for his commitment and dedication to serving the poor and hungry. This was the first time the award was given to an individual in the state of Arizona. He was the founder of the American Hellenic Cultural Foundation which established Modern Greek Studies at the University of Arizona Fr. Anthony was the leading force in establishing and developing the Greek Food Festivals which brought Greek culture to the city of Tucson. In 1995, Fr. Anthony fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams by helping to establish a Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Arizona. St. Anthony’s Monastery is a thriving monastic community with 50 monks led by a saintly Abbot, Fr. Efrem. A true spiritual oasis in the desert. Preceded in death by his mother and father, Fr. Anthony is survived by his wife, Presbytera Maria; daughters, Loula (James) and Tina (Frank); grandchildren, and light of his life Gabriella and Nicholas; brother, Peter Moschonas, as well as many extended family members. We cherish our memories of you and may your memory be eternal. Funeral Services for Fr. Anthony will be held on Tuesday, August 16, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Monastery located at 4784 St. Joseph’s Way, Florence, AZ 85132. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Anthony’s Monastery. Arrangements entrusted to DESERT SUNSET CREMATION AND FUNERAL SERVICE (818-0038)