Clergy

Father Demetrios Tagaropulos 

Father Demetri has been part of the Annunciation Cathedral clergy staff since being ordained in August of 2004 into the Holy Diaconate, and as an associate priest since his ordination into the Holy Priesthood March 25, 2007. In both instances, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver was the ordaining bishop.

 Prior to ordination, he was an active member of the Annunciation community, together with his wife, Presvytera Joana, since their arrival to Houston with their two children Demetri and Evangeline (Evie) in July of 1979. Their son Demetri is studying Law in Baltimore; and Evie has completed her MBA degree, is married and living in Panama. 

Since their arrival in Houston, he has been practicing medicine (Urologic Surgery) while, at the same time, active in hospital committees and serving on school boards. In Park Plaza Hospital, his primary hospital, he served on the Bylaws and Medical Executive committees as well as Chief of Urology until taking a leave of absence to attend Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.  In addition, he was a member of the Awty International School board for six years, serving as its President the last two years (2001-2003). Currently, Father Demetri chairs the Ethics Committee at Park Plaza Hospital. 

His theological education and calling to the Lord came later in his life.  While practicing his profession, a keen interest in theology emerged. Therefore, still active in his practice, he entered into a program leading to a Master in Theological Studies degree, which he obtained in May, 2003 from the University of St. Thomas School of Theology in Houston.  It was during this time that he received his calling to the Lord, and with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, he temporarily closed his office to pursue a Master in Theology from our Holy Cross in Brookline, Massachusetts. Having completed his studies in January of 2005, he returned, continued to serve as Deacon, and resumed his medical practice. After having received his Master of Theology degree from Holy Cross in May of 2007 and being ordained into the Holy Priesthood in March of 2007, he was assigned to the Cathedral as an associate pastor.

 Father Demetri was born and raised in the Republic of Panama of Greek Orthodox parents, Pavlos and Evangelia Tagaropulos, in a tri-cultural and tri-language environment. His early education was undertaken in the American schools of the, then, U.S. Panama Canal Zone, except for the three years (1957-60) when the family temporarily moved to Greece. There he attended the Anglo-American Academy in Kifissia.  As a consequence of this diverse background, he is not only intimately familiar with three distinct cultures (American, Spanish, and Greek), but also is a native speaker of English, Spanish, and Greek.  After graduation from high school he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder where he undertook a pre-medical curriculum. This led to a Bachelor of Arts degree (1969) with a distributed Science Major in Chemistry, Zoology, and Psychology. Subsequently, he attended the University of Panama School of Medicine where he graduated in June, 1971; and two days before graduation married Joana Milas. After an almost two year internship and social service (as a medical doctor) in Panama, Presvytera Joana and Father Demetri went to Detroit where each pursued their respective professions, Law and Urologic Surgery respectively. Having completed their training they returned for one year to Panama where Father Demetri worked as a civilian Urologist at Gorgas Army Hospital and Presvytera Joana as an attorney in the General Counsel’s office of the Panama Canal Company.

 Father Demetri currently practices Urology and is active in hospital committees, while at the same time serving as an Associate Pastor.

To contact Father Demetri, please e-mail him at fatherdemetri@agoc.org.

Father Daniel Payne

Father Dr. Daniel Payne was born to William and Linda Payne, both of blessed memory, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended Union High School, where he enjoyed playing football and served as class president.

Fr. Daniel met his wife Elizabeth at Bethany College in 1986; they were married in 1990 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. They were received into Orthodoxy through the sacrament of Chrismation at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado in 1994, after spending several years in the Evangelical Orthodox Church.

Fr. Daniel is a 1990 graduate of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas with a B.A. in Sociology and Religion/Philosophy. He graduated with a M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1999. In 2006 he earned the Ph.D. from Baylor University’s J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies with a degree in Religion, Politics, and Society.

Fr. Daniel was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in February, 2004 by His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. From 2004 to 2010 he served as Deacon to Fr. Theodore Tsitsilianos at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Waco, Texas. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Isaiah on August 1, 2010.

Fr. Daniel also taught at Baylor University from 2001 to 2010 in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. He has taught courses on Orthodoxy, globalization, civil religion, human rights, biblical heritage and contemporary ethics, and religion and politics.

Father Daniel and Presvytera Elizabeth have five children: Katherine, Anna, Elise, Sophia and Timothy.

His book, The Revival of Political Hesychasm in Contemporary Orthodox Thought is due out fall 2010 from Lexington Books. He has several published articles in such journals as Religion, State, and Society, Nationalities Papers, Sobornost’, Faith and Economics, BYU Law Review, Synaxis, and Stranitsy and forthcoming articles in Journal of Ecumenical Studies and Journal of Church and State.

One example of Father Daniel's work is his paper entitled Spiritual Security, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russian Foreign Ministry: Collaboration or Cooptation? .  Also, here is a powerpoint presentation Father Daniel did on this subject in our Sunday School class.

To contact Father Daniel, please call 713-526-5377 x 258 or e-mail him at frdaniel@agoc.org

Pastoral Assistant Gaby Gadah

Gaby Gadah was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1968 and immigrated to the United Statesat age two. He was raised in Sarasota, Florida and attended St. Barbra Greek Orthodox Church where he and his family were active in the life of theparish.

Upon graduating from high school he attended community college in Sarasota for one year. In 1987 he enlisted inthe United States Navy. Gaby proudly served in the Navy from 1987-1991. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea CV-43 and aboard the fast frigate USS Donald B. Beary FF-1085. Following his Honorable Discharge from the US Navy he returned to college and continued his education by earning an Associates of Arts from Manatee Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida. Gaby was employed in the corporate sector, working for Bank of America, Poe and Brown Associates and Verizon CreditInc.

Gaby left his corporate job with Verizon Credit in 2003 and began his studies atHoly Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Ma. graduating in 2008 with aMasters of Divinity.

After graduation in 2008, Gaby worked at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in Jacksonville, Florida as the pastoral assistant/youth director until August 2011. Gaby's hobbies include physicalexercise, water sports, working on computers and spending time with family and friends. Gaby began his work as pastoral assistant and youth director at Annunciation Cathedral on August 1, 2012.

To contact Gaby, please e-mail him at gabygadah@agoc.org.