[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 131 (Tuesday, November 16, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1979-E1980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO FATHER SPENCER T. KEZIOS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 2004

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Father 
Spencer T. Kezios for his leadership and service to the community. The 
San Fernando Valley, and indeed the entire world community, is truly 
fortunate to benefit from his unyielding dedication to promoting 
education, religious tolerance, and peace. Father Kezios has 
consistently demonstrated

[[Page E1980]]

selfless devotion to his countrymen and his faith for over forty years 
at the Parish of Saint Nicholas in Northridge, California.
  In his years of service, Father Kezios has been at the forefront of 
many community service organizations and efforts. Under Father Kezios's 
guidance, the Parish of Saint Nicholas has grown from a mission parish 
to a community institution offering spiritual and community-based 
services for over 1,200 families. Father Kezios founded the Saint 
Nicholas Parochial School in 1977, and over time oversaw the expansion 
of the school which now boasts an enrollment of almost 400 students. He 
was also one of the three original incorporators of the Guadalupe Home 
for Boys and he established the first two Greek Orthodox senior 
citizens housing developments in the Archdiocese. He was also assigned 
as Chaplain for the Los Angeles Police Department.
  Father Kezios had the foresight to bring several liturgical services 
to the English speaking community. In 1994, he translated the complete 
Orthros services from Greek into contemporary English and made it 
available for wide publication. He continues to provide liturgical 
translation of these texts for English speaking congregations through 
the Narthex Press.
  Some of Father Kezios's greatest achievements were attained by 
educating and influencing local and international communities on issues 
of global importance, such as religious and cultural tolerance. 
Archbishop Iakovos tapped Father Kezios to assist with the efforts of 
the Greek Orthodox Church in Albania shortly after the fall of 
communism in that country. Here in the United States, and at the 
direction of Archbishop Iakovos, Father Kezios also produced a series 
of five educational films, including ``A Boy Named Panatiotis,'' which 
exposed the American public to the hardship and suffering of the people 
of Cyprus after the Turkish invasion. He also produced and directed a 
Cyprian cultural program of music and dance that toured the United 
States, donating all net proceeds from these performances to refugees 
from Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Father Spencer T. Kezios 
for dedicating his life to spreading knowledge and compassion. He is an 
example to us all.

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