Head Priest

Fr. Paul is a graduate of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1988 and his Master of Divinity in 1991.  In 1992 he also received a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry from Gordon-Cromwell Theological Seminary.

From 1992 until 1995 he served as the Youth Director of the Diocese of San Francisco.  During that time he also resided at the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in Dunlap CA where he assisted in caring for the facility and running various ministries and programs.  The Monastery of the Life Giving Spring was also founed in Dunlap at that time and Fr. Paul's duties included assisting the nuns n those early days.

Fr. Paul married Stephanie Buhler in January of 1995 and was ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood in June 1995.  In his new priestly role he was able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and lead the various services at both the monastery and at retreat and camp sessions.

In September 1995 Fr. Paul and Stephanie were assigned to St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles CA where they served until the summer of 2002.  They had their children Grace and Nicholas while in Los Angeles.  From 2002 until 2006 they served the Saint Barbara parish in Santa Barbara CA where they had Lucas, their third child.

In 2006 the Paris family moved to Minneapolis to serve at St. Mary's and now have a fourth child Thomas, born in 2008.  Fr. Paul is active in the Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Clergy Association, the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches.

Priest Emeritus

Father Anthony M. Coniaris has served St Mary's Greek Orthodox church in Minneapolis MN since 1948.  During his postorate at St. Mary's he led the congregation in building a magnificant church, school building and social hall in 1956-57 on one of the most prestigious city sites overlooking Lake Calhoun.  The complex was enlarged with an additional building in 1972.  During his priesthood at St. Mary's he worked through the local Philoptohos chapter to bring close to 100 Greek children to Minneapolis for open-heart surgery at the University of Minnesota Hospital under Dr. Lilihai.  This was accomplished with the assistance of the Social Services Department of the Archdiocse of Athens and the Children's Heart Fund of Minnesota.  A scholarship has been established at Holy Cross Seminary in the names of Fr. Anthony and Presbytera Mary Coniaris to assist needy students.  He retired in January of 1993 after serving St. Mary's for 44 years.

Ordained a Deacon in 1950 and a Priest in 1953, he is a native of Boston, Massachusetts where he graduated from Boston Latin School.  He is a graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary in Brookline, MA with a Bachelor of Theology as well as the Northwestern Theological Seminary in Minneapolis which has since merged with Luther Seminary.  He has attended post-graduate studies in the field of religion and psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN.

Fr. Anthony is past President of the Minneapolis Ministerial Association, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Church Commissions, the Minneapolis Professional Men's Club, the Minneapolis Kiwanis and the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches.  Fr. Coniaris served for several years on the Archdiocese Board of Missions as well as the Presbyter's Council. He was a member of the Board of the Children's Heart Fund, is listed in the 1976-77 Who's Who in Religion,  he is an author of several books and has received the Three Hierachs Medal for outstanding service from Holy Cross School of Theology.

He is currently President of Light and Life Publishing Company and has served on the Standing Committee of Liturgical Translations of the Archdiocese.  He also served as Professor of Homiletics at Holy Cross Seminary.

Visitation

Fr Theodore (Ted) Filandrinos serves in our Pastoral Care Ministry, visiting our parishioners in nursing homes, those who are home-bound and those who are hospitalized. He also serves the parish in other capacities during the Church Year.
He is married to Presbytera Ione, nee Nickolatos. They have three children and five grandchildren. Fr Ted attended Holy Cross School of Theology and the University of Wisconsin.

Deacon

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota the grandson of Slovakian immigrants, Deacon Paul attended Minneapolis public schools.  He was raised and was very involved in St Mary's Orthodox Church in Northeast Minneapolis.  During his time at St Mary's OCA he completed the Sunday school program, served as an altar boy, read the epistle, sang in both the junior and senior choirs and participated in multiple youth activities.

Deacon Paul attended the University of Minnesota, where he graduated Summa Cum laude with a B.S. degree in Biology.  He received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Mayo Medical School.  He completed a medical/surgical internship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas; an Ophthalmology Residency at Mayo Clinic Rochester; and a Glaucoma/Anterior Segment Fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Harvard Medical School) in Boston.

As a medical student and physician-in-training in Rochester, the Orthodox church remained the focal point of Deacon Paul's life.  He was an active member of Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church and he served the parish in many capacities including Parish Council President, visiting inmates at the Federal Penitentiary in Rochester and cooking souvlaki and selling meals, pastries at Greek festivals.

Deacon Paul met his wife, Diakonissa Alexandria at the 1986 YAL Conference in Dallas, Texas.  Deacon Paul and Diakonissa Alexandria were married less than a year later.

In 1993 Deacon Paul accepted an Ophthalmology Consultant position at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale (Arizona) where he remained on staff until 2004 caring for patients with medical and surgical eye problems.  He was also the Residency Director for the eye physicians at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Phoenix where Mayo Clinic was involved in that program for several years.

Since 1995, Deacon Paul and Diakonissa Alexandria attended Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale.  Deacon Paul spent five of his six Parish Council years as President.  He established the Archangel Michael Parish Library; co-chaired two Capital Building campaigns for a new church; co-chaired the Building Construction committee.  During the same period their three children: Andrew, Maria and Stephen were involved in the Church through Sunday School, altar service, Greek dancing, Greek festivals and Jr GOYA/GOYA.

In 1999, Deacon Paul enrolled in the St Stephen's House of Studies which was a 4-year theological studies program administered by the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese.  He completed the required courses, tests and projects and in 2003 his Master's thesis was approved which led him to receiving a Master's degree in Applied Theology.  In February 2004, Deacon Paul was ordained to the diaconate in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In June 2004, Deacon Paul accepted an Ophthalmology position with Park Nicollet Clinic and the family (Diakonissa Alexandra, Andrew, Maria, Stephen and mother-in-law Helen Campbell) relocated to Minneapolis.  Since the move Deacon Paul has balanced Church responsibilities as a Deacon at St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church, family life and medical/surgical practice at Park Nicollett.  All of the family continues to paricipate in the various activites offered by the Orthodox Church.