Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Konstantin Yanney Atanas passed away August 22, 2012 in Boston. He was 86 years old.
Fr. Konstantin was born in Antioch on January 26, 1926. He studied in Damascus and Greece, where he obtained a degree from the Theological Faculty at the University of Athens. He was ordained as Deacon and Priest in Damascus in 1968 by His Beatitude Patriarch Theodosius. From 1968, Fr. Konstantin served as pastor at Holy Cross Church in Damascus before being appointed as pastor of St. George Church in Baghdad, Iraq in 1989. In 1989, Fr. Konstantin was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by Metropolitan Constantine of Baghdad.
In 1990, Archimandrite Konstantin came to Boston to visit his sisters. While he was here, the first Gulf War broke out and he was unable to return to Bagdad. Father was officially attached to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church of Boston and served as ‘Pastor Emeritus’ during these past twenty-two years. A humble, peaceful and saintly priest, Fr. Konstantin was deeply loved by the parishioners and by his fellow clergy.
He was the brother of Jocelyne Alhaj of Hyde Park and the late Marie Debay. Beloved uncle of Kamal Hage and May Kamel of Dedham, Noel Awad of Foxboro, George Hajj of CA, and several nieces and nephews in Lebanon and Syria.
Funeral Service was held Saturday August 26, 2012 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in West Roxbury.
In lieu of flowers, pleased make contributions in Fr. Konstantin’s memory to the Church.
Interment concluded services at Fairview Cemetery.