Fr. Elias Villis, Camp Director

Fr. Elias was born and raised in the great city of Chicago. There he attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Justice, Illinois where he made his decision to enter the seminary and seek the priesthood. Entering the seminary in January, 1990, he graduated Hellenic College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies in May, 1994. Fr. Elias married Melanie Triantafilou on July 2, 1995 and graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology with a Master's of Divinity Degree in May, 1997. On February 24, 1996, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at Holy Cross Church, Justice, Illinois by His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos. Upon completing his studies in December 1996, Fr. Elias and his wife lived in Greece for 4 months studying the Greek Language. After returning to America, he was assigned to serve Archbishop Spyridon as Archdeacon. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on the Great Feast of Pentecost on May 30, 1999 and was assigned as Proistamenos to the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Saviour on July 1, 1999. In January 2005, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios appointed Fr. Elias Director for Camp Saint Paul. He and Presvytera Melanie currently live in Armonk, New York and have 4 children - Anastacia, Nicholas, George and Artemios.