Our Clergy
Father John K. Lardas – Proistamenos
The late Reverend Father Dennis Strouzas
Father John K. Lardas
The Rev. Fr. John Lardas was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His grandparents immigrated to the United States from the Island of Ikaria. His parents are Kemon and Kalliope (Plutis) Lardas. Fr. John has two siblings, Irene and Constantina. Baptized at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh, his godparents are Alice and James Lardas. The Dean of Pittsburgh Cathedral, Rev Fr. Sarantos Serviou, and the Oakmont Dormition Parish Pastor Archimandrite Polycarp Rameas were his spiritual mentors. Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Fr. John enrolled at the Holy Cross School of Theology, Brookline MA, responding to his spiritual vocation. Graduating, Fr. John commenced his ministry at St. Basil Academy, Garrison, New York. Here he met his future spouse, Presvytera Eleni. The couple was married at St. Nicholas Church, Flushing with ordination to Holy Orders at St. Basil Academy in 1993. The next assignment was the privilege of serving at St. Nicholas Shrine Church Flushing, under the astute tutelage of Fr. Paul Palesty. While ministering at this assignment three children were added to their family, Vasilios’96, Maria’98 and Kemon’02. Fr. John served the Troy, Michigan Parish of St. Nicholas (1998-2000). In the turn of the millennium, he assumed the pastorate of the historic Brooklyn Cathedral of SS. Constantine and Helen. While serving in Brooklyn, the Rev. John Lardas formed the Five Borough Goya. In 2013, the Reverend Lardas was elevated to the rank of Protopresbyter by His Beatitude Ieronemos, Archbishop of Athens. Upon the recommendation and inspiration of Fr. Dennis Strouzas, who diligently served Archangel Michael Church for over thirty years, Fr. John was assigned to his present post, endorsed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios in July of 2016. Fr. John had the blessing of serving his colleagues as president of the Archdiocesan District Syndesmos from 2015-2018. He was vital in starting the American-Hellenic Heritage Night, hosted by the Nassau County Supervisor, honor, which also honors one volunteer from each of the Greek Orthodox Parishes located in Nassau County.
Parish Council
2025 Executive Board
Demetrios Frangiskatos – President
Michael Psyllos – 1st Vice President
Michael Bapis – 2nd Vice President
Ted Stefas – Secretary
Nick Koutsoftas – Treasurer
Michael Cavounis – 1st Assistant Treasurer
Joseph Isaakides – 2nd Assistant Treasurer
Parish Council
Stelios Diakoumakis
Peter Gerazounis
James Giannakis
Eleni Germanakos
John Halkias
Joseph Isaakidis
Georgios Kaparos
Michele Lascarides
Helen Maropakis
Chris Neocleous
Nicholas Papain
Gus Rogdakis
Jim Sfiroudis
Nicholas Tagios
Ted Vlachos
A Note From The Council Chairperson
The Parish Council is the elected governing body of the church whose purpose is to work with the priests and members of the community to fulfill the goals of the parish. Seven of the twenty-one members are elected annually to serve a three-year term. For more information please contact: parishcouncil@archangelmichaelchurch.org.
Father Dennis Strouzas: MAY HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL / ΑΙΩΝΙΑ Η ΜΝΗΜΗ
Reverend Father Dennis Peter Strouzas has fallen asleep in the Lord. He is survived by his beloved wife, Presbytera Paula. He was the loving father of Peter and his wife Elizabeth, and of Maria-Nicole and her husband Dr. John Koutsoyiannis. He was also the loving grandfather, or “Papou,” of Sofia, Vivian and Niko Dennis Strouzas, and of Paula Anaïs Koutsoyiannis.
Fr. Dennis was born in Chicago, IL, to Mary and Peter Strouzas on September 2, 1945. His mother recalled that shortly after his birth she heard the bells of all of the churches across the city ringing, welcoming her son to the world. It also happened to be the date that the peace treaty was signed between the United States and Japan, formally ending World War II.
His father came to America from Zakynthos, Greece, by himself at the age of thirteen, and later joined the US Army as a volunteer during World War I. Starting out as a fruit peddler, his father worked his way up to owning his own supermarket, together with his equally hard-working wife, Mary, who had grown up during the Great Depression. His parents’ work ethic was passed on to Fr. Dennis and his older brother, Terry, who was very dear to him.
After high school at Lane Tech, Fr. Dennis attended University of Chicago and then transferred to Hellenic College and Holy Cross in Brookline, MA, where in addition to his dedication to the priesthood and his studies, he also loved playing basketball with his classmates on the college team. It was during this time that he met his beloved wife, Paula Bourikas, while she was a student at Boston University. They met at the church where he had been assisting- St. Catherine’s in Quincy, MA. On September 5, 1971, they were married at the Holy Cross Chapel at the seminary, thus starting a loving partnership that would last over fifty-three years, until his passing.
Fr. Dennis was ordained to the diaconate at Saint Catherine’s on July 1, 1973, and to the Holy Priesthood at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Oak Lawn, IL, on July 29, 1973. It was at Saint Nicholas that he began his ministry. After two years at St. Nicholas, Fr. Dennis was appointed as Youth Director of the Diocese of Chicago. He was then appointed Proestamenos at Saint Nektarios. Meanwhile, the Strouzas family was growing. A son, Peter Dennis Strouzas, was born to Fr. Dennis and Presbytera Paula in 1975, followed by a daughter, Maria-Nicole Strouzas, in 1981. In 1984 they moved to Long Island, New York, as Fr. Dennis was assigned to the parish of the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, at the time located on Warner Avenue in Roslyn.
The young family accepted the responsibility of supporting and growing a young community. Fr. Dennis recognized the talents of his dedicated parishioners and together they worked hard at the little church on Warner Avenue. An iconostasis was created and installed, the church was renovated, and the growing ministries of the church flourished.
The rapidly growing Archangel Michael Church exhibited a unique and strong camaraderie among its parishioners, making the church a warm and welcoming place to worship and enjoy the fellowship of members and visitors. Fr. Dennis also worked outside of the community, organizing the Hierarchical Liturgy at Madison Square Garden when Patriarch Bartholomew visited America in 1997- with the help of his talented parishioners from Archangel Michael, they ensured this was an outstanding event.
Fr. Dennis and Presbytera Paula enriched the members of their community by leading trips to the Holy Places in Israel, Constantinople, Italy, Greece, Russia, among many others. In January 2004, Fr. Dennis and a contingent of Orthodox Christians, under the auspices of Patriarch Bartholomew, went to Cuba and participated in the consecration of the only functioning Greek Orthodox Church in Cuba- Saint Nicholas in Havana, where Fidel Castro handed the key of the church to Patriarch Bartholomew.
Some of the work Fr. Dennis was most proud of, however, was the Archangel Michael Church’s establishment in 1990 of the ChallengedLiturgy under his leadership- a program that continues to provide Orthodox families with special needs children and adults a place to gather and worship in fellowship.
In 1997, the Archangel Michael Church purchased property in Port Washington, NY, to begin construction of a new church to accommodate the needs of this growing parish. Under his tireless leadership, the parish celebrated a Divine Liturgy with a groundbreaking ceremony in 2005. In 2006, construction began in earnest. In 2009, the last Liturgy was held at the Roslyn church.
As part of the last stretch of financing, Fr. Dennis and a committee of parishioners organized what turned out to be a sold-out concert at Lincoln Center featuring the renowned Greek singer, George Dalaras. The Thyranixia (opening of the doors) of the church took place in 2012, and the Consecration in 2015. On the day of the Consecration, Fr. Dennis was presented with the extraordinary honor of being elevated to the rank of Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The little church that began with 30 families grew to over 700 families at the time of Fr. Dennis’s retirement in 2017.
Throughout this time, he was blessed to have his wife, Presbytera Paula, by his side, supporting him and helping in every endeavor. Fr. Dennis would always be the first to acknowledge that none of this would have been possible without her, and loved his wife and his children very dearly. Fr. Dennis was also blessed to get to know and love his children’s spouses, and along with Presbytera Paula theywere overjoyed to welcome four grandchildren into the world, who were lucky enough to know and love him too.
Fr. Dennis leaves us with memories of his easy smile and contagious laugh, his always approachable demeanor, and his dedication to being there for people, in good times and bad, but importantly- when they were most in need. His legacy will also be of his belief that every human being is created in the image of God. He treated everyone he met with dignity and love. This is the example he set – this is the way he lived his life – this is the wisdom he leaves to us. May his memory eternal.