Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional American and extraordinary human being who led with quiet strength, the Reverend Chris Hadgigeorge of Toledo, Ohio, who was laid to rest this week. Father Hadgigeorge served the Toledo community so wisely and so generously for over a half a century, anchoring his service at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which he helped to elevate from a church to a cathedral during his service. He was 91. What an incredible life. Surviving are his beautiful wife, Presvytera Ann Hadgigeorge, who he married in 1948; daughters Pattie Senerius and Angie Bohland; son, William; sister, Presvytera Zafera Bartz; six grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. He worshipped them all. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to immigrants from the Greek island of Samos. When he was growing up, he served as an altar boy. When the family went visiting with friends, children asked what he would like to play and he said: ``I would like to play church.'' So Father Chris would be the priest. As he said in a Blade interview back in 1998, he would marry his brother to one of the girls, and he would have a bag of marbles that he would use as his censer. Father Hadgigeorge attended Holy Cross, a school of Greek orthodox theology in New England, and was ordained in 1948. He served as pastor in a broad range of communities, including Indianapolis and Detroit, before arriving in Toledo. How lucky we have been.…”