A Message from the Chairman of
The Cemetery Committee

Greenwood Cemetery has been an integral part of our Cathedral Parish since 1912, when a Greek section was purchased and established for interment of departed loved ones in our Parish. It is the largest dedicated Greek gravesite in the Metropolitan Atlanta area and continues to be a parish resource. Almost every member of our parish will find a familiar name or a connection when visiting Greenwood. St. Barbara’s Chapel, located at the pinnacle, is a treasure that was constructed on the premises, in 1928, by the Ladies Society and named for the Society's Patron Saint. The Chapel continues as part of the spiritual life of our Orthodox faithful to this day. It can evoke a profound spiritual feeling in visitors. As chairman of this committee and a lifelong member of our parish, I feel a compelling desire to ensure the continuity of Greenwood and what it represents.

Toward that end, I have researched the availability and cost of purchasing additional gravesites in bulk and, in turn, providing them to our parishioners. This need has arisen because we no longer have adequate space at the current section of Greenwood for additional gravesites. I have met with sales representatives from Floral Hills Memorial Garden and Arlington Memorial Park, both of which have a significant number of our parishioners interred, as well as representatives from Greenwood. Greenwood offers the largest array of the most reasonably priced options and the flexibility to expand for our parish.

I have worked with Ralph Wofford, the General Manager of Greenwood and he has been able to identify several potential additional gravesites that are contiguous with our established area. We are also being presented with an opportunity to purchase a large block (400-600) of graves in an area to the east of St. Barbara’s and down the hill within view of the Chapel. This new area would, like the St. Barbara area, allow for the placement of monuments. More importantly, it would be a commitment to preserve our community history for generations to come in a central and familiar location.

Greenwood Cemetery is located at 1173 Cascade Avenue, SW in Atlanta, sitting on one of the highest points in the city limits. A clear day offers a magnificent view of the Atlanta skyline and the verdant, rolling landscape surrounding it.. Greenwood Cemetery is easily accessible from I-20 or I- 285. For Map Quest directions to Greenwood Cemetery, please click HERE.

I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedicated efforts of Dr. Vasilios Woodward, who headed the Cemetery Committee for many years and Mr. Charles Poolos, who has laid all the groundwork for establishing a computerized filing system that will hopefully appear on this website in the not too distant future. Please join me in thanking them if you have the opportunity. Their work and service to this committee and our parish has been invaluable.

I will be making a presentation on this subject at our next General Assembly meeting. If you have questions or wish to discuss this further, my e-mail address is Zesto@aol.com

*Webmaster's Note: This proposal was presented to, and approved by, the Parish General Assembly on Sunday, March 9th, 2003.

Lee Livaditis