Father Constantin Bancila was interviewed on a warm summer evening on the porch of his residence on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of Mary and Saint Charalampos. Thoughtful and welcoming, he talked about his career path to the village of Gavalochori and the life he and his family enjoy here.
Father Constantin’s call to serve through the priesthood came early in life. Even as a small boy in Romania, he envisioned himself serving people through the profession of the priesthood. He prepared for his vocation by first earning a bachelor’s degree in theology in Romania. Then he learned Greek and completed seminary training in Greece to become a priest. Prior to moving to Gavalochori, Father Constantin served as a priest in Exopoli. Although Gavalochori is his primary assignment, because there is a shortage of priests, he also serves the churches in Xirosterni, Agios Pavlos, and Aspro.
Father Constantin very much enjoys his work and finds it highly fulfilling. He looks forward to services every weekend as well as leading services on the major holidays of Easter and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. On those special days, he finds that the broad and intense participation of the community creates a special spirit. He commented that he especially enjoys officiating at the two large churches in Gavalochori, the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the Nativity of Mary.
Priests in the Greek Orthodox church are allowed to marry if they do so before their ordination as deacons, the first step of priesthood. Father Constantin has been married for over 20 years and has four children.
Father Constantin is supported in his duties as a priest by a four-member church council made up of residents of Gavalochori. They help him maintain the churches, decorate them for name-day celebrations, and sustain liturgical traditions.
Father Constantin and his family enjoy living in Gavalochori. One of the things he really admires about the people of Gavalochori is their hardworking nature. When asked what the challenges are of being a priest in Gavalochori, Father Constantin replied that they are the same challenges that priests face in other Greek villages. However, he noted that in Gavalochori, where a great number of people are engaged in the tourism industry, patterns of participation and volunteerism are different, and the services he provides often need to be different to accommodate this fact. For example, he noted that if new guests are arriving at an Airbnb or a house has to be cleaned for tourists, residents might have to miss church services. Also, tavernas and other eating establishments operate long and late hours during the tourist season, which limits the availability of those engaged in hospitality work to participate in church activities on a traditional schedule.
When he is not busy with his duties as a priest, Father Constantin enjoys growing grapes and making wine, just as his grandfather and father did, as well as tending to his olive trees and vegetable garden. Although Father Constantin is not a wine expert and makes wine simply as a hobby, he appreciates how some people can tell minuscule differences among wines. He acknowledges that he also feels a connection to winemaking because of the role that wine plays in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Father Constantin and his family enjoy taking an annual trip to Romania, a drive that can take between 17 and 30 hours from Piraeus, depending on road conditions and traffic. A visit home means reconnecting with friends and the country they left behind.
Father Constantin is the channel through which the spiritual life of Gavalochori is nourished. He presides at religious ceremonies every weekend and on major holy days, baptizes the newborn, officiates at marriages and funerals, and serves the community in numerous unseen ways. He is an important part of our village, and we are grateful that he has fully embraced his role as the spiritual leader of the community.