Publish-header
Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-03-17
Bulletin Contents
Eden
Organization Icon
Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (561) 833-6387
  • Fax:
  • (561) 833-6391
  • Street Address:

  • 110 Southern Blvd.

  • West Palm Beach, FL 33405


Contact Information




Services Schedule

Sunday Services:

  8:30 am     Orthros

  9:45 am     Divine Liturgy

 

Sunday School Classes: 

11:15 am     After Holy Communion


Past Bulletins


This Week and Upcoming Events

 Christ is in our midst!  He is and ever shall be!

 Our services are streamed live on the internet.
at our Saint Catherine website - www.stcatherine-wpb.org
 

Join us for Orthodox Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 9:45 a.m.

Light a candle and offer a prayer at Saint Catherine (click above).  

The online form sends the names of your family and friends direct to Father Gustavo at the altar; prayers are offered during the Proskomidi in preparation for the Divine Liturgy!

 

March 17, 2024
Alexis the Man of God
Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland

 

 COVID-19 protocol:  Parishioners and guests may wear a mask if they desire in our Church and Hellenic Cultural Center.  All are advised not to enter if exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.  Everyone should also follow the CDC guidelines on quarantining if they have recently been with someone who is COVID positive or experiencing symptoms.

Links to the service text:  Links to the service texts are through the Digital Chant Stand of our Archdiocese.  For optimal viewing select the "GR-EN Text/Music" link for Matins (Orthros) and Divine Liturgy. Apps may be downloaded for your phone or tablet. Link to the Digital Chant Stand 

Holy Communion:  When the faithful approach the Holy Chalice, they should stand with respect before the priest and say their baptismal/chrismation name.  After the name is uttered, the faithful should open their mouth to receive Holy Communion.  When the spoon goes into the mouth, the faithful should close their mouth and make sure that they swallow the consecrated Bread and Wine.  Every person who stands before the Holy Chalice, should not have any contact with the red communion cloth, before, during, or after receiving Holy Communion.  The red communion cloth is to be placed under each person’s chin by those who are assisting the clergy.  Under no circumstances should the red communion cloth be used as a table napkin to wipe the mouth, nor should one who has received Holy Communion touch it at all. 

Coffee and Fellowship:  We invite you to join us for coffee and fellowship in our Hellenic Cultural Center after the Divine Liturgy.

____________  

This Week

Sunday, March 17  Cheesefare / Forgiveness Sunday
     8:30 am  Orthros
     9:45 am  Divine Liturgy
Parish Luncheon
Greek Independence Day Parade @ Tarpon Springs
     6:30 pm  Forgiveness Vespers

Monday, March 18  Clean Monday ~ Great Lent Begins

Tuesday, March 19  Philoptochos
   10:00 am  Board Meeting
   12:00 pm  Meeting

Wednesday, March 20
     6:30 pm  Presanctified Liturgy 

Friday, March 22
     6:30 pm  First Salutations

Saturday, March 23  3rd Saturday of Souls
     9:00 am  Orthros
   10:00 am  Liturgy
 

Next Week and Highlights of Upcoming Services and Events

Sunday, March 24  Sunday of Orthodoxy
     8:30 am  Orthros
     9:45 am  Divine Liturgy
Philoptochos Lenten Buffet
Greek School 25th of March Program
     5:00 pm  Pan-Orthodox Annunciation Vespers @ Annunciation Church, North Miami
 
Monday, March 25  Annunciation of the Theotokos
     9:00 am  Orthros / 10:00 am  Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, March 27
     6:30 pm  Presanctified Liturgy 

Friday, March 29
     6:30 pm  Second Salutations

 

Stewardship: As of March 12th, Stewardship gifts for 2024 have been received from 99 individuals/families totaling $43,555.  Some of the donations represent fulfillment of their total pledge while many others have begun their weekly, monthly or other scheduled donation. We are so thankful to these stewards.

The 2024 Stewardship materials were mailed to our parishioners and are also available on the website. Click here for the 2024 Stewardship Program and Commitment Form. New feature for 2024 - You may complete the commitment form online and email it back to the office. 

The Donate buttons here and on our website lead to our online giving site.  Again, thank you for your support!

 

Youth Safety Resources:  We’re committed to connecting young people with Jesus Christ. To do that, we need to create ministry environments that are safe and health. For more on how you can help, please visit our Youth Safety website: goarch.org/safety.

 

Church Services Streamed:  Many of our Divine Liturgies have been recorded and can be viewed at www.youtube.com.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel; you will be notified when we begin a live stream.

Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church (Services from 2020 until now)

Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church (Selected services from 2015-2019)

BACK TO TOP

Event Flyers

    Parish Luncheon

    Parish Luncheon

    Come join us for food and fellowship at the Saint Catherine Family Luncheon on March 17, 2024.


    25th Martiou Celebration

    25th Martiou Celebration

    Saint Catherine Greek School Students will present a short program to commemorate Greek Independence Day. Come watch our children shine on Sunday, March 24th following church services.


    Philoptochos Lenten Buffet

    Philoptochos Lenten Buffet

    Please join us for the Philoptochos Lenten Buffet to benefit Hellenic College / Holy Cross Seminary on March 24, 2024. We ask that you kindly make a $10 donation per adult. Thank you for your support.


    Mommy & Me

    Mommy & Me

    All caregivers welcome! Join us for Mommy & Me on the dates listed.


    St. John Chrysostom Metropolis Oratorical Festival

    St. John Chrysostom Metropolis Oratorical Festival

    We are proud to be hosting this year's Metropolis Oratorical Festival at Saint Catherine in May. Donations to support this event are welcome and very much appreciated.


    CrossRoads - An amazing summer program

    CrossRoads - An amazing summer program

    An amazing summer program for high school juniors and graduating seniors. This can be the best ten days possible this summer! We have a scholarship available. Contact Father Andrew.


    The 2024 Archdiocese Directory is available for Download

    The 2024 Archdiocese Directory is available for Download

    https://goa-yearbook.s3.amazonaws.com/2024+Directory.pdf


    St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

    St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

    Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to write and talk about their faith. The Oratorical Festival Program begins at the parish level and is divided into two divisions: Junior Division for students in grades 7–9 Senior Division for student in grades 10–12 The top speakers in the Junior and Senior Divisions advance to the district level. Two finalists in each district division represent the district at the Metropolis Oratorical Festival. The top speaker in each metropolis division is then selected to participate in the Archdiocese Finals, which is hosted by a different metropolis each year. We are hosting the 2024 Metropolis Oratorical Festival May 10-12, 2024 at Saint Catherine.


    What's New on Engage Orthodoxy

    What's New on Engage Orthodoxy

    Engage Orthodoxy is a beautiful website created by Family Life Ministry to provide resources and inspiration for our Orthodox family. Engage Orthodoxy hosts several blogs written by Orthodox authors on timely topics. In addition to blogs, Engage Orthodoxy has launched a podcast aimed at Orthodox homeschool families of teens. Check out our newest posts and listen to our podcast at www.engageorthodoxy.net


    Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth

    Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth

    Creating healthy, Christ-centered ministry environments. ------------ As an Archdiocese, we're ready to take the next step in youth safety. ------------ The new Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth is how we'll do it. ------------ Ministry heads check this out! We must prepare and follow all the steps for the safety of our children. Our Archdiocese requires this in order to participate in any youth events !!!


BACK TO TOP

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eighth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:11-18

At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus has lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and she told them that He had said these things to her.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth Tone. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4.

Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand.


Gospel Reading

Forgiveness Sunday
The Reading is from Matthew 6:14-21

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."


BACK TO TOP

Memorials and Trisagions

Memorials
 
6 Months ~ Nikolaos Gakopoulos
Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Friend.
You are missed every day by your loving family. 
 
1 Year ~ Maria Frangiskakis
Mother of Yianna and Antonia Drivalas 
 
3 Years ~ Louis Elenis
Husband of Victoria 
 
30 Years ~ Dena Skeadas
Wife of the late Nicholas
Mother of Christos, Peter, Nicholas and John 
BACK TO TOP

Wisdom of the Fathers

Spiritual delight is not enjoyment found in things that exists outside the soul.
St. Isaac of Syria
Unknown, 7th century

Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Unknown, 18th century

BACK TO TOP

Saints and Feasts

Eden
March 17

Forgiveness Sunday

The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam's exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments. For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind. The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all the divine commands. Taking occasion from today's Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation.


Alexismanofgod
March 17

Alexis the Man of God

Saint Alexis was born in old Rome of illustrious parents named Euphemianus and Aglais, and at their request was joined to a young woman in marriage. However, he did not remain with her even for one day, but fled to Edessa, where he lived for eighteen years. He returned to Rome in the guise of a beggar and sat at the gates of his father's house, unknown to all and mocked by his own servants. His identity was revealed only after his death by a paper that he had on his person, which he himself had written a little before his repose. The pious Emperor Honorius honoured him with a solemn burial. The title "Man of God" was given to him from heaven in a vision to the Bishop of Rome on the day of the Saint's repose.


Allsaint
March 17

Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and a grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards the end of his life, he says, "After I came to Ireland - every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed - the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm." After six years of slavery in Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in the monastic life at Auxerre in Gaul, under the guidance of the holy Bishop Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul to help him shepherd his flock, "my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in the Lord - so many thousands of people," he says in his Confession. His apostolic work was not accomplished without much "weariness and painfulness," long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland as its enlightener, it was a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about 461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.


Allsaint
March 18

Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem

This Saint was born in 315, and succeeded Maximus as Archbishop of Jerusalem in 350. He was zealous for the Orthodox Faith, and was a defender of the poor. He was exiled three times by the Arian Emperors Constantius and Valens. But after their death, he was recalled to his throne; he reposed in peace in 386. Of his writings, the most prominent are his catechetical lectures, which are considered the most ancient systematic summary of Christian teaching. Before Saint Cyril, there had been two dioceses, one of Jerusalem, and one of Holy Sion; under Saint Cyril, they were united into one bishopric. See also May 7.


Chrysanthos
March 19

Chrysanthos & Daria the Martyrs

Saint Chrysanthus, who was from Alexandria, had been instructed in the Faith of Christ by a certain bishop. His father, who was a senator by rank and a pagan, had him shut up in prison for many days; then, seeing the unchanging disposition of his mind, he commanded that a certain young woman named Daria be brought from Athens. She was a very beautiful and learned maiden, and also an idolater, and Chrysanthus' father wedded him to her so that he might be drawn away from the Faith of Christ because of his love for her. Instead of this however, Chrysanthus drew Daria unto piety, and both of them boldly proclaimed Christ and received the crown of martyrdom in 283, during the reign of Numerian, when they were buried alive in a pit of mire.


Allsaint
March 20

Righteous Fathers slain at the Monastery of St. Savas

The Righteous Martyrs were put to death by the barbarians during the reign of Emperor Heraclius, when Saint Modestus was Patriarch of Jerusalem (632-634).


Allsaint
March 20

Cuthbert the Wonderworker, Bishop of Lindisfarne

Saint Cuthbert was born in Britain about the year 635, and became a monk in his youth at the monastery of Melrose by the River Tweed. After many years of struggle as a true priest of Christ, in the service both of his own brethren and of the neglected Christians of isolated country villages, he became a solitary on Farne Island in 676. After eight years as a hermit, he was constrained to leave his quiet to become Bishop of Lindisfarne, in which office he served for almost two years. He returned to his hermitage two months before he reposed in peace in 687. Because of the miracles he wrought both during his life and at his tomb after his death, he is called the "Wonderworker of Britain." The whole English people honoured him, and kings were both benefactors to his shrine and suppliants of his prayers. Eleven years after his death, his holy relics were revealed to be incorrupt; when his body was translated from Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral in August of 1104, his body was still found to be untouched by decay, giving off "an odour of sweetest fragrancy," and "from the flexibility of its joints representing a person asleep rather than dead." Finally, when the most impious Henry VIII desecrated his shrine, opening it to despoil it of its valuables, his body was again found incorrupt, and was buried in 1542. It is believed that after this the holy relics of Saint Cuthbert were hidden to preserve them from further desecration.


Allsaint
March 20

Photini the Samaritan Woman

Saint Photini lived in 1st century Palestine and was the woman that Christ met at Jacob's Well in Samaria as recorded in the Gospel according to John (4:4-26). After her encounter with Christ, she and her whole family were baptized by the Apostles and became evangelists of the early Church. Photini and her children eventually were summoned before the emperor Nero and instructed to renounce their faith in Christ. They refused to do so, accepting rather to suffer various tortures. After many efforts to force her to surrender to idolatry, the emperor ordered that she be thrown down a well. Photini gave up her life in the year 66.

St. Photini is commemorated on three occasions during the year: February 26 (Greek tradition), March 20 (Slavic tradition), and the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman on the 5th Sunday of Pascha.


Allsaint
March 21

James the Confessor

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth in the Monastery of Studium, where he became a disciple of Saint Theodore the Studite. Later he became bishop and suffered many afflictions and torments at the hands of the Iconoclasts. Saint Theodore composed a homily in honour of this Saint James (PG 99, 1353-1356).


Allsaint
March 22

Basil the Holy Martyr of Ancyra

Saint Basil strove in martyrdom during the short reign of Julian the Apostate, from 361-363. The Saint was denounced as a Christian to Saturninus, Governor of Ancyra, who, when Basil would not deny Christ, had him hanged from a post and scraped on his sides, then beaten, and cast into prison. A few days later, when Julian himself came through Ancyra, the Saint was brought before him and was asked to deny Christ, Whom he rather confessed the more. Julian then had strips cut in his flesh, so that they were left hanging from his body in front and in back. The valiant Martyr tore one of these strips off of his body and cast it into Julian's face. At this Julian commanded that iron spits be heated fiery hot; Saint Basil's belly, his back, and all his joints were pierced with them, and he received the crown of martyrdom.


17_theodore3
March 23

First Saturday of Lent: The Commemoration of the Miracle of Kollyva wrought by Saint Theodore the Tyro

Julian the Apostate, knowing that the Christians purify themselves by fasting most of all during the first week of the Fast -- which is why we call it Clean Week -- planned to defile them especially at that time. Therefore he secretly commanded that during those days the markets be filled with foods that had been defiled with the blood of animals offered in sacrifice to idols. But by divine command the Martyr Theodore (see Feb. 17) appeared during sleep to Eudoxius, then Archbishop of Constantinople. The Saint revealed to him the tyrant's plan, then told him to call the faithful together immediately on Monday morning and prevent them from purchasing those foods, but rather to make kollyva to supply their needs. The bishop asked what kollyva might be, and the Saint answered, "Kollyva is what we call boiled wheat in Euchaita." Thus, the purpose of the Apostate was brought to nought, and the pious people who were preserved undefiled for the whole of Clean Week, rendered thanks to the Martyr on this Saturday, and celebrated his commemoration with kollyva. These things took place in 362. Wherefore, the Church keeps this commemoration each year to the glory of God and the honour of the Martyr.


Allsaint
March 23

Nikon the Holy Martyr &his 200 Companion Martyrs

Saint Nicon was from Neapolis (Naples) in Italy. His father was an idolater and his mother a Christian. At first he was a soldier, but later he went to the East, where he was baptized and in time became a bishop. After some years, he returned to the West and came to Sicily, where he and many of his disciples were put to death by beheading because they would not worship the idols.


BACK TO TOP

Messages from our Metropolis of Atlanta

Metropolitan Alexios' Message

 

My Beloved Ones,

As we prepare to begin Great Lent, this year, Forgiveness Sunday falls on March 17th, the Feast of my Patron Saint, Alexios the Man of God.

Alexios was born to a pious Christian family in 4th century Rome. As the son of a wealthy senator, Alexios was engaged to a woman. However, Alexios was moved by the Holy Spirit to give up worldly things, and so left for the city of Edessa. After 18 years, he returned to Rome, but so great was his devotion to Christ, that he chose to remain a beggar outside the gate of his family home. His faithful father no longer recognized his son, but he took pity on Alexios, and allowed him to live in a small hut on the property. However, his former servants were not as kind, and they mocked Alexios, who suffered all with Christ-like patience, for another 17 years. Knowing that he was to be called our Heavenly Father, he wrote a message, which revealed his identity to his mother, father, and wife. On the very day of his falling asleep, the Pope of Rome heard a voice telling him to seek out “The Man of God”.

Despite his family’s wealth and power St. Alexios understood that our material possessions will pass away. We, who must live in the world are not called to renounce everything, but we must remember our Lord’s beautiful warning: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Those things that cannot pass away do not belong to this world, and we must use this Lenten season to examine what we keep in our hearts.

St. Alexios also chose to suffer the humiliation of his own former servants because he knew that “…if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Just as the Father called upon His eldest son to rejoice, and to forgive his prodigal brother, so too must we forgive our fellow man, if we are to begin Lent with a pure heart and mind. Only then will we be in the proper state of preparedness to undergo the events of our Lord’s Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Armed with these lessons and praying that St. Alexios the Man of God intercede for us, I wish you all, Καλή δύναμη και Καλή Σαρακοστή! Good strength for a blessed Lent!

+ALEXIOS

Metropolitan of Atlanta

 

 

 Important News and Events

Χρόνια Πολλά to our Metropolis Family!

On Wednesday, November 8th, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios prayed for all those celebrating the Synaxis of Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers or Angels. He presided at the Hierarchical Liturgy in Archangel Michael Chapel with His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zelon, Fr. George Tsahakis, Chancellor of the Metropolis, Fr. Paul Kaplanis, Dean, and Fr. Christos Mars, Ephemerios, of Annunciation Cathedral. The Blessing of the Five Loaves (Artoklasia) was offered for the health and welfare of all those celebrating their Name Day and for Fr. George & Presbytera Theodosia Tsahakis who made them. A Trisagion Service was offered for the previous Hierarchs of the Metropolis of Atlanta and for Fr. Peter Leventis whose funeral is Friday. The Metropolis Staff, including Ethel Gjerde, JoAnne Mertzanis, Nick Kostopoulos, and Monica Gjerde hosted a reception for all the faithful and His Eminence blessed and cut the festive cake. 

On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, I convey our great excitement to welcome the five Metropolitan’s Choices Honorees and the two Honorees from each of our 74 parishes this weekend for our Archangel Michael Feast & Honors Banquet Saturday night and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at our Annunciation Cathedral on Sunday. We pray for safe travels and God's continued blessings on the faithful stewards being recognized. Χρόνια Πολλά to all celebrating their Name Day on November 8th, and the Patronal Feast of our Holy and God-Protected Metropolis of Atlanta..

Click Here for a full list of our 2023 Honorees!

  

 

 

 

Journey of Marriage (Pre-Marital Seminar)

All couples marrying in the Metropolis must attend a Metropolis-sponsored Journey of Marriage seminar prior to their wedding. The couple will present their certificate of completion to their parish priest after the seminar.

To see the full list of seminars in our Metropolis for 2024 and to register, please visit:
https://atlmetropolis.org/pre-marital-seminars-journey-of-marriage

Registration is online.  Materials costs are included in the registration.  Most seminars are currently being conducted by Zoom meeting.

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO TOP

Archepiscopal Message

WELCOMING REMARKS By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Meeting with GOA Girl Delegates during CSW68

03/13/2024

Dear sisters in the Lord,

I am so happy to welcome all of you here at our National Headquarters today so that I can personally tell you how very pleased I am to meet you – our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese National Girl Delegates to the UN, for the first time as an official program.

This program was started as a pilot program by Niki Devaris with the support and guidance of Rev. Nicolas Kazarian at the Ecumenical Department, two years ago with six self-funded participants from the Archdiocesan District, during the 66th Annual Commission on the Status of Women. This year, thanks to generous funding from a Leadership 100 Grant, we have been able to launch the National Program which has grown to twenty-four delegates from all over the United States, including California, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Florida, and Colorado, to name a few.


Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Archdiocesan District Clergy Syndesmos Pre-Lenten Retreat Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church

03/12/2024

Before I commence my remarks, I would like to thank Father Alex and Father Constantine for the gracious welcome of the Hamptons Community here at Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου. I also thank our local Chancellor, Father Elias, as well as the leadership of the Archdiocesan District Clergy Syndesmos, for the organization of this retreat. I am grateful as well for the presence and contribution of Ann Mitsakos Bezzerides, the Executive Director of the CrossRoad Institute at our Theological School in Brookline.


Homily By Archbishop Elpidophoros of America On the Sunday of the Last Judgment (Meatfare) Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral

03/10/2024

Today, in this magnificent Cathedral, adorned with the glories of Byzantium and the beauty of our Orthodox Faith, we gather as a community, which, as all of you know, is a form of communion. The Holy Communion that we receive – the Body and Blood of the Lord – is what binds us together. It is the substance of God, the Divine DNA, that makes us a family in God. All of us are members of the Body of Christ, and our communion with each other is truly a sign of the sincerity of our communion with God.


Remarks By Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Community Gala of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

03/10/2024

The tenth anniversary of your parish fills this Metropolis of New Jersey and our Sacred Archdiocese with much joy and spiritual gladness. You have accomplished so much in a really short period of time. Tonight’s Community Gala is a worthy celebration of your many successes and progress to date, and it gives pause to reflect on what opportunities the decades to come will offer.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Archpastoral Address Annual Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Retreat Contemplate, Reconcile, and Unify

03/06/2024

These past few days being with the Ecclesia of the West have been not only gratifying, but truly edifying. The synergy of Clergy and Laity in this Metropolis, manifest in your Clergy Laity Assembly, is a model of Church ministry and governance.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Closing Remarks to the Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Laity Assembly Contemplate, Reconcile, and Unify

03/06/2024

We have come to the close of these Clergy Laity Assembly deliberations, and I want to congratulate all of you for your dedication to the health and well-being of this God-saved Metropolis of San Francisco.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Exhortation to the Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Laity Assembly Contemplate, Reconcile, and Unify

03/05/2024

I rejoice to be with you in person for this important Metropolis Clergy Laity Assembly, an opportunity to share in the vision for our Church and to participate in the life-giving teachings of our Faith.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Invocation, Closing Remarks, and Benediction 33rd Annual Leadership 100 Conference Grand Banquet

03/03/2024

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, You have gathered the Leaders of this superb organization together for the sake of ministry and fellowship. We ask your holy blessings on us we bow our heads before you.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Archpastoral Address 33rd Annual Leadership 100 Conference

03/01/2024

I look around this ballroom today, and beholding your shining faces, I think of this verse from the Holy Apostle Paul:

Truly, we are His accomplishment, founded in Christ Jesus for good deeds, which God has prepared that we should walk in them. *


Archbishop Elpidophoros Invocation – Paternal Exhortation - Benediction Executive Committee 33rd Annual Leadership 100 Conference

02/29/2024

I am, of course, delighted to be with you again here at the annual Leadership 100 Conference – the thirty-third in the forty year history of this incredible organization. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – as it stands today – would be unthinkable without Leadership 100. You have traveled with this Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne for forty percent of its timeline, but you certainly count for more than forty percent of its life and progress.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Invocation – Paternal Exhortation - Benediction Board of Trustees Meeting 33rd Annual Leadership 100 Conference

02/29/2024

My friends – and I am so proud and happy to call you “my friends,” – we are gathered once again in Naples to bring forth the fruits of the Annual Leadership One Hundred Conference; this being its thirty-third.


Remarks By Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Reception of the ABS Board of Trustees

02/22/2024

I am so very pleased to welcome all of you to the Headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and to thank you for spending such substantive and generous time with us for your own deliberations. I would like to congratulate the new President and CEO of the American Bible Society, Jennifer Holloran, who I understand became official just two days ago. And I would like to acknowledge the former Interim-President, Darrin Podeschi, who continues to serve ABS as Executive Consultant.


ARCHPASTORAL EXHORTATION By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Metropolis of Denver Clergy-Laity Assembly and Philoptochos Convention

02/20/2024

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

I am so very pleased indeed to join you in Tulsa, for the Clergy-Laity Assembly of the Holy Metropolis of Denver. As all of you noticed, I did not address specifically your beloved Archpastor, His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver.

He is currently at the Holy Archangels Monastery in Kendalia, Texas, having just celebrated his ninety-third birthday last month. Allow me a few moments to say something about your Metropolitan, and by beloved brother in Christ, in his absence. His Eminence has served you as both the last Bishop of your time as a Diocese, and your first Hierarch as a Metropolis.


HOMILY By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Sunday Divine Liturgy 47th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival

02/18/2024

My Beloved Brother in Christ, Metropolitan Gerasimos,

Your Grace and Reverend Fathers,

Beloved Children in the Lord,

We read in the Old Testament, in the Second Book of Samuel, that when King David brought up the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, that he:  … danced before the Lord with all his might.[1]


REMARKS By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Archon Dinner 47th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival

02/18/2024

I would like to begin by thanking the Archons of the Order of Saint Andrew, who have so generously sponsored tonight’s gathering. I also want to thank you for your generosity to my humble person by this precious gift. The support of the Archons to my personal ministry and the greater ministry of our Holy Mother Church is deeply moving. As Archons, you are leaders within our spiritual Γένος, the international community of Orthodox Christians who identify as children of the Ecumenical Throne.


Greeting By Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Hellenic College/Holy Cross Agiasmos & Vasilopita

02/01/2024

There is something very auspicious about the timing of the celebration of our community Agiasmos and Vasilopita today. We commence this New Year of 2024 with a new president at the helm of our precious School. I ask all of us here present, to offer a silent prayer for President Katos’ good strength and success, as he takes hold of the rudder of this most important Institution of our Sacred Archdiocese. He inherits smoother waters than his predecessor did – our beloved friend, George Cantonis – but there is still much to navigate in order to bring Hellenic College and Holy Cross into safe harbor.


Remarks By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Reception before the Hellenic Education Fund Benefit Concert

01/31/2024

Allow me this moment to express my profound gratitude to each and every one of you, for supporting and sustaining the Hellenic Education Fund by your generosity this evening. The marvelous concert that we are about to experience is just one of the many initiatives upon which we are embarking. Our purpose is to strengthen and enhance this unique aspect of our Greek Orthodox Faith – our alignment with the glory of the Greek Philosophical Mind, so magnificently embodied by the Three Hierarchs: Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.


Remarks By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America For the Hellenic Education Fund Benefit Concert

01/31/2024

What a moving and inspiring evening we have experienced! I offer my congratulations and the thanks of all for such stirring and uplifting performances.

The Feast of the Three Hierarchs and of Greek Letters has certainly been well-honored and observed tonight. And the dedication of this event to the Hellenic Education Fund adds a dimension to our enjoyment, because we have collectively dedicated the merit of these marvelous aesthetic achievements to the furtherance of our culture, our language and our shared heritage.


Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Feast of the Three Hierarchs and the Day of Greek Letters

01/30/2024

Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and entirety of the Christ-loving Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America:


Homily By Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Three Hierarchs Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral

01/30/2024

Seeing your shining faces this morning, as we celebrate together Greek Letters and the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, brings a song to my heart. I look upon all of you, and I see what the Lord Jesus meant when He said (and as we read in today’s Gospel): “You are the light of the world.”*


Address by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America on The National Day of Remembrance of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heros of the Holocaust

01/28/2024

I would like, first of all, to warmly thank the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and its President, David Saltiel, for inviting me to participate as a keynote speaker in tonight’s commemoration of the Greek Jewish martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust. The connections between the Holy Archdiocese of America and the Jewish element in New York, as well as across the United States, are historical, fraternal and deeply grounded in our shared spiritual tradition. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki for the esteemed distinction of naming me an honorary member.


BACK TO TOP

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese News

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Announces Launch of New Website on the Charter Revision

06/16/2023

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) announces the launch of a dedicated website (charter.goarch.org) aimed at providing comprehensive, up-to-date, and accurate information concerning the proposed revision of the Archdiocese’s Charter.


Communiqué of the Holy Eparchial Synod

06/15/2023

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over a special meeting of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which was convened through videoconference for the purpose of considering current matters affecting the life of the Church in America.


School of Byzantine Music of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America launches new podcast

04/24/2023

With much enthusiasm, beginning on the evening of St. Thomas Sunday, the School of Byzantine Music (SBM) is launching its new podcast called, “Foundations of Hymnology.” New episodes will premiere on the evening of the last Sunday of each month. The SBM Podcast will be available on the school’s YouTube channel:.


BACK TO TOP

BACK TO TOP