Sun., Oct. 18 immediately following Liturgy, in the church. Single agenda item: approval of 2026 Board of Elections. Quorum of 30 members in good standing required. Sign in at the table in the Narthex and remain in your pew after dismissal. If quorum is not met, the meeting will take place on 10/26 at 6 p.m.

~ Sun., Oct. 18: we will assemble 200 bagged lunches for St. Herman's House, after Sunday School in the Zapis Activity Center. If you'd like to donate towards this effort,  email  [email protected]

Followed by regional GOYA Bonfire  at 6 p.m. at St. Paul Church, 4548 Wallings Rd., North Royalton. Bring a lawn chair & a jacket. RSVP to [email protected] today.

~Nov 20-22: Fall Retreat at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA. for campers in 7th-12th grade. Camper registrations and staff applications now open at Y2AM.Pittsburgh.goarch.org/retreats

Tue., Oct. 20,  11:30 a.m. in the hall. Seniors from St. Demetrios & St. Paul invited. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. RSVP to [email protected]

Fri., Oct. 30, at Ohio Star Theater in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Our Spiritual Life ministries (Book Study, Prayer Group, Movie Monday, Yassou Club)  invite you on a road trip to see a live musical production about the Old Testament Prophet Elijah (Elias.) We will leave St Demetrios in the morning, have lunch in Amish County, enjoy the 1 p.m. matinee and return by early evening. Those interested, please contact Eleni in the church office by Oct. 20.  $46 for show only; $68 for show + buffet lunch. 

Wed., Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Cultural Hall. Adults (18-99!) from all the NE Ohio parishes  are welcome to learn / rehearse Greek dances. No previous knowledge necessary and performances based on each person’s availability.

Thu., Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. in the Zapis Activity Center. Parish children invited (in costume)  for pizza, beverages, and decorated tables with treats. Those able to decorate a table and provide candy for distribution,  RSVP to [email protected] by Oct. 11.

Now thru Nov. 4   The Daughters of Penelope’s annual collection gently used purses/totes and personal hygiene items will take place from in the lower Narthex. Collected items will be distributed the week before Thanksgiving to women living in shelters in northeast Ohio.

~Sun., Oct. 25,  6:00 p.m. Vespers, followed by receiption, hosted by Philoptohcos.

~Mon., Oct. 26,  8:20 a.m. Orthros; 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy, followed by feastday luncheon in the hall, sponsored by Philoptochos. $18/adult; $10/child. Tickets available during coffee hour or contact Litta Klidas (216-978-5396) or Pela Telidis (440-590-0704)

Wed., Oct 28, we remember Greece’s courageous “No” to the Axis Powers during WWII, with a screening of the film “The Angry Hills” about an American journalist working with the Greek resistance against the Nazis. Filmed in Greece with English dialogue. 6 p.m. in the Cultural Hall. Free and open to all.

Thu., Oct 29 5:00 p.m. Our Greek School will parade around the church and lay a wreath at the flag pole, followed by a short program in the Cultural Hall. free and open to all.

Sun., Nov. 8, at 2:00 pm in the Cultural Hall. A traditional English Tea featuring a presentation by Janet Weir Creighton, Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, who will recount the decades of beautiful holiday decorations and ornaments at the White House. Seating is limited, so purchase your tickets early. $50/person. On sale during coffee hours or at  https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/holiday-tea-3

Bread of Life next service date: Saturday, Nov 7. Volunteers also needed for Jan. 2. 

Contact  Christina (440) 665-1494 

Philoptochos’ next service date: Tuesday, Nov 10                                    

Contact Joanne Harootunian (440) 353-0910.     

Coming up…11/29: Pete Gastis    12/13: Dean Paras

Sun., Nov. 8, we hope to once again deliver meals to the Rocky River Police and Fire Departments on the Synaxis of the Archangels, patron saints of the armed forces and first responders.  To volunteer to cook, deliver meals, and/or to donate toward the cost of ingredients, please contact Eleni at [email protected]

Starting Nov. 8 Please consider donating your unwanted coats to the Blackfeet Nation. Ready to move on from an old coat? Have your kids outgrown theirs? Children especially are in need of coats for the upcoming Montana winter, but adult coats also welcome. Donation box will be located in the Zapis Activity Center.

Thu., Dec. 31 in the Cultural Hall. Groove your way into 2027! We are now accepting donations of baskets and items for the fundraiser. Ticket details coming soon. Contact Kelly (216-410-2068) or Lilly (440-477-1237)

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel.

Contact Diakonissa Amy ([email protected] or 330-519-3100) to join, or to submit names for whom we can pray. 

We meet on Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. in the Parish Library. We are starting Everyday Saints and Other Stories by Archimandrite Tikhon. It is available in The Catacomb Bookstore (open Sundays after church and weekdays  during office hours.)

‘LIGHT STREAMS IN’ Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., fall retreat at Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral, 3352 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts. Keynote speaker is  author & podcaster Elissa Bjeletich Davis on how we can let Christ’s light stream into the world. $15/adult includes breakfast & lunch; free for students. Register at https://pci.jotform.com/form/262124886813159

HELLENIC HERITAGE & FAITH AWARD Thu., Oct. 22 at Emerald Event Center, 33040 Just Imagine Dr., Avon. 6 p.m. social hour; 7 pm dinner, blessing by His Eminence  Metropolitan Savas. Presentation of the Greek Garden Association's inaugural award to Archon Carl R. Hollister, Executive Director of St. Photios Shrine, AHEPAn, and proud Ikarian.  $75/person. For reservations contact Gary Thomas ([email protected]) 

YOUNG ADULT FALL RETREAT Oct. 23-25 at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA. For Young Adults (18-35 years of age) led by Fr. Stephen Loposky speaking on “Spiritual Fathers and the Mystery of Confession”    Register at tinyurl.com/smxbprrp

BUCKEYE CLAMBAKE Sat., Nov 7 at St. Nicholas Church, 2000 Tower Blvd., Lorain. Clambake + Watch party for Oregon Ducks vs. OSU. Doors open 90 minutes before kick off. $50 full clambake, $35 chicken dinner; $15 kids’ meal. Cash bar https://square.link/u/Rr98b4xS

CHIOS SOCIETY BANQUET  Sat., Nov. 7  at LaVilla, 11500 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland. 6 p.m. cocktail hour & open bar; 7 p.m. Dinner; 8 p.m. Program honoring Lou & Ann Frangos and presentation of scholarships.; 9 p.m. Dancing to live music by Apollo Orchestra. $100/person. RSVP to Dimitrios Kalafatis (216-990-1992)

A PATH OF PROGRESS Mon., Nov 9, 6 p.m. at St Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, 3256 Warren Rd., Cleveland. FOCUS Cleveland presents a panel discussion of current and former residents of St Herman’s House share their journey. $35/person. Tickets available at the door but advance purchase appreciated at: FocusCleveland.org/MyJourney

ST. PAUL CHURCH ANNIVERSARY Sat., Nov. 14, 6 p.m. St. Paul Greek church, 4548 Wallings Rd., N. Royalton, celebrates its 60^th anniversary with a Night of Music thru the Decades with Tony Quarles & the Discovery Band. Food stations and open bar. $75/adult; $40/child (ages 4-10.) Tickets at tinyurl.com/StPaul60years   or call Pres. Nicole Keares (440-409-1673)

“Opening The Scriptures” Orthodox Bible Study via Zoom. Thursdays,  7-8 p.m. led by Rev. Dr. Eugen Pentiuc of Holy Cross. Recurring Zoom link: https://hchc-edu.zoom.us/j/84399084787?pwd=sxU3jn3SdX2lsMLJI55aQkiKX0PnmB.1

Fre

"EXPANDING THE LIVING PARISH" WEBINARS   Mondays at 8 p.m. 

OCTOBER 19:  Welcoming & Engaging Seekers

NOVEMBER 16:  Healthy Catechism for Newcomers

DECEMBER 14:  Building the Orthodox Mindset

Register for FREE Zoom link at https://tinyurl.com/385needb

The National Hellenic Museum invites you to free online discussions, facilitated by their knowledgeable staff , bringing together philhellenes from around the U.S. 

To receive the Zoom link for any event, reserve your FREE tickets at nationalhellenicmuseum.org/online

NHM Online Film  Club:  Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m. 

Join us for an engaging online film club discussion on the classic musical My Fair Lady (1964)  which is based on the ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion. This event is perfect for adults interested in classic myths and cinema, musicals, literary adaptations, and character-driven storytelling. Please note: There will not be a screening of the film during the session. Please watch the film in advance to fully participate.

BROOKLINE, MA — October 10, 2026 — In an extraordinary and historic moment in the life of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, hundreds of faithful, together with the entire student body of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, gathered in prayer and profound reverence for the solemn translation of the sacred relics of our Venerable Father Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos. More than three decades after his blessed repose on June 12, 1995, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, the beloved hierarch, teacher, and spiritual father was brought from his place of burial into Holy Cross Chapel, where his sacred relics were offered for public veneration for the first time. Presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, this momentous occasion marked a new chapter in the spiritual history of the School and a profound expression of the Church’s recognition of the holiness and enduring spiritual legacy of a shepherd whose light continues to illuminate generations of Orthodox Christians.

The historic observance represents a local recognition of the holiness and saintly character of the Venerable Bishop Gerasimos, whose life of prayer, humility, pastoral love, and dedication to theological education continues to inspire generations of clergy and faithful. This recognition does not constitute a formal canonization or universal proclamation of sainthood, which remains the sacred prerogative of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Mother Church of Constantinople.

The commemorative observances began on Friday evening with a special panel discussion dedicated to the life, ministry, and enduring spiritual legacy of Bishop Gerasimos.

The panel brought together clergy who had served as his teaching assistants, former students who had lived alongside him on the campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross, and members of a younger generation of seminarians who never knew him personally but whose priestly formation and theological education have nevertheless been profoundly shaped by his example.

Through personal recollections and moving testimonies, participants reflected upon a hierarch whose influence extended far beyond the classroom. For those who knew him, Bishop Gerasimos was not simply a professor of Holy Scripture, but a living example of the Gospel he taught, particularly the Gospel according to Saint John, which occupied a special place in his teaching and spiritual life.

The participation of students who never encountered him during his earthly life offered a particularly powerful testimony: more than three decades after his repose, his spiritual legacy remains a living presence within the School and continues to form those preparing to serve the Church.

Saturday morning’s sacred observances began at the gravesite of Bishop Gerasimos, where Archbishop Elpidophoros and Metropolitan Savas and the entire community offered a Trisagion, the memorial prayers, or the repose of the venerable hierarch.

The presence of Metropolitan Savas carried particular personal and spiritual significance. His Eminence was the priest who administered Holy Communion to Bishop Gerasimos shortly before his blessed repose in 1995, and now, more than thirty years later, stood alongside the Archbishop to honor his memory and participate in the translation of his sacred relic.

Following the Trisagion, the incorrupt relic was reverently transferred into Holy Cross Chapel, the spiritual heart of the campus to which Bishop Gerasimos had devoted so much of his life and ministry. Adding to the profound significance of this historic occasion, the translation of the sacred relic took place on what would have been the 116th birthday of the venerable Elder, lending an especially poignant and providential dimension to a day.

In the Holy Cross Chapel, the intact sacred relic was cared for and vested in new hierarchical vestments by Archbishop Elpidophoros and Metropolitan Savas, assisted by clergy who had been Bishop Gerasimos’ colleagues, spiritual children, and close acquaintances, including the Reverend Protopresbyters Nicholas Triantafilou, Alkiviadis Calivas, Theodore Stephanopoulos, and Peter Chamberas.

The vesting was an especially poignant expression of reverence and gratitude, as those who had known and loved the venerable hierarch personally were afforded the blessing of participating in this sacred moment.

The relic was then carried in solemn yet panegyric procession around Holy Cross Chapel, amid the prayers and hymns of the Church and in the presence of hundreds of faithful and the entire student body.

At the conclusion of the procession, the sacred relic was presented for public veneration for the first time, allowing clergy, seminarians, and faithful to approach with reverence and prayer.

In his remarks reflecting upon the significance of the occasion, Archbishop Elpidophoros drew upon the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount:

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel; but on a lampstand, to shine its light on everyone in the house.”

His Eminence compared the translation of the relic to the unveiling of a light that had never ceased to shine, even while hidden beneath the earth.

“Today the lamp comes out from beneath the bushel – in this case, the very earth itself,” the Archbishop proclaimed. “For the light that shined in life as Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos, has never been extinguished, because it partakes of the light of Christ, Who is Himself the Light of the world.”

Reflecting upon the spiritual significance of the day, His Eminence continued: “Today is surely the Day which the Lord has made, and the Visitation by our venerable father Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos, is a clear and clarion call for us to follow in his footsteps, for they followed Christ.”

The Archbishop recalled Bishop Gerasimos as a shepherd whose ministry was characterized by peace, patience, and pastoral tenderness, and whose love for Hellenic College Holy Cross was expressed not only through his teaching but through the daily witness of his life.

“Our saintly Bishop was not only a Shepherd of flocks within this Archdiocese, but he was a pastoral, peaceful, and patient presence on this Campus, which he loved with all his heart,” His Eminence observed.

The Archbishop also reflected upon the recognition of holiness within the life of the Church, emphasizing that such moments unfold according to God’s providence and in His appointed time.

Concluding his remarks, His Eminence declared:

“Therefore, beloved Brethren in the Lord, we have taken away the covering of the earthen bushel which housed and protected this Sacred Relic. It is time for it to shine.”

The Archbishop then invited the assembled faithful to chant, for the first time, the Apolytikion honoring the Venerable Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos.

The translation of the sacred relic marks a new chapter in the spiritual history of Hellenic College Holy Cross, where Bishop Gerasimos spent so many years teaching, mentoring, and guiding future priests and servants of the Church.

His presence within Holy Cross Chapel now offers a visible and enduring reminder that theological education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but the formation of lives dedicated to Christ, His Church, and the service of others.

For the generations who knew Bishop Gerasimos, the occasion was one of profound gratitude and remembrance. For the students who know him only through his legacy, it was an invitation to encounter the same spirit of humility, compassion, and holiness that distinguished his earthly ministry.

Above all, this historic day bore witness to the Church’s conviction that the lives of those who have faithfully followed Christ continue to illuminate and inspire the faithful long after their earthly repose.

As Archbishop Elpidophoros concluded in prayer: “Through his fervent intercessions, may we all attain to the perfections of love and compassion, and fulfill the purpose and meaning of our own lives.”

Through the prayers of our Venerable Father Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos, may the Lord have mercy upon us and save us. Amen.

Apolytikion – Mode pl. 1
God-inspired professor and teacher of the Faith and the spiritual life to the Orthodox who live in America, O grace-filled Gerasimos, we salute you as a Christ-centered, humble hierarch who loved the all-holy Gospel. We pray, implore Christ our Savior to have mercy and to save us all.

The post Historic translation of the sacred relics of the Venerable Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos, at HCHC appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

Fr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne and Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC, participated in an international conference organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chantilly, France, from October 5–8, 2026, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, held in Crete in June 2016.

The conference brought together scholars and representatives from Orthodox Autocephalous Churches to reflect on the Council’s decisions, documents, reception, and continuing significance for the life of the Orthodox Church.

Fr. John chaired a special panel devoted to the reception of the Council of Crete and the development of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s social document, For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church, published in 2020. The panel featured presentations by Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian (Commission member for the document), Rev. Dr. Dietmar Schon (author of two books on the document) and Rev. Dr. Stephanie Dietrich (Faith and Order moderator of the WCC).

Fr. John also participated in the conference’s concluding session, which offered an assessment of the Holy and Great Council and considered its prospects for the future. 

Drawing on his experience as Press Officer of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Council of Crete and as facilitator of the Special Commission that produced the document, he addressed the relationship between the two, and between the principles of conciliarity and primacy in the Church.

Fr. John said the conciliar life of the Orthodox Church is “scarcely neat, rarely predictable, and hardly efficient,” because conciliarity “depends upon consensus rather than imposition, upon persuasion rather than domination.”

The Council of Crete, he said, offers a revealing example of this.

“Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew worked patiently and persistently with every Orthodox Autocephalous Church,” Fr. John said. “Yet patience did not mean passivity. His All-Holiness also knew when to stand firm: to uphold what had been agreed, to guide the completion of the documents, and ultimately to ensure that the Council actually took place.”

“The same pattern emerged with the document entitled For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church,” Fr. John continued. “Once again, the Ecumenical Patriarch encouraged consultation while maintaining direction.”

Now, For the Life of the World has generated translations in more than twenty languages, as well as articles, special journal issues, scholarly monographs, and international conferences. Interest that initially came largely from the ecumenical world, Fr. John said, is increasingly coming from within the Orthodox world. 

Describing how the two relate, Fr. John said the Council “asked what the Orthodox Church needs to say,” while the document “asked what those words mean for the life of the world.”

Fr. John then moved into a discussion of conciliarity and the Church’s future.

Recovering a genuine culture of conciliarity, he said, will require “patiently listening, humbly trusting, generously sacrificing, and sometimes boldly relinquishing inherited assumptions and entrenched habits.”

He urged the audience that we must acknowledge “we have largely lost the lived experience of conciliarity.”

“Synodality is not an event,” Fr. John said. “It is a culture. And culture, as Julien Green reminds us, “cannot be improvised.” It must be learned. It must be absorbed. It must be practiced.”

Fr. John also said Orthodox Christians should not fear the concept of primacy. 

“Synodality does not mean the absence of leadership,” he said. “Consensus does not mean paralysis. And communion does not mean that no one bears the responsibility to convene and coordinate, to guide and encourage, even—when necessary—to lead and insist.”

“We need the many; but we also need the one, the first. We need consultation; but we also need command,” Fr. John said. “We need consensus; but we also need courage.”

He concluded that the future of Orthodoxy does not lie in choosing between synodality and primacy, but in “recovering the proper relationship” between the two.

“The Orthodox Church will not become more conciliar by diminishing leadership; nor will leadership become more authentic by diminishing conciliarity,” Fr. John said. “Each requires the other. Each corrects the other. Each complements the other. And, at their best, each serves the communion of the Church.”

Fr. John closed by posing the question of “whether we can learn again how to walk together in the time and place we have been placed and entrusted by God.”

This, he suggested, is what conciliarity has meant all along.

The post ‘We need consensus; but we also need courage,’ says Fr. John Chryssavgis on the 10th anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of Crete appeared first on Orthodox Observer.