You can find the flyers of scheduled events here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAv3Lz

Yesterday, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, where he will preside over the consecration of Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday, September 19.

Traveling alongside the Archbishop are His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco; His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos; His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea; and Dimitri Katsiklis, Master Chanter at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine.

The group was greeted by members of the parish, including Fr. Vasili Hillhouse, Holy Transfiguration Church’s parish priest. In the evening, the church’s parish council shared a welcome dinner with the guests.

Ahead of Saturday’s consecration, the Archbishop will also attend a Founding Families dinner and spend time in the Alaskan landscape, visiting the nearby Portage Glacier.

The post Archbishop Elpidophoros arrives in Alaska for consecration appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

With an appointment from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to become the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity’s Dean, effective September 1, 2026, Fr. Gregory Gilbert is set to begin a new chapter of ministry in the heart of New York City.

In his first interview since the appointment, Fr. Gregory told the Orthodox Observer he views the new role as “a tremendous honor and great opportunity to do a different kind of ministry,” one that combines the daily life of a parish with the broader responsibilities of an Archdiocesan institution.

His arrival at the Cathedral marks both a transition for the historic parish and the latest chapter in a path that has brought Fr. Gregory through academia, parish ministry, and leadership within the Metropolis of New Jersey. Last Friday, Fr. Gregory met with the Orthodox Observer to reflect on the path that brought him to the Cathedral, the experiences that have shaped him as a priest, and his hopes for the community he will now serve.

> Previously: Fr. Gregory Gilbert appointed Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral

Fr. Gregory was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where he studied Classics, with a focus on Ancient Greek and Latin, and met his future wife, Presvytera Catherine. The couple now has five children. 

After college, Fr. Gregory taught Latin at a private high school in Nashville for three years. It was during this time that he first encountered and embraced the Greek Orthodox faith. As his interest in the Church Fathers and early Christian writings deepened, Fr. Gregory began to question how the Christianity with which he had grown up related to the faith he was now encountering through his study of the early Church. 

As he confronted his dissatisfaction with the church tradition in which he had been raised, Fr. Gregory began attending Orthodox services and felt, “This is it. This is what I need.” He subsequently began his theological studies at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, where he received his M.A. in Theology in 2004. 

Unlike most catechumens, Fr. Gregory’s knowledge of Greek allowed him to quickly learn to follow the liturgy and speak freely with parishioners. He soon began attending catechism classes, bringing with him what he describes as an academically-minded stream of questions. This experience helped bridge the chasm between early Christian writings and his Sunday services.

Following seminary, Fr. Gregory and Presvytera Catherine moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where he pursued graduate studies at the Catholic University of America. He earned a second M.A. in Classics in 2008 and a Ph.D. in Greek and Latin in 2014, specializing in the writings of the Church Fathers. During his graduate studies, he also served as Head Chanter at Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Frederick, Maryland.

Fr. Gregory’s academic work and ministry have taken him both across the United States and abroad. From 2011 to 2012, Fr. Gregory spent a year in Greece with his wife and their children while conducting doctoral research as a Fulbright Fellow at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens at the Gennadius Library. While there, he also completed the coursework and examination for the Diploma of Byzantine Chant, issued by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Upon returning to the U.S., he spent two years as an adjunct lecturer in the Ancient Studies Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Scholarship, teaching, Byzantine music, and pastoral ministry have intersected throughout much of Fr. Gregory’s life. His academic background, particularly his study of the Church Fathers and the ancient world, offers another dimension to the experiences he now brings to the Cathedral.

Teaching remains an important part of how Fr. Gregory understands his ministry. Between his time teaching high school, university, and graduate students, academia occupied nearly a decade of his life. Fr. Gregory said he still sees himself as a teacher, even if the classroom now takes different forms. His years studying the Church Fathers and early Christian writings likewise continue to shape the questions he asks and the way he explains the faith as a proistamenos.

In 2015, His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardis (then of Metropolitan New Jersey) ordained Fr. Gregory to the diaconate on October 4 and to the priesthood on October 25. Fr. Gregory subsequently served as presiding priest of Sts. Mary Magdalene & Markella Greek Orthodox Church in Darlington, Maryland, from 2015 to 2017, followed by St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, from 2017 to 2023.

From 2023 to 2025, Fr. Gregory served as Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey. He most recently served as Chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey under His Eminence Archbishop-elect Apostolos of Canada (then Metropolitan of New Jersey), who bestowed upon Fr. Gregory the ecclesiastical titles of Economos and Protopresbyter.

As Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, Fr. Gregory oversaw a community with two schools and numerous ministries for different age groups while also helping the Cathedral serve as a focal point of the Metropolis for hierarchical liturgies and special events. He compared the role of a presiding priest to that of a conductor, responsible for keeping many moving parts working together. He sees that experience as valuable preparation for his new role as Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Although Fr. Gregory had visited Holy Trinity Cathedral many times for major events, weddings, and other occasions, he says he knew far less about the day-to-day life of the parish before his appointment. One of the pleasant surprises of his first days as Dean has been getting to know the Cathedral’s parishioners, Board of Trustees, and staff, as well as the community behind the institution.

After more than a decade of priestly ministry and leadership, Fr. Gregory now begins his ministry at Holy Trinity with a greater understanding of both dimensions of the Cathedral: its prominent place in the life of the Archdiocese and the parish community that sustains its daily life.

That process of getting to know the Cathedral extends to its history as well. On one of his first days as Dean, Fr. Gregory hosted a group of roughly 50 high school students on an educational trip for high school students from Thessaloniki with Fr. Gregory Telemachos Stamkopoulos, Director of Greek Education. As the students asked questions about the parish, Fr. Gregory Gilbert was able to offer a brief history of the Cathedral, an experience that highlighted both its broader significance and how much he still hopes to learn about its history and place within the Archdiocese.

Taking on leadership of an established parish also means balancing continuity with the possibility of positive change and growth. As Fr. Gregory begins his tenure, one of the central questions will be how he hopes to build upon the Cathedral’s existing life while identifying areas for growth. Fr. Gregory said his first priority is not to remake an already-established parish, but to strengthen what is already in place. Two ministries stand out to him in particular: the Cathedral School and Cathedral Connect.

Fr. Gregory described the Cathedral School as an opportunity few Orthodox parishes have: a full-time Orthodox school serving families from across New York City.

 “It’s something to treasure and take care of and be good stewards of,” Fr. Gregory says.

Cathedral Connect, meanwhile, gives Holy Trinity a strong foundation for ministry to college students, graduate students, and young professionals. Fr. Gregory said he is excited by the opportunity to serve young adults at a stage when many are beginning to ask deeper questions about faith, identity, and their life’s direction.

Young adults are one group Fr. Gregory is especially eager to serve. With two older children of his own–one in college and one in graduate school–he is familiar with the questions and transitions that can accompany this stage of life. His connection to young adults also reaches back to his years in academia. Before entering the priesthood, he had imagined his own path would center on working closely with students. 

“What I thought my life was going to be was in academia, working with college and graduate students on a daily basis,” Fr. Gregory says. In many parishes, he said, young adulthood can become a “missing link” after youth ministry, as students leave for college and begin their professional lives. 

At Holy Trinity, he sees an opportunity to remain present during what he described as a formative and sometimes uncertain stage of life. He hopes to create space for young adults to ask their own questions about faith, including how they begin to embrace it as their own, apart from their parents or upbringing.

The Cathedral’s Philoptochos chapter also plays an important role in parish life, carrying out charitable and philanthropic work that extends the Cathedral’s ministry beyond its walls. Its active presence at Holy Trinity has made it a model chapter for Philoptochos throughout the Archdiocese, reflecting the broader commitment to service that Fr. Gregory hopes to continue building upon.

Beyond strengthening ministries within the parish, Fr. Gregory also sees Holy Trinity as having a responsibility that extends beyond its immediate community.

 “This is the Archdiocesan Cathedral, so it has to be a church that Orthodox Christians from across America can come to,” Fr. Gregory says. “It has to be a home for Greek Orthodox Christians coming to New York.”

At the same time, he sees the Cathedral’s location as an opportunity to reach those outside the existing parish community. 

“We have to be a visible church,” he said, noting that people may initially walk through the doors simply out of curiosity. “We have to be ready to welcome them in, whether they come to worship or are beginning to figure out their own journey toward Orthodoxy.” 

He also sees charitable and philanthropic outreach as an important responsibility of a city parish, seeking to continue the Cathedral’s established homeless outreach ministry, which serves those in need throughout Manhattan and elsewhere in New York City. Meeting on the second Friday of each month, members of the parish and greater community prepare hygiene kits and distribute them at designated locations throughout Manhattan.

Alongside those broader efforts, Fr. Gregory is focused on the relationships he hopes to build within the Cathedral community. As he begins his first weeks at Holy Trinity, Fr. Gregory says he wants parishioners to know that he sees the Cathedral as their community, and hopes they will find him approachable as they get to know their new Dean. 

“I think I’m easy to work with,” Fr. Gregory says with a laugh.

More importantly, Fr. Gregory sees his role as one of guiding and supporting a community that ultimately belongs to its faithful. 

“I’m concerned about this being their community and about them having that sense of ownership of it,” Fr. Gregory says. “My role is to be their shepherd and to guide them.” As he looks ahead, Fr. Gregory hopes to see the Cathedral community continue to grow while keeping its parishioners at the center of its life and ministry.

The post Meet the Archdiocesan Cathedral’s new Dean appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on September 1, 2026 celebrated the beginning of the Indiction, the ecclesiastical New Year, as well as the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, as Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios of blessed memory designated it in 1989. On the same day, he issued a Patriarchal Message for the Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year and the Solemn Day of Prayers for Natural Environment, reiterating his pioneering commitment to the preservation of the natural environment as a core Christian duty, and articulating “new paths and prospects for addressing” this immense challenge.

In that message, His All-Holiness emphasized that the environmental crisis affects all areas of human endeavor: “The multidimensional contemporary ecological crisis is a crisis of human freedom, of our religion and philosophy, of our ethos and our culture.” He explained that “what comes first is the ‘harmful alteration’ of our freedom — our severance and alienation from the Source of Life; what follows is conduct destructive of the natural environment.”

In response to this crisis, the Ecumenical Patriarch said that there was an “imperative need for a ‘Copernican Turn’ in our understanding of the idea of progress and in humanity’s attitude towards nature, as well as in the actions of those engaged in political, economic, and social life, of the Churches and religions, of science and technology, and of those responsible for the education of the younger generation.”

In pursuit of this transformation in the general understanding of the environment and its relationship to human activity, he pledged to “continue, in word and deed, to promote the ecological vision of the Holy Great Church of Christ and the eco-friendly dynamism of the eucharistic, ascetic, and doxological relationship with creation, always underscoring that careful theological work is needed for the elucidation of the authentic ecological message of our Orthodox faith and tradition, for the benefit of creation, which is ‘very good.’”

While the environmental crisis is usually understood solely in utilitarian terms, His All-Holiness stated that “we are convinced that highlighting the religious and ethical dimensions of the ecological threat will lead to an awareness of the pivotal importance of ‘ecological responsibility.’” He declared that “humanity must at last cease acting as though it does not know and definitively cast aside the illusion that planet Earth can in perpetuity withstand the burdens and destruction caused by human activity, or that nature has the power to renew itself of its own accord.”

Once that illusion has been definitively seen for what it is and rejected, His All-Holiness continued, “the ethos of responsibility for the protection of the natural environment must find expression at the global, national, local, and personal levels.” This multifaceted response is an urgent necessity: “We reiterate once again that the cultivation of ecological responsibility is a ‘categorical imperative’ for humanity as it confronts the greatest threat it has ever been called to face throughout the entire course of its history.”

His All-Holiness enunciated a prophetic condemnation of the heedless culture of abundance, saying: “It is abundantly clear that, so long as the dominant anthropological model is represented by the ‘foolish rich man’ of the Gospel (Luke 12:17–21), with his declaration, ‘I will pull down my barns and build greater; and there I will store all my crops and my goods,’ and his words, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry,’ humanity will continue to undermine its future and annihilate its own ‘home.’”

Continuing his critique of contemporary attitudes toward the environment, the Ecumenical Patriarch stated: “The ‘sins of modernity’ have created — and continue to create — new divisions and ruptures between humanity and nature. The contemporary ‘man-god’ persists in geocide, disregarding every measure and limit in the name of geopolitical designs and economic interests, of consumerism and of the satisfaction of essentially insatiable needs, but also, on a deeper level, because of an overturning of inner lived experience and values.”

A restoration of rightly ordered inner values will therefore lead to a proper understanding of the need to care for the natural environment. Otherwise, said His All-Holiness, “the consequences of the global dominance of the desire to manipulate, instrumentalize, and exploit nature will prove to be tragic for life on our planet.”

His All-Holiness concluded by stating that “respect for the core pillars of ecological civilization can restrain environmentally destructive tendencies and open the ‘sole ecological path,’ that of sustainable development.” He also once again situated the problem of the environment in a larger context: “More broadly, humanity needs to reach agreement upon a body of common fundamental values which, in a world marked by conflict and polarization, will serve as a compass for the journey towards the future.” He stated: “We regard the principle of solidarity as the central axis of this body of values: solidarity as a source of shared responsibility, dialogue, and sincere reciprocity, together with collective responsibility for the protection of the natural environment. Respect in practice for the sacredness of the human person and care for the integrity of creation are, from a Christian perspective, vital manifestations of the eucharistic realization of the Church and of human being’s call to become the ‘priest’ of creation.”

May we all strive to cultivate that principle of solidarity within ourselves and in our relationships with others.

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The National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians will celebrate National Church Music Sunday on October 4, 2026.

This annual celebration occurs the first Sunday after the observance of the feast day of St. Romanos, the patronsSaint of the National Forum and church musicians, which falls on October 1st  and continues throughout the month of October.   The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America sets this day aside each year to recognize and honor all of its church musicians. 

The National Forum invites parishes throughout the Archdiocese to celebrate their musicians. Materials to celebrate National Church Music Sunday are made available to parish priests, choirs directors, parish council and Philoptochos, with the National Forum website listing 21 celebration ideas, commemoratives available from the National Forum, prayers for church musicians, and additional materials that support the development and education of church musicians, including many materials created specifically for youth.

> Access these materials and more at www.churchmusic.goarch.org 

This is a particularly special year for the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians as it celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

The mission of the National Forum is to enhance and perpetuate the liturgical music of the Greek Orthodox Church, serving as the voice of church musicians, providing learning activities that strengthen church musicians spiritually, musically and educationally.

The National Forum also addresses specific church music needs of clergy, choir directors, organists, choir members, composers, church schools and congregations. As the musical arm of the Archdiocese, the National Forum also collaborates with other Archdiocesan departments to address church music needs. 

The National Forum has developed a number of new initiatives this year.

The Parish Music Leadership Initiative (commonly known as the MELI project) is an online program designed to educate and train the full gamut of our church musicians, youth and clergy. This program was recently debuted at the 2026 Clergy Laity Congress and received rave reviews, stressing the necessary step this is for our Archdiocese. This program will also be incorporated by Hellenic College Holy Cross, working in partnership with the National Forum and utilizing an endowment provided by the National Forum.

Additionally, the youth portion of MELI will become part of the Archdiocese’s new Department of Religious Education (DRE) Kids Sunday Series hymn track.

Another major youth initiative established by the National Forum is the Saint Romanos Church Music Festival. Patterned after the successful Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, this festival will focus on the sacred hymnology of our church, creating the next generation of choir directors, choir members and chanters. This innovative program was enthusiastically approved by the Holy Eparchial Synod for Archdiocese-wide implementation.

> Previously: Saint Romanos Church Music Festival to celebrate youth musical excellence

These programs join the many others which the National Forum supports year after year. 

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On September 14-15, the Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross, in partnership with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, hosted an interdisciplinary colloquium in recognition of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s unprecedented thirty-five-year tenure as Archbishop of Constantinople.

The colloquium, hosted at the Maliotis Cultural Center, featured expert panel presentations on the ecclesial, social, and pastoral dimensions of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s ministry as “First Among Equals” shepherding the global Orthodox Church.

Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Executive Director of HEI, opened the colloquium by expressing his personal admiration for the Ecumenical Patriarch. As Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, Fr. Chryssavgis has worked closely with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew over the past four decades: editing three volumes of his collected speeches, recording his remarkable life’s story, and serving as his advisor on environmental issues.

From his enthronement in 1991, His All-Holiness “did not procrastinate in assessing the past and pointing the way of the future,” Fr. Chryssavgis said. “He landed with his feet running…deeply rooted in the present and forward looking to the Kingdom.” Few spiritual leaders, Fr. Chryssavgis observed, have so ably executed the “consistent fulfillment of an aspiration articulated from the outset of their tenure.”

While offering his archiepiscopal blessing for the colloquium, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros characterized Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with the reverence of a spiritual son for his “father in Christ.” This bond of “filial devotion,” stretching back more than twenty-five years, has been the “ground and inspiration” of His Eminence’s ministry as a deacon, priest, hierarch, and exarch of the Ecumenical Throne. Whereas other religious leaders may seek “secular power, ephemeral glory, and financial gain,” His All-Holiness’s tenure has been marked by “fidelity, canonicity, and morality.”

The first panel of presenters, chaired by Rev. Dr. Philip Zymaris, Professor of Liturgics at Hellenic College Holy Cross, focused on the Ecumenical Patriarch’s approach to Church leadership. His Grace Bishop Maxim, Eparch of Western America of the Serbian Orthodox Church, spoke first on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s chairmanship of the Holy and Great Council (2016).  When repeatedly faced by moments of “paralysis” during the Council, the Ecumenical Patriarch proposed person-oriented solutions rooted in “procedures, patience, and persuasion.” For the Ecumenical Patriarch, “unity is not uniformity imposed from above” but communion forged in the fire of love for the other.

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His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered his blessing in a video message marking the September 14 reopening of Greece’s consular presence in New Orleans, with John D. Georges serving as Honorary Consul of Greece. His Eminence recalled the very deep roots of the Greek American community in the city and the historic role New Orleans played in the establishment of Greek Orthodoxy in America. The reopening restores an official Greek presence in New Orleans after the previous consulate closed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The history to which Archbishop Elpidophoros referred reaches back much further than the major waves of Greek immigration of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral records a Greek presence in New Orleans from the mid-1700s, including the arrival in 1766 of Greek seaman Miguel Dragon.

> Watch the full video here.

By the early 1860s, Greek merchants including Nicholas Benachi and John Botassi were working to establish an Orthodox church. In 1864, Benachi opened his home on Bayou Road for worship, marking the beginning of the organized Holy Trinity community; in 1866, the community constructed its first church building at 1222 N. Dorgenois Street in Tremé. Holy Trinity is recognized by both the Cathedral and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as the first Greek Orthodox church in North and South America. Archbishop Elpidophoros himself underscored that distinction during his 2025 Archpastoral visit to New Orleans, when he referred to Holy Trinity as the “Mother Church of Greek Orthodoxy in the Americas.”

John Georges, a New Orleans businessman, publisher, philanthropist and longtime leader of the Greek American community, is CEO of Georges Enterprises, whose interests include distribution, real estate and hospitality; he and his wife, Dathel, are also the owners of The Advocate and The Times-Picayune. Georges was invested as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2006 with the offikion of Kastrinsios, is a member of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100, and has served Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in leadership positions, including as Parish Council president and led the parish’s rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina.

Messages marking the reopening were sent by House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece. The ceremony was attended by Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou; Antonis Alexandridis, Greece’s ambassador to the United States; New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno; and representatives of the Greek American community. Also in attendance was the Reverend Protopresbyter George Wilson, dean of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

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In celebration of the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the Order of AHEPA, led by Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson, spearheaded $250,000 worth of scholarships for seminarians attending the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Representing AHEPA on this incredible occasion, Supreme Secretary Themistocles Frangos attended the celebration on behalf of the Supreme President, speaking to the clergy and remarking the significance of the school. Additionally, Supreme Governor Greg Simones and AHEPA Board of Trustees Secretary Alex Geourntas joined the Supreme Secretary for this celebration of faith and philanthropy.

The scholarships were made possible by the AHEPA Educational Foundation via funds raised by the Supreme President and through the John George Tsitsos Scholarship Fund – an incredibly generous endowment designed to enable students of Hellenic descent to pursue their educational goals for years to come.

During today’s ceremony, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America spoke to the importance of the work AHEPA does to further education for the next generation of Hellenes, remarking the continued generosity of AHEPA’s educational arm.

The AHEPA Educational Foundation is the primary means of AHEPA’s philanthropic support for education – annually granting raised funds to alleviate the significant financial burden faced by today’s students.

“We look forward to continuing the incredible work of this program which actively builds bridges between AHEPA and the clergy who serve as pillars in our Hellenic communities. In this regard, our partnership with Holy Cross is truly one-of-a-kind, allowing us to support our faith, our culture and our future all through the ‘E’ in AHEPA,” said Supreme President Kaitson.

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On the evening of September 14^th, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros performed an agiasmos service of blessing for the new offices of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross. His Eminence was joined in officially opening the new office space by Archon-elect Hon. Michael Huffington, HEI’s chief benefactor, and Archon George Cantonis, former President of Hellenic College Holy Cross.

Speaking afterwards, His Eminence expressed his deepest gratitude for the generosity of Mr. Huffington, commending him as an outstanding example of sharing what we have in support of advancing the Church’s visionary initiatives. Mr. Huffington then affirmed his ongoing investment in the future of HEI by signing a new agreement of support with Hellenic College Holy Cross.

Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Executive Director of HEI, thanked Mr. Huffington again for his “generous and gracious endowment” of the Institute back in 2022, before leading the distinguished guests on a brief tour through the new office space. HEI now occupies the former offices of the Department of Religious Education in the Archbishop Cavadas Administration Building at the heart of Hellenic College Holy Cross’ campus. Entirely refurbished, the new office space also houses a truly “ecumenical library” of several thousand volumes furnished by donations, the most significant of which came from the estate of Rev. Dr. William Rusch, a professor, churchman, and leading scholar of Orthodox-Lutheran relations.

Since opening on the campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross in 2023, HEI has immensely enriched the academic and spiritual climate of the school. The Institute has hosted numerous international conferences and symposia, offered several groundbreaking courses on cutting-edge topics in Orthodox theological education, and, most recently, inaugurated a new publishing endeavor, Encounters, in partnership with Holy Cross Orthodox Press and Akritas Books.

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Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church New York City is kicking off its Greek School (Pre-K to 12) on Saturday, September 19th. Every Saturday, the Greek School will teach 2 sessions based on levels on Saturdays from 10:00AM-11:30AM and 11:30AM-1:00PM. Tuition cost will be $1,550 for 1st child, $1,500 for 2nd child, and $1,450 for 3rd child. The Greek School begins September 19, 2026 and ends June 12, 2026. Graduation will be on Sunday, June 13th.

“The goal of Annunciation Church’s Greek School is to teach the Greek language while fostering a strong connection to Hellenic heritage. Our curriculum is designed to accommodate students of diverse backgrounds and varying levels of language proficiency,” said Fr. Sotirios Michalatos, parish priest of Annunciation Church. “In addition to language instruction, the program emphasizes Greek history and culture, helping students thrive in American society while taking pride in their Greek roots.”

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church New York City is located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at West End Avenue and 91st Street. For more information on Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church New York City, visit www.annunciation-nyc.org, email [email protected], or call (212) 724-2070.

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Saint Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church—located at the beginning of Chicago’s famed DuSable Lake Shore Drive—is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The church’s first Divine Liturgy took place on Christmas Day, 1926. In 1955, the growing parish built its permanent home, which is recognized throughout Chicago due its iconic location and beautiful architecture.  

Like many other enduring parishes throughout the Archdiocese, Greek immigrants were instrumental in founding and sustaining St. Andrew’s during its early years, inspired by their faith and united in purpose, under the guidance of their parish priest.

Their legacy of service continues today as the dedicated clergy and laity of St. Andrew’s work to honor the parish’s first 100 years and look with joy towards the future.

Saint Andrew’s Church invites you to join us for our Centennial Gala on October 10, 2026 at The Westin O’Hare, located in Rosemont, Illinois. Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event are selling quickly. Reserve yours today! 

The St. Andrew’s 100th Anniversary Gala will be a truly special occasion. Come celebrate the faith, family, and ministry that have made St. Andrew’s Chicago the vital cornerstone it is today—and let’s look forward to the next 100 years! 

To RSVP, please visit www.StAndrewOrthodox.church/centennial-gala or call our church office at 773-334-4515.

If you are unable to attend but would like to support our Centennial Vision Fund, aimed at restoring and revitalizing our beloved St. Andrew’s for the next century–your generosity is appreciated! Please click here.

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