http://www.annunciationcathedral.org/

Or, you can click on the following link to go directly to the "Donate" PayPal page:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=L5LRXU8CDMKJW&source=url

Live streaming of the Annunciation Cathedral services begin at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday.  

Please go directly to our website: http://www.annunciationcathedral.org and click the link: Annunciation Cathedral Services.

Artoklasia offered today by the Detroit Cretan Chapter "Pseloretes" for the well-being of their members and their families and Angela Sintichakis and family in honor of St. Dimitrios.

Constantine (Dino) Kontos, 1 year

Doris Kontos

The Detroit Cretan Chapter "Pseloretes"

The Makedonian Association “Aristotelis” Detroit Chapter

May their memory be eternal

Coffee hour offered today by the Kontos Family, the Detroit Cretan Chapter "Pseloretes", and the Makedonian Association “Aristotelis” Detroit Chapter.

Sermon will now take place immediately after the Gospel reading.

Please be aware of this order when Holy Communion is offered:

1.    Altar boys, Presvytera, chanters

2.    Children + Sunday school students

3.    Choir members

4.    Parishioners who need assistance

5.    Ushers will then release everyone else, pew by pew

The Cathedral’s annual Fall Cash Raffle was held on Thursday, October 15, 2026 and we would like to congratulate the grand prize winners:

1^st         Katerina Figurski

2^nd        Roula Kapodistrias

3^rd           Elias Politis

We would also like to thank all of you for your support of this annual fund-raiser for the Cathedral.

Thank you to John Cook and his friend Steve Sanderson who came and cleaned and painted the 707 entrance stairway. 

Thanks as well to Mike Tyler for applying sealer to the exterior wooden Narthex doors to prevent any further damage due to exposure.

October 25 is Pumpkin Decorating Day! All children are welcome to join in the fun. A special thank you to Christine Harris for her generous donation of the pumpkins this year and for her continued support over the years.

Upcoming Regular Class Dates:  November 1, 8, 15, 22 (immediately after Communion)

Visiting students are welcome to drop-in while visiting our Cathedral.

New students always welcome to register.  New families please email Soula Serra [email protected] to receive a registration form.  

Annual Veterans’ Day Salad Bar - Save the date and plan to come hungry on Sunday, November 15.  Additional information will be provided closer to the event date.

Keep an eye out for the Annual Christmas Giving Tree in the Exo-narthex starting on November 1st.  We will once again be collecting winter coats, boots, hats and gloves for a Detroit public pre-school class.  Sizes and gender will be provided on the tree tags.  

"Sharing food with the less fortunate" - The Food pantry is being maintained on an on-going basis.  Non-perishable items such as canned goods, pasta, cereal, crackers, paper products, laundry and bathroom products are welcome.  If you know of someone in need, please reach out to one of the Philoptochos members.

Memorial Coffee Hour Fees: Parishioners of the Annunciation $150.00, Non-parishioners $200.00. This includes 2 tables of 8 completely set with 8 plates of food, utensils, and beverages (coffee and water). Additional tables of 8 are $25.00 each.

FEED THE HUNGRY at Saints Peter & Paul will take place the weekend of November 7th and 8th. Food will be prepped at our church on Saturday the 7th and served on Sunday, the 8th. See Kim or Will Lianos if you are interested in volunteering your services either or both of those days.

Our Fall General Assembly will be held on Sunday, November 15, 2026.

If you like what you hear upstairs in the choir loft – come join us!  All are welcome to sing.  It’s a great way to actively participate in the Liturgy, and you do not have to read Greek to sing.  We practice approximately once per month.  Come sing with us!  Any questions can be directed to your nearest choir member or Kim Lianos at kim.lianos04@gmail.com.   

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O most High:  to show forth Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.”  Psalm 92:1-2

On the Sundays that the Lions are playing a 1:00 PM home game, parishioners are kindly asked to leave the parking lot immediately after church. There will be no coffee hour.  If you leave your car in the lot for any reason, you will be required to pay for parking at the posted rates.   The church leases the parking lot to Park-Rite.  This is our single largest source of income.  On non-game days, you can stay parked in the lot until 2:00 pm.  Lions Game Schedule:  November 1, 22. December 13.

As stewards of God’s gifts, we build up the body of Christ not with bricks and mortar but with the faithful sharing of our time, talents and treasures. Stewardship is an expression of faith that strengthens the foundation of our church and enables its ministries to grow and flourish.

We are grateful to each of you listed below for your generosity and your continued support of the Annunciation Cathedral.

If you have not yet made your Stewardship commitment, we invite you to submit your Stewardship offering by mail or in person using the 2026 stewardship form which are available on the church website as well as in the church Narthex. 

Nicholas & Megan Ahee
Shofique & Maria Ali
Tony & Jean Atsalakis
Gregory & Marilyn Balog
Chris & Vicky Boloven
Jim & Angie Boloven 
Evangeline Bournias
Dr. James G. Contos
John & Susan Cook
Pauline Cook
Elpis C. Cotzias
Michael Fafalios
George & Anna Gaggos
Harry & Irene Gaggos
Mary Gaggos
Mary K. Gaggos
Olivia & Ian Gappy
Nicholas & Angela Gogonis
Nicholas & Eleni Goutis
Harry & Christine Harris
James & Beverly Karagon
Bill & Becky Lianos 
Ethel Lianos
Will & Kim Lianos
Mary A. Markus
Irene Naida
Tony & Julie Panson
Carey Papalekas
Pano & Helen Papalekas
Nia & Dimitris Paskaris
Marika Pehlivanidis
Christopher Peresky
Dean Politis
Elias Politis
Roseanne & Christopher Pontisakos
Peter Rageas
Soula & Paul Serra
Nick Siringas
Jamie Spriet & Bill Snyder
Thomas Stathopoulos
Catherine Szuba
Nicolaos Tapazoglou
George & Dimitra Theodorou
Constandinos & Christina Tsagaratos
Anastassios Tsantis
Panagiotis Tsantis 
Michael & Deborah Tyler
Gregory & Christina (Monolidis) Viscomi
Kasiani Zikos

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are sponsoring a Greening the Parish Initiative.  The goals are to create greater awareness of the leadership of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholemew on issues of the environment and creation.  We are looking to inspire engagement and working-together within our parish communities.  Together, we can create an attitude and culture of caring for creation within the entire Greek Orthodox community. 

Today's message is: 

Use cold water for laundry whenever possible. Modern detergents are formulated to work well in cold water. Washing in cold rather than hot can save up to 90% of the energy used per load.

Do you shop at Kroger?  If so, chances are you have a frequent shopper card or the Kroger app on your phone.  Did you know that Kroger will donate a percentage of your purchases (every time you shop) to our beloved Cathedral?

Go to your Kroger rewards account online from the Kroger.com website.  Click and follow the online instructions as follows:  

Go to kroger.com or krogercommunityrewards.com.

Find the “Community Rewards" section on the left side of your account landing page. Select “Annunciation Cathedral," and your done.  It literally takes one minute. 

Please share this simple and easy way to contribute to our church with family and friends.  The more people that participate the greater the percentage Kroger will donate.

The parish council has decided it is important to establish a cathedral security and safety committee, especially with the recent tragedy that occurred at a church in Grand Blanc in September. Anyone who is interested (especially those who have any security or police experience or medical training) please contact Jim Boloven at 734-777-5541.

All articles to be included in the Sunday Bulletin must be submitted by 12pm on Thursdays.
Please call the Church office at 313-965-2988 or email: [email protected].

Holy Relics of St. Theoktisti and St. Kirykos, Patron Saints of Ikaria -The Holy Relics of St. Theoktisti and St. Kirykos, along with the Holy Relics of St. Gregory the Gravanos and St. Sisoes the spiritual father(ο πνευματικός) have arrived at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Detroit. 

The inauguration of the Holy Relics will take place on November 8, 2026 with a procession during the Divine Liturgy and the presence of all the members of the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood and all the faithful.  For more information, please contact Mr. Nick Tsalis at 734-776-1027, president of The Pan-Icarian Brotherhood, Chapter 9 “Spanos/Areti” of Detroit.

Icon and Icon Stand of the Patron Saints of Thessalia – The Pan-Thessalian Union of Metro Detroit  -  The  Kostandinos  Ropotos family, owners of “WaterMark Bar and Grille” and “The Whiskey Six”, will be donating on behalf of the Pan-Thessalian Union of Metro Detroit, an Icon and Icon Stand of the Patron Saints of Thessalia: St. Seraphim, Patron Saint of Karditsa, St. Vissarion, Patron Saint of Trikala, St. Achillios, Patron Saint of Larissa, St. Riginos, Patron Saint of Skopelos, St. Nicholas, Patron Saint of Volos.

We will be receiving the Icon and Icon Stand in 2026 and will celebrate the Patron Saints of Thessalia, every year on December 4, starting in the Ecclesiastical year 2026, the Feastday of St. Seraphim, Patron Saint of Karditsa, in order to honor the donors, the Ropotos family, who are from Karditsa.

Icon and Icon Stand of St. Paisios and St. Porphyrios - Francesco Adamopoulos family, owner of the “The Jagged Fork”, will be donating an Icon and Icon Stand of St. Paisios and St. Porphyrios, which will be placed under the iconography of St. Paisios and St. Porphyrios on the right-hand side of the Solea. We will be celebrating the Feastday of St. Paisos and St. Porphyrios every year on December 2^nd,  starting in the Ecclesiastical year 2026.  

Icon and Icon Stand of St. Christina

Icon and Icon Stand of St. Nicholas

Gold plated Candlestick of St. Panteleimon

Gold plated Candlestick of Panagia Tsambika

Gold plated Candlestick of St. Demetrios

Icon and Icon Stand of the Patron Saints of Thessalia

Icon Stand of Panagia Soumela Patron Saint of Pontus

Icon and Icon Stand of St. Paisios and St. Porphyrios

Reliquary Vessel for the Holy Relics of the Patron Saints of Ikaria

Our parking lot management company, Park Rite, has installed gates at the three entrances to our parking lot (Monroe Street, I-375 service drive, and Lafayette Street). The gates will be open for Sunday services. For any church visits during the week, please use the Monroe Street entrance. When the parking lot attendant comes to the gate, please let him know you are there for a church visit, and he will raise the gate for you. You will NOT be charged any fee for parking in the lot for any church related visit. Also, the Lafayette gate will be open for any church sacrament event (weddings, funerals, etc.). Please note in the unlikely scenario that you pay for parking during a personal church visit, please advise the church office and your credit card charge will be reversed.

The 12 Holy Relics are on display in the reliquary of the Annunciation Cathedral of Detroit for embracement and veneration for whomever wishes to do so.  The Holy relics have been safe guarded in the sanctuary of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral for over one hundred years, and it is now the time for them to be venerated and presented to all the faithful Christians.

Any individual wishing to schedule an appointment for Confession with Fr. Georgios Manias may do so by contacting Father at 313-588-0829.

Please call Fr. Georgios Manias or the Church Office to schedule and confirm in advance, Sacraments and special Liturgical services, such as Memorials and Trisagion in order to honor your beloved ones. 

Meetings with Father Georgios Manias are by appointment only. Please schedule meetings through the church office or by contacting Father at 313-588-0829.  Thank you! 

For all your catering needs, call Ernie's direct at 586-286-8435.

Please tell your neighbors and friends of our beautiful event venue.

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the most venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar celebrated the completion of 35 years of the patriarchal ministry of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His All-Holiness presided, concelebrating with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and other hierarchs.

Although the anniversary celebration the evening before at the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, at which His All Holiness was the final speaker, ran late into the night, the Ecumenical Patriarch was in the Patriarchal Church from early in the morning. Attending the Divine Liturgy were the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a great many Greeks of the diaspora, and numerous clergy from the United States, Australia, Europe and other parts of the world, together with many of the “Romioi,” the city’s own Greek Orthodox.

Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni represented the Greek government. Also present was the shipowner Athanasios Martinos, Archon Exarchos of the Holy and Great Church of Christ and Great Benefactor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The post Divine Liturgy marks Ecumenical Patriarch’s 35-year tenure appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine joined houses of worship across the country on Sunday, Oct. 18, to speak out against antisemitism and all forms of faith-based hate.

The shrine, the only house of worship destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was one of several prominent sites in “Stand Up Sunday,” a national day of action organized by the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. Organizers said this year’s observance, themed “United in Faith, United Against Hate,” reached more than two million Americans, up from 1.5 million congregants in more than 30 states last year.

On the same day, separate Stand Up Sunday services were held at other prominent houses of worship, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, N.J., and St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, where the initiative began in 2024.

In an encyclical read on Oct. 18 in participating Greek Orthodox parishes, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that it was the Archdiocese’s second consecutive year in the observance and called antisemitism “one of the world’s gravest examples of how human dignity can be clouded by hatred and suspicion.”

“Any form of discrimination and hatred against any community, no matter their background, race, or creed, is a direct affront to all people, our shared dignity, and the image of God that we all bear,” Archbishop Elpidophoros wrote.

He cited Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who has urged the faithful to “look beyond the color of their skin, the creed or faith they adhere to” and to transform such crises into “an opportunity for building bridges, for practicing solidarity, for changing hearts.”

“Stand Up Sunday reminds us that love, not hatred, is our identity and our mission,” Archbishop Elpidophoros wrote, closing with a prayer that the faithful “work together as peacemakers and architects of a world free of hate.”

> Read the full encyclical from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

“At Saint Nicholas, we know the pain that hatred can leave behind,” said Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas, the shrine’s proistamenos. “Our responsibility is to bear witness to what love can rebuild.”

Fr. Andreas said the Orthodox belief that every person bears the image of God compels Orthodox Christians to come to the defense of people regardless of religion. “That dignity does not depend on whether someone shares our faith,” Fr. Andreas said. “When our Jewish, Muslim, or other neighbors are threatened because of their beliefs, our Orthodox faith calls us to stand beside them.”

“Here at Ground Zero, remembrance must move us to action,” Fr. Andreas said. “Honoring those we lost means choosing, every day, to become people who bring peace.”

The observance comes amid rising instances of religious hate crimes. Citing federal data, organizers said religious-based hate crimes in the United States increased 136 percent between 2015 and 2024, while antisemitic incidents rose nearly 900 percent over the same period. The FBI’s 2025 statistics recorded a record number of hate crimes against Jewish people, accounting for 63 percent of all religious-based hate crimes.

The participating houses of worship joined the national, interreligious stand against that rise. Attendees received the Blue Square, the alliance’s symbol of solidarity against antisemitism and hatred of all kinds.

Voices From Across Faiths

“Amid rising hate and division, Stand Up Sunday serves as a critical reminder: we are strongest when we stand united,” said Adam Katz, president of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate.

Karen Dresbach, executive vice president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, said, “We are all God’s children, together we can silence the voices of hate and the perpetrators of violence.”

The coalition also included parishes from the Catholic Archdioceses of New York, Newark, Washington and Boston and the Diocese of Brooklyn, as well as the Armenian Diocese of America, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, and African Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, evangelical and nondenominational congregations.

“In a recent meeting with interreligious leaders, Pope Leo XIV reminded us, ‘To invoke God’s name in order to justify violence or oppression is to profane that name,'” said Bishop Edmund Whalen, vicar general of the Archdiocese of New York.

Stand Up Sunday is connected to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation’s “Respect the Other” campaign. The foundation was established in 1965 by Rabbi Arthur Schneier to promote religious freedom and protect houses of worship.

The post Greek Orthodox faithful repudiate religious hate at St. Nicholas Shrine appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Direct Archdiocesan District hosted its 2026 Young Adult League (YAL) Conference, October 9–12, in New York City. The weekend brought together over 300 Orthodox Christian young adults from across North America for a meaningful celebration of faith, fellowship, service, and spiritual growth.

The weekend began with a welcome reception at Anassa Taverna, followed by spiritual and educational programming at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, with keynote speaker Dean Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO of IOCC. Participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions on navigating relationships, careers, and the challenges of contemporary life while remaining rooted in their Orthodox Christian faith. Saturday evening concluded with the Signature YAL gala at the Edison Ballroom, bringing attendees together for an evening of fellowship and community.

On Sunday, participants gathered for the Divine Liturgy, followed by a Diakonia initiative generously supported by the Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos. This service-focused program emphasized the importance of putting faith into action and serving those in need.

Through the generous support of Leadership 100, the conference was made more accessible to young adults, allowing participants to experience a weekend of spiritual growth and meaningful connections. The Direct Archdiocesan District extends its heartfelt gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros for his continued spiritual leadership and commitment to young adult ministry, as well as to the clergy, sponsors, volunteers, and organizers who made the weekend possible.

The 2026 YAL Conference served as a reminder that, amid the challenges of modern life, young adults can find strength, purpose, and lasting community by remaining anchored in Christ and His Church.

The post 300 young adults celebrate fellowship at Archdiocesan District YAL conference appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the most venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar celebrated the completion of 35 years of the patriarchal ministry of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His All-Holiness presided, concelebrating with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and other hierarchs.

Although the anniversary celebration the evening before at the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, at which His All Holiness was the final speaker, ran late into the night, the Ecumenical Patriarch was in the Patriarchal Church from early in the morning. Attending the Divine Liturgy were the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a great many Greeks of the diaspora, and numerous clergy from the United States, Australia, Europe and other parts of the world, together with many of the “Romioi,” the city’s own Greek Orthodox.

Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni represented the Greek government. Also present was the shipowner Athanasios Martinos, Archon Exarchos of the Holy and Great Church of Christ and Great Benefactor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The post Divine Liturgy marks Ecumenical Patriarch’s 35-year tenure appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE—Near the close of his remarks at the Phanar, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered his guests an image whose plainness was the point. “Each one of us is a drop,” he said. “The ocean is the Ecumenical Patriarchate.” Spoken by the leader of the Church who has now completed thirty-five years on the Ecumenical Throne, it was self-effacement of a deliberate kind.

The anniversary of his election and enthronement brought His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to Istanbul. They came on a pilgrimage organized jointly by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, which runs from October 20 to 25, 2026.

His Eminence spoke first. Surveying three and a half decades of patriarchal ministry, he singled out the Ecumenical Patriarch’s initiatives for the unity of Orthodoxy, his dialogue with the wider Christian world, and his long work for the protection of the environment. A ministry like this one, the Archbishop said, should be measured by its quality and its reach as much as by its length, and he admitted that its accomplishments were difficult even to list.

He then conveyed the love and support of the Greek American faithful. “Your All Holiness, in America you have wonderful people, all of them faithful to you,” he said. “They admire you, they love you, they respect you, they pray for your long life and your health, and they always want to be at your side.” He added: “Whatever work you have in mind, we are here to support you, Your All Holiness.”

On the bond between the Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His Eminence was explicit. “We are grateful to the Mother Church,” he said. “We know that everything we have, everything we enjoy in the United States — the respect, the standing that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has in the United States — is a light that comes from you. We simply reflect the light from the Phanar.”

He went further, tying the Archdiocese’s place in American life to its canonical home. “If we were not under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I do not believe that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese or the Greek Orthodox community in the United States would enjoy the degree of respect and attention that we have, not only from the political authorities, but also from all the other Christian authorities and Churches.”

His All Holiness answered the image of reflected light with a story. He recalled a visit to the United States by Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon, of blessed memory, who had been his spiritual father. Metropolitan Meliton had come at the invitation of Archbishop Iakovos, so that the two hierarchs could celebrate Holy Week and Pascha together. Addressing a gathering of the Greek American community, he thanked his hosts for their warm hospitality and admired what they had accomplished, the great institutions above all, while insisting that the source of it all was the Mother Church.

The Patriarch then recounted what his spiritual father had gone on to say. “Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon also said something else, and I do not know whether Archbishop Iakovos liked it at the time: that if Archbishop Iakovos has this glory and these honors, and comes and goes at the White House, it is because he is a hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne.”

Then, he went on: “For Archbishop Iakovos, and Archbishop Elpidophoros, and Patriarch Bartholomew, and all of us, as individual persons, may have virtues, abilities, responsibilities, but whatever we enjoy, in the final analysis, we owe to this institution of seventeen hundred years,” he said. “As persons, we are nothing before this institution, which has endured so many centuries.” It was then that he arrived at the drop and the ocean.

When he had finished, the Ecumenical Patriarch exchanged gifts with Archbishop Elpidophoros and the other hierarchs present. Before the delegation left the Patriarchate, he invited His Eminence into his office and gave him two books: a collection of his selected articles, and the volume Thirty Years of Patriarchate: The Human Face of an Ancient Institution, edited by Archdeacon John Chryssavgis.

The anniversary volume Thirty-Five Years of Patriarchate includes a personal testimony by Archbishop Elpidophoros, who looks back on how he came to know His All Holiness and sets down his own memories of thirty-five years of patriarchal ministry.

The pilgrimage had opened with a dinner on its first evening, at which Archbishop Elpidophoros paid special tribute to His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco. The Metropolitan had made the journey from his Metropolis to celebrate his name day in Constantinople, close to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The next day, the Archons set out for three places that hold the memory of the City’s Greek Orthodox: Panagia Baloukliotissa, the shrine of the Life-Giving Spring at Baloukli; the Chora Monastery; and the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae. It was a walk through the faith and the long history of the Greeks of the City, whose memory there remains a living one.

That evening, the anniversary celebrations continued at the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, where His All Holiness addressed the guests. They watched excerpts from a documentary on his patriarchal journey made by ERT, the Greek public broadcaster, along with a video produced by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The music was by Evanthia Reboutsika, who also composed the score for the ERT film.

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An ERT documentary traces the life and ministry of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, marking 35 years since his election. The film will air Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 10 p.m. Greece time on ERT3, ERT Cosmos and ERTFLIX. ERT Cosmos will rebroadcast it Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. Greece time.

In conversation with journalist Pierros Tzanetakos, His All-Holiness reflects on his journey from Imbros to the Phanar. In his home village of Agioi Theodoroi, he welcomes viewers into his house and visits his father’s café and the cemetery where his parents are buried. He recalls his childhood, his earliest experiences of the Church and his love of learning, along with his spiritual father’s counsel: “Walk with your eyes fixed only on Jesus.”

The film explores his efforts to revive the island’s Greek community after the persecutions of 1964, focusing on reopened Greek schools and the young people he sees as the hope for Hellenism’s future.

At the Phanar, he discusses Church unity, dialogue among Christians, interfaith understanding and environmental protection, recalling meetings with popes and world leaders. He also addresses divisions within Orthodoxy, reaffirming the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s enduring primacy and its role in coordinating the Churches’ common work. He emphasizes synodality, with particular reference to the Holy and Great Council held in Crete in 2016.

He also describes the ties linking Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox community to the Patriarchate. At Halki, where he studied, he expresses hope that the Theological School will reopen soon.

Filmed in Imbros, Constantinople and Halki, the documentary is directed by Manolis Papanikitas and features an original score by Evanthia Reboutsika, performed by ERT’s Contemporary Music Orchestra.

The post Ecumenical Patriarch welcomes viewers into his Imbros home appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew outlined his priorities and reflected on nearly 35 years of ministry in an interview with Manolis Kostidis for the Oct. 18 Sunday edition of the Greek daily Kathimerini. He was elected Oct. 22, 1991. Reopening the Theological School of Halki remains a commitment from his enthronement address, one he hopes to fulfill soon. Founded in 1844, Halki educated generations of Orthodox clergy. Its theological program has been closed since 1971. He also wants to contribute personally to peaceful coexistence between Greeks and Turks and stable relations between their governments, ending recurring fluctuations between calm and tension.

Kostidis credited Patriarch Bartholomew’s knowledge, perseverance and personal contacts with strengthening the Patriarchate’s standing in Türkiye. He described mutual respect with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as allowing greater freedom of action, and cited Boğaziçi University’s 2013 honorary doctorate as evidence of recognition.

The Patriarch identified the Holy and Great Council in Crete in 2016 as a milestone achieved after decades of preparation, despite four Churches’ last-minute absence. He welcomed the participation of representatives of the Georgian and Bulgarian Churches, both absent from Crete, in the theological conference in Chantilly, France. Organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Oct. 5–8, the gathering marked the council’s 10th anniversary.

Granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in January 2019 was among his most difficult decisions. Referring to Moscow’s fierce opposition, he emphasized the courage and determination required to proceed. Autocephaly gives a Church the right to govern its ecclesiastical affairs under its own hierarchy.

He stressed dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church. The report recalled encounters with Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis and Leo XIV. Kathimerini described his attendance at Francis’ 2013 inauguration as the first by an Ecumenical Patriarch since the schism of 1054.

In November 2025, he and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV joined other Christian leaders in Nicaea, now İznik, marking the First Ecumenical Council’s 1,700th anniversary. The account also recognized his dialogue with representatives of Islam and Judaism and the environmental advocacy that earned him the designation “Green Patriarch.”

Kostidis described the Patriarch’s affection for Imbros, his birthplace, where returning islanders and reopened schools have renewed the Greek Orthodox community’s prospects. His All-Holiness identified those developments as changes that had altered the course of the island’s history.

The post The Ecumenical Patriarch’s unfinished work appeared first on Orthodox Observer.