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.

The office will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00am - 3:00pm, beginning July 27th to September 1st. 

You can leave a message or email and your call will be answered promptly.

Have a wonderful and blessed Summer!

PLEASE WELCOME REV. FR. CHRISTOPHER ABELL, WHO IS SUBSTITUTING FOR FR. GEORGE THIS WEEKEND.

Rev. Father Christopher (Jeffrey) Abell is assigned to the Metropolis of Detroit as a priest with a secular profession. Father Christopher was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on December 18, 2011, and to the Holy Priesthood on June 13, 2015, by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 

Father Chris was born in 1961 to Joseph and Lea Abell of Dayton, OH. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Catholic grade school and high school. He attended Kettering University and graduated with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He pursued graduate studies at Oakland University, earning both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering. He retired from executive leadership in the automotive industry in 2025 and has since joined the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). 

Father Chris converted to the Orthodox faith in 1990 under the spiritual guidance of Fr. Athanasios (Tom) George at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (Flint, MI), where he led the altar boy ministry and was a member of the parish council. Father Chris married Alice Stelyn of Dayton, Ohio in 1991 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (Dayton, OH). They began attending St. George Greek Orthodox Church (Bloomfield Hills, MI) in 1995. He continued his service as the altar boy ministry leader, parish council member, and high school Sunday School teacher at St. George under the spiritual guidance of Fr. Nicholas Pathenos. In 2008, he enrolled in the Special Program for the Diaconate at Holy Cross School of Theology and finished his studies in 2010. 

Fr. Chris’s service to the church has taken him across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and New York, including interim periods at churches while permanent priests were being assigned. 
 
Father Chris and Presvytera Alice are blessed with two children, Christopher and James, who are both pursuing active professional careers.  

Please join us for fellowship immediately following the Divine Liturgy, hosted by Annunciation Sunday School. 

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

Sunday School: Preparing to Welcome New and Returning Families for 2026-2027

We are excited to announce that Sunday School will begin on Sunday, September 20.  On this first day, Father George will offer a special Back-to-School blessing for all students as they begin a new school year. Following the blessing, families are invited to enjoy an ice cream social during Coffee Hour.

We plan to offer the following classes (based on registration):

Preschool Program (Ages 3-4)

Primary Program (Ages 5-7)

Elementary Program (Ages 8-11)

High School Program (Ages 12-16)

This year, students will be learning from the Archdiocese’s newly released curriculum, which features weekly lesson plans for children and teens and has been thoughtfully designed for the next generation of Orthodox Christians. Our teachers have been reviewing the materials and are preparing for another year of learning.

Registration: Come to register on September 13 or September 20. Families may also request a registration form by emailing [email protected]

The Annunciation Cathedral Parish Council is planning a group event to attend the Detroit Tigers vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday August 30, 2026.  The game starts at 1:40pm and we will meet after church to head over to Comerica Park for the game.  We will need to purchase tickets in advance at a group rate of approximately $40 per ticket.  If you would like to go to the game with us, please email your RSVP to Will Lianos at [email protected] or talk to Will Lianos or Pano Papalekas after church during the next 3 weeks.  We hope you can join us!

HOLY TRINITY MONASTERY TRIP – SMITH CREEK, MICHIGAN – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026: Similar to last year, we have scheduled a bus trip to visit the Holy Trinity Monastery on September 26^th.  We will have a bus departing from the church parking lot at 9:00am sharp with a projected arrival at the Monastery at 10:00am.  The group will be attending a short prayer service in the chapel, followed by a discussion with Father Joseph and lunch served by the monks.  If time allows, a short tour of the property and grounds will be given.  The plan is to leave the Monastery at 2:30pm and return to the church parking lot at 3:30pm.  Donations to the church to help offset the cost of the bus ($32 per person) should be made out to the Annunciation Cathedral.  Please RSVP by email or phone to Will Lianos – [email protected] or 313-850-6251.  We hope you can join us!

The Cathedral’s annual Cash Raffle is scheduled for Thursday, October 15,2026. The drawing will be held at 8:00 p.m. in 707 East. Everyone is urged to purchase their raffle ticket and join in the excitement of attending the reverse raffle drawing with a separate purchase of a dinner and drinks ticket. The raffle ticket price remains at $100.00 with a grand prize of $4,000.00. The open bar and buffet dinner ticket also remains at the same price as 2025 of $70.00.

Most Parish Council members have both raffle and dinner tickets for you to purchase. Additionally, you may call the Church office to purchase a ticket or if you have any questions. Remember, this is the Cathedral’s only annual fund-raiser and your support is greatly appreciated.

Please see flyer in our "Bulletin Inserts" section.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 18, 2026

We will introduce the icons of St. Cristina that was donated in memory of Christine (Tina) Tapazoglou and St. Nicholas that was donated for the physical and spiritual health of all the parishioners and every Christian. Our ordained Orthodox Lector (Reader), Nicolaos Tapazoglou, will be speaking on our Faith. Prayers will be offered for the repose of Tina's soul. Coffee and light edibles will be offered. Please mark your calendars.

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.

As you know, we began our 2026 Stewardship Campaign a few months ago.  While we are grateful to all who have submitted forms, we are still accepting commitment forms.

If you have not yet filled one out, we urge you to do so.  Our 2026 operating expenses, like yours at home, continue to go up.  In addition, unexpected but necessary building maintenance and improvement projects, are taking a toll on our treasury.  Today more than ever in our past, we need to have a clear understanding of our financial position in order to prioritize and continually evaluate our options.  We pride ourselves on being fiscally responsible and good stewards of our funds.  In order to continue to do this, we need everyone’s input.  If you need a stewardship form, they are available on the church website as well as in the church Narthex. 

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. God bless you and your families.

Annunciation Cathedral Stewardship Committee.

Nicholas & Megan Ahee
Shofique & Maria Ali
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
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
Dean Politis
Elias Politis
Peter Rageas
Soula & Paul Serra
Nick Siringas
Jamie Spriet
Thomas Stathopoulos
Catherine Szuba
Nicolaos Tapazoglou
George & Dimitra Theodorou
Anastassios Tsantis
Panagiotis Tsantis 
Michael & Deborah Tyler
Gregory & Christina (Monolidis) Viscomi
Kasiani Zikos

"Sharing food with the less fortunate" is our newest philanthropic initiative. We have undertaken this as an on-going parish-wide activity.  Our objective is to maintain 2 bags of groceries in our pantry at all times for distribution to those who need a bit of help.  

Some requested items include:  peanut butter, pasta sauce, pasta, canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, canned or dry milk, crackers, cooking oil, sugar, flour, toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, kleenex, paper toweling body soap, moisturizer, dish soap, etc.

You will find a container in the Narthex for your donations.  Please ensure items are not expired, packaging is intact and no glass containers.   "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed" (Proverbs 19:17).  

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.

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: 

Choose loose-leaf tea over tea bags. Many tea bags contain plastic sealing agents and can't be composted. Loose-leaf tea produces far less waste and often tastes better too.

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.

For 14-year-old Stephen Mueller, the 2026 junior division champion of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, taking gold means much.

A rising high school freshman from Greeley, Colorado, Stephen is this year’s junior winner of the national St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, held in June at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge, California. Prior to his victory, Stephen had participated in the Oratorical Festival only once before in 2025. He attends St. Spyridon Church in Loveland, Colorado with his parents and eight siblings.

The young orator’s speech centered on the Festival’s second topic for the junior division: “Choose a Saint who was a child or young person. How did their faith influence their life, and what can we learn from them?” Stephen opted to speak about St. Hope, a second-century child-martyr who was the daughter of St. Sophia and sister of Sts. Faith and Love. St. Hope is also the patron saint of Stephen’s older sister, Zhanna.

Because of the connection to his sister, Stephen said this topic “spoke to him.” His family adopted Zhanna from Ukraine when she was nine, with Stephen noting that “she’d been through a lot. She doesn’t talk. She needs help with pretty much everything she does.”

He noticed parallels between the story of St. Hope and the story of his sister. “It was something powerful that I could talk to, that really spoke to my heart, something that I could see through my own eyes.”

In his speech, Stephen discussed the hardships his sister had faced in her life and connected them to St. Hope’s martyrdom, encouraging his audience to emulate the forbearance, humility, and child-like faith of the two.

His speech was a long-running labor of love. Each year, the Oratorical Festival begins before Lent and continues as late as June—a marathon for the middle and high school students who reach nationals.

But Stephen did not run the marathon alone: in addition to Zhanna’s influence, he credits other members of his family as sources of inspiration.

“This was my second year doing [the Oratorical Festival], following in my older sister Evangeline’s footsteps. She’s been doing it for years; she reached the national level twice. She definitely does a lot of writing, and my mom writes, my grandma writes, so they loved helping me out with my speech. I give all the thanks to them.”

“My mom reminded me to practice, she would always listen and be there, she would time me, she would do everything. She definitely helped me.”

Stephen also hopes to become a priest one day— a dream ignited by his father’s path to the presbyterate. He said this dream is now possible because of the scholarship prize he received for his first-place win.

“Before we became Orthodox, my dad was a Lutheran pastor. Now he’s pursuing becoming an Orthodox priest,” Stephen said, noting that his father attended Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and now awaits a potential ordination to the diaconate. “I know [the Oratorical Festival] changed my life because I have a full scholarship to Hellenic College now, and my plan is to become a priest. I look up to my dad a lot, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps. The prize I won is going to be big for the future.”

The words of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America— who attended the Festival in June— particularly inspired the young orator. While in Northridge, His Eminence charged the young men of the competition to consider the priesthood. Stephen recalled the Archbishop saying, “If you’re a young man and you’ve made it this far [in the Oratorical Festival], you have the skill set to maybe be a priest,” words which Stephen said were encouraging.

When asked how the Festival has impacted him, Stephen remarked that it has “built his confidence.” He admitted that he felt nervous before delivering his speech, “but I got through it,” he said. “It showed me that there’s a lot of things that are in my power. If I put my mind to it, I can get it done.”

“So many kids my age think, ‘Oh, I have my whole life ahead of me, I can save worship for later,’ but that’s not the case. You never know which day is going to be your last. You have to devote your entire life to Christ, no matter what.”

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