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.

Due to parking for the Detroit Lions football game, we need to leave immediately after the Divine Liturgy; and as such, there will be no coffee hour today.

Thank you for your kind understanding and consideration.

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

Our classes are in full swing and it has been a joy to see the enthusiasm of our students.  

Upcoming Regular Class Dates:  Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 (immediately after Communion)

October 25 is Pumpkin Decorating!   Save the date. Immediately after communion students will report to their Sunday School rooms to meet their teachers.  Students will decorate pumpkins and create a beautiful Fall decoration. All supplies will be provided.  

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.  

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!

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

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.

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.

Focus Detroit 4th Annual Gala on Saturday, October 17th, 2026 at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, St. Clair Shores.

For more information please visit: focusdetroit.org/gala or 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.

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.

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: September 27.  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
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: 

Eat seasonally. Buying fruit and vegetables that are in season locally reduces the energy needed for refrigerated long-distance transport. Seasonal produce is also typically fresher, more nutritious, and less expensive.

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.

NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America opened the 61st Annual Awards Dinner of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation on Wednesday evening, September 23, with a prayer of thanksgiving for the Foundation and for the man who created it more than six decades ago. This year’s Appeal of Conscience Award went to FedEx President and Chief Executive Officer Raj Subramaniam.

> Read: Archbishop Elpidophoros’s full invocation 

“We give You thanks, O Creator of Heaven and Earth, for the witness of truth, righteousness, and understanding that the Appeal of Conscience Foundation has brought to our world since its inception, under its intrepid leader, our beloved Rabbi Arthur Schneier,” the Archbishop prayed as the evening began at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.

Greeting “my dear Rabbi Schneier” and the friends of the Foundation, he asked divine blessings upon the Rabbi and his life’s work, and upon the evening’s honoree for his contributions to “connecting our world in the causes of peace, global health, and philanthropy.”

In June 2022, Raj Subramaniam became only the second chief executive in the history of FedEx, succeeding the company’s founder, Fred Smith. He was born in Trivandrum, now Thiruvananthapuram, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay, a master’s in chemical engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He joined FedEx in 1991 as an associate marketing analyst. Over three decades he held posts in Asia and North America, led FedEx Express as its President and CEO, and served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the corporation before taking the top job.

> Previously: Archbishop Elpidophoros gives benediction at Appeal of Conscience Foundation gathering 

“Raj Subramaniam is being recognized for his international visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to connecting people worldwide through innovation and service,” Rabbi Schneier said in announcing the award. “Under his stewardship, FedEx has advanced a culture of social and global responsibility and international cooperation that reflects ACF’s mission.”

Subramaniam said: “I am honored to receive the Appeal of Conscience Award from Rabbi Schneier and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. At FedEx, we believe that connecting the world through trade and innovation does more than move goods—it builds bridges, fosters international cooperation, and brings communities closer together. We are committed to leveraging our global reach to build a more connected and unified world.”

The Trustees of the Foundation had one more honor to bestow that night, and they had managed to keep it a secret from Rabbi Schneier himself. To his surprise, they presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award honoring more than six decades of work for religious freedom and understanding among faiths.

It is a life that began in Vienna on March 20, 1930. Arthur Schneier survived the Holocaust as a boy in Budapest, and the Foundation’s account of his life records the vow he made in those years: if he lived, he would work for a world where people of every faith could live side by side. He came to the United States in 1947, received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University and in 1962 became senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue  on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He still holds that pulpit at 96.

President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001, describing him as “a Holocaust survivor who has devoted a lifetime to overcoming forces of hatred and intolerance.” Three years earlier, Clinton had named him one of three American religious leaders to open a dialogue on religious freedom with China’s President Jiang Zemin. In 2008 the Rabbi welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to Park East, the first papal visit to a synagogue in the United States.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has known him as a friend for decades. In February 1994 the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and the Ecumenical Patriarchate co-sponsored the Conference on Peace and Tolerance in Istanbul. Its Bosphorus Declaration carries the signatures of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Rabbi Schneier, Mehmet Nuri Yılmaz, then president of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs, and Cardinal Roger Etchegaray.

In 2008 the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, presented the Rabbi with its Athenagoras Human Rights Award. A year later he received Patriarch Bartholomew at Park East Synagogue, the only Jewish house of worship His All-Holiness visited during his 2009 Apostolic Visit to the United States. And last September, as the Ecumenical Patriarch concluded his most recent Apostolic Visit, a farewell luncheon hosted by Archbishop Elpidophoros with Archons John Calamos, John Koudounis and Yannis Sianis was also held in gratitude to Rabbi Schneier.

The Appeal of Conscience Foundation grew out of the struggle for religious freedom behind the Iron Curtain. In January 1965, Rabbi Schneier and Senator Robert F. Kennedy presided over a demonstration for Soviet Jewry at Park East Synagogue, across the street from the Soviet Mission. Within the year the Rabbi had drawn a Jesuit editor, two Protestant ministers and a former congressman into the new Foundation, and in 1966 its first interfaith delegation traveled to Moscow and Leningrad.

From the start he drew executives, clergy and diplomats of every faith into the work. Its guiding principle, that “a crime committed in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion,” echoes the Berne Declaration of November 1992. That month, the Foundation brought together Catholic, Serbian Orthodox and Muslim leaders of the former Yugoslavia in Switzerland, among them Patriarch Pavle of Serbia, to call for an end to the bloodshed.

In December 2000, the Foundation issued at the United Nations a call to stop the desecration of holy sites. The following May, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 55/254, condemning attacks on religious sites and calling on states to protect them.

Its honors have gone to heads of state and to moral leaders across the world. Recipients of its World Statesman Award include Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union; Václav Havel, the dissident playwright who became president of Czechoslovakia; and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Appeal of Conscience Award has honored civil rights leader Coretta Scott King; last year’s recipients were Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Nigerian business leader Tony Elumelu.

Karen Schneier Dresbach, the Foundation’s Executive Vice President and Rabbi Schneier’s daughter, spoke of “the alarming and surging rates of attacks on religious institutions and people of faith in the United States,” in churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, shrines and other houses of worship: “The Appeal of Conscience Foundation is in action,” she said, “funding security measures to protect houses of worship, pursuing tough federal legislation and prosecution, creating even stronger alliances with the top faith leaders throughout the world, and educating our youth in our Respect the Other program. It’s past time for dialogue. We believe in action.”

At the center of that effort is Stand Up Sunday, which she called “an incredible initiative, now in its second year.” The Foundation organizes it in partnership with Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. Kraft received the Appeal of Conscience Award in 2022. First observed on September 7, 2025, the day returns this year on Sunday, October 18. Parishes can find information at appealofconscience.org.

“With millions of people of faith coming together in a few weeks for Stand Up Sunday, I’m sure you won’t want to feel left out,” she said. “So where will you be on October 18? We are counting on you to join us.”

Two years ago to the day, on September 23, 2024, the Foundation presented Archbishop Elpidophoros with an Appeal of Conscience Award at its 59th gala, in the same hotel. Rabbi Schneier cited at the time the Archbishop’s “outstanding dedication to inter-religious cooperation to advance peaceful co-existence and mutual acceptance.” Archbishop Elpidophoros now serves as a Trustee of the Foundation.

The post Archbishop Elpidophoros opens 61st Appeal of Conscience gala in prayer, Rabbi Schneier receives Lifetime Achievement Award appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, to the Archdiocese headquarters in Manhattan on Thursday, Sept. 24. The minister is in New York as part of Greece’s participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Archbishop Elpidophoros congratulated Minister Papastavrou on what he called a marathon of service in government, in which the minister plays a key role. “The Greek-American community, follows your work and knows how to recognize what truly matters,” His Eminence said. He thanked the minister on their behalf.

Minister Papastavrou accepted the words on behalf of the government and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and in turn thanked the Archbishop for the work of the Church. “At a time of so many changes in our lives and of geopolitical turbulence, I believe the Church is an anchor for Hellenism,” he said. “This is a time when we all need spiritual guidance,” he added.

Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke about this summer’s 48th Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland, the biennial national assembly of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which reaffirms the close partnership of clergy and laity. Lay members take the lead in the Church’s administration and finances, he explained. Lay representatives serve alongside clergy in the Clergy-Laity Congress and Archdiocesan Council, helping ensure transparency and sound stewardship.

His Eminence presented the minister with an icon of the Holy Trinity, a copy of the one at the Theological School of Halki, which stands on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Monastery. The Archbishop served there as abbot for eight years.
Minister Papastavrou invited His Eminence to pay an official visit to the Ministry of Environment and Energy on his next trip to Greece.

Before leaving New York, the minister asked to visit St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center on Friday morning. It will be his first time at the shrine, and the name carries personal meaning for him: his late father and his son are both named Nikos.

The post Greek Minister Stavros Papastavrou calls the Church ‘an anchor for Hellenism’ in meeting with Archbishop Elpidophoros appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sept. 23 to the annual Greek-American Community “Oli Mazi” (“Όλοι Μαζί”) Luncheon in Manhattan, hosted by The Hellenic Initiative and 27 Greek American organizations. Mitsotakis is in New York for the high-level week of the 81st U.N. General Assembly. He was accompanied by his wife, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki.

“The Greek American community welcomes you,” His Eminence told the prime minister in Greek. “It loves you and it stands by you.” “Thank you, and I am happy to be here once again,” Mitsotakis replied.

Energy was at the center of Mitsotakis’ remarks on relations with the United States. He cited the Vertical Gas Corridor and Greece’s role in supplying energy to the Balkans and Eastern Europe. He said a U.S.-Greek consortium would most likely begin exploratory drilling for natural gas next spring. He also spoke about his stop in California, where he met with Silicon Valley executives as part of an effort to strengthen Greece’s position in technology and artificial intelligence. Mitsotakis described Greece as a pillar of stability in a very turbulent region. “Greece is a peaceful country, and we always seek good and productive relations with our neighbors, especially Turkey,” he said. “We threaten no one, but we will not accept anyone threatening us.” He also reminded those who hold voting rights in Greece to register on the online platform so they can take part in the next election.

Mitsotakis then presented decorations of the Hellenic Republic to six honorees:

•  Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev.
• Michael Amiridis, president of the University of South Carolina
• Dr. George Dangas, a cardiologist and professor of medicine and surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• John Koudounis, president and CEO of Calamos Investments
• Athena Kromidas, who for many years was principal of the William Spyropoulos Greek American Day School at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Flushing, Queens
• Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar

Senior U.S. officials in attendance included Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, and Aristidis Kourkoumelis, assistant secretary for trade and economic security at the Department of Homeland Security. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was also present. Three members of the Greek government also attended: Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou. Elected officials at the luncheon included California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis; New York state Sen. Andrew Gounardes; and state Assemblyman Michael Tannousis. They were joined by former New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris. Greek diplomats attending included Antonis Alexandridis, the ambassador to the United States; Iphigenia Kanara, consul general in New York; and Symeon Tegos, who was consul general in Boston until recently. Kyriakos Pogiatzis, consul general of Cyprus in New York, also attended.

The post ‘The Greek American community welcomes you’: Archbishop Elpidophoros greets Mitsotakis in New York appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is pleased to announce the 2026 Archbishop Elpidophoros Nameday Gala will take place on Monday, November 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Pier 60 in Manhattan.

This year, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros has dedicated the celebration to honoring the life and ministry of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, inviting the faithful of the Archdiocese to come together in gratitude for a life devoted to Christ, His Church, and the people of God.

Reflecting on the decision to dedicate this year’s Nameday Gala to his predecessor, Archbishop Elpidophoros said:

“Archbishop Demetrios has given his entire life to the service of Christ and His Church. His nearly twenty years as Archbishop of America represent only one chapter in a remarkable ministry that has touched the lives of countless people, in Greece, here in America, and throughout the world. His service as Archbishop, his scholarship and teaching, his pastoral care, and his witness on behalf of the Church have left an enduring mark on our Archdiocese. I believe it is important for our entire Archdiocese to come together to honor him, to express our gratitude for his service, and to celebrate the legacy of faith, wisdom, and love that he has given to our Church. I am honored that this year’s Nameday celebration will provide an opportunity for all of us to express our love and gratitude to His Eminence.”

The Archbishop’s Nameday Gala will also continue its important charitable mission. Proceeds from the 2026 celebration will benefit the Archdiocesan Youth Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, helping children from across the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America attend summer camp regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

The scholarship fund has become an important and growing part of the Archdiocese’s ministry to young people. In 2024, 275 young people received scholarship assistance to attend Greek Orthodox summer camps. In 2025, that number increased to 310 scholarships, with an even greater number of the Archdiocese’s Metropolises participating in the grant program. This continued year-over-year growth demonstrates both the need for this ministry and the tangible difference the generosity of the faithful is making in the lives of young Orthodox Christians.

As the Archdiocese gathers to honor Archbishop Demetrios, it will also look toward the future by investing in the next generation of the Church.

Join us on November 2 at Pier 60 in Manhattan as we celebrate the Nameday of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, honor the life and ministry of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, and help make the transformative experience of Orthodox summer camp available to even more children throughout the Archdiocese.

• Monday, November 2, 2026
• 6:00 p.m.
• Pier 60 | Manhattan
• Single Tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities are currently available online. For more information or to make a contribution to the Archdiocesan Youth Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, please visit www.goarch.org/nameday.

The post This year’s Archbishop Elpidophoros Nameday Gala will honor Archbishop Demetrios appeared first on Orthodox Observer.