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

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.

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.

The book club met on October 22 to discuss the life of St. Peter and his ministry.  The next book we will be reading is "Believing is Seeing: A Physicist Explains How Science Shattered His Atheism and Revealed the Necessity of Faith" by Michael Guillen. If you would like to purchase the book, we will make a bulk order.  It lists for about $18.00 in paper back. Let Irene Naida or Harry Harris know by November 15 if you are interested and want us to purchase a book for you.  We will meet as a group sometime in January.

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
George & Christine Nichols
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: 

Opt for paperless billing and statements. Switch all of your bank, utility, and subscription accounts to e-statements. It reduces paper waste and clutter at the same time.

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.

BROOKLINE, MA–Under the spiritual direction of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology met October 27-28 on the school’s campus. Two days of focused, productive discussions and honest dialogue about advancing the school’s mission were facilitated by Board Vice Chairman and Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Fr. Mark Leondis (Hellenic, BA ‘92, Holy Cross, MDiv ‘95).

“Hellenic College Holy Cross is not just another institution of higher learning, but a sacred institution of our sacred archdiocese,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Board of Trustees Chairman. “Our strength is a collective responsibility. We must be united in one purpose to ensure that the school endures and flourishes for years to come. We must approach our work with faith, trust and a shared love for the school and our Church.”

Announcements and Highlights

The Trustees concluded their forthright discussions with clarity of purpose and a continued commitment to advancing the mission of HCHC. In 2027, Holy Cross is celebrating its 90th anniversary and Hellenic College approaches the 60th year since its founding. Positioning itself for another hundred years of equipping students with the spiritual, intellectual, and professional tools needed to serve the Church in an ever- changing society at large.

Among the highlights of the meeting:

• The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees has been elected to serve a two-year term; the following officers were nominated and approved to serve as officers alongside the Chairman and Archbishop: Fr. Mark Leondis, Vice Chair; Paul Kalamaras, Treasurer; and Fr. Nicholas Anctil, Secretary.
• The Presidential Search Committee reported that its work continues on the 9- to 12-month timeline set forth earlier this year. Prior to the meetings, Search Committee members held question-and-answer sessions open to all students, faculty and staff in its pursuit of the person who will lead the institution and help shape future clergy and lay leaders.
• Koinonoia, a collaboration between the HCHC and Greek Orthodox parishes to establish and support a full-time, one semester parish internship for MDiv seminarians, announced its organizational structure with support from the Lilly Endowment Pathways for Tomorrow grant. Alexander Popovici is the Director; Stavroula Gurguliatos, Assistant Director; and Dr. Philip Mamalakis, the Faculty Coordinator.
• In 2027, plans are underway to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of our beloved School. A committee was formed to work with His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago, who was appointed by the Holy Eparchial Synod, to help plan and coordinate the events.
• Robust discussion took place on various Committee reports, including: Academic Affairs, Enrollment and Student Life, Endowment, Institutional Advancement, Board Governance and Finance.

HCHC Interim President Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Lambakis (Holy Cross, MDiv ‘06) concluded, “By strengthening how we work together and by making the most of our resources, we can meet the challenges before us while continuing to advance the unique mission of HCHC. We are in an exciting period of growth and opportunity. To build on this momentum and sustain the excitement surrounding our institution, we must operate in ways that are efficient, pragmatic and strategic. With clear priorities.”

About Hellenic College Holy Cross

Hellenic College Holy Cross is the intellectual, educational, and spiritual center of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. As an institution of higher learning, it is dedicated to the formation of Orthodox Christian leaders—clergy and laity—equipped to serve the Church and society with faith, integrity, and excellence.

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Today, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America marked OXI Day with a message issued via social media:

Long live the 28th of October!

Ας κρατήσουμε από τη σημερινή επέτειο δύο πολύτιμες παρακαταθήκες: Από τους ήρωες του 1940, την ελευθερία ως ευθύνη και θυσία. Και από τον Χριστό μας, την ελευθερία ως αλήθεια, αγάπη και κοινωνία. Ας είναι αιωνία η μνήμη όλων εκείνων που αγωνίστηκαν και θυσιάστηκαν για την ελευθερία της πατρίδας μας. Και είθε να αξιωθούμε να παραδώσουμε στις επερχόμενες γενεές όχι μόνον άσβεστη τη μνήμη των ηρώων του 1940, αλλά και αλώβητη την πολύτιμη κληρονομιά των ιδανικών τους, τις αρχές και τις αξίες εκείνες που ενέπνευσαν τον αγώνα τους, ενίσχυσαν το φρόνημά τους και επισφραγίστηκαν με την υπέρτατη θυσία τους στον βωμό της ελευθερίας.

Ο Θεός να ευλογεί την Ελλάδα, την Κύπρο, την Ομογένειά μας και τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες της Αμερικής.

Ζήτω η 28η Οκτωβρίου!

See the original post on Facebook and Instagram.

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His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrios of Kefalonia to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on Monday, October 26, 2026, the Feast Day and Name Day of the beloved saint of Kefalonia, St. Gerasimos.

Metropolitan Demetrios is visiting the United States to participate in the centennial celebration of Saint Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church in New York City, one of the oldest Greek Orthodox communities dedicated to the island’s patron saint. Also present at the meeting were Ioannis Trepeklis, Governor of the Ionian Islands Region; Vasilios Kokkosis, Chairman of St. Gerasimos Church in NYC’s Centennial Celebration; and Gerasimos Athanasatos, St. Gerasimos Church in NYC’s Parish Council President.

The Metropolitan’s visit comes at after a joyful weekend marking the parish’s 100th anniversary. On Sunday, Archbishop Elpidophoros and Metropolitan Demetrios celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Saint Gerasimos Church, joined by His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, National Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Rev. Archimandrite Bartholomew Mercado, and Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos.

Previously: St. Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Centennial Weekend

On Saturday evening, clergy, parishioners, benefactors, and friends of the community gathered for a Centennial Gala celebrating a century of faith, service, and witness. The evening honored the generations who have sustained Saint Gerasimos Church throughout its first one hundred years and laid the foundation for future generations to continue its sacred mission.

The post Metropolitan of Kefalonia visits Archdiocese appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

The Stathakion Center in Astoria, headquarters of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, proved far too small to accommodate both the crowd and the enthusiasm of the Greek community members who gathered to celebrate the national anniversary of October 28. This year’s event had a special significance: it was the first in many years to be held by a reunited Federation, which had recently overcome its divisions and elected the distinguished Greek American Christos Vournias as a unifying president.

The Federation’s unity was immediately welcomed by both the Church and the Greek state, with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, George Gerapetritis, honoring yesterday’s event with their presence. To help bring about a resolution, the Archbishop had previously made unity within the Federation a condition for his participation in its events, while Mr. Gerapetritis is the first Greek Foreign Minister to visit the Stathakion Center in more than two decades.

Also attending on behalf of the Hellenic Republic were Greece’s Ambassador in Washington, Antonis Alexandridis; Greece’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Aglaia Balta; the Consul General of Greece in New York, Iphigenia Kanara; and the Director of Greece’s Public Diplomacy Office in New York, Spyros Diamantis.

The event combined an account of Greece’s participation in World War II with a musical program of songs from the era, audiovisual material featuring historical documents, films, and dramatized accounts of the epic struggle of 1940.

The event was planned by Evangelos Athanasopoulos and Grigoris Marinakis, together with Peter Stavrianidis, President of the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of New Jersey. Nikitas Tampakis directed the musical program and performed an exceptional selection of songs alongside Angeliki Psoni, accompanied by Kostas Psarros on bouzouki and Glavkos Kontemeniotis on keyboards.

The speakers’ accounts of the heroism and sacrifices of the Greek people during the war, the role of the women of Pindus in supplying the soldiers, and the contribution of Greek military chaplains, together with the performers’ renditions of songs associated with the epic struggle of 1940, had already created an emotionally charged atmosphere in the hall by the time Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis took the floor. The musical performances culminated in Angeliki Psoni’s moving rendition of the iconic “Children, Children of Greece.”

Addressing those present, Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke of the significance of having senior officials of the Hellenic Republic at the event and, speaking directly to Mr. Vournias, emphasized the importance of unity within the Federation. In his address, His Eminence highlighted the spirit of Hellenism’s struggles for freedom throughout history, which continues to inspire people today:

“There are moments in the history of a people when time seems to stand still,” the Archbishop said, turning to a literary reference to illustrate how the Greek army had surpassed its apparent limits by defeating an adversary that was, in theory, overwhelmingly superior in every respect:

“Nikos Kazantzakis, in his work “Report to Greco”, describes a symbolic encounter with the great Cretan painter Doménikos Theotokópoulos, whom he calls his spiritual grandfather. He asks him for advice, and the painter replies: ‘Reach as far as you can, my child.’ But Kazantzakis is not satisfied. He asks for advice that is even harder, more demanding. And then he hears the answer: ‘Reach farther than you can!’ An entire approach to life is distilled into this phrase. Human beings are called not merely to exhaust their potential, but to dare to transcend what they consider impossible.”

The Archbishop also reflected on a second moment in which time seemed to stand still. The funeral of the national poet Kostis Palamas during the Occupation, in February 1943, became a symbolic act of resistance by the Greek people against the occupier. The verses of Angelos Sikelianos, recited by the Archbishop, captured the spirit of that day for eternity:

“Sound, you trumpets… Thunderous bells,
Shake the whole country from end to end…
Roar, drums of war…
You formidable flags, unfurl in the air!”

“Poetry that day was not merely a literary creation,” the Archbishop said. “It became an act of freedom.” With a third literary reference, this time to Yannis Ritsos, Archbishop Elpidophoros sought to connect Hellenism with Orthodoxy, and the struggles for national freedom with the pursuit of existential freedom as understood in Orthodoxy: “These trees will not settle for less sky.”

“This image is deeply moving. A tree cannot live without the sky. Nor can a human being truly live without freedom. Yet it is not enough simply to remove the chains imposed on us by others. There are chains we create ourselves. There are prisons without walls. It is precisely here, my dear friends, that historical experience meets the deeper message of the Gospel. The freedom Christ offers us is not the freedom to dominate others. It is the freedom of sacrificial love. And this dimension of freedom allows us to understand more deeply the sacrifice of the people of 1940.”

Before yielding the floor to Mr. Gerapetritis, Archbishop Elpidophoros also referred to those who lose their sense of proportion when writing on social media about the serious and sensitive issues of Greek foreign policy—”matters not to be trifled with”—hurling accusations, spreading rumors, or expressing views that defy all reason and are uninformed:

“Our duty, my dear friends,” the Archbishop said, “is to support with all our strength the foreign policy charted by our national leadership. Government officials, and especially our experienced diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having all the facts at their disposal, make decisions and determine the most appropriate strategy for our homeland. It is not wise for us to judge our national strategy, because we do not know what they are in a position to know. Quite simply, we cannot, and at times should not, know every aspect of these matters. We must have confidence in our homeland and preserve our national unity, especially on national issues.” Inviting George Gerapetritis to the podium, he concluded: “Mr. Minister, we look to you and your colleagues with confidence and assure you that all of us—the Church, the Greek diaspora, and all diaspora organizations—are always at the service of the nation. Long live Greece!”

“If you want to know the soul of Greece, travel!” George Gerapetritis opened his speech with these words, seeking to emphasize the special relationship between the worldwide Greek diaspora and the motherland, and the duty of Greece’s national leadership to keep alive the bridges that unite Greeks everywhere while also connecting their present with their past and future. The Foreign Minister also shared a personal account of his family’s history. As he explained, his family had set out from a small village on a small island in the Dodecanese, come to the United States, and, after working hard, managed to return home.

“In your faces, I see my own ancestors”, he said. He went on to speak of the particular honor he felt in being at the Federation and congratulated Mr. Vournias, likewise emphasizing the importance of unity: “Greece’s most precious jewel is the unity of its people!”

Mr. Gerapetritis then congratulated those who had contributed to the event, making special mention of the singers. Speaking about the spirit of October 28, he observed: “Greece has always defied the odds; Greece was the country that said the great Nos. We will never shy away from saying a resounding “NO” if necessary to defend our homeland.”

The Greek Foreign Minister spoke about Greece’s position in the world today, its voice being heard in international forums, its presidency of the Security Council, and its upcoming presidency of the European Council. Referring to the agreement with the Republic of Egypt concerning the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Sinai, he emphasized the relationship between Hellenism and Orthodoxy through the centuries. He struggled to hold back tears as he spoke of the value of Greek identity, while also affirming the country’s determination to resist any hostile designs against it.

“There is no easy road” for those who harbor such designs against Greece, Mr. Gerapetritis warned to enthusiastic applause, before offering his wish: “Happy Anniversary, Greece!”

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With deep reverence and gratitude, the National Philoptochos Society joined clergy, faithful, and pilgrims from around the world at the Ecumenical Patriarchate to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the enthronement of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Representing National Philoptochos were National President Debbie George and First Vice President Anita Kartalopoulos, who took part in the historic commemoration at the Mother Church of Orthodoxy. 

The celebration coincided with the anniversary pilgrimage led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, held October 19–23, 2026. For the National Philoptochos delegation, being present in the Queen of Cities, Constantinople, was both a profound honor and a deeply spiritual moment. His All-Holiness granted a private audience to the Philoptochos delegation and the Archon Delegation from the United States and shared in his remarks: 

“Throughout these years, you have stood faithfully beside us. Our predecessor Patriarch Athenagoras came to this Venerable See from your Archdiocese, and two of the institutions (National Philoptochos and The Order of Saint Andrew) so worthily represented here bear his imprint. As Archbishop of North and South America, he founded the Philoptochos—“friends of the poor”—a title that is itself a rule of life….To the National Philoptochos, in the persons of your National President and First Vice President, we owe particular gratitude. The strength of a community is revealed in the care it extends to its most vulnerable members; your sisterhood has made that principle visible in countless towns and cities from coast to coast, and in your generous support of the Mother Church.”

In recognition of this milestone, National Philoptochos presented His All-Holiness with a gift of $35,000; one thousand dollars for each year of his ministry as Ecumenical Patriarch. The offering reflects the Society’s enduring love for the Mother Church and its gratitude for His All-Holiness’s steadfast shepherding of the Orthodox faithful throughout the world. 

“On behalf of the Greek Orthodox National Philoptochos Executive Board and our entire membership across the United States, we extend our most sincere wishes as you celebrate the 35th Anniversary of your Election and Enthronement,” said National President Debbie George. “We are profoundly honored and humbled to participate in this momentous and historical occasion. We hold both you and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in the deepest reverence. Though the Phanar, our Mother Church, has always been in our hearts, with Archbishop Elpidophoros’ leadership and guidance, it is always a top priority for National Philoptochos.”

Since his enthronement on November 2, 1991, His All-Holiness has become the longest-serving Ecumenical Patriarch in the history of the Church. Throughout his ministry, he has been a tireless voice for Christian unity, religious freedom, and the care of God’s creation. For the women of Philoptochos, whose ministry is rooted in love and service to those in need, his example continues to inspire our work in parishes and communities across the country. 

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. With over 90 years of experience, Philoptochos has served communities in need through fundraising and charitable programs. The Society includes more than 400 active chapters nationwide. Learn more at www.philoptochos.org. 

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