In the life of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, few gatherings carry as much significance as the Clergy-Laity Congress. More than a conference or an administrative assembly, the Congress is a living expression of the Church herself, bringing together clergy and laity from across the country to pray, reflect, and discern the path forward together. 

This year’s Congress, centered on the theme “Rise and Build” invites us to consider both our current moment and the sacred responsibility entrusted to us as members of the Body of Christ. These words from Nehemiah 2:18, spoken to a people rebuilding, are not simply inspirational. They are a directive. They call for clarity, unity, and action. They remind us that the work of the Church is never passive. It is always being supported, strengthened, and renewed through the faithful stewardship of her people. 

At its core, the Clergy-Laity Congress serves several essential purposes. It provides a space for shared governance, where delegates engage in the administrative and canonical responsibilities that sustain the life of the Archdiocese. It creates opportunities for ministries to present their work, equipping parishes with practical tools and resources. And, perhaps most importantly, it fosters a sense of unity, reminding all who attend that no parish exists in isolation, but as part of a larger ecclesial body. 

Yet the true impact of the Congress is not measured only by what happens during the sessions themselves. Its significance is truly realized in what delegates bring back with them to their home parishes and communities. 

Clergy and lay leaders return not simply with information, but with renewed vision. They carry with them ideas for ministry development, insights into emerging challenges, and practical strategies that can be adapted to the unique needs of their parishes. Whether it is strengthening stewardship efforts, expanding youth engagement, enhancing liturgical life, or navigating the realities of a rapidly changing cultural landscape, the Congress serves as a catalyst for growth at the local level by convening clergy and laity alike to discern together, to learn together, and to build together. 

 Equally important is the sense of connection that the Congress fosters. In a country as large and diverse as the United States, it is all too possible for parishes to feel isolated in their struggles and limited in their resources. The Congress dispels such isolation as it allows delegates to encounter one another, share experiences, and recognize that many of the challenges they face are shared across the Archdiocese. In that recognition comes encouragement, and in that encouragement, momentum to build and grow. 

 The Clergy-Laity Congress also offers a unique window into the experience of Orthodoxy in America. It reflects the diversity of our faithful, the breadth of our ministries, and the ongoing effort to live out an ancient faith in a modern world. It is a place where tradition and mission meet, where the richness of Orthodox liturgy and theology is brought into conversation with the realities of contemporary life. 

In this way, the Congress is not only about internal life. It is also about witnessing the Faith to the world. How we gather, how we deliberate, and how we move forward together speaks to the broader story of Orthodoxy in this country. It demonstrates a Church that is engaged, thoughtful, and committed to building a community of faith that enduring for generations. 

“Rise and Build” is not a theme confined to a single event. It is a call that extends beyond the Congress itself. It challenges each delegate, each parish, and each member of the faithful to take responsibility for the life of the Church: to build not only programs, but relationships, and not only structures, but communities rooted in faith, service, and love.  

As delegates return to their parishes following the Congress, the real work begins. The conversations continue. The ideas take shape. The vision becomes action. It is through these ongoing efforts that Orthodoxy in America continues to grow, not simply in numbers, but in depth, strength, and faithfulness.  

In every generation, the Church is called to build. This year, as we gather once again, we are reminded that the work is before us, the responsibility is ours, and the time is now. 

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Yankee Stadium was filled with an unmistakable sense of Greek pride as members of the Greek Orthodox community and friends of Hellenism gathered to celebrate Greek Jersey Night on Thursday, June 18.

The iconic ballpark became a place not only of sport, but of unity, heritage, and faith, as generations of attendees came together to honor their shared identity. 

The highlight of the evening came as His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America took to the field to deliver the ceremonial first pitch in the game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. Escorted to the mound by Archdiocesan District Chancellor and Camp St. Paul Director Fr. Elias Villis, and Archons Mike Neamonitakis and Bill Grous, the Archbishop was enthusiastically received by a crowd filled with excitement.

The sight of the Archbishop standing at the pitcher’s mound in one of the nation’s most historic stadiums served as a powerful reminder of how deeply rooted the Greek Orthodox presence is in New York and across the country. The memorable event raised more than $37,000 for Camp St. Paul, the camping ministry of the Archdiocesan District, which celebrates its 21st season hosting more than 800 campers this summer.  

With fans filling the stands, many proudly wearing Greek-themed jerseys and colors, the atmosphere reflected a celebration of culture and community, and a living faith that continues to inspire and unite.  

Find more information on Camp St. Paul here.

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The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation proudly welcomed over 800 guests to Chicago for its 2026 Awards Ceremony & Gala on June 20th, recognizing 57 exceptional scholarship recipients of Hellenic descent and awarding over $250,000 in scholarships.

The evening was made especially meaningful by the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, whose attendance brought a profound sense of blessing, honor, and spiritual significance to the celebration. His Eminence joined the Foundation in recognizing the achievements of this year’s scholarship recipients and celebrating the continued advancement of Hellenism and education in the United States.

During the ceremony, the Foundation honored its 2026 Paradigm Award recipient, U.S. Army General Andrew P. Poppas. The PanHellenic also celebrated its Exceptional Alumni Award recipient, Trish Christakis (NBC Reporter/Anchor), recognizing the lasting impact of the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation community beyond a scholarship.

Following the Awards Ceremony, guests enjoyed an elegant dinner and a lively glendi, celebrating the next generation of Hellenic leaders with music, dancing, and fellowship.

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It has now been a full decade since the convening of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, as its proceedings began on the Monday of the Holy Spirit, June 20, 2016, in Kolymbari, Chania, on the island of Crete. On June 1, 2026, the Monday of the Holy Spirit, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in the historic Greek Orthodox community of Stavrodromi in Constantinople, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of this important anniversary, and of the enduring significance of the Holy and Great Council.

In keeping with its convening on the Monday of the Holy Spirit, the Council’s central motto was adapted from the Kontakion of Pentecost: “He has called all to unity.” The Ecumenical Patriarch explained that this unity was the guiding principle of the Holy and Great Council, despite the last-minute withdrawal of four Orthodox Churches: the Patriarchates of Antioch, Moscow, Bulgaria, and Georgia.

“It was this unity,” His All-Holiness stated, “that the Council in Crete proclaimed, despite the absence, literally at the eleventh hour, of four Orthodox Autocephalous Churches.” Now, a decade later, the Ecumenical Patriarch issued an invitation to these Churches to take a new look at the Holy and Great Council: “To these Churches and to their brother Primates, we extend an invitation to study anew the six texts and decisions of the Council, together with its Encyclical and Message, and to proceed synodically to their adoption.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that acceptance of the Council at this point would not only be a powerful affirmation of Orthodox unity, but a simple gesture of respect for those whose selfless labors made the Council a success. The act of accepting the Council’s decrees, he said, “would constitute the only appropriate response and a fitting expression of respect for the labors of their representatives and predecessors, as well as for the sacrifices made over decades by all the Orthodox Churches, with the Great Church of Christ taking the lead.”

Amid ongoing controversies, His All-Holiness once again reiterated that the particular role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate within the Church was not one of privilege and certainly not of some kind of hegemony, but as a God-given and sacred responsibility: “The Mother Church understands her prerogatives not as privileges but as responsibilities of sacrificial service for the unity and stability of the Holy Churches of God. The ministry, sanctification, and salvation of all those who are in various ways ‘weary and heavy laden’ constitute the very reason for the existence of the Mother Church of Constantinople.”

His All-Holiness also reflected upon his tenure as the longest-serving and one of the most consequential Ecumenical Patriarchs in the history of the Church: “By the grace and good pleasure of God,” he stated, “the Holy and Great Council took place and has already become a historical event, for which we take pride and glorify the Giver of all good things. We ourselves personally thank Him because, in His inscrutable will, He called us thirty-five years ago to the Most Holy Ecumenical Throne and entrusted to us as our immediate flock all of you who constitute the Greek Orthodox community of this historic City. Remaining closely united with the Mother Church, we mutually provide one another with reasons for joy and thanksgiving, or, should God so will, for co-crucifixion and common endurance of suffering. Yet such sorrowful moments in our historical journey are followed by resurrection, and we continue our course, ‘never departing from our duty.’”

The Holy and Great Council is one of the most significant fruits of His All-Holiness’ abiding sense of duty and the necessity of sacrificial service. The Economist noted in June 2016, while the Council was still in session, that one of the Conciliar documents, which was not only approved by the Council but “endorsed earlier by the four churches which didn’t attend,” examines the world “through an Orthodox Christian lens, using spiritual arguments to denounce inequality, the arms build-up and the ecological crisis as moral diseases.”

Professor Elizabeth Prodromou, a Visiting Professor in the International Studies Program at Boston College who was one of His All-Holiness’ advisors at the Council and is currently Vice Chair of the Women In Orthodoxy Archon Diakonia Ministry, explained at the time of the Holy and Great Council that it was intended to allow the Holy Orthodox Church to express a “robust theology of global engagement,” as the Primates of the Church enunciated their “responsibility for the transformation of the world in the image of the divine kingdom.”

Ten years later, such a global engagement, and transformation of the world in the image of the divine kingdom, is more urgently needed than ever. As such, the Holy and Great Council’s prophetic voice was both timely and eternal, emanating from the core responsibility of Christians to bear witness to the truth even within an indifferent or even hostile world. We pray and hope that the four absent Churches will heed His All-Holiness and adopt its decrees, and that the message of the Holy and Great Council will, as intended, resound to the four corners of the world.

Read the original article here.

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