His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with Rev. Protopresbyter Gregory Gilbert, who he recently appointed to serve as Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City, effective September 1, 2026. Also in the meeting was National Chancellor His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia.

Fr. Gregory was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 2015 and has faithfully served the Church in a number of significant pastoral and administrative capacities. He previously served as Proistamenos of communities in Bel Air, Maryland, and Upper Darby, Pennsylvania; as Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey; and most recently as Chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey.

A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Fr. Gregory is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He continued his academic studies at the Catholic University of America, where he earned his Ph.D. in Greek and Latin, with a particular focus on Patristics.

In entrusting Fr. Gregory with the spiritual and pastoral leadership of the Cathedral, His Eminence expresses his confidence in Fr. Gregory’s priestly experience, theological formation, and devotion to the Church, as the Cathedral begins this new chapter in its sacred ministry.

We offer our heartfelt prayers for His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros as he continues to shepherd the Holy Archdiocese of America with wisdom and discernment, and we pray that our Lord will grant Fr. Gregory strength, humility, and abundant grace as he fulfills the sacred responsibility entrusted to him by His Eminence.

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ROSCOE, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Divine Liturgy and the Enthronement of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Stephanos as Abbot and Elder of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nektarios in Roscoe, New York, opening a new chapter for the monastery and marking a significant moment for Orthodox monasticism in the United States.

The Archbishop was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, and His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia. Also present were numerous abbots, abbesses, monks, and nuns from monasteries throughout the United States and Canada, together with clergy, pilgrims, benefactors, and faithful.

The two days of prayer and celebration unfolded within the joy of the Feast of the Translation of the Holy Relics of Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker, the heavenly patron and protector of the Monastery. The feast was marked by a solemn Vigil, during which Great Vespers and Orthros were celebrated. The divine services were adorned by the beautiful chanting of the monastic choirs, whose prayerful voices filled the katholikon and gave expression to the profound spiritual character of the occasion. Thus, the tonsure and enthronement of the new Abbot were embraced by the liturgical life of the Church and placed beneath the intercessions of Saint Nektarios, whose presence and protection have accompanied the Monastery throughout its life and ministry.

The brotherhood of Saint Nektarios elected Archimandrite Stephanos to succeed its founder and first Abbot, the ever-memorable Elder Joseph, who fell asleep in the Lord earlier this year. The election carries profound meaning within the life of a monastic brotherhood. Every monk who entered Saint Nektarios Monastery had personally received Elder Joseph as his Abbot and spiritual father, entrusting to him his spiritual life and obedience. Following his repose, and after a period of mourning, prayer, and discernment, the fathers chose Father Stephanos as the one to whom they would now entrust that same spiritual care and obedience.

> Previously: Archbishop Elpidophoros presides over funeral for Archimandrite Joseph of St. Nektarios Monastery

The events surrounding the enthronement began on Wednesday, September 2, when Archbishop Elpidophoros tonsured Fr. Stephanos to the Great and Angelic Schema, the fullness of the monastic profession in the Orthodox Church. The Great Schema expresses the monastic’s complete dedication to Christ through prayer, obedience, repentance, and ascetic struggle, together with a renewed embrace of the Cross at the heart of the monastic vocation.

Its celebration immediately before the enthronement carried particular significance: before Fr. Stephanos received the obedience of his brotherhood and responsibility for its spiritual care, he first renewed his own offering and obedience to Christ. The service also marked the first time in the history of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that an Archbishop of America presided over a tonsure to the Great and Angelic Schema.

The enthronement represents an important point of transition for the monasteries established under the spiritual guidance of the ever-memorable Elder Ephraim of Arizona. Elder Ephraim contributed profoundly to the growth of Orthodox monasticism throughout North America, establishing monasteries and appointing the first generation of Abbots and Abbesses entrusted with their spiritual direction.

Elder Joseph was among that generation. He founded Saint Nektarios Monastery in 1999 and served as its first Abbot, carrying with him the spiritual inheritance of Mount Athos. His ministry was devoted to establishing the monastery and forming its brotherhood, while offering prayer, Confession, spiritual counsel, and consolation to the countless faithful who came to its doors.

With the election of Fr. Stephanos, the monastery now enters a new generation of spiritual leadership while remaining firmly rooted in the inheritance it received. As Archbishop Elpidophoros observed in his remarks, “The first generation planted. Now another generation is called to cultivate.”

Addressing the newly-enthroned Abbot, His Eminence emphasized the spiritual weight of the brotherhood’s choice.

“By their vote, they have not simply chosen someone to occupy the Abbot’s throne,” the Archbishop said. “They have said to you: ‘Be our Elder. Be our spiritual father. Guide us. Correct us. Pray for us. Walk before us on the road that leads to Christ.’ They have freely chosen to place their obedience in your hands.”

In his own remarks, Fr. Stephanos spoke with particular gratitude of the relationship between the monastery and the Archbishop, emphasizing that Orthodox monastic life is never separated from the canonical and sacramental life of the Church.

“A monastery is not outside the Church. It is within the Church,” Fr. Stephanos said. “It is the heart within the body of the Church, and the heart cannot live separated from the body.”

Addressing Archbishop Elpidophoros directly, the new Abbot noted the particular significance of receiving the blessing of a hierarch who himself has known the responsibilities of monastic leadership through his former service as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery of Halki.

“You served as the Abbot at the Holy Monastery of Holy Trinity in Halki; you know what it means to carry a brotherhood in your heart,” Fr. Stephanos said, thanking His Eminence for his paternal care of Saint Nektarios Monastery, his pastoral presence, and the confidence he has placed in its brotherhood.

Fr. Stephanos further pledged that the monastery would continue to live faithfully within the canonical order of the Church, “with obedience, sincerity, and trust toward its canonical Shepherd,” adding: “Obedience is not a chain. It is freedom. And ecclesiastical order does not restrict the monastery. It protects it.”

The Archbishop likewise emphasized that the continuity represented by the enthronement is not simply institutional, but deeply spiritual: the preservation of a living monastic inheritance within the life and order of the Church, passed from spiritual father to spiritual son and received anew by each generation.

His Eminence encouraged Fr. Stephanos and the brotherhood to carry forward the prayer, ascetical life, spiritual ministry, and work begun by Elder Joseph, trusting that their departed Elder’s prayers and blessing remain with them.

A particular emphasis of the Archbishop’s remarks was the monastery’s vocation to remain a place of spiritual refuge for those burdened by the pressures and restlessness of contemporary life.

“Let this monastery always be a refuge for the human person,” His Eminence said. “Let the pilgrim who enters Saint Nektarios feel that he has stepped out of the turbulence of the world and into a place where eternity has come a little closer.”

Fr. Stephanos echoed this understanding of the monastery’s mission, describing monasteries as “the spiritual lungs of the Church,” places where the prayer of the monastic community continues even when the world sleeps and where the invocation, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” remains at the heart of monastic life.

He also spoke movingly of the spiritual inheritance entrusted to the brotherhood, from Saint Joseph the Hesychast, through Elder Ephraim of Arizona of blessed memory, and through the ever-memorable Elder Joseph, and expressed his desire not simply to occupy the place of his predecessor, but to continue his love for the brotherhood and his ministry to the faithful.

Turning directly to the fathers of Saint Nektarios, Fr. Stephanos asked them to help him remain first and foremost a monk and a servant of his brothers. “I do not want to be above you,” he said. “I want to be with you and, if God gives me strength, to be before you only when it is necessary to carry the cross first.”

The gathering of hierarchs, monastic superiors, monastics, clergy, spiritual children, and faithful from throughout the United States and Canada reflected the significance of the occasion for Saint Nektarios Monastery and for the wider Church.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros charged the new Abbot:

“Receive this brotherhood. Become their father. Guard their unity. Carry their burdens. Open the doors of this monastery to the weary. Preserve the inheritance you have received. And lead this sacred community, not toward yourself, not simply toward the memory of any human person, however holy or beloved, but always and only toward Christ,” His Eminence said.

Taken together, the Great Schema tonsure and the enthronement expressed both continuity and renewal: the personal offering of a monk more completely to Christ, the entrusting of a brotherhood to its new spiritual father, and the continuation of a monastic inheritance lived faithfully within the canonical life of the Church.

The celebration concluded with the joyful proclamation: ΑΞΙΟΣ! He is Worthy!

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NEW YORK, NY — The Archdiocesan District Philoptochos is proud to announce an upcoming webinar taking place on Saturday, October 3rd, offering essential guidance and spiritual support for Orthodox Christians navigating the complex journey of supporting loved ones experiencing addiction. 

Supporting a family member or friend through addiction can feel isolating and overwhelming. For Orthodox Christians, a pressing question often arises: How do we do this while keeping Christ at the center of our lives? 

Through this collaborative event, the Archdiocesan District Philoptochos shines a vital spotlight on these challenges, continuing its unwavering commitment to supporting families, strengthening communities, and serving those in need. The Saint Anastasia Fellowship (SAF) is actively working to provide education and reduce stigma by informing the faithful about addiction, recovery, and the Orthodox Church’s theological perspective. By blending modern clinical approaches with ancient healing modalities from our faith, the Fellowship seeks to meet people in their suffering and invite Christ through the intercessory prayers of Saint Anastasia for their healing. 

This special online event provides a compassionate space to address these challenges. Participants will hear directly from Fr. Nikolas Delaveris, Director of Development of the SAF, an addiction counselor for more than a decade, and parish priest at Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church. The Archdiocesan District Philoptochos will moderate the discussion and present the most common questions submitted by registrants about how to navigate this path with faith and strength. 

Event Details: 

• Date: Saturday, October 3rd 

• Host: Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos 

• Featured Speaker: Fr. Nikolas Delaveris, Director of Development, Saint Anastasia Fellowship 

• Call to Action: Sign up and submit your questions today through the official Zoom Registration Link.

All faithful and families seeking comfort, community, and practical spiritual guidance are encouraged to register and participate in this vital conversation. 

 About the Saint Anastasia Fellowship 

The Saint Anastasia Fellowship—a ministry of the Direct Archdiocesan District—offers a uniquely Orthodox Christian approach to addiction recovery. By combining contemporary clinical practices with Scripture, Tradition, and the wisdom of the Orthodox Church Fathers, the Fellowship provides vital education, outreach, intercessory prayer, and peer-based group support to individuals and their families navigating addiction. This ministry is made possible through a generous grant from Leadership 100.  

The post You’re invited: Saint Anastasia Fellowship webinar on faith and addiction support appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

During the Holy Fast for the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in the company of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa and His Beatitude Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, traveled back to the island of Imvros, where he was born on February 29, 1940. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, His All-Holiness observed the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate and offered a series of reflections on his remarkable lifetime of service to Almighty God and His Holy Church.

Before the dismissal of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, over which he presided at the Metropolitan Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated a Trisagion for the repose of his elder and benefactor of blessed memory, Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon. 65 years ago, on August 13, 1961, His Eminence Meliton, then the Metropolitan of Imvros and Tenedos, ordained the 21-year-old Dimitrios Archontonis to the sacred diaconate, and gave him the ecclesiastical name Bartholomew.

Recalling his ordination to the diaconate, His All-Holiness stated that he remembered in particular the words “Jesus only,” from the account of the Transfiguration in the Gospels: “And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8). These words, he explained, have guided him throughout his lengthy and remarkable lifetime of diakonia.

According to Orthodox Times, the Ecumenical Patriarch “spoke warmly of the formative influence of both Imbros and the Theological School of Halki, where his faith, love of learning and appreciation for Orthodox liturgical and theological tradition were cultivated. He also paid tribute to the people of Imbros who remained on the island through difficult decades and preserved its churches, language and identity. Expressing optimism about the island’s future, he encouraged younger generations to contribute actively to maintaining a sustainable Greek Orthodox presence there.”

His All-Holiness spent eight years as a deacon; Metropolitan Meliton ordained him to the holy priesthood on October 19, 1969, and Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios of blessed ministry consecrated him as a bishop on the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, December 25, 1973. On October 22, 1991, the Holy and Sacred Synod unanimously elected him as the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. He was enthroned on November 2, 1991.

On Imvros on August 13, His All-Holiness gave thanks to God for the “supreme gift of the priesthood.” He noted that in his service to the Holy Orthodox Church, his efforts had been “devoted to pan-Orthodox cooperation, inter-Christian and interreligious dialogue, peace and solidarity, the protection of the natural environment, and engagement between the Church and the contemporary world.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch stated: “My entire journey has been a ‘life in dialogue.’” He stressed “that he has always regarded introversion, isolation, self-sufficiency and ‘sterile monologue’ as incompatible with the Orthodox faith.” He explained that as Ecumenical Patriarch, he had always emphasized that Orthodoxy is “fundamentally a call to communion, encounter with others, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.” He added that these convictions “have inspired initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation in addressing the major challenges of the contemporary world.”

The extraordinary 35-year ministry of His All-Holiness as Ecumenical Patriarch has indeed been marked by remarkable initiatives to in building bridges with Christians of other faith traditions, as well as with non-Christians. In his address, His All-Holiness “also emphasized the wider mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, insisting that the Church cannot remain detached from the challenges facing humanity.” Throughout his tenure as Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness has consistently and courageously raised a prophetic voice to meet those challenges, calling upon humanity to care for the natural environment, and to recognize that war causes incalculable loss of lives and property while solving nothing.

His All-Holiness said that “the Ecumenical Patriarchate has never been a spectator of the course of human affairs,” while “rejecting the notion that engagement with the world necessarily leads to the secularization of the Church.”

His All-Holiness also recalled the Lord’s words, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:13-14). He declared: “We cannot journey toward God while turning our backs on our fellow human beings.”

That is the ethos that has characterized this holy man’s selfless 65 years of service to the Holy Orthodox Church. We are immensely blessed that his ministry continues. Eis polla eti, Despota!

See the original article here.

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After moving to Athens when I was 15, I found myself surrounded by graffiti on a scale I had not seen in New York, covering entire walls of neighborhoods, highways and even monuments. This made me wonder what impulse leads people throughout history to mark surfaces and leave a trace? Now, graffiti is illegal and considered damage to public and private property, yet it continues. My interest in graffiti on the streets of Athens intensified and brought me to the Iviron Monastery library at Mount Athos.   

Delving into “Silk Road Graffiti” by Dale Johnson, a Syriac Orthodox monk and linguist who documented writings at the margins of ancient scrolls (marginalia) was illuminating. He described marks of children practicing their letters, travelers leaving messages that were sometimes answered decades later, as well as doodles and notes accumulated over hundreds of years. It irked me that historians often treat marginalia as secondary, even distracting. The more I researched, the more I realized the margin is often where the reader becomes present, visible, uncertain, and curious. And marginalia are also the graffiti which cover the walls of Athens today. 

In December 2025, I made the long trek to the Holy Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos to look for marginalia in medieval manuscripts. Coming from Greece’s mainland. I arrived at Mount Athos as a pilgrim would: slowly and tired but with intention. Once there, my visit was a medieval experience: Time moved differently even though church bells rang loudly to mark the functions of the day. The architecture, the communal life of the monks, and the natural setting were more vivid than I had expected.  

A dark doorway took me into the library, a vaulted space with brick arches and ceiling-high shelves on either side. From there I saw a series of corridors lined with more wooden shelves and glass cabinets. Monk Theologos Iverites, the librarian, guided me through the collection. 

The wrapping of the manuscripts struck me first. Most volumes were covered with white cloth cases to protect the books from insects. Each had a small, inked symbol alongside a number followed by geometric marks, below which a beetle or other bug had been drawn. This was to indicate which type of insect had infested that manuscript. 

It saddened me to see so many of the shelved manuscripts with disintegrating bindings and covers, due to infestation. Entire collections are disappearing slowly, eaten away. I closed one book as carefully as if it were an eggshell that could crack, yet a small cloud of dust rose from the eroding pages. The earthy smell of the old paper made me feel I was on an archeological dig. It moved me to holding a book from the 9th century. 

Monk Theologos Iverites has spent years scanning manuscripts before they are all lost. As I assisted him in this preservation work, he helped me identify and translate the marginalia we came across in the many layers that exist in a single manuscript. The notes on the Ottoman invasion to Greece, historical remarks, signatures, drawings, and senseless doodles captivated me. On the inside cover of one manuscript, multiple writers had left their marks across centuries, with crosses, names, and dates all crowded together, each person annotating the previous message. In another manuscript, I spotted a blank end leaf with just two series of a strange, code-like text. In some volumes, I saw signatures rewritten, layers of the same names. The impulse that Johnson had documented was not specific to one culture nor one road but omnipresent in a world of readers. It thrilled me to find that each manuscript had at least three stories or layers: the literal meaning of its text, the journey it has taken over centuries, and the notes and marks in its margins. I had become part of a chain of people discovering them and then helping to restore these unique books before passing them on. The manuscripts have survived Ottoman invasions, insect damage, centuries of handling and I want them to live on.  

My dyslexic mind leads me to read around edges before focusing on centers. To me, the margins are the most honest part of the page. The text of a book conveys what is required and expected while the margins express the irrepressible. This understanding took me from New York City and then Athens to one of the most sacred libraries of Orthodox Christianity in Northern Greece. What looked like peripheral noise near the main event became a valuable archive. The margin is not an accidental holding bin but an oasis for scribes in need of more space. 

Ari Antelman is a senior at Moraitis School in Athens. He grew up in New York City and is currently conducting independent research on language and memory in Greek American communities.  

The post What graffiti taught me about ancient manuscripts appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

On the eve of the Feast of Indiction, the Service of Great Vespers for the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment was celebrated at St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in New York City by Fr. Nicolas Kazarian, St. Eleftherios parish priest and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Director of the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations. The hymns for the Service of Great Vespers were chanted by Master Chanter of St. Nicholas National Shrine, Dimitrios Katsiklis. 

Attended by faithful from the NYC area, the service was followed by dinner and an ecumenical panel discussion on the importance of environmental stewardship in the Christian life. 

The Great Vespers for the Preservation of Creation was composed on Mount Athos by Monk Gerasimos of the Skete of Saint Anne—who was a hymnographer of the Great Church of Christ. The service, especially composed to celebrate the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment proclaimed in 1989, heavily integrates themes of repentance for humanity’s destruction of nature, cosmic renewal through Christ, and Old Testament readings (like Leviticus and Isaiah) that link human righteousness with the fertility of the earth.

> Previously: Cosmic worship, cosmic witness: Orthodox Vespers for the Preservation of Creation

“Put an end, O Savior, to the evil designs which are being devised against us by senseless intent, and turn aside from the earth every destructive action of the works of human hands which contrive corruption leading to perdition.”

> Read the full service here.

This celebration of the Day of Prayer for Creation marked the start of the Archdiocese’s new Green Church Initiative. The initiative, managed by Lily Talmers within the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations, will develop resources and programs to support efforts by parishes to embrace the environmental theology of the Orthodox Church and undertake steps to integrate environmental sustainability practices into parish life.  

Following Great Vespers, a panel discussion was held in the community hall and featured three notable speakers—Dr. Chris Durante from St. Peter’s University; Lily Kerhualas, a Ph.D. candidate from Fordham University; and Christina Leano, the Associate Director of the Laudito Si Movement in New York. As Project Manager of the Green Church Initiative, Lily Talmers moderated the discussion.   

The panelists examined the relationship between Christian faith and environmental stewardship, emphasizing the role of humanity as stewards called to care for God’s creation. They discussed the importance of appreciating and being connected to creation within the spiritual life and the responsibility of Christians to approach the natural world with gratitude and reverence. 

“Our encounter with Christ has to lead us deeper into our relationship with creation,” Christina Leano said. “So to care for creation is not an extra thing, an add-on, but actually a constitutive dimension of what it means to follow Christ.”

The discussion also considered how the natural world alludes to God’s presence in the world and has long been the site of revelation. 

“That takes us actually going outside and turning our attention towards the environment, to the natural world,” said Lily Kerhulas. “Thinking from a Christian standpoint opens up the possibility of revelation.” 

The panelists also addressed the challenges in bridging the gap between public awareness and collective action around climate change and environmental degradation, particularly amid frequent reports of environmental disasters and growing feelings of hopelessness in mitigation pollution and environmental destruction.  

Leano spoke of the importance of acknowledging the suffering associated with environmental degradation rather than becoming indifferent to it. 

“We need to hold the suffering in our hearts,” Leano said. “We can’t ignore it. And that’s part of our work is to allow our hearts to be broken.” 

Dr. Chris Durante approached environmental stewardship through the question of human flourishing, asking what conditions allow individuals, families, and communities to live well. He contrasted that understanding with a culture increasingly shaped by the pursuit of material accumulation and consumption. 

“We want a life lived well, we want well-being, happiness, and prosperity for our kin and our children going into the future. Look towards the book of nature, towards what that flourishing actually is,” Durante said. “The good life in the terms of a holistic understanding that isn’t just buying into some corporation’s version of it they’re advertising to you.” 

Kerhulas further connected the Christian pursuit of theosis with environmental stewardship, describing creation as a means through which humanity can enter into deeper communion with God. Leano encouraged an approach to environmental work rooted in gratitude, hope, and community, describing creation as a “joyful mystery to be contemplated.” 

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The National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians awarded the prestigious Saint Romanos the Melodist Medallion to two deserving individuals at the 2026 Clergy Laity Congress, with the award presented by the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. 

As is tradition, the National Forum awards the medallion at each biennial Clergy Laity Congress. The medal is awarded to musicians in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who have made significant and exemplary  national contributions to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and its music ministry.

We are pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2026 Saint Romanos the Melodist Medallion recipients:

• Fr. Michael Palad
• Nicholas (Nick) Chimitris

Fr. Michael Palad has composed, arranged and published music for church choirs including an English Doxology, choral music for the Sacrament of Mariage in the Eastern Orthodox Church and has published the well-known Greek folk song “Snow on the Bell Tower”.  In conjunction with Narthex Press, Father Michael  started publishing weekly Sunday Orthros music supplements which also include audio recordings. 

In 2018, Fr. Michael conceived the idea of gathering Orthodox musicians from all jurisdictions in the Phoenix, Arizona and beyond to sing and enjoy fellowship. Orthodox Christian Choral Fellowship (OCCF) was established and incorporated in 2018.  The theme “One Day, One Hymn, One Church” was created and received with great enthusiasm and participation. This resulted in a video posted on social media for all to enjoy. OCCF created a website where the music could also be purchased. In 2020, during the COVID outbreak, “OCCF” went virtual which allowed participation to reach Orthodox musicians nationally and internationally. 

He is a National Forum Honorary Life Member, has received the Patriarch Athenagoras Award for distinguished metropolis service, the San Francisco Federation St. John Damascus and St. Cosmas the Melodist awards and has received the Folk Dance and Choral Festival  Director Award. 

Fr. Michael has served and the Spiritual Leader of the San Francisco Church Musicians Federation and has led chant groups during federation conference Vespers and Orthros services.  He currently serves as Presiding Priest at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Peoria, Arizona where he has served for 32 years. Axios! 

The medallion was also awarded to Nicholas (Nick) Chimitris. Nick has provided transformative  national leadership through his service as National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians Chairman since 2020. His work has reshaped the infrastructure, visibility and national reach of Orthodox church music within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. 

During his three terms as National Chairman, Nick has revitalized the National Forum, accomplishing numerous programmatic and organizational advancements. Under his leadership, the National Forum has become a 501C3 non-profit organization.  He was instrumental in scheduling annual audiences for the National Forum Council of Presidents with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, increasing the National Forum’s national recognition and open communication with His Eminence. He is currently spearheading the National Forum’s Anastassiou project, publishing the Diatonic and Enharmonic liturgies in the approved English translation. 

Another major program conceived by and being led by Nick is the Saint Romanos Church Music Festival, a national music competition and educational program for youth. This new youth initiative has been enthusiastically approved by the Holy Eparchial Synod for Archdiocesan implementation. 

Nick has energized the Council of Presidents to implement his vision for the 50th Anniversary of the National Forum, aligning the National Forum as a full partner in the 2026 Clergy Laity Congress creating a National Forum musicians registration track. 

Nick has championed the use of technology to reach church musicians, developing a ground breaking on-line training platform for clergy, church musicians and youth, the Parish Music Leadership Initiative or commonly known as the “MELI” project. 

He has increased accessibility of the National Forum’s “Liturgical Guidebook” by creating and offering the option of either a digital or print format. 

In 2003, Nick was awarded the Patriarch Athenagoras medal for his contributions to the Chicago Metropolis and the Chicago Metropolis Church Musicians Federation which he led as its longest-serving president for nine terms. He continues to serve on the Federation Board. Through various commendations and awards, his service has been recognized by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew; His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America; His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, formerly of America; Metropolitan of Chicago Iakovos of blessed memory; and His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago. 

Nick has been involved with church music for sixty years and served as choir director for over forty of those years.  He is currently the choir director at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Hammond, Indiana. Axios!

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In his sacred responsibility as described in the Charter of our Sacred Archdiocese, and in his pastoral oversight and fatherly care, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has approved the following ordinations:

• Mr. Douglas Kasten to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve at Saint Catherine Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado, in the Holy Metropolis of Denver.

• Mr. Savvas Eleftheriou Savvidis to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve in the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta.

• Mr. Nicholas Schwarz to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve in the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey.

• The Rev. Deacon Andreas Constantinou to the Holy Priesthood, whom he assigned to serve at Saint Vasilios Church in Peabody, Massachusetts, in the Holy Metropolis of Boston.

• The Rev. Deacon George Miller to the Holy Priesthood, whom he assigned to serve at the Assumption of the Theotokos Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the Holy Metropolis of San Francisco.

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This morning, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America marked the Feast of the Indiction, the New Ecclesiastical Year, and the Day of Prayers for the Protection of the Natural Environment with the following social media post:

Marking the New Ecclesiastical Year, September 1st, is a most significant day for our Church and the entirety of humanity. Our Ecumenical Patriarchate, and especially His All-Holiness Bartholomew, for decades have been emphasizing our relationship with the Earth and all creation, as the God-given environment in which the human family is called to serve as stewards of creation. This contains all that we hold dear on our “Big, Blue Marble” – the land and the seas, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the creatures with whom we share this planet.

We are indeed blessed that we have a “Green” Patriarch who understands the sacred nature of creation, which we celebrate and acknowledge in every icon fashioned for the sanctification of the Faithful. His All-Holiness has been leading the way for a truly Patristic and theological ecology that applies not only across the Christian world in all its diversity, but throughout the interfaith and interspiritual communities as well.

The devastating fires across North America and the recent tragedy in Nepal, where a glacial collapse unleashed a catastrophic cascade of ice, rock, mud, and floodwaters, are stark reminders of the intensifying consequences of climate change, the fragility of our common home, and our sacred responsibility to care for it.

As we commence this New Ecclesiastical Year, may we each pause for a moment to remember the created order with which God has graced our lives, and may we each, in our own way, commit to protecting, enhancing, restoring, and safeguarding the precious gift of the created universe, beginning with our Mother Earth, above whom “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims the work of His hands” (Psalm 18:1 LXX).

See the original post on Facebook and Instagram.

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The community of Dormition of the Virgin Mary Cathedral in Southampton, NY had the honor of the visit to their Cathedral of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America on Sunday, August 30, 2026. Welcoming the Archbishop were Grand Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and Rev. Fr. Constantine Lazarakis, parish council members and faithful of the community, including many altar boys.

Also attending the service was His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, who read the Patriarchal Message for the Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year and the Solemn Day of Prayers for Natural Environment, which is celebrated each year on September 1. In this year’s Message His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew states, “We are convinced that highlighting the religious and ethical dimensions of the ecological threat will lead to an awareness of the pivotal importance of  ‘ecological responsibility.’ Humanity must at last cease acting as though it does not know and definitively cast aside the illusion that planet Earth can in perpetuity withstand the burdens and destruction caused by human activity, or that nature has the power to renew itself of its own accord. The ethos of responsibility for the protection of the natural environment must find expression at the global, national, local, and personal levels. We reiterate once again that the cultivation of ecological responsibility is a ‘categorical imperative’ for humanity as it confronts the greatest threat it has ever been called to face throughout the entire course of its history.”

In his homily, Archbishop Elpidophoros recognized the Feast Day of St. Alexander by reflecting on the life and ministry of Fr. Alexander Karloutsos. Drawing a connection between Fr. Alex and his patron saint, St. Alexander, the first Archbishop of Constantinople, the Archbishop noted that Fr. Alex’s life has been deeply shaped by his love of Greek culture, language, traditions, and faith. He described Fr. Alex as embodying the best of Hellenic ideals, grounding his Orthodox Christian faith in the rich heritage of Hellenism that has sustained the Church throughout the centuries. Archbishop Elpidophoros further praised Fr. Alex’s lifelong sacrificial service to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and his devoted ministry to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, calling his life’s work a testament to steadfast faith, service, and dedication to the Great Church of Christ.

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