On October 8, 2026, participants of the 2026–2027 GOA Girl Delegate Program to the United Nations visited the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and met with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. In the Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Paul, the Girl Delegates, all high school students, were welcomed by His Eminence and shared about their experiences in the Programs and their hopes for the coming year. The meeting was facilitated by GOA Girl Delegate Program Director, Ms. Niki Devaris-Morgulis. 

Every year, the Fall Program of the Girl Delegate Program centers our the International Day of the Girl (IDG) which is observed on October 11. The United Nations established IDG in 2011 to elevate the importance of girls’ rights and the challenges they face around the world. The GOA Girl Delegate Program not only invites, but provides the means for high school girls from throughout the Archdiocese to participate in advocacy efforts at the UN directly  

“Men and women are equal in personhood before God, and the gifts, the talents, and leadership of women are essential to the life and to the witness of the Church,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. “This program puts that conviction into practice.” 

“Our Orthodox faith teaches us that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inherent and God-given dignity,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. 

Delegates from across the country share their experiences

“We have a voice, social awareness, and a stance regarding events unfolding both in our country and across the globe. Yet, what unites us and deepens our love and passion for this program is the fact that we are here as young Greek Orthodox Christian women, with the Love proclaimed by Christ serving as the driving force in our hearts,” Chrisanthi Antonouli of St George Greek Orthodox Church in Media, Pennsylvania said.  

The girl delegates traveled to the UN this week from across the United States. Sofia Pennino traveled from Alaska; she was present when the Archbishop consecrated her parish, Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Anchorage, Alaska. Pennino told His Eminence she hoped the program would show her how to bring her faith into public advocacy. 

“I am especially excited to learn how I can use my voice to advocate for young people and the values that are important to our Greek Orthodox faith,” Pennino shared with Archbishop Elpidophoros. “I am looking forward to learning how advocacy can make a difference, how we can speak up for those whose voices may not always be heard, and bring attention to issues affecting girls and young people around the world, and doing all of that through our Church.” 

For Zoe Temple of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Oklahoma, the program has built both confidence and a deeper understanding of her faith. 

“This program has taught me how to speak up more confidently and to not be afraid to speak up for what I believe in. It’s also taught me to more deeply understand my faith and my role in it,” Temple shared with Archbishop Elpidophoros. 

Some delegates said their time at the UN has shaped their plans beyond high school. Irene Maria Zografos of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection in Brookville, New York, will study environmental engineering in college next year. 

“For me, being exposed to the UN helped spark an interest in policy. As I go to college next year to study environmental engineering, I want to gain the technical knowledge to eventually contribute to environmental policy,” Zografos said. “This program opens doors for us, but even more importantly, it teaches us that we belong on the other side of them.” 

Foteini Gatsia of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn reflected on how far her journey has taken her since she came to the United States. 

“As a girl who immigrated to the United States from a small village, I never could have imagined that I would be standing at the United Nations and listening to diplomats and advocates discussing policies that affect girls across the world,” Gatsia said. 

Archbishop Elpidophoros told the delegates that their presence at the UN carries the witness of the whole Church. 

“We are proud to have you represent not only your Greek Orthodox sisters, but all Greek Orthodox faithful at this important forum of international collaboration. Through this program, you have a unique opportunity to address issues affecting women and girls throughout the world while bringing your experiences, convictions, and Orthodox Christian perspective to the United Nations,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. 

A legacy of institutions led by women 

While with the Girl Delegates, His Eminence noted the significance of women leaders in the life of the Archdiocese, particularly recognized Ms. Paulette Poulos and Ms. Anita Kartalopoulos for their exceptional service to the Archdiocese within Leadership 100 and National Philoptochos respectively.  

Paulette Poulos, Special Advisor and former Executive Director of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund, recalled her years at the Archdiocese, where she worked as an associate youth director and within Finance Department before becoming the administrator of the office of Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory. Traveling with him, she saw firsthand how he encouraged parishes to include women in leadership. 

On a visit to a parish in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Archbishop asked where the women were. When he was told they were in the kitchen baking koulourakia, he asked that they be brought out, and he told the parish he expected a woman on the parish council when he returned in six months. On the next visit he raised the bar and asked for a woman officer. Poulos urged him not to push, since the parish already had two women on its board, but he insisted. By his following visit, Dolores Revelus had become president of the community. 

The Archbishop later appointed Poulos, Presbytera Nikki Stephanopoulos, and Eleni Houziak, a Chicago attorney, to the governing board of the National Council of Churches. Nikki Stephanopoulos was the wife of Fr. Robert Stephanopoulos, longtime dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral, and the mother of George Stephanopoulos. When Poulos asked why he would send laywomen rather than priests, he answered that he had enough priests and wanted women with intellect and heart who could do the work. Poulos would serve on that board for the next decade. 

Anita Kartalopoulos, a third-generation Philoptochos member and First Vice President of the National Philoptochos Society, said the organization has grown from its familiar parish role into the second-largest women’s philanthropic organization in the United States, now supporting youth, seminary education, and prison ministry. 

“The Philoptochos was incorporated not as a mere auxiliary, but as a standalone, not-for-profit, to be governed and run by the women of the Philoptochos,” Kartalopoulos said. “The women of the Church were trusted by Archbishop Athenagoras before he became Patriarch.” 

She credited Archdiocesan leadership for placing women in senior roles throughout the Archdiocese, among them Maria Andriotis, Director of Administration, and Marissa Costidis, Head of the Press Office. “She’s not an administrator, she’s not an assistant, she’s at the director level,” Kartalopoulos said of Andriotis. “We have people at the helm.” 

Addressing the Girl Delegates, she reminded them that the Church, Leadership 100, and the Philoptochos stand behind their work at the UN, and urged them not to wait for permission to do great things. 

“The Church is here with you,” Kartalopoulos said.

The post At the UN, Girl Delegates will carry the witness of the Church appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

When Judge Madeline Singas ’91 took her seat on the New York Court of Appeals in 2021, the highest appellate court in New York, she made history as the first Greek American to serve on New York’s highest court. Five years later, she returned to Fordham Law School, where her legal career began, to reflect on the path that brought her to the bench. 

On October 7, 2026 Fordham Law held “First to the Bench: A Fireside Chat with Hon. Madeline Singas ’91,” Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Hosted by Fordham Law School’s Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships, the Fordham First Generation Law Students Group, and co-sponsored by the Hellenic Lawyers Association, the event featured a conversation between Judge Singas and Fordham’s Assistant Dean Suzanne Endrizzi. 

The daughter of Greek immigrants, Judge Singas grew up in Astoria, Queens. She described her upbringing as a first-generation American, assisting her parents navigate a country that was completely foreign to them. Judge Singas’s parents relied on her and her sister to take them to doctor appointments, go to government offices, and check the mail–serving as Greek-English translators.

Judge Singas’s Hellenic heritage and Orthodox faith was honored during her investiture to the Court of Appeals. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America provided an invocation for the investiture of Judges Singas, Cannataro, and Troutman.

> Read Archbishop Elpidophoros’s invocation at the investiture of Judge Singas

Judge Singas is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, Barnard College of Columbia University, and Fordham University School of Law. Though her family came from humble beginnings she lovingly recounted how they always encouraged her to dream big. 

“My parents gave me a home that was full of love and support. Education was the great equalizer from when I was young. All they would say is study and get your degrees. They believed in the American dream, and if you worked hard, you would succeed. I wanted to succeed for them for all the sacrifices they made for us,” she said.

Judge Singas’ path to the bench began in the courtroom. After graduating from Fordham Law School in 1991, she began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in Queens County. In 2006, she joined the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Here, she established and led the county’s first Special Victims Bureau, serving children, the elderly, and victims of domestic and sexual abuse. 

Judge Singas described her experience as an Assistant District Attorney as a position where she was meeting people on the worst day of their life, whether they were a victim or a defendant. It was important to her to ensure defendants received fair trials and were not wrongly accused and that victims were treated with dignity and respect.

“It blew me away to learn people were living with such abuse, then going to work the next day. I just wanted to help them stand up to their abuser, who was probably never stood up to before,” she said. 

Judge Singas was twice elected Nassau County District Attorney, overseeing an office serving nearly 1.4 million residents. During her tenure, violent crime fell by more than 22%, while her office expanded specialized programs for adolescent offenders, veterans, and individuals experiencing mental illness or drug addiction. 

Judge Singas emphasized the importance of not simply dismissing cases involving young offenders, but providing them with opportunities to envision a different future. She recalled asking young adults about their interests and aspirations. When one young man expressed an interest in becoming a chef, she contacted a local business owner to arrange for him to work there for a week. She explained that she was dismissing his case but wanted to provide him with an opportunity to pursue his interests. The business owner agreed. Similarly, when another young man expressed his dream of becoming a basketball player, Judge Singas contacted Hofstra University’s basketball coach, who agreed to let him practice with the team.

Through these examples, Judge Singas illustrated how meaningful opportunities can arise simply by connecting people with the right resources. She emphasized that people are often willing to help, but may never have been asked.

She also established new units focused on hate crimes and crimes against immigrants and the elderly, as well as Nassau County’s first Family Justice Center. Family Justice Centers provide free and confidential support for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, including sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and intimate partner violence. 

Nearly 80 percent of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported. It is extremely common for sexual assault survivors, typically women, to decline to report the offense to police.

“I wanted to create a place where women felt safe and could report crimes,” Judge Singas said. “Victims of sexual violence are under a scrutiny unlike victims of other crimes.”

Additionally, Judge Singas was motivated to uplift female prosecutors. She established the first maternity leave program in Nassau County. To this day, it is the only prosecutor’s office on Long Island with maternity leave. She also sought to promote more women to managerial positions. Judge Singas noted that to this day most prosecutor’s offices are male-dominated. During her tenure as District Attorney, 70% of managing roles were held by women.

Before running for District Attorney, Judge Singas had no experience in the political realm and was unfamiliar with the process of fundraising. She was told she would need to raise at least $200,000 to throw her hat in the ring. When asked where she would begin, she responded, “I’ll start with the Greeks.” She credits the Greek community as being her primary supporters, church friends of her parents, grammar school friends, neighbors, fellow Greek Americans writing checks without hesitation. 

She remained Nassau county’s top prosecutor until 2021, when she was nominated to the New York Court of Appeals. The New York State Senate confirmed her appointment on June 8, 2021, making Singas the first Greek American and the first female Fordham Law graduate to serve on New York State’s highest court.

Throughout her career, Judge Singas has advocated for women in the legal professions. In 2018, she was appointed special prosecutor to investigate sexual assault allegations against New York’s then-Attorney General. 

While serving on the Court of Appeals, Judge Singas continued seeking ways to make a positive impact beyond the courtroom. After learning about Afghan women judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals who had been killed by the Taliban, she was determined to find a way to help those who had escaped persecution. Many of these women had fled to the United States, where they were working as cashiers and grocery store employees despite their legal backgrounds and professional experience. Judge Singas sought to provide these women with employment opportunities within New York’s Office of Court Administration (OCA), allowing them to return to work in the legal field. The program also offered a pathway toward earning an L.L.M. degree and potentially resuming their careers as attorneys in the United States. The program later expanded to include Afghan male legal professionals.

Judge Singas serves as an inspiration to young women, Greek Americans, and all first-generation professionals, demonstrating the importance of representation and creating opportunities for future generations. Her fireside chat was especially meaningful given the presence of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s United Nations Girl Delegates, who attended the event as part of their New York City program commemorating the International Day of the Girl. The program was founded and is directed by Niki Devaris-Morgulis, a Fordham Law graduate who serves as a Senior Court Attorney in the Law Department of the New York Supreme Court, Civil Term.

Judge Singas encouraged the Girl Delegates to follow their passions, believe in themselves, and remain confident in their ability to make a difference, leaving them with the words her parents relayed to her “You can do whatever you want to do.”

The post ‘I’ll start with the Greeks’: Judge Singas on heritage, public service, and opportunity appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

In March 2027, communities across Florida’s First Coast will commemorate one of the state’s most dramatic—and least known—stories of survival, perseverance, faith and freedom. This program is Journey to Freedom: Florida’s Untold Minorcan Story.

This 8-day program is a commemoration of the end of the Turnbull settlement in New Smyrna Beach when over 600 Minorcan, Greek, Italian, and Corsican indentured laborers walked to freedom in St. Augustine. The 250th anniversary program is brought to the public through a unique collaboration of organizations dedicated to preserving and sharing this important history. These organizations include the New Smyrna Museum of History, St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, The Minorcan Experience, and the Menorcan Cultural Society, along with additional regional partners.

The eight-day event will begin in New Smyrna Beach, and end in the historic town of St. Augustine, through programs, services, educational opportunities, commemorative experiences and activities. The commemoration will explore the lives, struggles, sacrifices, faith and legacy of the Mediterranean people who became part of Britain’s largest agricultural settlement in Colonial Florida.

More than simply a historical commemoration, Journey to Freedom will offer visitors a chance to travel through Florida’s history while experiencing two of the state’s most beautiful, distinctive and historic coastal communities.   

For Updates Visit Our Website: JourneyToFreedom250.com

The post St. Photios Shrine announces ‘Journey to Freedom: Florida’s Untold Minorcan Story’ program appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

NEW YORK, NY — The Hellenic Film Society will present a special retrospective celebrating legendary Greek-Cypriot filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis as part of the 2026 New York Greek Film Expo, a Greek film festival, taking place October 8–18 throughout the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey.

The Michael Cacoyannis Retrospective will take place October 16–18 at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), 36-01 35th Avenue (at 37th Street), Astoria, NY 11106, and will feature four of the filmmaker’s acclaimed classic films.

Widely regarded as one of the most important Greek filmmakers of the 20th century, Cacoyannis brought Greek stories and characters to international audiences through a distinguished career spanning film, theater and television. His work earned international acclaim and numerous awards, including multiple Academy Award nominations. The retrospective offers audiences an opportunity to experience four landmark films on the big screen and to revisit the work of a filmmaker whose influence continues to resonate in Greek and international cinema.

The Michael Cacoyannis Retrospective includes:

A GIRL IN BLACK

ΤΟ ΚΟΡΙΤΣΙ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΜΑΥΡΑ

• Directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis
• 1956 | 140 minutes | Greek with English subtitles
• Friday, October 16 at 7 pm

Set on the Greek island of Hydra, Cacoyannis’ acclaimed drama follows a young woman whose troubled family life and relationship with an outsider lead to jealousy, conflict and tragedy.

• The film received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.

ZORBA THE GREEK

• Directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis
• Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis
• 1964 | 142 minutes | English and Greek
• Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 pm

One of Cacoyannis’ most celebrated films, Zorba the Greek stars Anthony Quinn as the exuberant Alexis Zorba and Alan Bates as an English writer who travels to Crete.

• The film received seven Academy Award nominations and won three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Lila Kedrova, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.

STELLA

ΣΤΕΛΛΑ

• Directed and Written by Michael Cacoyannis (based on a play by J. Cambanellis)
• 1955 | 90 mins | Greek with English subtitles
• Sunday, October 18 at 3 pm

Starring Melina Mercouri in one of her most iconic performances, Stella follows a fiercely independent nightclub singer who refuses to surrender her freedom for love.

• The film was selected for competition at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival and received the 1956 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.

WINDFALL IN ATHENS

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΑΤΙΚΟ ΞΥΠΝΗΜΑ

• Directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis
• 1954 | 91 minutes | Greek with English subtitles
• Sunday, October 18 at 6 pm

A young saleswoman loses her clothes and the lottery ticket she is convinced will be a winner, when two boys steal them while she swims. All is not lost, however, when she meets a handsome young musician who becomes the new owner of the ticket.

• Winner of a Diploma of Merit at the Edinburgh Festival.

“Michael Cacoyannis was a groundbreaking filmmaker writing, directing and editing his films giving each one his singular vision and style. He brought his commentary of Greek culture and society to the global stage where his films transcended and resonated with audiences garnering worldwide critical praise. The retrospective also allows the Hellenic Film Society to highlight film preservation and restoration. By screening Stella, a film that has not yet been restored, we can magnify the importance of preserving the rich cultural heritage of Greek film and protecting it for generations to come.”

— Maria (Mary) Miles, President, Hellenic Film Society

The Michael Cacoyannis Retrospective is one of the special programs featured during the 2026 New York Greek Film Expo, which presents 12 films from Greece and Cyprus at venues throughout New York City and the metropolitan area from October 8–18.

Tickets and additional information about the retrospective and the complete New York Greek Film Expo schedule are available at HellenicFilmSociety.org.

About the Hellenic Film Society

The Hellenic Film Society USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization rooted in the belief that Greek cinema should be an integral part of the American cultural landscape. HFS promotes feature films, documentaries, and shorts made by Greek filmmakers and filmmakers of Greek descent, as well as films that celebrate the cultures of Greece and Cyprus.

In addition to its annual New York Greek Film Expo, HFS presents Always on Sunday, a monthly Greek film series at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, often to sell-out crowds. HFS also helps organize Greek film screenings in a growing number of cities across the United States.

The post Hellenic Film Society presents Michael Cacoyannis retrospective during 2026 New York Greek Film Expo appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

PAPHOS, Cyprus — Following last year’s successful event, the Joanna Sophia Foundation is once again joining forces with Round Table 7 Paphos, with the support of the Municipality of Paphos, to host the 2nd Joanna Sophia Fun Run/Walk Around the World in 5K on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Castle Square in Paphos. A Family Fun Festival, in collaboration with the Cyprus Red Cross Paphos Branch, will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The event raises awareness about epilepsy and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) while honoring the memory of Joanna Sophia, who passed away unexpectedly in 2018 at just nine years old due to SUDEP.

Everyone is welcome at the Joanna Sophia Fun Run/Walk Around the World in 5K, from experienced runners and running groups, to families with children of all ages. Participants will come together to support the Foundation’s mission and provide assistance to families in need.

This one-of-a-kind Fun Run/Walk will feature surprises, Instagram-worthy inflatables straight from New York, excitement, and other happenings along Paphos’ scenic coastal route, with views of the world’s No. 1 sunset.

Kostas Ioannou, Joanna Sophia’s father and founder of the Joanna Sophia Foundation, thanked everyone who participated in last year’s event. “For our family, this is much more than simply a run. It is an opportunity to honor Joanna Sophia’s memory while raising greater awareness about SUDEP and epilepsy,” said Ioannou.

He also shared that parents who experience this kind of loss have no choice but to keep going, to get back up and move forward, and that all of us should strive to live our lives to the fullest. He invited the public to take part in this year’s Fun Run/Walk and help strengthen the message of #LetJoannaInspireYou.

The Municipality of Paphos and Round Table 7 Paphos also recognize the importance of the event to the community and the cause it supports. “Following last year’s success and seeing the happy faces of both children and adults, we are thrilled that the Joanna Sophia Foundation has once again entrusted us with the 2nd Fun Run/Walk,” said Leondios Tselepos of Round Table 7 Paphos.

Tselepos said this year’s event will once again offer a unique and fun run at sunset. The Cyprus Red Cross Paphos Branch Family Fun Festival will also take place at Castle Square beginning in the morning, creating a full day of activities for the entire family.

“Together, it promises to be an unforgettable day for the entire family,” Tselepos said. “Join us as we raise awareness in Cyprus about SUDEP and epilepsy and #LetJoannaInspireYou.”

For more information about the Foundation and to register for the event, visit joannasophiafoundation.org.

ABOUT THE JOANNA SOPHIA FOUNDATION

The Joanna Sophia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public awareness of epilepsy, supporting SUDEP research, and providing financial assistance to families caring for children with epilepsy. For more information, please visit joannasophiafoundation.org.

The post Joanna Sophia Fun Run returns to Cyprus to raise epilepsy awareness appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following the 15th Assembly meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the U.S.A., hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate met in Pittsburgh, PA, under the presidency of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America for the Fourth Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S.A. 12 hierarchs attended the gathering, representing the various eparchies under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S.A., namely the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the American Carpatho-Russian OrthodoxDiocese of North America, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, and the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas. 

In his message to the Hierarchs, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew underscored: “The development of fraternal relationships among the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate also strengthens their common contribution to the work of the Assembly of Bishops there and to broader cooperation with the other Orthodox communities throughout the country. The unity of the Church constitutes a lofty and abiding responsibility of the local Orthodox Hierarchs. For the Hierarchs of the First Throne of Orthodoxy, the guarantor of unity, this constitutes a sacred obligation and duty. Every step toward cultivating mutual trust, every common effort to address pastoral concerns, and every tangible expression of love, strengthen our witness to the world.” 

In his opening address to the Synaxis, Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that “First of all, thanks to all of you for making the effort to participate in this Fifteenth Assembly of Bishops Meeting. As Bishops of the Mother Church of Constantinople, we have a duty and a responsibility to uphold the decisions that have been inaugurated and effectuated by the Great Church. One can wonder about the effectiveness of certain Assemblies worldwide, but one thing is sure, our Assembly in the United States is deeply engaged in the lives of our Faithful, through a whole host of ministries and services. I hope that each of us takes full advantage of this multifaceted diakonia, for it can only enhance our Archpastoral efforts.”

Following the opening remarks, hierarchs discussed and shared information about their respective eparchies and other ministries. The Vicariate for the Palestinian/Jordanian Orthodox Christian Communities was represented by Rev. Protopresbyter George Jweinat. His Grace Bishop-Elect Alexander of Nicopolis presented the latest developments in the life of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate. V. Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostom Onyekakeyah gave an update on the Mission and Outreach Ministry towards African-Americans. 

The following hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate participated in the Synaxis: His Eminence (H.E.) Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, H.E. Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, H.E. Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta, H.E. Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey, H.E. Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon, H.E. Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa, His Grace (H.G.) Bishop Spyridon of Amastris, H.G. Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea, H.G. Bishop Theophan of Philomelion, H.G. Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, H.G. Bishop Anthony of Synada, and H.G. Bishop-Elect Alexander of Nicopolis. 

The post Fourth Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S.A. convenes in Pittsburgh appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America met in Pittsburgh, PA from October 3-6, 2026, for the 15th convening since its formation. The Assembly expressed sincere gratitude to Metropolitan Savas for hosting the meeting at the new Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh Center, as well as the Pittsburgh pan-Orthodox community for hosting public events.

The weekend began with Vespers at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church on Saturday, October 3 and a concelebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Sunday, October 4.

Assembly XV focused primarily on the ongoing effort to create a Common Catechesis. After reviewing the work of the Theological Education Committee, the Assembly reaffirmed the mandate to the Committee to formulate a classical catechetical text.

> Read His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America’s closing remarks here. 

The Assembly approved additional work on catechesis that engages many of the Assembly’s committees and new working groups.  This comprehensive approach is unique in its inclusion of many voices and crucial in its collaborative nature for the teaching of the Orthodox faith in English. This represents a significant and distinctive undertaking which received the blessing and full support of all the Hierarchs present during the Assembly. Inspired by Saint Paul’s words: “and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2), this collaborative project will be a unique offering to the entire Orthodox Church.

Additionally, the Assembly of Bishops approved the American Sign Language Lexicon of Orthodox Christian Terminology as presented by the Assembly’s sign language lexicon team.  The lexicon team members present included Presbytera Karen Bartz (Interpreter), Greg Coogan, Hannah Mann, and Lola Lee Beno, accompanied by Savannah Foster, President of the Orthodox Christian Deaf Association (OCDA). Deacon Tigran Khachikyan, Emily Hart (Interpreter) and Mah-Rya Proper (Interpreter) were also present digitally.

During their time together, the Hierarchs of the Assembly reaffirmed their calls for a peaceful and just ending to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East. Reiterating earlier statements, the Assembly continues to call for “an immediate cessation of hostilities wherever war persists.” They urged the governments engaged in these conflicts to end the suffering of the people. Also, the Hierarchs grieved the dangers that Orthodox Christians face daily, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the diminishing populations of Christians there. The Hierarchs urge their flocks to offer assistance through charitable giving to those agencies working to alleviate the suffering of people, as especially through the various programs of the Assembly’s Humanitarian Agency: International Orthodox Christian Charities. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

The Hierarchs of the Assembly discussed the growing effects of artificial intelligence. Both positive and negative concerns were expressed that call for greater discernment and discussion. It was noted that the Assembly’s Affiliated Ministry, Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR), will examine the topic at their 2027 conference.

On the tenth anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete in 2016, the Hierarchs are reminded anew of the vital importance of pan-Orthodox cooperation and collaboration as an essential expression of the unity of the Orthodox Church and a faithful witness to the Orthodox Christian faith in today’s world.

With thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the unity and cherished brotherhood of the Assembly of Bishops of the United States of America, the Assembly appeals to the wisdom of our Mother Churches to encourage the active cooperation of all Hierarchs in the United States without exception.

The next Assembly meetings will be hosted by the Metropolitan Nathanael (Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago) October 23-26 in Chicago, Illinois, and the following Assembly meeting will be hosted by Metropolitan Saba (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America) in Houston, Texas in October 2028.

The post AoB XV concludes, Hierarchs approve sign language lexicon and continue work on a common catechism appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

BOSTON — “You stole a little bit of my thunder,” Alpha Omega Council President Costa Speliakos said into the microphone, addressing Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who had just spoken. Onstage before 500 guests in the Fairmont Copley Plaza’s Grand Ballroom for the Council’s 50th anniversary gala Oct. 2, Speliakos nodded: “We are all on the same wavelength.”

Speliakos was referring to an idea the Archbishop had drawn from Isocrates after offering the invocation: that Greek identity rests on shared education and culture, not ancestry alone. “The Greeks are the seedbed of Western civilization,” the Archbishop said, emphasizing that the Hellenic inheritance could be shared by anyone who embraced its ideals. In that spirit, Alpha Omega “welcomes one and all,” he said, citing a condensed version of Isocrates’ words inscribed on the Gennadius Library in Athens: “Those who partake of our culture are called ‘Greeks.’”

The black-tie gala opened a three-day anniversary weekend. Co-chairman Bill Galatis welcomed guests, and Dr. Vivian Paraskevi Douglas and Peter Costarakis performed the national anthems of Greece and the United States. The master of ceremonies was John Metaxas, who joined CNN in 1994 and anchored several of its financial news programs, including “Your Money.”

Peter Agris, publisher of The Hellenic Chronicle, founded the Council in 1976 to bring Greek American professionals together for fellowship and good works. Its 10 incorporators, the Council’s anniversary film recalls, were sons of the boys who came over in the early 1900s: doctors, judges, scientists and government officials at the height of their careers. “There was an auspicious beginning to this wonderful endeavor, and the Omega point is not even yet on the horizon,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said.

“Fifty years ago, a handful of visionaries had an idea, and tonight that idea fills this room,” said Harry J. Vlachos, whose term as the Council’s 38th president ended two days before the gala. Today the Council hosts Greek Heritage Night with the Boston Red Sox, a golf classic and a student essay contest on the Battle of Marathon, and helps crown Boston Marathon winners.

The custom dates to the early 1930s, when George C. Demeter, a Greek American state legislator, took it upon himself to meet the winners at the finish line with laurel wreaths from Greece. Agris, then-Gov. Michael Dukakis and others made it official in 1984. Since then, Greece’s consulate in Boston and the Council have supplied olive wreaths cut in Marathon, Greece, for the men’s and women’s champions in the running and wheelchair divisions.

Metropolitan Methodios of Boston thanked individual Alpha Omega members for their generous contributions to the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in New Hampshire, including its chapel, cafeteria, soccer field and new indoor sports facilities.

The Founders’ Award went to Nancy Agris Savage, the founder’s daughter. A former senior House Foreign Affairs Committee aide, she succeeded her father at The Hellenic Chronicle. The paper was “like the sibling that got all the attention,” she said. Her father met her mother, a disc jockey, while buying an ad on a small Greek radio show in New Hampshire. Each of us, she said, is “a living museum of the immigrants who came here for a better life.” She is now leading the newspaper’s digitization project, which received early support from the Alpha Omega council.

Boston University received the Philhellene Award, which honors champions of Hellenism, Greek or not. Kelly Polychroniou, head of BU’s Modern Greek language program, accepted it for President Melissa L. Gilliam, who could not attend. She noted that in 1877, Boston University awarded Helen Magill White a Ph.D. in Greek, making her the first woman to earn a Ph.D. from an American university. BU is now working with the University of Athens on semester and yearlong study there, she said.

Telemachus “T.A.” Demoulas, a fourth-generation member of Market Basket’s founding family, received the Emerging Leader Award. His great-grandfather Athanasios, he said, landed in New York on St. Patrick’s Day and took the celebrations for a welcome meant for the Greeks. They honored the patron saint of the Irish. Athanasios went back to Greece in 1912 for the First Balkan War, then returned and settled in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1917 he and his wife, Efrosini, both from Kalambaka, Greece, opened Demoulas Market, a small grocery specializing in lamb. It stood in the Acre, a neighborhood first settled by Irish canal workers and later known as Lowell’s Greektown.

The store made it through the Great Depression largely on credit. Demoulas said his great-grandfather credited the immigrant neighbors who came in every day, the French, the Irish and the Greeks, with keeping it open. The Irish, it turned out, had welcomed him after all. His grandfather and namesake, Telemachus, left high school as a sophomore to help save the store from foreclosure. It grew into Market Basket, one of New England’s largest grocery chains.

The Peter Agris Memorial Awards, which Agris Savage has run for more than 30 years, have given nearly $1 million to students. This year’s recipients are Fotini Anastopoulos, Christian Andriolas, Tyler Davis, Maria Manousakis, Calista Sybrant and Theodora Tsevas. “I think that at a time when our democracy is in peril and the concept of truth is under attack, your young journalists here give me hope that things can be better for the future,” Metaxas said, wishing them “the courage to pursue the truth.”

Greek singer Konstantinos Argiros was also honored. The next night, he drew an impressive crowd to BU’s Agganis Arena for his Boston concert debut.

Speliakos promised a more visible Council that reaches beyond its own events. He called for closer work with educators, universities and cultural institutions, and a greater role for younger leaders. “Our heritage is extraordinary, but heritage survives only when it is shared,” he said.

The post Alpha Omega Council turns 50, with a nod to Isocrates appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

Following a successful inaugural gathering in Boca Raton this past March, The Chant Stand will host its second annual Young Aspiring Chanters (YAC) Conference October 23–25, 2026 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas. 

Open to all Orthodox Christians ages 18–35, regardless of jurisdiction or prior experience, YAC offers three days of instruction in Byzantine chant, worship and fellowship. Participants will study under Protopsaltes Samuel Herron, Joshua Boyd and Peter Elgohary. 

On Saturday evening, The Chant Stand and the Holy Trinity Young Adult League will host a Glendi of dinner and dancing, open to participants and Orthodox young adults from the wider community. 

The weekend will conclude Sunday, October 25, with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver and chanted entirely by conference participants. 

The inaugural conference, held at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, drew more than 40 young men and women from across the country, many of whom had never chanted before. The conference was held under the spiritual guidance of Father Mark Leondis of Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church. Since then, several participants have returned to their home parishes inspired to take their place at the analogion and to continue growing in this tradition. 

“Boca exceeded everything we hoped for,” said Sam Atalis, co-founder of The Chant Stand. “We’re finding that young Orthodox Christians want to take part in this tradition, and to do it alongside others who share that desire. YAC is meant to be that first step — but also a community to keep coming back to, whether you’re just beginning or continuing to grow in this art form.” 

For those who wish to continue their education, YAC also serves as a gateway to more advanced study through programs including the Trisagion School of Byzantine Music, among others. 

Registration for YAC is $200 and closes October 18. Glendi tickets are available as an add-on at registration. Register now at thechantstand.org/yac/register. 

About The Chant Stand 

The Chant Stand is an Orthodox Christian nonprofit co-founded by Sam Atalis and Andreas Stamatakis, members of Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida. Dedicated to preserving the sacred art of Byzantine chant and passing it on to the next generation, The Chant Stand serves as an accessible entry point for young Orthodox Christians who feel called to this tradition. The Chant Stand is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit thechantstand.org or email [email protected]. 

The post Young Aspiring Chanters Conference to make return in Dallas appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

As he received an honorary doctorate at the University of Chichester on September 16, 2026, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered the new graduates of the university, and the world at large, a series of powerful and deeply compelling reflections upon the true nature of freedom and the principles that should guide one’s choices in life.

Speaking to the graduates movingly about his own youth, His All-Holiness stated: “We too, my own generation, were once young, and we lived through the contradictions of our society, its challenges, but also its positive prospects, its disappointments and its hopes.”

His All-Holiness explained that “youth is a period of intense inner crisis for the human person, and the soul of the young person is a sensitive seismograph of developments. The crisis of youth, which is ‘normal’ from an anthropological perspective, is intensified by the external circumstances of each age. Today especially, you young men and women face unprecedented developments in the field of scientific knowledge, momentous changes in the course of history, and continuous ‘digital leaps.’”

His All-Holiness said that like himself and the young people of his age, “you too, the promising young men and women of today, are called to build your present and your future within a civilization which you did not yourselves create.” He admonished the graduates, and all young people, not to neglect the most important questions regarding the meaning of life itself. “Amid the turmoil of human affairs,” he said, “no human being—and certainly not you, young men and women—can push away the ultimate questions about the meaning of existence, about life and death, about happiness and misery, about right and wrong, about good and evil, about the perplexities of our freedom.”

Reminding the graduates that “the human being is not merely a biological entity, nor merely a citizen of the world,” His All-Holiness stated that the human being “is a spiritual being with an exalted vocation. The underestimation or rejection of spiritual values and traditions has gravely negative consequences for every dimension of personal and social life.” He observed that “the fascination with technological achievements leads to the identification of development with technological progress,” and noted also that “the growth of scientific knowledge does not keep pace with the development of the moral sensibilities of the human person.”

This, His All-Holiness, explained, demonstrated the need for religion. “Religion,” he said, “remains of critical importance for contemporary man” because in an age in which the ‘existential vacuum’ is a global phenomenon, amid the pervasive anthropological confusion and the mutually contradictory proposals for the meaning of life, religion is the answer to the ultimate questions of human existence, which stir our minds and souls.” He pointed out that “we cannot imagine a human being who does not ask about the meaning of his life. Religion constitutes ‘a constant of human existence,’ while the suppression of the religious need and its expression provokes profound alienations in the human person.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch also said that “religion is of central importance not only for the personal orientation of life, but also for the identity of peoples and cultures. This became particularly evident at the end of the twentieth century when, after the fall of the Eastern Bloc, the religious self-awareness of its peoples, repressed for decades, re-emerged. Atheist ideology and prohibitions failed to uproot a religious identity bound up directly with the cultural distinctiveness of those peoples. A wholly secularised society, cut off from its religious roots, cannot possibly preserve its humanistic orientation.”

His All-Holiness also pointed out another neglected and often overlooked fact that demonstrates the importance of religion: “Within religious traditions, the greatest achievements of civilization and of particular cultures, their fundamental values, and their ordering of those values were born, shaped, and preserved. With the religions is bound up the great spiritual heritage of humanity. Nothing of significance in the course of human history can be understood without regard to its religious roots. Whatever is most precious among the things that peoples have preserved is connected with their religion or religions. Religious treasures and artefacts fill museums; the religiosity of peoples reveals central aspects of their culture.”

Another “essential function of religion,” His All-Holiness stated, “is its peacemaking power and mission. From Professor Hans Küng comes the phrase: ‘No peace among the nations without peace among the religions. No world peace without peace among the religions. No peace among the religions without dialogue among the religions.’”

“No one can deny,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch, “that today we are living through a profound ‘crisis of freedom.’” He observed that “individual and collective life has become, for the human being, more demanding and more difficult.” Amid these difficulties, “the central question of human existence is the understanding and use of our freedom. Unfortunately, it is proclaimed today with a loud voice that freedom is ‘the art of avoiding commitment.’ The impression has been skillfully planted in our young people that commitment means adaptation to outdated patterns of life, confinement within obsolete schemes. Freedom is very widely identified with the possibility of choice. Yet the truth of our freedom is judged not by the fact that we choose, but by what we choose. The issue that remains is the linking of freedom with responsibility. Freedom understood as responsibility is Ariadne’s thread, which leads us out of our intricate existential labyrinths.”

In line with this understanding of freedom, His All-Holiness told the graduates: “Studying the concept of freedom as autonomy, in the Kantian sense, I came to understand that autonomous freedom does not mean doing whatever I desire; it is not to be identified with a self-sufficient and arrogant self-determination, but is obedience to the moral law, which is the foundation of human dignity, that is, of the absolute worth of the human person. As Kant makes clear, what befits the human being is not the attitude of the arrogant volunteer, who has no need of the idea of duty in order to do good since he does it of his own inclination and initiative, but the attitude of indebtedness and obligation.”

The insight of this philosopher coincided with those of Saint Paul: “We recall here the great theologian of freedom, the Apostle Paul, according to whom the renewal of the human being in Christ is, and is experienced as, liberation and freedom. Freedom, which is a gift from above and not a human achievement, is expressed as the indissoluble unity of faith in God and love for one’s fellow human being, one’s brother.”

His All-Holiness explained that “these two aspects of freedom, the philosophical and the Christian, with their differences but also with their common character as a refusal of the self-deification of the human being and as absolute commitment, together form a robust existential possibility for the creative combination of the identity of the contemporary responsible and free human being with the quality of the believer.” Accordingly, His All-Holiness concluded: “The human being ‘honored with freedom’ has a higher destiny than simply to do ‘whatever he wants.’”

May we all prove worthy of this immense responsibility and honor.

The post Ecumenical Patriarch: Freedom is more than ‘doing whatever you want’ appeared first on Orthodox Observer.