ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! Christ Is Risen!

Transcript

1 MAY 2015 Vol. 80 No $1.00 In THIS ISSUE ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! Christ Is Risen! Santiago Calatrava design St. Nicholas Shrine National Philoptochos Board members visit the site of St. Nicholas National Shrine. New President Fr. Chris Metropulos has been elected HCHC president. P. 5 P. 2 Holy Synod Issues statement on tragic events in Middle East and Africa. P. 3 Marriage Statement Hierarchs issue statement reaffirming marriage. P. 4 Dimitri Panagos photos Metropolis and Parish courtesy photos Hierarchs of the Archdiocese officiated in a combined total of more than 150 services from the Saturday of Lazarus to Palm Sunday. Holy Week service photos from around the Archdiocese present Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane and Bishop Sevastianos of Zela. Feeding the hungry Bishop Sevastianos speaks with a beneficiary of the National Philoptochos new program. P. 7 High tech service A drone gives bird s-eye view of New York church consecration. P. 28

2 2 To contact National Ministries Archives Communications Greek Education Internet Ministries Inter Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Ionian Village Marriage & Family Parish Development Philanthropy Public Affairs Registry Religious Education Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism Youth and Young Adult Ministries NEXT DEADLINE Deadline for submitting information, articles and photos for consideration in the June 2015 issue: Friday, May 22 Photos should be sent as a large format.jpg attachment (300 dpi min.). to: jim@goarch.org Regular mail: Editor, Orthodox Observer, 8 E. 79 th St., New York, NY USPS ISSN In 2015, published monthly except February March and July August by the Greek Ortho dox Archdiocese of America. Editorial and Business Offi ce: 8 East 79 th Street, New York, NY TEL.: (212) FAX (212) EDITOR IN CHIEF Jim Golding (Chryssoulis) GREEK SECTION EDITOR Eleftherios Pissalidis PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING Eleftherios Pissalidis GRAPHIC ARTIST Abel Montoya ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Soula Podaras ARCHDIOCESE NEWS by Fr. Evagoras Constantinides How to Contact Archdiocesan Institutions, Metropolises and Related Agencies and Organizations Direct Archdiocesan District ; Metropolis of Chicago ; Metropolis of Boston ; Metropolis of Denver ; Metropolis of Atlanta ; Metropolis of Detroit ; Metropolis of Pittsburgh ; Metropolis of San Francisco ; Metropolis of New Jersey ; Archdiocesan Institutions Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity BUSINESS MANAGER Marissa P. Costidis C O N T R I B U T I N G P H O T O G R A P H E R S : Dimitrios Panagos Nicholas Manginas Tel ; Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology ; Saint Basil Academy ; St. Michael s Home ; St. Photios National Shrine ; Other key organizations and services National Philoptochos ; Internet Ministries: Orthodox Jobs: Orthodox Marketplace: Online Store for Parishes: freebookstore Orthodox Children s Bible Reader Online: cbr.goarch.org Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. The Orthodox Observer is produced entirely in house. Past issues can be found on the Internet at: e mail: observer@goarch.org Articles and advertising do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which are expressed in official statements so labeled. Subscription rates are $12 per year. Canada $25. Overseas Air Mail, $55 per year. $1.50 per copy. Subscriptions for the membership of the Greek Orthodox Church in America are paid through their contribution to the Archdiocese. Of this contribution, $5 is forwarded to the Orthodox Observer. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: ORTHODOX OBSERVER, 8 East 79 th Street, New York, NY MAY 2015 Fr. Christopher Metropulos Elected HCHC President NEW YORK The Archdiocese and HCHC announced on May 1 the election of the Rev. Fr. Christopher T. Metropulos, as the next president of Hellenic College Holy Cross. The announcement noted: Following a rigorous search process that began in October 2014, the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology (HCHC) today, May 1, 2015, voted unanimously to elect the Rev. Fr. Christopher T. Metropulos as the next president of the institution, in succession of the current president, the Rev. Fr. Nicholas C. Triantafilou, who after a 15 year tenure will retire at the end of June. Fr. Metropulos has been serving since 1989 as senior pastor of St. Demetrios Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He holds a BA from Hellenic College, a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Fr. Metropulos founded and has successfully directed OCN (Orthodox Christian Network, a radio and internet ministry) and is currently its executive director. He has served as HCHC dean of admissions and in other official capacities including: Archdiocesan representative to the UN and US Missions, Archdiocesan Council, assistant regional director of Leadership 100, and Archdiocesan Presbyter s Council The Traveling Retreat Ministry of Ionian Village IV On-the-Go, the traveling retreat ministry of the Office of Ionian Village has completed its second year of innovative programming. The purpose of IV On-the-Go is to give many young people a taste of the unique and interactive approach to youth ministry that is nurtured each summer at Ionian Village. Each retreat is led by Nicholas Savas, the Office of Ionian Village director of programs, along with a group of experienced Ionian Village alumni staff members. Over the past two years, IV On-the-Go has been able to extend the Ionian Village experience to more than 1,000 young FR. CHRISTOPHER T. METROPULOS president for two consecutive terms. In addition to being a protopresbyter of the Archdiocese, he is also protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne. Finding a new president at this particular time was challenging indeed, due to the remarkable accomplishments and tenure of our retiring president, Fr. Triantafilou, who has become the longest serving president in the history of HCHC, said Dr. Thomas C. Lelon, Presidential Search Committee chairman and Board of Trustees vice chairman. The search process began with the formation of a seven-member Presidential Search Committee (PSC), in accordance with HC Inc. bylaws. The process yielded 41 highly qualified candidates. The field was people in the Archdiocese. IV On-the-Go is a vital youth ministry for three main reasons: it brings the Ionian Village experience to young campers who may never get an opportunity to attend Ionian Village, it offers our clergy and parish youth workers another outlet and tool to engage with their youth, and it actively gives our young adult alumni a way to stay connected not only to Ionian Village, but to youth ministry in our Archdiocese. For the upcoming year ( ) we have received a generous grant from Leadership 100 to continue this program at no cost to our parishes. The Office of Ionian Village, along with its staff, campers and all the future young narrowed to 36 and, following continuous assessment, the number was reduced to 22, ending with eight semi-finalists. At the end of March, these eight were interviewed for two days off-campus by the PSC. After careful evaluation, the PSC selected two finalists who were invited for on-campus visits April They interacted with a cross section of HCHC s constituents, including: Archbishop Demetrios, trustees, HCHC faculty members, senior administrators, student representatives, and Alumni Association representatives. After a final, intensive review by the PSC and the Executive Committee, they forwarded their unanimous nomination of Fr. Metropulos to the trustees, who held a special meeting on May 1, and unanimously elected him as the next president. In announcing the election, Archbishop Demetrios said, I kindly ask for prayers and support for the president-elect, and I express the need to work by any and all possible means to continue the very important legacy of the retiring president Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou. I strongly believe that by the contribution of all and the help of God, Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology will reach new levels of spiritual enhancement and academic achievement. people that will be engaged in this program, thanks them. The following statement from a program participant underscores its great value and purpose: As a youth director who emphasizes the importance of going to camp, bringing IV-On-the-Go to St. Demetrios was one of the best experiences for our youth here because they got to have a full camp experience right here at their home parish. With all of their staff that attend each retreat, they are able to have a high energy full day of camp. It s inspiring that each of their staff members are from different parts of the country that have their own jobs, their own lives, and take their time to share their faith and how it plays an important role within their lives even at an age where faith gets thrown to the side, Sampson Kasapakis, youth coordinator at St. Demetrios Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. said. This year we traveled to: Metropolis of Atlanta Winter Youth Rally, Metropolis of Denver Southern Region Goya Retreat, All Saints Camp, Seattle; St. Paul Church, North Royalton, Ohio; St. Demetrios Church, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; St. Andrew Church, Chicago; Holy Cross Church, Belmont, Calif., and Holy Trinity Holy Cross Church, Birmingham, Ala. For more information about this exciting ministry and to have IV On-the-Go visit your parish, Change of Address To submit a change of address: Contact Soula Podaras at spodaras@goarch.org fax: Or regular mail to: Orthodox Observer, 8 E. 79 th St., New York, NY Be sure to include old address, new address and name of parish. Questions about submitting news and photos: Jim Golding (212) ; jim@goarch.org For advertising or the Greek section: Lefteris Pissalidis, (212) ; lefteris@goarch.org

3 MAY 2015 ARCHDIOCESE NEWS 3 Announcement of the Holy Eparchial Synod NEW YORK The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America convened for its regular spring meeting at the Synodal Chamber of the Archdiocesan headquarters in New York on April 20th, 21st and 22nd, Archbishop Demetrios presided at the meeting with the participation of Synod members. The Synod deliberated extensively on many matters including the following: 1) The Holy Synod discussed the progress of the publication of the text of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in Greek and English, which has been approved by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This publication will be available very soon and it will serve the liturgical needs of the parishes of the Archdiocese; it will be comprised of two volumes, one for clergy, which will include liturgical rubrics, and one for the faithful (pew edition). 2) The Holy Synod worked on the English translation of the Regulations for Spiritual Courts of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which (Greek text) has been approved by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In addition the Synod deliberated and decided on disciplinary matters regarding clergy. Furthermore, the Synod discussed the problems faced Holy Synod Issues Statement on Tragic Events in North Africa, Middle East NEW YORK The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, that convened for its regularly scheduled spring meeting, Apr , issued the following statement regarding recent tragic events in North Africa and the Middle East. Every day we learn of people s suffering throughout the world and it is easy to become desensitized to the pain and affliction caused in various circumstances and in manifold contexts: Hundreds of migrants have just drowned in the Mediterranean as they innocently sought shelter, even as others exploited their vulnerability. Thousands have been massacred in Syria, Yemen and throughout many nations of the Middle East as power and greed turn a blind eye to blameless civilians seeking to survive or escape. Untold numbers are unknown victims of sectarianism, discrimination and exclusion both in their own countries like Nigeria and Zimbabwe or in neighboring regions like Libya and South Africa. Such conflict and bloodshed is not restricted to the Middle East and Africa but also wreaks havoc in Europe, with hostilities in Ukraine. Before such ongoing horrific acts of brutality, wrought by brother against brother throughout the world, we will not remain silent, but raise our voices in solidarity and prayer. As Saint Paul reminds us, If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor ). Therefore, we express our concern and compassion for the situation of Christians in Egypt and Northern Africa as well as in Iraq, Syria and the by clergy families as well as the challenges of the clergy in their ministry and ways to address them. 3) The Synod discussed a variety of administrative subjects regarding parishes and Holy Monasteries of the Holy Archdiocese. Special discussion ensued on the needs of small parishes. 4) The Holy Synod approved to support a text prepared by Religious Leaders in America, for safeguarding the institution of Marriage. The Synod also discussed the noticeable increase of violence in our times worldwide, and especially the targeting and expulsion of Christians in traditionally Christian countries and elsewhere. Special emphasis was given to the kidnappings and murders in cold blood of Christians in areas of the Middle East and Africa. On this matter the Holy Synod issued a special statement. 5) There was a full briefing and discussion on the progress of the election of the new President for Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology. The Synod also deliberated on offering training opportunities to ministry leaders of the parishes of the Holy Archdiocese. The three-day meeting of the Synod concluded in the afternoon of Wednesday, April 22. entire Middle East. We express our support for their right to remain and flourish in their homelands. And we condemn every form of oppression and violence against all human beings, irrespective of racial origin, ethnic background or religious conviction. We are appalled by the discrimination and brutality against people of every religion, but especially against Christians kidnapped and indiscriminately slaughtered. We recall with profound sorrow the disappearance two years ago, during this very period after the celebration of the Lord s Resurrection, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi (brother of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch) and the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, both of Aleppo, Syria, who were kidnapped by Islamist militants during a joint philanthropic mission in the region. We continue to pray for their safe return among us. Moreover, we profoundly grieve over the very recent loss of the Ethiopian and Coptic Christians callously beheaded by Islamic extremists in Libya. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has always welcomed our Ethiopian and Coptic brethren in our communities throughout this country. We share in their loss and mourning at such unjustifiable events. May God s mercy serve as balm for their wounds and bring healing to their communities. We urge the faithful of our Archdiocese and all people of good will to keep our suffering brothers and sisters in their prayer. And May the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you (2 Thess 3.16). Dimitrios Panagos photo Vice President Biden and President Obama greet Archbishop Demetrios. White House Welcomes Archbishop, Greek Officials for Independence Day Event by Stavros H. Papagermanos WASHINGTON We believe in the Resurrection and therefore any impasse can be overcome, said Archbishop Demetrios at the annual White House Greek Independence Day celebration, hosted by President Barack Obama on Thursday, April 16. This was the 29 th consecutive celebration at the White House honoring the anniversary of the start of the Greek War for Independence on March 25, President Barack Obama and Vice- President Joe Biden met in private with Archbishop Demetrios in the Green Room, just prior to the public event, which started in the East Room of the White House around 5:15 p.m., and was attended by approximately 400 guests representing the Greek American community. Vice President Biden offered introductory and welcoming remarks emphasizing the strong bonds with the Greek American Orthodox community and the many important contributions of Hellenism to the United States. He then introduced President Obama and Archbishop Demetrios. The Archbishop in his remarks thanked the president for the unique opportunity of the White House celebration and for his Presidential Proclamation for Greek Independence, of March 24, 2015 ( and he specifically emphasized that: We believe in the Resurrection, therefore, any impasse in Near, Middle or Far East can be overcome. We believe in the Resurrection, therefore, violent conflicts in Africa can be eradicated. We believe in the Resurrection, therefore, the issues of the Religious Freedom of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, the persisting Cyprus tragic division, the financial crisis in Greece and the continuous dispute over Ordinations to the Diaconate Collins, Joseph (Ryan), by Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, Church of Our Saviour, Rye, NY 03/25/15 Ordinations to the Priesthood Dn. Christopher Xanthos, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, Annunciation Cathedral, Houston 03/25/15 Offikia Fr. Christos Talleos, Office of CLERGY UPDATE the name of FYROM, can be successfully confronted and resolved. We believe in the Resurrection, therefore, the painful dark issues of human trafficking, racism and violence of all sorts can be drastically eliminated. (full text of Archbishop s remarks at: President Obama welcomed everyone with the Greek greeting Kalispera!, and acknowledged the great support of the Greek American Community over the years saying your friendship means everything to us. He thanked Archbishop Demetrios and said the Archbishop has been a great friend ever since he came into office as president. He noted that this is the second time he and the Archbishop meet this month and the third time in the last six weeks. The president made particular reference to the anniversary events in Selma and the participation of Archbishop Demetrios and his predecessor Archbishop Iakovos who stood by the side of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights struggles of Finally, the president expressed his continued support for Greece during the economic crisis it is facing, concluding with the well-known Greek declaration Zeto e Hellas!. Present among the many guests at the White House were the Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis, the regional governor of Attica Rena Dourou, the Ambassadors of Greece to the United States Dimitrios Panagos photos Christos Panagopoulos and of Cyprus George Chacalli, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, many members of Congress, U.S. government officials and dignitaries. View photos at: Economos, bestowed by Archbishop Demetrios 03/15/15 Fr. Evangelos Evangelidis, Office of Economos, bestowed by Archbishop Demetrios 03/24/15 Fr. Demetrios Tagaropulos, Office of Economos, bestowed by Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver 03/25/15 Sabbaticals Fr. Kosta Petrogeorge 04/01/15

4 4 Assembly of Bishops Committee to Address Important Issues by Chrysanthe Loizos Can Orthodox weddings be celebrated on Saturdays? Are group confessions permissible? How are catechumens prepared for reception into the Church? The answers to these questions and others depend on which Orthodox jurisdiction you call home. While there are vast areas of agreement in the Orthodox Church, there are variations in practice across jurisdictions in the United States as pertain to baptism, marriage, confession and other sacraments of the Church. As the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America strives to manifest the unity of Orthodoxy, it is necessary to develop a common understanding among its member bishops regarding pastoral practice. Such is the goal of the Committee for Pastoral Practice (CPP), one of 14 Assembly committees. The CPP is responsible for identifying the differences and inconsistencies among the various jurisdictions in their exercise of sacramental and pastoral praxis and for proposing models for resolution consistent with canonical practice. Metropolitan Joseph (AOCA) is the committee chairman. Members include Bishop Sevastianos (GOA), Bishop Theodosy (ROCOR), and Bishop Mark (OCA). Seventeen consultants, a facilitator and liaison serve the committee. The work of this committee is very important, said Metropolitan Joseph, since it helps us to fulfill the command of St. Paul to the elders of the Church: Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). This is the spirit with which we pursue this task, for the building up of the Holy Orthodox Church in this land. The first part of the committee s task identifying the practices currently in use and establishing comparative lists has been completed. The committee began its work in 2011 by identifying 11 fields of pastoral practice to be surveyed. The committee requested, from each jurisdiction, the official written procedures for each of these fields. Analysis of the documents revealed that many jurisdictions have no centrally articulated, official, written policy for certain fields of pastoral practice. With that information, the committee decided to focus on six areas where NEW YORK A few days before the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the rights of states to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, more than 30 religious leaders representing tens of millions of US citizens from diverse faith communities throughout the United States have reaffirmed their shared commitment to marriage and religious freedom. An open letter entitled The Defense of Marriage and the Right of Religious Freedom: Reaffirming a Shared Witness was issued to all in positions of public service on April 23. Archbishop Demetrios of America, chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA, signed the open letter on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod. He was joined by other religious leaders, including Archbishop ARCHDIOCESE NEWS adequate documentary data could be gathered: baptism, chrismation and conversion; marriage; confession/communion; holy unction/anointing; funerals and memorials. A matrix of topics for each area of practice was developed and then a questionnaire sent to the chanceries of each member jurisdiction of the Assembly. The questionnaire had two purposes: to give all jurisdictions the opportunity to verify the committee s findings, and to give each jurisdiction the opportunity to provide information that the committee was not able to discover from the documents it had collected. The committee now faces the final part of its assignment: where differences in practice do exist, to propose models for resolution that are consistent with canonical practice. To prepare for this formidable task the committee met at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pa., Nov. 3 5, One of the outcomes was the formation of six subcommittees that correspond with the six areas of practice. The subcommittees, led by a hierarch and comprised of consultants, are now revisiting areas of consensus and divergence and developing recommendations. The subcommittees will share their recommendations at an upcoming meeting with the goal of producing a final report with recommendations. The committee recognizes and desires that each subcommittee should be as broadly representative as possible, a microcosm of American Orthodoxy. With that in mind, the subcommittees will consult with others to ensure that all opinions are represented. One other outcome of the November meeting was the decision to simultaneously address the issue of infant loss (miscarriages) and infant death before baptism. In some churches, responses to these situations have been well developed, but universally accepted practices do not exist. A subcommittee on pregnancy and infant loss met at Antiochian Village March 12-14, and is preparing a guide for clergy, addressing basic medical information, pastoral care, advocacy, and suggested prayers and services. The committee plans to present the clergy guide to the full Assembly for review at its annual meeting in September. Ms. Loizos is communications officer of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America; E N C YC L I C A L To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On behalf of our Holy Eparchial Synod, I am writing to you in recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the falling asleep in the Lord of our beloved Archbishop Iakovos, late Archbishop of North and South America. This month is also the 56th anniversary of His Eminence s enthronement as Archbishop, and we have reflected on his legacy of leadership in the recent events marking the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Selma in which Archbishop With paternal love in Christ, MAY 2015 Ten Year Memorial for the Repose of Archbishop Iakovos Iakovos participated. In the ongoing ministry of our Holy Archdiocese and in the vitality of our witness of our Orthodox faith and Hellenic heritage, we continue to see the work and vision of Archbishop Iakovos through his many years of dedicated service to Christ and His Church. In memory of his life and service as a faithful shepherd of the people of God, I ask all of our parishes to conduct a 10-year memorial service on Sunday, April 26. In the joy and light of the Paschal Season, may we celebrate his inspiring life. May we continue to be inspired by the life and leadership of Archbishop Iakovos and honor his memory and example by building on the foundation of Christ a sacred and enduring work of faith and love. DEMETRIOS, Archbishop of Amer i ca Archbishop, Holy Synod Reaffirm Marriage, Religious Liberty Support Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage; and Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA). The Orthodox Church firmly believes that marriage is a sacred institution between one man and one woman and that the protection of religious freedom helps advance a stable and free society. It is our hope and prayer that this letter will inspire others, especially those in public service, to embrace these principles, said Archbishop Demetrios. Unfortunately, while not all circumstances make it possible for children to be raised by both a loving mother and father, we uphold that marriage as the union of one man and one woman offers the optimal environment for the birth and raising of children. For this reason, we strongly feel that both Church and society ought to labor together to strengthen the unique bond between husband and wife. The religious leaders stressed the need for civility and mutual respect, writing, Government should protect the rights of those with differing views of marriage to express their beliefs and convictions without fear of intimidation, marginalization or unwarranted charges that their values imply hostility, animosity, or hatred of others. The leaders closed with a statement of their duty and love towards all: In this and in all that we do, we are motivated by our duty to love God and neighbor. This love extends to all those who disagree with us on this issue. The Dimitrios Panagos photo Archbishop Demetrios presides over the Ten-Year Memorial Service for Archbishop Iakovos at Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral. To the right of the Archbishop is Bishop Philotheos of Meloa, a longtime friend of Archbishop Iakovos who served with him for many years. well-being of men, women, and the children they conceive compels us to stand for marriage as between one man and one woman. The letter is available at: www. goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/ ecumenical/marriage-and-religiousfreedom. Other official Orthodox Christian statements on marriage and sexuality can be found at: and scoba/ moral-crisis FOR MORE INFORMATION: Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides; Ecumenical Officer, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, (212) ; FrNathanael@goarch.org

5 MAY An Appeal Letter from Metropolitan Isaiah To the Reverend Clergy and Faithful Laity of the Metropolis of Denver Beloved in the Risen Christ Christ is Risen! The annual metropolis level St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival was held at Holy Trinity parish in Dallas, in March and saw 29 middle and high school students representing various parishes of the Metropolis beautifully express their faith, in their own words. One of the topics offered by the Archdiocese for this year s Festival invited speakers to reflect on the destruction and rebuilding of the St. Nicholas parish at Ground Zero in New York City. Despite the age of these young people and the fact that they do not have firsthand recollections of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, several felt compelled to choose this topic and to profoundly illustrate the importance of that church to all Orthodox Christians. On the basis of the invitation by the Archdiocese to members of all parishes throughout the country to contribute to the fundraising effort for the rebuilding of St. Nicholas, I feel it most appropriate to share some excerpts of their words with the faithful of the Metropolis of Denver. How many Christians must be killed? How many churches must be destroyed until we wake up and realize that even ours is threatened? In the last four years Boko Haram destroyed more than 1,000 Christian churches in Nigeria and martyred as many as 2,000 Christians in a single attack. In 2014, in a single week 30 churches were torched and demolished in Egypt. In Constantinople a church destroyed by militants was resolved by the Turkish government to be, and I quote, a pigsty. And we all know too well the plight of 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya. The forces of evil are spreading. On 9/11, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was crushed by the falling debris of the Twin Towers; Destroyed by the power of darkness. The icons of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos and Zoodochos Pege were found in its rubble. And in the midst of the ashes, the wreckage, the death and the destruction stood a plain, steel cross high above all else. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Shrine, Gov. Petaki said;...it will now be the Greek Orthodox Church that is the rock of faith that anchors all that is done here at Ground Zero..., we have remembrance, we have commerce, we have that rock. Orthodox Observer photo St. Nicholas site visit Following their meetings in New York on May 6, National Philoptochos Board members, toured the site of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. In the background are the lower portion of the 1,776-foot-high One World Trade Center (formerly the Freedom Tower) and other buildings of the WTC complex. Correction In the April issue, the first name of donor Stephen Cherpelis was misspelled. It is written with a ph, not with a v. To donate to the St. Nicholas National Shrine, make checks payable to: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Mailing Address: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 8 East 79 th St., New York, NY Dimitrios Panagos photo Scott and Debby Rechler with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, May Scott Rechler, a leading real estate management executive, is the vice chairman of the Port Authority s Board of Commissioners. He was so named on September 22, 2011 by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after being appointed to the Port Authority Board of Commissioners in June Scott Rechler is also a major donor to the St. Nicholas National Shrine. Mr. Rechler is well known in the real estate world of New York, as he is the CEO and Chairman of RXR Realty LLC ( RXR ), a leading real estate operating and investment company in the New York Tri State area. RXR is a private real estate company with expertise in investment management, property management, development, design, construction, leasing and financing. The company is one of the largest owners, managers, and developers in the New York Tri-State area with interests approximately $9.3 billion of assets under management comprised of 91 properties encompassing 20 million square feet. As a friend of the Greek Orthodox community, Mr. Rechler participated in the Apostolic Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in May of 2014 for the historic meeting of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. It was during this pilgrimage that Scott and his wife, Debby, made an extraordinary gift of $100,000 to the rebuilding of St. Nicholas. He cares deeply about the rebuilding of St. Nicholas, and spoke with the Orthodox Observer below. Q. Mr. Rechler: As vice chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, what is your take on the significance of the St. Nicholas Church being rebuilt at the new World Trade Center? A. St. Nicholas was the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11. Without its rebuilding, there would be a symbolic gap- Donor Profile Scott Rechler Vice Chairman of the Port Authority of NY & NJ ing hole in redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. Because the WTC is a sacred site, having St. Nicholas as a place of worship for all magnifies its spiritual importance. And its rebuilding is like the rest of World Trade Center bigger and better. Q. Even though you are not Greek Orthodox, you have made a substantial donation to the rebuilding St. Nicholas at Ground Zero. What inspired you about this project to make this commitment? A. What inspired me was the Greek Orthodox Community s endurance, commitment and enthusiasm as they pursued the rebuilding of St. Nicholas. Such a tremendous amount of focus and energy the efforts were relentless. All of this was very inspiring and motivating to me. I wanted to be part of it. Even though I am not Greek, the community has always treated me as an honorary Greek. Q. How do you feel about the design of Calatrava? A. The design, like all the architecture on the site, rises to the nearly dizzyingly high stature of the only house of worship to be in this special place. The architecture of St. Nicholas, its position on the site, its powerful presence almost becomes front door to the whole World Trade Center complex. Q. How do you see the inter-religious mission of understanding and mutual respect of St. Nicholas in the future? A. In my own spiritual experience, which is that of Judaism, the fundamental values that I have learned and shared are no different of those from many other traditions, even if they are expressed with different words. These values are the values of our nation, principles of freedom and of caring u to page 17

6 6 HCHC MAY 2015 Letter to the Editor Memorable coverage Editor, The page on Church History in the February-March issue of the Orthodox Observer with the riveting picture of MLK and our beloved Archbishop Iakovos brought me many memories. At that time my brother, the Very Rev. George Bacopulos, was chancellor of the Archdiocese and a close friend and confidant to Iakovos. As it happened, Iakovos had to convince staff members of the importance of this historic visit to Selma, in spite of the possible physical danger to himself.. I well remember my brother s recollections of the time spent in Selma, the march, and the subsequent photo-op, the bravery of our beloved Iakovos will never be forgotten. Thank you for your timely reminder to us all. Mrs. Cleo (Austin) Barret Nashua, N.H. Seminarians Visit Orthodox Observer photo Senior class members from HCHC came to Archdiocese headquarters in New York March 30-April 3 for their orientation visit before graduation. The group received information on the Church ministries, the departments of the Archdiocese and institutions including St. Michael s Home, the National Philoptochos and Saint Basil Academy. Other presentations included Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund and the Order of St. Andrew-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Shown with the group are Archbishop Demetrios, Bishops Andonios of Phasiane (left) and Sevastianos of Zela. FAITH Awards 64 Ionian Village Scholarships NEW YORK FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, awarded 64 financial aid travel grants to young people from all over the USA to attend Ionian Village through its Faith Ionian Village Travel Grants Program for the 2015 summer season. Recipients of the Faith Ionian Village Travel Grants will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Greece and learn more about their Hellenic heritage and Orthodox faith through visits to ancient sites, monasteries, and cultural institutions through Ionian Village. Camping Ministry Dimitrios Panagos photo Campers kneel for a prayer at Camp St. Paul s waterfront along the lake. The Success of Camp St. Paul In 2004 Archbishop Demetrios had a vision to create an Orthodox camping ministry for the youth of the Direct Archdiocesan District. By the grace of God, one year later, a site was found and His Eminence established Camp St. Paul, naming it after the Apostle to the Gentiles. With the guidance of the director, Fr. Elias Villis, the camp is now in its 11 th year of operation, with four week-long sessions accommodating 165 campers each week. Camp St. Paul continues to be the crown jewel of the Youth Office of the Direct Archdiocesan District. It is a wonderful and unique opportunity for our youth to experience Christ and our Orthodox faith alongside their friends, peers and mentors. It is truly remarkable to see the trans- formation that the campers undergo in just one week s time, they come in as strangers and leave as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are blessed to witness this every year. As His Eminence has stated, Nothing compares to summer camp one, two or three weeks at a summer camp might do more than a year in an ordinary teaching condition. All parents of the Direct Archdiocesan District with children ages 8 18 who are looking to send them to an Orthodox Christian camp for one, two, three, or even four weeks are invited to visit and watch the video. It will give a small glimpse of what it means to spend a week at the largest Greek Orthodox camp in the country.

7 MAY The Voice of Philoptochos National Philoptochos Officials Begin Feed the Hungry Program NEW YORK National President Maria Logus, Bishop Sevastianos of Zela, Consul of Greece Manos Koumparakis and several National Board members joined Direct Archdiocesan District President Jennifer Constantin and her team to alleviate hunger for approximately 100 individuals in the area of Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. This joint effort is organized to be held on the last Tuesday of each month which is the time when individuals and families face financial crisis as the money is depleted and food is needed desperately. The team gathered for its first effort in March on a cold, rainy night but was eager to provide a meal to the numerous guests who came for assistance. Despite the inclement weather, the fellowship warmed the atmosphere. Participating National Board members included Stella Fiorentino, Kalli Tsitsipas, Lily Katos and Georgia Vlitas, Feeding the Hungry program chairman, along with President Constantin, Past President Maria Skiadas and District Board members. Orthodox Observer photo Volunteers from the National Philoptochos and Direct Archdiocesan District Board, with spiritual advisor Bishop Sevastianos of Zela, serve several persons on West 33 rd Street near Penn Station. TEAM PREPERATION Each month, the Philoptochos team prepares the items and transports everything to the site where they double park and set up tables to serve the recipients from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. They receive hot chicken soup and coffee along with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bagels, granola bars, chocolate bars, clementines, juice, bottled water and other snacks. The team also distributes blankets, shirts, socks, undergarments, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The goal is to continue setting up and serving on West 33 rd Street until an indoor location is found where the team members can prepare entire meals for the guests to eat at tables. Metropolis of Detroit Chapters Practice Hands on Philanthropy Philoptochos members throughout the Metropolis of Detroit work tirelessly to assist those in need. Though they may never know those they help or how much they touch other s lives they understand the good work in their hearts and lives. Philoptochos makes a difference in people s lives whether it is working with community charities or meeting parish needs. An exemplary chapter is the Annunciation Philoptochos in Dayton, Ohio, that targets a different charity each month through its Community Care Ministry. Philoptochos WESTFIELD, N.J. Combining team work with a remarkable ability to promote a vision, Holy Trinity chapter in Westfield kicked off the National Philoptochos Initiative fund-raiser to build St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center with passion and determination. Having reached the chapter s $22,000 goal within four months, Holy Trinity serves as an example of what Philoptochos women can do when they act with love to support such a worthy cause. Through the noteworthy leadership of chapter President Penny Pefanis and her committee led by Chair- members team up with GOYA to support the St. Vincent Hotel for the Homeless by serving meals each month. GOYA also assists in collecting hats, mittens and other clothing items, which are given to local elementary schools during the holidays. Monetary donations from the community provide funds to support the school with uniforms for the students. This special outreach program is in its 12 th year of collaboration. Chapters, whether large or small, reach out in their community as the Annunciation Philoptochos in Muskegon, Mich., with 19 members that work in conjunction with a rehabilitation center near the church. The chapter hosted a pastitsio luncheon for their parish and women from the center helped serve. In return, the chapter donates part of the luncheon proceeds back to the center. St. Nicholas Philoptochos in Troy, Mich., joins together with the GOYA, Sunday School and parish council to make Palm Sunday crosses. During the day, the youth make sandwiches to take to food kitchens in the Detroit area. In the true ecumenical spirit, Annunciation chapter in Memphis partners with non Orthodox churches once a month for the More Than A Meal program, which provides meals to those in need. GOYA assists in serving the meals and offers assistance as needed. When a patron had difficulties with his cell phone during one of the meals, a GOYA member sat down with him and offered support. These are a few examples of how the Metropolis of Detroit chapters do God s work. NJ Metropolis Chapter Achieves Goal within 4 Months man Janet Zervakos O Sullivan, the chapter developed a plan to promote the Initiative. Anita Kartalopoulos, National Philoptochos legal advisor, gave an engaging video presentation to familiarize members with the national program. The committee then established a series of simple steps, including messages in the church bulletin, blasts, tools to illustrate progress toward the goal and recognize donors, and flyers that give donors the opportunity to make donations in recognition of holidays and personal milestones. A key element of the chapter s plan was to build a team comprised of board members, each with her own assignments. A personal invitation to contribute was designed and packaged together with the St. Nicholas Icon Card and Genesis of a Resurrection Pamphlet. This package was personally handed to each potential donor as a precursor to a heartfelt but simple conversation between women about the importance of the St. Nicholas building project, how it will be a national presence for Orthodoxy in the United States, and the significance it will make in the lives of all Americans. Metropolis Philoptochos President Anne Michals praised the work of the chapter, stating, The vitality and commitment of these dedicated ladies manifests itself in everything they do, but never more than in their simple, yet inspiring, promotion of the St. Nicholas National Shrine fundraising initiative. For information and resources, visit Holy Trinity Church photos Fr. Peter Delvizis meets with the Philoptochos Society Board prior to their March general meeting. St. Nicholas National Shrine Initiative Chairman Janet Zervakos O Sullivan and Holy Trinity chapter president Penny Pefanis display the sign indicating the chapter s 100 percent goal achievement.

8 8 Obituary MAY 2015 Specialists in Travel to Greece, Croatia, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Canary Islands, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Cyprus & Jordan Tailor made itineraries to any of our unique destinations. European Honeymoon & Wedding specialists. European Family Vacations. Customized European Group Travel. Specialists in Greek Orthodox groups to the Holy Land, St. Catherine s Monastery, Constantinople & Greece. JOIN US ON OUR SPECIAL GREEK ORTHODOX PILGRIMAGES: GREECE: Athens, Patra, Meteora, Mt. Athos & Salonika. Departing September 30 GREECE & TURKEY: Constantinople, Trabazon (Panagia Sumela), Salonika, Meteora, Ioannina, Corfu & Athens. Departing October 12 OR: Salonika, Mt. Athos, Constantinople & Cappadocia. Departing October 23 TURKEY & ITALY: Constantinople & Rome. Dept. Oct. 4 Visit us at: Newtown Ave. Long Island City, NY Tel.: (718) Toll Free: Fax: (718) info@cloudtours.com Stamatia Zembillas Stamatia Zembillas, age 86, the mother of Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, died April 7, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born and raised in Tarpon Springs, Fla, and most recently lived in Crown Point, Ind. Stamatia was the daughter of the late Savas and Kaliope Georgiades. In addition to Metropolitan Savas, she is survived by five other children: Charles Zembillas of Burbank, Calif. John (Dee Ann) Zembillas of Cedar Lake, Ind.; Kally (Tom) Miller of Billings, Mont., Demetri/Jim (Joyce) Zembillas of Crown Point, Ind.; Maria (Steve) Mallonee of St Louis; sister Mary (Peter) Sargologos of Placentia, Calif., sister-in-law Maria (Platsis) Zembillas of Crown Point. 12 grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, other relatives and a multitude of great friends both in Indiana and Tarpon Springs. Stamatia was preceded in death by her husband, Skevo (Steve) Zembillas, her parents Savas and Kaliope Georgiades, her sister, Olga Georgiades, brothers Charles Presvytera Maria (Mary) Constantina Vaporis GREENSBORO, N.C. Presvytera Mary Vaporis, widow of the late Fr. Nomikos Vaporis, died April 21, She was 86. She was born Aug. 13, 1929, the daughter of Constantine and Eftyhia Boukas Marantis, both natives of Greece. At the outbreak of World War II, her family moved to New York, where she graduated from George Washington High School in She and then attended the teachers college at St. Basil s Academy in Garrison, N.Y. In 1953, she married the late Rev. Dr. Nomikos Michael Vaporis. After a honeymoon in Greece they remained there for a year while her husband studied theology at the University of Athens. They lived again in Athens with their four children while her husband was doing his doctoral research. Returning to the United States they moved several times wherever they were called in their ministry, serving a number of different Greek Orthodox parishes, including those in Pittsburgh and Easton, Pa., Arlington, Mass., and Somersworth, N.H. They settled in Brookline, Mass., in a home on the campus of Hellenic College, while her husband served as professor and dean of Hellenic College, and then in Needham, Mass. Aside from her work as an accomplished painter, she taught art at the Hellenic American Academy in Lowell, Mass., and was very active in the Church. She studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, from which she received a diploma in She was an active member of the oldest art society in the United States, the Copley Society in Boston, where she had several solo exhibitions; other one woman shows were held at the Boston Visual Arts Union; the Watertown Art Society, Boston City Hall, Maliotis Cultural Center, Chelsea Library and the Canton Art Society. Over the years Mary s work was also shown in other galleries and museums throughout the country such as the Butler Institute of American Art, DeCordova Museum, San Bernardino Museum, the Embassy of Greece, Ogunquit Art Society, Brookline Art Center and the Consulate of Greece. In North Carolina she displayed work at the Marshall Gallery and the Frank Gallery. She received the John Singleton Copley Award and 1st prize at the Frank and Christo Georgiades and brother in law Jimmie Zembillas. Stam (as she was affectionately known) devoted her life to her family and her church. She was a member of Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Merrillville. She was a homemaker and worked with her husband, Steve, for many years at their grocery store Gold Coast Finer Foods in Gary, Ind. She was a member of St. Helen s Philoptochos Society and the Kalymniettes (part of the Kalymnian Society). She was a 20 year volunteer at Methodist hospitals, and also devoted many years volunteering at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Food Pantry collecting and distributing food to the community s needy families. Stam also taught Sunday School for many years at Sts. Constantine and Helen. Funeral services were held April 14 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral with Archbishop Demetrios officiating, along with Fr. Ted Poteres, cathedral dean, and the participation of many clergy. Memorial donations can be made to the Sts. Constantine and Helen Food Pantry. PRESVYTERA VAPORIS McGowan Gallery for her art work. Frequently returning to Greece, Mary loved to integrate images and themes from Greek and Orthodox Church life into her paintings. Some of her paintings can be viewed at: She also designed over 50 book covers published by Hellenic College and Themely Press. In 2006 Mary moved to Greensboro, N.C., where she became a member of the Dormition of the Theotokos Church. She was blessed with amazing friends and neighbors in her new community. Besides her brother, Zachary Marantis, of Harrison, NY, she leaves her sons Michael N. Vaporis, (Dr. Pearl Berman) of Indiana, Pa.; Dr. Constantine N. Vaporis (Maria Vaporis), a professor of history at University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Deacon John C. Vaporis (Patty Vaporis), a deacon and middle school library science teacher in Chelmsford, Mass.; and Theodora A. Vaporis, (Dr. Tom Schermerhorn) who practices in Greensboro; 11 grandchildren (Rachel, Irene, Michaela, Gabriel Aleydis, Dorothea, Nomikos, Kosmia, Romanos, Demetra, Sophia, Janse); and one greatgrandchild (Lunete). Besides her parents, her husband, the Rev. Dr. Nomikos Michael Vaporis, and her brother,george Marantis of Campbell, Ohio, preceded her in death. Funeral services were held at the Dormition of the Theotokos Church in Greensboro on April 25. Burial was in Needham, Mass., with Archbishop Demetrios officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the Rev. Nomikos and Presvytera Mary Scholarship Fund at Hellenic College, Brookline, Mass.

9 MAY Archons-National Retreat EBOLA CRISIS The Epidemic Wanes, But an Orphanage is Most Needed by Jim Golding NEW YORK Six months ago, the Rev. Dr. Archimandrite Themistocles (Fr. Themi) Adamopoulos was at the epicenter of one of the worst plagues in recent times the Ebola crisis that hit hard among the people of West Africa, especially the Republic of Sierra Leone, the poorest country in Africa, where he is based. He serves as vicar general of the Holy Archdiocesan District of Sierra Leone, under the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Guinea, which also includes the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and the Cape Verde Islands, all under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The disease, which Fr. Themi termed the new HIV, raged from Nigeria to Mali, but Sierra Leone, where he has served the small Orthodox Christian population the past six years, was especially hard-hit. The disease is native to the Congo and takes its name from the Ebola River. Of the nearly 10,900 deaths in West Africa since the first outbreak was reported on March 25, 2014, nearly 3,900 occurred in Sierra Leone, a nation of 6 million people and the size of Washington state in area. The outbreak reached its height in November and December, he said. There was a national lockdown and we couldn t move from one area to another. Symptoms include fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained hemorrhaging. Unless someone who contracts the disease (usually by direct contact with an already infected person) receives immediate medical help, death is likely. Carriers of the disease include bats and monkeys (the latter of which serves as part of the West African diet). By January and February the epidemic began to subside, though some deaths have continued to be reported through the first half of April. Ebola is still here but at a dramatically reduced level, Fr. Themi noted. We are now down to low single-digit casualties per day. Thank God the horror is over though, we cannot be completely relaxed about it here. Many parents have died and left thousands of children as orphans, Fr. Themi said. The question is, Who s going to take care of them? The situation was deemed safe enough On a visit to Archdiocese headquarters, Fr. Themi, wearing thick gloves, was interviewed at the Orthodox Observer on the final day of his 21-day quarantine. He was accompanied by Widtsoe T. Bastian, a Greek Orthodox Christian from Logan, Utah, who is writing a screenplay based on the priest monk s African ministry. for him to travel to the United States in March at the invitation of Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, spiritual advisor to the Order of St. Andrew Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and pastor of Dormition of the Theotokos Church in Southampton, N.Y. He invited him to address their national retreat on March and to serve as retreat master. Theme for the Lenten Retreat was The Salvific Social Gospel of the Orthodox Christian Church. Fr. Themi also spoke at other churches and organizations in the New York and Boston areas to solicit help in building an orphanage. He was accompanied by Fr. Peter Sourtizidis, of Clifton, N.J., a longtime friend. On March 18, the final day of his 21- day quarantine period, which also included 14 days in isolation, he spoke with the Orthodox Observer. During this period, he was required to wear thick gloves and making no human contact. If I don t get Ebola today, I m Ebola-free, he declared reassuringly. Fr. Themi also stated that no Orthodox Christians had contracted Ebola. In his presentations to the Archons, Fr. Themi presented gut wrenching videos that brought home the intense suffering taking place in West Africa. A lot of people don t want to take care of them (the orphans), fearing that they re carrying Ebola, but they re not, Fr. Themi told the Observer. My responsibility is to the orphans of the Ebola victims, he continued. We get a batch, then send them out for adoption. We can t take care of all of them at once, he said, emphasizing the urgency for building an orphanage. Right now they re living in the streets or with relatives. They live on a dollar a day. He added, In rare cases a relative may exploit a young girl. Promoting Education Fr. Themi, along with several volunteers, works from a headquarters compound in Freetown, the capital, where he has established a teachers college to train young men and women to become teachers at the early childhood and primary school levels.the compound also houses about 120 disabled homeless people. We could give out charity, he said, but it s better you train someone to earn their own money, instead of having them be dependent. He provides scholarships to those who are hopelessly out of cash, to attend the school. In addition, the priest-monk has founded two primary schools and a junior secondary Orthodox Christian school with about 1,600 students. In the suburb of Waterloo, he started an Orthodox Christian school with two sections kindergarten/nursery, the Light of the World Orthodox Nursery School, and a primary school. Enrollment is about 300 and he estimates it eventually will reach 600 students. I want to put Orthodox schools everywhere, he stated. The schools are non-profit. Children receive catechism training to take care of their spiritual needs. They have a chaplain who also holds vespers services, said Fr. Themi. Besides academic work, they re growing up in an Orthodox environment. Kids who grow up in the schools will be authentically The Back Story From Atheist, to Rocker, to Priest Monk The journey of Fr. Themistocles Adamopoulos has been a kind of round-theworld Odyssey. Leading the March Archons National Retreat, Fr. Themi answered several questions about his African ministry and particularly of his own background that brought him to this point. Born in 1945 in Alexandria, Egypt, he grew up speaking French at home. Coincidentally, French is the predominant language in West Africa. His parents fled Egypt with their family in 1954 with the rise of Arab nationalism under Nasser, and the threat it posed to foreigners and non Arab Egyptians. Many Egyptian Greeks either relocated to Greece, or to Australia. His parents considered moving to Brazil, but decided on Australia after receiving the fastest response to their request to immigrate. His father was an industrial chemist. As he grew to maturity, Themi Adams (he rejected his Greek name) drifted from the Church and became an atheist. Growing up under the liberal education system in Australia, even mentioning the name of Jesus was forbidden, he said in his personal recollections to the Archons. He said he had no affinity with the Church and was not interested in the Church as he was growing up. Also, Greeks in Australia were treated as second class citizens. I didn t want to identify with Greeks, he said. There were the underclass of society. In school he studied philosophies such as Marxism and the writings of the late 19 th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (who summed up his nihilistic views with the statement God is dead and espoused the theory of a superhuman race, which would later influence Adolph Hitler). I became a Marxist that was the mood of the time, he said. The Vietnam War was raging and I could see no reason for it; killing peasants in the fields. (Australia was one of the nations contributing military forces to the conflict). It reinforced in me the thinking that Christianity was not on the side of the poor or on the side of the people, he continued. The weapon of Marxists is the strike to create industrial unrest and bring down the establishment. He became one of the agitators in this effort and participated in demonstrations against the war. The last thing in the world I was thinking of was Jesus Christ, he re- Orthodox Observer photos Archon donation Following Fr. Themi s presentation at their national retreat, executive committee members of the Order of St. Andrew-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate presented him with a $10,000 donation to build an orphanage in Sierra Leone. (from left) Fr. Constantine Lazarakis, assistant pastor at Dormition Church in Southampton, Christopher Stratakis, Peter Skeadas, who organized the retreat; John Halecky Jr., Fr. Themi, James Fountas, Theodore Bozonelis, Alexander Pritsos and Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, spiritual advisor to the Archons and pastor of Dormition Church. For more information or to donate, visit Paradise KIDS 4 Africa, PK4A.com marked. I never thought it would happen that I would become a priest. This was the early to mid-1960s. He became involved in the counter-culture values espoused by Timothy Leary and others. Bob Dylan had a social message, he said, and I felt the need to drop out. Traditional bourgeous values were useless. He enrolled at Melbourne University in 1964 to work toward a Bachelor of Commerce degree, but took a two-year leave shortly afterward to start a rock band, The Flies. In their musical career, the band recorded several Top Ten hits, and, on concert tours across Australia, were the opening group for mega-stars such as Roy Orbison, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. When the Beatles came back from India and said We must meditate, the concept of religion was introduced into his life. Then it became cool to seek religion, but not Christianity, he continued. He went on a spiritual search and flirted with Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga and the Hare Krishnas, but soon rejected their message. I thought it was uncool to drink paint dripping from a statue of Krishna, he recalled. At the time he wore a cross, but as a fashion statement as did groups like Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, Fr. Themi said. He tried meditation, espoused by a guru from India. He was a 14 year old who claimed to be God and drove a Rolls Royce. The guru told him to remove the cross and Adams wandered why the cross was causing him problems. I started reconsidering the whole concept of the cross, of Jesus and the lordship of Christ, he said. But, because of his radicalism, he felt that something had to happen to kick me away from that. How would I break away, being a Christian was so uncool. Then he had a mystical encounter of Christ that he likened to St. Paul s Road to Damascus experience, but does not speak about it. He only says that If it didn t happen, I wouldn t be here. He continued, After that experience, I was convinced that Christ was real and took up the same zeal as I had for the past philosophers. It was difficult at the beginning, he admitted. All my cool friends abandoned me. It was then that he changed his name u to page 10 u to page 10

10 10 Epidemic Wanes, Orphanage Needed u from page 10 Orthodox. Also at Waterloo, a large dining hall is being built that will offer daily hot meals and a planned medical clinic will offer free medical services to any disabled person. The inspiration behind Fr. Themi s drive to build schools in West Africa is an 18 th century saint, Cosmas Aitolos, who traveled throughout Greece in the 1700s establishing schools. I use him as my mentor. He said If you build schools, they will build churches. To which Fr. Themi added his own axiom, A church without a school is not as good as a church with a school. Other concerns Sierra Leone and West Africa is a transition zone between Islam, the dominant faith in North Africa, and Christianity, which predominates in sub-saharan Africa. For the most part, relations with Muslims in his area are good, but the specter of Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group responsible for the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian school girls and for many killings in that country, is not far. Most recently, the group has established ties with ISIS. There is that threat, Fr. Themi said, but, up to now, it hasn t reached us. The Church in West Africa has a broader role in its ministry to the people, including dealing with homelessness, other diseases and, most notably, hunger. Speaking about the humanitarian efforts by all Christian Churches on the continent, he noted, If the Churches pull out of Africa, an estimated 40 million people would die within two months. In the Third World we are the niche that supplies and keep up the people. We are the ones who feed, clothe the people, give jobs and provide services. He called philanthropic activity one of the major functions of the Churches in the Third World. It s a priority of the church besides liturgical function. St. John Chrysostom said it is a greater miracle to feed the poor than to raise someone from the dead. The priest-monk was critical of a consequence of the Western lifestyle where food is left uneaten and thrown away. On an annual basis, One third of the food casually thrown away can feed one billion people, he told the Archons. Fr. Themi said a single mother with five children and little or no money has to make choices and this extends to deciding whether to care for a child with a serious illness, such as polio. Polio in West Africa is considered a curse, he said. West Africa is the home of voodoo (there known as juju ) and many believe if you have polio you have been struck by a curse or a snake has bitten you. In the 1970s and 80s there was little vaccine available against polio and some suspected that the introduction of the polio vaccine was a CIA plot to limit population growth, he explained. As a consequence it was a logical choice for a mother to abandon a child with polio and that child would crawl into the city, find other polio victims and live by begging. We need to be understanding and not judgmental, he stated. One other obstacle he faces hasn t prevented him from energetically pursuing his multi-faceted Archons MAY 2015 The map depicts the African Transition Zone that cuts across the region of West Africa, indicating a division between Islam and Christianity and between the Sahara Desert and the tropics. This diversity in religion and climate is usually exhibited with a north/south division. Islam is the dominant religion on the north side of the African Transition Zone; Christianity is more dominant to the south. The two religions often clash in the areas where they meet. Traditional beliefs and animist religions are also practiced in the African Transition Zone. From Atheist, to Rocker, to Priest-Monk u from page 10 back to Themistocles Adamopoulos. Looking back on his atheist days, playing in a rock group with 100,000 kids attending their concerts, opening for Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones, and partying with Mick Jagger, I tell you right now it s meaningless. For a long time after his conversion, he never discussed that part of his life. I was driven by guilt, shame for what happened in the past. I was doing a kind of penance, trying to please God. I m so sorry for my past. He continued, There is a danger of being comfortable in the Church, to take God for granted. If the zeal is not there, the energy is not there. Guilt can be very poisonous too. He continued to inquire about God in various Christian denominations and eventually returned to the Greek Orthodox fold, going on to establish a Sunday School program Melbourne in the 1970s. AT HOLY CROSS In the early 1980s, he enrolled at Holy Cross School of Theology for two years and earned a Master of Theological Studies in Some of these classes took place at Harvard Divinity School. While at Holy Cross, he served as an assistant to Dr. George Bebis in patristics in a summer school program. In 1984 he received a Master of Theology degree. In 1985, he taught New Testament Studies as an assistant at St. Vladimir s Orthodox Seminary in Crestwood, N.Y., then enrolled at Princeton University. Fr. Themi was accepted into the Ph.D. program in New Testament and Archaeological Studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I., completing the degree in While at Brown, he was a teaching assistant in political science in He was tonsured a monk in Interspersed with his American studies, Fr. Themi taught at St. Andrew s Orthodox Seminary in Sydney, Australia, where he was one of the founding lecturers. He taught Biblical Studies and Early Christianity, and was a lecturer in Coptic Studies and Gnosticism and Early Christianity at Macquarie University in Sydney. He also earned a doctorate in education from Monash University in Melbourne. But during this period he was searching to do something more to serve God. When I saw work of Mother Teresa and what great work she was doing for the poor, what I wanted was to become like Mother Teresa. She was so inspiring. I thought, Look at what she s doing. I ve got to follow what she s doing. So he asked the Archbishop of Australia for his blessing to pursue a ministry to the poor. BACK TO HIS ROOTS This took him to his roots in Africa where he taught Biblical Studies and Early Christianity at the Archbishop Macarius III Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya, from 1999 to While there, he founded the Orthodox Teachers College of Africa in 2003, serving as its first vice rector, also teaching history, the philosophy of education and research methodology. Then, in 2007, with the blessing of Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa and sponsorship by the Paradise Kids 4 Africa (PK4A), the international charity that serves as a conduit for assistance to his ministry, he moved to Sierra Leone, founding the Orthodox Christian College of West Africa, where he also lectures in history and the philosophy of education. As of 2009, after negotiations with the government, Fr. Themi has responsibility for two schools with enrollments of 3,500 students and 90 staff members. Two Greek missionary societies the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and the Missionary Alliance of St. Cosmas the Aetolian, have provided grants for the schools construction and the infrastructure. He left the Archons with the concluding thoughts that God is so much greater than what we are. We must always be aware of his love, his power. He said the way to do this is to pray, ask in the name of Jesus. Ask God to provide you with strong faith. It will take time, but it will happen. He added, Money is not the object of life; the object of life is reaching God.

11 MAY Metropolis News Baltimore Riots Erupted Near Cathedral; No Injuries, but Services Affected BALTIMORE The rioting that devastated parts of this city over a 10-day period in late April came very close to Annunciation Cathedral as many blocks of inner city neighborhoods were hard-hit. As the Orthodox Observer was going to press, the Very Rev. Constantine Moralis, the cathedral dean, reported that no parishioners were injured and church property did not sustain damage, but the continuous rioting forced many changes in parish programs, ministries and other activities. He noted that the closed group of protesters, about 5,000 of them, came to within a block-and-a-half of the cathedral. The effects of the turmoil in our city N.J. Community Marks Greek Independence Day TRENTON, N.J. Commemorating the 194 th year of Greek independence, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Fr. George Nikas, representing Metropolitan Evangelos, welcomed members of the New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission and several Greek Orthodox laypersons to the State House on March 26 th. Fr. Nikas expressed the Metropolitan s gratitude to the state of New Jersey and to all who honor the Hellenic American Community. NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission and Order of AHEPA members (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) were in attendance as Lt. Gov. Guadagno signed a proclamation recognizing Greek Independence Day. PERTH AMBOY, N.J. After an absence of nearly 20 years, AHEPA Chapter No. 288 was reactivated on the Sunday Orthodoxy, March 1. AHEPA Family dignitaries were present beginning with the 10 a.m. Divine have had impact on our faithful, along with those who serve in law enforcement, said Fr. Moralis. The blessing that has come from this in the collaboration between the Orthodox parishes within the confines of Baltimore, along with the International Orthodox Christian Charities, faith based organizations in Baltimore and city agencies. A number of people are prepared to come and help with the cleanup efforts along with helping those in need, he added. On May 3, following the Divine Liturgy, parishioners offered a prayer for peace in the city. Annunciation Cathedral was established on March 18, Established in 2009, the NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission promotes Hellenic heritage, culture and history throughout the state while expanding cultural exchanges and economic ties between New Jersey residents and the nations of Greece and Cyprus. Those attending included AHEPA Lt. Gov. Asteris Fanikos, Daughters of Penelope Lt. Gov. Karen Knicos, AHEPA Supreme Gov. Phil Vogis, Hellenic Heritage Commission Chair and AHEPA District Marshall Zenon Christodoulou, former Assemblyman and Hellenic Heritage Commission Chairman Steve Corodemus, former Assemblyman Larry Chatzidakis, AHEPA Past District Gov. Savvas Tsivicos, and Stavros Antonakakis. New Jersey AHEPA Chapter Reactivated Liturgy and remained throughout the day, participating in the Sunday of Orthodoxy procession of icons, and the lenten luncheon.ahepa Supreme President and Archon Phillip T. Frangos, was the honored guest and keynote speaker. RIZOS JEWELRY Street Flushing, NY tel.: fax: Please visit our website and check our wonderful collection Chris Rizos the one and only jewelry store in the USA that designs and manufactures christening crosses. ΕΜΠΝΕΥΣΗ ΤΕΧΝΗ ΠΡΩΤΟΤΥΠΙΑ WE ARE PROUD TO SERVE THE GREEK AMERICAN COMMUNITY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SINCE 1972 GREECE CULTURE RELAXATION EXCITEMENT FROM $ 865 PILGRIMAGE OF ST. PAUL OCT 28, DAYS Athens & 7 Day Pilgrimage Cruise visiting Thessaloniki, Kavala, Constantinople, Dikili, Kusadasi, Patmos and Syros. FROM $ 1,232 AEGEAN DELIGHT 7 DAYS - Athens & Greek Island cruise CLASSICAL & BYZANTINE FROM GREECE - 7 DAYS $ Athens, Mycenae, Olympia, 1,199 Delphi & Meteora Winning Team Members of Stamford United, the girls volleyball team from Annunciation and Archangels churches in Stamford, Conn., recently became the Connecticut Eastern Orthodox Volleyball League champions for From left: Coach Lazaros Karipides, Annunciation; Sophia Thagouras, Annunciation, Amalia Skoperantzos, Archangels; Ourania Pappas, Annunciation; Lexi Boutsikoudis, Annunciation; Niki Boutsikoudis, Annunciation; Maria Barkas, Annunciation; Coach John Skoperantzos, Archangels; and Fr. Evan Evangelidis, Annunciation pastor. Shown prices are per person, double occupancy and include city sightseeing tours, guide service, transfers, some meals - all meals during cruising.greek Island cruise port-of-calls: Mykonos, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, Santorini. Port tax & ship gratuities are additional $141. Port tax for Pilgrimage cruise $345 WE OFFER COMPETITIVE AIRFARES TO GREECE FROM MOST USA CITIES NUMBER ONE TO GREECE 55 East 59 th Street, New York, NY Tel.: info@homerictours.com For a FREE brochure call your Travel Agent or Toll-Free:

12 12 Metropolis News MAY 2015 Family Care Center Holds Marriage Conference SANTA ANA, Calif. The Center for Family Care, in conjunction with the host of parish of St. Paul s Church of Irvine, held its second Pastoral Challenges in Marriage Conference Jan with 62 participants from the Archdiocese and other Orthodox jurisdictions. They included clergy, mental health professionals, ministry leaders, and laypersons. Using the expertise of leaders in the field of pastoral care and marriage, the conference s aim was to inspire and equip those persons on the front lines of ministry with tools and resources that effectively serve couples and marital problems they may encounter. Through inspired keynote addresses, interactive workshops, and panel discussion, meaningful conversations took place in the hope of promoting marriages of Scholarship FAITH Endowment Fund Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2015 u to page 22 NEW YORK Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism announced that it will once again offer the prestigious series of Faith Scholarships for Academic Excellence. These merit-based college scholarships provide funding to graduating high school seniors for their university studies. The application and criteria can be downloaded from the Faith website: Each year since its inception in 2004, grants from Faith fund a series of meritbased and need- based scholarships to seniors ranked within the top of their graduating class at public, parochial and private high schools across the country. To date, many of the Hellenic American community s most promising graduating high school seniors have been awarded these prestigious scholarships which range in size from $1,500 - $25,000. In addition, high school valedictorians and salutatorians also receive special recognition through this series of scholarship awards as do young people wishing to focus their university studies in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). The FAITH Scholarships for Excellence in STEM series was inaugurated in 2012 at the recommendation of Faith Founder Dr. P. Roy Vagelos. These scholarships are an extension of the existing Faith Scholarships for Academic Excellence for students entering their freshman year at colleges and universities in the USA and award support to students for all four years of their undergraduate studies based on the recipients abilities to fulfill the following three criteria: major in a STEM field, maintain a 3.6 minimum GPA, and parby Clifford T. Argue SEATTLE The Greek Orthodox faithful of the Puget Sound region experienced quite a busy weekend Feb. 6 8 with multiple and diverse events. They were also blessed to have in their midst Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, and Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, who is serving as chancellor of the Metropolis of San Francisco, which covers seven Western states. While the main purpose of their visit was for the Sunday ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Deacon Daniel Triant at St. Demetrios Church where he will serve as the assistant priest, the bishops participated in various other activities as well. On Friday afternoon, the Metropolis Commission for Orthodox Missions and Evangelism (C.O.M.E.) met at St. Demetrios. Within the Metropolis, C.O.M.E. provides support for parish Mission and Evangelism ministries, plants and grows Mission parishes, mentors established parishes, recruits and trains clergy for serving missions, and collects and shares resources and programs. Later that evening the bishops attended a concert of chanting hymns of Good Friday in Medieval Jerusalem by Cappella Romana, the highly acclaimed group based in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Alexander Lingas is founder and artistic director. Protopsaltis Stelios Kontakiotis of Tinos, Greece and formerly at St. Sophia Cathedral in Washington was the principal soloist. Metropolitan Gerasimos participated on Saturday afternoon in the grand opening of a new exhibit at Seattle s Museum of History and Industry focusing on Greekowned restaurants in the area. Titled A Place at the Table Over 100 Years of Greek Food, Culture, and Entrepreneurial Spirit, the exhibit, which runs through May 31, is presented in partnership with the Greek- American Historical Museum of Washington State and curated by its President John Nicon and co-curators Joann Nicon and Helen Georges. What was the real secret behind the success of the Greek restaurant? It was the people who ran them! And this is the reason why we are here today, His Eminence noted. To remember, honor and celebrate those hard-working Greek personalities that devoted their lives to their businesses for the benefit of their families. Also during the weekend, the St. Cath- Center for Family Care photo Metropolitan Gerasimos, Fr. Louis Christopulos and Deacon Muse participate in a workshop at the conference. faith that grow and are nurtured in unity. Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Dn. Stephen Muse, and Dr. George Stavros director of the Danielsen Institute mental health clinic at Boston University delivered the keynote addresses. In addition, the conference included six workshops led by clergy and licensed family and marriage therapists, covering a wide range of topics such as Boundaries in Marriage and Rebuilding a Marriage in the Aftermath of an Affair. During Metropolitan Gerasimos thoughtful reflections on the meaning of oneness, he said, We should be using the wealth of our tradition to teach couples that marriage is not about one person giving over his or her identity to the spouse; rather, marriage, or at least a good marriage, enhances the identity of each. Each respective session of the conference, as well as social activities, provided wonderful opportunities for edification and fellowship. From the outset of the conference, contemporary society s skewed image of marriage was markedly held in contrast to the one presented by the Orthodox Church. The general message communicated the necessity for supporting Orthodox Christian couples to live in godly relationship in the midst of contemporary challenges. With so much great information that we were given, we are like vessels overflowing with oil, said Fr. Vasili Hillhouse of Transfiguration Church in Anchorage, Alaska. The greatest thing about it even with all of the incredible information has been the relationships and dialogues we ve had together. The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund provided funding for two representatives from each Metropolis to attend, taking care of the general conference expenses. Seattle Camp Welcomes Hierarchs A Field of Dreams was the title for this year s benefit dinner for the All Saints Camp and Retreat Center on Raft Island, Wash.. The Moose, mascot of the Seattle Mariners, joined the baseball-themed event and posed with Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco and Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, chancellor of the Metropolis, along with clergy from St. Demetrios and Assumption parishes, co-owners of the camp, who were given tee shirts and recognized as players on Team All Saints. (from left) Deacon Spyridon Angelos, then Deacon (now Fr.) Daniel Triant, Fr. Photios Dumont, all from St. Demetrios; Metropolitan Gerasimos, the Mariner Moose, Bishop Apostolos, and Fr. Dean Kouldukis and Fr. Michael Johnson, both from Assumption. erine Philoptochos of the Church of the Assumption held its traditional Valentine Tea, and the Washington Orthodox Clergy Association was having its Pan-Orthodox pre-lenten retreat led by author, publisher and professor Dr. Christopher Veniamin on Salvation in the Orthodox Church: Metanoia, Hesychia, and Theosis. With the football season over, baseball was the theme of the annual dinner Saturday night benefiting All Saints Camp and Retreat Center, owned jointly by St. Demetrios and Assumption churches, on Raft Island, Wash. Attendees dressed in baseball jerseys, hats, and other gear, and enjoyed an appearance by the mascot of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, the Mariner Moose. Metropolitan Gerasimos, Bishop Apostolos, and the clergy from the two parishes were given tee shirts making them members of Team All Saints, and His Eminence threw out the first ball to begin the evening s activities. He and others spoke on the importance of summer camping programs for the youth. All Saints is also the site for Camp Agape Northwest run by the Philoptochos chapters in the area. It is one of five Kids n Cancer camps that are held every summer in the Metropolis.The weekend concluded with the spiritually uplifting and very well-attended ordination of Fr. Triant, followed by a luncheon. Metropolitan Detroit Area Choir Holds Benefit Concert in Cleveland DETROIT The Orthodox Choir of Metropolitan Detroit (OCMD) performed a concert of Orthodox Christian hymns and liturgical songs to benefit ZOE for Life! on May 2, at St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland. Based in Cleveland Heights, ZOE for Life! is an Orthodox charity that helps women with crisis pregnancy, offers shelter from abusive relationships and aids Orthodox Christian couples with adoptions. A Detroit-area chapter is being developed. The OCMD is composed of more than 40 volunteer singers from u to page 17

13 ΜΑΙΟΣ 2015 Ανακοινωθέν Ιεράς Επαρχιακής Συνόδου Ἡ Ἱερά Ἐπαρχιακή Σύνοδος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς συνῆλθεν εἰς τήν τακτικήν συνεδρίαν αὐτῆς εἰς τήν αἴθουσαν τῆς Συνόδου τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς ἐν Νέᾳ Ὑόρκῃ τήν 20 ην, 21 ην καί 22 αν Ἀπριλίου 2015 ὑπό τήν προεδρίαν τοῦ Σεβασμιωτάτου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀμερικῆς κ. Δημητρίου καί τήν συμμετοχήν τῶν Μελῶν αὐτῆς. Ἡ Σύνοδος συνεζήτησε ἐκτενῶς μεταξύ ἄλλων καί τά ἑξῆς θέματα : 1. Τήν Ἱεράν Σύνοδον ἀπησχόλησεν ἡ πορεία τῆς διαδικασίας ἐκδόσεως τοῦ ἐγκεκριμένου ὑπό τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου κειμένου τῆς Θ. Λειτουργίας τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου εἰς τήν Ἑλληνικήν καί Ἀγγλικήν γλώσσαν.ἡ ἐκδοσις αὐτή συντόμως θά εἶναι διαθέσιμος διά τάς λειτουργικάς ἀνάγκας τῶν ἐνοριῶν. Θά περιλαμβάνῃ δύο τόμους, ἕνα διά τήν χρήσιν τῶν ἱερέων μετά λειτουργικῶν ὁδηγιῶν καί ἕνα διά τήν χρῆσιν τῶν πιστῶν (pew edition). ΕΤΟΣ 80 ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ 1305 ΗΜΕΡΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΣΙΑΣ ΣΕ ΛΕΥΚΟ ΟΙΚΟ - ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ. Μετά το Πάθος, η Ανάσταση είναι αναπόφευκτη, ήταν το μήνυμα του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου προς τους παρευρισκόμενους κατά τη διάρκεια της καθιερωμένης ετήσιας τελετής των εορτασμών της επετείου της έναρξης της Ελληνικής Επαναστάσεως του 1821 στο Λευκό Οίκο, την Πέμπτη 16 Απριλίου. Πιστεύουμε στην Ανάσταση και επομένως κάθε αδιέξοδο μπορεί να ξεπεραστεί, τόνισε ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής απευθυνόμενος προς τον πρόεδρο των ΗΠΑ, Μπαράκ Ομπάμα, τον αντιπρόεδρο Τζο Μπάιντεν, τον υπουργό Οικονομικών της Ελλάδας Γιάνη Βαρουφάκη, την περιφερειάρχη Αττικής Ρένα Δούρου, μελών του Κογκρέσσου και πλήθους ομογενών παραγόντων και μη της Ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινότητας οι οποίοι συγκεντρώθηκαν για να τιμήσουν την επέτειο του αγώνα των Ελλήνων για την ανεξαρτησία τους. Ο πρόεδρος Ομπάμα, για μια ακόμη φορά απέστειλε μήνυμα συμπαράστασης προς τη δοκιμαζόμενη από την κρίση Ελλάδα τονίζοντας πως οι ΗΠΑ θα συνεχίσουν να υποστηρίζουν τις προσπάθειες των Ελλήνων για ένα πιο λαμπερό μέλλον». O Πρόεδρος Ομπάμα και ο Αντιπρόεδρος Μπάιντεν συναντήθηκαν ιδιαιτέρως Φωτογραφίες: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο στο Green Room λίγο πριν από τη δημόσια τελετή, η οποία ξεκίνησε στην ανατολική αίθουσα του Λευκού Οίκου περίπου 5:15 μ.μ. O Πρόεδρος Ομπάμα χαιρέτισε τους παρευρισκόμενους με τον ελληνικό χαι- uσελίδα Ἡ Ἱερά Σύνοδος ἐπεξειργάσθη Ἀγγλικήν μετάφρασιν τοῦ ἐγκεκριμένου ὑπό τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου κειμένου τῶν Κανονισμῶν Πνευματικῶν Δικαστηρίων τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς. Ἐπί πλέον ἐξητάσθησαν θέματα πειθαρχικῆς φύσεως κληρικῶν καί ἐλήφθησαν αἱ ἀπαιτούμεναι ἀποφάσεις. Ἐν συνεχείᾳ συνεζητήθησαν θέματα σχετιζόμενα μέ τά προβλήματα πού ἀντιμετωπίζουν οἱ ἱερατικές οἰκογένειες, οἱ κληρικοί εἰς τήν ἐν γένει διακονίαν των καθώς καί τρόποι ἀντιμετωπίσεώς των. 3. Τήν Σύνοδον ἀπησχόλησαν ποικίλα θέματα διοικητικῆς φύσεως ἐνοριῶν καί Ἱερῶν Μονῶν τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς. Ἰδιαιτέρα συζήτησις ἐγένετο διά τάς ἀνάγκας τῶν μικρῶν ἐνοριῶν. 4. Ἡ Ἱερά Σύνοδος ἐνέκρινε κοινόν κείμενον συνταχθέν ὑπό Θρησκευτικῶν Ἡγετῶν ἐν Ἀμερικῇ πρός κατοχύρωσιν καί ὑποστήριξιν τοῦ θεσμοῦ τοῦ Γάμου. Συνεζητήθη ἐπίσης ἐκτενῶς ἡ παρατηρουμένη, εἰς διεθνές ἐπίπεδον, αὔξησις τῆς βίας εἰς τήν ἐποχήν μας, καί ἰδιαιτέρως ἡ στοχοποίησις καί ἐκδίωξις τῶν χριστιανῶν τόσον εἰς παραδοσιακῶς χριστιανικάς χώρας ὅσον καί ἀλλαχοῦ. Εἰδική μνεία ἐγένετο τοῦ φαινομένου τῶν ἀπαγωγῶν καί τῆς ἐν ψυχρῷ ἐκτελέσεως τῶν χριστιανῶν εἰς περιοχάς τῆς Μέσης Ἀνατολῆς καί Ἀφρικῆς. Ἐπί τούτου ἡ Ἱερά Σύνοδος ἐξέδωσε εἰδικόν ἀνακοινωθέν. 5. Ἐγένετο ἀναφορά καί πλήρης ἐνημέρωσις ἐπί τῆς διαδικασίας ἐκλογῆς Προέδρου τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ Κολλεγίου καί τῆς Θεολογικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Τιμίου Σταυροῦ. Ἐπίσης συνεζητήθη ἡ ἀνάγκη παροχῆς εὐκαιριῶν ἐπιμορφώσεως στελεχῶν τῶν ἐνοριῶν τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς. Ἡ ἐπί τριήμερον συνεδρία τῆς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου ὠλοκληρώθη τήν μεσημβρίαν τῆς Τετάρτης 22 ας Ἀπριλίου. Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ Δεκαετές Μνημόσυνον ἀπό τῆς Ἀναπαύσεως τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἰακώβου Πρός τούς Σεβασμιωτάτους καί Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τούς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καί Διακόνους, τούς Μοναχούς καί Μοναχές, τούς Προέδρους καί Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τά Ἡμερήσια καί Ἀπογευματινά Σχολεῖα, τίς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τήν Νεολαία, τίς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καί ὁλόκληρο τό Χριστεπώνυμον πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς. Προσφιλεῖς Ἀδελφοί καί Ἀδελφές ἐν Χριστῷ, Ἐξ ὀνόματος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἐπαρχιακῆς Συνόδου μας, ἐπικοινωνῶ μαζί σας ἐπί τῇ δεκάτῃ ἐπετείῳ ἀπό τῆς πρός Κύριον ἐκδημίας τοῦ μακαριστοῦ καί προσφιλεστάτου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου μας Ἰακώβου. Ὁ μήνας αὐτός σηματοδοτεῖ ἐπίσης τήν 56 η ἐπέτειο ἀπό τῆς ἀναρρήσεώς του εἰς τόν θρόνον τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Βορείου καί Νοτίου Ἀμερικῆς. Στίς πρόσφατες ἐκδηλώσεις γιά τόν ἑορτασμό τῆς 50ῆς ἐπετείου τῆς ἱστορικῆς Πορείας στη Σέλμα στήν ὁποία ὁ μακαριστός Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος συμμετέσχε ἀναλογισθήκαμε καἰ πάλι τό δῶρο τῆς ποιμαντορίας του. Στήν συνεχιζομένη διακονία τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς μας καί τή ζωντάνια τῆς μαρτυρίας μας τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως καί τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς u Σελίδα 14 Π. Χριστόφορος Μητρόπουλος Νέος πρόεδρος στο HCHC ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ. Οπως ανακοινώθηκε από την Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής, ο π. Christopher Metropulos εξελέγη πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Θεολογικής Σχολής του Τιμίου Σταυρού. Σύμφωνα με το ανακοινωθέν, το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο του Ελληνικού Κολεγίου - Ελληνορθόδοξης Θεολογικής Σχολής του Τιμίου Σταυρού (HCHC) την 1 η Μαΐου ψήφισε ομόφωνα την εκλογή του Αιδεσιμολογιωτάτου Πρωτοπρεσβυτέρου Χριστοφόρου Μητρόπουλου ως νέου προέδρου του ιδρύματος, ο οποίος θα αντικαταστήσει το σημερινό πρόεδρο, Αιδεσιμολογιώτατο Πρωτοπρεσβύτερο Νικόλαο Τριανταφύλλου, ο οποίος αναμένεται να αποσυρθεί στο τέλος του Ιουνίου από την ενεργό δράση μετά από 15 ολόκληρα χρόνια προσφοράς στη θέση του προέδρου του ιδρύματος. Ο π. Χριστόφορος έχει υπηρετήσει ως Ιερατικώς Προϊστάμενος του uσελίδα 15

14 14 ΟΡΘΟ ΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ Δεκαετές Μνημόσυνον ἀπό τῆς Ἀναπαύσεως τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἰακώβου ΜΑΙΟΣ 2015 u Σελίδα 13 κληρονομιᾶς μας, ἐξακολουθοῦμε νά βλέπουμε τό ἔργο καί τό ὅραμα τοῦ ὄντως ἐπιφανοῦς Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἰακώβου κατά τή διάρκεια τῶν πολλῶν ἐτῶν τῆς ἀφοσιωμένης διακονίας του στόν Θεό καί τήν Ἐκκλησία Του. Τιμῶντας τήν ζωή καί τή διακονία του ὡς πιστοῦ ποιμένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ Θεοῦ, καλῶ ὅλες τίς ἐνορίες μας νά προσφέρουν δεκαετές μνημόσυνο τήν Κυριακή 26 Ἀπριλίου. Στή χαρά καί τό φῶς τῆς ἀναστάσιμης περιόδου, εἴθε να ἑορτάσουμε τήν ἐμπνευσμένη ζωή του. Εἴθε νά συνεχίσουμε νά ἐμπνεόμεθα ἀπό τή ζωή καί ποιμαντορία τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἰακώβου καί νά τιμοῦμε τήν μνήμη καί τό παράδειγμά του κτίζοντας ἐπί τῶν θεμελίων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἕνα ἱερό καί διαρκές ἔργο πίστεως καί ἀγάπης. Μέ πατρική ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπη, ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀμερικῆς Δημήτριος Συνάντηση ΥΠΕΞ της Ελλάδος Νίκου Κοτζιά με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής Δημήτριο του Σταύρου Η. Παπαγερμανού ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ Ο Υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Ελλάδος κ. Νίκος Κοτζιάς επισκέφθηκε στις 24 Απριλίου, τον Σεβασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριο στην έδρα της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής. Η συνάντηση που διεξήχθη σε πολύ θερμό και εγκάρδιο κλίμα διήρκεσε μία περίπου ώρα και περιεστράφη γύρω από θέματα κοινού ενδιαφέροντος σε σχέση με τη γενέτειρα και την Ομογένεια στην Αμερική. Τον κ. Κοτζιά συνόδευαν ο αναπληρωτής γενικός γραμματέας του Υπουργείου πρέσβης κ. Μιχαήλ Σπινέλλης, η διευθύντρια του διπλωματικού γραφείου του υπουργού πρέσβης κυρία Τασία Αθανασίου, ο επικεφαλής της Γενικής Γραμματείας Αποδήμου Ελληνισμού κ. Μιχαήλ Κόκκινος, ο εκπρόσωπος Τύπου του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών κ. Κωνσταντίνος Κούτρας, ο ειδικός σύμβουλος του Υπουργού κ. Γιώργος Μητράκος, η Μόνιμη Αντιπρόσωπος της Ελλάδος στον Ο.Η.Ε. πρέσβης κυρία Αικατερίνη Μπούρα, ο γενικός πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στη Νέα Υόρκη πρέσβης κ. Γιώργος Ηλιόπουλος, και ο πρόξενος κ. Μάνος Κουμπαράκης. Μετά το πέρας της συναντήσεως, ο κ. Κοτζιάς και ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος έκαναν δηλώσεις. Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ Νίκος Κοτζιάς, Υπουργός Εξωτερικών «Ο ίδιος προσωπικά και όλη η αντιπροσωπεία του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών είχαμε τη χαρά και την τιμή να μας δεχτεί Σεβασμιώτατος. Περάσαμε στιγμές πραγματικότητος, χαράς της ψυχής μας και αναγέννησης των σκέψεων και του μυαλού μας. Δεν έχω παρά να τον ευχαριστήσω γι αυτήν την ενδιαφέρουσα και άκρως χρήσιμη, δημιουργική και γεμάτη ευγένεια και αγάπη συζήτηση. Ευχαριστώ πολύ», είπε ο κ. Κοτζιάς. Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος «Εγώ ευχαριστώ τον εξοχώτατο Υπουργό κ. Κοτζιά και την εκλεκτή συνοδεία του για την εξαιρετική ευκαιρία, τιμή και χαρά που νιώσαμε για μια αληθινή, ανθρώπινη επικοινωνία μεταξύ Ελλήνων, Ορθοδόξων πατριωτών. Είχαμε μια πολύ ωραία ανταλλαγή απόψεων, ο κ. Υπουργός χρησιμοποίησε με πάρα πολύ σωστό και ωραίο τρόπο τις βασικές έννοιες Ορθοδοξίας και Ελληνισμού, αλλά επιπλέον την έννοια της πνευματικότητος ως ενός κεντρικού στοιχείου στη ζωή των ανθρώπων, και στη ζωή των κοινωνιών και στη ζωή της Πατρίδος μας. Θα ήθελα να πω ότι έχει σημασία όταν εκπρόσωποι της Πατρίδος μας, η οποία περνάει δύσκολες στιγμές, έχουν τέτοια επικοινωνία, με πρόσωπα χαμογελαστά, δείχνουν ότι ποτέ δεν λείπει η ελπίδα, ποτέ δεν υπάρχει αδιέξοδο, πάντοτε υπάρχει λύση. «Γι αυτό και χαμογελούμε ότι κι αν συμβαίνει, το αύριο είναι δικό μας», τόνισε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος. Επίσκεψη Επικεφαλής ΓΓΑΕ στην Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής του Σταύρου Η. Παπαγερμανού ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος δέχθηκε στις 23 Απριλίου, την επίσκεψη του νέου επικεφαλής της Γενικής Γραμματείας Αποδήμου Ελληνισμού, Γενικού Διευθυντού κ. Μιχαήλ Ε. Κόκκινου, τον οποίο συνόδευε ο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στη Νέα Υόρκη, Πέσβης κ. Γιώργος Ηλιόπουλος. Νωρίτερα το πρωί της ίδιας ημέρας, ο κ. Κόκκινος, παρέστη στην Θεία Λειτουργία της εορτής του Αγίου Γεωργίου του Μεγαλομάρτυρος στον ομώνυμο Ιερό Ναό του Μανχάταν, στην οποία προεξήρχε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος. Η συνάντηση διήρκεσε μία ώρα και κατά την οποία συζητήθηκαν θέματα της Ελλάδος και της Ελληνομαερικανικής Ομογένειας. Μετά το πέρας της συναντήσεως, ο κ. Κόκκινος και ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος προέβησαν σε κοινές δηλώσεις τύπου. Γενικός Διευθυντής ΓΓΑΕ κ. Μιχαήλ Κόκκινος «Κατ αρχάς είναι μεγάλη μου τιμή και μια συγκινητική στιγμή για μένα να είμαι εδώ με τον Σεβασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής, έναν άνθρωπο σοφό, που η πατρίδα χρωστάει πάρα πολλά, έναν άνθρωπο τον οποίο έχω την τιμή να γνωρίζω εδώ και πάρα πολλά χρόνια... «Είχαμε μια διεξοδική συζήτηση για όλα τα θέματα που αφορούν την Ομογένεια και την εκπαίδευση. Γι όλα αυτά τα θέματα τα οποία η Γενική Γραμματεία σε συνεργασία με τον Υπουργό μας τον κ. Νίκο Κοτζιά ετοιμάζει. Συζητήσαμε λεπτομερώς τα ζητήματα που αφορούν την πατρίδα. Είχα την υποχρέωση να τον ευχαριστήσω για την δουλειά που η Αρχιεπισκοπή κάνει και έχει κρατήσει όλα αυτά χρόνια αυτό που λέμε πατρίδα και Ελληνισμό μέσα στις καρδιές των Ελλήνων. [Έχει συμβάλει] στη διαφορετικότητα της πολιτικής αυτής εδώ της χώρας που αντανακλά παγκοσμίως, κι έχει δημιουργήσει αυτό το θαύμα της ανάπτυξης εδώ στην Αμερική σε αντίθεση με ευρωπαϊκά λάθη που ακόμα δεν έχουν καταλάβει στην Ευρώπη... «Ευελπιστούμε ότι θα το καταλάβουν γρήγορα και θα πάρει και η Ευρώπη σιγάσιγά τον δρόμο της ανάπτυξης μέσα από την ελληνικότητα αυτού του τρόπου σκέψης, την ελληνικότητα της αλληλεγγύης, της βοήθειας προς το συνάνθρωπο και όλες τι σταθερές αξίες του Ελληνισμού τις οποίες η Αρχιεπισκοπή προωθεί και περνάει μέσα από την εκπαίδευση, μέσα από τις ενορίες προς τον Ελληνισμό και μέσα από τον Ελληνισμό στα ανώτατα κλιμάκια αυτής εδώ της χώρας. Γενικότερα προετοιμάσαμε και την συνάντηση και συζήτηση που θα έχει ο Σεβασμιώτατος με τον Υπουργό Εξωτερικών GREEK ORTHODOX MISSION OF HAITI MISSION TRIP JUNE 4 9, 2015 JOIN FR. BARNABAS AND COSTA MAVRAGANIS ON A MISSION OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE TO VISIT OUR GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HAITI SEATS ARE LIMITED FOR MORE INFORMATION: OR Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ τον κ. Νίκο Κοτζιά (βλπ. διπλανό άρθρο) για τα πιο μεγάλα και κεντρικά ζητήματα της εξωτερικής πολιτικής της χώρας, μια συζήτηση που θα είναι άκρως ενδιαφέρουσα γιατί και οι δύο είναι γνώστες των πατριωτικών θεμάτων. «Θέλω για μια ακόμη φορά Σεβασμιώτατε, να σας ευχαριστήσω για την μεγάλη τιμή που μου κάνατε για τις συμβουλές που μου δώσατε και πραγματικά σας υπόσχομαι ότι θα κάνω ότι είναι δυνατόν. Να σας ευχαριστήσω εκ των προτέρων για την βοήθεια που θα μας δώσετε για να πάμε ένα βήμα μπροστά και να έρθουμε πιο κοντά εμείς στους Έλληνες της διασποράς, διότι είναι υποχρέωση της πατρίδας να έρθει πιο κοντά στους απόδημους Έλληνες, και σας το υπόσχομαι. Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος Ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ για τα πολύ καλά σας λόγια. Είχαμε μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα πολύ ουσιαστική και πολύ ρεαλιστική επικοινωνία, δεν λέω απλώς συζήτηση, γιατί πέραν της συζητήσεως είναι η επικοινωνία των ανθρώπων η οποία είναι πολύ πιο ουσιαστική μερικές φορές από αυτά που ακούγονται. «Ευχαριστώ ιδιαιτέρως τον κ. Κόκκινο, ήταν τιμή ότι ήρθε σήμερα μαζί μας. Είναι ωραίο ότι η συνάντηση γίνεται την ημέρα ου Αγίου Γεωργίου, ενός μεγαλομάρτυρος και η Ορθοδοξία είναι μαθημένη από μεγαλομάρτυρες, οι οποίοι είναι πρόσωπα προσφοράς και πρόσωπα θυσίας. Έχουμε αυτό το πνεύμα στο οποίο κινούμεθα λόγω Ελληνισμού και λόγω Ορθοδοξίας. Όπως ανέφερε ο ίδιος, πάρα πολύ εύγλωττα και με πολύ ακρίβεια, είχαμε μια συζήτηση επί θεμάτων τα οποία είναι αμφίπλευρα, δηλαδή της εδώ πλευράς και της εκεί πλευράς του Ατλαντικού. Έχουν σχέση με το κέντρο, την Ελλάδα, και με την Ομογένεια. Πάντα τα θέματά μας είναι αμφίπλευρα και αμφίδρομα. «Ένα κύριο χαρακτηριστικό της συζητήσεώς μας ήταν ο τονισμός της ανάγκης που απορρέει από την ιστορία μας ως Ελλήνων και ως Ορθοδόξων. Πέραν των καθαρά τεχνοκρατικών προσεγγίσεων υπάρχει και η προσέγγιση με το στοιχείο και την προτεραιότητα που λέγεται άνθρωπος. Δεν είναι συζητήσεις για ρομπότ αλλά συζητήσεις θεμάτων που αφορούν ανθρώπους. Είναι άλλη η συζήτηση για το πως θα αναπτύξετε το τελειότερο ρομπότ και άλλη η συζήτηση πως θα λύσετε οικονομικά θέματα που έχουν σχέση με ανθρώπους. Ευχαριστώ ιδιαιτέρως τον κ. Κόκκινο γι αυτό το στοιχείο το οποίο το έδωσε εν αφθονία. «Του ευχόμεθα να έχει πολύ επιτυχία στις πολλές και ποικίλες συναντήσεις του, τις υπόλοιπες ημέρες που θα είναι εδώ. Του ευχόμεθα κάθε επιτυχία στο δύσκολο έργο που έχει αναλάβει.

15 ΜΑΙΟΣ 2015 ΟΡΘΟ ΟΞΟΣ ORTHODOX ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ OBSERVER 15 ΕΟΡΤΑΣΜΟΙ ΕΠΕΤΕΙΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΣΙΑΣ ΣΕ ΛΕΥΚΟ ΟΙΚΟ - ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ uσελίδα 13 ρετισμό «Καλησπέρα», και αναγνώρισε τη μεγάλη υποστήριξη της Ελληνοαμερικανικής Κοινότητας όλα αυτά τα χρόνια λέγοντας «η φιλία σας σημαίνει τα πάντα για μας». Ο πρόεδρος επισήμανε ιδιαίτερα πως «στεκόμαστε σήμερα δίπλα στους φίλους και συμμάχους μας την Ελλάδα, καθώς συνεχίζουν να περνούν οικονομικά πολύ δύσκολα. Ο πρωθυπουργός Τσίπρας και η κυβέρνησή του αντιμετωπίζουν μεγάλες προκλήσεις, εργάζονται με τους διεθνείς τους εταίρους, σε ένα οικονομικό πρόγραμμα μεταρρυθμίσεων που θέτει τις βάσεις και για μακροπρόθεσμη ανάπτυξη. Σήμερα επιθυμώ οι Ελληνες να γνωρίζουν ότι ως μακρόχρονοι φίλοι και σύμμαχοι, οι ΗΠΑ θα συνεχίσουν να υποστηρίζουν τις προσπάθειες τους για να χτίσουν ένα πιο λαμπερό μέλλον», κατέληξε ο πρόεδρος Ομπάμα. Ο αντιπρόεδρος Μπάιντεν μίλησε μεταξύ άλλων για τους ισχυρούς δεσμούς με την ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα, αλλά και για τις πολλές και σημαντικές προσφορές του Ελληνισμούς στις ΗΠΑ. Το μήνυμα του αντιπροέδρου των ΗΠΑ ήταν θερμό, καθώς, μεταξύ άλλων τόνισε και ιδιαίτερα την απαράμιλλη ανδρεία και αρετή των Ελλήνων στους αγώνες τους δια μέσου των αιώνων, επισημαίνοντας δε το «Μολών Λαβέ» του βασιλιά της Σπάρτης Λεωνίδα στις Θερμοπύλες. Από την πλευρά του, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος ανταπέδωσε τους χαιρετισμούς με ιδιαίτερες αναφορές, εμπνευσμένες από το πανανθρώπινο μήνυμα της Αναστάσεως του Κυρίου, υπενθυμίζοντας όμως ταυτόχρονα στους Αμερικανούς ηγέτες το κυπριακό, το σκοπιανό και τα προβλήματα που αντιμετωπίζει το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο στην Κωνσταντινούπολη. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος από την πλευρά του ευχαρίστησε τον Πρόεδρο για τη φιλοξενία στο Λευκό Οίκο και για την προεδρική διακήρυξη για την Ημέρα της Ελληνικής Ανεξαρτησίας. «Παρουσιάζεται το κοινό πάθος και τους αγώνες για δημοκρατία, ελευθερία και δικαιοσύνη για όλους, ο σεβασμός στην ανθρώπινη προσωπικότητα, όπως και στην προώθηση της ανθρώπινης αξιοπρέπειας και ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων για όλους», είπε. «Πιστεύουμε στην Ανάσταση, ως εκ τούτου, οποιαδήποτε αδιέξοδα στην Eγγύς, Mέση ή Άπω Ανατολή μπορούν να ξεπεραστούν. Πιστεύουμε στην Ανάσταση, ως εκ τούτου, οι βίαιες συγκρούσεις στην Αφρική μπορoύν να εξαλειφθούν δια παντός. Πιστεύουμε στην Ανάσταση, ως εκ τούτου, τα ζητήματα της θρησκευτικής ελευθερίας του Οικουμενικού μας Πατριαρχείου, της διαρκούς κι επίμονης τραγικής διαίρεσης της Κύπρου, της οικονομικής κρίσης uσελίδα 16 Oriental carpet & area rugs Upholstery & fine fabrics Drapery & shades Marble & stone cleaning Ceramic tile & grout cleaning Headboards & bed frames Fabric walls Leather furniture Νέος πρόεδρος στο HCHC uσελίδα 13 ελληνορθόδοξου Ιερού Ναού του Αγίου Δημητρίου, στο Φορντ Λάντερντειλ της Φλόριντα, από το Έχει αποφοιτήσει από το Ελληνικό Κολέγιο, έχει λάβει Μεταπτυχιακό από την Ελληνορθόδοξη Θεολογική Σχολή του Τιμίου Σταυρού και διδακτορικό από τη Θεολογικό Σεμινάριο του Πίτσμπουργκ. Υπήρξε ιδρυτής και διευθυντής του OCN (Orthodox Christian Network) του Ορθόδοξoυ Χριστιανικού Δικτύου-ραδιοφωνική και διαδικτυακή υπηρεσία) και σήμερα είναι εκτελεστικός διευθυντής της. Έχει υπηρετήσει σε διάφορες ιερατικές θέσεις της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής, μεταξύ των οποίων ως Αρχιεπισκοπικός Αντιπρόσωπος στα Ηνωμένα Έθνη (ΗΠΑ) και στο Αρχιεπισκοπικό Συμβούλιο, βοηθός περιφερειακός διευθυντής της «Ηγεσίας των 100» και Πρόεδρος του Αρχιεπισκοπικού Συμβουλίου των Πρεσβύτερων για δύο συνεχόμενες θητείες. Ο π, Μητρόπουλος είναι επίσης Πρωτοπρεσβύτερος του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου. Serving the Tri-State Area fabracleen.com fabracleenstoneandtilecare.com

16 16 ΟΡΘΟ ΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ ΜΑΙΟΣ 2015 ΕΟΡΤΑΣΜΟΙ ΕΠΕΤΕΙΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΣΙΑΣ ΣΕ ΛΕΥΚΟ ΟΙΚΟ - ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ Συνεργασία ΚΕΔΕ- Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής κατά της ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης στην Ελλάδα ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ. Συναντήσεις με τον Σεβασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής Δημήτριο, την Ομοσπονδία Ελληνικών Ιατρικών Συλλόγων Βορείου Αμερικής και την Ιατρική Εταιρεία Νέας Υόρκης είχε ο Πρόεδρος του Ι.Σ.Α. και της ΚΕΔΕ κ. Γιώργος Πατούλης, στο πλαίσιο της επίσημης επίσκεψης, που πραγματοποίησε στις ΗΠΑ. Κατά τη διάρκεια της πρώτης συνάντησης ο κ. Πατούλης και ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος είχαν μία ουσιαστική και διεξοδική συζήτηση γύρω από τα εθνικά θέματα, το ρόλο και τα προβλήματα της ελληνικής ομογένειας και κυρίως το μεγάλο ζήτημα της ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης στην Ελλάδα. Ο κ. Πατούλης ενημέρωσε τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο για τις δράσεις και τον καθοριστικό ρόλο της Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης στη διατήρηση της κοινωνικής συνοχής και τον ευχαρίστησε για την ευαισθησία και την ενεργή συμπαράσταση της Αρχιεπισκοπής, καθώς και της ελληνικής ομογένειας στις σχετικές προσπάθειες κοινωνικών και επιστημονικών φορέων. Ανέφερε μάλιστα ως το πλέον χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα την αποστολή φαρμάκων και αναλώσιμου υλικού στο Ιατρείο Κοινωνικής Αποστολής, που δημιούργησε ο Ι.Σ.Α. με την «Αποστολή» της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αθηνών, πριν από 2,5 χρόνια. Δεδομένου όμως του οξύτατου προβλήματος που υπάρχει συζητήθηκαν και άλλοι τρόποι συνεργασίας της Αρχιεπισκοπής και της Ομογένειας με την ΚΕΔΕ, ώστε να υπάρχει ακόμη μεγαλύτερη στήριξη στην προσπάθεια των Δημάρχων να ενισχύσουν τις τοπικές τους κοινωνίες. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, αναμένονται το αμέσως επόμενο διάστημα ανακοινώσεις για τις σχετικές πρωτοβουλίες και δράσεις. Ο κ. Πατούλης παρευρέθηκε και μίλησε σε εκδήλωση - με βασικό θέμα την ουσιαστική υποστήριξη της ομογένειας για την αντιμετώπιση της ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης - που διοργάνωσε η ομοσπονδία Ελληνικών Ιατρικών Συλλόγων Βορείου Αμερικής και η Ιατρική Εταιρεία Νέας Υόρκης, υπό την αιγίδα του Γενικού Προξενείου της Ελλάδος στη Νέα Υόρκη. Συντονιστές της εκδήλωσης ήταν οι Πρόεδροι των Ενώσεων κ.κ. Σ. Μεζίτης και Γ. Λιακέας, ενώ συμμετείχαν και οι πρόξενοι της Ελλάδας και της Κύπρου στη Νέα Υόρκη κ.κ. Γ. Ηλιόπουλος και Β. Φιλίππου αντίστοιχα, ο Ύπατος Πρόεδρος της ΑΧΕΠΑ κ. Φ. Φράγκος και πολλοί διακεκριμένοι εκπρόσωποι της ελληνικής ομογένειας. Ο κ. Πατούλης στην ομιλία του ευχαρίστησε εκ μέρους της Αυτοδιοίκησης τους έλληνες ομογενείς για την ουσιαστική στήριξή τους και επεσήμανε ότι προσβλέπει σε ακόμα μεγαλύτερη συνεργασία, τονίζοντας ότι η ενότητα και η ομοψυχία του Ελληνισμού είναι ο μόνος δρόμος για να ξεπεράσει η Ελλάδα την κρίση. (πηγή: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ) uσελίδα 15 στην Ελλάδα και της συνεχούς διαμάχης για το όνομα της FYROM, μπορούν με επιτυχία να αντιμετωπιστούν και να επιλυθούν. Πιστεύουμε στην Ανάσταση, ως εκ τούτου, τα επώδυνα μαύρα ζητήματα της εμπορίας και διακίνησης ανθρώπων, του ρατσισμού και της βίας, κάθε λογής, μπορούν δραστικά να εξαλειφθούν». Κατά τη διάρκεια της τελετής στο Λευκό Οίκο, ο πρόεδρος Ομπάμα καλωσόρισε τον Ελληνα υπουργό Οικονομικών, Γιάνη Βαρουφάκη, τους πρέσβεις της Ελλάδας και της Κύπρου και ιδιαιτέρως τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής Δημήτριο, με τον οποίο, όπως τόνισε έχουν τακτικές επαφές το τελευταίο χρονικό διάστημα. Αναφέρθηκε δε στην κοινή τους παρουσία στις εκδηλώσεις για τα 50χρονα της ιστορικής πορείας του Δρος Μάρτιν λούθερ Κινγκ στη Σέλμα της Αλαμπάμα όπου και οι δυο «τίμησαν τους Αμερικανούς που διέσχισαν την γέφυρα πενήντα χρόνια πριν σε αναζήτηση μίας καλύτερης ένωσης». «Μόλις μιλήσαμε για το σημαντικό ρόλο που διαδραμάτισε η θρησκεία, αυτή την ιστορική ημέρα» είπε ο πρόεδρος Ομπάμα λαμβάνοντας αφορμή από τις αναφορές του Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής, και συνέχισε λέγοντας ότι «δε θα ξεχάσουμε ποτέ ότι ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Πρώην Αμερικής Ιάκωβος περπάτησε δίπλα στον Μάρτιν Λούθερ Κινγκ κατά τη διάρκεια της πορείας του στη Σέλμα. Είχαν πει στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Ιάκωβο ότι δεν θα έπρεπε να συμμετάσχει σε αυτό, ότι ήταν πολύ αμφιλεγόμενο κι ότι θα έθετε την ίδια του τη ζωή σε κίνδυνο. Πήγε όμως για να υπηρετήσει αυτό που ο ίδιος ονόμαζε το πεδίο μάχης της ανθρωπότητας. Αυτή είναι μία ακόμη στιγμή στη μακρά αλυσίδα φιλίας μεταξύ των δύο χωρών και πολιτισμών μας», είπε. ΣΤΗ ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ Την 1 η Απριλίου, δήμαρχος Bill de Blasio και πρώτη κυρία, Chirlane McCray παρέθεσαν δεξίωση στο αρχοντικό Gracie Mansion προς τιμήν της επετείου της Ημέρας της Ελληνικής Ανεξαρτησίας. Παρόντες ήταν ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος, ο Κώστας Κωνσταντινίδης μέλος του δημοτικού συμβουλίου, ο οικονομικός διευθυντής (Comptroller) της Νέας Υόρκης Tom DiNapoli κι άλλοι επίσημοι. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος άνοιξε την τελετή με προσευχή και ο Δήμαρχος Ντι Μπλάσιο μίλησε με πάθος για τις συνεισφορές της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας στη Νέα Υόρκη. Πριν ξεκινήσουν οι δημόσιες ομιλίες ο δήμαρχος της Νέας Υόρκης παρέδωσε διακήρυξη της πόλης της Νέας Υόρκης προς τιμήν της Ημέρας της ελληνικής ανεξαρτησίας στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο. Στις παρατηρήσεις του ο δήμαρχος εξήρε την Ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα για τις συνεισφορές της στη Νέα Υόρκη. «Εορτάζουμε τα 194 έτη της Ελληνικής ανεξαρτησίας και τον απίστευτο τον απίστευτο ρόλο, που η Ελλάδα έχει διαδραματίσει στον κόσμο και η Ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα έχει παίξει εδώ στη Νέα Υόρκη πολύ, καιρό, τους βαθείς δεσμούς μεταξύ των ΗΠΑ και της Ελλάδας» είπε ο δήμαρχος de Blasio. «Η Ελλάδα είναι η Witness the moving service of the Resurrection of Christ in what is known as the largest Greek Orthodox parish in America, St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY. Thousands gather inside and outside the church to hear Archbishop Demetrios of America read the Gospel and proclaim, Christos Anesti - Christ is Risen! The faithful raise their lighted candles, joyfully singing together. Christ is risen from the dead; by death, He has trampled death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. (Paschal Troparion). This video presentation, Christ is Risen! The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy of Pascha, was broadcast LIVE around the world in The narration was added and editing occurred in order for the program to air nationally on NBC during the Paschal season in To purchase your DVD copy of this program ($20 per DVD + $6 S&H) please call , or gotel@goarch.org, or comple the order form below and mail it to: GOTelecom, 8E. 79th Street, New York, NY Yes, I want to order DVD copies Enclosed is my check for: $ or I authorize GOTelecom to charge my: Exp. date: Card No.: Name on Card: Produced by γενέτειρα της Δημοκρατίας, και σήμερα επωφελούμαστε από τις συνεισφορές της Ελλάδας στον κόσμο. Ας γιορτάσουμε σήμερα αυτό ισχυρή και ζωντανή κοινότητα εδώ στην πόλη της Νέας Υόρκης, αλλά ας γιορτάσουμε για το ότι έχει κάνει η Ελλάδα για όλο τον κόσμο», τόνισε. Christ is Risen! The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy of Pascha Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: The program has been made possible with a grant by Christos Spyropoulos and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

17 MAY DONOR PROFILE u from page 5 for one another in our community. When I accompanied the Ecumenical Patriarch to Israel for that extraordinary meeting with the Pope, I saw the familiar holy places of Jerusalem through different religious eyes and it conveyed to me a deeper appreciation of spirituality. Especially being with His All-Holiness, I felt this deep sense of kindness and compassion. St. Nicholas has a remarkable future ahead incorporating these values in its mission and witnessing to them daily. Q. What is the impact you feel that St. Nicholas will have on the wider community of New York and the world? A. As I said before, there is tremendous potential for bearing witness at St. Nicholas, because of the site - the WTC. In fact, it could become among the premier houses of worship in the world. But we cannot take this for granted. The opportunity of St. Nicholas is equaled by its responsibility to be an open, welcoming center for all people. Orthodox Observer photo Hellenic College of Thessaloniki A large contingent of first and second-year high school students from Thessaloniki traveled to New York on a school trip in late March. They met with Archbishop Demetrios on March 23. Also shown: (at right) Dr. Ioannis Efthimiopoulos, director of the Archdiocese Department of Greek Education. John Mindala photo Symposium participants (from left) Dr. John Klemes; Helen Athan; benefactors Harry Spell and Angie Spell; Dr. Harry Dimopoulos, Richard Pappas, Fr. Joachim Boutros, Fr. Fouad Saba, Presvytera Maria Patitsas; Fr. Philemon Patitsas, Jim Ketis, Parish Council President; Fr. Spiro Bobotas; Archdeacon David Nimer; National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis; Archon John Scurtis, South Florida Regional Commander; Evan Scurtis; and Archon Harry Demas. Cathedral Consecration Set May 9-10 WASHINGTON As the Orthodox Observer was going to press, St. Sophia Cathedral was scheduled to be consecrated May Archbishop Demetrios, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, chancellor of the Archdiocese, and other clergy were scheduled to take part. Full coverage of the event will be featured in the June issue of the Orthodox Observer. According to the schedule, on Saturday, May 9, the cathedral s youth was to celebrate the community s diverse parish life and learn about the spiritual meaning of the consecration service through a variety of educational activities. In the afternoon, the holy relics of three martyr saints were to arrive at the u from page 12 several parishes in southeastern Michigan. Under the artistic direction of Victoria Kopistiansky, it is regarded as one of the finest ensembles of its kind in the country. This concert was its first outside of cathedral during a Vespers service, and remain on the holy altar table until their interment the following day. The relics of the three saints include those of St. Panteleimon, St. Barbara, and St. Kyrikos, representing a male saint, a female saint, and one of the church s few known child saints. In the evening, parishioners and guests were scheduled to celebrate the cathedral s 111 year history at a grand banquet at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Georgetown. On Sunday, May 10, the Service of Consecration was scheduled to take place followed by the Divine Liturgy. The celebration was to conclude with a general reception on the cathedral grounds. Choir Holds Benefit Concert in Cleveland Michigan. The Council of Orthodox Christian Churches is a 57 year-old clergy and lay association that represents various canonical Orthodox churches in metropolitan Detroit and sponsors a variety of worship, fellowship, charitable, educational and outreach programs. South Florida Archons Hold Rights Symposium NAPLES, Fla. - The first annual National Christian Rights and Freedom Symposium, titled Uplifting Christ Witnessing for our Faith in the Face of Radical Extremism took place March 14 at St. Katherine Church. Keynote speaker was Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He spoke on Christianity Under Attack The Plight Of The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Defense of Persecuted Christians. The event, which drew a capacity audience, was co-hosted by the South Florida Archons and St. Katherine Church, pastored by Fr. Philemon Patitsas. Benefactors for this inaugural symposium were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Spell. Fr. Fouad Saba, dean of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Coral Gables, Fla, spoke on Living the Word of God as Persecuted Christians. STERLING TRAVEL 20 LAUREN LANE, PHILLIPSBURG, N.J sterlingtravel@hotmail.com 20 Lauren Lane, Phillipsburg, NJ ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ ΑΘΗΝΑ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ TICKETS 2 GREECE ON SALE $ 299 από Με επιστροφή + FUEL FEES + TAXES EXTRA Περιορισμένος αριθμός θέσεων Restrictions Apply Χαμηλές τιμές για ΑΠΛΗ ΜΕΤΑΒΑΣΗ ΕΙΔΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΟΡΕΣ ΚΙ ΑΠΟ ΑΛΛΕΣ ΠΟΛΕΙΣ Τηλεφωνείστε δωρεάν (Call Toll Free): ΙΔΙΟΚΤΗΤΕΣ: ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ & ΜΙΝΑ ΑΓΓΕΛΗ Cheap Tickets, Great Price

18 18 Greek Independence Day parades MAY 2015 Orthodox Observer, and Metropolis and Parish contributed photos

19 MAY Greek Independence Day parades Photos by Orthodox Observer and Deacon Alexandru Radulescu Late March and April featured several Greek Independence Day Parades in the U.S. as many thousands of marchers marked the 194 th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek war for independence and thousands more lined the streets of their respective cities, which included New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit and Chicago. The New York parade featured the largest number of units, 94, including 30 floats. It also featured a very large contingent of participants from the neighboring Metropolis of New Jersey. As is the tradition each year, units of the Evzones, the Presidential Guard from Greece, marched near the head of the parades.

20 20 MAY 2015 Church History The Education of Fr. Chrysostom Trahatheas by William H. Samonides, Ph.D. AHEPA Supreme Lodge and all National officers invite all of you to Join us in celebrating our 93 rd Anniversary at the National Convention Embarcadero Hyatt, San Francisco, CA Over $500,000 donated to Apostoli and to the IOCC for the purchase of Food for those in need in Greece and Cyprus. Purchased shipping for over $9 Million in medical equipment and materials to Hospitals throughout Greece. Donated Millions in Educational and Charitable funds in our local communities. 93 Years of Service to the Community AHEPA Headquarters 1909 Q St., NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC Phone Fax To join AHEPA, visit: Many of the early Greek Orthodox priests came to America with impressive educational credentials, as graduates of the Patriarchal Theological School at Halki or the Theological School of the University of Athens. The education of Fr. Chrysostom Trahatheas ( ) was quite different. Beginning on the Aegean island of Samos and continuing in the Holy Land and America, it prepared him for a 40-year career ( ) as a priest in America. Born Stylianos Trahatheas, he graduated at the top of his high school class in Samos and continued his education at a monastery in Jerusalem. During two years of study there, he was baptized for a second time in the Jordan River. Returning to Samos, he served as head secretary in the local government office before leaving for America in July He left all his money with his parents, choosing to work his way across the Atlantic as a waiter on a small Greek freighter. Shortly after his arrival he found employment as a tanner in a leather factory in Fond Du Lac, Wis., and continued to support his parents from his earnings. The local parish of Holy Trinity had been established earlier that year. He was very active, serving as psaltis, president and secretary of the parish, and as Greek school teacher. He showed such promise that the parishioners pooled their money and in 1919 sent him to Nashotah House Theological Seminary, an Episcopalian school in southern Wisconsin. Before the establishment of St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Seminary in Astoria, it was common for those wanting to become Greek Orthodox priests to attend an Episcopalian seminary. Thirty ordained Greek Orthodox priests had come in 1916, but fewer than 10 arrived during the next three years. World War I disrupted transatlantic passenger service. U-boats imperiled shipping of all kinds, and most passenger liners were converted into service as hospital and troop ships for the war effort. The decrease in the number of priests could not have come at a worse time for the Church in America. Immigrants who had only planned to earn money in America for a short time found it impossible to return home. In addition, there was a labor shortage. The war economy was booming, and able-bodied Americans were being drafted into the armed forces. This improved the prospect of steady employment for immigrants. Many began to consider the possibility of settling in America. The immigrant workers had disposable income and the desire to invest in their communities. One result was a sudden increase in the number of new parishes: more than 50 parishes were formed from 1916 to 1918 at the height of World War I. In an unusual step, due to the shortage of priests, Trahatheas was ordained several years before he graduated. Then Bishop Alexander of Rodostolou traveled from New York City to officiate. Trahatheas was ordained deacon on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1920, and ordained a priest the next day. Both ceremonies took place at the newly established Sts. Constantine and Helen parish in Rockford, Ill. His name was changed from Stylianos to Chrysostom. The Very Rev. Dr. Edward Larrabee, head of the Nashotah Seminary, attended the ordinations. Fr. Trahatheas became the first permanent priest of the Rockford parish, celebrating his first Liturgy on Dec. 19, After the Christmas holidays, he returned to seminary, devoting three days a week, Saturday through Monday, to his Rockford parish, and the remainder of the week to his studies. In May 1923, after four years of study, he graduated from Nashotah but continued to teach Greek there. In December he was the best man at the wedding of one of the most prominent members of the Rockford parish. Although his future seemed secure, trouble lay ahead. There were accusations that he meddled in parish council elections. The turmoil threatened the existence of the fledgling parish. Rockford was a small but important parish that served several smaller Greek communities over a wide area in northwestern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Political divisions were common in Greek communities throughout America at this time, and many larger parishes suffered temporary fissures. For a small community like Rockford, this was not an option. With a membership of 75 Greek families in the city and about 130 from neighboring towns, the parish was not large enough to split and would not have survived if a significant number of parishioners had left. Bishop Philaretos went to Rockford the following month to reassure the parish and to make arrangements for Fr. Trahatheas to be transferred. Fr. Trahatheas remained in Rockford another five months, awaiting the appointment of his successor. He had been educated on three continents over 20 years. His most important lesson, however, may have been learned while serving his first parish. It would stand him in good stead during his many years of service to the Church in America. He was transferred to the St. Nicholas parish in Pittsburgh, which he served from 1924 to He became a U.S. citizen and went on to serve parishes in six states during his long career. His service included 13 years at his home parish of Holy Trinity in Fond du Lac, where he repaid the parishioners for the trust they had shown when they sent him to seminary. He retired there in 1960 and spent his last years living with his sister and brother-in-law. The story of Fr. Trahatheas is one of many featured in Pioneering Priests: Establishing the Greek Orthodox Faith in America, an exhibition funded by Leadership 100 and now on display at the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine in St. Augustine, Fla.