Sun. Sept 13  ARTOKLASIA  Offered by the Salamalekis family in celebration of Holy Cross; a Second basket, passed by Philoptochos, will benefit the Holy Cross Seminary’s Scholarship Fund. 

Mon., Sept 14, 8:20 a.m. Orthros;  9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy in the Church.  Happy nameday to our Stavros & Stavroulas!

The Spiritual Life Ministries (Orthodox Book Study, Prayer Group, and Catacomb Bookstore) invite you to coffee hour on 9/13  after church. 

Anyone that can host a coffee hour on any of the following dates: September  27, Oct. 4 & 18 ,  please contact Anna ([email protected])

Sun., Sept. 13,  during coffee hour in the east parking lot (by the Zapis Activity Center). Proceeds to benefit GOYA. 

Have your home or business blessed for the Ecclesiastic New Year (starting Sept.1)   Fr. Andrew will be available throughout September, Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. To schedule an appointment, contact him at [email protected]

9/20: Kariotakis; Skliros

10/11: Pyros; Souris

11/29: Gastis

Sept 21 & 28 at 6 p.m. in the hall. We continue our tribute to our country’s 250^th anniversary with  America America  (1963.) A Greek Orthodox man living in the Ottoman Empire of the 1890s, enduring ethnic and religious persecution by the Turks, is desperate to get to America. Academy Award-winning director Elia Kazan based a novel and this English-language movie on the real-life experiences of his uncle. The beautiful soundtrack is by Manos Hadjidakis. We will show this epic film in 2 parts. Free and open to all.

Bread of Life next service date: Saturday, Oct 3

Contact  Christina (440) 665-1494 

Philoptochos’ next service date: Tuesday, Oct 13                                          

Contact Joanne Harootunian (440) 353-0910.     

VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT  Sat., Sept 12, at Sandbox Courts, 1 Eagle Valley Ct., Broadview Hts. Samos Club of Cleveland sponsoring the 2^nd annual tournament for co-ed teams of 6 (2 women on court) from area parishes and Greek regional clubs. Register: www.samosclub.org

IOCC 5K WALK/RUN Sat., Sept 12 at Cleveland Metroparks. Meet at 18833 Rockcliff Dr., Rocky River. 9 a.m. check in; 10 am walk/run begins. $25/person; $70/family of four. Make your steps count for people in need! Register at iocc.org/Cleveland

CREPE & CHAT  Wed., Sept 23, at 6 p.m. Daughters of Penelope will meet at Crepes in the City at Crocker Park (west of the roundabout) to plan the coming season and discuss the novel “House of Odysseus.” Purchase sweet or savory crepes while the proprietor Diane Foradis shares her inspirations and challenges. RSVP to Eleni Papouras-Jenks (216-965-8131.)

EASTERN ORTHODOX WOMEN’S GUILD Sat., Sept. 26, 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 6822 Broadview Rd., Parma. Fellowship, new year blessing, refreshments and door prizes. Learn about the events for this year and assemble IOCC Kid’s School Kits for students affected by war.

EXPANDING THE LIVING PARISH Free online webinars, Mondays at 8 p.m. Open to all.

Sept 21:  Using the right approach to conflict     Nov 19: Healthy Catechsim for newcomers

Oct. 19: Welcoming and engaging seekers         Dec 14: Building the Orthodox mindset

To receive the link go to https://tinyurl.com/385needb

PAINT & POUR Thu., Sept 24, 6 p.m. at Market 42, 2099 Pearl Rd., Brunswick. $65 includes painting supplies, instruction, wine, and food, hosted by Annunciation Philoptochos. For tickets, contact Ourania Stefanopoulos (440-390-0894)

ANCIENT PAINTERS AS STORYTELLERS Sun., Sept. 27, 2:00 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The  Collis Lecture presents Mark Stansbury-O'Donnell, Professor Emeritus at Univ. of St. Thomas.  FREE tickets: https://ticketing.clevelandart.org/18989/19046?promoapplied=true

To purchase tickets to the Hellenic Preservation Society reception, immediately following the lecture, go to:  https://buy.stripe.com/4gMaEX4TLc9Z8iacy8aVa1g 

CRAFT FAIR Sat., Oct. 3, at St Paul Hellenic Center, 4548 Wallings Rd., N. Royalton. Vendors can still request a booth (8x10’ space + 2 chairs; supply own table) for $75; limited tables for rent at $10; limited spaces with electricity $5.  Contact  [email protected]

 HELLENIC DANCE Sat., Oct 3, 7 p.m.-midnight, at the Sterea Hellas Foundation, 7890 Brookside Dr., Olmsted Falls. Music by Karizma. Full cash bar & mezedakia platters. $20 donation; children under 13 free. For tickets, call Nick Tsengas (330-998-8837)

‘LIGHT STREAMS IN’ Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., fall retreat at Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral, 3352 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts. Keynote speaker is  author & podcaster Elissa Bjeletich Davis on how we can let Christ’s light stream into the world. $15/adult includes breakfast & lunch; free for students. Register at https://pci.jotform.com/form/262124886813159

WONDERFULLY MADE Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Retreat for the Metropolis of Pittsburgh’s youth & young adults with disabilities. Hosted by Holy Cross Church, 123 Gilkeson Rd., Pittsburgh, PA. For more info, contact Alyssa Kyritsis ([email protected])

YOUNG ADULT FALL RETREAT Oct. 23-25 at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA. For Young Adults (18-35 years of age) led by Fr. Stephen Loposky speaking on “Spiritual Fathers and the Mystery of Confession”    Register at tinyurl.com/smxbprrp

We meet on Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. in the Parish Library.  We are now reading The Art of Myrrh-bearing: Encountering Christ Through Serving Others by Elissa Bjeletich Davis.  Copies on sale in the Catacomb Bookstore.

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel.

Contact Diakonissa Amy ([email protected] or 330-519-3100) to join, or to submit names for whom we can pray. 

Wednesdays & Fridays at 9 a.m. We are now playing at Morton Park in Fairview Park, weather permitting. Rain days in the Zapis Activity Center.

As the nation begins a week of remembrance marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America joined public officials, Port Authority police officers, and community leaders for the dedication of the new Port Authority Memorial in Lower Manhattan. The memorial stands beside the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero.

Among those attending the ceremony were New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia, Port Authority Board Chairman Kevin O’Toole, Congressman Dan Goldman, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Assemblymember Grace Lee, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, World Trade Center Memorial Fund President Paul Iannacone, as well as current and retired Port Authority police officers, family members, friends, and supporters.

The ceremony opened with the Presentation of Colors and the singing of the National Anthem, followed by remarks from civic and community leaders. Several speakers reflected on the symbolic location of the memorial, situated beside St. Nicholas National Shrine, the only house of worship destroyed in the attacks of September 11, and overlooking the footprints of the former World Trade Center.

Speaking before hundreds gathered beneath a clear September sky, Archbishop Elpidophoros reflected on the lives lost that day and the enduring responsibility to honor their memory. He emphasized the courage of those who placed the safety of others above their own during the attacks and acknowledged the families who have carried the weight of loss for a quarter century.

“It is deeply meaningful that we gather here beside our Saint Nicholas National Shrine,” the Archbishop said. “This little church was itself lost on September 11. Today, it stands again overlooking Ground Zero, not as though the tragedy never happened, but precisely because it did.”

Drawing a connection between the rebuilding of St. Nicholas and the resilience of the city and nation, Archbishop Elpidophoros described the shrine as a powerful symbol of hope born from tragedy.

“Saint Nicholas stands here as a witness that destruction need not have the final word; that from the deepest wounds can come renewed purpose; and that remembrance, joined with faith, can become hope,” he said. “As we dedicate this memorial and prepare to mark twenty-five years since that terrible day, we remember the sacrifice of those who ran toward danger to save others, the lives that were forever changed, and the enduring spirit that continues to unite us. It is in that hope, and in that spirit of remembrance, that we now pray.”

The new memorial will serve as a permanent tribute to the Port Authority police officers and all those whose lives were affected by the attacks, ensuring that their sacrifice and service remain part of the nation’s collective memory for generations to come.

The post Archbishop Elpidophoros gives benediction at Port Authority Memorial dedication appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

The success of this Congress was not simply measured by attendance or by the number of sessions offered. Its success was found in a renewed understanding of what the Clergy-Laity Congress can actually be. Certainly, the Congress has a responsibility to conduct the business of our Archdiocese. Budgets must be reviewed, resolutions must be considered, reports must be presented, and decisions must be made. That administrative responsibility is important and should never be diminished. But the Church is so much more than its business.

The Clergy-Laity Congress should be a gathering of the πλήρωμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, the fullness of the Church.

That means creating a place where the clergy and laity who make up our parishes can come together not only to govern the national Church, but to learn how to better serve the local Church. It means recognizing that the people sitting in those seats are not simply delegates with votes. They are Sunday School teachers, parish council members, youth workers, musicians, stewardship leaders, educators, parents, young adults, ministry leaders, priests, presvyteres, and volunteers who go home and make the life of our parishes possible.

Cleveland showed us the tremendous potential that exists when we bring those people together.

Oun National Ministries were not simply invited to present their work or display their resources. They were given a central role in educating and equipping the people of our parishes. The Ministry Pavilion brought Archdiocesan departments, institutions, partners, and organizations together with the people they serve. But even more importantly, the Congress offered specialized educational opportunities, including dedicated tracks for Sunday School teachers and church musicians. These were not simply opportunities to hear about what someone else is doing. They were opportunities to learn, to develop skills, to exchange ideas, and to take something practical home.

That is an important distinction.

Our goal should not simply be to tell our parishes what the Archdiocese is doing. Our goal should be to help our parishes do more.

A Sunday School teacher should be able to return home with a new idea that can make a difference in the classroom. A church musician should return with something new to bring to the worshipping life of the community. A youth worker should discover a resource or a relationship that can help engage young people. A parish leader should encounter another parish that has found a solution to a challenge they are facing. A priest should be able to return home renewed by the fellowship and experience of his brother clergy.

When that happens, the Clergy-Laity Congress becomes more than an event. It becomes an investment in every parish represented.

This is what I believe Cleveland demonstrated so clearly: the Congress of the future must be both a place where we strengthen our administrative unity and a place where we strengthen the people who make up our parishes. We need both. We need the serious work of governance, and we need the practical work of ministry. We need to make decisions together, but we also need to learn together. We need to deliberate together, but we also need to grow together.

The new plenary model was part of that same vision. By moving the reports of Archdiocesan departments, ministries, institutions, and organizations into digital formats, we created an opportunity for those ministries to tell their stories more fully, using video and other resources, while allowing the Plenary Session to concentrate on the business that actually required the attention of the Congress. Participants could review reports and presentations before, during, and after the Congress, rather than trying to absorb them in a few minutes from a podium.

The same philosophy guided the new approach to the financial process. Before coming to Cleveland, clergy and lay leaders had opportunities to review financial information through online presentations and participate in question-and-answer sessions. Full financial statements, proposed budgets, and other materials were made available for review. Then, at the Congress, the Finance Committee presented its report and the delegates had the opportunity for discussion and deliberation before voting.

This is what greater transparency should look like. It is not simply about putting documents online. It is about giving people the opportunity to understand, ask questions, participate, and ultimately take responsibility for the decisions of their Church.

The CARA Survey was an important part of this process as well. Thousands of faithful throughout our Archdiocese took the time to tell us what they see, what they need, and what they believe should be our priorities. Those voices helped inform the direction of the proposed national budget. The result is a stronger connection between what our people are telling us in our parishes and the priorities we establish at the national level.

That is conciliar life.

We listen to one another. We learn from one another. We disagree at times, but we remain together. We deliberate. We pray. And then we move forward together.

Not everyone saw what happened in Cleveland that way. In the days surrounding the Congress, some commentary suggested that little of substance took place. It is difficult, however, to understand how one could reach that conclusion without actually being there. The Congress was not simply something to observe from a distance. It was something to experience.

More than 2,000 people traveled to Cleveland. Hundreds of volunteers gave their time. Clergy and lay leaders spent hours in workshops and discussions. Ministries shared their resources. Parish leaders exchanged ideas. Delegates participated in the formal work of the Archdiocese. Priests prayed together. Families gathered. Old friendships were renewed and new relationships were formed.

It is easy to criticize something from the outside. It is much harder to give of your time, to sit in a room with people who may have different opinions, to listen to one another, to find common ground, and to do the sometimes difficult work of building up the Church.

It is easy to throw stones from the outside; it is much more challenging to pick one up and help build. That is what the people who came to Cleveland chose to do.

And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of this year’s Congress. The real measure of its success will not ultimately be found in what happened during those three days in Cleveland. It will be found in what happens afterward.

When a parish council uses something it learned in a workshop, the Congress continues.

When a Sunday School teacher starts teaching from the new curriculum, the Congress continues.

When a youth ministry launches a new initiative because of an idea shared in Cleveland, the Congress continues.

When a priest calls another priest for advice because of a relationship formed at the Congress, the Congress continues.

When a parish becomes stronger, more welcoming, more engaged, and more capable of sharing the Gospel because someone came home from Cleveland with a new tool or a renewed sense of purpose, then the Congress has accomplished what it was intended to accomplish.

That is why I believe the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress was not simply one of our most successful Congresses. It provided a model for what our Congresses can become moving forward.

We should continue to conduct the important business of our national Church. We should continue to strengthen our administrative unity, improve our transparency, exercise responsible stewardship, and make decisions together. But we should also recognize the extraordinary opportunity we have when thousands of faithful people gather in one place.

Those days are precious.

We have to use them to educate. To equip. To inspire. To connect. To build relationships. To share resources. To strengthen ministries. To give our people practical tools they can take home and use immediately in the life of their parish.

Because the Clergy-Laity Congress is not simply a meeting of representatives.

It is the gathering of the Church, it is the πλήρωμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας coming together.

And when the fullness of the Church gathers, we should leave better equipped to serve the Church we love.

Cleveland reminded us that we are capable of doing this. It showed us that our clergy and laity want to learn. They want to participate. They want to serve. They want their parishes to thrive. And they want an Archdiocese that supports them in that work.

So now, the question is not whether we can do it again.

The question is how much further we can take it.

The work of Cleveland does not end with the closing of the Congress. It begins when everyone goes home.

The tools are in our hands. The relationships have been formed. The ideas have been shared. The challenge has been placed before us.

Now we have to build.

Together.

The post Opinion | Carrying the Clergy-Laity Congress forward appeared first on Orthodox Observer.

Many Orthodox Christians are wary of ecumenical spaces. Some believe ecumenism is a great heresy, erroneously equating it with religious syncretism. Still others believe the project is completely pointless. In the early years of the ecumenical movement, many worked in joyful anticipation that, by God’s grace, the numerous fractures and schisms in Christianity might finally be healed. Now, however, the dream of full eucharistic communion between disparate Christian communities seems increasingly unrealizable. The upshot is that many Orthodox Christians struggle to see the value of ecumenism. Many ask, ‘Is ecumenism worthwhile?’ 

This question was at the forefront of my mind when Fr. Bartholomew Mercado, the chaplain at Hellenic College Holy Cross (HCHC), encouraged me to participate in a new ecumenical initiative. A program co-sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Canadian Council of Churches, and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. The initiative I’m referring to is the North American-Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute (or NATI-RETI). The ambitious goal of this program was as follows. From August 3rd–16th, 2026 NATI-RETI would gather together a cohort of emerging theologians from various Christian communities in the United States and Canada. Phase one would take place in Detroit and phase two in Toronto. The participants would live in a tight-knit community for two weeks and undergo an intense, immersive study program focused on the overarching question, ‘Where Now for Visible Justice?’   

I elected to attend NATI-RETI because I was intrigued by both the unique format of the program and the timely topics it would address. Importantly, I also hoped I might discover an answer to the vexing question posed above: ‘Is ecumenism worthwhile?’  

After spending fourteen days fully immersed in an ecumenical space, rigorously exploring the most pressing social issues of our time, I have arrived at the following conclusion: ecumenism is, indeed, a worthwhile and absolutely vital endeavor. To understand why I think this, allow me to summarize some of my experiences at NATI-RETI.  

During the training, we explored six pressing issues facing Christians living in North America: Climate Justice, Secularism and Laicity, Racism and Anti-Racism, Interfaith Dialogue, Solidarity with Indigenous Communities, and Wealth Disparity and Poverty. We explored these topics in a variety of creative ways. Numerous hours were dedicated to reading and discussing scholarly articles and books. Breaking up into smaller study groups, we analysed both Christian and non-Christian responses to these problems. We also attended multiple plenary sessions, led by leading academics.  

Additionally, we participated in special exercises and site visits to supplement the academic activities. Notably, we visited the Freedom Dreams EcoVillage in Detroit and discovered how a small group of dedicated volunteers are transforming abandoned lots and piles of rubble into vibrant community gardens. We visited several historically significant destinations associated with the Underground Railroad, such as the Second Baptist Church of Detroit and Sandwich Baptist Church in Windsor and learned about their contribution to abolitionism. We visited the Toronto Bahá’i Center and engaged in complex interfaith dialogue. We walked through a former Mohawk residential school, now turned into a museum, and read first-hand accounts of survivors who had been ripped out of their homes and forced to undergo the most dehumanizing abuses and tortures imaginable. 

These experiences helped me to identify four reasons why it’s vital for Orthodox Christians to remain involved in ecumenical work. First, we can learn a lot in ecumenical spaces. I learned how a small group of passionate Christians can slowly resurrect a dying community by teaching its young people carpentry and gardening skills and lovingly using these skills to transform a desolate neighborhood into a beautiful oasis. Imagine if Orthodox parishes invested in their communities in this way? I engaged in an in-depth discussion with members of the Bahá’i community and learned many practical ways we might better foster a sense of belonging in our churches. I learned from the lived experiences and perspectives of Indigenous people who continue to exemplify compassion, hope, and love despite the horrors of colonialism.   

Second, we can share our rich theological and spiritual heritage in ecumenical spaces. Despite the rising number of inquirers flocking to our parishes, most people are still unfamiliar with Orthodoxy. At NATI-RETI, I got the chance to discuss the cosmological theology of St. Maximus the Confessor, the ecotheology of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and the inspiring (noncolonial) missionary efforts of St. Herman of Alaska. I was also able to introduce the members of my cohort to our spiritual and liturgical tradition by reading the Trisagian prayers in Greek, and teaching everyone how to sing a Byzantine hymn. Virtually none of my cohort had encountered Orthodoxy before meeting me.  

Third, we can model Christian love by participating in ecumenical spaces. In an increasingly polarized world filled with profound injustices, the Church should be at the front lines, teaching society how to show love and respect to those with whom we disagree. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words. We can preach to others, imploring them to be quick to listen and slow to speak. But it’s far more effective to exemplify this behavior. Orthodox Christians can model this by personally connecting with and building genuine friendships with people of different faith backgrounds. 

Finally, we can partner with non-Orthodox people to address societal problems. We shall never achieve visible justice without working alongside others. We may not agree with our neighbors on essential matters, such as church polity or biblical interpretation or dogma. But we can still work together to feed and cloth the homeless, to be a voice for the marginalized and persecuted, and to stand up to bigotry and hatred in all its nefarious forms.  

NATI-RETI showed me that ecumenism is most certainly worthwhile.   

The post Is ecumenism worthwhile? A seminarian’s reflection on NATI-RETI   | Op-Ed appeared first on Orthodox Observer.