Metropolitan Alexios' Message
My dear Metropolis of Atlanta Family,
“Let all partake of the feast of faith.
Let all receive the riches of goodness.
Let no one lament his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn his transgressions,
for pardon has dawned from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free.”
(From St. John Chrysostom’s Paschal Homily)
I greet you with love and joy in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! As we approach our Lord’s life-giving Resurrection, I pray that you and your family are blessed with the radiant joy that comes to us through the Feast of Feasts. This year’s celebration arrives as parishioners who have been absent during the COVID-19 pandemic return to our communities, and for this I am so happy.
Having recently experienced a period of ill-health, nothing has given me such happiness and strength as seeing so many faithful faces when I serve during Divine Liturgy, or when I visited our GOYAns during our recent Metropolis Lenten Retreat. Truly, my recovery has given me a special appreciation for the emotions we experience during this holy season: as we all move from the deep sadness of our Lord’s Passion to the joyous hope of His Resurrection.
Of course, to celebrate the Lord’s victory over death, during a time when Russia, a traditionally Orthodox country, continues to cause terrible, unjustified destruction to its Orthodox neighbor, Ukraine, is a very serious reminder that our world is still broken. Christ’s Death and Resurrection have opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all—but we must freely choose to take this gift. Therefore, as we—Greek, Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox—prepare to exclaim, Χριστὸς ἀνέστη!Christ is Risen! may we pray that the hearts of the Russian leaders be softened as we venerate the Empty Tomb of our Lord. Only when we live in peace and justice, will we as Orthodox Christians be considered worthy to exclaim the words of St. John Chrysostom’s Homily.
Praying that the light and gladness of our Lord’s Resurrection dwell within your hearts all the days of your lives, I remain,
Yours with paternal blessings and love in the Name of our Lord,
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
Youth, Education and Hellenic Culture
St. Stephen's Summer Camp has a rich tradition, dating back to the 1980's, and is grounded on the principals of living a true Orthodox lifestyle. There are liturgical services twice a day, opportunities for reflection, team building activities, community living and meals, athletics, arts & crafts, and nightly social activities.
Summer 2022
Week 1: June 26 - July 2
Week 2: July 3 - July 9
Week 3: July 10 - July 16
Week 4: July 17 - July 23
Week 5: July 24 - July 30
Camper Registration will open Tuesday, April 12 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Camper Registration Cost is $450.00 per camper.
$200.00 deposit upon registration and the remainder will be due by June 15, 2022.
Amazon Wishlist
We have put together an Amazon Wish List of items to assist in making St. Stephen's Summer Camp the best week of the year. Please take a moment and see if you can help in any way. All items will be shipped directly to the Metropolis in Atlanta.
If you do give us a gift, please let us know who you are so we can Thank You! Click Here!
On Youth Safety Protocols
From Father George Tsahakis, Chancellor: On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios and Monica Gjerde, our Metropolis Youth Coordinator, I commend you for working to achieve the ongoing safety and protection of our youth. Please review the following:
Login in to Armatus Administration to see your Parish Summary Now!*
https://armatus2.praesidiuminc.com/armatusUser/login
In closing, we understand this effort requires 100 percent compliance. The parish I serve, St. Christopher Church is 100 percent compliant with the above protocol. If your parish is at 100 percent, email me so I can add you to the listing for His Eminence's review. He is both supportive and has completed his background check, the 2-part Youth Safety and 1-part youth worker regulations online training. This is an ongoing responsibility for all our clergy and their youth workers... we support your efforts to guide your parish to 100 percent compliance. Thank you.
*If you misplaced your password, contact your Parish Youth Safety Admin to get it.
For information on Policies for the Safety of Youth and Children, please click https://atlmetropolis.org/policies-for-the-safety-of-youth-and-children!
Please remember that all parishes must comply and sign their parish contracts to host any youth ministry programs or events on the parish level (Sunday School) or to participate on a District or Metropolis Level Events (Retreats, WYR & HDF).
Journey of Marriage (Pre-Marital Seminar)
All couples marrying in the Metropolis must attend a Metropolis-sponsored Journey of Marriage seminar prior to their wedding. The couple will present their certificate of completion to their parish priest after the seminar.
To see the full list of seminars in Florida and in our entire Metropolis for 2022 and to register, please visit:
https://atlmetropolis.org/pre-marital-seminars-journey-of-marriage
Registration is online. Materials costs are included in the registration. The seminars are currently being conducted by Zoom meeting.
New Release from Trisagion Films: Saint Ignatius the God-bearer
Today, we released the latest video in our series about the lives of Orthodox Saints. St. Ignatius the God-bearer is about the life and martyrdom of the third bishop of Antioch. St. Ignatius was a disciple of the St. John the Theologian and, according to Orthodox tradition, was the little boy that Jesus Christ sat in the midst of the disciples when He said, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). St. Ignatius was also known as the "God-bearer" (Theophoros), because he bore God in His heart and prayed to Him unceasingly. He was also given this name because he was held in the arms of Christ, the incarnate Son of God. As bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius led the church with courage during a difficult time of persecution. He strengthened the flock through his willingness to suffer for Christ. This comes through in the letters St. Ignatius wrote to various churches on his way to martyrdom. We hope you enjoy this video about his life and about the history of that era.
If you enjoy our work, please consider contributing to our effort. We use donations to support our artists, upgrade equipment, and maintain our website and domain name. One option is the crowdfunding site Patreon, where your monthly donation will go a long way in helping us share the Orthodox faith with the world. You can also make donations via PayPal. Contact us directly if you would like to donate via other methods. We greatly appreciate any help you can give!