July 4, 2018

BOSTON – A service of Doxology was held today for the 4th of July, Independence Day by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America inside of the large conference rooms of the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel, where the 44th Clergy Laity Congress is taking place July 1-5, 2018. Following the doxology, the National Forum of Church Musicians together with the Boston Brass ensemble offered a festive program of hymns and patriotic songs. Later in the evening the delegates of the Congress attended various festivities and watched the magnificent Boston fireworks show over the Charles River.

The large number of the delegates of the 44th Clergy Laity Congress devoted their time today in the meetings and deliberations of the Finance and Administration Committees. The Finance Committee discussed the proposed 2019 and 2020 budgets. After much discussion, a line item of one million dollars was added to the proposed budget with the intent to support the Archdiocese pension plan. The budgets will be presented to the plenary session tomorrow for discussion and approval.

The National Philoptochos hosted their traditional Philoptochos breakfast and followed with day-long general assembly meetings, attended in part by Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Methodios, other hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod and the representatives of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria.

During the day and in preparation of tomorrow’ s Plenary session many meetings of the various committees and ministry workshops of the Archdiocese took place. These included: Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism, Youth & Young Adult Ministries, Marriage & Family: Center for Family Care, Orthodox Parish Software, Religious Education, Greek Education and Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations.

There was a special presentation on the Youth Protection Manual by Steven Christoforou; and a panel discussion with the question: “Are We Doing Ministry Correctly: Reflections on the Direction of Our Work.” Meetings of the National Forum of Church Musicians and the National Sisterhood of Presvyteres were also held. In the late afternoon, the Order of St Andrew-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate held their customary reception.

Hellenic College Holy Cross Orientation Educational Day

The delegates of both the National Philoptochos and the Clergy Laity Congress had the opportunity to visit the campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross during different time intervals on Tuesday July 3, 2018. Travelling by chartered coaches to nearby suburb of Brookline, the Philoptochos delegates visited in the morning hours and the Congress delegates in the early afternoon.

They toured the campus and the various buildings, attended seminars at Pappas Gymnasium, the Chapel of Holy Cross and the cafeteria. A traditional barbecue lunch under a tent was offered to everyone. Administrators and professors of the school offered presentations about the ministry of the School, the programs, the degrees and opportunities offered to the students.

Archbishop Demetrios chanted a trisagion short memorial service at the grave of Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory behind the chapel of Holy Cross. Attending the service were Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the representatives of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, some school officials and other visiting delegates.

Earlier Tuesday morning, the first meeting of the Finance Committee took place, as well as the combined Archdiocesan Presbyters Council and Retired Clergy breakfast and in the afternoon the meetings of the National Philoptochos.

The 44th Clergy Laity organizing committee under the guidance of Metropolitan Methodios of Boston and with the leadership of co-chairmen Michael Sophocles and Peter Bassett organized a very successful and well-attended reception and cultural night featuring Boston’s Greek Music Ensemble. The musical selections of the two-hour program included the works of renown Greek composers and poets Theodorakis, Hatzidakis, Xarhakos, Markopoulos, Tsitsanis, Seferis, Elutis, Gatsos, etc.

Photos from Clergy Laity events: https://www.flickr.com/photos/goarch/albums

== 30 ==

July 2, 2018

BOSTON – The 44^th Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America began with the Keynote Address of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Monday morning July 2, 2018. The National Ladies Philoptochos Society concurrently and according to tradition, holds its own Philoptochos Biennial Conference; and both take place this year in the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel, thirty years after the 29th Congress that was held here in 1988.

Archbishop Demetrios of America led the opening prayer service assisted by Fr. Theodore Barbas, Chancellor of the Metropolis of Boston, Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos and Deacon Eleftherios Constantine. All the Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod were present, as well as the representatives of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria.

Panagiota Haloulakou sang the National Anthem of Greece and Presvytera Katerina Makiej sang the National Anthem of the United States. The National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians chanted the ecclesiastical hymns.

Michael Sophocles, Congress Co-Chair, welcomed the more than a thousand attendees to the Opening Ceremony. Greek American journalist and former News Anchor Mike Nikitas, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Mayor of Boston, the Honorable Martin Walsh, expressed his appreciation for the Clergy Laity Congress taking place in Boston, welcomed the participants and underlined the important role of the Greek Orthodox Church and community in the life and advancement of this great city, known around the world as the Athens of America.

Nicholas Burns, Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece and presently Harvard University Professor of Diplomacy and International Relations offered a very warm greeting and spoke about the revitalization of the economy of Greece. Present in the opening ceremony was the Consul General of Greece in Boston Hon. Stratos Efthimiou.

The President of the National Philoptochos Maria Logus in her greeting to the gathering briefly spoke of the compassionate work of love and philanthropy the twenty-eight thousand ladies of the Philoptochos are doing across the country. Finally, George Tsandikos, the Vice-President of the Archdiocesan Council and highest-ranking lay leader of the Archdiocese, conveyed to the participants a message of unity and hope.

His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston welcomed the delegates in his Metropolis saying that Boston is a fitting location for our gathering, not only because it is home to one of the historic Greek Orthodox communities in America and Hellenic College Holy Cross, but also because it is the birthplace of religious freedom in the United States. At another point of his opening remarks the Metropolitan noted: “In these biennial gatherings, we come together as a community to ensure that our faith, the pearl of great price, this Παρακαταθήκη, this sacred deposit, which has been entrusted to our care, is preserved and passed on to future generations.” (see full text)

A video message of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew followed and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria read the Patriarchal Message in English. (see here the video and read the patriarchal text) His All Holiness spoke about faith, which is the theme of the Congress, and said “authentic faith according to Christ generates creative powers and bears fruit in the lives of the faithful and in society.  Faith is union with God and simultaneously union with our neighbor through “love from a pure heart”.  (1 Tim. 1:5).  Faith and love comprise an integral existential reality in the life of the Church, which constitutes the “miracle of the New” in the world.”

The Patriarch expressed his concern for the unfortunate occurrences in the Archdiocese but also his confidence in a favorable outlook for better days noting: “We are not indifferent to these, but as we have been taught by God’s mercy, we are confident in a favorable outlook and better days, exercising our holy faith with discernment and patience, while standing with the holy clergy and the people of God, who – respectfully, lovingly, devotedly and gratefully – know how to relate to their Mother Church, which caringly and compassionately nurtures and protects their spiritual struggles and ecclesiastical integrity, while constituting a safety valve for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.”

Archbishop Demetrios of America delivered his Keynote Address, in which he recounted some of the key events since the last Clergy Laity of 2016 in Nashville. (see full text). The Archbishop expressed his genuine regret for the unexpected serious economic difficulties and problems and organizational inefficiencies and said: “For me, personally as Archbishop, after a long 19-year experience of serving here, and for the entire faithful of the Archdiocese, this dire situation caused truly unbearable pain.  This pain resulted from the fact that in spite of the sincere and unselfish offering of work done by many people, we suddenly found threatening before us an extremely difficult and really unacceptable situation. I am truly and deeply sorry for the disappointment, sorrow, frustration and pain that this unfortunate situation brought upon each and every member of our precious and beloved Archdiocese.”

Archbishop Demetrios then explained the actions taken and the appropriate measures for corrections including better arrangement and systemic enhancement of the administrative and financial management of the Archdiocese. An open special forum was held later in the afternoon answering all the questions regarding finances.

The Archbishop said that the Church always encountered challenges the greatest of which were in the early centuries of Christianity. “Since we are an integral part of the Orthodox Church, we are now facing our own portions of challenges,» he said and analyzed the following four challenges: a) The non-stopping change in everything, b) Economic pressure and poverty, c) Disconnecting from the Church and d) Attacks against the Christian Faith.  His Eminence said that “in order to successfully confront the aforementioned challenges, we have to undertake a number of important tasks and put forth specific goals and proposals. (see full text).

At the conclusion of the morning session, the Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese and Secretary of the Archdiocesan Council Dr. Cathy Walsh declared the Congress open. She announced that as of that moment there was a total of 346 participating parishes and 1,421 representatives as follows: 367 registered delegates to the National Philoptochos Convention, 1054 total registered participants in the Congress of which 736 registered Clergy Laity delegates, and 318 other representatives and participants associated with the Archons, the Retired Clergy Association, the Sisterhood of Presvyteres etc.

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmnAnweh

== 30 ==

Message of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

VIDEO MESSAGE

to the Opening of the 44^th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress

of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

(Boston, MA July 2, 2018)

Your Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, our dear brother and concelebrant in the Holy Spirit, Your Eminences and Graces brethren metropolitans and bishops, reverend clergy, honorable parish and community representatives, esteemed Archons of the Mother Church, representatives of major institutions of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and all participants comprising this 44^th Clergy-Laity Congress: 

Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the sanctification of the All-Holy Spirit, together with our loving Patriarchal blessing and prayer.

In a world trapped by many impasses, “when the time had fully come” (Gal. 4:4), goodwill proceeded from heaven through the son and Word of God, Who assumed flesh, in an act of extreme philanthropy, showing us the Father and saving us from the fatal journey towards death through His Passion on the Cross and Resurrection.   Until the second coming of the Lord, life in Christ provided the characteristics of faith, hope and love, of which, ultimately, only “the greatest of these, love,” remains an absolute and indisputable expression of our “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12) communion with God.

In the Church’s earthly journey, though, until that cherished time, we journey in faith and with faith, declaring our steady and steadfast destination toward the encounter with our hearts’ Beloved, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.   We Christians are “the ones who believe” (see 2 Thess. 1:10).  Faith is, as aptly said. “a challenge, gift, talent, struggle and product of ‘sensory discipline’” (cf.Heb. 5:14), a “dynamic experience ,” not a “static assurance.”  It is constantly tested;   it is perfected at a moment when everything appears impossible;  it is fulfilled at a time of fertile doubt;   and, it culminates – with God’s inexpressible goodwill – in moments of temptation.  In no way does it constitute an opportunity for idle rest and illusory or sentimental relations with God;   but on the contrary, it encourages us to expend ourselves for the sake of the Church and Gospel to our last ounce of strength and blood, captivating our desire and guiding in faith and through faith to love.  Finally, faith in Christ is never experienced without personal spiritual struggled and Christian labor; instead, it raises our hands in supplication and prayer toward God, even as at that very moment we are completely convinced that our entire struggle begins with God, is extended toward our neighbor as love, is blessed and returned to God in glorification, just as we witnessed and touched in His earthly life and were taught in the gospel words of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Commander and perfecter of our faith. 

Sadly, we often ascertain that this sacred understanding of faith is greatly challenged and arbitrarily interpreted by various trends in the spiritual life, ending up either as individualistic spirituality and indifference for the ecclesiastical community, or as a tool of fundamentalists who use faith selfishly to impose themselves to others.   By contrast, authentic faith according to Christ generates creative powers and bears fruit in the lives of the faithful and in society.   Faith is union with God and simultaneously union with our neighbor through “love from a pure heart”.  (1 Tim. 1:5).  Faith and love comprise an integral existential reality in the life of the Church, which constitutes the “miracle of the New” in the world.

The Mother Church of Constantinople – of which the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, together with its Metropolises in the United States, form a select Eparchy – has an inviolable obligation at all times and on every occasion to minister to Christ’s Truth that bears no innovation, as well as to promote and teach the genuine and unadulterated ecclesiastical ethos.   At the Phanar, we learned how to walk and experience the Mystery of the Church in accordance to the faith transmitted to us by the Fathers, who preceded us in the practice of this God-given virtue.  The faith of the Phanar and of its vigilant guardians of our ancestral tradition essentially constitutes a silent prayer of the heart, but at the same time a struggle, everywhere and always, for the witness of Christ, the Resurrection and the expectation of the “Kingdom of all.”  The miracle of faith constitutes the core of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s witness, as well as the continuous and timeless desideratum, the “charming mystery” and the “foundation of love,” especially in times when even miracles resemble utopia to minds enslaved to rationalism.

This is why we fraternally congratulate Your Eminence, beloved Archbishop Demetrios of America, for selecting at such a critical moment in the journey of this Eparchy, which, the Mother Church entrusted to you with propitious hopes, a topic that is particularly fruitful for theological discussion, but also for practical application in the life of our God-fearing faithful.   For faith without visible application and actualization in the daily arena is more like a philosophical attitude, a theoretical approach, but not a gift of divine Grace, such as faith that is authentic. Everything brought into the Church as if belonging to it, that is unable to find fertile ground in our spiritual and broader lives, is either wrongfully expressed or not derived from the Church, since the Church’s teaching is a way of life, a relationship, a life-giving communion with the Son and Word of God, who was incarnate our of love for the world.

As Patriarch of the faithful in America as well as throughout the sacred canonical jurisdiction of the Holy and Great Church of Christ, we cannot conceal our earnest concern for the unfortunate occurrences in this Eparchy of our Throne.   We are not indifferent to these, but as we have been taught by God’ mercy, we are confident in a favorable outlook and better days, exercising our holy faith with discernment and patience, while standing with the holy clergy and the people of God, who – respectfully, lovingly, devotedly and gratefully – know how to relate to their Mother Church, which caringly and compassionately nurtures and protects their spiritual struggles and ecclesiastical integrity, while constituting a safety valve for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Therefore, from the martyric Phanar, this unwavering workshop of authentic faith in Christ, of “faith through love,” (Gal. 5:6) through our beloved representatives, the most reverend Metropolitans Apostolos of  Derkoi and Maximos of Selymbria, we bless the deliberations of this Clergy-Laity Congress of the Holy Archdiocese of America and wish you every godly success and decisions grounded in Orthodox ecclesial tradition towards the healing of any aggrieved consciences and the relief of the Mother Church, which rejoices in seeing her children always journeying in faith, unity and love, for the glory of the Triune God, whose Grace and abundant mercy we pray with be with all of you.

Peace be with you and with us!

###

On behalf of the clergy and laity of the 62 parishes of the Metropolis of Boston, I welcome you to the 44th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress. The city of Boston is a fitting location for our gathering, not only because it is home to one of the historic Greek Orthodox communities in America and Hellenic College/Holy Cross, but also because it is the birthplace of religious freedom in the United States. This religious freedom makes assemblies such as this possible. While the freedoms we enjoy in this great land of ours provide us with the environment in which we, as Orthodox Christians, can flourish, we must never forget the sacred obligation that we owe to our forefathers and mothers who came from Greece, Asia Minor, and other distant lands. Their courage, determination, hard work, and fervent faith, above all, inspired our communities, built our churches, and shaped this very Archdiocese. Boston is certainly an historic city, and our assembly this Fourth of July week becomes part of that history.

As Orthodox Christians, we are ever mindful of “history.” Whether it be deeply rooted in Greece, enriched by the Byzantine centuries, or sanctified by our apostolic devotion, our historical experience forms us and teaches us. For those old enough to recall, even within living memory, our church faced severe challenges, which were only overcome by the grace of God and through the steadfast faith and dedicated effort of the clergy and laity.

Over the past century, our Church in America has surmounted certain difficulties, precisely because of assemblies such as this. In these biennial gatherings, we come together as a community to ensure that our faith, the pearl of great price, this Παρακαταθήκη, this sacred deposit, which has been entrusted to our care, is preserved and passed on to future generations.

This Congress has been organized to help us understand the nature of whatever difficulties we face as an Archdiocese and to create a forum for open, frank, and respectful discussion. Through exchanging our insights and sharing our thoughts and visions, we can identify areas of concern, resolve the issues of today, and anticipate those which might emerge in future years and decades.

My brothers and sisters, fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, our work here in Boston this week is indeed a sacred responsibility and a necessary task. Throughout the ages, Orthodox Christians have overcome persecution, oppression, hardship, slavery, and divisiveness with the conviction that, “all things are possible for one who believes.” This is the great truth of our history, this is the light which guides our footsteps, and the path upon which we walk this week. This Fourth of July, in this historic city, in this great nation, we too can make history. We can beautify and strengthen the fabric of this great Archdiocese. Once again, the Metropolis of Boston welcomes you, and we pray that almighty God may grant us all the fortitude and the wisdom necessary for our sacred work.

###

Keynote Address of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
At the 44th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress

“All Things Are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ”
(cf. Mark 9:23)

Δόξα τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ ὁμοουσίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ καὶ ἀδιαιρέτῳ Τριάδι, πάντοτε, νῦν καὶ ἀεί, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.

Glory to the holy and consubstantial, and life giving, and undivided Trinity, always, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

1.  With this expression of doxology and thanksgiving to God, we are together again in our 44th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress.  We focus on the theme of this congress, which is, “All Things Are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ”, as we prepare to deal with the challenges that we face as the  Greek Orthodox Church in America,  the Eparchy of the  Ecumenical Patriarchate in the West.  Our theme is based on the words of the Lord, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23), Who also added:  Truly I say to you  if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you will say to this mountain “move from here to there”, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you (Matthew 17:20-21).  We have been together in Clergy-Laity Congresses since the year 2000 in Philadelphia and then in succession in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Washington, Atlanta, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Nashville, and now in Boston, the place of education and democracy. 

We express also our wholehearted thanksgiving to His All Holiness our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his warm love and abundant blessings,  for his very inspirational message that we just heard and for sending to us the distinguished Hierarchs: Metropolitan Apostolos, Geron of Derkoi, and Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria to represent him at this Congress.  Profound thanks belong also to His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, the gracious host of this 44^th Congress and the people of this Metropolis who offer such an outstanding hospitality.

2.  In the period between our last Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville 2016 up to today, we have had a number of events worth mentioning, but allow me for brevity of time to limit myself first to remember our brothers and sisters that have passed away during this period.  

We had the passing of three prominent hierarchs of our Archdiocese, namely, Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, and Metropolitan Philotheos of Meloa.  A few days ago, Bishop Iacovos of Catania also passed away.   In addition, we had the passing of 29 priests and 24 presvyteres of our Archdiocese.  We also had quite a number of members from Archdiocesan organizations that joined the Church Triumphant and are no longer with us.  So, we count  4 members from the National Board of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, 53 members of Leadership 100, and 61 Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Order of St. Andrew.  May their memory be eternal, and may they rest in peace and joy in heaven, in the company of the saints and the righteous. 

At the same time, we were blessed with the election of the new Metropolitan of Chicago in the person of Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides, and with many ordinations to the diaconate and to the priesthood.  Thus, we had 30 ordinations to the diaconate, and 35 ordinations to the priesthood.  During the same period, 16 of our priests retired, 12 clergymen were incardinated to our Archdiocese from various jurisdictions and 8 clergymen were released.

3.  As we all know, the major issue that occurred during this period were the difficulties and problems at the Archdiocese and at the building of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. 

We have been harmoniously working together in our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese for almost 20 years.  During these years, we have encountered—in executing our sacred work—joy, love, harmony, achievement, and unity, but also sadness, hardship, distancing, and apathy.  As members of the Orthodox Church, which is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), we have worked with most sincere dedication in the course of promoting in America the Orthodox Christian Faith, and the universal values of the Hellenic Tradition, as well as having the unique honor of being the living and dynamic presence of our Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Western Hemisphere.   During this same period, we gratefully ascertained the fact that, by the grace of God, significant and verifiable progress has been realized in many areas of our Archdiocese. 

There have appeared, however, since the  2016  Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, unexpected serious economic difficulties and problems and organizational inefficiencies for which we genuinely and deeply regret. 

For me, personally as Archbishop, after a long 19-year experience of serving here, and for the entire faithful of the Archdiocese, this dire situation caused truly unbearable pain.  This pain resulted from the fact that in spite of the sincere and unselfish offering of work done by many people, we suddenly found threatening before us an extremely difficult and really unacceptable situation.  I am truly and deeply sorry for the disappointment, sorrow, frustration and pain that this unfortunate situation brought upon each and every member of our precious and beloved Archdiocese.  And I am still refusing to accept and justify the stopping of the building of St. Nicholas.   To stop the building of a church, truly monumental and highly symbolic universally for Orthodoxy as is St. Nicholas at Ground Zero is really unthinkable.  Tragically, this unthinkable happened.

4.  Confronted by this situation of our Archdiocese, we immediately started taking appropriate measures for corrections.  Most important among them was a thorough and in depth auditing by external special firms of the finances and management policies and procedures of the Archdiocese and separately of the finances related to the St. Nicholas building activities.   As a result of these measures we have already seen—and are continuing to see—positive outcomes, thus gaining better perspectives for future developments.  A very important part of correcting these previous inadequacies and deficiencies is the much better arrangement and systemic enhancement of the administrative and financial management of the Archdiocese.  We are going to dedicate special time to discuss all relative issues in the forum that will follow this afternoon. 

But before that, I would like to publicly express our gratitude to the members of the Executive Committee of our Archdiocesan Council, both our Metropolitans, and our lay people, and particularly, the officers of the Archdiocesan Council.  They did an amazing work, offering a huge number of daily and nightly hours in order to make sure that proper procedures and measures are established.  I feel it my duty at this point to mention the three officers of the Council, i.e. the Vice-Chair Archon George Tsandikos, the Treasurer Archon Michael Psaros, and the Secretary Dr. Cathy Walsh.  In addition to them, sincere thanks are due to the financial committee of the Archdiocesan Council, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, and chaired by Archon Lou Kircos with the constant assistance of the highly specialized in managerial and auditing  affairs Mrs. Elaine Allen, to the Chancellor of our Archdiocese Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, and to the CFO of our Archdiocese Fr. Soterios Baroody.  Profound gratitude belongs also to you, clergy and laity brothers and sisters, representing all of our parishes.  In spite of the vicious propaganda by enemies of the Church to stop you from offering your regular stewardship allocation to the Archdiocese, you not only continue your important regular allocation but a significant number of you covered partially or entirely in advance the stewardship for the entire year 2018.   Such an astonishing dedication reveals the high human and faith quality of our own people like you, which radically differs from the distancing, apathy and even enmity expressed by some individuals.    We also thank the numerous people who offered their unselfish and continuous services related to the building of St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center.

Having in mind the picture of what happened and the correcting measures related to it, let us now proceed with the challenges that are confronting us, as we continue our sacred mission of Orthodox presence and witness in the United States. 

5.  Challenges are not unknown to our Orthodox Christian Church.  Please remember what happened to the Early Church at its very beginning.  The first Christians in the Apostolic times were a minority of a minority in their era and world; only the 12 Apostles with a small number of people.  They did not have any types of schools or seminaries as it so happened with its contemporary Judaism.  They did not have strong financial resources.  They faced, almost immediately, persecution.  For the first three centuries, the early Christians were confronted not only by the reality of persecution, but also with the challenge of overcoming their need for survival and making Christianity a universal religion destined to embrace the whole of humanity. 

As we know, what followed after the first three centuries, and the possibility given to Christians to freely practice their faith, was an exponential expansion of the Christian Church all over the world.  But here again, in spite of astonishing progress, the Church faced serious challenges; heresies and schisms.  The Ecumenical Councils and the local synods, as well as the unique wealth of the writings of the great Church Fathers and theologians are eloquent witnesses of the magnitude and the seriousness of the challenges.  Needless to say that persecutions of the Christians continued to occur frequently throughout history reaching the truly unbelievable number of 30 million martyrs only during the 20^th century.  

Since we are an integral part of the Orthodox Church, we are now facing our own portions of challenges.

6.  Challenge 1: The non-stopping change in everything.  It is well known that changes happened throughout history.   In today’s era, however, changes do not occur every century or every year, or even every month.   They occur every hour.   Communications, a basic function of human life, have become a matter of electronic media, texting has replaced fully articulated dialogue, knowledge and information has become an issue of googling, twitter and Facebook.   The degree of irresponsible, distorted and falsified usage of language and communication has reached such a point of radical change and disconnection from the truth that sociologists and historians say that we have entered in a new era, the post-truth era.   Basic institutions like family have been radically altered.  A recent statistic, for instance, states that today we have in the United States 21 million children of only one parent. Even shopping is going through a complete transformation dominated by Amazon and online activities.    Lifestyles are more and more determined by the lifestyles of various celebrities, regardless of norms of elementary ethics.  This whole situation creates a sense of instability and of inability to plan and program things since often times before putting a plan into action the conditions related to it have already changed. 

7.  Challenge 2: Economic pressure and poverty.  Economic pressure and poverty are universal phenomena with serious consequences not unknown to us.  For instance, the need for adequate income causes people to work in two professions, in essence pushing family life to a marginal status.   We have the sad experience of many family problems being caused by financial pressures.  On the other hand, we face phenomena like human trafficking or slavery involving  35 million women and children who are objects of financial labor and pleasure exploitations due to extraordinary conditions of poverty.   Certainly, poverty, along with its accompanying consequences, one of them being violence, cannot be ignored by us.  And of course, the economic factor has been central as a challenge to our Archdiocese, as we are confronted by the complicated economic difficulties that we experienced in the last year. 

8.  Challenge 3: Disconnecting from the Church. It has been noticed that in America, but much more so in Europe, the major Christian denominations are losing people.  Roman Catholic and Protestant communities, with a few exceptions, see their membership diminishing.  People are not becoming atheist or agnostic, but rather  they simply do not want to be connected any longer to any organized religious body.  We also, as Orthodox Church, are affected by this phenomenon to a certain degree.  There are parishes in our Orthodox Church in which this disconnecting attitude occurs.  In our case, this happens particularly with a number of mixed marriages and among the young adults.  People disconnecting from the Church is an alarming challenge not to be overlooked.  Added to some changing demographic conditions, this disconnecting attitude might lead small parishes to extinction. 

9.  Challenge 4: Attacks against the Christian Faith.  The attacks, frequently violent, against the Christian Faith and the proliferation of many religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religio-cultural variations are a major challenge.  Atheism today is not what it used to be 30 or 40 years ago.  On the other hand, religions other than Christian are becoming more militant and aggressive, not passive and neutral as in the past.  Young people of our Faith frequently tell us that in their colleges and universities there are classes and courses in which the presentation and promotion of anti-Christian ideas is a common practice, parallel to the proliferation of ideologies hostile to Christianity and to religions replacing Christianity.  Not to speak about what is happening in the press, with social media, television, and with movies and shows in terms of presenting inaccurate views and distorted information about articles of faith, and which even deal with Christianity in  sarcastic, humiliating, and ridiculing ways and language. 

10.   In order to successfully confront the aforementioned challenges, we have to undertake a number of important tasks.  First, we have to become fully aware of where we are and what we are.  What our parishes are today are not the same as when they were initially founded by first generation immigrants who came mostly from villages and towns, having a homogenous population with an Orthodox and Hellenic identity.  The churches that our pioneer ancestors created here were originally something similar to what they had left in their place of origin, namely, Orthodox ecclesiastical institutions serving their practical needs, i.e. liturgies, baptisms, weddings, funerals, memorials, etc.  In addition, their parishes were places of tremendous social and psychological support and strength in an effort for survival in a new land of which most of them did not even know the language. 

Now we are in the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and even 6^th generation.  The current conditions need parishes which are not self-limited closed entities serving elementary religious needs and merely supporting survival.  Thanks to the grace of God and to the hard work of our pioneer ancestors, we are now beyond the language of survival.  The conditions now require a form of a parish whose members, a) have a strong consciousness of an Orthodox identity and ethos, which make them different from our fellow Americans with whom, however, they fully share the big benefits and advantages of being citizens of this blessed country, and b) have an awareness that they have been called to an apostolic  mission of sharing the truth, the light, the joy, and the peace of the Gospel with the non-Orthodox people,  with whom they live in the same location or elsewhere.  Such a strong consciousness of Orthodox Christian identity and full awareness of apostolic mission require proper cultivation, education, and methodical training. 

11.   Facing these grave situations and responsibilities, we urgently need the development of programs:

a)  First, there is a need to develop programs for an adequate and attractive adult education related to the Orthodox Christian Faith.    How many of our parishes have established such programs?  The great Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians at the end of his life,  declared that now his urgent purpose was to learn Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and to share in His Passion (cf. Phil. 3:10), clearly indicating that there is no ending in learning the inexhaustible wealth of faith in Christ.  Learning Orthodoxy is a matter of a continuous never ending education.  This is what the great Fathers of the Church did for the faithful of their time on a continuous, non-interrupted daily basis.

b)  Next to developing programs for an Orthodox adult education, there is a greater need to seriously review what we do in introducing our children and young people to Orthodoxy as a Faith, as a lifestyle and as a superb cultural gift. 

Children’s introduction to Orthodox Christianity is a big priority for us.  Properly developed and applied relevant programs, not only cover a vital need, they are also a strong antidote to some of the challenges which we mentioned before.  Needless to say, that what frequently happens in our parishes, namely, to offer the session of the introduction to Faith at a time parallel to the Divine Liturgy, needs thorough revision.   Such a practice deprives the children from attending the Divine Liturgy and creates a childless liturgical congregation which is not good. 

It is obvious that in our Church in America the activities and programs related to Orthodox religious education need review, strengthening and enhancing.   When, following objective statistics, 45% of the members of our Greek Orthodox population have at least one University or College degree, which means that they are advanced in education and knowledge,  we cannot have limited knowledge of our Faith, or even sometimes exhibit an Orthodox illiteracy.  When the parents are deficient in terms of Orthodox knowledge, what then will happen to their children?  The necessity of dealing systematically and intensely with issues of proper Orthodox training and education for adults and for children constitute an urgent priority.  In this case today, we are in an advantageous position because plenty of Orthodox Educational material and relevant resources are available.  The question is if and how we use them.  

12.  An equally urgent priority is the issue of dealing with the challenge of people disconnecting themselves from the Church and gradually distancing or even cutting  themselves off.  The number of these people in our case might be relatively small compared to major Christian denominations here and in Europe.  The phenomenon, however, cannot be ignored, and the fundamental questions cannot be avoided, namely, what is the cause of distancing and disconnection?   A central answer may be the dissatisfaction with the function and activities of a parish, or that the parish has nothing else to offer in terms of participatory engagement except the Sunday liturgy.   Thus, here the question arises:  What can be done in order to improve the life and activities of a parish? 

            There are parishes in which we notice an ongoing task to have as many parishioners as possible involved in various activities or special projects.   In my numerous visits throughout the country, I have encountered parishes which have developed various activities for the parishioners, especially for young adults.   There must be a way for the proliferation of all relevant information.   In this case, philanthropic tasks on a wide spectrum, special cultural events and athletic opportunities for the young, in addition to the annual festival, could also become instrumental in keeping the people connected to the Church.  The care for involving members of mixed marriages is another opportunity with great potential, especially since disconnection occurs frequently with mixed marriage families. 

13.  There is an open field inviting all of us to work together in order to confront all challenges and to respond to the call of the Lord Who says to us:  As the Father has sent me, even so I send you (John 20:21).  This sacred task is certainly exciting but not easy.   Even our present financial and administrative difficulties play a very challenging role.  An equally very challenging role in our sacred task is the necessity to continue immediately the building of St. Nicholas.   But we are not an organization, a club, a corporation, or even a fraternity.  We are the people of God, we are His Church, we are the believers in Christ.  Our theme for this 44^th Clergy-Laity Congress is, “All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ” (Mark 9:23).  All things are possible to us who believe in Christ including any challenge, including any social, cultural, psychological or financial problems or even provocations coming from the contemporary world.  This remains true for us presuming that we are following the line of action of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, Who started and continued to the end His saving ministry by proclaiming the Gospel, by teaching and by healing (Matt. 4:23).  Proclaiming the Gospel, teaching the truth revealed by Christ and healing the suffering is our mission and our strategic plan for the present, the future and forever. 

Thus, facing reality, we certainly are in a position to say along with St. Paul, I know how to be abased and I know how to abound, in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.   I can do all things in Christ and with Christ Who strengthens me (Philip. 4:12-13).  Truly, “All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ”.

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The absolute priority of love in the life of the Church

BOSTON – The 44th Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America began today with a Hierarchical Concelebration of the Divine Liturgy in Boston’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. The meetings and deliberations of the Clergy Laity Congress will take place in the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America presided over the Divine Liturgy concelebrating with the Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese. Taking part in the Liturgy were His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston (the host hierarch), His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, and His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago. His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver was not present as he was expected to arrive later in the day.

Representing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Congress and prayerfully attending the Liturgy from the Solea were His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria.

Archbishop Demetrios, in his homily at the conclusion of the Liturgy first publicly expressed gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch for sending to the Congress such a distinguished delegation and said that “the Clergy Laity takes place with the blessing, love and care” of His All Holiness. He also thanked His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston and the host committee for all the hard and complex work of preparing and hosting the Congress.

The Archbishop noted the feast day of Sts. Cosmas and Damian the Holy Unmercenaries and said they are the patron saints of the National Philoptochos. His Eminence spoke about the day’s apostolic reading from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (12:27-31; 13:1-8) that starts with Brethren, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. He said that we should be cognizant that we are not a club, a corporation or an organization but we are a Church, the body of Christ. He also said that further in St. Paul’s letter we read in Chapter 13 what is known as the Hymn to Love and we realize that love is the new law, principle and method for anything the body of Christ does. We read, he said, that if we have everything else but have not love, I (we) gain nothing, which shows us the absolute priority of love. Archbishop Demetrios concluded by quoting St. John Chrysostom who said “the measure and limit of love is that it has no measure and has no limit.”

On the invitation of Archbishop Demetrios, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, offered a heartfelt greeting to the congregation and conveyed the blessings and love of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He said that this love for which Archbishop Demetrios spoke and St Paul writes in his Letter to the Corinthians, may guide and reign over all the meetings and deliberations of the Clergy Laity Congress for the benefit of the Holy Archdiocese and the Omogeneia.

It is a blessing for me to be here with you, said His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, and to share our common faith and share in the message of the 44th Clergy-Laity Congress that to those who believe in Christ all things are possible. This is the core of our ministry in the Ecumenical Patriarchate and I am glad to see that this is what happens in our Archdiocese too.

Later in the afternoon, Archbishop Demetrios together with all the Hierarchs and lay leaders of the Church cut the ribbon at the official opening of the Congress Exhibit Hall. Leadership 100 is the underwriter for the exhibit area, which features numerous booths with vendors from the United States, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus and includes a ministry pavilion that highlights the national ministries of the Archdiocese. They also attended the General Assembly meeting of the National Philoptochos and a reception of the National Forum of Church Musicians.

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmny27F7 and https://flic.kr/s/aHsmesJ5gm

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July 6, 2018

PHOTOS

BOSTON – The 44th Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America concluded last night, July 5, 2018 with a Grand Banquet at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel and attended by more than 1,200 people. The festive banquet followed a full day of deliberations in the setting of the Plenary Session of the Congress.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America offered the invocation and the National Anthems were sung by mezzo-soprano Collen Palmer. Co-Chairs of the Congress Michael Sophocles and Peter Bassett made the presentations and offered greetings. Greek American journalist and former News Anchor Mike Nikitas, served as the Master of Ceremonies. Greetings were offered by the Chairman of Leadership 100 Argyris Vassiliou, Congress Honorary Chairman Arthur Anton, National Philoptochos President Maria Logus and Consul General of Greece in Boston Stratos Efthymiou.

The host hierarch His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios offered inspiring remarks and expressed his gratitude personally to all the members of the host committee and the volunteers.

Thoughtful remarks were offered by the patriarchal representatives, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria.

Metropolitan Apostolos admonished the attendees about the dangers of evil, lies and scandals and said: “The enemy of truth and our salvation works deviously day and night. We ought to oppose his machinations with unshakeable Faith to the Omnipotent Holy Triune God of Truth. Faith working through love per Apostle Paul (Gal. 5:6); and not only through love but also through patience and discernment and humility but mostly God-loving unity.”

Finally, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America recognized and praised the hard work of the host committee, the volunteers and their spiritual leader Metropolitan Methodios. The Archbishop expressed gratitude to the His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his demonstrated leadership, love and care. He also said that the Church is universal and diachronic and the Clergy Laity Congress was not only an opportunity to connect amongst ourselves and discuss issues of concern but hopefully and most importantly an opportunity to connect with God. His Eminence returned to the theme of the Clergy Laity and recounted the story of the father who was pleading to Christ for the healing of his son (Mark 9:23) and the response of the Lord: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Archbishop Demetrios concluded his closing remarks offering as admonishment and spiritual guidance the reading of a passage from St Paul’s letter to the Romans (35, 38-39): “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The work of the Plenary

The Plenary session began at 10 in the morning and ended well after 4 p.m. Vice-President of the Archdiocesan Council George Tsandikos set a positive tone in his introductory remarks and expressed the belief of the Executive Committee in the theme of the 44th Clergy Laity Congress that all things are possible to those who believe.

The treasurer of the Archdiocesan Council, Michael Psaros made a 50-minute long presentation, an overarching view of the finances of the Archdiocese and the efforts of the Executive to correct the course and restore trust. Addressing some media reports he said, “stop the lies and join us to build the Church,” and a little later addressing unfounded misinformation in the Press said: “the lies about the parishes not supporting the Archdiocese have to stop.”

The Plenary discussed at length the Archdiocese budget for 2019 and 2020, amendments were offered and modifications were voted requesting additional line items for funding the pension plan and HCHC. Mr. Psaros expressed his dismay for an unbalanced budget. At the end the budget was approved with the stipulation the Archdiocesan Council will have to make the necessary adjustments to bring it into balance.

The plenary also heard and approved a presentation by the Administration Committee and several amendments to the Archdiocese and Metropolis regulations were approved. The Youth Protection Manual was also presented to the delegates and approved. Also approved were several resolutions, including resolutions of thanks, which will be compiled and published in the Archdiocese website. Similarly, due to severe time restrictions, the National Philoptochos, the Archons, Leadership 100, and the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council made short presentations.

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/goarch/albums

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