The Archbishop of America, His Eminence Elpidophoros, this week issued an encyclical for the upcoming Feast of Saint Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople.
Among others, the Archbishop noted that “…This year — the centennial year of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America — we pause to remember those who came before us, and honor the legacy of the pioneers of our Church in America. It seems only fitting, that on this Feast of the great and holy Patriarch Photios, we make special mention of the brave and stalwart pioneers, whose voices brought the Faith of the Orthodox Christian Church to these shores. Thus, under the ever-memorable Archbishop Iakovos, our first National Shrine was established in St. Augustine, Florida, named for the great Patriarch — whose missionary endeavors are legendary — as a place of memory of those courageous souls.”