Saturday, June 27, 2020 – 1:00 PM
New York, New York
My dear friends and Brothers of AHEPA,
I am very pleased to be with you today – in this virtual setting, as we must continue to do for the time being –to bless and congratulate your 84th Annual Convention. May I say that I admire your perseverance to hold your annual convention in the midst of our present challenges. The good work of the AHEPA, like that of the Church, must continue even in the midst of the pandemic, and your care and concern for your members is truly admirable.
Our Archdiocese and the Order of AHEPA are linked, historically, emotionally, and indeed spiritually. We share the values and traditions of our Greek Orthodox Faith and Culture, and we share the righteous cause of justice and equality for every member of our society.
I very much appreciate the encouraging words of chapter president, Harry Fotiadis, who wrote to me and mentioned the rekindling of “the great flame of love and good within the Hellenic Community, something which we must always strive to keep burning in our hearts as human beings on this planet, as Christians.”
There is a nobility in these words from which I take courage and hope, even as I try to be an exemplar of these very virtues. We are all called to stand in the breach and be a prophetic voice for our world. AHEPA has exercised this voice for nearly one hundred years, and the Church for two thousand!
Together, we are strong and are able to meet any challenge. We must always be here for each other. And the offering of AHEPA will always stay with me from the very first day after my election as Archbishop of America when the AHEPA delegation met with me at the Phanar.
Therefore, I thank you for your enduring support of my archpastoral ministry and our Holy Archdiocese of America. And I congratulate you for this convention today, which witnesses your dedication to the truth and your witness of faith.
May God bless you all!