TRABZON, Turkey — Yesterday evening, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided at the Great Vespers for the Dormition of the Theotokos at the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon. In his homily, His All-Holiness highlighted not only the meaningful meeting point of different cultures and faiths in Trabzon, but also the unifying love of the…

Serving 650 of the Archdiocesan District’s youth along with 100+ young adult counselors, and with blessing and loving support of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Camp Saint Paul concluded a successful 17th summer on July 31st, 2022. During the five weeks of camp, children from across the district were engaged in faithful conversations, personal prayer with…

At the Clergy-Laity Congress, Archdiocesan Audit Committee Chair Maria Stefanis reported on the activities of the Audit Committee and the results of the 2021 financial audit. She noted that the financial audit was completed by April 26, 2022. This accomplishment is the earliest after year end that an audit of the Archdiocese’s financial statements has…

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros visited the Balikli Greek Hospital today following last week’s devastating fire and had the opportunity to hear from staff and residents about their experiences during the ordeal. Staff members present when the fire first broke out shared that they had worked quickly to move patients out of their rooms and into…

On Sunday, October 9, 2022, Fanari Camp will celebrate its 50th anniversary. All clergy, alumni, staff, and campers are invited to the Anniversary Dinner at the Concorde in Killdeere, IL. Join guest speakers and DJ John Grammatis for dinner, drinks, music, and dancing. A special Camper VIP room will open after dinner for a white…

Most honourable Brother Fellow Bishops and my beloved children, Today, all Orthodox Christians reverently come before holy icons of the Most Holy Theotokos in order to venerate and honour the person who, like no other, has been identified with Life. “You, the Mother of Life himself, have passed on to immortal life by your most…

At midday on Wednesday, July 28 / August 10, 2022, the Minister of Defence of Cyprus, Mr Charalambos Petridis, visited the Patriarchate, accompanied by the Ambassador of Cyprus to Israel, Mrs Theodora Konstantinidou, and by colleagues from his office, Andreas Iliadis, Andreas Markou, Konstantinos Konstantinou, Dim. Dimitriou, Michael Papastavrou. The Minister was warmly received by…

The Orthodox Church in America held its annual pilgrimage in honor of the first American saint, St. Herman of Alaska, this week. The pilgrimage was led by the local hierarch His Grace Bishop Alexei of Sitka with His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and His Grace Bishop Daniel of Chicago, who traveled to Alaska…

During the first two weeks of August, in the period of preparation for the great feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos, the Supplication service was conducted each evening entirely in English at the Church of Sts Constantine and Helene in Perth WA. With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the…