By Kathy Boulukos

HEMPSTEAD, NY – More than 200 scouts, leaders, dignitaries, and friends were present for the celebration of the 55th anniversary of Troop 568 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Hempstead, NY.

The recognition began with the formal observance of the annual National Boy Scout Sunday ceremony held within the Cathedral. Awards were presented to the various Scouts for their individual achievements. This was followed by a formal luncheon given at the Rev. Nicholas J. Magoulias Cathedral Center.

The 55th Anniversary celebration was given to recognize the accomplishments of this remarkable troop, which has a thriving Cub Scout and Boy Scout unit. It was chartered in 1960 and since its inception, 64 boys became Eagle Scouts.

Many of these Eagle Scouts were present to participate in this program, which made it a great reunion since many came from a great distance to attend.

Guests remarked that the 55^th Anniversary event was an excellent tribute to the dedication of the past and present leaders, parents and clergy for working together to include scouting as a viable part of the parish youth program.

Some of the speakers included several of the past Scoutmasters, including Peter Xanthos, whose father-in-law was one of the founders of the troop in l960.

Terry Perperis, Chris Comack, who spoke in memory of his father, and the current scoutmaster, Peter Paris.

Each anecdote contained fascinating insights into the program that continues to stimulate and enhance each boy and how scouting impacts each boy as he matures into manhood.

One of the guest speakers was George Boulukos, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting, who is a lifelong scout, and a recipient of the highest BSA award, the Silver Buffalo. He reiterated the importance of having scouting be an integral part of the youth programs nationally for our parishes. He thanked all the individuals, past and present, for their ongoing support of the Scouting program. “A program like this one cannot function without their dedication.”

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ORLANDO, FL – The 24th Annual Leadership 100 Conference, which took place February 12-15 at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando, FL featured the presentation of the Archbishop lakovos Leadership 100 Award for Excellence to the renowned Greek academician, artist and designer, Ilias I. Lalaounis, who passed away in December of 2013, accepted by his wife, Lila, at the Grand Banquet finale on Saturday evening, February 14, 2015.

Other recipients included program speakers and performers Dr. Eleni Andreopoulou, of the faculty at the Weill Cornell Medical College/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City; Dr. Panagiota Andreopoulou, an Attending Endocrinologist in the Department of Medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the Weill Cornell Medical College; Michael Psaros, co-Founder and co-Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP; Peter Tiboris, the renowned conductor; Eilana Lappalainen, the celebrated dramatic soprano; as well as to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), accepted by Constantine M. Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO.

Earlier, the Executive Committee approved $1,250,243 in new grants for 2015 to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and $495,556 in new grants for 2015 to affiliated organizations. There are additional grant proposals still under review.

The new grants to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA) include $300,000 over three years for the Archdiocesan Advisory Committee on Science and Technology (AACST) for the “Addressing Modern Challenges Initiative”; $270,000 for the fifth year of the Camping Ministry Program; $133,200 to the National Finance Committee for “The Orthodox Software Initiative”; $200,000 over two years for the Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Church-World Affairs for “Faith-Based Diplomacy and Advocacy Initiative”; $125,000 for the third year of the GOA “Strategic Plan Project”; $75,000 for the GOA “Faith and Safety Project”; $65,000 for the Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism for the “Outreach and Evangelism: Baseline Project”; $52,043 for the second year of the Department of Administration “Ministry Updates Project.”; and $30,000 to Ionian Village for the “IV On-the-Go” retreat program.

The new organization grants include $100,000 for the second year of the Metropolis of Atlanta “Family Life Ministry”; $125,000 over two years for Orthodox Christian Network for “Enhancing the Multimedia Offerings and Marketing Effectiveness of Key GOA Departments”; $118,621 over two years to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for the “Serv-X-Treme! National Youth Service Leadership Development Initiative”; $88,200 to Orthodox Christian Ministry (OCPM) for “Proper Training for Ministering to Prisoners and Educational Outreach through Training and Inspirational Videos”; and $63,735 to Project Mexico-St. Innocent Orphanage to create and implement an Intern Development Program.

According to George S. Tsandikos, Chairman, more than 350 members and guests, together with their families, attended the Conference. “We chose Orlando to encourage family friendly activities and we were pleased to see so many children participate.”

In addition to the traditional Bible Study and Lecture by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the program included a special presentation by Jerry Dimitriou, Executive Director of Administration of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, which addressed plans for the building of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center. A highlight of the Conference was the concert “Symphony at Sunset” with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Peter Tiboris and featuring Eilana Lappalainen.

PHOTOS: CREDIT/DEMETRIOS PANAGOS

CONSTANTINOPLE – The Turkish government recently granted Turkish citizenship to another 10 high-level clerics of the Ecumenical Patriarchate out of which four are Metropolitans. Specifically the Metropolitans are the following: Metropolitan Emmanuel of France who is today the par excellence protégé of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Metropolitan Emmanuel is said to be the successor of Archbishop Demetrios when the time comes. Also Metropolitan Athenagoras Cydonia (Asia Minor), Arsenios of Austria, and Maximos of Sylibria became Turks.

From the Patriarchal administrative inner circle the following clerics became Turkish citizens: the Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod Archimandrite Bartholomew, the Undersecretary of the Holy Synod Ioakim, the Grand Archdeacon Andrew, the Second of the Deacons Theodoros, the Grand Syngelos Ambrose, and the Grand Librarian Archimandrite Agathangelos. All of them are Greek citizens.

In the past few years many other hierarchs have become Turks as well, including: Metropolitans Evgenios of Ierapetra, Nektarios of Petra, Anmdrew of Arkalohorion, Amfilohios of Kissamos, Ambrose of Karpathos, Chrysostomos of Symi, Gennadios of Italy, Tarasios of Buenos Aires, Sotirios of Pisidia, Amfilohios of New Zealand, and Nikitas of Dardanelia, Director of the Athenagoras Institute of Orthodox Theology in California.

From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, only Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta became a Turk.

Approximately 35 Metropolitans have acquired the Turkish citizenship thus far and that creates new dynamics for the biological rejuvenation of the Ecumenical patriarchate and also it changes the correlations and calculations about the succession to the Ecumenical Throne between those hierarchs who were born in Turkey and are Turkish citizens by birth and those who became Turks by naturalization with a special decree of the current Turkish government.

The candidates for the Patriarchal Throne must necessarily be Turkish citizens according to regulations imposed by Turkey. Patriarch Athenagoras was the exception. Athenagoras was Archbishop of America when he was elected Patriarch through the interference of the United States; he traveled to Constantinople on President Harry Truman’s Air Force One. When Athenagoras arrived at the Kemal Ataturk Airport in Constantinople, a representative of the Turkish government went into the plane and handed him the Turkish citizenship.

Also, the Turkish government totally controls the list of the candidates for the Patriarchal Throne. The government has the right to delete any name from the list and it authorizes the final list from which the Synod makes the selection. A classic case was in 1970 the one of Metropolitan Meliton (Hatzis) of Chalcedon, whom the Turkish government deleted from the list.

TNH has learned that the efforts of Patriarch Bartholomew to secure through the Turkish government the granting of the Turkish citizenship to Metropolitans archpastoring in the Eparchies abroad and also those who serve in Patriarchal compound have created many “silent reactions” among the hierarchs who are Turks by birth because they might lose the Throne to a naturalized Turkish hierarch form Greece or from Europe.

Although officially there is no issue today of succession to the Patriarchy since Bartholomew is in good health both mentally and physically, in private conversations the issue is discussed discretely at the Phanar as well as in Athens.

CORONA – The General Assembly of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox parish of Corona approved on March 1 the proposed lease terms for the school building to the NYC Department of Education (DOE) and also to continue negotiations.

According to proposed lease ordained by TNH, the school building would be leased for twenty years from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2034. Also the DOE “shall have the option to extend the lease by another five (5) years, for the period from July 1, 2034 through June 30, 2039.”

The terms of the lease have as follows:

$625,046.02 for years 1 through 5.

$675,100.96 for years 6 through 10.

$729,006.28 for years 11 through 15.

$787,403.71 for years 16 through 20.

Also there is the option term of $850,293.25 for years 21 through 25.

The General Assembly was held in the church itself because the renovations in the Church hall.  The Assembly was attended by 44 members, of which 28 voted in favor, 2 against, and the rest abstained or departed prior to the vote. Costas Prentzas was elected Assembly Chairman.

TNH has learned that officials of the parish will visit Archbishop Demetrios of America in order to inform him and request from him to approve the proposed lease.

The school building was the home of the Day Greek School of the parish, which closed some four years ago. Attempts to make it a charter school were unsuccessful. It is reminded here that four Day Greek School closed the recent years in New York the recent years under the tenure of the current Archbishop Demetrios of America and Corona’s was one of them.

According to the proposed lease, the parish will be responsible for the external renovations of the building and the DOE for the interior renovations.

The DOE will pay for electricity, heat, hot and cold water, water charges and sewer charges, cleaning and custodial services. As far as real estate taxes and assessments, the premises are currently tax-exempt.

According to the proposed lease the DOE “shall have the right to terminate the lease five (5) years after lease commencement, upon 365 days prior written notice to the Landlord.”

Parish  attorney Elias Fillas told TNH that “the church wants us to continue the negotiations with the Department of Education.” Parish Council President Penny Viennas did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

Prentzas told TNH that “I am very happy with the outcome because we achieved a much-respected lease from the Department of Education, which secures the positions of our parish from $390, 000 to $625,000 the year for the first five years.”

When asked about the climate in the parish, Prentzas said “even those who had some doubts and questions they received answers and according to the outcome of the vote 90% voted in favor.”

Prentzas verified TNH’s information that parish officials will meet with Archbishop Demetrios. He said that “we follow the charter of the parish and also of the Archdiocese. We are going to inform the archbishop so we can go ahead and prepare the agreement. We are going to call a General Assembly again to inform the membership as to where we are and to make some corrections not only us but also the Department of Education.” He said the parish would respect Demetrios’ response, whatever it is.

Prentzas also verified TNH’s information that the consulting company Valone & Constantinople will be paid $18,000 and the East Hudson Realty $550,000. He said “the numbers you mentioned are correct, $18,000 for the consulting company and from what we know $550,000 the Realty which will get a certain amount upfront and the rest in installments.”

The parish elections have not been validated yet. Asked why the delay and if there is a problem, Prentzas said “I don’t think so.”

NORWICH, CT – Rev. Matthew Baker, presiding priest of the Holy Trinity parish in Norwich, CT died in an automobile accident on Sunday afternoon returning home with his six young children from church.

The 37 year-old priest was traveling West on Route 2 in Norwich at approximately 4PM when he lost control of his 2002 Dodge Caravan just west of Exit 25 in Norwich, according to an accident report.

Police said the vehicle drifted into the snow-packed center median and rolled several times, striking the center beam of a guide rail before coming to rest on its roof in the eastbound lane. Fr. Baker was ejected from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries, police said. His children were transported to the William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich with minor injuries.

Metropolitan Methodios of Boston communicated immediately with Presvytera Katherine conveying to her the love, support, and condolences of the entire Metropolis.

Calling Hours were scheduled for March 6 5-9PM at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 247 Washington Street in Norwich. The Funeral Services were set for March 7^th at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 175 Oaklawn Avenue, in Cranston, RI: Liturgy 8:30AM, Viewing 10AM, and Funeral Service11AM.

The Metropolis of Boston has established a special fund to help the family with the expenses they face immediately as well as in the long term. Those wishing to contribute may do so by sending a check to:

Metropolis of Boston

c/o Fr. Matthew Baker Fund

162 Goddard Avenue

Brookline, MA. 02445

Fr. Baker grew up in Cranston and attended Cranston public schools – Waterman Avenue Elementary, Park View Junior High and Cranston High East. He was the son of Evelyn Baker and the late Howard Baker. He was converted to the Orthodox Church in 2001 after his search for theological truth while working as a high school literature teacher in Virginia. He converted at a Carpatho-Russian Orthodox parish there. Since that time he has been a continuous student at various Orthodox Theological schools, in fact 3 of them and already is a respected theologian in church academia. He married his wife, Katherine, in Virginia in 2002 and they were blessed with six beautiful children: Isaac, 11; Elias, 9; George, 7; Eleftheria, 5; Cyril, 3; and Matthew Jr., who is almost 1 year old. The Bakers live in Cranston.

Baker received theological degrees from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary in Pennsylvania, St. Vladimir’s in New York and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School in Brookline, MA. For the past three years he has been working on a doctorate in systematic theology at Fordham University in New York. His scholarly articles have been published and translated in a variety of languages.

He was ordained into the Holy priesthood by Metropolitan Methodios of Boston on January 19, 2014 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Cranston.

Metropolitan Methodios told the parish that “Fr. Matthew was a good priest and a brilliant theologian. I ordained him just over a year ago. He was working on his doctoral dissertation at Fordham University. Thank God the children weren’t injured.”

BANGOR, ME – Rev. Adam Metropoulos, former presiding priest of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bangor, ME was found guilty on four counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

Metropoulos, 52, denied that he had sexually assaulted an altar boy in 2006 and 2007 when the boy was under aged.
The Bangor Daily News has reported that Metropoulos told Superior Court Justice Ann Murray on the second day of his jury-waived trial that he never had sex with the now 23 year-old man. Metropoulos admitted that he touched the victim’s genitals over his pajamas once.
The grown altar server, who now lives in Vermont, testified Monday March 16th that Metropoulos repeatedly sexually assaulted him when he was 15. The man is not being identified by the Bangor Daily News because he is the victim of a sex crime.
Before his trial on four counts of sexual abuse of a minor began, Metropoulos pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of sexually explicit materials, a felony, and violation of privacy, a misdemeanor. There is no plea deal on the charges, Michael Roberts, deputy district attorney for Penobscot County, told Murray.
In finding Metropoulos guilty, Murray said that she found the victim’s testimony more credible than the defendant’s. Metropoulos did not react to the verdict.
Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, via email to TNH from Constantinople, where he is participating in the meetings of the Holy Synod, stated that “upon my return from Constantinople I will convene the spiritual court of the Metropolis to address the case.”
TNH had reported on September 19 that Metropoulos was arrested on September 15, accused of possessing child pornography and photographing a woman without her consent. He was detained at the Penobscot County Jail.
Metropoulos was imprisoned since then, and said that he had received written death threats from strangers and described his relationship with other inmates and guards as “difficult.”
Methodios, who had ordained Metropoulos, placed him immediately on suspension from all Liturgical duties.
On September 13, Bangor police received a complaint from an adult female indicating that she believed she had been videoed without her permission or knowledge. As a result of that complaint, detectives began an investigation that resulted in Metropoulos’ arrest.
The news astonished the small parish of St. George of almost 100 families. TNH had learned that the woman who reported Fr. Metropoulos to the authorities was his wife’s sister, who had come to visit with them that weekend. The woman was staying at Metropoulos’ home and she went to take a shower. While in the shower, she looked across the bathroom and she observed what she believed to be a camera in a basket on a wall. She exited the shower and went and checked on the camera. It was in fact a camera that was recording her in the shower. She confronted Metropoulos and told him that she was going to report him. She provided the Police with the memory card that she took out of the camera. Police detectives spoke to Metropoulos, a search warrant was issued, and the Police searched his home, where they found child pornography material.
A native of Saginaw, MI, Metropoulos moved to Maine in 1990 and began teaching chemistry at Stearns High School in Millinocket, and he attended Services at St. George’s. In 1997 he entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He was ordained into the Holy priesthood and assigned to the St. George parish.
It became known that Fr. Metropoulos had a criminal past. He was convicted of sexual assault in April, 1983 in Saginaw. Apparently, that was the reason he moved to Maine. The Education Department of Maine at that time did not do any background checks; those began in 1999.

NEW YORK – Father Thomas Hopko, beloved author, theologian, and Dean Emeritus of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary, whose eloquence, integrity, compassion, and glowing faith made him a beloved figure in the world of American Orthodoxy and beyond, fell asleep in the Lord at 3PM on March 18.

All services and visitations will be at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA.

Father Thomas’ body will be ushered into the monastery church at 10:00 PM on Friday morning, March 20. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will continue throughout the day on Friday, with the celebration of Matins for the Departed at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Panikhida at 7:30 PM. Visitation will close at 9:00 PM. that evening.

All of his five children and Matushka Anne spent time with Fr. Hopko at the hospice where he saw his final days.

Fr. Hopko married Anne Schmemann in 1963. They have a son and four daughters and 15 grandchildren. In recent years he and Matushka Anne lived in Ellwood City, PA

According to his St. Vladimir’s biography, “Fr. Hopko was born on March 28,1939 in Endicott, NY where he was educated in the public schools. He graduated from Union-Endicott High School in 1956. He was baptized and raised in St. Mary’s Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church.”

He was a Protopresbyter in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and served as pastor of churches in Warren, Ohio (1963-68), Wappingers Falls, NY (1968-1978), and Jamaica Estates, NY (1978-1983).

“From 1968 to 2002 he taught courses in Dogmatic Theology, Practical Theology, Homiletics and Spirituality at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He served as Dean of SVS from September 1992 until retiring from this office in July 2002. He was given the title of Dean Emeritus by the SVS Board of Trustees,” according to the bio.

Fr. Hopko was baptized and raised in St. Mary’s Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church, Endicott, NY.

“After graduating from high school, Thomas enrolled at Fordham University in New York, graduating in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Studies. He continued his education at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, from which he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1963. At St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Thomas studied with such renowned Orthodox theologians as Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Fr. John Meyendorff, Nicholas Arseniev and Serge Verkhovskoy. Later in 1968, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Duquesne University. In 1982, he earned a PhD in Theology from Fordham University,” according to Orthodox Wiki.

He began teaching at St. Vladimir’s in 1968 while he was serving at St. Gregory the Theologian. He eventually succeeded Verkhovskoy as professor of dogmatic theology. In addition to dogmatic theology he also taught practical theology, homiletics, and spirituality.

After his election as Dean he was elevated to Archpriest and was raised to the rank of Protopresbyter in 1995.

Orthodox Wiki notes that “Fr. Hopko is a prominent Orthodox Christian lecturer and speaker, well-known both in Orthodox and ecumenical circles. He served as a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and as a delegate from the Orthodox Church in America to the Assemblies of WCC in Uppsala, Sweden; and Nairobi, Kenya. He was also President of the Orthodox Theological Society in America from 1992 to 1995.”

NEW YORK – Fr. Themistocles Adamopoulos is a missionary of the Orthodox Church serving in Sierra Leone before, during, and after the Ebola outbreak. He is not going anywhere soon as he has a lot of work to do. He is currently in the United States, driven there by the only thing that could take him out of Africa, the need to raise funds for his latest big project: An Ebola orphanage.

“I would never have left but for that…there are children whose parents died of Ebola running around barefoot…We have a responsibility to the poor, the Ebola orphans…we can’t let them run around barefoot and being vulnerable to exploitation…I am the voice of those children.”

Fr. Themis, as he is known (one will likely only encounter his full title Very Rev. Dr. on the internet) helps first and asks questions later – but he will also make an appeal for funds for the children.

He was on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak.

“When the crisis hit, I did not know whether I would make it out or not. There was no international help. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) said in June 2014 that it was not such a bad situation.”

“We played an important part by handing out gloves and masks and other materials sent to me by my friends in Australia and America,” a prime example of how far even modest donations go in such places. A few early dollars can stop an epidemic its tracks.

On March 23, the U.S. branch of the organization that was created to support his efforts – it can be visited at paradise4kids.org – will hold a “Meet Fr. Themi” fundraiser at The Grove restaurant in Cedar Grove, NJ at 6:30 PM. Inquiries can be made at 973-650-9510.

March 27-28 he will be a featured speaker at the Archon’s Lenten Retreat at Kimisis of Southampton in Long Island.

When he arrived in America, authorities deemed him low risk, so he could travel freely but was required to report his temperature twice a day for 21 days through Mar. 18. To reassure people, Adamopoulos voluntarily also quarantined himself in an apartment for 15 days.

ATHEIST ROCK STAR TO ORTHODOX MISSIONARY

People are fascinated by dramatic changes in some people’s lives – rock star to Greek Orthodox missionary is as wide a gulf as one can imagine, but if one looks closely, common ground and streams connect the disparate aspects of their lives.

In his youth his love for humanity took the form of a passion for political and social justice. He became a Neo-Marxist and helped organize strikes. Now with the same missionary fervor he brought to workers in Australia, he brings his message of solidarity with the poor of the world to the middle class and the rich of America.

Adamopoulos was born in Alexandria. His family left Greece in the early 1900s to join the then-substantial Greek community in Egypt but left in the 1950’s when the Nasser regime turned against the Europeans. His parents settled in Melbourne, Australia and after first struggling, their education ensured a good life – though Adamopoulos experienced prejudice against the Hellenes that both fueled his strong sense of social justice and caused him to distance himself from his Greek and Orthodox heritage.

He became thoroughly Australian but the culture that conquered him was rock and roll after the advent of the Beatles, whose exploration of social and philosophical issues blew away youth like him raised on fun but vapid “boy meets girl” songs.

He dropped out of the prestigious University of Melbourne “to form what was eventually known as Australia’s first post-Beatle group,” The Flies. Their hits songs put him on TV and “people were camped outside my house to get a glimpse.” His younger sister sold possessions like his toothbrush as souvenirs.

He had a great run but thinking practically about his future, he returned to university. Adamopoulos laughed when reminded that successful people in other fields wish they were rock stars. “Yes, I got out of it to become a priest.”

But not right away. There was a long road with turns that caused his parents to worry. His sister remained an anchor in his life.

The nudges towards God came from unexpected directions. First, the Beatles took their spiritual turn and travelled to India. “Until then we never thought about religion. It was uncool,” he said. But he turned first to Buddhism and Hinduism.

An incident in an ashram shook him up. “I was wearing a cross – it was just a fashion statement,” but the guru told him to remove it. “I said, ‘why?’ Being a Greek, I was stubborn, and I said no.”

“That made something start to tick in my head,” Fr. Themi told TNH, and he began to think about the cross. The guru inadvertently gave it a value and meaning for him it had previously lacked.

“I got out of there and started considering things.” His promising career as a very young university lecturer was in jeopardy, compromised on the one hand by his abuse of marijuana and on the other by his students’ increasing annoyance over the expressions of his budding Christianity.

His parents and especially his sister would visit him in the wild group house in the bohemian section of Melbourne to rescue him. “They brought me pastichio, which was a part of my youth I would not give up, but I did not accept their invitation to return to what they would call normality.”

Eventually he did return to his parents because his peers rejected the new Christian among them.

He humbled himself by shifting from university to public school teaching, but he soon felt compelled to take the full path to Christ.

Adamopoulos sold all his possessions – his car, his beloved books – and put the money in an envelope marked “for the poor,” which he slipped under the door of the Greek Orthodox Church.

He was not part of the Church at the time, but he thought, “I am Greek, and there must be a reason God made me Greek… I must return to what God made me. For better or for worse, I must embrace that. I am Themistocles Adamopoulos, not Themi Adams.

He knew what he wanted, but the world didn’t know what to make of him and his new faith.

His first encounter with the Greek Church was not felicitous. When he told the priest of his fervor to learn about God, his reply was “Ach! Leave God where he is. Don’t get mixed up with that!”

Adamopoulos concluded, “This can’t be where God is, so he looked into the Presbyterians, Methodists and others. They embraced him, but he did not feel at home.

“I’m going to go back to the Greeks and preach the bible,” and share his new knowledge, but quickly “I realized the Orthodox Church had so much to offer, the mystical, monastic and spiritual side” that was either largely or wholly lacking in the other churches.

He finally found guidance from a humble but sympathetic priest and Archbishop Stylianos of Australia helped him to become focused and encouraged him to study theology. He attended Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA and then Harvard, Princeton and earned his PhD at Brown.

After mastering the most sophisticated theological thought, Adamopoulos felt he was missing something.

MOTHER THERESA SHATTERS ILLUSIONS

Then he saw a documentary about Mother Theresa, an experience that must be been similar to his first encounter with the Beatles. “I saw this elderly woman with no frills or show, no masks – just a basic human being taking care of other human beings, I said myself ‘Themistocle, this is what Christianity is.”

With Archbishop Stylianos’ blessing he went to the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which sent him to Kenya for several years. He then went to Sierra Leone.

“What I saw was such a dramatic collapse of a country. It needed serious help after civil wars, poverty,” so he decided that was the place to apply what he learned in Kenya, which was essentially “how to become their friend,” he said of the people he encountered.

“I had to start with nothing. Ex nihilo.” But Faith was a powerful foundation, and he realized, “The name of the game is to educate them. You don’t make them rely upon you.”

His team has built schools with nearly 2000 pupils and most importantly, a teachers college that multiplies their efforts and resources

“We have also built the St. Moses Orthodox village for the victims of the civil war, people who are disabled, amputees, polio sufferers and we provide for them…We want them to go back to the community to live a normal life so we train them and feed them,” he said.

In addition to churches where the people can have access to services and religion classes there is also a clinic and there a feeding program.

Adamopoulos was most passionate when he told TNH that despite the suffering the people in Greece are enduring, “they send us a lot of money…The American people should know that Greece is helping Africa. In Europe, they are probably the most generous donors to Africa.”

Two mission-oriented organizations have been especially supportive: Ierapostolikos Syndesmos “Agios Kosmas O Aitolos” (in Thessaloniki) and Adelfotita Exoterikis Ierapostolis Thessalonikis.

BOSTON, MA – The search for a new president for Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) has entered into its final stage, according to an official news release (Feb. 26) and statements made to TNH by Dr. Tomas Lelon, Chairman of the Search Committee. The candidates have been interviewed over the phone by Dimitra Manis, Human Resources executive and also parish council member of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. Manis did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

The news release stated:

“Presidential Search Committee Update

“On Thursday, February 19, 2015, the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) held its seventh meeting. Once again, the PSC is pleased to provide an update as to the current state of its search process.

“The PSC determined that 22 candidates, rather than 19 as indicated in its last update (01-28-2015), are to be interviewed individually by telephone by Dimitra Manis, a human resource executive and a PSC member. As of Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 19 candidates have been interviewed. The remaining three candidates will be interviewed by March 1, 2015. The Committee continues to be impressed by the intellect, personal attributes, skills, and character of the candidates.

“As we participate in the spiritual journey of the Great Fast and experience the Passion and the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, may our Triune God instill within us His Holy Spirit, enabling us to elect a most worthy candidate to serve as the 21st President of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.”

Fr. Triantafilou, who has been the president since 2000 is retiring due to health issues that do not permit him to continue serving HCHC in the presidential capacity. An unfortunate accident at the airport in New York in March, 2013 aggravates his health condition. A heavy-set man on the top of the escalator lost his balance and fell along with his luggage on to Triantafilou, who was at the bottom of the stairway, injuring him on his back and neck.

HCHC combined has approximately 170 students. The annual cost of operation is $12 million. The Archdiocese, from its $27 million annual budget, gives $1.5 million to the school.

Lelon told TNH that “we had 36 applicants and that was narrowed down to 22 and then out of the 22 we have identified 8 semifinalists.”

But why not reveal the names? “Because you have to protect the confidentiality of the candidates,” he said. “You can’t just let everybody know who the candidates are. They don’t want that to be known. They want to see where they fit in the process, this is the simple reason. You look at any college or university they never release who the candidates are. That is a very private thing. This isn’t secrecy, it is to protect the confidentiality of the candidates.”

Although the Holy Synod members are not part of the Search Committee, “they are members of the Board of trustees, and so ultimately they will elect the next president, according to the bylaws. Every Metropolitan will have a voice and a vote at the meeting which is designated on May 1^st when the Board will have a special meeting. At that time, all of the members of the Synod will be present and they can express their points of view and then the nominees will be discussed and an election will take place,” Lelon said. As to why they are not Search Committee members, Lelon said “because in the constitution it doesn’t say that. The way people are elected is specified.” Those members are chosen by the HCHC faculty, he said. Also, the Trustees select two individuals and the archbishop selects two.

Have the members of the Synod been informed? Yes, Lelon added. “They get the entire memorandum all of the members of the Board. They get the same e-mails that everybody else gets.”

Lelon said he cannot pinpoint when a finalist will be chosen.

KNOXVILLE, TN – The treasurer of the St. George Greek Orthodox parish of Knoxville TN, Constantine Christodoulou has reportedly embezzled in excess of $360,000 from the Church’s accounts for his own use, leaving the parish with only $2,000. The parish took on a bank loan of $150,000 in order to continue to function.

The theft was revealed in a Feb. 26 letter to parishioners by Rev. Anthony Stratis, the presiding priest, and the Parish Council (PC).

The letter, which TNH has read, states that “the very idea of a fellow hardworking member of St. George involved in such a diabolically-based scheme brings each of us serious heartache, amidst other emotions.”

Fr. Stratis and PC President John Peroulas did not respond to TNH’s request for comment. On March 16, PC member Mike Nassios contacted TNH on their behalf to state that “there is no comment.” a member of the parish council called on their behalf to tell us that “there is no comment.” At press time, TNH also had not received comments from Christodoulou.

The letter also states: “We have learned that Constantine Christodoulou, while he held the office of Treasurer, acting unilaterally and unbeknownst to us all, calculatingly managed to squeeze church funds away to address personal interests. There is no indication that anyone else was involved; he acted unilaterally and whittled away at the Church treasury at a slow, deliberate rate, on a continual basis throughout his four-year term, and funneled church funds to personal accounts while covering up his deeds.

“Constantine has admitted to his mishandling of up to $360,000 all for personal use. An external audit will be done to determine, among other findings, the actual amount that was siphoned over the course of his four years (2011-2014) as Treasurer…When irregularities appeared, rationalizations were given; when questions arose, a spirit of trust prevented more intense inquiry. Until finally, too many alarms indicated unquestionably that a breach had occurred.

“It is certainly difficult to ask a community of hard-working, dedicated, and faithful members to turn around and start all over again because of the actions of one individual. However, we should remind ourselves that the need is here; it is time to address that need. We should also remember that each one of us thirsts for God’s great mercy, therefore we must be merciful ourselves.”

In a March 15 letter to parishioners, Peroulas wrote “we have engaged an attorney to represent St. George in this situation and counsel, in turn, has retained an investigative agent to act on our behalf. The investigator has, of course, been provided with information pertinent to our situation. We have also contacted and filed a claim with our insurance carrier.”

From St. George’s website we learned that the beginning of the Greek Orthodox community in Knoxville dates back to approximately 1915 with the arrival of the Nicola Cazana family. Soon afterwards, many other Greek families migrated to the East Tennessee area. Some of the original founders and their families remain and are a vital part of the community today.

The post St. George of Knoxville Parish Treasurer Cleans Out Accounts appeared first on The National Herald.

JERUSALEM – Ten years have passed since the “dethronement” of Irenaios, Patriarch of Jerusalem, which started with a Panorthodox Conference convened by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar.

The charge against Irenaios was that he was selling real property to Israeli companies. The Conference placed Irenaios outside of the Church Diptychs and the Synod of Jerusalem defrocked him, lowering him to the rank of Monk. Irenaios remains confined in his cell since 2008. He told his story to TNH in a written interview.

TNH: Your Beatitude, how many years have you been confined in your cell?

PI: Eight years. Since February of 2008, I have not been able to leave my cell in the Patriarchate, which was given to me at the time Benedict served as Patriarch, and where I continued to live after my election as Patriarch, and continue to the present day with God’s strength.

TNH: Why are you in confinement?

Irenaios: It started two months after Israel’s recognition of Archbishop Theophilus of Tabor as Patriarch. Since then, two people, Theophilus and Archbishop of Constantina Aristarchus have locked the two external iron doors that lead into the courtyard of my cell.

TNH:   How do you survive? What do you eat? Do you have electricity and heat?

PI: By the grace of God, noble people from the Old City who have known me for many years, as well as Cypriot and Greek pilgrims from time to time, bring me the necessities for my livelihood, which I pull up to my cell with a basket from the roof of my cell, toward the road of the Patriarchate.

TNH: you haven’t visited a doctor all these years or a dentist?

PI: On the one hand, they do not permit entrance to anyone, not even a doctor or a dentist, in order to visit me – not one tooth of mine has remained, – saying that I have died, that I don’t exist, that I have left, or they send anyone who wants to visit me to Aristarchus, who, after asking Theophilus, either doesn’t respond at all to the pilgrims or refuses, saying that supposedly there are rules that do not permit this.

TNH: How do you answer to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which alleges that you are self-confined?

PI: Only if someone is imprisoned or in custody or under special conditions that limit his freedom are the police responsible for transporting this individual or permitting visitation with him, except if, as Patriarch, I make use of the support provided by the state police for the safeguarding of my transportation or of my bodily integrity.

TNH: If we visit Jerusalem next week may we come to see you?

PI: Hopefully, but they will not allow you, as they have done to others, even my niece, who came from the United States. They did not permit her entrance to see me face to face, and she left full of grief. No person, whether a relative or otherwise, has been able to see me, regardless of how far they may have traveled. And even if they permit you, as soon as you leave, the same conditions of confinement will prevail.

TNH: Has Patriarch Theophilus visited you all these years? Did he ever call you? Has he shown any care as human being?

PI: The last time we met was when I summoned him to my cell and asked him if he has anything against me, since I had heard that he had signed a libel [document] against me. He assured me that he would never sign anything against me and that he is at my side. Shortly after, he put his signature on this document disavowing me, which they did not have the courage to set before me in a synodical session, so that I might at least present a defense concerning all the matters that they were accusing me, but they gathered signatures on foot, in the corridors, and the library, from a portion of the Brotherhood that did not surpass 35 out of the one hundred members of the Brotherhood. Since then, I never saw Theophilus again, nor did he communicate with me.

TNH: Do those who comprise the Brotherhood of the Holy Places – the hierarchs, the priests, the monastics – communicate with you?

PI: I communicate daily by telephone with the Monks, Clergy, and Bishops of the Brotherhood of the All-Holy Sepulchre. They cannot visit me, since the gates are locked, not even from the railings or the gate window, because the cameras there will locate them, and afterward they will suffer consequences from Theophilus.

TNH: Where this situation is going to lead?

PI: With mathematical precision, we are heading toward the loss of our capacity of managing and safeguarding the status quo of the All-Holy Veneration Sites, since Theophilus, in order to be on good terms with everyone, and to have the support of state and transnational agents, as well as that of religious communities, is betraying the ancient rights of the Orthodox, assigning the repair and preservation of the Universal Veneration Sites, such as the All-Holy Sepulchre and Bethlehem to companies, the administration of which does not safeguard the same pledges for protection as those of the Patriarchate, and distributing the ownership of Patriarchal Land, having delivered the keys of Bethlehem to the Latins.

TNH: What should be done?

PI: If Theophilus had even the slightest sense of the inferno that he has created, he ought to have already abdicated willingly from the Throne, upon which he ascended in an adulterous manner, according to the Sacred Canons’ definitions. As soon as my bonds are loosened and I am able to come into contact with the Members of the Brotherhood of the All-Holy Sepulchre, I will summon them to restore the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to its proper course of functioning. Now everyone knows what happened and why it happened.

TNH: How do you explain the silence of the Church of Greece, except for some hierarchs who stir your issue from time to time?

PI: Archbishop Ieronymos knows better than anyone about the difficult situation in which I have lived since my election and during my first years as Patriarch. I know that he is most dissatisfied and deeply hurt because of my situation – that I am being treated so inhumanely, and above all in the Patriarchate. He is the only one who, due to his position, is capable of removing the abomination of his Predecessor against me.

TNH: How do you explain the stance of the rest of Patriarchs and Prelates?

PI: The Patriarch of Alexandria had not only understood that we were right at the Pan-Orthodox Conference at the Phanar in 2005, and he personally told me that he would support our positions. However at the session’s critical moment, he agreed with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who wanted my head on a platter, for reasons that he knows, and he got it! The only Patriarch who ought to have forcefully stood against me, since the accusation was that I “sold” property of strategic significance that belonged to the Patriarchate to companies of Jewish interests, would have been the then-elder Patriarch of Antioch, because he is Arab-speaking. However, he played a leading role, through Metropolitan of Beirut Elijah, in not accepting my removal, since no actual accusation had been substantiated. The Churches of Georgia and Poland followed him, while the Churches of Serbia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic abstained, because neither did they sufficiently know the matter under discussion nor did they have time to study it, due to the swiftness of the Pan-Orthodox Conference’s convocation, which they even mentioned to the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Church of Greece then was under fire by the government, and Archbishop Christodoulos of blessed memory succumbed.

Unfortunately, Cyprus followed suit, since, even though the current head, and this is to his honor, did not identify himself with the unsubstantiated position of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the other two members of the three-member delegation shared the Patriarch’s view. The remaining Churches, seven all together, against three who were absent and four who were opposed, were besieged with psychological pressuring and the Ecumenical Patriarch’s command toward me: “Irenaeus, pacify the Church, resign,” and since I did not resign, the exhortation turned into a decree: “Away with him, away with him, crucify him, for the “peace of the Church.”

TNH: Did you resign on your own from your Throne?

PI: I did not resign nor will I resign, as long as I am breathing, from the Throne of Jerusalem, which consequently was not vacant, not because of my insistence on any spiritual or administrative authority, but as a witness of faith, dedication to my Schema, to the All-Holy Sepulchre, to my Brothers of the All-Holy Sepulchre.

TNH: Did that factional Synod of Jerusalem at that time have the authority to defrock you, since you were after all a Patriarch of one of the five Ancient Patriarchates?

PI: No, in no way. Neither was the Pan-Orthodox Conference of the Heads convened as a judicial body to judge me, but it sought that I proceed to the “sacrificial act” of resignation, to which I did not proceed. The factional “synod” that was illegally and non-canonically convened in Jerusalem by a group of thirteen Members of the Brotherhood of the All-Holy Sepulchre, without me having been deposed or having been legally removed, without the Throne consequently being vacant, is characterized as and is a Conventicle, according to the Divine and Sacred Canons of the Church. What they did is a Desecration.

The post Former Patriarch Irenaios’ “Letter from Jerusalem Jail” to TNH appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The Greeks of Astoria may not look up as they take their brisk, determined steps on their everyday marches to work, but they know that the Church of St. Catherine stands on 33^rd Street, and every time they pass they make the sign of the cross.

That busy street in the bustling Ditmars district of ​​Astoria has a new name as of March 28, when it was co-named “Archbishop Iakovos Street” in the presence of Archbishop Demetrios, New York City’s Public Advocate Letitia James, and Astoria’s three Greek-American elected officials, State Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, and City Councilman Costa Constantinides.

Panos Kammenos, Greece’s Minister of Defense and other Greek military officials who traveled to New York for the Greek parade also were present.

During the ceremony, it started snowing and many of the attendees turned their heads toward heaven, and could not believe their eyes. Some members of the community who knew Archbishop Iakovos said they were not looking at the simple flakes of fleeting winter but at tears of joy and gratitude dripping from the white beard of the late Archbishop.

Paulette Poulos, who worked closely with Iakovos, told TNH “It was a day that cannot be described with words. It was a very emotional moment and a moment that touched us. I know Archbishop Iakovos is smiling at us today as he looks down from above. I’m so proud because the Archbishop loved the community and its entire people. He is very, very happy.”

Kammenos told TNH “We are honoring a spiritual leader who did much more than we know – we should know – for Greece and for Orthodoxy. He was a spiritual leader and a Greek who in difficult times for the nation played a key role in support of the Greek state.”

Earlier that morning an Archiepiscopal memorial service, with Archbishop Demetrios presiding, was held in the packed church of St. Catherine to mark 10 years since the passing of the late Archbishop.

Also serving were Bishop Anthimos and Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, the pastor of St. Demetrios Cathedral and Fr. Vasilios Louros.

A speaking program followed in the church and James offered touching words of admiration for Iakovos.

“I fought for justice in all my life,” she said, and declared it a great day because they were honoring Iakovos, “a courageous religious leader who defended human and broke down barriers by marching with Martin Luther King in Selma.” She said he was guided by a higher power to do what was good for all humanity.

Gianaris declared that by his example the late Archbishop Iakovos showed us all “what it is to love your fellow man.”

Simotas spoke with fondness about Iakovos’ love for the community and noted she grew up close to him.

Constantinidis, who played an important role the realization of the dream that was conceived and pursued with vigor by the Federation, said “the co-naming was a fitting tribute to a to a man who fought for human rights, walked next to Martin Luther King and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom I feel very honored to have contributed to the realization of this effort even though I’m very new in my position.”

Archbishop Demetrios thanked all the special guests for attending and said Petros Galatoulas, the President of the Federation, deserved much of the credit, along with Constantinides.

Demetrios said it was proper that the ceremony began with a service in the Church, saying his predecessor worked “day and night in every way to strengthen the worship of God and to promote Orthodoxy.”

The post Archbishop Iakovos Way Named in Honor of Late Revered Prelate in Astoria appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The Order of St. Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are distinguished through their service to the Orthodox Church.

As successful individuals in all walks of life, they deploy their God-given talents in the vanguard of the fight for issues such as religious freedom and the defense of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but they never forget that everything they do must be built on a sound individual and collective spiritual foundation.

On March 27 and 28 Archons and members of their families gathered at the Kimisis – Dormition of Mary Church of the Hamptons for their annual retreat which aim to inspire and re-charge the spiritual batteries through lectures and fellowship.

This year’s retreat master was Father Themistocles (Themis) Adamopoulos, who operates a mission in Sierra Leone under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

After Vespers on March 27, he set the spiritual tone by talking about the value of “making time for God” through prayer but for most of the retreat he focused on preaching “The Gospel of Social Justice and Salvation” though presentations and discussions about his philanthropic work at ground zero of the Ebola epidemic.

Although fear is abating as reports indicate the epidemic is waning, the mission must cope with the aftermath and Adamopoulos is in America to raise funds for an Ebola orphanage.

In Church on Friday he noted that “The environment we live in is not conducive to spirituality,” and that that the solution “is to have an internal revolution.”

“It is not enough to come to church,” he said. “When I do not know Jesus… if inside there is not the love of Jesus Christ… Everything becomes just a show…There needs to be a discourse, a dialogue between you and Jesus, and the dialogue is called prayer,” he said.

“Despite the constraints of modern life, time must be invested in a prayer life. Failure to do so “is a fatal mistake….We need to make time for God…every morning and every night before we go to sleep…And it will come back to you. Never fear that you are wasting your time if you give 15 minutes a day to pray to God,” he said, and declared that the rewards – beginning with the immediate benefit of calming down our hectic lives – will be abundant.

After investing in God “go ahead and do the other things that have to be done, as long as they are honest and transparent and don’t go against the will of God…You have made an effort to be here. That means you care for God,” he told them.

Services on Friday and Saturday were followed by modest but enjoyable Lenten meals in The Muses Hall of the new Nicholas A. Zoulas Hellenic Center.
Archon John Halecky welcomed the guests and thanked Father Alex Karloutsos, Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos, Fr. Constantine Lazarakis and the Kimisis parish for hosting the retreat. He then introduced Archon Peter Skeadas, chairman of the Archons’ Spiritual Committee who has organized numerous retreats and thanked everyone who made the well-organized and well-received event possible.

Τhe guests learned that Adamopoulos, whose work was inspired by Mother Teresa, went to Sierra Leone because he wanted help the poorest country on Earth.

Louis Toumbas, a successful businessman from Australia – like Adamopoulos – is the International Director of organization that helps support the endeavors, whose website is http://paradise4kids.org.

Presbytera Gigi Souritzidis, who attended with her husband, Fr. Peter Souritzidis is the President of the charity’s U.S. branch and attended the retreat.

Toumbas told the story of his spiritual awakening and how he became Adamopoulos’ friend and partner in philanthropy, and Adamopoulos described the work of the mission, which aims to help in ways that do not foster dependence.

Food, medical care, counselling and religious services are offered, but education at all levels and job training is the mission’s hallmark.

FAITH IS NOT ENOUGH

Fr. Adamopoulos began his main Friday presentation by posing the great question of how one reaches the Kingdom of God and noted that while the later Protestant churches preach that it is only through faith. The Orthodox Church, however, taught from the beginning that faith must be accompanied by works.

St. Paul said, “Faith, without works, is dead,” and works of philanthropy, especially acts of solidarity with the poor, are the quintessential good works as helping the needy is equivalent to worshipping their creator.

Adamopoulos summarized the work of Africa missions by noting the dilemma of the typical African mother, who must take care of her family in $2 per day, and the challenge to people in affluent countries that throw away 1/3 of their food. The African mother can either feed her children or buy soap to wash them. The first choice exposes the babies to the diseases which are rampant in sub Saharan Africa like malaria.

On Saturday poignant videos narrated by Adamopoulos described the plight of Sub-Saharan Africa and spotlighted what is being done to help. “I want to show you war, and what happens with war, and how we deal with it,” he said.

He described the cruel cycle of poverty-war-economic breakdown and bemoaned human nature that makes it so “easy to go to war and so hard to build up societies again….Entire generations could not good to school and 12 year olds and given AK-47s,” he said.

One of this most powerful point, however, was “You don’t need money to help someone.”

The post Archons Retreat Inspires, Recharges Spiritual Batteries appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The Leadership 100 Partners Day of Service was held as a multi-city event on March 22 at participating Greek Orthodox parishes after liturgy, in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the participation of Archbishop Iakovos of Blessed Memory in the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights Marches.

Leadership 100 members demonstrated that they give back to the community not only through financial contributions but also with their time and service.
Justin Bozonelis and George Soterakis, co-Chairmen of Leadership 100 Partners and members of the Leadership 100 Board of Trustees, reported that local Leadership 100 member volunteers helped coordinate a day of community service to help assemble International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) emergency health kits. The kits will be sent to impoverished areas outside the United States.
Inaugural participating parishes included the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City, Saint Nicholas Church in Lexington, MA, the Church of Our Saviour in Rye, NY, and the Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington, NY.
Participants of all ages were afforded an opportunity to connect with others in the spirit of volunteering during the Lenten season. Bozonelis estimated that 100 kits were assembled at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City, while Soterakis estimated that more than 100 kits were assembled at the Church of Our Saviour in Rye, NY, noting that “with the blessing and support of parish priest Fr. Elias Villis and the leadership of Youth Director George Hazlaris, the youth spearheaded the community’s efforts to make the Day of Service a success at the church of Archbishop Iakovos, a fitting tribute to his legacy and the ideals of Leadership 100.”
Drake Behrakis, also a member of the Board of Trustees, reported that the Metropolis of Boston held its first Leadership Day of Service at St Nicholas Church in Lexington, MA, where more than 20 volunteers, hosted by Father Demetri Costarakis, assembled 224 IOCC emergency health kits. He gave special thanks to the Anton, Sideridis, Scrivanos, Titcomb and Toulopoulos families.
Michael N. Bapis, former Chairman of Leadership 100 Partners and a member of the Board of Trustees, reported that numerous volunteers participated in the Day of Service at Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington, NY, with the help and support of Fr. Nikolas P. Karloutsos.
Additional parishes throughout the country are expected to report participation.

The post Leadership 100 Day of Service Marks Selma Marches appeared first on The National Herald.

Easter has always been a holiday that I’ve enjoyed – just like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course, as years went by and I grew from a child into an adult, the “benefits” of Thanksgiving (lots of good food!) became more important than the ones at Christmas (gifts). As for Easter, I was happy when the fast was over and it was time to dig into all that lamb!

Of course, as I grew older the significance of each of those holidays – beyond the fringe benefits – became more meaningful to me as well. And most of my Easter memories have been good ones. But this piece focuses on some bad ones – experiences of mine, all church-related, which deserve mention so as to raise the collective consciousness and hopefully prevent others from having to endure them in the future.

BULLYING

While attending church services with my family as a kid – probably around age 9 or 10 – I veered away from the Midnight Service on Holy Saturday, perhaps to use the rest room, to get a drink of water…I can’t remember.  I came upon a group of boys, some my age and a few a lot older. One of the boys, several years older than me and about five times my size, had another boy cornered and was verbally berating him, threatening him, and otherwise humiliating him. I was heartbroken watching this – but too young, small, and powerless to do anything about it. As the months and years passed and I grew bigger and stronger, I often wished that I had been that size then, so that I could have intervened.

Anyhow, back to that night – I remember after the Resurrection, we all walked home – church was three blocks away from our Washington Heights building, we lived on the third floor, my aunt and her family on the first. We went to her house to crack some eggs and nosh on some midnight Easter snacks. Everyone was behaving in the usual mode – loud, laughing, bursting with energy, even though it was past 1AM by that point. I had a good time, too, or at least tried to, but the memory of seeing that poor boy humiliated haunted me, and I thought: “if I feel bad about just having watched it, I can only imagine how he felt experiencing it. Right now his family is cracking eggs too, and he’s probably feeling awful.”

BRAWLING

With apologies in advance to those Greeks for whom Easter includes igniting firecrackers outside the church, I find the entire tradition utterly annoying and obnoxious. Want to see it done right? Watch a fireworks display on the Fourth of July – where the sky is lit with beautiful colors and patterns. But listening to a barrage of loud crackling is ridiculous. Might as well pull up to the church in car that has a hole in the muffler – same effect.

Well, it was on a Holy Saturday night, either the year before or the year after the bullying event. We were exiting the church – the crowd, both Greeks and New Yorkers, and thereby a horrible combination in terms of knowing how to wait their turn – part of the swarm of people pushing their way to the door. That’s when we heard shouts and screams – apparently, something was going on outside – and the anxious crowd pushed faster, sandwiching everyone in their path. By the time I made it outside, I saw a man standing there, looking stunned. His white Easter suit had streaks of bright red blood on it, as he paced around, very agitated and emotional. Turns out, he had just been hit. A firecracker-related fight (some were blasted too close to someone who didn’t take kindly to it), and the big guy in the white suit tried to break it up – only to get punched in the face. A relative of his – a small, wiry, Greek fireplug, maybe his father or uncle – kept asking him, in Greek: “who did this to you?  Who was it? Point him out – I’ll tear him to pieces.” It was comical and admirable all at once – this pint-sized man looking to exact revenge – to go out and bloody those that dared to bloody his beloved (son or nephew).  The irony that this all happened while “Christos Anesti-Christ is Risen” was chanted inside – the epitome of turning the other cheek, was not lost on me, even at that young age.  And, once again, while my family cracked eggs and sipped magiritsa, I played those images in my head over and over, and felt bad for that man who tried to be a peacemaker (ok – at least that part fit the occasion).

I began to think (and again, I’m not sure which incident came first): “this going to Midnight service stuff isn’t really very enjoyable.

“OH, GOD!”

Several years later – I was in my late teens by then, probably a freshman in college – I went to receive Communion on Holy Saturday morning. The clergyman who administered it was a “rising star” in the Archdiocese’s “Who’s Who,” but based on his actions that day, he did not impress me very much. There was no altar boy on hand, and so I had to hold the red cloth napkin under my chin and wipe my mouth, if necessary, after he spoonfed me the Communion. As I lifted the napkin to place it under my chin, I bumped the base of the Chalice that contained the Communion. That jerked the Chalice upward, and the liquidy Communion inside swirled around, though none of it fell out. Anger immediately filled the face of this “man of God.” His eyes intensified, his brows scrunched, and with a look of utter disdain, he said to me: “Oh, God!” I felt as if he had just shunned me from the church. As if I had set the building on fire, for kicks – when all I did was bump the Chalice, which I wouldn’t have if he had an altar boy there in the first place. In fact, I thought to myself: “Seems like you have a shortage of altar boys – hmmm, I wonder why…Could it be that serving under you is no day at the beach?” Mind you, my interpretation of his reaction was not that of a toddler. I was already of college age: not quite a crusty old veteran, but my skin already had a few thick coats on it.

Later on, I thought to myself about what I should have said to him: “Look, dude, I know you value the liquid contained in this cup, I do, too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to receive it. But the biggest picture of God’s message is love. These rituals are fine, but it’s all about love. And you displayed no love toward me whatsoever with your reaction to an innocent mishap that didn’t even cause any harm.”
I told one of my cousins about the incident, who, unlike me, was somewhat mesmerized by this clergyman’s budding stardom. “He broke one of the Ten Commandments,” she said, with a smile, acknowledging that his reaction was inappropriate (she meant the Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”)

“SUUUSSS!!”

More than a decade later – I was probably in my early thirties by then – at another Midnight Service, a different “important” clergyman presided over the Liturgy. The moment had come – the church lights were out, and hundreds of congregants waited for him to emerge from the altar with the light of the resurrection. And he did, and immediately after the first verse: “Defte Lavete Fos-Come Receive the (Holy) Light,” he immediately unleashed, at the top of his lungs, a big “SUUUSSS!!” – he meant “Shush” but being Greek-born, struggled to produce the “sh” sound. I kid you not – a big “SUUUSSS!” in between the first phrase and the second – “Ek tou Anesperou Fotos – From the Unwaning Light.” And he did so with the intensity of any Greek – any boorish one, that is – in a position of authority barking out a command: a parent to a child, a teacher to a student, a boss to an employee, an airport customs officer to a traveler…

In between the two phrases – at the climax of the entire 40-day event! Talk about ruining the moment!

Granted, this clergyman had a point. The crowd was chattering, and they shouldn’t have been. In fact, at that particular church (not the same one from my childhood), they are one of the worst crowds I have ever seen in terms of turning a service into a coffee klatch. But to lose one’s temper while at the altar, once again, at the precise moment of the culmination of Jesus’ message of love and actions of tolerance, is the supreme height of irony.

NO MORE!

I could have used this space to write a feelgood story about my countless wonderful Easter experiences. And I have plenty. But the warm and fuzzy Easter stories are commonplace. However, there are not enough of the ones like shared here. And there need to be. Because only then – with heightened public awareness and increased sharing of such incidents – can we really make a statement about “anthropia – human decency.”

I do not judge people by how much money they have, how many doo-dads (houses, cars, speedboats) they own, how many jewels they have on their priestly attire, or what “High and Mighty Muckety Muck” title is bestowed upon them by some banana organization. I judge people by how they treat others.
These are four incidents that all happened on or around Easter. Four violations of anthropia. You will notice, I did not name the violators (some of whose names I don’t know, anyway), because it is not my desire to make them look bad – what’s done is done. Instead of their names, I share their acts, because unfortunately, these types of acts – these anthropia violations – are not done. They continue.

It is our duty, our obligation as God’s children, as students of Christ’s example, to strive above all for anthropia, and to have zero tolerance for any violations thereof.

Accordingly, I invite all of you to share with us your “anthropia violation” experiences, too.

The post Violations of Anthropia During the Greek High Holy Days: Easter Memories appeared first on The National Herald.

By Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis

Jesus ended His earthly life on the cross. He “uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last” (Mk. 15:37). With these words, the earliest Gospel gives us a relatively bare statement of Jesus’ death. He was executed as a political rebel as the inscription on the cross indicates: “The King of the Jews” (Mk.15: 26).

Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution mainly used for slaves. It was forbidden to crucify Roman citizens. Cicero says: “The idea of the cross should never come near the bodies of Roman citizens; it should never pass their thoughts, eyes or ears.”

It is clear that by the time of Jesus’ arrest no major religious group of His society was willing to intervene and save Him. The Gospels provide a minimal reconstruction of his Crucifixion.

For reasons that are unclear, Judas, a disciple of Jesus, betrayed his teacher and led a party of Temple police to his arrest. After a hasty hearing before members of the Sanhedrin, Jesus was condemned and then handed over to the Roman authorities. In the trial before the Council (Mk. 14:53-65), two elements seem to have been important: the Messiah issue, which was important in the accusation before Pilate, and Jesus’ remark about the destruction of the Temple. The second was designed to secure the conviction of Jesus as a false prophet and blasphemer, for which the penalty was death (cf. Lev. 24:16; Deut. 13:5-6; 18:20; Jer. 14:14-15; 28:15-17).

Pilate found Jesus to be a sufficient threat to the public order to have Him executed by crucifixion under the charge of being a messianic pretender. Those who joined forces to kill Jesus acted as representative sinners. Only one Roman soldier drove a spear into Jesus’ corpse, but the words John quotes from Zechariah aim at everyone: “They shall look on him whom they have pierced” (19:37). For the Christian church, Jesus’ death is not just the doing of Jews and Romans, but the saving act of God in Jesus’ voluntary self-sacrifice.

The disciples of Jesus and the early Church interpreted the Crucifixion of Jesus by remembering that in the Old Testament experience prophets were rejected and killed; Therefore, Jesus’ Crucifixion does not disprove the fact that He is the incarnate Logos of God. The death of Jesus was understood to be redemptive by remembering the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 52: 13 – 53:12): “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed” (52:5). Here salvific effects are attributed to suffering, which benefits others and atones sin. New Testament references to Jesus’ death as ransom (Mk. 10:45) and expiation (Rom. 3: 25), as death for our sin (I Cor. 15:3), and as death “for many” (Mt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24) reflect this strand of thought.

Did Jesus expect that He would suffer and lose His life? It must be assumed that Jesus had considered a violent death as a consequence of His ministry, for anyone acting as He did had to be prepared for extreme conse¬quences. From the beginning of His ministry, He faced the charge of blasphemy (Mk. 2:7) and was accused of alliance with the devil or magic (Mt. 12:24), and infringing the law of Sabbath (Mk. 2:23-24; Lk. 13:14-15). His enemies watched Him to find grounds for arraigning Him (Mk. 3:2), and it is clear that they tried to trap Him with trick questions (Mk. 12:13ff. 18ff; 28ff.). Opting for Jesus does not mean peace but a break with the status quo (Mt. 10:34; Lk. 12:51). His message called for a total break with the present age. Thus, Jesus’ death flowed naturally from His public activity. It was the inevitable result of fidelity to His own preaching, given the failure of His message to win general acceptance. Jesus freely accepted His death, as the most radical consequence of the message He had proclaimed and embodied in His deeds.

How does Jesus’ mission relate with His death on the Cross? How could the kingdom of God come when the forces of this world put its harbinger to death? The preaching and praxis of Jesus are called into question. In the midst of this dark and desolate experience of being crucified, Jesus trustingly surrenders Himself in faith, hope, and love to God the Father. The negativity of death is transformed by Jesus resurrection into something positive associated with the coming of God’s kingdom.

As St. Maximus the Confessor states: “He who penetrates beyond the Cross and the tomb and finds himself initiated into the mystery of the Resurrection, learns the end for which God has created all things.” The disciples of Jesus soon after His death, proclaimed that God had raised him from the dead; that He who had been crucified had proven to be living; and that He sent them, His disciples, to proclaim this message to the world. On this matter, all the New Testament writings speak with a single voice; “Whether then it was I or them, so we preach and so you believe” (I Cor. 5:11); “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witness” (Acts 2:32). The Christian gospel is disclosed in Christ’s resurrection. This is best expressed by St Paul who stated that “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.” (I Cor. 15:14; cf. 17:9). His rising from the dead does not mean a return into the old life. He does not return to decay or corruption (Acts 13:34): “For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him…. The life that He lives, He lives to God” (Rom 6:9ff.). The Resurrection is not a resumption of the old life, but the beginning of new creation (cf. I Cor 15:42ff.).

In the New Testament one can find stories about Christ’s resurrection and appearances and proclamations of the faith of Church about the importance of his death and resurrection. The Easter kerygma is revealed in brief, kerygmatic, liturgical formulations of belief. The most important witness of his resurrection, however, is found in Cor. 15:3-8: “For I transmitted to you as of first importance what I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures; and He appeared: first to Cephas, then to the twelve; and then He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, of whom most remain alive until today, though some have fallen asleep. And He appeared: to James then to all the apostles; last of all, as to one irregularly born, He appeared also to me.”

Although St. Paul wrote I Corinthians about the year 56 A.D., he tells the Corinthians (15:3) that what he transmitted to them (presumably when he first came to Corinth about 50 A.D.) was information that he himself had received” at an earlier period (in the mid 30s).

It is the appearances of the risen Christ that establish the faith of the Church. It is essential to distinguish between the emergence of the Easter faith and the basis of that faith, the Resurrection of Jesus Himself. Resurrection is exclusively the act of God, for which there is no analogy that happens in space and time and consequently it cannot be idealized, symbolized, or allegorized. The effects of Jesus’ Resurrection such as the faith that arose in His disciples, the formation of the Church, the continuity of His ministry by His disciples and the descent of the spirit must not become substitutes for the Resurrection event.

The death of Jesus is considered for the early Christians to be a victory over the powers of darkness operative in this world. For St. Paul, the death of Christ frees us from sin (II Cor. 5:21), from the flesh (Rom. 8:3-8), from death (Rom. 6:1-10), and from the Law (Gal. 3:10-13; 4:4-5). The Cross reveals the unique power, wisdom and love of God (I Cor. 1:24). In virtue of the cross, God is revealed to be most active and present in those situations where He, at least externally, appears to be inactive and absent. In the Cross, God is found to be active and present in the midst of extraordinary evil, suffering and death – drawing good out of evil, salvation out of suffering, and new life out of death. There is no area of life that falls outside the presence and activity of God. The death of Christ puts an end once and for all to the suggestion that God is indifferent to the pain and suffering of humanity. God revealed in the Crucifixion of Jesus is the compassionate God Who is moved and touched by the suffering and death inflicted by humanity on Jesus. God the Father is not indifferent to the suffering and death of His Son.

The resurrection of Jesus has brought salvation to the world: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is the Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). It signifies that the new creation has already begun. Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead (Acts 26:23; I Cor. 15-20ff.; Col. 1:18). Jesus’ Resurrection is attributed directly to God (cf. I Cor. 6:14; Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 15:15; et al.): “[You] killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead” (3:15; cf. 2:23ff. 5:30). The raising of Jesus from the dead is an act of divine power, an act of “the working of His great might” (Eph. 1:19ff; cf. Col. 2:12), an act of His glory (Rom. 6:4) and His Spirit (Rom. 8:11; I Pet. 3:18). The Resurrection reveals Who God is: the One Whose power embraces life and death, existence and non-existence. It reveals the future of the world according to God’s love and will. Jesus is raised as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (I Cor. 15:20; Col. 1:18; Acts 26:23; cf. 3:15; Rev 1:17ff).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ has universal consequences and significance for it is the prefiguration and fore glimpse of the new creation, the new world that God has desired and made possible through His love, the sending of His Son and the Holy Spirit. This new creation, the active presence of God’s kingdom in the world, is strongly determined by negation of the negative and openness to the development of the positive. The negation of the negative is described in Revelation 21:4, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore.” The openness and the development of the positive comes with the establishment of a new relation of God with the world and the total renewal of the world by God: “They shall be his people, and he himself, God with them, shall be their God…And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev. 21:3, 5). God has given to the world, through crucified and risen Christ a foretaste and a promise of all that is yet to come.

Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis is the Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Theology at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. He is also the Priest of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Woburn, MA.

The post The Death and the Resurrection of Jesus appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Pascha 2015 is a bittersweet time for the Greek-American community. Judging from the brisk business of the food stores and restaurant reservations, they are starting to feel affluent again, but in Greece, their loved ones are more anxious than ever.

Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, was in the midst of the transition from last week’s bustle of school activities to the spiritual calm of Holy Week. He noted there were large crowds on Palm Sunday and senses an intensification of the spiritual lives of his parishioners.

It is not known whether the Greek crisis has made them more pensive, but Fr. Nektarios said “we must pray for them and God will strengthen them and help them overcome this crisis, as they have done in the past…We must all support Greece,” including by purchasing its products.

New Yorkers appear to have followed his lead.

Kostas Mastoras, owner of Titan Foods told TNH “This year Pascha sales are very strong.” He expects to set records this year and he is proud to present the new Titan. “We have completely renovated and it is a new store. All the display cases come from Greece,” he said, helping the economy there. “We offer cooked food, sweets and food supplies, including a new line of products from Mount Athos called Evlogia. There is honey, olives, even soap. They are authentic and original products.”

He congratulated TNH on its 100^th anniversary. Every year for Christmas and Easter Titan orders 1000 copies of the paper and makes them a gift to appreciative customers.

Bill Tentolouris, owner of Mediterranean Foods I and II, told TNH “We have a number of new brands of olive oil now that there are more exports from Greece.”

He said the stores are offering many new products, such as prepared octopus and seafood for salads, a number of new brands of pasta and specialty olives.

Mediterranean III will open in May in the building the company just bought on 23^rd Avenue. “It will be a big, modern store for the community, which we thank very much for supporting us through the years.

Vasilios Papavgeris, owner of the Plaza Meat Market in Astoria has seen brisk sales of lambs, goats, pork and all the ingredients for magiritsa soup, kokoretsi, and other specialties.

PASCHA CELEBRATION OPTIONS

Across most of the America Holy Saturday and Sunday Agape service congregations will have a choice of Pascha meals at their parishes, at home or in restaurants.

Make reservations early the communities restaurateurs told TNH.

Kyma restaurant in Roslyn, NY owned by Reno Christo, originally from Cyprus, opened around Easter two year ago will again celebrate with lamb roasting on spits and festive music. Traditional Pascha specialties are offered on Saturday after midnight, which will also be offered on as an addendum to their regular menu.

Residents and passersby in Midtown Manhattan will be greeted with the aroma and vision of roasting lamb on spits in the courtyard of Avra restaurant. “It will be a big feast, with live music by Olympia and dancing beginning at noon on Easter Sunday,” said general manager Arturo Cortes.

The large parish of St. Demetrios of Merrick, NY will be marking Holy Week in a huge tent of church grounds. Fr. Nikiforos Fakinos said the sanctuary, which was heavily damaged by a fire, will be ready by Labor Day. They will serve traditional magiritsa and meze with sweets after the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday.

There were record crowds for Palm Sunday at the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen in downtown Brooklyn, where Fr. John Lardas said his congregation is growing as young couples move in from Manhattan.

He looks forward to all the Holy Week services, especially the Good Friday procession through downtown Brooklyn when the his parish’s kouvouklion – the flowered bier of Christ -meets that of St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral when the Lamentations will be sung in Greek, English and Arabic.

The Church of the Annunciation on New York’s Upper West Side will have outdoor processions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The popular Good Friday fakes-lentil soup meal will be repeated, and on Holy Saturday they serve a lamb dinner with all the trimmings. Every parish loves its choice and chanters but Fr. Gilbert sang the praises of the Annunciations chief chanter Christos Stavropoulos.

Fr. Stamatios Sfikas, whose roots are in Chios, was just appointed Dean Annunciation Cathedral in Chicago, so he is looking forward to his first Holy Week experience there, and noted that on Good Friday there will be an outdoor procession for the first time in recent memory.

The parish will have opportunities to establish new traditions as there has been an influx of young professional and their families.

Orthodox Pascha has been celebrated in the Deep South since the mid nineteenth century in New Orleans, so Greek-style Easter in not new to them. Fr. Alexander Papagikos, pastor of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Fayetteville, NC loves the peaceful character of Holy Week there, although he does hope to revive the practice of Pascha feasts on church grounds. The parish is also Holy Week home for Orthodox military personnel at nearby Fort Bragg.

In the Reading, PA community of Sts. Constantine and Helen, a community widely praised – not least of which by Metropolitan Savvas of Pittsburgh – for its conspicuous absence of parish infighting, led by the steady hand of Fr. Tom Pappalas and assisted by 50-year-plus veteran Clergyman Fr. Spyridon Papademetriou, the congregation prepares not only for the Resurrection, but also for a contribution to the rebuilding of the St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero. A special Benefit Concert will take place at Reading Area Community College’s Miller Center for the Arts on April 26, featuring Pianist Maria Asteriadou and Violinist Kurt Nikkamen.

Lower Midtown Manhattan, not far from Ground Zero, will witness a Good Friday procession by the parish of St. John the Baptist led by Very. Rev. Vasilios Bassakyros. The parish will offer a traditional meal to all – avgolemono soup, salad, lamb with potatoes, cheese pies, tsoureki, and wine, but not after the Resurrection service, but following “the Triumphant Divine Liturgy.”

“When they stay for the Liturgy and receive Holy Communion,” Fr. Bassakyros said, they receive the Light of the Resurrection, the eternal light, within themselves,” not just externally in the physical lamps of those who leave early. He noted that those physical lamps are reminders that “we are reflections of the eternal light of God that is within us, and if we stay for the liturgy, that is what we experience.”

The post Community Prepares for Pascha appeared first on The National Herald.

PARIS, FRANCE – I recently had the opportunity to visit the beautiful and splendid City of Paris. What an outstanding city, with great Museums such as the Louvre and D’orsay, the Great Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the great palaces of Versailles.

Paris is not only the location of great sites but is also the seat for the international headquarters of UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization).

Since I was in Paris and having spoken and corresponded with the New York office of UNESCO in the recent past, I decided to pay a visit to its headquarters.

In 1985, UNESCO added the Great Church of Hagia Sophia to its list of World Heritage Sites upon the request of the Turkish government. Last year, Ankara ominously announced plans to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque as during the period of the Ottoman Empire. Having submitted messages to UNESCO’s New York office, and having spoken with them last year, nothing happened.

On my visit to the Paris office, I suspected that I would receive a rude reception as I was once hung up on by a diplomat of the New York Office. In any case, I went to the headquarters, where there was some sort of reception for people I can only speculate were diplomats or other important officials of European, Asian, and

African backgrounds. There appeared to be a banquet with food and drink.

I entered the building and politely introduced myself as a writer with a theological degree who wanted to discuss Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. I finally made my way to an adjacent building on an upper lever before meeting a woman who was a UNESCO “Chief.” I politely introduced myself and held out my hand and described my purpose. As such, I began asking questions.

The first question had to do with UNESCO’s silence in response to Ankara’s previously-announced plans for Hagia Sophia. I was told that UNESCO has received many letters and that they have been in touch with the Turkish authorities. UNESCO has not confirmed the plans to convert Hagia Sophia. The encounter was unnecessarily tense, as I could see from this official’s angry facial expressions, and statements that she could not “discuss with me.” She made some brief comments about “universal values” and other irrelevant statements.

I pointed out that Turkey has already converted two other Churches also named Hagia Sophia in Trebizond and Nicea (Iznik) but this did not seem to interest the Chief. She affirmed what one spokesperson from the New York office previously had told me that sovereign countries can do as they like with their monuments. At one point I asked if UNESCO does any work within Hagia Sophia, and she responded in the affirmative.

Apparently, all monuments supposedly “protected” by UNESCO are put on the list by governments and if said governments want to destroy or convert historical monuments then this is apparently fine and well with UNESCO. On the other hand, the Chief did

mention the destruction of cultural monuments in Iraq and Syria and pointed out how nothing can be done there. UNESCO has in fact condemned the destruction in those countries to its credit. I pointed out that just because nothing can be done in Iraq and

Syria that nothing should be done about Hagia Sophia.

Sensing that this Chief was losing patience with me, I decided to proceed with the relevant points I wanted to make. I pointed out that Hagia Sophia’s origins had nothing to do with UNESCO’s “universal values.” Hagia Sophia, I said was the product of the

Gospel, revelation, and Orthodox theology. I pointed out I was of Greek descent and that the Greeks who took refuge during the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 were either slaughtered or taken away into slavery. I also mentioned that Justinian, who built

Hagia Sophia, is a Greek Orthodox Saint and that the rightful heirs to Hagia Sophia are the Greek inhabitants of Constantinople, who live in miserable conditions today.

The UNESCO Chief responded by saying she would not discuss “politics.” I asked if Turkish influence had anything to do with UNESCO’s silence and again she dismissed the question. My last question was to ask what UNESCO was doing about the destruction of the cultural monuments in Cyprus, and she again said she would not discuss anything to do with “politics.” Apparently, criticizing governments who destroy cultural monuments is “politics.”

She asked why I was taking notes, and I said I would like to write a book about Hagia Sophia and I wanted UNESCO’s position. I said flat out Hagia Sophia was doomed because UNESCO would not speak up. At that point, I asked for her name and card, which she refused to give. I politely thanked her for her time and left, but before leaving I mentioned the Christian Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks and their fates.

It is not often that one gets the opportunity to put forward the national and theological claims to Hagia Sophia on behalf of Hellenism and Orthodoxy before such a prominent official, but they were things that needed to be said. On my return to the United States, I learned that an exhibit based on photographs of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus originally scheduled to be shown at UNESCO headquarters was cancelled as a result of Turkish pressure. But that, I guess, somehow is not politics.

(Theodore G. Karakostas is author of the book In the Shadow of Hagia Sophia)

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NEW YORK – Among Greek-Americans, a conversation about paragons of dedication to the community would quickly include the name of Emanuel George Demos, distinguished attorney and churchman. On April 16 the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies (CBMGS) of Queens College with the support of the Kallinikeion Foundation presented the first annual lecture in his memory.

George Demos, attending with his mother, Helen, his wife, Chrysa, and other family members, thanked the hosts for the event and the speakers “for their touching and beautiful words.”

When friends and family sought an appropriate lecture topic for the celebration his life in the Ballroom of Holy Trinity Cathedral, they agreed it should reflect Demos’ tireless work as General Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese of America.

They invited the Rev. Dr. Patrick Viscuso, an Orthodox priest and a specialist in Byzantine history and Orthodox canons as the featured speaker. He explained that Demos’ work ranged from composing regulations for the archdiocese, informed by his legal mind and his experience as a member and leader of the community to successfully defending the positions of the Archdiocese in a lawsuit in New York.

Attorney Christ Stratakis, Demos’ co-laborer in numerous organizations, highlighted Demos’ work on the legal committee of the Order of St. Andrew in defense of the Ecumenical Patriarchates and religious freedom in Turkey.

Fr. Viscuso said Demos asked for his help on the lawsuit. He provided the necessary canonical and historical background for the complex case that turned on the judge being able to properly understand the hierarchical character of the Orthodox Church and the roles of clergy and laity.

“I will present Manny Demos’ portrait of what a parish should be within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and what was in him mind, as he defended “against ideas that are foreign to our orthodox conception of church.”

Demos understood that in America the Church needed to steer a middle path between its Protestant and Catholic neighbors.

Fr. Viscuso explained the danger posed by ideas that separate the spiritual and material, contrary to Orthodox theology which places such ideas in the context of the incarnational reality of Christ and His two natures, human and divine.

According to Orthodox anthropology, man is a unity of body and soul, which makes it wrong to say, as many do, that the priest should be exclusively concerned with services and theology while the laity have the first and last say on administrative and financial matters.

He said the clergy share the stewardship responsibilities in the financial realm and that for laypersons “to serve on the parish council is also ministry.”

By also emphasizing the importance of transparency and cooperation between clergy and laity in the operation of the Church, he noted that there is common ground between priests and laypersons concerned about the governance of the church but which were expressed in a misguided way through the lawsuit.

Fr. Viscuso pointed out the sources of misunderstandings and explained that Orthodoxy and Catholicism have very different conceptions of the canons. “Canons in the Orthodox Church are standards by which we live, not laws,” he said.

From the Protestant side the Church must fight “congregationalism” that puts the laity in complete control of the parish and neglects of oversight role of the bishop.

Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, the Cathedral’s Pastor Emeritus who worked with Demos for many years, spoke about the man who became a dear friend, a title many of his acquaintances aspired to.

He informed that Demos grew up in New Britain, CT, where his devotion was born that “led him to use his skills and training as a lawyer for the best interests of the church.”

Fr. Stephanopoulos said that as a Board member and president of the Cathedral Demos offered many services but he was especially concerned about education.

Christos Ioannides, the Director of the CBMGS, said of Demos, “I witnessed the modesty of a remarkable man, and I was blessed with his friendship. I consider myself fortunate that our paths crossed.”

As a member of the Board of Advisors of the CBMGS and president of the Kallinikeion Foundation, Demos spearheaded the effort to establish the chair of Byzantine Studies at Queens College currently held by Prof. Warren Woodfin, who served as the evening’s Emcee.

Dr. Ioannides praised Demos for his work in behalf of the Center and also spoke of his knowledge and appreciation of Byzantine Civilization. “With the Kallinikeion chair Byzantine studies became institutionalized at the Center.

Dr. Ioannides thanked the Kallinikeion Foundation and acknowledged the CBMGS board members in attendance, Markos Marinakis, Leandros Papathanasiou, and Orestes Varvitsiotes.

He also thanked Effie Lekas, his Assistant Director, for organizing the event.

Theodore P. Kusulas, Head of the Cathedral School praised Demos for laying “a wonderful foundation as school board chairman,” – indeed, many call Demos the School’s savior.

Stratakis marveled that, “he always spoke in measured terms, made valuable and sensible suggestions and made us think when he spoke.”

More than one person during reception that followed spoke of how much those qualities are missed by the community.

Photo caption: (L-R) Nikos Papaconstantinou, Effie Lekas, Christ Stratakis, Theodore Kusulas, Prof. Warren Woodfin, Fr. Patrick Viscuso, Helen Demos, Chrysa Demos, Dr. Christos Ioannides, Orestes Varvitsiotes, George Demos, Emanuel Demos, Fr. John Vlahos, Markos and Mary Marinakis.

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NEW YORK – V. Rev.  Dr. Christopher T. Metropulos has been elected president of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

According to the official press release of the Archdiocese of America, “Following a rigorous search process that began in October 2014, the Board of Trustees of(HCHC) today, May 1, 2015, voted unanimously to elect the V. Rev. Fr. Christopher T. Metropulos as the next president of the institution, in succession of the current president, the V. Rev. Fr. Nicholas C. Triantafilou, who after a fifteen-year tenure will retire at the end of June 2015.”

The text of the press release continues:

“Fr. Metropulos has been serving as the Senior Pastor of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 1989.  He holds a BA from Hellenic College, a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.  Fr. Metropulos founded and has successfully directed OCN (Orthodox Christian Network, a radio and internet ministry) and is currently its Executive Director. He has served as Dean of Admissions at HCHC, and thereafter in varying priestly capacities with the Archdiocese, including: Archdiocesan Representative to the UN and US Missions, Archdiocesan Council, Assistant Regional Director of Leadership 100, and President of the Archdiocesan Presbyter’s Council for two consecutive terms.  In addition to being a Protopresbyter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, he is also Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne.

“Finding a new president at this particular time was challenging indeed, due to the remarkable accomplishments and tenure of our retiring President, Fr. Triantafilou, who has become the longest running president in the history of HCHC,” said Dr. Thomas C. Lelon, Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The search process commenced with the formation of a seven-member Presidential Search Committee (PSC), in accordance with the by-laws of HC Inc. The process yielded a significant number of 41 highly qualified candidates, which after due process was narrowed to 36, following continuous assessment, the number of candidates was reduced to 22, and ended finally with 8 semi-finalists. At the end of March 2015, these 8 candidates were interviewed for two days off-campus by all members of the PSC.

After careful evaluation of the 8 semi-finalists, the PSC determined that two candidates reached the status of finalist.  These two candidates were invited to on-campus visits on April 28-29, 2015.  During these two days, the two finalists interacted with a cross-section of HCHC’s constituents, including: His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Trustees, Faculty members from the School of Theology and the College, Senior Administrators, representatives from the Student Body, and the Alumni Association of HCHC.

The final steps of the process entailed an intense review of the two finalists by the PSC and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.  Upon deliberation, the PSC and the Executive Committee forwarded to the Board of Trustees the unanimous nomination of Fr. Metropulos for president.

Today, May 1, 2015, the Board of Trustees at a special meeting and after a thorough consideration of the unanimous nomination of both the PSC and the Executive Committee unanimously elected Fr. Metropulos as the next president of HCHC.

In announcing the election of Fr. Metropulos, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America said, ‘I kindly ask for prayers and support for the president-elect, and I express the need to work by any and all possible means to continue the very important legacy of the retiring president Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou.  I strongly believe that by the contribution of all and the help of God, Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology will reach new levels of spiritual enhancement and academic achievement.’”

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