The Metropolis of San Francisco has organized a philanthropic event for the financial support of The Theotokos Girls and Boys Orphanage in Bakeswar, India.
A Pan-Orthodox Vespers will take place at 5:30 PM on Saturday, March 16 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Long Beach, CA. His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco will extend an invitation to His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western Serbian Diocese to preside at this service, with concelebrant His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas of the Dardanelles.
The homily will be offered by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas of the Dardanelles, a Hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne and the Director of the Athenagoras Orthodox Institute of Theology in California. He is also Coordinator of the Patriarchal Committee on Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery.
Following the Vespers service will be a reception and a silent and live auction fundraiser to benefit the orphanage. Proceeds will support the completion and furnishing of their St. Ignatius School.
In a telephone interview Metropolitan Gerasimos told The National Herald that “all the years that I am here we have created a tradition to have every year a pan-Orthodox Vespers, with a homily and a youth rally.”
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He added that, “this year we decided to contribute to the ministry that Sister Nectaria has been doing for the past 25 years, heading the Orphanage and combatting human trafficking, one child at a time. Sister Nectaria nurtures and educates the extremely poor and abandoned children in the outskirts of Kolkata, India. We invite all you to share in this meaningful opportunity for almsgiving, which is an important part of our collective journey of prayer and penitence during Great and Holy Lent.”
Metropolitan Gerasimos also said that “Great Lent provides us with the opportunity to remove ourselves from worldly distractions and focus on prayer and spiritual development on our journey towards the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. This Pan-Orthodox Vespers Service will bring us together as one Orthodox Christian family where we can truly make a positive impact on the work of Sister Nectaria and provide hope, love and a safe haven for these children entrusted to her care.”
He said that, “this year joining us for this event will be Jonathan Jackson, musician, writer and award winning actor who has starred in numerous TV programs and films including Nashville, General Hospital, Tuck Everlasting, and several others. Jonathan is a devoted Orthodox Christian who dedicated his fifth EMMY award to the Mother of God, the Theotokos, on Mount Athos. He is also the lead singer and writer for the band ENATION, which recently completed an international tour. Jonathan is committed to raising awareness to combat the growing global atrocity of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.”
Gerasimos added that “there will be a Special Opportunity for youth in grades 5–12 to participate in an exciting Youth Rally which will be held at 4:30 PM at the Assumption Church immediately preceding Great Vespers. This Youth Rally will focus on the theme, Habits in our Habitats, with Nicholas Kouracos leading this event. Recognizing the many challenges faced by our young people, the Youth Rally will share valuable ideas on how to refocus on Christ amidst the many distractions in our world.”
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