In New York City, on September 15, 2024, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America visited Saint George Tropeoforos Greek Orthodox Church, where he presided from the throne over the Divine Liturgy.
During his time at St. George, Archbishop Elpidophoros bestowed upon parish priest Fr. Sophronios Vomend the rank of Archimandrite of the Archdiocese, and bestowed the Blessing of Reader upon the community’s chanters and acolytes.
In his homily for the day, Archbishop Elpidophoros focused on the Lord’s Gospel invitation for us to take up our own crosses and follow Him (Mark 8:34), emphasizing that “our crosses are the choices that we make; not what has been forced upon us.”
He explained that it is when we “exceed our egocentric desires for the sake of someone other than ourselves” and choose “love over hate, generosity over selfishness, and compassion over indifference” that “we are truly carrying our crosses; then we are plowing the same path He did on the way to Golgotha.”
