On the Feast of Saint Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, celebrated on February 6, 2026, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America issued an Archiepiscopal Encyclical reflecting on the missionary legacy of the great Hierarch and the enduring witness of Orthodox immigrants in the United States.
Addressing the faithful, the Archbishop wrote: “Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, Saint Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, is a Hierarch of the Church whose fame is truly immortal.” He praised Saint Photios for his missionary zeal, noting that “the commitment and energy that he devoted to spreading the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the Slavic Lands — while defending the good order of the Church against encroachments — are indeed praiseworthy and merit our gratitude.”
Referring to the Saint Photios National Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, Archbishop Elpidophoros explained why the Shrine bears the saint’s name: “It should be clear, then, why our Saint Photios National Shrine glorifies his name. For the Shrine, in St. Augustine, Florida, commemorates the first Greek Immigrants to the shores of America, and through them, all those who came to this Continent seeking a better life and carrying the Orthodox Christian Faith in their hearts.”
The Archbishop reflected on the meaning of apostolic mission, reminding the faithful that “the word, ‘apostle,’ comes from the Greek that means ‘one who is sent.’” Drawing a parallel between Saint Photios and the early Orthodox immigrants to America, he noted: “Our Immigrant Forebears came to these shores, often sent by their families, either from Greece or from Asia Minor. They may not have been sent here for the express purpose of evangelizing the New World, but by their very piety and practice, they proved to be messengers and defenders of the Orthodox Faith.”
Highlighting the foundational role of these early immigrants, Archbishop Elpidophoros added:
“They founded parishes and built churches as soon as they could. These ‘first-comers’ set foundation stones upon which we continue to build right up to this day, ‘Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone’ (Ephesians 2:20).”
Concluding his message, the Archbishop called on the faithful to honor both Saint Photios and the legacy of Orthodox pioneers in America: “Therefore, just as we keep the memory of Saint Photios the Great immortal, so also, we are impelled to keep these heroic dreamers in memory, which is precisely what we do through the Saint Photios National Shrine.” He urged support for the Shrine’s mission, saying, “Let us all make a commitment to support the work of the Shrine, and thereby inspire the many ‘newcomers’ to our Faith by the example of these ‘first-comers.’”
Archbishop Elpidophoros concluded with a prayerful exhortation: “May the Lord, through the intercessions of Saint Photios, always grant that we commit to being sent on the mission of our Church, which is One, Holy, Catholic and indeed Apostolic!”
Read the full Encyclical below:
Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,
Saint Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, is a Hierarch of the Church whose fame is truly immortal. The commitment and energy that he devoted to spreading the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the Slavic Lands — while defending the good order of the Church against encroachments — are indeed praiseworthy and merit our gratitude. It should be clear, then, why our Saint Photios National Shrine glorifies his name. For the Shrine, in St. Augustine, Florida, commemorates the first Greek Immigrants to the shores of America, and through them, all those who came to this Continent seeking a better life and carrying the Orthodox Christian Faith in their hearts.
The word, “apostle,” comes from the Greek that means “one who is sent.” Our Immigrant Forebears came to these shores, often sent by their families, either from Greece or from Asia Minor. They may not have been sent here for the express purpose of evangelizing the New World, but by their very piety and practice, they proved to be messengers and defenders of the Orthodox Faith. They founded parishes and built churches as soon as they could. These “first-comers” set foundation stones upon which we continue to build right up to this day, “Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).
Therefore, just as we keep the memory of Saint Photios the Great immortal, so also, we are impelled to keep these heroic dreamers in memory, which is precisely what we do through the Saint Photios National Shrine. Let us all make a commitment to support the work of the Shrine, and thereby inspire the many “newcomers” to our Faith by the example of these “first-comers.” May the Lord, through the intercessions of Saint Photios, always grant that we commit to being sent on the mission of our Church, which is One, Holy, Catholic and indeed Apostolic!
