Yesterday, June 29, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over an extraordinary session of the Holy Eparchial Synod in Cleveland, Ohio, convened in conjunction with the 48th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
At the opening of the session, Archbishop Elpidophoros welcomed the esteemed members of the Holy Eparchial Synod to the Clergy-Laity Congress of the Archdiocese. He announced the unprecedented number of clergy and lay delegates from the parishes participating in the Congress and, after emphasizing its importance for the life of the local Church, expressed his prayers for the success of its proceedings.
Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed his profound gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the representation of His All-Holiness and the Mother Church at the 48th Clergy-Laity Congress by Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria, Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, and Grand Archimandrite Iakovos.
Subsequently, the Holy Synod addressed the items on the agenda, including the following matters:
- It invited Mr Theodore Nicolaos, Archon and Director of National Ministries, to appear before it. Mr Nicolaos informed the Holy Synod about a grant application to the Lilly Endowment, which is intended to secure the establishment of new communities across America. The Synod approved the application and expressed hope for a positive outcome. It is noteworthy that dioceses of the Holy Archdiocese are already establishing new church communities; a notable example is the Holy Metropolis of Denver, where four new communities have recently been successfully founded.
- The teaching of the Greek language is to be offered to Holy Cross Theological School seminarians in Boston through accredited educational institutions that are compatible with official Greek language certification standards. Furthermore, the Theological School is encouraged to review its method of teaching the Greek liturgical language, as this is essential for clear reading and rendering of the Gospel readings and liturgical texts.
- The Synod also presented the revised edition of the pocket guide to the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.
- The Synod extended its congratulations to Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey on the occasion of his name day.
At the end of the meeting, the Archbishop and the Synod hierarchs exchanged warm greetings on the Feast of the Holy Apostles.
Photo by Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos
