On the day of His departure from the United States for Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed a message of thanks and congratulations to the Greek Diaspora, the American people, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the doctors who performed the stent surgery, led by Dr. George Dagas.
As reported by the “National Herald”, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed, among other things, that “on our departure from the United States we extend to everyone our paternal and patriarchal satisfaction for this visit to a truly great country.
We were able to meet new faces, make new friends, as well as reconnect with many dear old friends.
We say goodbye to all of you with a heart full of emotion and hope for the future”.
Also, the Patriarch said, “We express our gratitude to our dear brother Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Metropolitans of the Holy Provincial Synod, as well as the Auxiliary Bishops. We also thank the holy clergy and people and all the faithful we visited.”
He stressed that “we had the opportunity to meet with so many faithful and ecumenical leaders. Our heart is open to all and is full of love and respect for all. We welcome this country of freedom where every human being is respected regardless of their beliefs. We pray fervently for the people of the United States to enjoy spiritual prosperity, values of peace, love, brotherhood, and the triumph of liberty.”
The Patriarch also said that “the roots of the Archdiocese of America go deep into the history and Tradition of the Mother Church. Keep these traditions strong and stay firm in the Orthodox Faith.”
We say goodbye with a heart full of paternal affection and with the same exhortation we expressed a quarter of a century ago: “Love one another” and added, “There is no greater gift you can give to our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater gift you can give your children. There is no greater gift than the love you could give each other.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch also thanked Mount Sinai Hospital, the doctors, and the nursing staff for the wonderful care and effective treatment, while mentioning the name of the top doctor Dr. George Dagas, who led the stent placement surgery.