On Sunday, October 5th, 2025 Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey traveled to the community of Holy Apostles in Chantilly, Virginia to celebrate the Thyranoixia (Door opening) for the community’s new church building. Metropolitan Apostolos was accompanied by Metropolis Chancellor Fr. Gregory Gilbert, Metropolis Council Vice-President James Polos and Metropolis Legal Counsel Georgio Comninos. Upon his arrival in the morning, Metropolitan Apostolos entered a church packed with faithful who were eager to have their new community blessed and was welcomed by proistamenos Fr. Thomas Manuel and members of the Parish council.
Metropolitan Apostolos headed the procession around the new church and led the faithful in the chanting of the apolytikion of their patron saints, the Twelve Holy Apostles. Once the procession reached back to the main entrance of the Church, his Eminence struck the doors with his Pateritsa and entered, blessing the building with Holy Water.
Following the procession, Metropolitan Apostolos celebrated the Divine Liturgy with congregation. In his hierarchical sermon, he glorified God for the opening of the new Church building. His Eminence congratulated the community, commending them for “performing a miracle by the grace of the Holy Spirit and in the presence of the Holy Trinity” by accepting Christ’s invitation to build a new Church. He continued by exclaiming that in the Liturgy, the Apostles mystically concelebrated with us and were smiling that their ministry has been succeeded by Fr. Thomas and the community. His Eminence closed his remark by describing the parish as a living witness to Christ’s Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
At the conclusion of the Liturgy Metropolitan Apostolos thanked the Parish Council and the Philoptochos for their organizational efforts and the years of preparation that went into the purchase of their new church building. Most significantly, he thanked Fr. Thomas for his visionary leadership, which he declared was essential in not only for the community’s physical movement but in their spiritual growth. In recognition of Fr. Thomas’s efforts, Metropolitan Apostolos bestowed upon Fr. Thomas the offikion of Confessor, that he may provide for the spiritual needs of the growing community through the sacrament of confession.
