On October 18, 2024, during their Annual Archon Weekend, Archons and Archons-elect of the Ecumenical Patriarchate attended the formal presentation of the Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship to Peter J. Skeadas, Archon Hieromnimon, by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis, Megas Aktouarios.
In granting him the award, His Eminence emphasized that Archon Skeadas practices “a holy and dignified silence in recognition of the Kingdom to come,” wielding his “words as careful instruments of love, compassion, and wisdom.”
Archon Skeadas was elected National Treasurer of the Archons in January 2018. He also serves as Chair of the Order’s Spirituality Committee and the annual Archon Lenten Retreat. Prior to his being elected Treasurer, he served on the Archon National Council and as Regional Commander for the Archdiocesan District. Together with his wife Aphrodite, he has participated on several Archon Pilgrimages to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople and to Jerusalem, among others.
In addition to his labors with and for the AEP, Archon Skeadas the Church in numerous other ways as well. He is a member of the Archdiocesan Council, serving on the National Finance Committee and the Archdiocesan District Finance Committee.
He and Aphrodite are members of Leadership 100. They are stewards of the Church of Our Saviour in Rye, New York, where Archon Peter has served on the Board and on several church committees in administrative positions. Archon Peter and Aphrodite are also stewards of Saint Catherine’s Church in West Palm Beach, as well as of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center.
Peter J. Skeadas was invested as Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2004 and conferred with the offikion Hieromnimon. He and Aphrodite are FOUNDERS of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation.
“I am deeply honored to receive this Award,” Archon Skeadas remarked, “and an even greater honor for Aphrodite and me has always been simply to be able to serve God’s Church and defend our Ecumenical Patriarchate. I am deeply and everlastingly grateful to the Archons for defending our holy Mother Church in this time of her ongoing crucifixion, and I am honored to labor with my brother Archons, by the grace of God, for the coming day of her resurrection.”
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the AEP, said: “Archon Peter’s multifaceted service to our beloved Ecumenical Patriarchate and to the Archons exemplifies what it means to be an Archon. Archon Peter’s lifetime of commitment shows most fully what it means to give selflessly of one’s time, talent and treasure for the support and defense of our holy Mother Church, as well as to protect the future of faith.”
Dr. Limberakis continued: “As National Treasurer of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and chair of our Spirituality Committee, as well as in stewardship of several churches and other activities in the Archdiocese, Archon Peter Skeadas and his beloved wife Aphrodite have given of themselves tirelessly for the service of Almighty God and His holy Church. Archon Peter is most deserving of recognition as a servant of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, following worthily in the footsteps of the late Archon National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras of blessed memory. In addition, the extraordinary diakonia of Archondissa Aphrodite Skeadas, who served as a multi-term President of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, is simply inspirational.”
The National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew unanimously voted in 2010 to establish the Nicholas J. Bouras Award. The Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary and incomparable stewardship to the Order, empowering Archons to vigorously pursue securing religious freedom for the Mother Church of Constantinople.
The Award is named after the late National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, who demonstrated remarkable leadership as a faithful son of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and exemplary steward of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Churchman, World War II hero, devoted husband of his beloved late wife Anna, Philanthropist, sincere Christian, Archon par excellence and Industrialist are terms that have all described the life of Nicholas J. Bouras.
Past recipients of the Award have included George D. Behrakis (2011), James C. Fountas and John Halecky, Jr. (2012), Stephen J. Yallourakis, M.D., D.D.S. (2013), Christopher Stratakis, Esq. (2014), the Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas (2015), Theofanis V. Economidis (2016), John A. Catsimatidis (2017), George E. Safiol (2018), John S. Zavitsanos (2019), Michael G. Psaros (2022), and George M. Marcus (2023).
Photos: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos
