Saturday of Lazarus
April 11, 2009  9:15 a.m.
Archangel Michael Church, Roslyn, NY

Palm Sunday
April 12, 2009   9:15 a.m.
Holy Trinity Church, Hicksville, NY

Holy Monday - Service of the Bridegroom
April 13, 2009   7:00 p.m.
St. Demetrios Church, Merrick, NY

Holy Tuesday - Service of the Bridegroom
April 14, 2009   6:45 p.m.
Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Brooklyn, NY

Holy Wednesday - Nymphios
April 15, 2009   7:00 p.m.
St. Demetrios Cathedral, Astoria, NY

Holy Thursday - Vesperal Divine Liturgy
April 16, 2009   8:30 a.m.
St. Paul Chapel, Archdiocese Headquarters, NYC

Holy Thursday Evening - Holy Passion
April 16, 2009   6:45 p.m.
St. Nicholas Church, Flushing, NY

Good Friday - Apokathelosis Vespers
April 17, 2009   1:00 p.m.
St. Michael’s Home, Yonkers, NY

Good Friday Evening – Epitaphios Service
April 17, 2009   8:00 p.m.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

Holy Saturday – Vesperal Divine Liturgy
April 18, 2009   10:00 a.m.
Church of the Resurrection, Brookville, NY

Holy Saturday Evening - ANASTASIS (Resurrection)
April 18, 2009   11:00 p.m.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

Sunday of PASCHA – AGAPE Vespers
April 19, 2009   11:00 a.m.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

NEW YORK – His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had a private meeting today with President Barack Obama. The meeting took place at the Conrad Hotel in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) at approximately 9:45 in the morning.  His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America and the White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, were present at the meeting.
 The meeting and ensuing discussion were marked by a spirit of warm cordiality and mutual respect.  The substance of the discussions included President Obama’s mention of the issue of the Theological School of Halki in his speech before the Turkish Parliament, and his further discussion of the same with the President of the Turkish Republic, Abdullah Gul. The President said that he would follow up on the issue with a view to a favorable solution for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
    His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew made reference to the following points: 
1.    He made a convincing and passionate argument for the speedy re-opening of the Theological School of Halki, a basic need for the education and preparation of Clergy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
2.     He emphasized the importance of religious liberty and the guarantee of same for all minorities of Turkey.
3.    He stated his well-known and long time support for the efforts of Turkey to join the European Union.
4.    He noted the significance of efforts made on behalf of the environment, adding information on his own upcoming Ecological Symposium in the U.S.A. (Mississippi River) in October of 2009.
5.     He thanked President Obama for this meeting and for his active interest in the pressing issues of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

His All Holiness mentioned that he had sent to the President, through the local U.S. General Counsel, an icon of the Prophet Baruch (patron of the President) with a handwritten inscription. He also congratulated the President for the championship victory of the University of North Carolina’s Basketball Team, which the President had chosen to win.

NEW YORK – The video presentation of “Pascha: The Resurrection of Christ,” a program highlighting Orthodox Christian Pascha, or Easter, will broadcast on ABC affiliates nationwide this month.   The program, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications and sponsored by FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, highlights Holy and Great Week, focusing on the deeply moving and ancient services that recount the Gospel narrative leading to the Death and Resurrection of Christ.  Archbishop Demetrios of America leads a procession of the faithful around the church and outside where, following the reading of the Gospel of the Resurrection, they proclaim the joyous hymn “Christ is Risen!”

ABC Network has released broadcast dates and times, with additional coverage information to come in the coming week.   Below you will find a listing (as of April 3) of  ABC affiliates by state.  Please check the listing for exact date, time and station.  Please contact the Department of Communications if you need assistance.

You may also log on to  www.PaschaABC.goarch.org or www.interfaithbroadcasting.com/onair.aspx?PID=306 for a complete listing.

DVD copies of the program available for pre-sale ($25, plus $6 shipping).  To pre-purchase please contact the Department of Communications at 212.774.0244 or email gotel@goarch.org.

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced today the publication of the new “Faith and Life: Orthodox Christianity” series with the release of two web-based pamphlets on the topics of “Fasting” and the “Dating of Easter in the Orthodox Church.”  A third pamphlet focused on “Holy Week” will be available early next week.  These pamphlets and the “Faith and Life” series are available for free.  Intended to be placed in the Narthex, these pamphlets are designed to assist parishes’ ministries and outreach and the spiritual life and growth of Orthodox Christians by providing an introduction to a wide range of spiritual, social, and theological issues. 

In the initial launch of the series, the Archdiocese is publishing the pamphlets as both web pages and as PDF files that can be viewed online or downloaded and printed on legal size paper for distribution.  The resources will also be featured in Bulletin Builder ( http://bulletin.goarch.org ).  As additional topics and pamphlets are published, the resource will be available in a format that can be customized by parishes or ordered in a print version for use in display racks.  The variety of formats is intended to assist parishes in providing quality literature on Orthodox Christianity for outreach to the unchurched and for parish educational and catechetical programs.

The first three pamphlets on “Fasting”, the “Dating of Easter in the Orthodox Church”, and “Holy Week” offer an attractive and concise presentation of these significant issues in the life and praxis of the Orthodox faith.  Combining Holy Scripture, theology, history, liturgy, and practice, the pamphlets address relevant and contemporary issues in a way that enhances knowledge and understanding of the faith, addresses the challenges of contemporary life, and offers guidance to help persons, families, and communities grow in their relationship with God and in their commitment to His will for their lives.  This is the focus of the entire “Faith and Life” series, which will include dozens of topics in the areas of worship, theology, ethics, and spirituality.

As the pamphlets are prepared they will be added to the “Faith and Life” website at http://faith.goarch.org . The two initial publications on “Fasting” and the “Dating of Easter in the Orthodox Church” are now available on this site in preparation for the upcoming observances of Holy Week and Pascha.  More information will be distributed soon on the availability of print versions.

Sat. Apr. 4 – Wed. Apr. 8, 2009
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE, Constantinople

Wed. Apr. 8, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Official Presentation of “Legacy of Achievement”
a volume dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the enthronement
of Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
The Cathedral Center, 162 Goddard Ave., Brookline, Mass.

Sat. Apr. 11, 2009 – Saturday of Lazarus
9:00 a.m.
Archieratical Divine Liturgy
Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church
Roslyn, NY (516) 625-0900

Sun Apr. 12, 2009 – Palm Sunday
9:00 a.m.
Archieratical Divine Liturgy
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Hicksville, N.Y. (516) 433-4522

NEW YORK – Ionian Village is pleased to announce that Faith: An endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, will generously fund a limited number of Archdiocese travel scholarships for high school students to participate in the Ionian Village program this summer.   As part of the Archdiocese’s ongoing effort to make Ionian Village accessible to more families, Faith will be offering both partial and full scholarships for deserving teens that demonstrate financial need.

Ionian Village is the travel abroad summer camp program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that aims to provide a vibrant, first hand experience of Orthodox Christianity and Hellenism to its participants.  Ionian Village participants spend three weeks at the campsite making guided excursions to some of the most important cultural and religious sites of Greece.  Destinations include the Church of St. Dionysios on the island of Zakynthos, Ancient Olympia, the monastery of Ossios Lukas, and historic Delphi.  In addition to excursions, participants are offered an educational program that includes athletic events, catechetical discussions, and educational sessions focusing on Greek culture.  The last three days of the program are spent in Athens. Campers stay in an Athenian hotel and take excursions to the Acropolis, the Island of Aegina, and the shopping centers of Athens.         

Those wishing to apply for a Faith scholarship to Ionian Village may download and print an application from the Ionian Village web site at www.ionianvillage.org.  The Ionian Village office must receive the application no later than May 1, 2009.  

For more details please call the Ionian Village office at (646) 519-6190.

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries is pleased to announce the launch of a daily Bible reading and lives of the saints service for Facebook and iGoogle.   The readings are available in either English or Greek. This new service is an extension of the Department of Internet Ministries highly acclaimed Online Chapel section of the Archdiocese’s web site at: http://www.goarch.org/chapel .

Through this new offering, Facebook and iGoogle users will be able to access the daily Bible readings and lives of the saints directly from their customized home pages.  Moreover, users will be able to share the Online Chapel program with other friends and family members on Facebook or iGoogle.

Please visit the Online Chapel at http://www.goarch.org/chapel for more information on how to add the new Online Chapel for Facebook and Online Chapel for iGoogle to your home pages.

Since its inception in 1994, the award winning Department of Internet Ministries has been pioneering the use of the Internet, multimedia, and technology for the Orthodox Church. The department is charged with the development and expansion of the Archdiocese's presence on the Internet, the creation of multimedia programs, as well as the development and integration of new technologies for Orthodox Christian ministry.

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries is pleased to announce the launch of a daily Bible reading and lives of the saints service for Facebook and iGoogle.   The readings are available in either English or Greek. This new service is an extension of the Department of Internet Ministries highly acclaimed Online Chapel section of the Archdiocese’s web site at: http://www.goarch.org/chapel .

Through this new offering, Facebook and iGoogle users will be able to access the daily Bible readings and lives of the saints directly from their customized home pages.  Moreover, users will be able to share the Online Chapel program with other friends and family members on Facebook or iGoogle.

Please visit the Online Chapel at http://www.goarch.org/chapel for more information on how to add the new Online Chapel for Facebook and Online Chapel for iGoogle to your home pages.

Since its inception in 1994, the award winning Department of Internet Ministries has been pioneering the use of the Internet, multimedia, and technology for the Orthodox Church. The department is charged with the development and expansion of the Archdiocese's presence on the Internet, the creation of multimedia programs, as well as the development and integration of new technologies for Orthodox Christian ministry.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama welcomed Archbishop Demetrios of America and the Greek-American Orthodox community to the White House yesterday and hosted a celebration and reception for March 25th, the 188th Anniversary of the start of the Greek War for Independence of 1821.

The President received the Archbishop in private and along with Vice-President Joseph Biden had a very cordial and open conversation. Later they all came into the East Room of the White House, where for the first time in the history of this event, the Vice-President introduced Archbishop Demetrios and said: “I speak on behalf of every American, Greek or otherwise, who cares about the union we share when I say that, Archbishop, we are truly lucky to have you here.  And I feel and the President feels fortunate to be able to call you a friend, as well as a leading leader of one of the great faiths in the world.”

Archbishop Demetrios in talking the podium thanked the Vice-President, and in addressing the President and the guests of the event congratulated President Obama on his election and thanked him for the “kind and personal” invitation to a “truly Presidential celebration.” The Archbishop paid tribute to those who fought and died for freedom and liberty during the Greek War of Independence of 1821.

Subsequently, the Archbishop asked the President’s special assistance “… in resolving chronic injustices related to issues of religious freedom, human rights, peaceful coexistence, democratic rule of law, and the pursuit of happiness,” naming three unresolved issues relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Cyprus and the name of FYROM. “We are confident, Mr. President,  that you, following the brilliant example of Alexander the Great, will be able to cut the Gordian knot of these unresolved issues, and by so doing, enhance  peace and reconciliation among the peoples included and involved,” said His Eminence and concluded with the following:

“As you continue to lead our blessed United States, the world’s greatest democracy, please know, Mr. President that our fervent prayers are with you, our First Lady Michelle, and your daughters Sasha and Malia. We thank you once again for the great honor of this noble celebration of March 25th  1821.”

President Barack Obama in his response thanked the Archbishop for the favorable comparison to Alexander the Great and said it was a great honor to be with His Eminence “as we mark the 10th anniversary” since his enthronement. The President making the case for the long and historic ties between the United States and Greece mentioned the role the Hellenic ideals have played in establishing the American democracy.

At the conclusion of the program President Obama and the Vice-President greeted many of the attendees and the reception continued in a festive atmosphere. The Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir performed for the second year at the White House event, songs related to the occasion. President Obama asked to see the children of the choir greeted them warmly and was photographed with them.

The morning of March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Archbishop Demetrios presided at the Divine Liturgy in Washington’s St. Sophia Cathedral, followed by the service of Doxology. In the evening and following the White House event he attended the reception hosted by the Ambassador of Greece to the United States Alexandros Mallias at the Greek Embassy. Minister of Justice Nikolaos Dendias represented the Greek Government at these events.

 To see the full text of the Archbishop’s rem For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website

Archbishop Demetrios Speaks at Brookings, Meets with U.S. Senators
March 25, 2009