MEDIA ADVISORY

For further information, please contact the number listed or 212-570-3556.

Wed., June 18, 2008   
Archdiocese Headquarters, NYC
4:00 pm   
Visit of Alexi Giannoulias, Treasurer - State of Illinois

Sat., June 21, 2008  
St. Basil Academy Graduation
11:00 am   
79 St. Basil Road, Garrison, NY 10524
(tel. 845.424.3500)

June 25-30, 2008  
Vatican, ROME - ITALY
Pilgrimage and Festivities surrounding the
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul 
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios will lead a US Delegation which will join the Patriarchal Delegation accompanying His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The pilgrimage is sponsored by FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

June 30 – July 7, 2008 
2008 AHEPA Supreme Convention
ATHENS, GREECE

Thurs., July 3, 2008
9:00 pm 
Concert by the Metropolitan Youth Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to benefit the philanthropic organization ELPIDA Foundation for the Child and the Family
Zappeion Megaron Conference Center, Athens

July 11-18, 2008  
39th Clergy-Laity Congress
Young Adult Conference, National Philoptochos Convention
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC
www.goarch.org and www.clergylaity.org

Contact: Stavros H. Papagermanos
Tel.: 212.570.3556

The website is designed to increase local, national and international awareness of the scope of the charitable work of the Society.  It also serves as a resource for the close to 28,000 Philoptochos members and the 480 Philoptochos chapters throughout the United States.

New features include a “Chapter President’s Alert” with content links to the latest news and announcements.  Current information is available about the National Philoptochos Society and its numerous National Committees and broad level of commitments to myriad national and international ministries.  The Ministry and Outreach section contains descriptions of Commitments, Programs and Projects including a list of charitable donations of $8,530,419.00 for the period of January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2007.

A key feature of the website is a direct link to the Social Services Department which contains an important Resource Information Database as well as articles and guidebooks to educate and inform chapters and those seeking assistance.
 
President Skeadas acknowledges the tremendous work of the Public Relations Co-Chairs Barbara Pasalis and Christine Karavites and their committee in launching the Philoptochos website, the enormous contribution of Mr. Nick Sialmas, President of the St. Nicholas parish in Newburgh, NY, who provided his outstanding expertise to create the new Philoptochos website and the continued support of the Office of Internet Ministries of the Archdiocese.  

Information may be submitted to the National Philoptochos Office at philosny@aol.com.

Contact:
Christine Karavites       Publicity Chairman
(508) 982.4276

This session was attended by all Hierarchs of SCOBA: Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Philip, Vice-Chairman (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Christopher, Secretary (Serbian Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Nicholas (Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese), Metropolitan Herman (Orthodox Church in America), Metropolitan Joseph (Bulgarian Orthodox Church), Archbishop Nicolae (Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese), Archbishop Antony (proxy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church) and Bishop Ilia (Albanian Orthodox Diocese).  In attendance as well were Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Methodios of Boston (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), and Bishop Antoun of Miami (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese).  Also present were the General Secretary and thirteen members of the SCOBA Study and Planning Commission representing all the SCOBA member Churches.

The Hierarchs held a fraternal and open discussion related to SCOBA Agencies, dealing with communications, education and mission.  The formal request of the Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who is also the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchal parishes in the USA (33 in number), Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk to be included on SCOBA was presented by the Chairman, Archbishop Demetrios.  He noted that the Moscow Patriarchate, through its Exarchate, had been one of the original signers of the SCOBA Constitution.  After the Archbishop’s presentation of the matter, there was immediate unanimous agreement, in a spirit of fraternal welcome, by all SCOBA Hierarchs to welcome the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the United States, in the person of Bishop Mercurius, to full membership in SCOBA.

In addition, both Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Philip shared with the other SCOBA Hierarchs the positive results of their individual meetings with Metropolitan Hilarion, the newly enthroned (May 18, 2008) First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).

The Co-Chair of the Orthodox-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation, Metropolitan Maximos, gave a presentation on the status of the various Inter-Christian Dialogues. The meeting closed with an open and fraternal discussion of ecclesiastical issues that need attention.

This meeting between the two Primates follows on a new relationship between the Churches occasioned by the reunification of ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in May of 2007. Archbishop Demetrios had already sent a congratulatory letter to Metropolitan Hilarion after his election as First Hierarch (Primate) of ROCOR, which also invited him to the Archdiocese.

Metropolitan Hilarion was accompanied by the Very Rev. Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, Secretary of Inter-Orthodox Relations. During the 90 minute meeting with the Archbishop, who is also the Chairman of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), the discussions focused around the new reality of ROCOR in the Pan-Orthodox environment of America. Also present at the meeting were the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Bishop Savas of Troas, Father Mark Arey, Director of Inter-Orthodox Relations and Archdeacon Pandeleimon Papadopoulos.

Contact: Stavros Papagermanos
Tel. 212-570-3556