Protocol 30/08
May 18, 2008

AHEPA Sunday

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

It is in the joy of the Risen Lord and the light of His glorious Resurrection that I greet you for our annual observance of AHEPA Sunday and the recognition of the good work and efforts of the members of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.  This prominent organization has promoted education, civic responsibility and philanthropy since its founding in 1922, and it is fitting that we show our honor and support for the AHEPA on this day in our liturgical calendar, the Sunday of the Paralytic.

In the reading of the Holy Gospel of this Sunday, we hear the story of a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  When our Lord saw him, He had compassion upon him and immediately responded to his infirmity, offering him healing and salvation.  It is in this spirit of compassion for the needs of others and of respect for life and wellbeing that AHEPA continues its work in so many critical areas.   From scholarships and awards for excellence, to the promotion of Hellenic ideals in modern society, to raising funds and implementing programs for disaster relief, preservation projects, and medical needs, the members and organizations of the AHEPA Family are committed to the example of Christ and His divine mandate, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:19), and apply it in practical ways.
 
Therefore, in recognition of the work of the AHEPA, we designate Sunday, May 18, 2008, as this year’s AHEPA Sunday. I kindly ask that you offer your prayers and your support for the local chapters of the AHEPA in your communities, and for the national organization.  Together may we emulate our Risen Lord and His ministry to those in need, and may our love for God and for one another bring salvation and life to all.

With paternal love in the Risen Christ,

+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America

In an article included with the selection and written by the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Church, Rowan Williams, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is honored for his clear moral and spiritual vision and for his concern for the environment. 

Williams states, “In a way that is profoundly loyal to the traditions of worship and reflection in the Eastern Orthodox Church, he has insisted that ecological questions are essentially spiritual ones. He has stressed that a world in which God the Creator uses the material stuff of the universe to communicate who he is and what he wants is one that demands reverence from human beings. Probably more than any other religious leader from any faith, Patriarch Bartholomew, 68, has kept open this spiritual dimension of environmentalism…. The title Ecumenical Patriarch historically refers to the Patriarch's pastoral responsibility for ‘the whole inhabited world.’ This brave and visionary pastor has given a completely new sense to the ancient honorific; his work puts squarely on our agenda the question of how we express spiritual responsibility for the world we live in.”

Time Magazine’s complete list of the 100 most influential people appears in the May 12 issue, and the article on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew can be viewed online via the Archdiocese web site at www.goarch.org.

Contact: Department of Communications
Tel: (212) 570-3588
E-mail: communications@goarch.org