ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The new Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s
Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building
was dedicated during the two-day festivities of May 20-21.
The new building was named in honor of Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania and Archbishop Demetrios of America, who lead the ceremonies. The Aghiasmos (Holy Blessing) service was held under a tent at the entrance of the new building and with intense rain trough out the festivities. Archbishop Demetrios presided over the service along with Archbishop Anastasios and Metropolitan Jonah, the leading hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
“This day is very significant for Orthodox Christians; this new missions building is a witness to Orthodoxy, because Orthodoxy is always offering herself to everyone; and this is a visible sign of this very character of Orthodoxy: to share, sharing what we have with all the people of the world,” said Archbishop Demetrios speaking about the new building and added: “This place is also important because it is a product of a pan-orthodox unity and cooperation, the faithful working together in the spirit of promoting the Gospel and the faith, which is a basic function of a true Christian. Our gratitude belongs to the people who made this a reality.”
Archbishop Anastasios said that “the dedication of this building is a milestone for all Orthodox missions and the evangelization of God’s People,” and added that “it is impossible to think of a dynamic Orthodoxy without world wide missionary work.”
About 300 people attended the blessing ceremony under a strong downpour. They were hierarchs of SCOBA or their representatives, from all Orthodox jurisdictions in America, the board of directors and staff of OCMC, missionaries and Mission Team members, benefactors and donors to the successful capital campaign which provided funding for the project, and Orthodox clergy and laity from throughout the country. Earlier in the morning of May 21, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta presided at the Archieratical Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of St. Augustine.
Archbishop Anastasios brought as a gift, a small silver reliquary containing relics of Saint Kosmas Aitolos, known for his missionary work in the 18th Century. Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA also brought a small container with relics of Saint Innocent of Alaska. Archbishop Demetrios presented to the OCMC board an icon of Saints Cyril and Methodios.
The new 12,000 square foot building, which is now the headquarters of OCMC, is located near Interstate 95 just north of St. Augustine, on a wooded twenty-acre site. It has two floors which include space for worship, training and meeting rooms, overnight accommodations for visiting missionaries and mission team members, a kitchen, and administrative offices and work areas. State of the art technology infrastructure is installed throughout, to support communications with OCMC’s Missionaries around the world.
The facility is the first permanent building designed, constructed, owned and operated by a SCOBA agency. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the foreign mission and evangelism agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). It has missions in many countries like Albania, Romania, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Argentina, Uganda, Indonesia and others. OCMC traces its origins back to the early 1960’s to the Lenten Self-Denial Club of the Annun For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
Archbishop Demetrios Presents Award to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
May 23, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – Archbishop Demetrios of America presented a special award to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a small ceremony yesterday at the State Department.
WASHINGTON, DC –
Archbishop Demetrios of America presented a special award to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a small ceremony yesterday at the State Department.
The ceremony took place in the Treaty Room shortly after Secretary Clinton received Archbishop Demetrios and a delegation of leaders of the National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH) who were participating in the 25th Annual Cyprus and Hellenic Leadership Conference, taking place in Washington May 20-22.
The special award was presented “in light of unprecedented steps that have been taken in this very short period of time in the right direction on Hellenic and Orthodox issues” and symbolically contained two small vials of soil – one from Athens and one from Capitol Hill in Washington – and an inscription which partly read “from this hallowed earth have come the world’s greatest minds, ideas and actions.”
Presenting the Award to Hillary Clinton Archbishop Demetrios conveyed the greeting of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and speaking of the cooperation on the issues of Justice and Religious Freedom said: “We trust in your judgment and your disposition and your total dedication to these issues… and we offer this plaque as an indication of our recognition of what you have been doing and as a token of our continuous cooperation…”
In her response the Secretary thanked and welcomed His Eminence and the other leaders and said: “We are committed to the reopening of the Halki Seminary, to the unification of Cyprus as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, and we know these are difficult issues,” and she pledged that her Administration is committed in making progress on them.
Secretary Clinton also asked the Archbishop to convey to His All Holiness her personal wishes saying “… please extend my personal best wishes to the Patriarch. My opportunities to visit with him and talk with him have been true highlights of my life in public service, and I look forward to seeing him again. I understand he may be coming to the United States, I hope in the future, and it will be my great honor to receive him and to look forward to hosting him here at the State Department.”
The group of leaders who were present at the ceremony with the Archbishop included 10 members of CEH: Andrew A. Athens, Zenon Christodoulou, Philip Christopher, Michael Galanakis, Andy Manatos, Mike Manatos, Nikos Mouyiaris, Peter Papanicolaou, George J. Tsunis and Tasos D. Zambas, and Supreme Vice President of AHEPA Nick Karacostas.
"The Other Holy Land" to be Rebroadcast on Hallmark Channel June 7, 2009May 19, 2009
“The Other Holy Land” will be rebroadcast on the Hallmark Channel, Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 7 - 8 am EDT and PDT; and 6 am CDT.
NEW YORK – “The Other Holy Land” will be rebroadcast on the Hallmark Channel, Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 7 - 8 am EDT and PDT; and 6 am CDT. The hour long beautifully filmed program features four places in Asia Minor: Constantinople, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Smyrna – where it becomes strikingly clear that the history of Christianity in "The Other Holy Land" is also the history of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The documentary was filmed in Turkey and the United States and includes interviews with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Demetrios of America and other noted theologians and historians. The use of dramatized voices brings to life primary texts from the early Fathers and Church writers; early texts are juxtaposed with visuals of today’s religious services including a Divine Liturgy celebrated by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Cappadocia.
Participants, in addition to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Demetrios and include: Bishop Kallistos Ware, Rev. Dr. Robert G. Stephanopoulos; Rev. Dr. Demetrios Constantelos; Rev. Dr. Forrest Church; Dr. Helen Evans; Dr. Robert Ousterhout; and narrator Robert Aubry Davis.
Produced by Frank Frost Productions in cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Office of News and Information and Greek Orthodox Telecommunications, the program was funded by the Leadership 100 Endowment Fund, The Aegean Free Trade Zone and Faith & Values Media.
DVD copies of this program are available for purchase at $20 each, plus $6 shipping. Call GOTelecom at 1-800-888-6835. For more information and to find Hallmark stations in your area log on to: www.hallmarkchannel.com.
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