In his Paschal Encyclical, Archbishop Demetrios of America, spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America and Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops representing over 6 million Orthodox Christians in the Americas, says:

“… By receiving Christ into our lives through the Holy Sacraments of the Church and through our daily commitment to His divine will, we are given an unfading hope of glory, of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, of a new heaven and a new earth that is completely filled with the life and light of our Lord."

"This hope that springs from the presence of the Risen Christ within us directs us to live each and every day preparing to receive ‘an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading’  (I Peter 1:4).  This was the way our beloved former Archbishop Iakovos lived his blessed life on earth before leaving us on April 10 to be forever with Christ in heaven.  He left us a strong message that our life here and now is a journey toward heaven.  We have been given this time to be reborn in the image of the Life-Giver, to live each day in faith, and to anticipate the fulfillment of all things and the great and glorious return of our Savior. Just as we have prepared ourselves to receive the Paschal light and affirm in joy and hymns the essence of our faith, we must use each day of our lives to prepare to receive our loving Lord, the King of glory."

Archbishop Demetrios, will officiate at the Good Friday Service, April 29, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and Resurrection Service, April 26, beginning at 11:00 p.m. at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (319 E. 74th St., New York City). The Good Friday Lamentations and Resurrection Service will be broadcast Live on National Greek Television (NGTV) Time Warner Digital Channel 509 and ANTENNA SATELLITE NORTH AMERICA. All Services of Holy Week will be broadcast live on the Cathedral and Archdiocese Websites: http://www.thecathedral.goarch.org and http://live.goarch.org.

Archbishop Demetrios will officiate at Holy Week services in the following Greek Orthodox parishes: Lazarus Saturday Liturgy at Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, CT; Palm Sunday Liturgy, St. Sophia Cathedral, Washington DC; Bridegroom Service, Sunday evening, SS. Constantine and Helen, Washington, DC; Bridegroom Service, Monday evening, Holy Trinity Hicksville, NY; Bridegroom Service, Tuesday evening, Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Brooklyn; Bridegroom Service, Wednesday evening, St. Demetrios Cathedral, Astoria;  Holy Thursday Liturgy, St. Paul Chapel, Archdiocese; Holy Passion, Thursday evening, St. Nicholas, Flushing; Good Friday Apokathelosis, St. Michael’s Home for the Aged and Good Friday Lamentations, Holy Trinity Cathedral; Saturday morning, Vespers/Divine Liturgy, St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead, NY; Saturday evening Resurrection and Sunday Agape services at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Centuries-old religious services which recall the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ are conducted each morning and evening throughout Holy Week in Orthodox Christian Churches including: Greek, Russian, Romanian, Antiochian, Bulgarian, Carpatho-Russian, Albanian, Serbian and Ukrainian, which serve some 6 million faithful in the Americas.

On PALM SUNDAY at the Divine Liturgy, palms are blessed and distributed to the faithful commemorating Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem.

On PALM SUNDAY EVENING, as well as on the evenings of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the faithful gather for the Nymphios or Bridegroom Services that include readings, hymns, and commemorations that anticipate the Passion of Christ.

On HOLY WEDNESDAY, the faithful participate in the Sacrament of Holy Unction and are anointed with blessed oil, which cleanses, renews and strengthens both spiritually and physically.

On HOLY THURSDAY MORNING, a Divine Liturgy is held and Holy Communion given in commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist by Christ.

On HOLY THURSDAY EVENING, the Service of Holy Passion takes place, during which the Twelve Lessons of the Gospel are read. After the Fifth Gospel a solemn litany begins. A large crucifix is carried in a procession led by the clergy as the mournful hymn of Crucifixion is sung.

On GOOD FRIDAY AFTERNOON, the Vespers of the Descent from the Cross are offered. The Body of Christ is taken down from the Cross, wrapped in white linen and is prepared for burial.

On GOOD FRIDAY EVENING, the Lamentations are sung during the Epitaphios Service, which symbolizes the burial of Christ.

On HOLY SATURDAY EVENING, the Easter Resurrection Service begins with Matins at 11 p.m. At midnight, the Church is completely darkened and the faithful wait in joyous expectation for the Bishop or priest to come forth carrying a white candle, chanting, "Come, Receive the Light, the Light of the Resurrection".  The "light" is passed to the congregation until the Church is aglow with candlelight. A procession of altar boys, choir, chanters and clergy joined by the people move outdoors where the Gospel proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ is read. The triumphant hymn, "Christos Anesti, Christ is Risen" is joyfully sung by the faithful. At the conclusion of the Resurrection Liturgy, red Easter eggs are distributed to the congregation, which symbolize the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On EASTER SUNDAY, the Vespers of AGAPE  (Love) is celebrated during which the Holy Gospel narrating the appearance of the Risen Lord to His disciples is read in several languages emphasizing the universality of the Gospel message. 

The Orthodox date for Easter is based on a decree of the First Ecumenical Council of the undivided Church at Nicaea, Asia Minor, held in 325 A.D.  According to this decree, the determination of the date of Easter is governed by a computation based on the vernal equinox and the phase of the moon. Therefore, Easter Sunday should fall on the Sunday, which follows the first full moon after the vernal equinox, according to the Julian Calendar, which was in use at that time. If the full moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter is observed the following Sunday.

Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos 
212.570.3530

MEDIA ALERT

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE
TO OBSERVE EASTER MAY 1

GOOD FRIDAY, RESURRECTION SERVICES TO BE BROADCAST LIVE CELEBRATED BY ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS AT HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL

New York, NY - PASCHA (Easter) will be celebrated on May 1 this year by over 250 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world. Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of over 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America, will officiate at the Good Friday Service, April 29, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and Resurrection Service, April 30, beginning at l1:00 p.m. Both Services will be broadcast Live on Television and Internet from the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (319 E. 74th St., NYC).

LIVE MICROWAVE FEED FOR GOOD FRIDAY AND RESURRECTION SERVICE

FOR INFORMATION ON RECEIVING BROADCAST FEED FROM EMPIRE STATE BUILDING CALL: QUICKLINK AT (212) 564-4831 AND ASK FOR Greek Orthodox Church Live Feed. Please contact Steve Ludwick for coordination and routing of signal from the Empire State Building to a desired post or satellite.

LIVE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FROM HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL

GOOD FRIDAY EVENING:  
April 29 8:00 p.m.– 10:00 p.m.

RESURRECTION SERVICE:  
April 30 11:45 p.m. - 1:45 a.m.

NATIONAL GREEK TELEVISION (NGTV)
Time Warner Digital Channel 509
In Metropolitan New York and northern New Jersey.
ANTENNA SATELLITE NORTH AMERICA

"THE OTHER HOLY LAND" ON HALLMARK TV

“The Other Holy Land” will be rebroadcast on the Hallmark Channel, Easter Sunday, May from Noon-1:00 p.m.( ET/PT)-11:00 a.m.(CT). Check local listings. The program was originally broadcast on Sept. 29th, 2003. The program features four geographical areas-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 program also includes interviews with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Bishop Kallistos Ware, Archdiocesan Cathedral Dean Father Robert Stephanopoulos, and other noted theologians and historians.

"The Ways We Worship" will also be rebroadcast on May 1 as part of  the America at Worship on Hallmark from 9-11 a.m. ET/PT.  Filmed at Holy Trinity Cathedral, it highlights an Altar Boy, his responsibilities and personal faith. The segment will run at approximately 10:40 a.m.

WEB BROADCASTS

Also Available during Holy Week Internet Audio and Video Broadcasts on Cathedral and Archdiocese Websites:  http://www.thecathedral.goarch.org and http://live.goarch.org 

SUNDAY MORNING PALM SUNDAY LITURGY   
9:30-12 noon
SUNDAY EVENING BRIDEGROOM SERVICE   
7:00-8:00 pm
MONDAY EVENING BRIDEGROOM SERVICE   
7:00-8:00 pm
TUESDAY EVENING HYMN OF KASSIANI   
7:00-8:30 pm.
WEDNESDAY MORNING PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY   
9:00-11:00 am
WEDNESDAY EVENING SACRAMENT OF HOLY UNCTION  
6:30-8:30 pm
THURSDAY MORNING VESPERAL LITURGY OF ST. BASIL 
9:00-11:00 am
THURSDAY EVENING THE HOLY PASSION OF OUR LORD  
7:00-10:00 pm
GOOD FRIDAY:
APOKATHELOSIS                   
3:30-4:30 pm
LAMENTATIONS                    
8:00-10:30 pm
HOLY SATURDAY:
MORNING LITURGY OF ST. BASIL  
9:00-11:00 am
RESURRECTION SERVICE/PASCHA LITURGY 
11:00 pm-2:30 am
PASCHA-EASTER SUNDAY AGAPE VESPERS  OF EASTER    
12 NOON

ATTENTION PASTORS AND PARISH COUNCILS
Please announce to parishioners and alert local media and broadcast networks.

Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos
Tel:(212) 570-3530 Fax:(212)774-0215
Weekend: (212) 744-2429 Fax:(212)-288-5876
Mobile: (917)-903-1255
Email:nikki@goarch.org

Protocol No. 335

B A R T H O L O M E W,
BY THE MERCY OF GOD
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE,
NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH,
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH,
GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY
FROM CHRIST THE SAVIOUR,
RISEN IN GLORY

Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the Lord,

It is with great joy that we address you once again with the Resurrectional greeting “Christ is Risen!”

This greeting incorporates and heralds the substantive content of our Christian faith: “We celebrate the death of Death”.  This message continues to be unique and daring even in our times, for, despite the two thousand years that have elapsed since the birth of Jesus Christ, who is Resurrected, humanity did not love life in the same way Jesus Christ honored it.

Unfortunately, murderous tendencies are widely spread. People obliterate their competitors in order to prevail.  Murderers kill in order to rob or destroy incriminating evidence.  Terrorists kill in order to force nations and governments to accept their demands.  Ideologues take lives in order to facilitate the prevailing of their ideology.  Nations clash for reasons of racial dominance, and thousands of people are killed from all opposing sides due to the absence of a spirit of conciliation and peaceful settlement.  Fanatics murder the ones that do not share in their fanaticism.  Believers of one faith sometimes kill others who represent a different faith.  Ruthless people kill in order to satisfy their bloodthirsty instincts.  Some commit suicide because they consider the divine gift of life to be an unbearable burden.  In general, murderous acts, which are condemned by all humanity and God, tend to become an acceptable reality and a legitimate means for the accomplishment of certain goals that are unacceptably placed above human life.

In the midst of this abundance of blood shedding, there appears the leader and Giver of life, Who was murdered by humanity, trumpeting to all that murderous acts are not signs of success.  He heralds that resurrection and judgment awaits us all, that life is stronger than death, and that the ones who build their edifices upon the death of their fellow human beings labor in vain.  Our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ confirmed through His Resurrection His message that He is the way, the truth and the life.  He also confirmed that God did not create death, nor does He take pleasure in the loss of life (Wisdom of Solomon 1:13).  For while God created everything to last eternally, death entered the world as a result of the impiety of people.  The love of God, though, not being able to tolerate the predominance of death over human beings comes to the rescue of humanity and remedies the ills of human sin.

He was Incarnate, assumed mortal flesh and willingly suffered death on the Cross, but He came back to life on His own power, stronger than death, thus becoming the Forerunner of all who want to return to life alongside with Him.  The firstborn among the dead, first of the resurrected, Giver of life and life after death, abolished the bearer of death.  Contemporary humankind is so familiar with the catastrophic evil of humanity that he does not always understand the joy and depth of the Resurrection, the restitution and eternal life that our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ has given us.  Those people, however, who foretaste and recognize the joy arising from the Resurrection feel exultation upon saying “Christ is Risen.”  Today, we Orthodox Christians celebrate along with the people who experience this joy of the Resurrection of the Lord, and we address one another with the victorious greeting “Christ is Risen!” 

Holy Pascha 2005
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Your fervent intercessor before the Risen Christ

To be read at the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Holy Pascha, immediately after the Holy Gospel.

Protocol 42/05
          
Holy Pascha 2005
The Feast of Feasts

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you…. I Peter 1:3-4

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 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,

On this, the great and glorious feast of Pascha, I greet you with our cherished and joyful Paschal greeting, Hristos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

As we have reached the end of our blessed Lenten journey and have opened our hearts to receive the light and life of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called once again by the divine worship and commemorations of the Holy Orthodox Church to contemplate the significance of Pascha for our lives.  The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ is not only an annual observance marked by special services, family gatherings, and feasting.  As the people of God, we continuously commemorate this day each and every moment of our lives through the presence of the Risen Lord within us.

Through the weeks of the Holy Lenten season, we have lived in anticipation of this feast of joy and light.  In fasting and prayer we have prepared ourselves to receive our Lord and glorify His third-day Resurrection.  Now that this glorious day has come, we embrace it with every part of our being, revealing through our expressions, words, and innermost thoughts and prayers our immersion into the life given to us by Christ.

Above all other things, the Feast of Pascha affirms that the Risen Lord is in our midst.  Each and every day, through all the joys and trials of this life, He is with us.  His divine and life-giving presence brings us peace in the midst of personal, familial, and global conflicts; the Risen Christ offers us strength and assurance in our time of suffering and physical need; but most importantly, through His great mercy, He gives us hope.  In the words of the Apostle Peter, "By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (I Peter 1:3).

Through His mercy revealed to us on the Cross, we have been offered a new manner of living.  By His Resurrection we have been shown the way of rebirth, renewal, and restoration to the true and eternal life that God created us to live.  By receiving Christ into our lives through the Holy Sacraments of the Church and through our daily commitment to His divine will, we are given an unfading hope of glory, of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, of a new heaven and a new earth that is completely filled with the life and light of our Lord.

This hope that springs from the presence of the Risen Christ within us directs us to live each and every day preparing to receive "an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading" (I Peter 1:4).  This was the way our beloved former Archbishop Iakovos lived his blessed life on earth before leaving us on April 10 to be forever with Christ in heaven.  He left us a strong message that our life here and now is a journey toward heaven.  We have been given this time to be reborn in the image of the Life-Giver, to live each day in faith, and to anticipate the fulfillment of all things and the great and glorious return of our Savior. Just as we have prepared ourselves to receive the Paschal light and affirm in joy and hymns the essence of our faith, we must use each day of our lives to prepare to receive our loving Lord, the King of glory.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I ask you on this sacred feast to open your hearts to the presence of the Risen Christ in our midst.  May our joyous celebration of Pascha lift us above the struggles of life and restore our spiritual vision of the Kingdom of God.  From this day forward, may we continue together in the journey of life, preparing ourselves for that day when we will put on immortality and enter into a blessed and eternal communion with God.

With my warmest Paschal wishes
And love in the Risen Christ,

+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America

These are just some of the images from 2004 that were entered into the first International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) photo contest. The amateur photographs, taken by IOCC field staff in 12 offices around the world, were recently judged by a panel of Orthodox media professionals (listed below).
    
First place went to a photo of an Iraqi girl receiving a hygiene parcel at a kindergarten in Baghdad.
    
Second place went to a photo of young men working on a construction project completed in 2004. The young people, trained by IOCC as skilled laborers, were building a public health clinic in the West Bank village of Sarra. The photographer was Azzam Shabib, IOCC field engineer supervisor.
    
Third place went to a photo of children at a refugee shelter in Obrenovac, Serbia-Montenegro, receiving winter coats as part of a 2004 project supported by the Peja Stojakovic Children’s Foundation. The photo was taken by IOCC-Belgrade staff.
    
The winning photos are posted on the IOCC Web site. IOCC has 12 field offices from which it implements humanitarian programs in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
    
Founded in 1992, IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).
 
 
For media inquiries, please contact IOCC Communications Associate Stephen Huba at 1-877-803-4622 or shuba@iocc.org.

In 2005, Leadership 100 continued the $10 million multi-year commitment to the Scholarship in Excellence Program for Hellenic College/Holy Cross with a grant of $1.7 million and completed the $885,000 four-year Clergy Student Loan Program with a final $285,000 grant. Some 53 clergy were assisted with their student loan obligations in the course of the program. Also continued was the multi-year Retired Clergy in Need program with a grant of $15,600.
 
A grant of $100,000 for Family Ministry will fund the distribution of already produced material and will expand the ministry and outreach of this new department. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has declared 2005-2006 the “Year of the Family”.  The Family Roundtable was appointed in 2002 by Archbishop Demetrios to study and produce material, resources and assistance to the Orthodox Family. 

With another grant of $90,000, regional Metropolis conferences will be organized to focus on Parish Development and Stewardship, designed to assist the parish in local fund-raising techniques for Capital and Fundraising campaigns, Stewardship techniques and resources as well as highlight other Archdiocesan Ministries.

The Youth Department will receive $25,000 for the production of new resource and curriculum guides for Early Childhood, Hope, Joy and GOYA programs, while Home Missions will get $102,000 to continue to assist and expand Mission Parishes in the United States. 

The new Department of Outreach and Evangelism will receive $8,000 for a seminar and workshops on parish ministry for clergy and lay leadership in the areas of Ministry to the Family, Pastoral Issues facing the Parish, Building a Parish Leadership Team, Outreach and Evangelism in the Parish, Organized Leadership, a model of Change in the Parish and Educating Leadership.

In the area of Communications, $40,000 will go for the production and distribution of Illuminations - the Video Magazine of the Archdiocese.  The production was created by Leadership 100 in 2002 and was successful in presenting the National Church to the local Parishes across the United States.  The grant will allow the Archdiocese to highlight the Ministries of the Archdiocese as well as focus on certain institutions and events happening in 2005. Another $50,000 will go to Internet Ministries for Phase 2 of the Bulletin Builder Program, which provides enhancements to the current bulleting builder program that includes a National Calendaring system, adding Greek capabilities to the current system, and multiple layout options - as well as other user requested enhancements, while integrating the current system into the on-line chapel system.

The Department of Greek Education will receive $30,000 Greek Education to create a website for the Archdiocese Department of Greek Education, which will contain materials and practice tests for the Examination in Modern Greek, kindergarten curriculum in downloadable PDF form, communication with schools and teachers for the inclusion of lesson plans, teacher training materials, lessons and worksheets, materials on Modern Greek for adults, cultural materials and explorations (webquests, mini-courses), and student work and image libraries.

Leadership 100 grants also included $10,000 for a new Clergy Continuing Education program and $25,000 for the creation of an Archdiocese Annual Report that will include information about the Archdiocese, Clergy Laity Congress, financial reports and ministry highlights.  The report will be professionally produced and distributed to all parish members.

Contact: 
Rev. Fr. Dimitrios Antokas
Tel: (212) 570-3570, Fax: (212) 570-5260  

MEDIA ADVISORY

HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA SCHEDULE 2005
HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS

Saturday of Lazarus 
April 23, 8:30 a.m.. 
Holy Trinity Church, Bridgeport,CT

Palm Sunday                                                
April 24, 9:30 a.m. 
Saint Sophia Cathedral,Washington, DC

Palm Sunday Evening 
April 24, 7:30 p.m.                               
SS Constantine and Helen Church,Washington, DC

Holy Monday - Service of the Bridegroom
April 25, 7:15 p.m.                                         
Holy Trinity Church, Hicksville, NY

Holy Tuesday - Service of the Bridegroom
April 26, 7:00 p.m.                                          
Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Brooklyn, NY

Holy Wednesday - Service of the Bridegroom
April 27, 7:00 p.m.
St. Demetrios Cathedral, Astoria, NY

Holy Thursday - Vesperal  Divine Liturgy
April 28,  8:30 a.m.        
St. Paul Chapel, Archdiocese 

Holy Thursday Evening - Holy Passion
April 28, 7:00 p.m.                                         
St. Nicholas Church, Flushing, NY
       
Good Friday Afternoon - Apokathilosis
April 29, 1:00 p.m.           
St. Michael’s Home, Yonkers, NY

Good Friday Evening - Epitaphios Thrinos
April 29, 8:00 p.m.  
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

Holy Saturday Morning  - Vespers/Divine Liturgy
April 30, 8:30 a.m.     
St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead, NY

Holy Saturday Evening - Anastasis (Resurrection)
April 30, 11:00 p.m. 
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

Easter Sunday - Agape Service
May 1, 12 Noon.          
Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City

Contact: 
Nikki Stephanopoulos
212-570-3530

His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, will once again lead the pilgrimage to sites of great historical importance and spiritual significance for all Orthodox Christians. The highlight of this experience will be an audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the historic city of Constantinople.

Participants will begin their trip in Rome, the Eternal City, home to an immense collection of early Christian history, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as timeless architectural wonders like the Pantheon and Coliseum.  We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at San Teodoro Greek Orthodox Church in Rome, a 6th century Byzantine church dedicated to St. Theodore of Euchaita.  After three days in Rome, the journey will continue with a four-day visit to Constantinople, where participants will travel to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the great Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the Church of Christ at Chora, the Monastery of the Zoodogos Pigi (the Life-Giving Spring), the Home for the Aged, the site of the celebrated shrine of the Panaghia at Blachernae, and the Topkapi Palace Museum, as well as have the opportunity to shop in the great covered Bazaar.

Bishop Savas described last year’s pilgrimage to holy sites in Greece and Constantinople as “an unforgettable experience, not only for the young adults but for myself as well.  I know this year’s journey to two of the greatest and most historically rich sites of Christendom will likewise provide ample opportunities for growth in knowledge and self-understanding, for the establishing of lasting friendships and for spiritual refreshment and renewal.”

Pilgrimage registration will be limited to 35 young adults and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The dates for the Pilgrimage are November 4-11, 2005, and we will be departing from and returning to New York’s JFK Airport. For registration information, as well as articles and pictures from last year’s pilgrimage, please log on to www.youth.goarch.org or contact the Department at 646.519.6180.

Contact:
Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
646.519.6180
 

Brookline, MA - Continuing a tradition of promoting excellence in theological education, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians will cooperatively host the biennial Summer Institute of Theological Education on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology on Thursday through Saturday, June 16-18, 2005. Since 2005 has been designated the Year of the Family by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, this year’s institute theme is “Ministering to the Orthodox Family.”

According to Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, Institute Chairman and Director of the DRE, “More than 170 adult participants from across the United States attended the previous Institute in 2003. The lectures and workshops of this year’s Institute will focus on the primary theme of Ministering to the Orthodox Family.  It is intended for adults, religious educators, clergy, choir directors, choir members, church musicians and those wishing to learn more about Byzantine chant.” 

The steering committee for the 2005 Summer Institute of Theological Education recently met to make final preparations for the event. Apart from its Chairman, the Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, Archdiocesan Director of Religious Education, the members of the Summer Institute Executive Committee include: Rev. Dr. Al Demos, Chancellor of the Metropolis of Boston; Dr. Vicki Pappas, Chairman of the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians; Dr. Philip Mamalakis, Holy Cross Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology; Archon Dean Limberakis, Adjunct Instructor of Music at Hellenic College/Holy Cross; Presvytera Haidee Marangos, Institute Coordinator and Administrator of the Department of Religious Education; Eleni Geanon, Hellenic College/Holy Cross Alumni Director; and Mr. Bradley Borch, Department of Religious Education Technology Consultant.

The theme of the 2005 Summer Institute of Theological Educational also reflects the focus on the family for the upcoming 2006 Clergy-Laity Congress that will convene in Nashville, Tennessee. Consequently, lectures and workshops will examine the theological, liturgical, scriptural, pastoral and administrative issues surrounding the Institute’s primary theme. The Institute will provide attendees with the choice of three levels of participation: (a) Adult program, (b) Clergy program, and (c) Church Music program.  Participants may register to attend workshops from one or more of three concurrently running programs.  Due to the success and continued interest displayed at the previous Institute, Byzantine Music Training Workshops will also be offered.

Further details and registration information may be obtained by calling the Department of Religious Education at 800-566-1088, via the Institute brochure, and the 2005 Summer Institute website at http://summerinstitute.hchc.edu. 

Contact: 
Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos
Tel: (617) 850-1218; Fax: (617) 850-1489
E-mail:  frfrank@goarch.org

Orthodox hierarchs in attendance included His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, and representing the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Eminence Archbishop Grigorios of Thyateira and Great Britain and His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imvros and Tenedos.

Faithful and friends of all religions and backgrounds, from across the country and the world, were offered several opportunities to pay their respects to the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas from 1959 to 1996.  Viewings were held at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City on Tuesday evening, April 12, also throughout the day on Wednesday, April 13. Trisagion Prayers were offered by Metropolitan Herman and clergy of the Orthodox Church of America and Bishop Antoun and clergy, on behalf of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.  The City of New York offered New York City Greek American policemen, members of the St. Paul Society, to serve as honor guards for the three days of viewing and the funeral. They joined the Evzones (Presidential Honor Guard of Greece) who were given permission by the Government of Greece to extend their stay, following participation in the Greek Independence Day Parade, to serve as an honor guard to Archbishop Iakovos until the conclusion of the funeral.

Following a Trisagion (Prayer) Service on Wednesday evening, April 13, Archbishop Demetrios of America and representatives from a number of Greek Orthodox organizations offered remarks.  Speakers included Rev. Fr. James Moulketis, President of the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council, Mr. Michael Jaharis, Vice Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council, Mrs. Georgia Skeadas, President of the National Philoptochos Board, and Mr. Nikos Diamantidis, President of the Hellenic Federations of New York.  

The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was filled to capacity at the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy and the Funeral Service of Archbishop Iakovos on Thursday morning.  Orthodox Hierarchs in attendance in addition to the Patriarchal representatives and Archbishop Christodoulos, included Metropolitan Tarasios of Buenos Aires, SCOBA hierarchs and members of the Holy Eparchial Synod including Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago, Maximos of Pittsburgh, Methodios of Boston, Alexios of Atlanta, Nicholas of Detroit, Evangelos of New Jersey and Gerasimos of San Francisco, as well as auxiliary and retired bishops of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and ecumenical leaders of the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches and the Jewish community.

In a moving farewell Archbishop Christodoulos said: “History has already recorded your remarkable passage. Orthodoxy does not mourn today. It rejoices because you served it with a unified dream and great faith. The Church of Greece, its hierarchs, its clergy and its people bow before your holy body today. May the blessings of the Holy Cross, our respect, love and holy recognition accompany you on your way to the Angels.”

Metropolitan Grigorios read the official statement of the Ecumenical Patriarch and commented extensively on the life and service of Archbishop Iakovos to Orthodoxy, to the world and to the Americas.

Metropolitan Kyrillos in his closing remarks, addressing the reposed Archbishop Iakovos said: “I brought with me some earth from our homeland Imvros and from the holy grave of your parents to keep you company, so that you don’t feel lonely away from home. I brought this earth to bless your hands that blessed us when you were with us. Farewell and may your memory be eternal.”

Members of the Greek and Cypriot diplomatic corps were in attendance at the Funeral Service as well government and political leaders headed by the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, and included former Mayors Rudolph Giuliani, David Dinkins and Ed Koch. Calling Archbishop Iakovos an ‘immigrant in a city of immigrants” Mayor Bloomberg continued: … “Today, we come together to mourn the passing of someone who, for so many years was the most visible representative of this (Greek American) community… so we revere the memory of Archbishop Iakovos. Not only as the man who put a powerful human face on the faith of our half-million Greek Orthodox neighbors, but who also devoted his life to building bridges of understanding between people of all religions and races. He truly walked the walk and talked the talk.”

Also speaking were Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD); the Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Nikolaos Tsiartsionis, representing the Prime Minister of Greece, and Grigoris Niotis, member of the Parliament representing George Papandreou and PASOK. Condolence messages were read from Correta Scott King and President George H.W. Bush.

“Archbishop Iakovos was unyielding and committed to Orthodoxy but open at the same time to other religions”, said Archbishop Demetrios, who began his Eulogy by remarking on the tremendous life and ministry of his predecessor.  He thanked those who remained close to and cared for Archbishop Iakovos during the 9 years of his retirement and especially during the past months and days.  Archbishop Demetrios also recalled that Archbishop Iakovos, in his final days, spoke words of thanks and love to those around him.  And when he was unable to speak, his last ultimate final communication was to use his hand to make the sign of the cross, conveying that when human language stops the language of God begins.  Archbishop Demetrios concluded his remarks with one of Archbishop Iakovos’ most loved passages from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, “ Who shall separate us from the love of God?  Neither death, nor life, not angels, nor principalities, nor things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8, 35:39)
 
Immediately following the funeral, a cortege led by the hearse carrying the body of Archbishop Iakovos and several cars with clergy and close friends and family completed his final journey to Brookline, MA and beloved Holy Cross School of Theology for burial on the grounds of Holy Cross Chapel on Friday morning, April 15. Archbishop Demetrios presided at the Trisagion Service and interment, attended by several faithful, clergy and seminarians. Speaking were Deputy Minister of Finance Peter Doukas, representing the Greek Government, and His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imvros and Tenedos. His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, who grew up with Archbishop Iakovos, beginning as a 13-year old altar boy in Holy Trinity Cathedral, and who served several years as his Deacon, offered a warm and emotional personal remembrance. In closing he said, “Today we bid farewell to a clergyman who honored his priesthood every day—every moment of his life. Archbishop Iakovos was born to be a priest. He was destined by Almighty God to be a leader in the Church. And what a leader he was! He made those of us born in America proud of our faith and cultural heritage. He moved Greek Orthodoxy into the main stream of the religious, cultural and political life of our nation…. We thank God that he blessed each of us in this Chapel, that he blessed America, our Church and humanity itself with the life of this charismatic man.”

Messages of condolences from throughout the world continue to be received from religious, governmental and diplomatic leaders including: Patriarch Theodoros II, of Alexandria and All Africa; Patriarch Ireneos of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Church of Cyprus; Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania; Archbishop Nikolai of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and numerous hierarchs of the Orthodox Churches throughout the world.

Additionally, messages were also received from President George W. Bush, President William J. Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, President Jimmy Carter, Governor George Pataki, Senator Charles Schumer, President of the Greek Republic Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister of Greece Constantine Karamanlis, Mayor of the City of Athens Dora Bakoyiannis, and other dignitaries. 

Among the condolences received from various religious leaders were messages from The Vatican and Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo; Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Bishop Skylstad, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal Keeler, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Dr. Samuel Kobia; General Secretary of the National Council of Churches Rev. Robert Edgar; Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church; Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church and Dr. David M. Elcott, President of the American  Jewish Committee.