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On Friday evening, December 12, 2025, faithful from Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches gathered at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Paramus, New Jersey, for the Annual Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCh) Pan-Orthodox Christmas Concert, hosted by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Dionysios John Kawak of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of the Eastern United States. The evening was a powerful witness to the shared faith, prayer, and hope that unite Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians as they prepare to celebrate the Holy Nativity of our Lord.
During the concert His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America underscored the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s steadfast commitment to dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
“Beyond this anniversary, we rejoice that our relations as sister Churches have grown even stronger. Earlier this year, we celebrated together the Feast of Christ’s Resurrection, the victory of life over death,” he said. “Shortly after Pascha, the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the USA met with the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches for a joint session – a sign of our shared commitment to dialogue and cooperation. And most recently, the gather at Hellenic College and Holy Cross, organized by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, offered a powerful witness of hope, as we continue to walk the path of mutual respect, unity and reconciliation.”
> Read: His Eminence’s full homily
His Eminence joined Oriental Orthodox hierarchs, including His Grace Bishop David, President of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches and Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England; His Eminence Archbishop Mor Titus Yeldho of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church; His Eminence Archbishop Petros of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Archdiocese of New York and Its Surrounding Regions; and His Grace Bishop Gabriel of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. Numerous clergy were also present, representing the Armenian Apostolic and Antiochian Orthodox Archdioceses, among others.
During this blessed and joyous evening, choirs representing the Syriac, Armenian, Greek, Antiochian, Ethiopian, Malankara-Syriac, and Coptic Orthodox traditions led the faithful in prayerful chant, each offering its distinctive liturgical voice while bearing witness to a shared Orthodox ethos and theology of worship. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was represented by the School of Byzantine Music, under the esteemed direction of Archon Music Instructor Georgios Theodoridis.
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