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Today, November 2, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Martyrs Akindynos, Pegasios, Aphthonios, Elpidophoros and Anempodistos of Persia. It is the name day of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
The date carries a second meaning for the Archdiocese. On November 2, 1991, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was enthroned in Constantinople, 35 years ago today. The same day, the Ecumenical Patriarch decided the next deacon he ordained would receive the name Elpidophoros. The Archbishop has called the feast “a twofold celebration” for exactly this reason: the memory of his patron saint and the anniversary of his spiritual father’s enthronement fall on the same day.
Who was St. Elpidophoros?
St. Elpidophoros lived in Persia in the fourth century, during the reign of King Shapur II, one of the harshest persecutors of Christians in the ancient world. The Church’s tradition places his martyrdom in the 330s or 340s; the sources differ on the exact year.
The story begins with three Christians who served at the royal court, Akindynos, Pegasios and Anempodistos. When their faith became known, Shapur had them tortured. According to the Synaxarion, they came through each torment unharmed. A soldier named Aphthonios, who witnessed this, declared himself a Christian and was beheaded.
Elpidophoros was a man of rank at the Persian court. Moved by the endurance of the three confessors, he too proclaimed his faith in Christ before the king. He was beheaded together with some seven thousand Christians who followed his example. Akindynos, Pegasios and Anempodistos were later thrown into a furnace. Tradition holds that the king’s own mother was converted by their witness.
The Church has long read the five names as a single sentence about grace. Akindynos means “free of danger.” Pegasios recalls a spring that never runs dry. Aphthonios means “abundant,” Anempodistos “unhindered.” Elpidophoros, from the Greek elpis and phero, means “bearer of hope.” In his 2019 name-day remarks, the Archbishop described the five together as grace that is secure, overflowing and abundant, overcomes every obstacle, and brings great hope. When Archbishop Iakovos greeted the newly-enthroned Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in 1991, he prayed that these five names would describe the new patriarchal reign.
Tonight’s celebration
Tonight, the Archdiocese gathers to celebrate the Archbishop’s name day, in what has become an annual tradition: the evening raises scholarships so that young people can attend the Church’s summer camps.
The Archbishop’s Nameday Gala dates back to the tenure of Archbishop Iakovos, when it drew the faithful from across the Archdiocese in support of a cause within the Church. Archbishop Elpidophoros revived it in 2023 and tied it to a new purpose, the Archdiocesan Youth Summer Camp Scholarship Fund. The fund offers need-based aid for Ionian Village in Greece and for the camps of every Metropolis, so no child misses camp because their family cannot afford it.
The first gala, in November 2023, netted $430,000. A grants committee directed $100,000 to Ionian Village scholarships, $20,000 to each Metropolis for its camp, and $150,000 to start an endowment for future campers. In the first summer alone, 275 young people went to camp with this help. The 2024 gala raised more than $400,000, and the 2025 gala, with more than 550 clergy and faithful attending, raised over $500,000.
Tonight’s gathering continues this work. It is fitting for a man whose name means “bearer of hope” to mark his feast by opening the doors of camp to children who might otherwise stay home. Those who wish to contribute can do so at goarch.org/nameday.
Χρόνια πολλά, Your Eminence!
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