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A new term for the Archdiocesan Council began Friday, Oct. 16 as members were sworn in and recited the Oath of Office during the fall meeting of the Council. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America nominated John Catsimatidis as Vice-Chairman, Elaine Allen as Treasurer, and Nicholas Karacostas as Secretary. Stephanie Clark, Vice Chair of the Archdiocesan District Council, presided over the meeting.
Members of the Holy Eparchial Synod present were Their Eminences Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago, Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, and Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey.
In his opening remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros noted the unprecedented 35th anniversary of the election and enthronement of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Regarding the spiritual mission of the Mother Church, the Archbishop declared: “He plows ahead sowing seeds of unity, of good order, and of the unalloyed Orthodox Faith.”
The Archbishop also congratulated the newly-elected Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey, and announced the recent Translation of the Sacred Relics of Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos, saying: “For the first time, a former Bishop of our Archdiocese, the Righteous Gerasimos, Bishop of Abydos, who served both Pittsburgh and Boston, is recognized for his venerable life and the saintly person that he was.”
Vice-Chairman John Catsimatidis, who has been involved in the Church for four decades, said, “Our Archdiocese is in better shape than it has been in the last 40 years.” He credited the Archbishop’s team of professionals and added: “There are tremendous things that are going to happen over the next 12 months.”
The Archdiocese’s Legal Counsel George Tsougarakis gave a detailed legal report on current litigation and the Archdiocese’s whistleblower platform, which ensures complete anonymity for complaints. He also reported progress in protecting the Archdiocese’s valuable intellectual property that will now be fully registered in the institution’s name.
Interim President of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Fr. Michael Lambakis announced that current students for both Hellenic College and Holy Cross—including online and in-person students—now number 486, noting that 114 are seminarians. Enrollment has more than doubled over the past three years, with a 13% increase in the most recent period and a record 200 applications this fall. Regarding the School’s finances, “We anticipate a surplus for our upcoming fiscal year,” Fr. Lambakis added, describing the school’s financial trajectory as moving in “a very positive direction.”
Fr. Lambakis also announced a $1,000,000 anonymous donation—made in the name of Fr. Savas Constantinou of blessed memory—specifically for the renovation of the Pappas Gymnasium on campus.
Manny Kratsios, a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Michael’s Home, who is supervising the construction of St. Michael’s Home, provided a detailed update on the new 109,000-square-foot facility in Uniondale, New York, currently 80% complete, with an expected opening by end of 2027. “The question now is not whether we finish,” Kratsios said, “but how we ensure we are not in a financial bind six and a half years from now.” He updated the Council on the completion of financing with a commercial bank for a loan of up to $31.5 million to complete the construction of the home and the need to continue fundraising as a condition of the loan. All present were encouraged to support these fundraising efforts.
Director of National Ministries Theo Nicolakis gave a comprehensive report on the mission to “Build Up the Body of Christ,” updating the Council on the new Sunday school curriculum, a digital liturgical tool that would accommodate parishioners engagement in the services and universally update with the Church’s liturgical calendar, and a Lilly Endowment grant application to establish 23 new Greek Orthodox communities over five years.
At Nicolakis’s recommendation a motion was passed to align the Archdiocesan Council Ministry Committees with the restructured National Ministries framework.
Nicolakis also reviewed the Planned Giving program, reporting that more than 217 parishes have been engaged with Leadership 100 announcing a dollar-for-dollar matching seed grant of $25,000 per parish to help them establish endowment funds.
His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey gave his final report as Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod since he is now the Metropolitan of New Jersey. He described the Synod’s work as reaching beyond day-to-day administration: “The decisions adopted were not limited to immediate administrative matters; they also established structures and initiatives intended to serve the Church as a unity over the longer term.”
Treasurer of the Archdiocese Elaine Allen reported good news, as she opened the afternoon session of the Council. “We are in a healthy financial situation,” Treasurer Allen said. She added that results of this kind don’t come easily: “When people say to me, ‘Look at these financial results,’ I say to them, ‘This does not just happen.’ It takes planning, it takes execution, it takes a talented team, and it’s a lot of work.”
She reported that Hellenic College Holy Cross and the Archdiocese are working cooperatively on the finances of the school and the positive financial results reported early by Fr. Lambakis are a milestone she called remarkable. Commenting on the future finances of the Archdiocese, she said, “We can only be as good as the trust that our parishes and our Metropolises have in our Archdiocese.”
Earlier in the day, Archbishop Elpidophoros presided over the affirmation of the new National Board of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, welcoming incoming National President Debbie George and the newly-appointed officers at the start of their term.
Addressing the board, the Archbishop invoked the example of the Theotokos as the model for Philoptochos’s ministry. “You notice the needs that others overlook,” he said. “You reach out to the lonely. You comfort the grieving. You feed the hungry. You care for the sick. And you restore dignity to those who suffer.”
The Archbishop challenged the new board to measure its work not by programs or fundraising totals alone: “The true measure of your work is not only the funds raised or the programs established, important as these are. It is found in the lives you touch, the suffering you relieve, and the hope you restore.”
He called the board’s affirmation “more than an acceptance of office”—“a renewed promise to serve Christ, serve Him through service to His people.” He asked the women to look to the Panagia as both example and protector, and to welcome younger generations into what he called “this joyful ministry.”
In his closing remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros offered a challenge that reframed the day’s many reports of success—and pointed the Church toward greater achievements.
He acknowledged the growth, the financial recovery, the institutional momentum—“but this is normal,” the Archbishop said. “Our Church is the best organized, the biggest in numbers, the biggest in wealth, the biggest in treasure and talent, Orthodox Church.”
“It’s not enough to share the good news, because what we call good news today, actually, it’s the normal, it’s the normalcy.”
The Archbishop’s closing words were both an affirmation of that work and a call to refuse complacency. Reinforcing the stability of the Archdiocese, His Eminence reminded the Council, is where the progress begins.
“The presentations that all the people made here were targeted to the future and the progress and the growth of our church. Please have this in mind. Be proud of our church. Be proud of our Archdiocese.”
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