New ACROD Bishop Consecrated, Enthroned

Bishop-elect Gregory (Tatsis) of Nyssa has been consecrated to the episcopacy and enthroned as ruling bishop of the American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese (ACROD) in services led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrius (Trakatellis) of New York and concelebrated by Metropolitan Anthony (Scherba) of Hierapolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOCUSA) and the Diaspora, Metropolitans Alexis (Panagiotopoulos) of Atlanta and Sabbas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and Bishop Daniel (Zelinskyy) of Pamphilon of the UOCUSA. Axios! Bishop Gregory is the fourth hierarch of the ACROD. More here.

ACROD Clergy Nominate Episcopal Candidate

The special clerical assembly of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese that met today under Archbishop Demetrius (Trakatellis) of New York has nominated Greek-American Archimandrite Grigorios (Tatsis) for election as its next ruling bishop. More here.

ACROD Clergy Gather to Nominate New Bishop

Please keep the clergy of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in your prayers today as they gather under their locum tenens, Archbishop Demetrius (Trakatellis) of New York and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to nominate a candidate for election by the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Holy Synod as their next bishop. The website for the nomination assembly can be found here.

New Cathedral Consecrated in Tirana

Archbishop Anastasius (Yannoulatos) of the Albanian Orthodox Church has consecrated the new national Cathedral of the Resurrection in the Albanian capital, Tirana. The new cathedral is a symbol of the resurrection of the Church of Albania, whose institutions were completely destroyed by the Albanian Communist regime during the Cold War era. More in Romanian here.

The consecration took place as part of a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Albanian Orthodox Church's revival under Archbishop Anastasius. Archbishops Demetrius (Trakatellis) of New York of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church and Nicon (Liolin) of Boston and the Albanians of the American Orthodox Church participated in the celebration alongside the members of the Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church. More here.

ACROD Announces Nomination Assembly

The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese (ACROD) has announced that a special assembly of diocesan clergy will be held this July to nominate a candidate for election as bishop of the ACROD by the Holy Synod of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church. Several candidates have been nominated, but the press release from the ACROD only noted a Greek-American nominee, Archimandrite Grigorios Tatsis, by name. Fr. Grigorios is apparently the candidate approved by the ACROD's locum tenens, Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. More here.

Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh Enthroned

The newly elected Metropolitan Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has been enthroned by Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York in concelebration with hierarchs of the Archdiocese and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Axios! More here.

Ecumenical Patriarch Celebrates Dormition at Sumela Monastery

Nearly a thousand pilgrims from Greece, Georgia, and Russia gathered at the Soumela Monastery in Pontus today to attend festal services celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople. The services are the second annual services permitted by the Turkish authorities at the Soumela Monastery on new style Dormition. More here.

Update (16/8/2011): There were also pilgrims from Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the USA, and other countries present at yesterday's services in Soumela, which were concelebrated by the ecumenical patriarch and Archbishop Demetrios of New York and two metropolitans of the Church of Greece, with Archbishop Panteleimon of Yaroslavl praying at the services.

During his homily Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Archbishop Panteleimon and expressed his hope that Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow would someday come to concelebrate the feast with him. More here.

Photo of the Day: 40-Day Memorial Liturgy for Metropolitan Nicholas

Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York, locum tenens of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, during the 40-day memorial Divine Liturgy he celebrated for Metropolitan Nicholas (Smisko) of Amissos in St. John the Baptist's Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

Greek Orthodox Archbishop to Serve 40-Day Memorial for Ruthenian Orthodox Metropolitan

The upcoming 40-day memorial for Metropolitan Nicholas (Smisko) of Amissos of blessed memory will be served by Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on 8 May at St. John the Baptist's Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. More here.

Archbishop Demetrios Locum Tenens of the ACROD

Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople has appointed Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as the locum tenens of the American Carpartho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the wake of the repose of Metropolitan Nicholas (Smisko) of Amissos.

Lenten Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrius of New York

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are truly blessed and filled with anticipation as we enter into the holy and reflective season of the Great Fast. It is blessed because it is an intense time of prayer, fasting, worship and service, which leads us into greater communion with our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. It is also a time of reflection when we examine our entire being - mind, body, and soul - and seek spiritual victory through the power and grace of God over anything that separates us from Him.

The Holy and Great Fast is also a time of spiritual preparation and growth. During the Triodion period we have heard the words of our Lord in the parables of the Publican and Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Last Judgment. Through this focus on repentance, grace, and forgiveness, we have been challenged to consider the spiritual state of our lives and our readiness to stand before our Lord when He comes in His glory.

Now we enter into a quiet and contemplative time that helps us to grow from where we are into a deeper relationship with God, toward a greater understanding of His wisdom and truth, to heights of joy and peace that we have not known, and into an unhindered awareness of the needs of others. This is a time of spiritual prosperity.

It is a time, as in the parable of the talents in the Gospel of Matthew, when we take the treasure of our lives and souls given to us by our God, and labor diligently to strengthen our spiritual well being. As good and faithful servants we strive through worship and prayer to attain higher levels of spiritual maturity in the kingdom of God. It is a time when we deny our selfish desires through fasting, overcoming the danger of following the attitude of the lazy and unprofitable servant, and heed the words of our Lord, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).

The days of the Great Fast which are before us have been given to us by our Lord for our spiritual prosperity. We have the opportunity for a tremendous investment of prayer, contemplation, and service which will lead us to an abundant harvest of spiritual gifts and blessings. Use this time through the services of the Great Fast to open the spiritual eyes of your hearts and minds, to be watching and ready to receive the Bridegroom and enter into the great feast. Cultivate and nurture your lives through daily prayer and engagement with the resources of our faith, so that when the Master returns He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (25:23). In offering and service to the needs of others, be a living witness of the love of Christ, so that when the Lord comes in His glory He will say to each of us, “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (25:34).

At the inception of this holy and blessed season, I offer to you my prayers and deepest wishes for a time of spiritual growth, illumination, and abundant blessings through the presence and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Metropolitan Christopher Returns to Czech Republic

After meeting with Archbishop Demetrios of New York of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and visiting St. Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, New York, to receive an honorary doctorate from the Seminary and the Order of St. Innocent from Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington, Metropolitan Christopher (Pulec) of Prague of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church left the United States to return to the Czech Republic. More here.

Interestingly enough, Metropolitan Christopher's visit to the Greek Orthodox archdiocesan headquarters in New York did not warrant any sort of press release or notice on the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, whereas the recent visit of the Greek foreign minister (perhaps the equivalent to the head of a Local Orthodox Church?) did.

Greek Foreign Minister Visits Greek Orthodox Archbishop in NYC

During his visit to the United Nations the Foreign Minister of Greece, Dimitris Droutsas, met with Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York at the archdiocesan offices in the city. More here.

President Obama Appoints Archbishop Demetrios to Advisory Council

President Barack Obama of the United States has announced that he will be appointing Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. More here.

2010 Encyclical for American Thanksgiving

This year's Thanksgiving encyclical from Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York can be found here.

OXI Day Encyclical

Archbishop Demetrius of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has issued an encyclical for tomorrow's commemoration of OXI Day in Greece.