GOAA Clergy-Laity Congress Passes Resolutions Supporting Greece, Middle Eastern Orthodox

The biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, has passed resolutions calling on the US government to protect the Orthodox Christian minorities native to Syria and Egypt. The Congress also appealed to all Americans to help Greece as it continues to struggle with the effects of its economic crisis. More here.

Greek-Americans Establish Relief Fund for Greece

The Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has established the Relief Fund of the People of Greece to provide assistance to the Greek people as living conditions in Greece continue to deteriorate due to the country's ongoing economic crisis. 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.

New Greek Orthodox Auxiliary Bishop for the USA Elected in Constantinople

The Holy Synod the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church has elected Archimandrite Sevastianos (Skordallos) as Bishop of Zela and auxiliary to Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of New York of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Axios! Bishop-elect Sevastianos, a native of Cyprus, is to be consecrated to the episcopacy this coming Saturday by Archbishop Demetrios and other hierarchs of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church in North America. More here and here.

Greek Orthodox Eparchial Synod Meets in New York, Approves Candidates for Pittsburgh Metropolis

The Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has met at the archdiocesan headquarters in New York. In addition to discussing various pastoral issues in the life of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States the Synod approved an archdiocesan list of episcopal candidates and approved a list of three candidates for submission to the Holy Synod of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church for its consideration when electing the next Metropolitan of Pittsburgh. The names of the candidates have not been generally released as of yet. More here.

Update (1:19pm): I haven't come across any official English-language release, but it appears that the Eparchial Synod's list consists of archdiocesan auxiliary Bishop Savvas (Zembillas) of Troas and Archimandrites Sevastianos (Skordallos) and Constantine (Moralis). The Synod strongly endorsed the election of Bishop Savvas, but the election itself will be taken by the Holy Synod of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church. More here.

St. Nicholas' to be Rebuilt at World Trade Center Site

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have finally reached an agreement on the rebuilding of St. Nicholas' Church at the former site of the World Trade Center. St. Nicholas' was the only place of worship to be destroyed in the 11 September attacks. More here.

Pittsburgh Metropolitan Resigns

Metropolitan Maximos (Aghiorgoussis) of Pittsburgh of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has resigned due to health-related issues from oversight of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has accepted the resignation, whilst Metropolitan Nicholas (Pissare) of Detroit has been appointed locum tenens for the vacant metropolis. More here.

Greek Orthodox Parish in SLC Protests Its Redivision

A Greek Orthodox parish in Salt Lake City, Utah, is considering appealing its division into two parishes by Metropolitan Isaiah (Chronopoulos) of Denver to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The parish is already divided between two churches with two priests, but Metropolitan Isaiah's decision last year to formally divide it into two distinct parishes was met with opposition by Salt Lake City's Greek Orthodox Christians and eventually resulted in Metropolitan Isaiah's withdrawal during a session of the Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America of his decision to divide the parish this past March. Since the resolution of the dispute in New England between St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, and the Metropolis of Boston, however, Metropolitan Isaiah has reneged on his March decision and is again demanding the division of the parish into two. More (in Greek) here.

Sanctions on Lynn Parish Removed

Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has relented in a financial dispute with one of his parishes, St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, and allowed the celebration of the services and mysteries to resume in the parish. The issue of the parish's dues to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston is to be resolved by 'accounting techniques.'

At its height the dues dispute had divided the clergy and parishes of the Metropolis of Boston between supporters and opponents of Metropolitan Methodios' harsh approach to the Lynn parish's financial troubles and led the Archdiocesan Council to threaten St. George's with excommunication if it didn't pay the extra $20,000 demanded of it by Metropolitan Methodios.

More on the dispute and its resolution can be found here.

Pre-Trial Conference in Ground Zero Church Lawsuit

The first pre-trial conference in the lawsuit by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and New York's Church of St. Nicholas against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been held in New York. More here.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council Condemns Actions of Lynn Parish

The Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New York and America held its scheduled meeting today in Boston. Among other issues that of the Church of St. George in Lynn, Massachusetts, was discussed, with a resolution condemning the parish's actions being approved by the Council. If the parish does not submit to the demands of Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) of Boston, which now have the backing of the Archdiocese's Eparchial Synod, within 10 days the church will be further disciplined and considered to be in schism.

Meeting Between Lynn Parish and Boston Metropolis Called Off

A planned meeting between representatives of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, was canceled following the publication of the meeting, which Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) of Boston apparently wanted to be secret. More here.

Greek Orthodox Church Stands Firm in Rejecting Rise in Parish Dues

St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, remains firm in rejecting demands from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and its Metropolis of Boston that it pay an additional $20,000 in dues this year (at a total of $88,000). The parish stated in part that it would "not succumb to the intimidation and bullying...of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios [of Boston]." More here.

Services Banned in Massachusetts Greek Orthodox Church

Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) of Boston has banned the celebration of the divine services at St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, because of its refusal to pay the dues levied by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and its Metropolis of Boston. More here.

Ordination of Vasili Hillhouse at St. John's Church in Beaverton, Oregon

Metropolitan Nikitas (Lulias) of the Dardanelles of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ordained Deacon Vasili Hillhouse to the priesthood this morning at the church I've been attending here in Oregon, St. John the Baptist's in Beaverton. Fr. Vasili was tonsured a reader in Jerusalem in 2000 and spent several years serving as a reader at St. John's before his ordination to the deaconate yesterday and to the priesthood today. If I'm not mistaken he will remain at St. John's until he is assigned a parish by Metropolitan Gerasimos (Michaleas) of San Francisco of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Axios! God grant Fr. Vasili many, many years!

Photo of the Day: Holy Dormition Cathedral in Denver

Holy Assumption Cathedral in Denver, Colorado. Funds are apparently lacking as the parish has only gotten the dome up so far...

Kursk Icon in Tarpon Springs

The Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God during its recent visit to St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Florida. More pictures from the Icon's visit to Tarpon Springs can be found here.

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.

Greek Orthodox Church Refuses to Pay Assessment

A parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, has refused to pay a raise in its assessment, saying that the metropolis and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America are, in essence, engaged in extortion. More here.

Greek Orthodox Church Sues New York Port Authority

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has sued the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for its abrogation of a long-standing agreement between itself and the Church of St. Nicholas to rebuild the church at the Ground Zero site. St. Nicholas' Church was the only house of worship destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. More here.