The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting [EOCS], a SCOBA agency, announces the selection of the winners of the sixteenth annual Scout Scholarships. The 2008 winners are Anastasia C. Markiw, of Pittsburgh, PA and the runner-up Samuel C. Ely of Merrillville, IN. who received $1,000 and $500 respectively.

After a long process that began in 1993 related to the ecclesiastical status of a portion of the Palestinian and Jordanian communities in the USA, the portion connected to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, there has been a final agreed decision by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem concerning these communities. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Jerusalem Patriarchate have agreed that the canonical and pastoral supervision of these communities and their clergy should belong to the canonically established jurisdiction in the United States which is the Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne in America, that is, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Henceforth, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem no longer asserts any jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere.

Twenty teachers from various parochial schools of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America are taking part in a summer educational seminar held at the University of Cyprus, in Nicosia from July 21 to August 5. The fifteen-day program, which is being offered for the second year by the University of Cyprus, is organized in cooperation with the Archdiocese Department of Greek Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus and is designed especially for teachers of the Archdiocese Greek-American schools.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the Baltimore-based humanitarian aid organization, announces a new grant that will provide food and emergency supplies to vulnerable families living in Sadr City, one of the poorest and most densely populated districts of Baghdad. The approximately $400,000 grant, awarded to IOCC by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will assist approximately 2,400 vulnerable families in this predominantly Shiite area, the site of continuous heavy fighting between insurgents and multi-national forces.

Orders are now being taken for the 2009 Parish Ecclesiastical Calendars, an annual resource of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Calendar will feature full color icons, the names of Saints in Greek and English, hymns for each month of the year, a fasting guide, and daily Scripture readings and commemorations following the liturgical protocol of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In addition, thumbnail icons on major feast and saint days, fasting symbols, resources found on the Archdiocese website, and an Internet Guide for Orthodox Christians are also included.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America concluded its 39th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in the Nation’s Capital on July 18th, where more than 1,400 faithful, clergy and laity, representing their parishes, their local Philoptochos and young adults from across the country gathered for five fruitful days of deliberations, worship, fellowship and education. The 39th Clergy-Laity was the most positive and productive Congress in recent years, organized and held in an exemplary manner.

The Office of Ionian Village is pleased to announce that FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, has awarded 14 scholarships for high school students to participate in this year’s Byzantine Venture program (July 26 – August 14, 2008). “FAITH” has generously offered these scholarships as part of the Archdiocese’s ongoing effort to make Ionian Village accessible to more families.

The National Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society at its 2008 National Biennial Convention at the Marriott Wardman Hotel in Washington, D.C., collected over 4000 books for children to be distributed to schools in Washington D.C. and the Pajama Program.org. as part of the National Philoptochos Literacy Outreach Program. Scholastic, Inc., made a major donation of 2,732 books valued at $11,640.78 and the remaining books were donated by Philoptochos Chapters from throughout the country.

Archbishop Demetrios of America announced today the appointment of Mr. Stavros H. Papagermanos, as Director of the Archdiocese Press Office, News and Media Relations and Press Officer. Mr. Papagermanos leaves his current position as Director and Executive Editor of the Orthodox Observer where he served since 1995. During the last nine years and parallel to his post with the Orthodox Observer, Mr. Papagermanos has been serving as Greek Press Officer since 1999.