New York - His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America has announced that His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and specifically the Metropolis of Atlanta, headed by Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, on January 4-8, 2006. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is the spiritual leader of over 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, will preside over the centennial Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and will also commemorate the centennial of the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs during a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy. This is the first time that an Ecumenical Patriarch will visit the Tarpon Springs area for the festivities associated with the celebration of Epiphany.

Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist. The annual service in Tarpon Springs is recognized as one on the largest Epiphany Celebrations and attracts tens of thousands of people on the Bayou for the Blessing of the Water and the dive for the recovery of the precious Cross by the young men of the community.

Following his stay in Tarpon Springs, His All Holiness will visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana, the first Greek Orthodox Community in America, established during the Civil War in 1864.