Greeting by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
At the 85th Archdiocesan Cathedral Gala
583 Park Avenue
New York New York
June 9, 2023
Very Reverend Archimandrite Chrysostomos and Reverend Fathers,
Your Excellency Ambassador Sekeris,
Archdiocesan Cathedral Board of Trustees President: Stella Pantelides,
and the Entire Cathedral Board and Philoptochos Sisterhood,
Cathedral Gala Co-Chairs, Monica and John,
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be with you for this 85th Cathedral Gala – a truly impressive number! We gather to sustain and nurture our National Cathedral’s presence and to celebrate one of the great institutions of our Sacred Archdiocese – the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Fund.
I would like to recognize the presence of the Leadership 100 Chairman, Mr. Jim Logothetis, and its Executive Director, our beloved sister in Christ, Paulette Poulos. I also want to pause for a moment to remember the ever-memorable Vice-Chair of the Fund, the late Jimmy Pantelides, whose dear wife, Stella, has been such an inspirational force in the life of the Cathedral.
Stella, we hold you and Jimmy in our hearts for all that both of you have meant to our Church, our Archdiocese and our Cathedral. May his memory be eternal!
This evening has a very special significance for us all, because this Cathedral is our national Καθέδρα – our Seat of governance and administration for the entire Archdiocese. I know that it is also a parish, but its responsibilities and duties extend far beyond the community of loving parishioners that surround it.
It should also escape no one that the Cathedral is the home to many of the founders and members of Leadership 100 — both past and present. The symbiotic relationship between these two great Institutions of our Sacred Archdiocese of America reveals the network of ministry and relationships that sustain our Church.
Leadership 100 has been, since its inception under the blesséd Archbishop Iakovos, the single most important driving force delivering clergy to our national Church through their grants to the Seminarians at Hellenic College and Holy Cross. In so many ways, Leadership 100 has functioned as an Endowment Fund for our School, since the School produces servants of the Church, not captains of industry.
I say this with a smile, because throughout the Archdiocese, we see time and again the enormous success of the Omogeneia in every field of endeavor.
Like the community of the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral, Leadership 100 is filled with ranks of Greek-American success stories, and so many of these stories have the beautiful conclusion of giving back to the Church community which reared them. We are so grateful for each and every one of them.
Therefore, on this evening of the 85th Gala of our magnificent Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral, let us remember all those sisters and brothers of the Cathedral family who have gone before us to eternal life with love and appreciation. And let us celebrate this vibrant community that serves our blessed Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as its Seat of Ecclesial Governance, where the Archepiscopal Throne resides, supported by the loving hands and works of all of you.
May the Lord’s blessings always be upon us!