Archiepiscopal Encyclical on Great and Holy Pascha

We have finally arrived at the mystery of mysteries, and we approach the Tomb with the holy Myrrh-bearing Women. With them we ask: “Who will roll away the stone for us?”

Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos and the Celebration of Greek Independence Day

This Day of Greek Independence — when throughout Greece, Cyprus and the Hellenic Diaspora, the people of God celebrate freedom and remember the cost thereof — let us train our minds on the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who is the model for what that freedom truly means.

Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Feast of Saint Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople, February 6, 2023

As an “Angel among men,” Saint Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, was truly a messenger of God. His defense of the Orthodox Faith against encroachments from all sides, together with his missionary zeal, which was grounded in his extensive learning, made him both famous in his day and the target of attacks. He was a man of his times, and yet, he was a man for all seasons. The hymns that celebrate his memory do not lack in either exuberance or praise, and justly so. Read More

Archepiscopal Encyclical on the 2023 Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Feast of the Three Hierarchs and the Day of Greek Letters

Beloved Brethren in Christ, The Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, is also an anniversary to celebrate the learning, culture and language of Greece — what we call “Greek Letters.” The inscription cited above is adapted from the Panegyricus of the renowned rhetorician, Isocrates (436-338 BCE). Read More

Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the New Year - 2023

Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ, On this first day of the 2023 New Year, let us invoke for inspiration in the coming year the memory of the Saint of God who reposed this day so many centuries ago: the shining Hierarch of Cappadocia and Teacher of the oikoumene, Basil the Great. We have many traditions around Saint Basil the Great — the giving of gifts on his Feastday, the Vasilopita, our St. Basil Academy in Garrison, New York, which is a National Institution that proudly bears his name. But beyond even these beloved traditions, we also have the legacy of this saintly hierarch, which offers us a profound understanding of what it means to be a human being. Read More

Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Feast of Christmas - 2022

Truly, God is with us! This is the great truth of Christmas for the entire human family — namely, that God has entered our history, so as to share it with us and redeem it in order to reveal His purposes in us. Read More

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Thanksgiving - 2022

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The wonderful American National Day of Thanksgiving is a moment when our entire society pauses, to give thanks to God for the blessings we have found in the New World. To acknowledge this connection to the Divine, President John F. Kennedy issued Proclamation 3560 on November 5, 1963, which said: “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God.” Read More

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for National Philoptochos Sunday

We celebrate National Philoptochos Sunday on the day that we remember the parable of the “Good Samaritan,” when mercy and unconditional compassion are manifest as the highest Christian virtues. A stranger was robbed and wounded, left for dead. And another stranger, a Samaritan, changes the course of the man’s life. He refuses to pass by, as did the so-called religious figures in the parable. Read More

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for the Feast of the Archangels

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Every year, on the 8th of November, as we celebrate the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, together with all the ranks of the Bodiless Powers of Heaven, we remember our precious Archdiocesan Institution, Saint Michael’s Home. Although most of us will never see an Angel face to face before we pass from this life, we do often feel their presence. Read More