Dear Brother Archons and Friends,

The most impactful and comprehensive Apostolic Visit to the United States in the history of the Church in America just concluded this past Thursday, September 25, 2025 when His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the 269th direct successor of The First Called Apostle of Jesus Christ Saint Andrew departed from Teterboro private airport in New Jersey after 12 extraordinary days in Washington, DC, New York City and Southampton, NY accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Patriarchal Entourage.

During this Apostolic Visit, His All-Holiness had a private meeting in the Oval Office with U.S. President Donald Trump. He also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis; Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan; Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov; United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres; U.S. Congressional leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; as well as senior U.S. government officials and leaders of the Hellenic American community.

His All-Holiness met with the beloved Metropolitans of the Eparchial Synod of America, the Parish Priests and Presvyteres and countless Orthodox Faithful during his watershed 12-day Apostolic Visit.

Also during his Apostolic Visit to the United States, His All-Holiness also received the prestigious Templeton Prize “for his pioneering efforts to bridge scientific and spiritual understandings of humanity’s relationship with the natural world, bringing together people of different faiths to heed a call for stewardship of creation.” He spoke at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit and delivered a major address at the Council on Foreign Relations. The Ecumenical Patriarch also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Below is a link to AEP press releases summarizing each of the events that took place during the Apostolic Visit.

In the service of the Holy and Great Mother Church of Constantinople,