The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has announced that it is making a grant of $50,000 for relief of the people of Ukraine. The grant will be matched by the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation, making for a total grant of $100,000.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announced that the Archdiocese had previously also donated $100,000 to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to support the efforts of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He further announced the creation of the Ukrainian Relief Effort in collaboration with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). Following the guidance of His Eminence, the Archons will send their donation directly to the Mother Church of Constantinople for the relief of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation will send its donation to the Ukraine Relief Fund that has been created in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
His Eminence stated: “The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle’s and Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation’s extraordinarily generous gifts to the Ukrainian people and all who find themselves in the dire circumstances of this terrible and unjust war is a tangible fulfillment of our Lord Jesus’ command to ‘give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back’ (Luke 6:38). The Archons and the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation have given, and they will surely be rewarded richly by the Lord and His All-Holy Mother for their self-sacrifice.”
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, said: “I am urgently requesting all Archons and their beloved families to give generously to protect and strengthen His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, and all the Orthodox faithful of the country. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said on February 27 that ‘in the last 24 hours a tragic humanitarian disaster has been unfolding in Ukraine.’ In the week since then, this crisis has only gotten worse. It is imperative for Orthodox Christians to aid our brethren in our Holy Faith.”
Archons of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle are honorees by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for outstanding service to the Church, and are well-known distinguished, and well-respected leaders of the Orthodox Christian community. It is the sworn oath of the Archon to defend and promote the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition. His special concern is to serve as a bulwark to protect and promote the Sacred See of Saint Andrew the Apostle in Constantinople, and its worldwide salvific mission.
