National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis addresses Engagement Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs. (Photos by J. Mindala)
On October 17, 2024, the first day of the Annual Archon Weekend at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Archon Engagement Committees were joined by National Council and Regional Commanders at a luncheon meeting.
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, explained that this would be a working luncheon, a dedicated meeting for chairs of Engagement Committees to give presentations on their Committees’ activities, and get feedback from others.
The meeting began with a prayer from Father Alex Karloutsos, spiritual advisor of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Engagement Committees, Dr. Limberakis explained, provide an opportunity to all Archons to select areas in which they can serve the Ecumenical Patriarchate in view of their own interests and areas of expertise.
The presentations began with a report from the Academia Symposia Committee’s Chair, Archon Dr. George Zimmar, and Vice Chair Archon Dr. Stamatios Kartalopoulos. Dr. Zimmar explained that this committee has 35 members, who suggest webinar topics, sponsor webinars, select and invite speakers, and write reports for Archon website. He noted that His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros graciously introduced the webinars.
Dr. Zimmer noted that in 2023 and 2024, the Academia Symposia Committee sponsored four major symposia: “Religious Freedom, Self-Defense, And The Orthodox Communities In Ukraine”; “The Legal Status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Under the Treaty of Lausanne”; “30 Year Christian Genocide in the Late Ottoman Period, 1894-1924”; and “Putin, Patriarch Kirill, And The Threat To Global Orthodoxy.” All were sponsored by dedicated Archons and attended not only by Greek Orthodox Christians in America, but in Europe and Australia as well. Speakers and panelists included leading academics and experts in their fields such as Archon George Demacopoulos of Fordham University and Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou of Boston College.
Projected topics for webinars in 2025 include “Archiving and Transcribing Ottoman Historical Research of Mount Athos,” “The Istanbul Pogrom of 1955,” “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Environment,” “The Role of Archons in Promoting Religious Freedom,” and “Divine inspiration in Byzantium.” Dr. Zimmar invited Archons to suggest other webinar topics.
Archon John Zavitsanos noted that these were extremely important topics, and that beyond webinars, the Archons should investigate investing in endowed chairs at selected universities in order to counter efforts from Turkey to are shape and distort historical narratives regarding the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Christians of Asia Minor, and related issues today. Dr. Katalopoulos noted that as a result of these Turkish initiatives, Greek history being represented as Turkish history.
Dr. Prodromou stated that it could cost between three and five million dollars to endow a chair at a major university. Dr. Zimmar suggested, as a preliminary step, that the Archons host a webinar on the Turkish funding of endowed chairs at American universities.
Digital Communications Committee Chair Rocky Sisson, with Vice Chair Theodore Vagelos, then offered an update on Archon communications efforts, beginning with a regular Saturday morning Zoom call that Committee members attend. Archon Sisson explained that through the Archons’ social media accounts, the Committee was dedicated to disseminating news in five categories: Patriarchal News, Archon News, Faith Alerts, Regional Archon News, and news about the Engagement Committees. He noted that the Archon’s posts on X and Facebook were primarily about the activities of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and secondarily about Archon news. Daily Faith Alerts on the Archons.org website focus on persecution of all people of faith, with a particular focus on Christians, who make up around eighty percent of all those who suffer because of their religious beliefs.
Archon Vagelos then explained the Archons’ efforts to establish live streaming for the services from St. George in the Phanar, the church of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Archon Vagelos pointed out that most Greek Orthodox Christians have never been to the Phanar or even viewed a service from the Phanar. “So we’re trying to protect something,” he stated, “that no one knows about.”
With $55,000 in funding from the Archons, the Communications Committee designed a state-of-the-art streaming system for the Phanar, based on the designs used to establish live streaming services in over 400 parishes during the Covid pandemic. The system for the Phanar includes nine 4K high-definition cameras, with broadcasts archived on YouTube. “It will be,” said Archon Vagelos, “as if you’re actually there.” He noted that the broadcasts were not just for the elderly or disabled; young people were watching them as well and gaining a new understanding of their faith.
Archon Vagelos stated that his goal was to raise global awareness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, such that eventually more people worldwide would watch services from the Phanar than from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Dr. Limberakis then provided an update on the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation (EPBF), noting that Archon Peter Skeadas, recipient of the 2024 Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship, was the originator of the name of the Foundation. There are now, Dr. Limberakis announced, 232 FOUNDERS, including 68 fulfilled FOUNDERS. FOUNDERS of the EPBF have committed to ensuring the financial foundation of the Holy Mother Church by giving $100,000 over ten years.
Dr. Limberakis also noted that at the EPBF Board of Trustees meeting earlier that morning, the audit, tax and consulting firm that the EPBF has engaged, FORVIS LLP, gave the Foundation a clean bill of economic health. Dr. Limberakis added that Archons Carl Hollister and Andreas Comodromos, both Certified Public Accountants, handle funding and accounts.
Dr. Limberakis explained that the five-year moratorium on distributing the EPBF’s funds, which allows those funds to accumulate, ends in 2026. He stated that there had already been an emergency distribution of $200,000 at the request of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to rebuild a monastery on the island of Halki that had been destroyed twice by Turkish authorities. The $200,000, he explained, was being donated by Archon Dr. Stephen Yallourakis and his beloved wife Anna through the EPBF.
Finally, Dr. Limberakis paid tribute to Archon George Safiol, Vice Chair of the EPBF, to whom he referred as a “pillar,” a “great mentor,” and an “outstanding individual.”
Archons George Vittas then spoke for the Editorial and Publication Committee, describing the Committee’s initiative to distribute an Archon Bulletin in parishes nationwide. The idea, he explained, would be to increase awareness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Material from the Archons.org would be distributed to parishes for inclusion, in whole or part, in their Sunday bulletin. The first of these would be distributed on November 30, the feast day of Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle, the patron saint of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Archon Nicholas Tranto remarked that after this material had been distributed in Sunday bulletins in his parish, “people come up and say, ‘I never knew this about our Patriarch.’”
For the International Archons Committee, Archon Costa Sideridis stated that the summer of 2024 was the “summer of the Archons,” with the 4th International Archon Conference on Religious Freedom and the 1st Global Summit of Archons in Athens, Greece in May 2024. “The Greece trip,” he remarked, “was inspirational and successful in so many ways.” Archon Sideridis reminded those present that at the 1st Global Summit of Archons, Archons from the U.S., Greece, the rest of Europe, and Australia approved a motion requesting that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew establish a worldwide Archon organization. He also pointed out that His All-Holiness had just given his approval to the establishment of an Order of Archons in Australia.
Archon Frank Boardman of the Metropolis and Parish Education Committee stated that he was excited about Archon Sunday initiative: His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Holy Eparchial Synod recently approved the recommendation of the AEP National Council to establish a yearly “Archon Sunday” on the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Andrew, Nov. 30. He pointed out that the Committee had developed a six- to seven-minute script for the Archons, enabling them to explain succinctly in their parishes about the mission of the Archons, the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the threats to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and more.
Archon John Harbilas then offered a presentation on the Patriarchal Green Initiatives Committee. “We continue to look for events on the calendar,” he said, “that can be used to raise awareness of His All-Holiness as the Green Patriarch.” As an example, Archon Harbilas informed the attendees that the theme of this year’s Halki Summit in Constantinople was water. The Summit featured people from multiple faith disciplines discussing environmental issues which His All-Holiness has championed for so many years. The proceedings of this Summit could be discussed in parish presentations, raising awareness both of His All-Holiness and of environmental issues.
Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou discussed the activities of the Women In Orthodoxy Committee, noting that the Committee had several core priorities, including the reinstitution of the female Archon; discussion of women’s roles in the Church; study of why women enter and leave the Church; and a survey on what people are thinking about regarding women in the Church. She said that for 2024 and 2025, several events are already scheduled, including a webinar on the history of the Archons in America, and on female Archons, past, present and future. “Our emphasis,” Dr. Prodromou stated, “is on education, action, and impact.”
Archons Nicholas J. Tranto and Judge Steven G. Counelis then gave a presentation on the Youth Participation Activities Committee. Archon Tranto discussed the Archon Sprout program, which involves one day of a parish Sunday School program that is singularly focused upon the Ecumenical Patriarch. This program arose, he explained, out of an incident in which Greek Orthodox youth recognized Pope Francis in a photo, but not His All-Holiness.
The Sprout program, Archon Tranto said, had developed lesson plans for all grades for Sunday school, as well as a teacher’s guide and other material. This was, he explained, the fruit of three years of pro bono work by talented educators, notably Helen Nixon, Ed.D., and Katina Limberakis Tsatalis, M.Ed.
Archon Hon. Counelis gave a report on the Pilgrimage of Discovery program, noting that the 2023 pilot program was a “smashing success.” He stated that for the 2024 nationwide rollout of the program, sixteen young adults had been chosen to participate in this 7-day, all-expense paid, religious and cultural annual summer journey to Constantinople. Participants met with His All-Holiness in the Throne Room of the Phanar and visited other sacred sites as well. Archon Hon. Counelis noted that the Pilgrimage of Discovery will have a booth at Archon Weekend, staffed by 2024 participants. “Ask them, ‘How was your trip?,’” he said, “and they will be effusive.” He showed the Archons an informative and illuminating short documentary on the program.
Archon Gus Pablecas, the Archon National Secretary, then provided a fitting capstone to the meeting, which detailed so many and varied Archon initiatives, by pointing out that the Archons had significantly expanded their activities in recent years: “There was a time not too long ago when the Archons did one or two events a year. Now we are up to 39.” He discussed the Archons’ approval protocol, which is designed to ensure that Archon presentations maintain a consistent message and allows the Executive Committee to offer input.
The Archons’ message has not only remained consistent; it is spreading rapidly to raise awareness of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople. The tireless work of the Engagement Committees was a clear indication of that.
