With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are pleased to announce that National Council member Nicholas G. Loutsion, VMD, Archon Aktouarios, will be the recipient of the 2026 Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. The Award will be presented on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Bouras Award Dinner during the Order’s annual Archon Weekend in New York City.
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, said: “Archon Dr. Nick has a long and distinguished record of service to our beloved Ecumenical Patriarchate and to the Archons in an extraordinary variety of capacities. He has been a member of the National Council for over twenty years, and has served as Chairman of the Archon Regional Commander Liaison Committee for nearly as long. He has represented the Archons at the annual meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Warsaw, and was coauthor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Resolution in defense of Religious Freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In addition to these and other great responsibilities, Archon Dr. Nick recently helped organize our outstanding Archon Family Reception and Archon Booth at the 2026 Clery-Laity Congress in Cleveland.”
Dr. Limberakis continued: “Archon Dr. Nicholas Loutsion’s service to our Holy Mother Church and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is just one aspect of his multifaceted diakonia. In addition to his tireless and selfless labors for the Archons, Archon Dr. Nicholas Loutsion has served the Archdiocese of America in numerous capacities, including as a member of the Archdiocese Council and of the Religious Education Committee, and as Co-chair of the Marriage and Family Committee.”
“Archon Dr. Nick and his beloved wife Susan,” noted Dr. Limberakis, “are fulfilled FOUNDERS of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation. He is an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College / Holy Cross, a longtime member of Leadership 100, and much more. All this and so much more that Archon Dr. Nicholas Loutsion does makes him most worthy of recognition as a servant of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, following in the footsteps of the late Archon National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras of blessed memory. Axios!”
Archon Dr. Loutsion stated: “This is an immense honor, and deeply humbled to receive this recognition from the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It has been a tremendous source of joy and gratitude to God for me to stand with the Archons for the protection of our Holy Mother Church and the defense of religious freedom. Above all, Susan and I are simply grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our beloved Ecumenical Patriarchate and to God’s Holy Church in America and worldwide.”
Archon Dr. Nicholas G. Loutsion has been a member of the National Council of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate since 2005, and has served as Chairman of the Archon Regional Commander Liaison Committee since its inception in 2006. Also in 2006, he represented the Order as an NGO presenter at the annual meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE-HDIM) in Warsaw, Poland. That same year, he co-authored the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Resolution No. 876 in defense of Religious Freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Archon Dr. Loutsion has been an Archdiocese Council Member since 1998, currently serving on the Religious Education Committee, and was chairman of the Marriage and Family Committee from 2012 to 2020. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College / Holy Cross from 2012 to 2016, and has been a member of Leadership 100 since 2007.
Archon Dr. Loutsion has served on the Pittsburgh Metropolis Council since 1996, as well as on the Executive Committee since 2002, and as Vice President of the Metropolis from 2007 to 2021. He currently chairs the new Metropolis Center Chapel Committee and serves on the Building Committee of the new Metropolis Center.
In addition, Archon Dr. Loutsion served on the parish council of All Saints Church in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, for over 20 years, including a year as Parish Council President. Dr. Loutsion has been a chanter at All Saints since 1982 and the parish Protopsaltis since 1995. He has directed the youth choir and has served as a Sunday school teacher.
Archon Dr Loutsion is also the Past Supreme President of the Pan-Rhodian Society of America and the first recipient of the International Rhodian of the year award. He is a member of AHEPA, the Pan-Cretan Association of America, and the American Hellenic Institute. He and Susan have two children, Alexandra and Alyssa, and two grandsons, Nicholas and Gregory.
Dr. Nicholas G. Loutsion was invested as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in March 2003 and conferred with the offikion Aktouarios.
The National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew unanimously voted in 2010 to establish the Nicholas J. Bouras Award. The Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary and incomparable stewardship, empowering Archons to vigorously pursue securing religious freedom for the Mother Church of Constantinople.
The Award is named after the late National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, who demonstrated remarkable leadership as a faithful son of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and exemplary steward of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Churchman, World War II hero, devoted husband of his beloved late wife Anna, Philanthropist, sincere Christian, Archon par excellence and Industrialist are terms that have all described the life of Nicholas J. Bouras.
Past recipients of the Award have included George D. Behrakis (2011), James C. Fountas and John Halecky, Jr. (2012), Stephen J. Yallourakis, M.D., D.D.S. (2013), Christopher Stratakis, Esq. (2014), the Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas (2015), Theofanis V. Economidis (2016), John A. Catsimatidis (2017), George E. Safiol (2018), John S. Zavitsanos (2019), Michael G. Psaros (2022), George M. Marcus (2023), Peter J. Skeadas (2024), and Alexander Pritsos (2025).
