On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Metropolis of Pittsburgh hosted a reception and dinner at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, honoring the hierarchs gathered for the Fourth Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States.
Organized by Regional Commanders Archons Nicholas J. Tranto and Nicholas E. Terezis, the successful evening brought together 20 Archons and Archons-elect, 11 spouses and companions, and visiting clergy, parish volunteers and other guests. The gathering provided a special opportunity for personal fellowship with the hierarchs serving under the spiritual leadership of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, strengthening the bonds between the Archons and the shepherds of the Mother Church.
The attending hierarchs and hierarch-elect were:
- His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America;
- His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh;
- His Eminence Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta;
- His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon;
- His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa;
- His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey;
- His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea;
- His Grace Bishop Theophan of Philomelion;
- His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia;
- His Grace Bishop Anthony of Synada; and
- His Grace Bishop-Elect Alexander of Nicopolis.
The evening combined warm parish hospitality, conversation and a shared meal with a presentation devoted to the future of the Church and the formation of its young people.
Regional Commanders Terezis and Tranto presented the Archon SPROUT Program, highlighting its free educational resources for Sunday schools and Orthodox schools. Their presentation emphasized helping children understand the Ecumenical Patriarchate, appreciate their place within the worldwide Orthodox family, and connect their faith with service, stewardship and responsibility for future generations.
The presenters described the Archons’ commitment to supporting the Ecumenical Patriarchate and defending its religious freedom. They stressed that this responsibility includes preparing young people to understand and support the Mother Church’s ministry, encouraging a lasting connection that begins in childhood and grows through participation in the life of the Church.
The presentation included the SPROUT “Call to Action” video, photographs from the Pilgrimage of Discovery, and highlights from the recent educational program and tree-planting ceremony at Saint Constantine School in Pittsburgh. It also introduced the inaugural Ecumenical Patriarch Poster Contest, honoring the thirty-fifth anniversary of His All-Holiness’s spiritual leadership and his witness as the “Green Patriarch.”
Looking ahead, Terezis and Tranto outlined a proposed multiyear formation journey centered on understanding the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Orthodox unity, service and stewardship. They invited the hierarchs to encourage clergy and religious educators within their jurisdictions to bring SPROUT lessons into parish classrooms and to identify educational contacts who could work with the program’s team. Particular emphasis was placed on scheduling a lesson during November in connection with Archon Sunday.
The presentation’s guiding message—“Receive the Faith. Live the Faith. Pass on the Faith.”—expressed the evening’s shared commitment to helping the next generation grow in understanding, faith and service.
The Pittsburgh Archons expressed their gratitude to the visiting hierarchs, host priest Father Dimitrios Kyritsis and Presbytera Katharine Kyritsis, the All Saints parish community, the Ladies Philoptochos Society, and the many Archons, benefactors and volunteers whose generosity made the evening possible.
The gathering offered a meaningful expression of Orthodox unity and fellowship, bringing the Archons and the hierarchs together in their shared dedication to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the future of the Church.
For information about the Archon SPROUT Program and its free educational resources, visit https://archons.org/sprouts/.
