On Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey, Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey was enthroned, and began his sacred ministry as spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox faithful in the Metropolis.
In attendance, amid an atmosphere of joy and hope, were His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Official Representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the Great; His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; numerous other Hierarchs and clergy, including Archbishop Zakhia El-Kassis, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; members of the diplomatic corps, numerous Archons and Archon families, as well as a large number of honored guests and faithful of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey. The Hierarchs, other clergy and faithful joyfully cried out “Axios!” as the new Metropolitan ascended to the episcopal throne.
In his Archpastoral Exhortation, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros said: “Your life as the Shepherd of this Holy Metropolis of New Jersey, will be one of giving and sharing, and indeed of sacrificing yourself, as our Lord sacrificed Himself for the life of the world. Therefore, my Beloved Brother, Metropolitan Athenagoras: Δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. Freely you have received, freely give. Share your marvelous talents with all through abundant love and compassion. And whatever sacrifice you are called to, make it with love, and thereby you will glorify the God of love … the God Who is love.”
His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas discussed the multifaceted responsibilities of a bishop, emphasizing that a bishop is entrusted with a ministry of “love, responsibility, and service.” He advised His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras to help youth who are “seeking meaning and direction,” and also addressed the rapid development of artificial intelligence and other new technologies, which he said were “a useful means of communication and service,” but must be used “without replacing personal presence and genuine human encounter.”
In his enthronement address, Metropolitan Athenagoras expressed deep gratitude to all present and spoke of his friendship with Archbishop Elpidophoros, which began when they were young adults. “We were brothers then,” Metropolitan Athenagoras said, “and we are brothers now.”
Metropolitan Athenagoras also said: “This is my prayer for our Holy Metropolis: a Church whose heartbeat is prayer, that serves with sleeves rolled up, and welcomes every person with the love of Christ! And I humbly ask for your prayers as I take my first steps as your Metropolitan. Pray that God will give me wisdom when I must decide, courage when I must lead, humility when I must listen, and tenderness when someone is hurting. Above all, pray that I never forget whom I serve, and whose Church this is. May we begin this journey together, with open hearts, growing faith, and the joy of the risen Christ. Σας αγαπώ!”
Read the entirety of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras’ Enthronement Address here.
In his Greeting of the new Metropolitan of New Jersey, Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, The Archon Grand Aktouarios and National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, referred to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew “the Great,” and explained: “Allow me to pause for a moment on two words you have just heard: ‘the Great.’ Only a few weeks ago, our beloved Archbishop Elpidophoros led the Archons on a pilgrimage to Constantinople to mark the historic thirty-fifth anniversary of the election and enthronement of His All-Holiness. During that pilgrimage, His Eminence became the first to proclaim His All-Holiness Bartholomew the Great, a title earned through thirty-five years of the most impactful and longest tenure in Christianity as Ecumenical Patriarch. From this day forward, whenever the Archons speak the name of our Ecumenical Patriarch, we will speak it as he deserves: Bartholomew the Great.”
Addressing His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras, Dr. Limberakis continued: “On behalf of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it is my profound honor to bring our greetings and heartfelt congratulations on this sacred day of your enthronement. We are especially grateful that His All-Holiness has honored this day by sending you as his personal representative. Your presence, Your Eminence Cleopas, reminds us all that the Mother Church is with us here today.”
Dr. Limberakis then described some of the virtues of the new Metropolitan of New Jersey, saying: “We often come to know a person through his words. But we come to truly understand him through his deeds. I have been blessed to gain insight into Your Eminence by your deeds on two occasions. The first was when the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation was established. Your Eminence was among the very first to step forward as a FOUNDER, with a gift of one hundred thousand dollars drawn from your own personal funds, on a cleric’s salary, and payable over ten years.”
Emphasizing this singular act of selflessness and devotion, Dr. Limberakis continued: “Let me say that again, because it bears repeating: you are the only hierarch in the world who is a FOUNDER of this Foundation, and you funded it personally. That was not an act of obligation. It was an act of love for the Mother Church and for our Ecumenical Patriarch. It told me everything about where your heart resides. It is my prayerful hope that the fifty-five parishes of this Holy Metropolis will be inspired by their new Metropolitan’s extraordinary example, and will consider becoming FOUNDERS, or Builders, themselves.”
Dr. Limberakis also stated: “The second occasion came when I had the privilege of representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and all the Archons around the world, in Panama City for the thirtieth anniversary of the Holy Metropolis of Mexico. There I listened as you delivered a superlative presentation to the Clergy and Laity of the Metropolis of Mexico on the role of the episcopacy in the Orthodox Church. You spoke of the bishop not as one who rules, but as one who serves and unites, as His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has shown us through his own ministry. Today, the faithful of New Jersey receive a hierarch who does not merely teach that vision. He lives it.”
Read the entirety of Dr. Limberakis’ remarks below. Read the inspiring full remarks of His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas from the church, here; and from the luncheon, here; and those of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros can be read here.
His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis
The Grand Aktouarios
St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church
Tenafly, NJ
November 7, 2026
Your Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Official Representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the Great; Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America; Your Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey; Your Eminences and Your Graces; Reverend Fathers and Presvyteres, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, beloved Brother Archons and Archon Families, honored guests, and faithful of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey:
Allow me to pause for a moment on two words you have just heard: “the Great.” Only a few weeks ago, our beloved Archbishop Elpidophoros led the Archons on a pilgrimage to Constantinople to mark the historic thirty-fifth anniversary of the election and enthronement of His All-Holiness. During that pilgrimage, His Eminence became the first to proclaim His All-Holiness Bartholomew the Great, a title earned through thirty-five years of the most impactful and longest tenure in Christianity as Ecumenical Patriarch. From this day forward, whenever the Archons speak the name of our Ecumenical Patriarch, we will speak it as he deserves: Bartholomew the Great.
On behalf of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it is my profound honor to bring our greetings and heartfelt congratulations on this sacred day of your enthronement. We are especially grateful that His All-Holiness has honored this day by sending you as his personal representative. Your presence, Your Eminence Cleopas, reminds us all that the Mother Church is with us here today.
We often come to know a person through his words. But we come to truly understand him through his deeds. I have been blessed to gain insight into Your Eminence by your deeds on two occasions.
The first was when the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation was established. Your Eminence was among the very first to step forward as a FOUNDER, with a gift of one hundred thousand dollars drawn from your own personal funds, on a cleric’s salary, and payable over ten years. Let me say that again, because it bears repeating: you are the only hierarch in the world who is a FOUNDER of this Foundation, and you funded it personally. That was not an act of obligation. It was an act of love for the Mother Church and for our Ecumenical Patriarch. It told me everything about where your heart resides. It is my prayerful hope that the fifty-five parishes of this Holy Metropolis will be inspired by their new Metropolitan’s extraordinary example, and will consider becoming FOUNDERS, or Builders, themselves.
The second occasion came when I had the privilege of representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and all the Archons around the world, in Panama City for the thirtieth anniversary of the Holy Metropolis of Mexico. There I listened as you delivered a superlative presentation to the Clergy and Laity of the Metropolis of Mexico on the role of the episcopacy in the Orthodox Church. You spoke of the bishop not as one who rules, but as one who serves and unites, as His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has shown us through his own ministry. Today, the faithful of New Jersey receive a hierarch who does not merely teach that vision. He lives it.
Your Eminence, as a tangible sign of our love and esteem, the Archons are honored to present to you this engolpion and cross. They were fabricated in Constantinople, the Spiritual Center of World Orthodoxy, so that wherever you serve, you will carry with you the blessing of the Great Church of Christ, the Mother Church that nurtured you and sends you forth.
May you wear them in good health, and may the Lord grant you many years of fruitful ministry.
Axios! Axios! Axios!
Εις πολλά έτη, Δέσποτα!
Address by His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia At the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church
Tenafly, New Jersey, USA November 7, 2026
Your Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey, Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Your Eminences and Your Graces, Brother Hierarchs,
Very Reverend & Reverend Fathers,
Distinguished Representatives of the other Christian Churches and Denominations,
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Honorable Archons,
Most Honored President and Members of the National Philoptochos Society,
Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
With profound emotion and sincere joy, I stand among you today, representing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Sacred Center of Orthodoxy, our Ecumenical Patriarchate. First and foremost, I wish to express my filial gratitude to His All- Holiness for the honorable assignment of conveying His love and paternal wishes on this historic day, the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of New Jersey, His Eminence Athenagoras. My presence here is a particular honor and an expression of the unbreakable bond between the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey and the Mother Church of Constantinople.
I also offer my deepest gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America for his brotherly love and steadfast friendship throughout all the years we have known one another. Your Eminence, I thank you wholeheartedly for your brotherly love and support, and for the generous hospitality you have shown me during my stay here.
Your Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras,
Your enthronement marks the beginning of a new and deeply responsible ministry; a path marked by the Cross, Eucharistic life. and self-sacrifice. The episcopacy is a ministry of love, responsibility, and service. A bishop is called to be a father to all: to strengthen the weak, seek out those who have grown distant, comfort those who mourn, and lead the flock into the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit.
St. Ignatius the God-bearer writes, “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be.” These words describe the profound bond between the bishop and the body of the Church.
As St. Gregory the Theologian reminds us, pastoral care is “an art of arts and a science of sciences,” for it concerns the human soul, the healing of its wounds, and its journey toward salvation. Within this mission, Your Eminence, the preservation of unity holds a special place. Unity is not a slogan, nor is it simply agreement among human aims. It is the fruit of a common faith, a Eucharistic life, and mutual love. The bishop is a bond of peace; one who listens with discernment, heals wounds, and builds bridges.
I pray that your episcopal ministry may be lived out each day as a ministry of unity, so that every person, regardless of background or circumstance, may feel welcomed within the embrace of the Church.
The pastoral work of your Metropolis extends across many different areas, each revealing an aspect of Christ’s love. I pray that you will give special care to young people and youth programs, so that they may find in the Church a place for meaningful relationships, faith, and hope.
Pastoral care for students will offer young people seeking meaning and direction a space for dialogue and spiritual growth.
As artificial intelligence and new technologies rapidly change our daily lives, the Church is called to approach them with discernment and pastoral wisdom. Technology can be a useful means of communication and service; it must always serve the human person and the community, however, without replacing personal presence and genuine human encounter.
I also pray that the missionary work of your Metropolis may be strengthened, in obedience to the Lord’s command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Supporting catechumens and the newly illumined is the responsibility of the whole Church. The witness of Orthodoxy is conveyed through the truth of its teaching, with simplicity and consistency.
The cultivation of Greek learning and the Greek language is also important, as both are precious bearers of faith, historical memory, and culture.
At the same time, along with inter-Christian and inter-faith dialogue, prison and hospital ministries brings the Church close to those experiencing confinement, illness, fear, or loneliness. There, the presence of a shepherd can become a source of comfort and a tangible witness to God’s love.
One particular gift I see in you, Your Eminence, is your radiant smile. It is an eloquent expression of love, support, and encouragement. People today are often weary and troubled, and they need this warmth; a shepherd who will meet them with kindness, listen patiently, and stand beside them, whether they are suffering, poor, weak, or filled with anxiety. I pray that your smile will continue to be a sign of comfort and hope to all. Your longstanding brotherly friendship with the Archbishop of America brings to mind the story of the Road to Emmaus. The Evangelist Luke tells us how Cleopas and the other disciple walked together, discussing the events that had shaken their hearts. As the Risen Lord accompanied them, the Scriptures were opened to them and their hearts were warmed, until they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.
I pray that your own brotherly journey with His Eminence the Archbishop may continue with the same zeal and the same love that bears witness to Christ, for the benefit of the whole Church. May you walk together, support one another, and work side by side for the building up of God’s people. As on the Road to Emmaus, may the Risen Lord always accompany you and remain at the center of your ministry.
Remain faithful to our Ecumenical Patriarchate, which for centuries has safeguarded unity and borne witness to the universal mission of Orthodoxy. Draw strength from the wisdom of the Ecumenical Patriarch, whose thirty-five-year patriarchal ministry is a precious example of ecclesiastical responsibility, witness, and self-sacrificing service.
For me personally, this day is deeply moving. I had the honor of participating in your election, your ordination to the episcopacy, and now your enthronement. I thank God for this threefold blessing and pray that He will strengthen you at every step of your new ministry.
Your Eminence and beloved Brother, Metropolitan Athenagoras,
From the heart, I congratulate you and wish you many years of fruitful and God-blessed ministry! May the Lord grant you health, strength and patience, so that you may serve with love and fidelity the sacred clergy and faithful people of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey. Axios!
His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden’s
Keynote Address at the Luncheon
Honoring His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Your Eminences,
Your Graces,
Reverend Fathers,
Honored Guests,
Dearly beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the Christian understanding of life, today’s enthronement and gathering has a meaning that extends beyond the occasion itself. Our fellowship gives visible expression to the communion we are called to live. We share a meal we renew friendships, and we begin a new chapter in the life of this Holy Metropolis.
People are moving through life at extraordinary speed. They carry demanding schedules, family concerns, uncertainty about the future, and questions they may find difficult to express. Our parishes are called to offer a place where they can pause, be received by name, and/ discover that their lives matter to God and to us.
Today’s enthronement opens a new chapter of archpastoral leadership. It also invites a renewed response from all of us.
Metropolitan Athenagoras will need our prayers, our stewardship, our generosity, and our willingness to serve. He will need the wisdom of those who have sustained our communities for decades and the imagination of those who are just beginning to discover their place within them.
Supporting a spiritual shepherd means helping create the conditions in which his ministry can bear fruit; trust among our people, cooperation among our parishes, encouragement for our clergy, and a shared readiness to undertake the work of the Gospel.
Your Eminence, we look forward to setting out in this new chapter in the life of the local Church as You unfold Your vision.
This Holy Metropolis lives within a communion greater than itself. Its parishes share in one another’s joys and responsibilities. Its ministry belongs within the life of our Holy Archdiocese of America, in brotherly cooperation with the other Metropolises, and in loving fidelity to our Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate. That communion is a spiritual gift entrusted to our care.
We live in a world that is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence is prompting new questions about work, creativity, education, and even what it means to be human. These realities enter our churches every Sunday because they shape the lives of the people who enter them. They are present in the teenager wondering whether an online image determines his or her worth; in the student asking what future awaits him; in the parent trying to guide a child through a digital world; and in the older person struggling to participate in a society that increasingly assumes everyone is comfortable with a screen.
In the face of these challenges, we are called to bring the wisdom of our tradition into conversation with the real lives of our people to help families cultivate prayer amid distraction, to accompany those anxious about their future, and to form communities where each generation has something to offer and something to receive.
May the Lord grant Your Eminence many blessed and fruitful years!
