With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP) are pleased to announce that AEP Sergeant at Arms Alexander Pritsos, Archon Hieromnimon, will be the recipient of the 2025 Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. The Award will be presented on Friday, October 17, 2025, at the Bouras Award Dinner at the New York Athletic Club, during the Order’s annual Archon Weekend in New York City.
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the AEP, said: “For decades now, Archon Alex Pritsos has been a living embodiment of what it really means to give one’s time, talent and resources in support of our Holy Mother Church of Constantinople, the Orthodox Christian Church throughout the United States, and the mission of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is highly fitting to recognize his long years of selfless service by naming him as the recipient of this prestigious Award. Axios!”
“In fact,” Dr. Limberakis continued: “Archon Alex is so dedicated to the sacred mission of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that back in the 1990s and early 2000s, he regularly attended National Council meetings even though he wasn’t a member of the National Council. The meetings were open to all, but no one except for Archon Alex Pritsos showed so much dedication that he attended the meetings despite not being required to do so. It was in view of this dedication that we created a position for him, Sergeant at Arms. When I was a Page in the United States Senate during my high school years, I witnessed the activity of the Senate Sergeant at Arms. With that in mind, and the desire to ensure the many logistical necessities of the Order would be addressed, we created the position of AEP Sergeant at Arms early in my tenure as National Commander. Archon Alex is the only one ever to hold this position, which he has ably executed for over twenty years.”
As Sergeant at Arms of the AEP, Archon Pritsos has provided indispensable logistical services to the Order, particularly in helping to organize the Athenagoras Human Rights Award Banquet, Archon Weekend, and other activities. He served as co-chair of the committee to establish the website Archons.org, and was instrumental in making possible the virtual Archon Weekend of 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic. “Without Archon Alex,” said Dr. Limberakis, “many of the most important Archon events would not have gone as smoothly as they did, or even happened at all.”
“My primary focus,” Archon Pritsos stated, “has always been simply to serve God’s Holy Church and defend our beloved Ecumenical Patriarchate. To be an Archon, and a part of the Archons’ efforts to protect and defend religious freedom, is a tremendous honor for me, and always will be. I’m deeply honored to receive this Award, and give thanks to God for enabling me to be able to serve His Church.”
In addition to his multifaceted duties for the Archons, Archon Pritsos also served on the 2020-2023 Archdiocesan Council. In 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America elevated him to the status of Archdiocesan Council Senator for Hellenism and Orthodoxy, which means, among other things, that he now serves permanently on the Archdiocesan Council. Archon Pritsos is a long-standing member of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine Church in Flushing, New York, where he has served on the parish council as president and treasurer. He was awarded the Medal of Saint Paul, the highest commendation of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America of blessed memory.
Archon Pritsos was an essential Archon volunteer in executing the logistics of the historic Holy and Great and Council of Crete in 2016, having gone to Crete several weeks prior to the event to prepare. From 1990 to the present, he has been an integral part of the advance team handling logistics for Patriarchal trips to the U.S. and elsewhere. Archon Pritsos also served his country in the U.S. Army and worked in government logistics and surveillance.
Archon Alexander Pritsos was invested as Archon in 1992 and conferred with the offikion Hieromnimon.
The National Council of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 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 to the Order, 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), and Peter J. Skeadas (2024).
