Dear Brother Archon,
With the blessings of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it is with great joy that we invite you and your families to attend the John Halecky, Jr. 19th Annual National Archon Lenten Retreat on March 31st and April 1st, 2023 under the superb chairmanship of Archon Hieromnimon Peter J. Skeadas and co-chair Archon Ostiarios Michael G. Psaros. Once again, this year’s Lenten retreat will be at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church located in Southampton, New York (111 Saint Andrews Road, Southampton, NY 11968, 631-283-6169). Our Retreat Master will be Rev. Dr. Nicholas Louh, Presiding Pastor of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Father Alexander Karloutsos and Father Constantine Lazarakis will join us as Retreat Pastors.
Please set aside the time on your calendars to join us in fellowship and prayer with your brother Archons and their families. It is an experience you will not forget and one that will re-energize your spiritual commitment to live a Christ-centered life. All of the information you will need is contained in the attached materials.
In-person attendance:
If you are attending in person and will stay at the Southampton Inn, kindly make your reservation by calling 631-283-6500 and mention the group name Archons to qualify for the special nightly rate of $155.00 Due to limited room availability, please make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.
Virtual attendance:
Upon reservation, Zoom will send to you a participation link that is unique to you only. Please note that Zoom participation is only for the Saturday sessions which will begin at 11:00AM ET. You and your families can watch and pray during the Friday Akathist and Saturday and Sunday Divine Liturgies through the Church’s live stream. See these options here: dormitionhamptons.org/live
The Retreat will begin on Friday, March 31st at 5:30 pm with the Akathistos Service at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church followed by a Lenten Fellowship Dinner in The Muses. On Saturday, April 1st, we will convene in the Church at 8:30 am for Divine Liturgy, a light breakfast and continue the Retreat sessions. We expect to conclude approximately at 4:00 pm.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to turbocharge your Orthodox Christian Faith and strengthen your devotion to our Lord and Saviour. This way we may serve the needs of the Great Church of Christ with the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation” and the “sword of the Spirit” in the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, as we seek religious freedom for the Holy and Great Mother Church of Constantinople.
In Christ,
Anthony J. Limberakis, MD
Archon Aktouarios
National Commander
Retreat Details
When:
Friday, March 31
5:30PM: Akathist begins
7:15PM: Fellowship Dinner
8:00PM: First Session begins
Saturday, April 1
8:30AM: Divine Liturgy
9:45AM: Light Breakfast
11:00AM: Second Session, Virtual Session Begins
1:00PM: Lenten Luncheon
2:15PM: Third Session, Virtual Session Continues
4:00PM: Retreat slated to end
7:00PM: Reception and Optional Dinner ($50 per person)
Where:
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church
111 St. Andrews Road
Southampton, NY 11968
Phone: 631-283-6169
Theme: His Pain For Our Purpose: 7 Statements Jesus Shares on the Cross
Friday Session One: From Passover to the Passion
You can always tell how valuable something is by the amount someone is willing to pay for it. Christ paid everything for us. In fact, our Liturgy says, “He poured it out for us.” Join Fr. Nicholas as he shares a powerful and inspirational message that spans from the Passover in the Old Testament to the Passion of the Cross in the New Testament.
Saturday Session Two: Statements 1-3
You can always tell how important something is in someone’s life by the priority they place on it. Join Fr. Nicholas as he shares the very first 3 statements Christ makes on the Cross, challenging us to remember that God can’t write a new chapter in our life, if we keep spending all of our time rereading the old chapters of hurt from our life.
Saturday Session Three: Statements 4-7
Fr. Nicholas shares that “the vertical always shapes the horizontal.” In other words, our vertical relationship with Christ will shape our horizontal relationship with others. In this final session, Fr. Nicholas will share the last statements that Jesus shares with us on the Cross, challenging us to better connect to Him, so we can better love them.
Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh
The Rev. Dr. Nicholas Louh was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 25, 1974 and currently serves as the Presiding Pastor of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in Jacksonville.
Upon graduating from the University of North Florida, Rev. Louh entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated with a highest-distinction Masters of Divinity (1999) and a Masters of Theology (2000). He then attended Gordon Cornwell Theological Seminary where he earned a Doctorate of Ministry (2003) with an emphasis on Pastoral Counseling in the urban ministry.
Fr. Nicholas is known in both local and global communities as a devoted pastor, motivational speaker, and compassionate champion for those in need, and a passionate advocate for interfaith dialogue and social justice. Fr. Nicholas has a heart for guiding people through the difficulties of everyday life, by providing practical means to bridge their faith into their everyday life. He travels throughout the country leading retreats on understanding and living out God’s purpose. In addition to his role as pastor at St. John the Divine, Rev. Louh serves as the Vicar for the Eastern Florida Conference of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta and is a member of the Metropolis Council.
Lodging:
A block of rooms has been reserved for the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle at:
Southampton Inn
91 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11968
Telephone: 631-283-6500
A special room rate of $155, total price, per night, for nights between March 31–April 1, has been negotiated with the hotel. When making your reservations, please mention the group name Archons so you can get the special rate.
Meals:
March 31: Lenten fellowship dinner
April 1: Light breakfast and Lenten luncheon
There will also be an optional dinner April 1 at 6:30PM at The Muses for $50 per person for those wishing to remain.
Please address payment to:
Order of St. Andrew the Apostle
Attn: National Archon Lenten Retreat
8 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10075
Directions from the West:
Take the Long Island Expressway [LIE] to exit 70.
At the end of the ramp, make a right turn; you will be on Rt. 111 going South.
When Rt. 111 ends, the road takes you left and you will be on Rt. 27 East.
Go straight for approximately 19 miles. As the highway ends, continue through first traffic light which is Tuckahoe Rd.
After the traffic light take the very next left onto St. Andrew’s Rd. Go around (under the highway) and the Church will be on your right at Nicholas Ct.
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church
111 St. Andrews Road
Southampton, NY 11968
