In the presence of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the newly restored Chapel of the Transfiguration of Christ Our Savior Monastery on Halki has just been dedicated. His All-Holiness officiated at the Service of Door-Opening (Thyranoixia) on August 5, 2025. Present at the Thyranoixia were Archon Dr. Stephen Yallourakis and his wife Dr. Anna Yallourakis, whose generosity once again made possible the restoration of this historic chapel of the Skete on Halki. Also present were their children, Michael Yallourakis and Stephanie Katherine Yallourakis.
In his homily on this joyous occasion, His All-Holiness discussed the long-suffering nature of the Greek Orthodox community in Constantinople, which was, he said, mirrored in the history of this chapel. Restored in 2006, also thanks to donations from Dr. Stephen and Anna Yallourakis, then destroyed again and now restored for a second time, the skete now stands, said the Ecumemical Patriarch, as “a true witness of the unspoken sighs of our people.”
His All-Holiness thanked Archon Dr. Stephen and Dr. Anna Yallourakis for again providing the funding to restore the chapel, and observed that it now stands before us “‘in another form,’ fully renovated, truly transfigured.”
A plaque was unveiled commemorating the restoration of the chapel and the presence of His All-Holiness at its dedication. The plaque honored Drs. Yallourakis for their sacrificial generosity in allowing for the chapel to be restored once again.
In 2006, Drs. Stephen and Anna Yallourakis offered donations for the first restoration of this historic chapel. However, on November 13, 2007, eight officials of the local Ministry of Forestry in Turkey threw away roof tile and broke all the windows and window frames of the historic monastery, which had survived numerous fires and earthquakes throughout hundreds of years. The officials threatened the residents and demanded that they abandon their homes because the houses were being demolished.
Undeterred, Drs. Yallourakis provided new financial support to restore the chapel yet again. They explained: “We here in the U.S. enjoy all of our freedoms and believe all people should enjoy basic unalienable rights given to us by our Creator. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, founded by the Apostle Andrew, is the Sacred See for 250 million Orthodox Christians around the world. We pray for a positive resolution to this tragic event and anxiously await the repair of the damage which has destroyed our beloved Monastery.”
Drs. Stephen and Anna Yallourakis are individually fulfilled FOUNDERS of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation at the $230,000 level.
They have now made possible that repair yet again, and provided an example to Archons and people of good will everywhere in giving of their time, talent and treasure for the protection and support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and God’s Holy Church worldwide.
