BOSTON -With an ‘Agiasmo’ – Blessing of the Water – ceremony by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and his keynote speech, the official opening of the 47th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Archdiocese took place at noon on Monday, July 1 in the grand ballroom of the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina in San Diego, CA. Simultaneously, the opening of the National Philoptochos Society Conference was also held.

In his keynote speech, the Archbishop made a detailed reference to the accomplishments of his five-year tenure at the Archdiocese of America, highlighting the completion of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Manhattan, New York. He also thanked the Leadership 100 for supporting the programs and ministries of the Archdiocese and the School of Theology, stating that it will be his priority for the next five years, and noted that the $15 million debt of the School has been repaid.

He also referred to St. Basil Academy and its utilization, for which a committee has been appointed to make recommendations, and also spoke about the Ionian Village Camp Center in Greece. He emphasized that all communities should have a Greek School for teaching the language and culture, and praised the Greek Dance Festivals of the Metropolises of San Francisco and Atlanta.

Present at the opening were the two representatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, and Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia. Also present were all members of the Holy Eparchial Synod except Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, as well as all Auxiliary Bishops. Additionally, Metropolitan Tarasios of Rhodopolis, formerly of Buenos Aires, who is now in the United States serving as the director of the Athenagoras Institute of Orthodox Theology in Berkeley, CA, was present.

It was announced that 701 delegates representing 334 communities from across the United States are participating in the Clergy-Laity Congress. Messages and greetings were given at the opening by the co-chairs of the organizing committee of the Clergy-Laity Congress, Gary and Jenny Ranglas, and Isidore and Maria Garyfalakis.

Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, in his greeting, emphasized that “this Clergy-Laity Congress is a testament to our unity in Christ, a visible reminder that as one body, each of us is a living part of the whole.” He added that “it is not a meeting but a dynamic exchange of faith and knowledge aimed at strengthening our communities and our common mission.”

Metropolitan Gerasimos announced the sad news of the passing of Michael Pappas, the executive director of the St. Nicholas Foundation and Center for Spiritual Reflection, shortly before the start of the Clergy-Laity Congress, specifically on June 29. The clerical and lay delegates chanted “eternal be his memory.”

Messages and greetings were also given by the Vice President of the Archdiocesan Council, John Catsimatidis and the President of the National Philoptochos, Arlene Siavelis-Checl, who referred to the work of Philoptochos, including raising $1.3 million for humanitarian aid worldwide. The responsibility for organizing this year’s Philoptochos Conference lies with Jenny Ranglas, Anita Kartalopoulos, and Cynthia Kezos.

Additionally, a greeting was given by the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, who also presented a video message from Patriarch Bartholomew – the Patriarch greeted and blessed the proceedings of the Clergy-Laity Congress.

On Sunday evening, the inauguration of the exhibition area took place, featuring more than fifty exhibitions of ecclesiastical items such as vestments, cassocks, ‘kalymachia’ (traditional black clerical hats), crosses, and archieratical ‘engolpia’.  Notably, there are representative booths for Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology, Catechetical and Greek Education, and the Ionian Village. Archbishop Elpidophoros stated, “there is something for everyone here.” The cost of the exhibition area is being covered by Leadership 100.