NEW YORK — On June 16, 2021, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America convened the Holy Eparchial Synod via video conference for a regularly scheduled meeting. As this was the Synod’s first gathering following the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha, the meeting opened with a customary exchange of fraternal greetings and festal wishes between the synodal members.

Among the matters deliberated upon during this session, the Holy Eparchial Synod:

1) discussed the ongoing coordination of fundraising efforts for the Clergy and Lay Employee Pension Plan of the Archdiocese and its Metropolises. While fundraising has been in place since the beginning of the year, the synodal members were specifically informed of a nationwide campaign that will commence on Father’s Day, and which has as its aim the rightful honoring and commemoration of our Sacred Archdiocese’s devout clergy. In order to support this special initiative, it was unanimously decided that each Metropolis will raise funds for the timely fulfillment of this Father’s Day appeal.

2) received a report outlining the current status and establishment of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, which has already surpassed ten million dollars in funds raised to support the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It was unanimously decided that each Metropolis, together with the Archdiocesan District, will become individual Founding Members. The joyous announcement was made that the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation will provide a matching one million dollar donation to supplement the fundraising efforts of the Foundation.

3) received a report from Mr. Argyris Vassiliou, Chairman of both Leadership 100 and the Committee for the Archdiocese’s Centennial Celebration, informing the synodal members of the preparatory meetings presently taking place in order to ensure a proper and jubilant observance of the Archdiocese’s centennial. 

4) decided that the first in-person meeting of the Synod — following the pandemic — will take place in September at Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. This gathering, of course, will afford the synodal members an opportunity to be present on campus for the celebration of the Feast of the Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross, and to inaugurate the opening of the new academic year together with all of the students, staff, faculty and administration of Hellenic College and Holy Cross.

Finally, at the session’s closing, the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod exchanged well-wishes and prayers for a restful summer and a spiritually uplifting celebration of Pentecost.

From the Chief Secretariat of the Holy Eparchial Synod

Source: goarch.org