NEW YORK – On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros welcomed to the Archdiocese the Former Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. George Papandreou. Mr. Papandreou recognized the special Centennial year of the Archdiocese and thanked His Eminence for his leadership in the Greek-Orthodox community in the United States. His Eminence also expressed his gratitude for the Former Prime Minister’s ongoing support of both the Omogeneia and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Dimitrios Droutsas also attended the meeting.

Following the meeting, they visited the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, where they were greeted by the Proistamenos, the Rev. Protopresbyter Andreas Vithoulkas, as well as Parish Council President Mr. Demetri Papacostas, Head Cantor Mr. Dimitrios Katsiklis, and the iconographers of the Shrine, Fathers Loukas and Pachomios.

The V. Rev. Archimandrite Vasileios Drosos and the Rev. Protopresbyter Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos were also present.