REMARKS
By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
At the Grand Banquet
Centennial Clergy-Laity Congress
Marriott Marquis (Broadway Ballroom)
New York, New York
July 7, 2022
Your Eminence Elder-Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon,
Your Eminence Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymnon and Avlopotamos, and Very Reverend Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios,
Your Eminences, beloved Brothers of the Holy Eparchial Synod,
Your Graces and Reverend Clergy,
Beloved Delegates to this Centennial Clergy Laity Congress,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We are gathered together tonight in order to rejoice in the culmination of this 46th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of our Sacred Archdiocese of America. We came together from every corner of our Church to remember how our Archdiocese was established, to refresh and reinitialize our shared ministries to the People of God, and to bind ourselves into the One Body of Christ that is united in purpose and principle for the next Hundred Years.
Our legacy is undeniable. There truly are spiritual giants upon whose shoulder we stand. Hierarchs of unparalleled vision. Clerics of boundless energy. And laywomen and laymen of immeasurable devotion.
And our renewal in the present moment is one to which we all must commit with all our hearts, and all our souls, and all our minds.
In unity, we can achieve all our dreams. For it is through unity that we can realize our mission as the Body of Christ.
Our future as a Church relies on our unity and on our recognition that we are dependent upon each other. That it is through love for one another, that we become the Holy Institution we are called to be.
We have had numerous individuals who have helped to accomplish our mission as a Church. Tonight, though, we honor them as Centennial Honorees, and in them, we honor all of you.
We recognize four Vice-Chairs of the Archdiocesan Council:
John Catsimatidis, George Tsandikos, Demetrios Moschos, and the late and ever-memorable Michael Jaharis.
We recognize the longtime General Counsel of the Archdiocese, the late Emanuel Demos.
We recognize four intrepid workers of the Archdiocese: Marissa Costidis and Maria Andriotis, Theo Nicolakis and Jamil Samara.
And finally, we recognize our Co-Chairs of this Centennial Congress and their spouses: Chrysanthy & George Demos, and Nicholas & Anna Karacostas.
(PRESENTATION)
My beloved friends,
Our Archdiocese is just at the beginning.
As the Prophet says:
Ἔσται γὰρ ὀ νέος ἐκατὸν ἐτῶν…
For the young man shall be one hundred years old…*
We are truly one hundred years young.
We are a powerful force for good in the world.
We are the Body of Believers who are committed to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And through His grace, we shall preach and teach this Gospel throughout our Nation;
To the glory, honor and praise of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – for the next One Hundred Years and all the ages to come. Amen.
* Isaiah 65:20.