His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco welcomes the delegates and attendees to the 47th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in San Diego from June 30 - July 4, 2024. He highlights the many impactful, uplifting, and informative sessions, workshops, and meetings happening throughout the week, as well as the spiritual services, social events, and helpful outreach opportunities that are available to all those who will be attending.

Saint Paul reminds each of us that it is not only that we are united to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Head of the Church; but that we are also united to one another. In fact, the Apostle states that we are “members of one another.” This is a radical way of viewing your fellow Christian, because it means that there is spiritually potent mutual dependence that exists between us – whether we are aware of it or not. 

The theme of our upcoming Clergy Laity Congress is “In Christ We Are One” – a reminder of our interdependency as Christians. There is an old saying from the first centuries of the Church: “One Christian is no Christian.” Even the hermits of our blessed Mount Athos maintain a sense of communion and involvement with the fullness of the Church. How much more should we, who experience our sisters and brothers in Christ on a regular basis!

This year’s Clergy Laity Congress in San Diego promises to be one of dynamic joy for all who attend. Together with His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, we are planning an extraordinary Congress with all kinds of activities and programs to enhance and nurture the life of our Sacred Archdiocese of America.