Weekly Message December 7, 2025

Beloved brothers and sisters,

This week I am writing to you from Greece, where I am accompanying His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros on a series of official visits on behalf of our Sacred Archdiocese. It has been a full and blessed week, and I want to share with you a glimpse of the important work being done—and also a special note that directly concerns our own beloved community.

A Week of Official Visits
Our delegation has participated in several significant meetings:

Tuesday, December 2

• Meeting with His Excellency Konstantinos Tasoulas, President of the Hellenic Republic.

• Visit with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.

• Meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion.

Wednesday, December 3

• Official visit to Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ambassador of the United States to the Hellenic Republic.

Thursday, December 4

• Visit with Metropolitan Gabriel of Neas Ionias and Philadelphias, including a tour of a major construction project in the Metropolis.

• Participation in a major public symposium at the University of Athens on the theme:

“Can the ‘in Christ’ life of the Church enter into dialogue with life in the public sphere of the State?”

This event focused on For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church and included prominent theologians, scholars, ministers, and public figures.

Friday, December 5

• Trip to Patras, where His Eminence will be hosted by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras, and be proclaimed Honorary Doctor of the University of Patras, where he will deliver an address on “The Role of Religion in Contemporary Society.”

Throughout every single visit, meeting, and public encounter, His Eminence has introduced me by speaking about you—our Cathedral, our community, and especially A. Fantis School.

Everywhere we have gone, he has proudly said that A. Fantis is:

one of the finest schools of the Omogenia,

a model of excellence,

a National Blue Ribbon School, and

a true pride of the Archdiocese.

Hearing this repeatedly—not only from His Eminence, but echoed by leaders in government, academia, and the Church—has been deeply moving. I am honored to represent our community on this trip, but even more so, I am proud that the good news of our work at A. Fantis School and Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral has reached even the highest levels of the Greek government.

We should all be proud of what we have built together.

But let us also hear this as a reminder:

We cannot rest on our laurels.

Excellence is not a trophy—it is a responsibility.

We must continue the hard work of growing, improving, serving, and loving as a community rooted in Christ.

Thank you for all that you do to make our Cathedral and our school the shining examples they are. I look forward to returning home and continuing this beautiful work together.

With love in Christ,

Fr. Evagoras