On July 1, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America visited the Chaplains Meeting at the 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland, offering his blessing and remarks to the gathered Military and Institutional Chaplains. The Archdiocese’s current Endorsing Agent, Fr. William “Bill” Bartz, welcomed His Eminence and spoke to the work of the Chaplaincy Ministry before the Archbishop addressed the group.
Military Chaplains serve across all branches of the United States Armed Forces — on active duty, in the Reserve, and in the National Guard — providing the Holy Mysteries to Orthodox Christians, facilitating religious freedom for all, and offering spiritual guidance to troops at home and abroad. Institutional Chaplains serve in hospitals, prisons, police forces, hospice care, and universities, ministering sacramentally and in non-sacramental capacities to those in their care.
Addressing the chaplains, His Eminence reflected on the distinctive nature of their vocation: “The Chaplaincy is a very special kind of pastorate, for you are called to be responsive to the sheep of many different sheepfolds, even those who are beyond the enclosures of Christianity.”
