No such thing as a ‘holy war,’ says Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
In the historic Church of St. Paraskevi in Constantinople on its patronal feast, July 26, 2026, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke movingly about the holy martyrs, and reflected upon the grim reality of the
$250,000 available as GOARCH launches Parish Planned Giving Matching Grant
In response to the commitment His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America made during his Opening Remarks at the 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, the Parish Planned Giving Matching Grant application is now available. > Previously: At
National Oratorical Festival winner: ‘I’m here to spread God’s word, and that’s all that matters’
Faith as a young person in 2026 is complicated: America’s religious and secular attitudes seem to flourish in a paradoxical parallel, Orthodoxy continues to gain visibility as its online popularity grows, and culture continues to
HCHC reaches purchase and sale agreement for over 25 acres
Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) announced on August 2 that it has fully executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the sale of approximately 25.98 acres of undevelopable land on
New Sunday School curriculum training webinar to equip parishes for implementation
The Department of Religious Education (DRE) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is pleased to announce an upcoming Sunday School Curriculum Training Webinar on Sunday, August 16 7:00 – 9:30 PM EST, to provide
Archbishop Elpidophoros announces new Archdiocesan Cathedral dean, Metropolis of New Jersey acting chancellor appointments
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has announced the appointment of Rev. Protopresbyter Gregory Gilbert as the new Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, New York, effective September 1,
![Great Vespers Presided over by H.E. Archbishop Elpidophoros and Bestowal of Graduate Crosses at the Holy Cross Chapel of the Hellenic College - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology [HCHC] in Brookline, MA. Also present were H.E. Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco and Their Graces Bishops Joachim of Amissos and Anthony of Synada. Louis and Helen Nicozisis the 2024 Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology will receive the Honorary Degree from The School on Saturday May 18th, 2024. Later a Dinner was hosted by the School in Honor His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, all Board of Trustees, and Honorees Helen and Louis Nicozisis.](https://orthodoxobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/HCHC-GRADUATION-FRI-VESPERS12-976x549.jpg)
HCHC launches ‘The Catechist’ certificate program
With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the approval of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is
Ecumenical Patriarch: ‘Authentic theology and closed-mindedness are mutually exclusive’
During the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Glorious Great Martyr Euphemia on July 11, 2026, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew ordained Archimandrite Isidoros Katsos to the episcopacy. Addressing the new Bishop of
Archbishop Elpidophoros extends congratulations to Archbishop-elect Apostolos of Canada
Upon the announcement of His Eminence Archbishop-elect Apostolos (formerly Metropolitan of New Jersey)’s election as Archbishop of Canada, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America issued the following message via his social media accounts: With profound
The hospital in the storm: Fr. Samuel Davis responds to Juneteenth criticism
A recently published critique entitled “The Juneteenth Joke” by Aaron Hickman attempts to reduce the historic and spiritual labors of the Apostolic Mission to the African Diaspora in the Americas, West Indies, and Caribbean to
Rare masterpieces from leading European icon museum make U.S. debut
On October 16, 2026, the Icon Museum and Study Center celebrates its milestone twentieth anniversary with the exhibition, Light from the East: Masterpieces from the Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen , presenting highlights from the largest and most
Tickets open for Greek National Opera’s first-ever U.S. performance
NEW YORK (July 15, 2026) — Tickets are now on sale for the Greek National Opera’s first-ever U.S. appearance, a one-night-only performance at Carnegie Hall on October 15, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium
An unexpected blessing: A personal ‘Rise & Build’ story
Having just returned from a moving Clergy-Laity Congress, where the theme of Rise & Build was reinforced throughout our time together, I would like to share my own personal Rise and Build story. I do
Public Orthodoxy: What U.S. readers should know about the UOJ’s Ukrainian past
In the spring of 2025, a new English‑language media project began to operate actively in the United States under the name “Union of Orthodox Journalists” (in Ukrainian, Spilka Pravoslavnykh Zhurnalistiv, often abbreviated as SPZh; hereafter
Applications open for the Girl Delegates to the U.N. program
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Program for Girl Delegates to the United Nations is seeking passionate, motivated, and committed high school students ages 15 & up who are eager to engage in global diplomacy, advocate
Clergy-Laity Congress approves 2027–2028 Archdiocesan budgets
After full days of workshops, panels, liturgical services, and ministry presentations, clergy and lay delegates gathered on Thursday, July 2, 2026, for the Plenary Session of the 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland, Ohio, to
Department of Religious Education releases new K-12 curriculum
At the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress, the Department of Religious Education (DRE) presented two sessions showcasing tools and resources it provides, as well as a first look at the Archdiocese’s new K-12 religious education curriculum. At
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew urges absent churches to accept Holy and Great Council decrees
It has now been a full decade since the convening of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, as its proceedings began on the Monday of the Holy Spirit, June 20, 2016, in
