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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2002

ROUNDTABLE ON THE FAMILY CONVENED BY ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS

Garrison, NY -- Family and marriage professionals, clergy, and Archdiocesan
leaders gathered Saturday, December 7th at Saint Basil Academy in Garrison,
New York at the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America.
The  "Roundtable  on  the  Family"  was  convened  by the Archbishop as the
initial step of an intense focus on the critical needs of today's families.

In  his  opening  remarks  to the participants, the Archbishop stated, "The
significance  of  the  family  and  the  crises  faced	by  families  today
necessitate  that  we  do  everything possible for the family. Think of the
impact,  the  consequences, the happiness that can be brought to individual
families through expanding our ministry in this area."

During	the  meeting  participants  reviewed  some  of	the  most  critical
challenges  facing  families  today  and discussed resources for addressing
family	needs.	 Three	committees  were organized to analyze some of these
resources  in  preparation  for a second meeting in early March.  Following
this  meeting,	plans  and information will be presented for discussion and
review	at  the spring meetings of the Eparchial Synod and the Archdiocesan
Council.

The  "Roundtable"  follows  the  emphasis given to the family by Archbishop
Demetrios  in  his keynote address at the 36th Clergy-Laity Congress, which
was  held  in  Los  Angeles  in  the  summer  of  2002.  In his speech, the
Archbishop announced the initiation of plans for The Center for Family Care
.  This center will develop programs and resources that will address issues
related to preparation for marriage, marital difficulties, mixed marriages,
clergy	families,  and	families  of  divorce.	It will also produce video,
audio,	and  printed  material	relevant  to  these  areas  and  make these
resources  available  to  parishes  and families.  Further, the center will
organize  seminars and educational opportunities that will address areas of
family	life  and  development,  as  well as offer counseling resources via
telephone  or  the Internet.  Referring to the importance of the Center the
Archbishop  stated, "Our vision is to create a model institution which will
be  a  leader in the field of family care among the Christian denominations
of contemporary America."

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