wfn.org | ST. PHOTIOS NATIONAL SHRINE WELCOMES LEADERSHIP 100

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

		    GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
    8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021  Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212)
				  774-0215
	 Web: http://www.goarch.org Email: communications@goarch.org

Press Release
February 26, 2003

Contact: Andrew J. Lekos
Tel: 904-829-8205
Email: AJlekos@stphotios.com

ST. PHOTIOS NATIONAL SHRINE WELCOMES LEADERSHIP 100

St. Augustine, FL -- The 12th Annual Leadership 100 Conference was February
19-23,	2003  at  Amelia  Island,  FL.	St. Photios Greek Orthodox National
Shrine	Executive Director, V. Rev. Nicholas Graff offered the greetings to
the  members  of  the  conference  at  the  Welcome  Breakfast on Thursday,
February 19.

Rev.  Nicholas	Graff  welcomed  the  Leadership 100 members to Florida and
shared,  "The  epic  of colonial life for those first Greek settlers to the
New  World."  Rev. Graff talked about the odyssey of the New Smyrna colony,
and  the  dream of the "Hellenic American."  The odyssey eventually brought
the  colony  to the Avero House in St. Augustine, where the members met for
fellowship  and  worship.   Rev.  Graff stated, "that dream of the Hellenic
American is cradled in St. Augustine, Florida, and the St. Photios National
Shrine stands proudly as the 'Jewel of St. George Street.'"

Rev.  Graff  also thanked the first director, His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of
Xanthos,  and  said,  "The  Shrine  is	proud  to  host His Grace's 20 year
celebration   to  the  ordination  during  the	Annual	Greek  Landing	Day
celebration,  June  28	and  29,  2003."   Rev.  Graff	also  shared,  "The
responsibility	we  all have to keep the Kandili lit in honor and memory of
the first Greek pilgrims, and all our ancestors who came before us."

Rev. Graff then introduced Shrine Trustee, Mr. Nicholas Furris.  Mr. Furris
unveiled  the  St.  Photios  Shrine  Archbishop  Iakovos Endowment Fund and
Enrichment  Project.   He  described  the  various  design changes that are
proposed  to  the audio-visual and exhibit rooms.  Mr. Furris called, "This
bold  endeavor	honors	both  His  Eminence  Archbishop  Demetrios  and His
Eminence Archbishop Iakovos."

Mr.  Arthur  Anton,  Chairman  of  Leadership  100,  thanked Rev. Graff and
presented him with The Leadership 100 Apple of Appreciation.

On Saturday February 22, members of Leadership 100 traveled to historic St.
Augustine, Florida, the nation's oldest city.  They visited the St. Photios
National  Shrine  on St. George Street, and the Annual Memorial Service for
Leadership  100 members took place in the St. Photios Chapel.  His Eminence
Archbishop  Demetrios  of America, assisted by Deacon John Vlahos, the past
assistant  director  of  the  Shrine,  celebrated the service.	Joining His
Eminence  in  the  service  were  Metropolitan	Anthony  of  San Francisco,
Metropolitan  Iakovos  of  Chicago, St. Photios Shrine Foundation President
Metropolitan Alexios, and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos.

As  Shrine Chairman and on behalf of the St. Photios Foundation, Archbishop
Demetrios  welcomed  all  the  participants  to  the  Shrine.  His Eminence
commented on the witness of the National Shrine and its patron, St. Photios
the Great. "It is fitting we have this Shrine to commemorate our ancestors,
and  to  have  St.  Photios  as  our  patron,  who  sent  missionaries	and
enlightened foreign lands," said His Eminence.

The  St.  Photios  Shrine  is  the  National  Shrine  of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese  in  America.   It	celebrates  the  memory  of the first Greek
pilgrims who came to the United States in 1768.  As the only Greek Orthodox
National  Shrine  in  the United States, over a million people have visited
this historic site and have experienced in a small way the treasures of the
Orthodox Faith and Hellenic Heritage.

***************************************
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE LIST:
Send an email to:
listserv@listserv.goarch.org

In the body of the email simply type:
signoff archdiocese
***************************************

The Archdiocese list is being made possible by the Greek Orthodox 
Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries.