wfn.org | GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE TO CELEBRATE GREEK LETTERS

[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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2005

Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE TO CELEBRATE GREEK LETTERS

New York, NY - The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Greek Education
has announced several events, to be led by His Eminence Archbishop
Demetrios of America, in observance of Greek Letters and Culture.

Celebrated annually throughout the United States by the Archdiocese and its
institutions in conjunction with the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs on
January 30, the event commemorates the fourth century scholars and
theologians, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John
Chrysostom, who espoused Christianity with Hellenism, its language,
philosophy, drama, poetry and art. Three Hierarchs Day was first celebrated
in the year 1100 A.D. when the Byzantine Emperor Alexis Comninos proclaimed
that January 30 be set aside to honor these men whose writings contributed
to the formulation of Greek Orthodoxy, Greek Culture and education.

Following is the schedule of events in metropolitan New York.

Friday, January 28 - 9:00 a.m.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios will celebrate the Divine Liturgy for
teachers and students (grades 5-12) of the Greek American Day Schools on
Friday, January 28 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (319
E. 74th St, NYC).  At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Archbishop will
bestow The Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence on the students who achieved
a score of 100 in the 2004 Comprehensive Examination of Modern Greek

January 28 - 4:30 p.m.
His Eminence will cut the traditional Vasilopita at the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese (10 East 79th Street) in honor of the administrators and
teachers of the day and afternoon schools. Principals, teachers, and school
board and PTA board members are invited to attend and receive the blessings
of the Archbishop.

Saturday, January 29 - 7:00 p.m.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios will preside at the Great Vespers at the
Three Hierarchs Church (1724 Avenue P, Brooklyn), followed by a
presentation by the students of the community's schools in celebration of
"Greek Letters".

Sunday, January 30 - 9:30 a.m.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios will celebrate an Archieratical Liturgy
at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in celebration of the
Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs. In celebration of Greek Letters, the
Archdiocesan Office will host a Reception and Lecture in the Cathedral
Center beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Dr. George Demacopoulos, assistant professor of Theology at Fordham
University, will speak on " A New Feast in the Orthodox Church: The Return
of the Relics of St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople".

VIDEO PREMIERE
There will also be a video documentary, funded by the Archons of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Order of St. Andrew, documenting the return
of the relics entitled: "The Return of the Holy Relics of the Saints
Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom from Rome to the Church of
Constantinople November 27 - 30, 2004".

Responding to the request of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew, and recognizing the importance of St. John Chrysostom and St.
Gregory the Theologian to Orthodox Christians around the world, Pope John
Paul II agreed to return the relics of these two great Fathers of the
Church and Ecumenical Teachers to their original resting place in the
Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by Archbishop Demetrios of
America and other hierarchs, traveled to The Vatican to officially receive
the relics from the Pope in a ceremony on November 27, 2004. The relics
were then returned to Constantinople and enshrined inside the Cathedral of
St. George at the Patriarchate on November 30, during a Pan-Orthodox
Liturgy ceremony commemorating St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint and
founder of the Church of Constantinople.

***************************************
Get your first 10 digital prints or your first roll of film FREE at:
http://www.orthodoxphoto.com

TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE LIST:
http://www.goarch.org/listserv/

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