Announcement of the Decisions of the Holy Eparchial Synod: May 30/June 12 2015

On Friday, May 30/June 12, 2015, the Holy Eparchial Synod in America of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece convened in a regular session at the Holy Ascension Monastery in Bearsville, NY.

The following hierarchs were present: His Eminence, Metropolitan Demetrius of America, President of the Synod, His Eminence, Metropolitan Moses of Toronto, and Their Graces, Bishops Photios of Marathon (via telephone), Auxentios of Etna and Portland, and Christodoulos of Theoupolis.

The Holy Eparchial Synod discussed and decided upon the following items:

1. A petition to establish a specific day to honor those who serve in the parishes.

2. A report by His Grace, Bishop Photios of Marathon on current events from our Holy Synod in Greece. The Eparchial Synod expressed certain opinions which will be conveyed to the Holy Synod in Greece through His Grace, Bishop Photios at its next meeting.

3. The petitions of certain clergymen for reception by the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians.

4. A report concerning the recent trend in the U.S.A. and Canada toward the legal recognition of homosexual marriage. Our Church’s response to this was discussed.

5. A petition to convene a Spiritual Court.

Orthodox Awareness

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“Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.”
(Psalm 145:3)

We mustn’t have absolute trust in human beings for our salvation, no matter what dignity they have. Human beings are changeable. Today they are saints, tomorrow—deniers. Today—sinners, tomorrow—righteous. We must have absolute trust in God, and in Him we must base our hopes of salvation. “Blessed is he of whom the God of Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 145:5). Read more...

Missions

Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Jonesboro, Arkansas

Jonesboro is a town located near the Eastern border of Arkansas, with a population of approximately 60,000. From a human standpoint, it’s not the most likely candidate for a traditional Orthodox mission, but for an Orthodox Christian who orders his priorities around Christ and His Church, it makes perfect sense. Read more...

Youth

2025 Youth Conference

Please join us for the 2025 youth conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! To learn more, visit the conference website.

Ask A Priest

Fasting

Q. There seems to be a lot of variation in how people observe fasting, but my confessor told me to fast from oil on Wednesday and Friday. Oil is a pretty vague category, though, and I was wondering if I could get a more explicit description of what kinds of food and drink are excluded on strict fast days. Read more...