NEW YORK, NY – [Photo: GANP / Dimitrios Panagos]
Forty‑seven new Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from throughout the United States will be invested by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros on Sunday, October 18, after the Divine Liturgy at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, concluding the annual Archon Weekend in New York City.
According to a press release by the Order, the new Archons, like their brethren, make a solemn commitment to dedicate themselves to the protection and defense of the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople.
During the Investiture service, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will present each Archon with the Cross of St. Andrew and the official Patriarchal Certificate specifying the Offikion that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has designated for each Archon.
His All-Holiness has explained that these Offikia “represent significant public and ecclesiastical ministries and offices in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire and our Orthodox Church. They presuppose education, legal knowledge, diplomacy, linguistic skills, high intelligence and, above all else, devotion to the sacred mission of the Church and our People’s sacred traditions”.
“The Archons have one of the longest and most illustrious histories of any organization in human history. They represent the nobility of the Church, both in the days of the Byzantine Empire and today. Archons are charged with the sacred responsibility of being indefatigable defenders of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and acting as goodwill ambassadors of the Phanar in their daily lives”, stated Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, The Archon Grand Aktouarios and National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“These dedicated and devoted new Archons have been chosen for their exemplary Christian stewardship, which they will now take to a new level of service to the Sacred Center of our Holy Orthodox Faith”, he added, congratulating the Archon Class of 2026 and expressing gratitude to the Committee to Recommend New Archons, chaired by Archon Constantine G. Caras, Esq. “They administered the selection process in a thorough, efficient, and highly effective manner”, he said.
The Archons to be invested include Paul H. Athens (Oakbrook, IL), Spiros Peter Beckas, (Long Beach, CA), George G. Bellios, DMD, (Pittsburgh, PA), Ivan Belya, Th.D, (Dania Beach, FL), Christopher Steven Canellos, (Dallas, Texas), Charles Capetanakis, Esq, (Brooklyn, NY), Constantine T. Dalson, (North Wales, PA), Petros Gikurias, (Ocean City, MD), George Michael Gines, (Northvale, NJ), James Edward Gore, MD, (Brentwood, TN), Mark T. Hudoff, (Corona Del Mar, CA), Hon. Michael Huffington, (Miami Beach, FL), Todor Jeliaskov, (Boca Raton, FL), Christ Kanellakis, (New Orleans, LA), Dimitri Nikitas Kessaris, MD, (Southampton, NY), James John Klemes, (Raleigh, NC), Anthony James Lalikos, (Springfield, MA), Charles Thomas Lelon, (Wellesley Hills, MA), Constantine Demetrios Liollio, (Charleston, SC), Theodore Christos Livanos, (Brookville, NY), Nickolas J. Lorentzatos, (Houston, TX), Loukas Loukopoulos, (Denver, CO), Paul J. Lountis, (New York, NY), Dean James Marousis, (Chicago, IL), John Mercuris (Prairie City, IA), Stephen J. Miller, (Wappingers Falls, NY), Steven Aristotle Mirones, (Staten Island, NY), Theodore T. Pappas, (Western Springs, IL), Peter Parthenis, (Boca Raton, FL), John Dimitrios Passalaris, MD, (Skillman, NJ), Peter Alexander Patsavas, DDS (Orland Park, IL), General Andrew Peter Poppas (Alexandria, VA), Ernest Stephen Rafailides, Esq., (Timonium, MD), George Sitaras, Esq., (New York, NY), George Stavro Soussou, Esq, (Tenafly, NJ), Michael A. Syrengelas, (Los Alamitos, CA), Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, (Dix Hills, NY), George Tenedios, (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), Nicholas Theodore, MD (Paradise Valley, AZ), Frank N. Tsamoutales, (Vero Beach, FL), Evangelos S. Tsivicos, (Ocean Township, NY), Constantinos V. Tsourakis (Astoria, NY), John Harry Vratsinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Harry James Wilson (Scarsdale, NY), David C. Wittig (Southampton, NY), Emmanuel E. Zervos, MD (Greenville, NC) and Aristotle Zervoudis (Upper Saddle River, NJ).
