His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory visited New York City the weekend of Oct. 19th - 20th in order to attend the blessing of the newest class of 24 Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which this year included Stephen Petrick, esq. of our community in Bayonne, NJ.

On Saturday, Oct. 19th, after a long day of preparations for the new Archons, a banquet was held in the evening expressly for the honoring of the new Archon class and the awarding of the Patriarch Athenagoras Human Rights Award. The recipient that evening of the award was His Beatitude, Metropolitan Epiphany, visiting from Ukraine for the very honor and occasion. Our Hierarch Metropolitan Gregory was a witness to this event from the dais, in a beautiful evening filled with prepared remarks and a recorded video message by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

On Sunday, Oct. 20th, Orthros and Divine Liturgy were celebrated at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manhattan. The celebration was led by His Beatitude and concelebrated by brother Hierarchs, including Metropolitan Gregory. The events included a Diaconate ordination, as well as the blessing and awarding of newly-selected Archons. Archon Stephen Petrick was joined by dear family and friends, who all remained together in celebration for the afternoon.

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are individuals who demonstrate outstanding service to the Church, being well-known and well-established leaders in the Orthodox Christian community. It is their expressed mission to protect and promote the Sacred See of St. Andrew the Apostle, as well as to protect human rights at home and abroad wherever and whenever they are violated.
(www.archons.org)