With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos, the New Jersey Archons will meet and celebrate the name day of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with an artoklasia service at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, Saturday, June 11. Following the name day service, a religious freedom symposium will commence with two distinguished speakers.
Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D., National Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew, will be the guest speaker for the first half of the symposium.
Fresh off the International Archon Religious Freedom Conference in Brussels, Belgium, and Turkey’s returning the confiscated Patriarchal Orphanage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Order of Saint Andrew continues to fight for religious freedom for the Holy See of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate. National Commander Limberakis will offer updates on the latest developments from meetings with government officials and religious leaders in Budapest, Berlin, Ankara and Istanbul during the Order’s recent “Religious Freedom Mission” to the European Union.
Dr. Thomas Papademetriou, the Constantine and Georgeian Georgiou Endowed Professor of Greek History and Executive Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, will be the guest speaker for the second half of the symposium.
Dr. Papademetriou has conducted extensive research in the Ottoman Archives and the Archives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey. His research focuses on the history of non-Muslims under Ottoman rule and he is currently directing an international collaborative project called the Anatolian Churches Project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Anatolian Churches Project is a collaborative international survey and study of religious structures created by the Greek Orthodox community in the regions of Anatolia, or Asia Minor, during the period of Ottoman rule.
A working luncheon will be held to discuss the day’s events, the organization and structure of the New Jersey Archons, and further efforts to be made for religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The artoklasia service and symposium will be held at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, 215 East Grove Street, Westfield, New Jersey. Please be present at the Metropolis for check-in by 10 a.m. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Archons Hon. B. Theodore Bozonelis and Michael F. Parlamis, Regional Commanders for New Jersey, are organizing the symposium. It is open to all Archons, their spouses, and other Orthodox faithful interested in the religious freedom pursuit for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The event will conclude at approximately 2 p.m.
Further questions for information can be directed to Archon Bozonelis at 973-635-7691 or njarchons@gmail.com. Please RSVP by June 1, 2011.
Donations will be accepted to the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle to help underwrite the expenses of the meeting.
