July 30, 2024
Good afternoon,
In this edition of the Orthodox Observer, find videos from AHEPA and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America’s visit to Cyprus, info about the Metropolis of Boston’s Kosmos Project cultural exchange program, and a review of Alex Christofi’s new book release Cypria: A Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean – A Gripping New History of Cyprus.
Kindly forward this email to family and friends so that we can share with more faithful the news from our Archdiocese, Metropolises, local parishes, and more!
Top News
President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides Presented with 2024 AHEPA Socrates Award
International leaders and AHEPA members and associates were in attendance, including the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Julie D. Fisher, the Greek Ambassador to Cyprus Ioannis Papameletiou, and the President of the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations Kyriakos Papastylianou.
Read More
Archbishop Elpidophoros
“Today, designated Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday by the Assembly of Bishops, we must be willing to see the face of Christ in the faces of incarcerated individuals. Each one of us is an icon of Christ, made in His image and likeness, capable of repentance and worthy of forgiveness.”
  • Watch: On July 26, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America concluded his visit to Cyprus by celebrating the Divine Liturgy alongside His Beatitude Archbishop George of Cyprus.
Photos from His Eminence’s visit to Cyprus
From the Archdiocese
Department of Religious Education (DRE)’s Did You Know: Athenagoras the Patriarch
Did you know that both the founder and the current director of the DRE share the same Saint’s name?
Read More
From the Metropolises
Metropolis of Boston Commences 2024 Kosmos Project: A Cultural Camp Exchange Program
His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston are pleased to commence the 2024 Kosmos Project: A Cultural Camp Exchange Program.
Read More
Metropolis of Boston Camp Hosts One of its Busiest Summers in the Last Two Decades, Concluding with the Ordination of Deacon Andrew (Jack) Bushell
On the final day of camp after six weeks of summer camp, including a week of staff training, over 600 faithful gathered at our Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Center for the divine liturgy and the ordination of Deacon Andrew (Jack) Bushell.
Read More
Parishes & People
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Anaheim, California Enjoys Inaugural Community Picnic and YAL/GOYA Soccer Game
On July 28, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Anaheim, California enjoyed their inaugural community picnic and YAL/GOYA soccer game.
Read More
Read More Parish Highlights Here
Affiliates & Others
Hellenic College Holy Cross to Visit Holy Land during 2025 St. Helen’s Pilgrimage
Hellenic College Holy Cross is excited to share that during his summer stay as invited “Scholar-in-Residence” at École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem, Dean Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc had a fruitful meeting with Fr. Oliver Poquillon, OP, the new Director of École Biblique.
Read More
  • Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) seeks missionary applicationsfrom seminarians, teachers, clergy, healthcare professionals, skilled tradespersons, engineers, and more
The Orthodox Observer Recommends
The Orthodox Observer Recommends is a new initiative of the GOARCH Communications Department. Each week, a team member will share something we’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or discussing together!
Alex Christofi’s new release was included on National Geographic’s Summer Reads 2024 list! This book was recommended by Corinna.
“Think of a place where you can stand at the intersection of Christian and Arab cultures, at the crossroads of the British, Ottoman, Byzantine, Roman and Egyptian empires; a place marked by the struggle between fascism and communism and where the capital city is divided in half as a result of bloody conflict; where the ancient olive trees of Homer’s time exist alongside the undersea cables which link up the world’s internet.
In Cypria, named after a lost Cypriot epic which was the prequel to The Odyssey, British Cypriot writer Alex Christofi writes a deeply personal, lyrical history of the island of Cyprus, from the era of goddesses and mythical beasts to the present day.
This sprawling, evocative and poetic book begins with the legend of the cyclops and the storytelling at the heart of the Mediterranean culture. Christofi travels to salt lakes, crusader castles, mosques and the eerie town deserted at the start of the 1974 war. He retells the particularly bloody history of Cyprus during the twentieth century and considers his own identity as traveler and returner, as Odysseus was.
Written in sensitive, witty and beautifully rendered prose, with a novelist’s flair and eye for detail, Cypria combines the political, cultural and geographical history of Cyprus with reflections on time, place and belonging.”
Interview with Author Alex Christofi
In Case You Missed It…