Source: The National Herald
BOSTON – At the 35th Leadership 100 Conference, held in Phoenix, Arizona, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America set forth his intentions regarding the transformation of the Theological School into a university—as The National Herald had previously revealed—as well as the relocation of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of New York to St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan.
He also spoke of the sale of one of the two Archdiocesan Office buildings to finance the acquisition of St. Bartholomew’s, while the other building would be converted into the Archbishop’s residence. It is noted that Archbishop Elpidophoros has resided within the Archdiocesan building since the day of his arrival in America in June 2019, following renovations carried out on the premises.
According to a report in the official publication of the Archdiocese, the Orthodox Observer—published in English, as Greek has been almost entirely discontinued—the Archbishop articulated these intentions, which were presented as his “vision,” in response to a question posed by Leadership 100 Executive Director Paulette Poulos.
Specifically, when asked by Ms. Poulos to outline his principal visions for the Church, Archbishop Elpidophoros placed the Theological School at the very top of his priorities. He noted that as the institution approaches its 90th anniversary, its endowment remains smaller than the $38 million that Leadership 100 alone has granted it over 42 years.
“This school is the number one priority of our Church,” he declared. “We explored the idea to grow Hellenic College Holy Cross into a university. Why not?”
To illustrate his point, the Archbishop cited the example of the University of Balamand in Lebanon, founded in 1988 by Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch. That institution, he noted, began as a seminary in a monastery in the Koura District of northern Lebanon—not in a wealthy capital, but in a rural area near the Syrian border—and has since grown into a thriving university with some 15,000 students.
“In our case,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said, “we have a school for 90 years, located in the educational Athens of the world, in Boston. Let’s try to create the first Greek university in the United States.” He added that such a project would require careful long-term planning and the full dedication of the community, not just its leadership.
Moving the Cathedral to St. Bartholomew’s: “Symbols Matter”
Drawing a direct line from the legacy of Archbishop Iakovos—who walked alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 and in doing so placed the Greek Orthodox Church at the center of American public life—Archbishop Elpidophoros argued that the time had come for the next great step.
“It was Archbishop Iakovos who took a huge step,” His Eminence said. “He took an immigrant church and put it in the center of American political and economic life. Everybody now knows, after Iakovos, who the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is.”
The next step, the Archbishop proposed, is to acquire St. Bartholomew’s Church—the landmark Byzantine-style Episcopal church at 325 Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan—and make it the new cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
“In Manhattan, there are two monuments that are the monuments of Manhattan,” he said. “One is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And the other monument in Manhattan is St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue. I think it’s time for us to move to St. Bartholomew’s.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that St. Bartholomew’s is designated a National Historic Landmark and features richly Byzantine-inspired architecture.
The plan, as outlined by the Archbishop, would consolidate the institutional infrastructure of the Archdiocese. The substantial community house adjacent to St. Bartholomew’s could become the national headquarters of the Church. He proposed that Leadership 100, which currently pays rent for its offices, could relocate there. The National Philoptochos Society could also move in, as could the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Of the two Archdiocese-owned buildings on East 79th Street, the Archbishop proposed that one could be sold to help finance the acquisition, while the other—the building containing the chapel—could remain as the Archbishop’s residence.
“Symbols matter in this country and in every country,” he told the audience. “This will make our Church one of the mainstream churches in the United States, respected and accepted by everyone.”
Meanwhile, the current Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on East 74th Street could be repurposed to dramatically expand the Cathedral School, which the Archbishop described as struggling for space. He pointed to a growing demand for church-run parochial schools in Manhattan as a strong reason to give the school room to grow.
He also spoke of “the wave of converts to Orthodoxy” and the “need for well-trained catechists,” stating that “the Church needs certified catechists—individuals who have completed coursework through the theological school, received proper accreditation, and are equipped to be the designated teachers of the faith in their parishes. These catechists would bring consistency and quality to the process of receiving converts.”