St Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church - St Petersburg Florida

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Transition
On July 30, 1996, following the retirement of Archbishop Iakovos, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate established three new metropolitanates, Toronto, Buenos Aires and Mexico, each having specific areas of jurisdiction. The Holy Synod, by unanimous decision, also elected Metropolitan Spyridon of Italy as Archbishop of America.

Archbishop Spyridon was enthroned on September 21, 1996 as the first American-born elected as Archbishop of America. He served for three years before submitting his resignation to the Ecumenical Patriarch who announced on August 19th, 1999 that Archbishop Spyridon was appointed to the Metropolis of Chaldea.

Today
Archbishop Demetrios, the former Metropolitan Demetrios of Vresthena (Greece) was unanimously elected the new Archbishop of America on August 19, 1999 and was enthroned on September 18. In the time following his enthronement, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has labored together with the Hierarchs, Clergy and Laity of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in an intense effort to strengthen conditions of unity and peace and to advance administrative and ecclesiastical stability of the work of the Church in America. In the aftermath of the events of September 11th and with a desire to address the needs and challenges of our modern world, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has spoken repeatedly and emphatically about the vital mission of the Greek Orthodox community to offer the Orthodox faith in its full, genuine and loving form to contemporary America.

Father Robert G. Stephanopoulos is Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and Adjunct Professor of Eastern Christian Thought at St. John's University. He authored the Guidelines for Orthodox Christians in Ecumenical Relations, has served as Ecumenical Officer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese . A graduate of Holy Cross School of Theology, he studied at the University of Athens School of Theology and received his Ph.D. in Ecumenics. Missions and Religions from Boston University.