A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 30 - Tuesday, July 27th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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George Behrakis: Let Us Focus On The Future
BOSTON - George Behrakis, a prominent Boston businessman and philanthropist, member of the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Council, in an interview with The National Herald urges all at the 37th Clergy-Laity Congress “to focus on the future of our Church.” Mr. Behrakis, who donated the Metropolis of Boston’s Camp Center, believes that “we need to focus on the youth, on young adults between the ages of 20 to 35 to involve them in the community and the Church.” He urged the 43 plaintiffs who have sued the Church and the Archbishop “to drop their lawsuit,” adding that “we are a minority in America and we have to be very cautious how we expose ourselves to the rest of the country and the world.” NATIONAL HERALD: What are your expectations from this 37th Clergy Laity Congress? BEHRAKIS: I do not anticipate any changes. I believe that for the Clergy-Laity Congress to be successful it needs to have an agenda so we can form which direction the Church will take the next two years. I believe that the Church should put together a strategic plan and invite parishioners from across the country to be involved so that we can really focus on the future of the Church. N.H: Can you name some areas that need to be addressed? BEHRAKIS: We need to focus on the youth, on young adults between the ages of 20 to 35, to involve them in the community and in the Church. N.H: Should the Clergy Laity Congress deal with the Charter issue? BEHRAKIS: I think that the Charter is a done deal; we are wasting our time. I think we have to go beyond, the Church has to focus on the future. The Charter has already been approved and passed. These issues are past issues; I think we need to focus on the future of our Church. N.H: What would you say to those 34 plaintiffs who have filed a lawsuit against the Church and Archbishop Demetrios? BEHRAKIS: I think they should drop the lawsuit against the Church and the Archbishop. Become involved in creating a steering committee for the future of the Church and focus on issues and not on one issue, which is the Charter. In reading the Charter people may have many views, but if in our family question everything we will never progress as a Christian community. We are a minority in America and we have to be very cautious how we expose ourselves to the rest of the country and the world. I think we need to forget about these lawsuits and focus on the youth, on new priests, on the Theological School—which is the lifeblood of our Church. Holy Cross is actually our heart and soul, and we need to place more emphasis on it. We talk about it but we are still not there. We need to graduate 30 to 40 priests a year; we need to do more fundraising and not the fundraising we have been doing, which actually accomplishes nothing. The money that is raised is a pittance from a community that is well educated, well funded. People are not giving and this is one area that we need to be involved in. This Church cannot survive on a $14 million budget; this Church has to have revenues of $20 to $25 million to run necessary programs. Everyone wants to criticize but nobody comes forward. N.H: You have helped in the past to retire Archdiocese debt. Now we have another debt of about $6 million. Why does the Church have another $6 million in debt? BEHRAKIS: I think it is because we are not focusing on the budget that has been presented at the Congress. I think this is an issue of not spending money that you do not have, you live within your means. Every department has gone over budget, but when budgets are created they have to be followed, to be monitored, and they need direction. We had an increase of $1 million in revenue but we still have a large deficit. The increase of $1 million should not be used to pay the deficit. People do not give on deficits, on debt; they give for new ideas, constructive and positive ideas. The money is there, but if we have a debt, people are reluctant to give money to a debt. N.H: Would you comment on the $1.5 million in loans we took to pay the victims that were sexually abused by clergy? BEHRAKIS: I think that comment should come from the main administration and not from me; Manny Demos or Jerry Dimitriou should be answering that. I am not really knowledgeable in that particular area. I read about it in The National Herald. N.H: You mean you did not know about it? BEHRAKIS: No, I was a little surprised that $1.5 million was borrowed. N.H: How is the Theological School doing? BEHRAKIS: As you know, I have been out for little more than a year and really my interest there is donating but not being directly involved. I spent six and a half years there and I think it is good to get younger blood, younger people, new ideas, new vision, so I really have not focused on the school. N.H: But you have not gone to the meetings either. BEHRAKIS: Well I am not a member. I stepped down not only as vice chairman, but from the Board of Trustees too. N.H: Would you consider going back to help? BEHRAKIS: No. there are so many young people, well educated, well thinking people, that we have to really bring them in. The old guard who stays on and does not allow the young people [in] causes the failure of the organizations. Give the younger generation the challenge; give them the responsibility. N.H: What are your thoughts on the National Ministries and the way they effect, if they effect, the local parishes? BEHRAKIS: The internet is good but you need more communications, one-on-one communication. Internet is good, some people love it, others hate it, some people like it. N.H: Do we have the capability of establishing new Greek American Day Schools in the United States, like we have in Lowell? BEHRAKIS: Absolutely. I think that we should have more Greek American Schools. The one we have in Lowell is the oldest and now it is striving more. In September we are going to have 135 students and in the year 2006 we are going to have 160 students. N.H: How do you view the idea of establishing a Day Greek American School in Boston? BEHRAKIS: I think Watertown is a perfect example that they should have a Day School. Greek is the language that will follow you throughout your life because most of the English words derive from the Greek or the Latin. I believe that people will give for substance; people will not give for debt. N.H: Archbishop Demetrios now completes five years of Archbishopric ministry. What is your overall assessment of his ministry?
BEHRAKIS: I am
not involved in day-to-day operations of the
Archdiocese so it is very difficult for me to
assess anyone. I believe he is a well-educated,
well-rounded, excellent speaker. He came in at a
difficult time when the Church was in turmoil in
America, he was the buffer for the Church. No we
have to go forward. Now the future of the Church
is the key. The five years are up. Now he must
concentrate on improving our relationships with
each other. Growing our community, increasing the
value of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of
Theology, working on the parishes around the
country, working together with the Metropolitans
in a unified way so we all benefit. I think that
our focus has to change. |
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