BISHOP SAVAS OF TROAS TO LEAD NATIONAL YOUNG ADULT PILGRIMAGE TO ROME AND CONSTANTINOPLE NOVEMBER 4-11, 2005

Published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, April 20, 2005

Garrison, NY - Following the overwhelming success of the 2004 National Young Adult Pilgrimage to Greece and Constantinople, the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and the National Young Adult Ministry Committee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America are pleased to announce the 2005 National Young Adult Pilgrimage to Rome and Constantinople. His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, will once again lead the pilgrimage to sites of great historical importance and spiritual significance for all Orthodox Christians. The highlight of this experience will be an audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the historic city of Constantinople.

Participants will begin their trip in Rome, the Eternal City, home to an immense collection of early Christian history, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as timeless architectural wonders like the Pantheon and Coliseum. We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at San Teodoro Greek Orthodox Church in Rome, a 6th century Byzantine church dedicated to St. Theodore of Euchaita. After three days in Rome, the journey will continue with a four-day visit to Constantinople, where participants will travel to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the great Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the Church of Christ at Chora, the Monastery of the Zoodogos Pigi (the Life-Giving Spring), the Home for the Aged, the site of the celebrated shrine of the Panaghia at Blachernae, and the Topkapi Palace Museum, as well as have the opportunity to shop in the great covered Bazaar.

Bishop Savas described last year’s pilgrimage to holy sites in Greece and Constantinople as “an unforgettable experience, not only for the young adults but for myself as well. I know this year’s journey to two of the greatest and most historically rich sites of Christendom will likewise provide ample opportunities for growth in knowledge and self-understanding, for the establishing of lasting friendships and for spiritual refreshment and renewal.”

Pilgrimage registration will be limited to 35 young adults and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The dates for the Pilgrimage are November 4-11, 2005, and we will be departing from and returning to New York’s JFK Airport. For registration information, as well as articles and pictures from last year’s pilgrimage, please log on to www.youth.goarch.org or contact the Department at 646.519.6180.

Contact:
Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
646.519.6180



Volume 7 Number 17 - Tuesday, April 26th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY