Archons Investiture in Canada

A Hierarchical Great Vespers was held on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto for the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios and assisted by 17 priests.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew honoured 10 Greek-Canadian Orthodox Christians across Canada with the title of Archon. At the conclusion of Great Vespers, the Investiture Ceremony for the Archons was held. Three new Archons were invested: Nicholas Aroutzidis, Archon Kastrinsios; Frank Topos, Archon Maestor; and, Dimitri Soudas, Archon Depoutatos. The remaining Archons will be invested later in the year during similar Great Vespers and dinners in Montreal and Vancouver, respectively.

After the Archon Investiture Ceremony, a dinner was held at the Metropolitan Centre next to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, with 260 people in attendance. The evening’s program began with prayer, followed by the national anthems of Greece and Canada. Speeches were delivered by: Jim Anas, Archon Depoutatos and President of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Canada; Archon Dimitris Soudas; and, the Hon. Alexandros Ioannidis, Consul General of Greece in Toronto.

A musical interlude followed the speeches, led by Fr. O. Drossos. It included three ecclesiastical hymns, four religious songs, and the Polychronion of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Metropolitan Sotirios addressed the attendees following the interlude. His Eminence concluded the evening by firstly thanking His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, along with all those who organized such a successful evening. A special thanks was extended to Mrs. A. Sotiropoulos, the Community President and Fr. F. Pappas, the Parish Priest.

Metropolitan Sotirios remarked: “What can I say? ‘Behold I and my children which God has given me.’ Who, if they were in my position, wouldn’t be overjoyed and proud?” His Eminence also announced that the Opening Ceremonies for the new wing of the Metamorphosis Greek Orthodox Day School would take place the next day, Wednesday morning.

Metropolitan Sotirios closed the wonderful evening’s festivities with a benediction, asking everyone to chant the pheme of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.