14th Meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops Concludes in Colorado

DENVER — The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America finished its 14th annual meeting in Denver today following the Divine Liturgy and fellowship hour at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church. Vespers were held at St. Luke Orthodox Church in Erie, Col., on Thursday evening, as well as a reception. On Friday, the hierarchs held a private meeting.

A day-by-day recap of the meeting is below.

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Thursday

St. Luke Orthodox Church, an Antiochian parish located roughly 30 miles north of Denver, was the host site for the convening of the Assembly’s annual meeting. 

Following Vespers, which was presided over by His Eminence Met. Saba of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, remarks were given by Met. Saba and by His Eminence Abp. Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the chairman of the Assembly.

His Eminence Met. Saba. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA

Hierarchs present on Thursday, sorted by jurisdiction, were:

Orthodox Church in America

• Met. Tikhon of All America and Canada
• Abp. Michael of New York and New Jersey
• Abp. Alexei of Sitka and Alaska
• Bsp. Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese
• Bsp. Andrei of Cleveland and the Romanian Episcopate

Ecumenical Patriarchate/Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

• Abp. Elpidophoros of America
• Met. Savas of Pittsburgh
• Met. Gerasimos of San Francisco
• Met. Constantine of Denver
• Bsp. Joachim of Amissos
• Bsp. Ioannis of Phocaea
• Bsp. Athenagoras of Nazianzos
• Bsp. Nektarios of Diokleia
• Bsp. Anthony of Synada
• Met. Gregory of Nyssa, Primate of the American Carpatho-Russian Diocese of North America
• Bsp. Theophan of Philomelion (Albanian Diocese)

Patriarchate of Antioch/Antiochian Archdiocese of North America

• Met. Saba of North America
• Bsp. John of Worcester and New England

Patriarchate of Serbia/Serbian Orthodox Church in North, Central, and South America

• Bsp. Maxim of Los Angeles and the Western American Diocese
• Bsp. Irinej of Washington-New York and the Eastern American Diocese
• Bsp. Serafim of Kostajnica, Vicar to the Metropolitan of Midwestern America

Patriarchate of Bulgaria

• Met. Joseph of the Bulgarian Diocese of the U.S., Canada, and Australia
• Bsp. Clement of Levka, Vicar of the Bulgarian Diocese

Patriarchate of Georgia

• Bsp. Saba of the Georgian Diocese in North America

No Russian bishops were present.

Following Vespers, a reception was held with food and refreshments offered by hard-working parishioners. Various Orthodox ministries spoke about the work they each offer to the Church, and youth dancers provided the entertainment, with Romanian, Greek, and Serbian dance groups alternating performances.

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Friday

On Friday, a private meeting was held by the hierarchs in which they discussed issues of the day. Introductory remarks were offered by Abp. Elpidophoros, in which described the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea as a significant moment as the Church is seeing an influx of converts.

He also highlighted ongoing dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox and mentioned the upcoming visit of Pope Leo to visit Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople, while acknowledging the suffering of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the slaughter of Christians that is ongoing in Nigeria. He praised the Trump administration’s efforts to attain peace.

Abp. Elpidophoros also honored the memory of Abp. Peter of the Russian Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), welcomed the newly consecrated bishops (Serafim - Serbian, Clement - Bulgarian, Vasily - OCA) and acknowledged the retirements of Met. Alexios (Greek) and Abp. Benjamin (OCA).

The hierarchs who gathered in Denver for the annual meeting. Photo: Bsp. Constantine Moralis/Facebook

Met. Saba of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America gave a riveting speech on the convert surge to the Assembly, in which he talked about how Orthodoxy, which was once viewed as an immigrant faith tied to ethnic communities, is now experiencing unprecedented growth. With Western Christianity’s fragmentation, Orthodoxy offers authenticity, stability, and spiritual depth.

He also noted that this influx presents major pastoral and structural challenges. Converts struggle with integration, discipleship, and acquiring the Orthodox mindset, and many parishes lack sufficient priests, mentors, and catechetical resources, while clergy face burnout and overcrowded churches. Due to this, the Orthodox Church, which is long accustomed to survival under persecution rather than evangelism, must now recover its missionary identity, His Eminence said.

Saying that the century of “the Church of immigrants” has ended, and the “the century of evangelization” has begun, Met. Saba said that this moment offers both a grave responsibility and a divine opportunity: to renew the Orthodox mission and proclaim the Gospel freely in the modern world.

Abp. Elpidophoros’ full comments can be read here. Met. Saba’s comments can be read or watched here.

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Saturday

The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, with Abp. Elpidophoros presiding. The homily was given by Abp. Maxim (Serbian Orthodox Church), in which he spoke about today’s feast on the New Calendar - the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel.

His Eminence Abp. Elpidophoros. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA

“What we see is not all that exists,” he said. “These angels remind us of the fact that the world, the universe, and the entire creation is richer than our mind and our eye. When we say that the angels offer the doxology to the Triune God, we see this in our hymnography and our iconography… In our Byzantine iconography, the angels are depicted as deacons, and deacons as angels. That is beautiful, and something that demonstrates that this eternal Liturgy and Eucharist is something that we are taking part in right now.”

He expressed his hope that all present experience this eschatological reality. Speaking about the various messages that angels shared throughout the Scriptures, he ended by speaking about the Ascension.

His Grace Bsp. Maxim. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA

“When Christ was ascending, the angels were in awe… By being a human being, He unifies the visible and invisible - the uncreated and created,” he said. “The angels serve this joyfully, this mystery.”

Following the Liturgy, Anne Mackoul was presented with the Medal of St. Theodora by the Assembly. Judge Ray Lanier, who was unable to be present at today’s service, was also a recipient.

Mackoul converted to Orthodoxy in marriage to her late husband, and has served as a trustee for St. Vladimir’s Seminary and was the first-ever Executive Chair of the school’s Board of Trustees. An Antiochian parishioner, Mackoul has also been involved in ecumenical dialogue for the World Council of Churches and continues to serve as a consultant to the Assembly of Bishops’ Committee for Agencies and Affiliates. 

Lanier, the second honoree, has served as General Counsel for the Orthodox Church in America on a pro-bono basis for decades. He has been a strong advocate for the Orthodox indigenous peoples of Alaska, and has served on the Assembly’s Legal Matters Committee since its inception.

Abp. Elpidophoros also asked everyone to sing “eis polla eti, Despota (many years to you, Master)” on the occasion of Abp. Michael of the OCA’s name day. Abp. Michael also serves as treasurer for the Assembly.

Closing remarks were also made by Fr. Theodore Dorrance, hosting priest, and Met. Constantine, the hosting bishop.

Afterward, fellowship with food and refreshments was held in the church hall.