TOMARAS: OUR ANSWER MUST BE AS FIRM A οΏ½YES!οΏ½ IN 2005οΏ½                  
AS WAS OUR οΏ½OXI!οΏ½ IN 1940.οΏ½ 

οΏ½With the earthly remains of two of the Three Hierarchs we honor at this time each year, namely those of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian, once again surrounded by the majesty of the Greek languageοΏ½after centuries of silenceοΏ½our observance of Greek Letters Day this year must take on even greater significance than in the past,οΏ½ maintains Chris P. Tomaras, V.P. of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½) and Regional Coordinator for N. & S. America.   Tomaras had been among the hundreds of faithful crowded into the Patriarchal Church of St. George to receive the relics following their return by Pope John Paul II to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in late November.  The comments were made following an event sponsored by the Metropolis of Chicago on Jan. 25 as part of its week-long οΏ½Greek LettersοΏ½ program: a lecture by Fordham UniversityοΏ½s Prof. George Demacopoulos.  After the lecture, a visibly moved Met. Iakovos addressed the crowd, saying, οΏ½In celebrating οΏ½Greek LettersοΏ½ we express our collective gratitude to the Three Hierarchs who further elevated an already revered and ancient language with their eloquence and zeal for learningοΏ½ It also reminds us, as a community, of the significant roles both our Orthodoxy and our Hellenic heritage play in our existence.οΏ½  The Chancellor of the Metropolis, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Demetri Kantzavelos, also spoke, observing, οΏ½It is more than a bit ironic that the better part of these οΏ½Greek Letters DayοΏ½ observances are oftentimes in English,οΏ½ and then proceeded to conclude his remarks in Greek. 

οΏ½We congratulate everyone involved in organizing the many observances taking place throughout The Americas this week,οΏ½ said Tomaras. οΏ½We also congratulate Archbishop Demetrios of America on his appointment of Dr. Ioannis Efthymiopoulos as head of the Archdiocese Department of Greek Education, as well as H.A.N.C., the organizers of last weekοΏ½s οΏ½3rd Symposium on Greek-Language EducationοΏ½ in Philadelphia, which had as its goal the creation of both a new Council and a Fund to support the learning of Greek.οΏ½  Tomaras addressed the Symposium, saying, οΏ½I believe this is a moment when our entire community should focus on a solution to the downward trend in which Greek-language education finds itself today.οΏ½
 
Our Message to the Omogenia for Greek Letters Day - 2005
οΏ½On this Greek Letters Day 2005, the first after our οΏ½Summer of PrideοΏ½ and the return of the relics of two of the Three Hierarchs to our care, let us truly celebrate our Greek language.  Let us do whatever we can, wherever we can, around the world to preserve and perpetuate its history, its contributions to civilization and its beauty.  Together with our Regional Coordinating Council members, past and present, I have always given the needs of our Greek educational programs and its teachers our highest priority, materially supporting Greek education both in The Americas and at the οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½-World level.  So faced with the question of whether or not the Greek language will survive outside Greece in the 21st Century, our answer must be as firm a οΏ½YES!οΏ½ in 2005οΏ½as was our οΏ½OXI!οΏ½ in 1940.οΏ½

SELECTED GREEK LETTERS DAY EVENTS - 2005

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS of AMERICA
οΏ½  JAN. 28- 9:00 AM  Divine Liturgy for students of the Parochial Day Schools; Presentation of Three Hierarchs Awards; Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, NYC
4:30 PM  ARCHDIOCESE  Vasilopeta and Reception for teachers and administrators of the day and afternoon schools
οΏ½ JAN 29- 7:00 PM  Great Vespers; Greek Letters Program by the community's schools and Reception; Three Hierarchs Church- Brooklyn, NY
οΏ½ JAN. 30- 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy; Archdiocesan Cathedral of          the Holy Trinity, NYC; 1:00 PM Cathedral Center, Reception;
2:00 PM  Lecture: In celebration of Greek Letters; Dr. George Demacopoulos of Fordham University will speak on: A New Feast in the Orthodox Church: The Return of the Relics of St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.

METROPOLIS of CHICAGO

οΏ½ JAN. 23- 10:00 AM  Memorial Service for Educators, Journalists, Media; St. George Church, Chicago, IL
οΏ½ JAN. 25- 7:00 PM  Hellenic Letters Banquet; Rosewood Banquets, Rosemont, IL
οΏ½ JAN. 27- 6:30 PM  Hellenic Letters Special Presentation;St. John the Baptist Church, Des Plaines, IL
οΏ½ JAN. 29- 7:00 PM  Great Vespers and Hellenic Letters Celebration;  Sts. Constantine & Helen Church -            Koraes School, Palos Hills, IL
οΏ½ JAN. 30- 10:00 AM  Divine Liturgy, Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs; Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, IL
οΏ½ JAN. 30- 2:00 PM  Hellenic Letters 2005 Luncheon;Chateau Ritz Banquets, Niles, IL
 Musical Presentation
 Dr. Fotis Litsas οΏ½Aristeion οΏ½οΏ½ οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½
 Presentation of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ Certificates

For additional information, please visit www.saeamerica.org
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