GREEK ORTHODOX CHANCELLOR VISITS TWIN CITIES
VISIT INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON,
US SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR AND
MINNESOTA SENATE PRESIDENT SANDY PAPPAS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, visited the Greek Orthodox parishes of Minneapolis and St Paul over the weekend of August 20-21.
He attended the Greek Festival at St George Greek Orthodox Church in St Paul on Saturday, August 20. He also officiated Sunday services at St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis on Sunday, August 21.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton invited Bishop Demetrios to the Governor’s Residence on Saturday. Bishop Demetrios was joined at this private meeting by Rev. George Dokos of St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, Rev. Richard Andrews of St George Greek Orthodox Church in St Paul, and Rev. Tim Sas of Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Duluth. Amongst other topics discussed, the group brought to the Governor’s attention the need for Minnesota to join the 44 states that have passed the Archon Resolution in support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Bishop Demetrios invited Minnesota State Senate President Sandy Pappas to join him as his guest Saturday evening at the Greek Festival in St Paul. Senator Pappas is of Greek Heritage. During this meeting as well Bishop Demetrios talked about the Archon Resolution. Senator Pappas committed to sponsoring the Resolution during the upcoming Spring 2017 Legislative Sessions.
Senior Minnesota United States Senator Amy Klobuchar joined Bishop Demetrios at Sunday services at St George Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis Sunday morning. In addition to officiating Sunday services, Bishop Demetrios also officiated two special services. The first was to tonsure as Church Reader (the males can also be called Acolytes) Paul David Hastings, Anthony Patridge, Elias Wehr, Vasili Konstandinos Nicklow, Paraskevi Dokos and Maria Georgia Makredes. The second service bestowed the Office of Confessor to Fr Jason Houck.
Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos serves as the Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago, under the leadership of Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago. In his position, he travels throughout the Metropolis of Chicago to visit most of the parishes annually. He has received nationwide recognition for his human rights activities and interfaith outreach, including his leadership in ending the death penalty in Illinois, state resolutions calling for Religious Freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and just recently this year official recognition by the United States of the Genocide by ISIS against the Christian minority population of Syria and Iraq.
The Metropolis of Chicago oversees all Greek Orthodox Parishes within Minnesota as well as Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and large portions of Missouri and Indiana. You can find more information on His Grace Bishop Demetrios and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago on our website: www.chicago.goarch.org.
