This is the 42nd Commemoration of the Fall of Constantinople which occurred on May 29, 1453.  The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, the Order of St. Andrew Metropolis of Chicago Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Hellenic Society of Constantinople sponsor this event annually to raise awareness of the issues facing the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul; to inform people in the Metropolis of Chicago of the plight of the few remaining Orthodox Christians in Turkey, first of whom is our Ecumenical Patriarch; and to educate the Orthodox in the Metropolis of Chicago about the roots of their Orthodox faith.

This year’s event will take place on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 7pm at SS Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, Glenview, IL.  Our guest speaker will be Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Professor of Conflict Resolution at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University where she directs the initiative on Religion, Law and Diplomacy.  Dr. Prodromou is an internationally recognized leader on issues of religion and human rights and a previous Vice Chair and Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  She has been called upon to represent, advise and speak at the highest levels of educational institutions, international commissions, governing agencies, museums, diplomatic efforts and religious authorities all over the world. 

She will focus her presentation this year on commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne which took place on January 30, 1923.  The treaty set the stage for the massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey and caused the eventual eradication of Greeks in Asia Minor throughout the 20th century.