GOARCH Sets 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress for Cleveland
Official logo of the 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress. Photo: GOARCH website
NEW YORK — The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) has announced that its 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, from June 30 to July 2, 2026. Approved last year by the Holy Eparchial Synod, preparations are underway as a full planning committee is being formed and will begin its work following Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s U.S. visit this fall. John and Effie Trihas will co-chair the gathering, centered on the theme “Rise and Build” from Nehemiah 2:18, highlighting parish growth and renewal.
Host hierarch Met. Savas of Pittsburgh welcomed the opportunity to bring the faithful together in Cleveland, calling the event a moment for “inspiration and renewal.” Abp. Elpidophoros emphasized the Congress’s focus on strengthening worship, ministries, service, and unity across parishes.
Running concurrently will be the National Philoptochos Convention and, beginning July 2, the National Young Adult League Conference. Organizers promise a streamlined schedule, expanded ministry programs, and cultural events tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Recently, UOJ reported on Abp. Elpidophoros's discussion with Abp. Ieronymos of Athens regarding the role of GOARCH in strengthening the Greek diaspora's ties with the Motherland.
Read also
GOARCH Sets 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress for Cleveland
GOARCH will convene its 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland, highlighting parish renewal under the theme “Rise and Build,” alongside major Philoptochos and young-adult gatherings.
Monastic Vocations Gathering Draws Young Men to St. Peter's Monastery
Visit from Hilandar abbot highlights growing interest in Orthodox monastic life in America.
HCHC Wins $7.5 Million Lilly Endowment Grant to Revamp Priestly Formation
Grant will fund redesigned Master of Divinity program with extensive parish-based training.
Islamists Desecrate Orthodox and Presbyterian Churches in Sudan
Two Port Sudan churches were defaced with Islamic graffiti, highlighting rising anti-Christian hostility amid the Sudanese civil war.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Falls Asleep in the Lord
The Tokyo-born performer will be remembered for decades of film and TV work. In 2015, he was baptized into the Orthodox faith, taking the name Panteleimon.
Midwest Churches to Host Lectures Marking 100 Years Since St. Tikhon’s Repose
Holy Trinity Seminary professor Protodeacon Andrei Psarev will tour the Midwest to deliver a lecture series honoring St. Tikhon of Moscow as "The First Patriarch of the New World."