Abp. Elpidophoros Consecrates Only Greek Orthodox Church in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, AK — Abp. Elpidophoros of America traveled to Alaska last week for the consecration of Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, the only Greek Orthodox parish in the state and the northernmost parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH). The visit marked the community’s first archiepiscopal visit in nearly half a century.

The consecration began with Great Vespers on September 18, attended by more than 100 faithful. Abp. Elpidophoros presided alongside Metr. Gerasimos of San Francisco, Bp. Athenagoras of Nazianzos, Bp. Ioannis of Phocaea and parish priest Fr. Vasileios Hillhouse. At the conclusion, the Archbishop elevated Fr. Vasileios to the rank of Protopresbyter.

During the visit, Abp. Elpidophoros reflected on Alaska’s natural beauty during a trip to Portage Glacier, connecting the experience with Christian responsibility toward creation. “The beauty of Alaska . . . invites more than admiration. It invites contemplation. It invites thanksgiving. It invites responsibility,” he wrote.

He also encouraged the Anchorage faithful to regard the church’s consecration as the beginning of a new chapter rather than the culmination of decades of work. “This is not the end, it’s the beginning. You have the baby in your hands, and you want to make sure that this new life is healthy,” he said at the Vespers service.

The September 19 consecration service and Archierarchical Divine Liturgy included the sealing of relics of the Holy New-Martyrs of Samothrace in the altar. The celebrations concluded with a banquet at the Anchorage Museum, where parishioners reflected on the community’s history and its close bonds forged through Alaska’s geographic isolation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Abp. Elpidophoros said no machine possessed the mystery of human personhood.