A two day conference dedicated to the memory and legacy of +Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos

The Conference

This past June 12, 2020 – in the midst of the corona virus pandemic – marked the 25th anniversary from the blessed falling asleep in the Lord of our beloved and saintly Bishop Gerasimos Papadopoulos. To mark this important date in the history of our Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and in the life of our Church in America, the least that we could do was to remember our spiritual father and teacher in our prayers and to offer a Memorial Service at our Holy Cross Chapel and elsewhere around the country by those of us who remember him and hold him in our hearts with profound love and respect.

The Memorial Conference to mark this 25th anniversary from his death, as well as the 110th anniversary from his birth, which had been scheduled to take place at Holy Cross – Hellenic College on October 18-20, 2020, had to be, most regrettably, postponed for the obvious reasons caused by the ongoing pandemic. With the renewed blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros, our Conference Committee has made arrangements with the President and the Deans of Holy Cross – Hellenic College to reschedule this postponed Conference for October 19-20, 2021. Fortunately, all six of our scheduled speakers have agreed to be with us on the new date of the Conference. Our hope and prayer are, that by this time next year, circumstances will be back to normal, and our faculty and students will be on campus, and all the rest of us, who are able and willing, will be able to travel there for this important Conference.

The speakers and the program of this Conference will reach out in particular to the new generations of students and clergy and younger lay people of our Church in America, who did not have the opportunity to know Bishop Gerasimos personally. By presenting the spiritual legacy of this man of God, the Conference will seek to provide important information about his life and work, and thereby enhance the developing consciousness of the people of the Church here in America that Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos is indeed among the righteous and saintly men of God. As the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America is approaching her own centennial celebration in 2022, this time may very well be the right time, God willing, to have Bishop Gerasimos Papadopoulos, the blessed Elder of America, so declared officially by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

In preparation for this now rescheduled Memorial Conference, on October 19-20, 2021, we are sending this notice and appeal to the respected leaders of the APC, the RCA, and the NSP to inform them and all their members about this Conference and to ask for their help in promoting and supporting the Conference on Bishop Gerasimos of blessed memory.

In addition to promoting and supporting this Conference, we especially request that those among us – clergy and lay people – who knew and remember the saintly teacher, bishop and spiritual father, will continue to send us more of your favorite stories, memories, testimonies. We are collecting all of this material to be included in a Memorial Album to be published in time for the Conference. If you have not yet sent us your story, memory, or testimony for Bishop Gerasimos, please do so as soon as possible.

For the Conference Committee,

Fr. Peter A. Chamberas