ADDRESS AT THE NATIONAL NATIONAL PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL ASSEMBLY DURING THE 43rd CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
(Nashville, TN – July 3,2016)

Your Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America,
Beloved Ms. Maria Logou, President of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society of the Holy Archdiocese of America,
Dear Sisters in the Lord,

It is the highest privilege and a great honor for both of us, His Eminence Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronos Damaskenos and myself to convey to you the paternal wishes and blessings of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who always speaks in very laudatory words on the great work of the National Philoptochos Society of America.

We thank you most warmly for your kind invitation to participate in the events to mark the historic Anniversary of 85 years of operation and charitable work of the National Philoptochos Society in America.

Please allow us humbly congratulate you for your great work, which not only has had an impact within America, but it has also positively influenced other Orthodox Churches. In Korea, too, we are trying to organize the charitable work of our Church based on the model of your Philoptochos Society.

The concept of volunteering, on which your work is founded is light. It is the light of Christ, which illuminates and dispels the darkness of selfishness. It is the voice of God that declares to the modern changing world that God is Love.

We hope and pray that you may continue with the same and even greater zeal your God-pleasing work and teach by your example what the Evangelist John the Theologian writes: “My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and Truth.” (1 Jn. 3:18)

We thank you again for what you are and for the work you do and wish you good health, a long life and every blessing from the Lord to you and to your beloved ones.

+ Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea