Alaska: Archbishop of America offers Consecration Service at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church

Archbishop Elpidophoros offered the Consecration Service and Archierarchical Divine Liturgy on September 19, sealing the relics of the Holy New-Martyrs of Samothrace, Sts. Michael, George, Emmanuel, Theodoros, and George the Young, within the parish’s altar.

Serving alongside Archbishop Elpidophoros were His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea, Holy Transfiguration parish priest Fr. Vasili Hillhouse, Fr. Edward Hillhouse (Fr. Vasili’s father), Fr. Luke Kontgas (a former priest of Holy Transfiguration), Fr. Alexis Clodfelter, Fr. Marc Dunaway, Fr. Matthew Howell, and  Fr. Seraphim Majmudar. Serving as chanter was Dimitrios Katsiklis, Master Chanter at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine.

Following Saturday’s liturgical services, the parish celebrated with a banquet at the Anchorage Museum, complete with a Greek folk dance performance by the youth.

“What will our parish now be?” Fr. Vasili asked at the banquet. “My hope is that … our parish becomes a house and a true home of transfiguration for each one of us.”

Thousands of miles separate Holy Transfiguration…