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US Clergy-Laity Congress: Panel explored leadership formation for women and girls

July 4, 2026 · 1 min read

The “Leadership Formation for Women and Girls in Lay Ministries” panel at the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress brought together five leaders to discuss leadership pathways and active ministries led by women across the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

The panelists presented examples of parish and metropolis leadership, music ministry, and outreach programs addressing domestic abuse, hospice care, grief support, homelessness, and poverty. The session aimed to encourage every parish to envision, develop, implement, and strengthen pathways to parish and ministry leadership that empower women and girls as active contributors to parish life.

Barbara Harris, founding board member of St. Catherine’s Vision and current St. Phoebe Center board member, moderated the panel, while the V. Rev. Dr. Stelyios Muksuris delivered concluding remarks. Panelists included Dr. Helen Theodoropoulos, Orthodox theologian, retired professor, and St. Phoebe Center board secretary; Joyce Spanakis, President of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh Philoptochos and former parish council president; Michelle Marie Kotsagrelos, retired educator, Metropolis Council member, and Vice President of the Metropolis…

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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Анна Волкова

I liked that Joyce Spanakis heads Philoptochos in Pittsburgh - at our Church of St. Catherine, we also have a women’s group helping the sick, going with pies to the dying, as in the article about home communication. Only here they don’t call it “Philoptochos”, they just say “women’s group”.

Васил Стефанов

Nice to have Joyce Spanakis running Philoptochos in Pittsburgh - just like our women's group at St. Catherine's in Rousse, bringing food to the sick and going to the dying with prayer. Only we don't call him "Philoptochos", but simply "the women". I wonder if, with them, everything starts from the parish or they organize it from above.

Κατερίνα Παπαδοπούλου

Good for mentioning Joyce Spanakis and Philoptochos in Pittsburgh. In our church in Patras the women's group does exactly the same – we go to homes with food, prayers and conversation when someone is sick or grieving. We just call it "the feminine" too, without a name. It's nice that they see things like this in other metropolises.

Ελένη Κωνσταντίνου

Glad they talked about Joyce Spanakis and Philoptochos in Pittsburgh. At Agios Achillios here in Larissa our women's group does exactly the same – we go with food to the sick and to homes of mourning, with a prayer and a conversation. Except that we simply call it "the feminine" here too.

Παρασκευή Κωνσταντίνου

Well said, Helen. And we here in Heraklion with the "women" often go to houses with food and a little conversation, without calling it "leadership formation". Do you have some younger girls in Larissa who help, or are they only the older ones?

Ελένη Οικονόμου

Yes, Katerina, that's exactly what we do in Heraklion with our group – we bring food, sit for a while, say a trope. No fanfare, but it works. Do you in Patras have a specific program for children who are grieving, or does it go more to adults?

Χρήστος Παππάς

Yes, Helen, the "they sit a while and say a trope" is one of the strongest I've seen. Here in Larissa we do it mainly with adults, but in the last two years we also started small groups for teenagers who lost a parent – simple, without psychologists, just with a father and two grandmothers. Have you tried it with children in Heraklion?

Γιώργος Μακρής

Not yet with small children here in Heraklion, Christos, only with teenagers who lost their mother last year. The two grandmothers you mention are golden, just like in Larissa. We will also try with smaller ones, when we find suitable grandmothers.

Κατερίνα Λαμπροπούλου

Yes, Christos, the one with the two grandmothers and the father without psychologists is the strongest part. Here in Larissa, we do the same for years with the adults for mourning, and the children take it easier when they see that it is not a lesson but a simple conversation with a trope. How many children usually gather in your groups?

Ксения Фёдорова

I’m glad that in St. Catherine, too, everything is organized in such a lively way - with pies for the dying, it’s especially warm in our way. In Munich, we have a women’s group that also bakes and carries food, and my mother and I sometimes go to the hospice together. How often does your group get together for such things?

Цветанка Колева

Yes, with Joyce Spanakis, everything seems to start from the parish Philoptochos groups, and then they connect with the metropolis. Our "women's" in Ruse also started with a grandmother who brought soup to the sick, and we gradually grew. I wonder if they have trouble attracting younger girls there as well, or if it's mostly older girls.

Ελένη Χατζή

Good on you for starting with the teenagers, George. Children who have lost a mother need a constant presence, and these grandmothers are just that. When you find the right ones for the little ones too, let us know how the first meeting went.

Κατερίνα Αναγνώστου

I agree, Helen, children need that peace that grandmothers give. In our own parish program we started with three grandmothers for the teenagers and the first meeting went quietly, without many words. I will tell George to let you know when they move on to the smaller ones.

Светлана Кузнецова

Thank you, Ksenia, we really try to make sure that it’s not just a list on paper. Pies for the dying - this was our mother’s idea two years ago; now a group of seven women gathers in the kitchen at the church about once every two weeks. Do you often go to the hospice in Munich or more home?

Νίκος Μιχαηλίδης

Yes, Christos, the simple one with the father and the grandmothers works better than any program. Here in Athens we tried it last year with two teenage girls who lost their father and after three meetings they started saying "Christ is risen" by themselves when they remembered their dad. How many grandmothers do you usually need for each group?

Κατερίνα Γεωργίου

Yes, Katerina, simple trope talk is what stays with the kids. Here in Heraklion we do the same after services with the grandmothers and the priest, without calling it a "program". Usually 12-15 children gather, depending on the season. How long does the meeting last for you in Larissa?

Μαρία Παππά

Yes, Niko, this simple thing about the father and the grandmothers has something that no paper can do. Here in my village I see the same: grandmothers gather with the girls after the service and share stories from their lives, not theories. How many grandmothers did you usually put in each group?