Diocesan Days 2027

DIOCESAN DAYS 2027

Highlights

Keynote Lectures by:
Metropolitan Nicholas and Archimandrite Elissaios

Divine Liturgy Services

Fellowship with Clergy and Faithful

Diocesan Days Banquet & Program

LOCATION & DATES

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
4436 E McKinley Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008

February 2027
(3rd Weekend)

Friday, February 19th
Saturday, February 20th
Sunday, February 21st

HONORED GUEST SPEAKERS

Nicholas (Hatzinikolaou) of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki is the Metropolitan of the Metropolis of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece. The metropolis is located in southeastern Attica in Greece. He has been metropolitan since 2004.

He began his post-secondary education at the University of Thessalonica where he studied physics. After graduating, he served his obligation with the Greek military services. He then moved to the United States and continued his postgraduate studies in astrophysics at the University of Harvard from which he received a Master of Arts degree, followed by further studies in engineering and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Additionally, he undertook studies in theology at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, earning Master’s degrees in Theological Studies and Theology. In addition to his studies, he worked as a researcher and research assistant in the Cardiovascular laboratory at the England Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and taught at Harvard University. During this time he was a scientific colleague at NASA and the Arthur D. Little Company. He returned to Greece about 1987.

Entering a monastic life, he resided at Mount Athos for two years before he was tonsured a monk on March 18, 1989, at the Stomion Monastery at Konitsis in northern Greece at which time he received the name Nicholas. Later, Monk Nicholas joined the Monastery of Simonopetra. Mnk. Nicholas was ordained a deacon on March 19, 1989, and a priest later that year on September 10. From May 1990, Father Nicholas served as parish priest at the Holy Ascension metochion of Simonopetra Monastery in Byrona (Vyronas), a suburb of Athens.

Fr. Nicholas was elected to the episcopate by the Synod of Bishops of the Church of Greece on April 26, 2004. He was consecrated Metropolitan of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis on April 30, 2004, by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, assisted in the consecration by fifteen other hierarchs, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

Since his ordination as a priest, Metr. Nicholas has continued his involvement in the medical and related arts. From 1991, he taught university courses involving medical, bioethical, and theological content at the medical schools of the Universities of Athens and Crete and the Theological School of Balamand in Lebanon. In 1993, he founded the Greece Center for Biomedical Ethics. In 2003, he received his Doctor of Theology degree in Christian Ethics and Sociology (Ethics) at the Aristotle University of Thessalonica. He also served as the director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics. Since 1998, he has been the President of the Synodical Bioethics Committee of the Church of Greece.

Read more: An Interview with Metropolitan Nikolaos http://amphilochios.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-with-metropolitan-nikolaos-of.html

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Archimandrite Elissaios is the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonopetra of Mount Athos. He was born in Myrofyllo of Trikala and attended the Church of Agioi Anargyroi of the Metropolis of Trikkis & Stagion. He soon joined the abbot of Meteora Monastery Aimilianos (Vafeidis) who was preacher and confessor. He was attracted to a monastic life under his guidance.

As life at Meteora became increasing difficult under the pressures of tourism, an opportunity arose when the governing body of Mount Athos invited this community of monks and novices, in 1983, to repopulate the ancient Monastery of Simonopetra, that under the charismatic elder the organization and structure of life of which was dramatically altered.

Elder Elissaios became the abbot of Simonopetra in 2000. Simonopetra Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece. Simonopetra ranks thirteenth in the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries.

HOTELS & TRANSPORTATION

Raddison Hotel by Phoenix Airport

Raddison Hotel by Phoenix Airport is about a 10 minute walk to St. Sava.

Visit

Residence Inn Phoenix Airport

The Residence Inn Phoenix Airport hotel is walking distance to St. Sava and located just down the sidewalk from the festival entrance.

Visit

Home 2 Suites by Hilton

Home2 Suites by Hilton Phoenix Airport North is located across the street from St. Sava.

Visit

COMMEMORATIVE ANNUAL BOOK
& SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

Contribute a special Greeting or Advertisement

The Annual, a beautiful Diocesan Days commemorative yearbook that reflects the past year in our Diocese and provides inspiration for both the present and future. Submit everything through the Online using email for Greeting text and the payment form below.

Examples: A congratulatory message, a message in Memory of a loved one, an advertisement for your business or a service you offer.

Become a Sponsor

Each year, Diocesan Days serves as the spiritual and cultural cornerstone of our diocesan community, bringing together our families, young adults, and youth from across the diocese for a weekend centered on faith, heritage, fellowship, and celebration. Please consider becoming a sponsor of this important and vital event in the life of our Church and Diocese.