Braintree, Massachusetts, March 2, 2026
Photo: orthodoxobserver.org
The primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church began his visit to the United States with a pan-Orthodox Liturgy for the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy at a Greek Orthodox Church in Massachusetts.
His Beatitude Archbishop John of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania presided over the service at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Braintree, concelebrated by brother hierarchs from America and abroad, reports the Orthodox Observer.
Joining him were Archbishop Elpidophoros and several other hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Bishops Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese and Benedict of Hartford and New England (OCA), Metropolitan Neofitos of Eldoret and Northern Kenya (Alexandria), Bishop Irinej of Eastern American (Serbian), Bishop Saba of North America (Georgian), Metropolitan Kyrillos of Krini, Patriarchal Exarch of Malta (Constantinople), Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA), and Bishop Theophan of Philomelion (Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas-Constantinople).
Photo: orthodoxobserver.org
They were also joined by priests and deacons from the OCA, the Antiochian Archdiocese, and the Georgian Church, in addition to a number of GOARCH clerics.
“The world needs to see us together—we need a visible unity,” Abp. John said. “In heart we are united with each other, but we should show the world this. We cannot invite other people for dialogue if we do not dialogue with one another.”
The Albanian Archbishop was invited to America by Abp. Elpidophoros to offer the keynote at a conference honoring his predecessor, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, who reposed in the Lord in January 2025.
The conference, entitled “Anastasios: Archbishop, Theologian, and Missionary” begins today at Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts and runs through Wednesday.
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