New York, October 30, 2026
Photo: Georgian Diocese in North America
His Grace Bishop Saba of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s North American Diocese joined two other Orthodox hierarchs and a deputy foreign minister in New York on October 27 for a reception marking 1,700 years since Christianity was declared the state religion of Georgia.
The celebration was organized by the Consulate General of Georgia in New York. Along with Bishop Saba, the guests included Bishop Nektarios of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and Bishop Kliment of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. Clergy from the diocese and other Local Churches and Georgian and American officials also attended the event, the Georgian diocese reports.
The gathering was part of a broader set of events organized by the government of Georgia and the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate. A Patriarchate delegation visited the United States for the anniversary, bringing the Icon of the Lot of the Mother of God and the holy relics of St. Gabriel the Confessor and Fool for Christ.
During the visit, Bishop Saba celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. King David the Builder in Pocono, Pennsylvania, and at the Church of St. Grigol of Khandzta in New Jersey. The Divine Liturgy was also celebrated in the diocese’s parishes in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Philadelphia as part of the anniversary celebrations.
In her remarks at Divine Liturgies celebrating the anniversary, the Consul General underscored the immense historical significance of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion of Georgia, an event that shaped the identity of the nation. She noted that for centuries, as Georgia stood at the crossroads of great empires and civilizations, it was the Orthodox faith that preserved the Georgian language, homeland, and freedom.
She also highlighted the special role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in safeguarding the national identity of diaspora members, promoting the Georgian language and culture, and strengthening bonds among compatriots.
In Tbilisi, the anniversary was celebrated earlier this month with a festive Divine Liturgy led by His Holiness Patriarch Shio of Georgia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of Prešov of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, with clergy from various other Local Churches joining in.
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