The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco welcomed with great joy His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to Phoenix, Arizona during the 49th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival. On Saturday, February 14, 2026, the Archons hosted a dinner in his honor as has become the tradition each time the Archbishop visits the Metropolis of San Francisco.
Special guests included His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Krini and Exarch of Malta, His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea, and the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles Christina Valassopoulou.
Upon Archbishop Elpidophoros offering the invocation, the dinner celebration began with a welcome and remarks by Archon Regional Commander Hon. Steven Counelis (Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii) who served as Master of Ceremonies.
Regional Commander Counelis recognized Archon Dr. Michael Patazakis of St. Anthony Church in Pasadena, the recipient of the prestigious 2026 Metropolitan Anthony Humanitarian Award. Quoting from the award announcement to describe Dr. Patzakis, “He is a man of integrity, faith, vision, and service — embodying scientific excellence, moral conviction, and extraordinary generosity. Guided by deep faith, and shaped by early hardship, he has dedicated his life to healing and uplifting society’s most vulnerable.” AXIOS!
On behalf of all present, Regional Commander Counelis expressed the collective heartfelt gratitude to Regional Commander Gerry Ranglas and his wife Jeannie, Metropolis Philoptochos President, whose personal generosity and hospitality made the event possible. Their underwriting of the dinner allowed enabled our Archons to fulfill a commitment to support the Archon Pilgrimage of Discovery with a $12,000 donation, enough to sponsor two young adults.
Regional Commander Gerry Ranglas (Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii) offered a toast to Archbishop Elpidophoros, remarking, “We are grateful for your presence, for your leadership, and for the steady guidance you offer our Archdiocese and all of us who love the Church.”
At the conclusion of dinner, Regional Commander Isidoros Garifalakis (Pacific Northwest) presented a $12,000 donation to the Archbishop stating, “We present this gift in your honor: two full scholarships for the Pilgrimage of Discovery program. This sacred journey offers our young adults something truly life-changing. It brings them into direct contact with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and it helps them experience the heart, history, and sacred mission of our Mother Church. Through this pilgrimage, they do not simply learn about the Church. They encounter the Church. And through that encounter, they are inspired and strengthened for their own continued service to Christ and His Holy Church.”
His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos expressed his brotherly love and respect for the Archbishop, welcoming him to the Metropolis of San Francisco. In his remarks, Metropolitan Gerasimos shared, “We are deeply grateful to the Archons for honoring His Eminence with this dinner and for the love and respect they consistently show for his leadership. Your Eminence, we thank you for your pastoral care, your vision, and your unwavering commitment to the unity and vitality of our Holy Church. It is truly a blessing to have you with us.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed his profound appreciation for the donation and the tremendous value of the Pilgrimage. In his own remarks, he offered “Being with our Archons of the Order of Saint Andrew is always a well-pleasing feature of the Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival of this God-saved Metropolis. Your support for the FDF is a shining example to the other Metropolises, because the National Greek Folk Dance and Cultural Ministry, recently approved by the Holy Eparchial Synod, has already inspired similar efforts around the country.”
Photos Courtesy of Allen Altchech