It is with immense joy that we announce the young adults selected to participate in the 2026 Pilgrimage of Discovery (POD). The POD is a life-changing trip to Constantinople to connect young adults to their religious, ancestral home and understand the relevance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as they prepare to lead the Orthodox Church in the future.
After a very thoughtful selection process, including a comprehensive application, recommendations submitted by their priest and upstanding members of their respective Metropolises, and a thorough vetting procedure, we have selected 18 young adults representing every Metropolis and the Archdiocesan District to participate in this once in a lifetime experience.
Below is the list of the 18 young adults that have been selected and alternates chosen in the event that someone cannot ultimately participate.
The Pilgrimage of Discovery committee is excited to have completed this next milestone in our development. We continue to work diligently nurturing and growing our program to reach its full potential to inspire and connect our future leaders to the Mother Church of Constantinople and, in so doing, strengthen the future of the Orthodox Church in the United States.
2026 Pilgrimage of Discovery Participants
Archdiocesan District
- Kaitlin Kaye
- Amerisa Kyriazis
- Maria Menoutis
Metropolis of Atlanta
- Stavros Boardman
- Mary Moshos
- Katherine Spetseris
- Nicholas Staviski
Metropolis of Boston
- Elaina Stamas
Metropolis of Chicago
- Maria Mantice
- Theodore Greanias
- Athanasia Tortorelis
- Niko Vasilopoulos
Metropolis of Denver
- James Vletas
Metropolis of Detroit
- Elias Kapourales
Metropolis of New Jersey
- Matthew Delaney
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
- Mauretta Patitsas
Metropolis of San Francisco
- Aleksandar Speedy Lucic
- Alanis Tziouvalas
2026 Pilgrimage of Discovery Alternates
Archdiocesan District
- Stephanie Ziu
Metropolis of Chicago
- Eleni Sakas
Metropolis of Atlanta
- Christo Ziogas
