With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, over 250 young adults gathered in Seattle this Labor Day Weekend for the Metropolis of San Francisco Young Adult League (YAL) Conference. Hosted at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue, the 2025 Conference offered the theme RENEW, offering participants the opportunity to deepen their faith, grow in fellowship, and live out the Four Pillars of YAL: Worship, Witness, Service, and Fellowship.
Keynote Speakers
Archon Dr. Peter Tarhanidis, Ph.D. M.B.A., offered Young Adults his deep insights into Orthodox Christian identity and how young adults may freely give of their time, talent and treasure to Our Lord, His Church, and our Community. As an expert in leadership development and an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University, his engaging content, entitled “Identity in Christ: Renewal Through Transformative Purpose” and presentation style challenged the audience to greater reflection and action.
Rev. Fr. Tom and Presvytera Patricia Tsagalakis inspired the Young Adults to “Authentic Connection: Renewing Relationships with Ourselves and Others” as leaders of the Metropolis Family Wellness Team. They were warmly welcomed back by the attendees, as Father Tom and Presvytera Pat have ministered to the YAL Conference year after year with their unique spiritual and interpersonal insights that ground the attendees in an Orthodox mindset.
Service in Action
A highlight of the weekend was the large-scale Diakonia Project, sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos to benefit The Outreach Program. Together, participants prepared 20,000 meals for individuals and families facing food insecurity in the local area. This initiative reflected the enduring generosity of young adults in partnership with Philoptochos and the transformative power of service when rooted in Christ.
Faith at the Center
Worship remained the heart of the weekend. Attendees joined together for Agiasmos, Orthros, Vespers, and Paraklesis, culminating in the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle. The parish graciously welcomed the conference attendees.
A Celebration of Creation
Inspired by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, known as the “Green Patriarch” for his ecological ministry and receiving the Templeton Prize, the conference concluded with the Sunday evening Gala, themed “Honoring Our Roots: An Evening in Creation.” Young adults and distinguished guests celebrated the beauty and order of God’s creation—both the natural world and the divine image within each person.
Archon Pilgrimage of Discovery
Hon. Steven Counelis, Archon Regional Commander (Southern California) and Dr. Gregory Papadeas, Archon Regional Commander (Denver), introduced three young adult alumni of the 2025 Pilgrimage of Discovery. Lenie Tsakonas, Chris Benis, and Demetra Zouzas offered their own personal and moving reflections on the impact the POD had upon their faith, their respect and love for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and newly found connection to the lives of the dwindling Orthodox Christian Community that remains under constant governmental oppression.
Also introduced were the POD Alumni Network Members who attended the Conference, and those who supported its presence at the Ministry Pavilion: 2024 POD Alumni Sophia Looney and Eliana Davis.
Ministry Pavilion
The Ministry Pavilion offers other ministries of our Church an opportunity for Outreach with the Young Adult attendees. This year the following institutions and ministries participated: Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology [HCHC], Orthodox Volunteer Corps [OVC], Orthodox Christian Network [OCN], Pilgrimage of Discovery [POD] by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate [AEP] and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Their active support and participation in the YAL Conference enriched the Young Adults with several opportunities for service to others.
Hellenic College Holy Cross served as a premier partner and lead sponsor of the Meet & Greet networking reception on Friday afternoon, creating a powerful space for inspiration, connection, and vocational discernment. HCHC ambassadors, Anna Teodosiadis and Christos Pappademos engaged directly with young adults, offering in-depth guidance on enrollment pathways, academic programs, degrees, and the broad spectrum of formation opportunities available. Beyond information-sharing, the afternoon became a true moment of recruitment and calling—where students were invited not only to explore academic options, but to envision how their faith, leadership, and service could be shaped for the future through Orthodox Christian higher education in person at the Holy Hill or through remote learning.
On Saturday, another Meet & Greet networking reception was jointly co-sponsored by Metropolis Philoptochos and the Orthodox Volunteer Corps, uniting philanthropy and hands-on service in one powerful evening of inspiration and recruitment. The program featured dynamic presentations by Demetra Zouzas, OVC Manager of Organizational Growth, who offered compelling personal witness and detailed insight into year-long volunteer placements, intentional community living, professional development, and Orthodox spiritual formation. The presence and remarks of Metropolis Philoptochos President Jeannie Ranglas reinforced the Church’s lifelong commitment to service, stewardship, and faith in action. Together, the co-sponsors created an atmosphere that went beyond information-sharing—awakening discernment, inviting young adults to see service not as a season, but as a sacred calling woven into a life of Orthodox Christian leadership.
Leadership and Gratitude
The success of this milestone conference was made possible through the leadership of Conference Advisors Archon Hon. Steven and Stacia Counelis, along with Spiritual Advisor, Rev. Father Nicholas Metrakos. Their vision, guidance, and pastoral care shaped a weekend that kept Christ at the center.
Conference Co-Chair Eva-Marie Kailas reflected on her personal journey of faith and the conference theme of renewal:
“I believe God has granted us the gift of renewal in order to reframe and reorient our lives to Christ’s life. Renewal isn’t a single moment—it is a daily invitation. Whether through stewardship of the Church, authentic relationships, or devotional prayer, God’s light guides our hearts in the ways He knows we are able. My hope is that this weekend has given each of us the tools, insights, and connections to carry forward whatever path of renewal Christ has set before us.”
Conference Co-Chair Joseph Dumont also addressed participants, sharing reflections from his own journey:
“Why renew? Why this theme…
Well to be honest, and thinking of my own life, we constantly find ourselves in a perpetual state of renewal. We pick ourselves up, get closer and then find ourselves drifting and needing to reset, recharge, and get life again. The life of being authentically who we’re created to be. To worship and glorify God, and how dependent we are on Him every second of our lives, despite us being unaware most of the time because of our brokenness.
But take this to the bank, its Christ and a life in the Church that fixes that and makes us whole, and honestly over an entire lifetime of faith in practice and patient endurance. We all intrinsically know what’s important and what we should be doing. And there’s something special about being in the environment of YAL, where it sparks the action and encouragement of doing so.”
The YAL Conference Committee expresses its agape and deepest thanks to His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco for his paternal love, spiritual guidance, and consistent presence with us.
Special thanks are extended to Conference Co-Chairs Eva-Marie Kailas and Joseph Dumont, Vice-Chair Julia Pappas, and the dedicated Executive Committee members: Katherine Anastopulos, Christina Bayouk, Anna Counelis, Alexander Grayson, Eleni Gulas, Cassiani Kateyiannis, Alex Krantz, Sophia Looney, Lucas Paris, Demetrios Pickett, Dean Sofianopoulos and Lenie Tsakonas. Their tireless work, supported by dozens of volunteers, brought the Conference to life.
The YAL Conference attendees received spiritual nourishment from our inspired Convo Breakout Speakers, who shepherded the intimate encounters which brought everyone together into community: Rev. Fr. Photios Dumont, Rev. Fr. Dean Kouldukis, Rev. Fr. James Kumarelas, Rev. Fr. Spyridon Rice, and Ms. Liza Gan. Their enriching encounters were a blessing to all attendees.
The 2025 YAL Conference was made possible, in significant part, by a generous grant from Leadership 100, whose ongoing commitment to Orthodoxy and Hellenism ensures the future of this vital ministry. Gratitude is also extended to the many donors and sponsors who contributed their time, talent, and treasure for the success of this year’s gathering.
For photos, highlights, and continued updates on YAL programming, follow @yalconference on Instagram or contact the planning team at registration@sfyalconference.org.
Photo Credit: Allen Altchech Photography