Just weeks after formally launching fundraising efforts for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation with the dissemination of substantive informational literature, the Foundation has an ever-growing number of FOUNDING MEMBERS, who have now raised over $10 million for the economic stability and worldwide salvific ministry of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn, New York became the first parish in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to donate $100,000 to become a FOUNDING MEMBER, putting the total amount of donations above the ten-million-dollar mark. Other parishes are expected to follow the lead of Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral in the near future.

FOUNDING MEMBERS have answered the call to establish the financial foundation of the Spiritual Center of Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, once and for all by giving at least $100,000, payable over ten years. These individuals have stepped up once again, as they have multiple times in their lives, generously serving the needs of the Church at the local, Metropolitan, Archdiocesan and now the Ecumenical Patriarchal levels. FOUNDING MEMBERS come from all walks of life, and for many, this pledge entails deep and ongoing sacrifice. With these generous donations, they honor the historic legacy of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the longest serving Ecumenical Patriarch in history.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America stated: “This is an extraordinary milestone. The FOUNDING MEMBERS of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation have answered the call to ensure the economic foundation of the Holy Mother Church for generations to come. and we are all grateful for their stewardship.”

Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Chair of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, said: “The establishment of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation is a watershed initiative of the Order, consonant with our sacred mission and ministry: to Promote and Defend the Holy Mother Church and by providing a firm economic foundation, we are doing exactly that.”

Archon George E. Safiol, Vice Chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees, added: “It is striking that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation was able to reach this level of donations so soon after its founding. It is a testament to the deep love of the Greek Orthodox faithful in the United States for our Holy Mother Church in Constantinople.”

Aphrodite Skeadas, Chair of the Foundation’s Communications Committee, said: “It is gratifying to see this remarkable outpouring of support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It demonstrates the determination of Orthodox Christians to protect and defend the Holy Center of our Faith.”

Maria Allwin, Chair of the Foundation’s Disbursements Committee, stated: “Raising ten million dollars for the Ecumenical Patriarchate in a matter of weeks is a truly amazing achievement of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation’s FOUNDING MEMBERS. It shows the Foundation is prepared to assume a key role in ensuring the long-term financial health and security of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

In the presence of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew himself, the Hon. Michael R. Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State, is slated to give the keynote address at the FOUNDING MEMBERS Banquet of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation in New York City on Friday, October 29, 2021 during Archon Weekend. At that event, FOUNDING MEMBERS will be recognized for their sacrificial gifts.