Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We have finally come to the close of the work of this 34th Clergy-Laity Congress, and I stand before you, as your Archbishop, the Archbishop of all the Greek Orthodox Faithful of America, with a heart full of love and hope for the future. My hope springs from the fact that all of you, regardless of your concerns and opinions on any given issue, that you love your Church, and you love your Archdiocese.

I must thank again, the chairman of this assembly, Dr. Steve Gounardes, and all of the volunteers and staff that have made these deliberations the dignified, orderly and above all, Christian proceedings that they have been.

Together, we have laid the foundation for a new beginning in the life of our Holy Archdiocese. From here on, I pray that we will leave the anxieties of the past behind, and embark with one heart, on our common journey toward the New Millennium.

I bestow upon all of you here, my paternal love and blessing for the sincerity of your intentions and the genuine spirit of love that has, I believe, above any worldly law, ruled these proceedings. May God bless all of you, your church communities and your families. Amen.