Archbishop Demetrios Chair Established
The President of Fordham University, Fr. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. announced Tuesday Feb. 17, a Jaharis Family Foundation gift establishing the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture as part of the Orthodox Christian Studies Program of this renowned Roman-Catholic Jesuit University in New York. The announcement came at the conclusion of the Sixth Annual Orthodoxy in America Lecture given this year by Fr. Stanley Harakas, ThD, who is the Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology Emeritus at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Fr. Harakas’ topic The Future of Orthodox Christianity in America: A Normative Approach captivated his diverse audience of academics, clergymen, students and laymen. He outlined the threats and pitfalls but also the opportunities of the social and cultural reality in America and suggested ways of what we need to do and ought to do, as Orthodox.
Following the lecture President McShane announced the establishment of the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture through a generous donation of two million dollars by the Jaharis Family Foundation. Fr. McShane welcomed Michael Jaharis, a Founder of Leadership 100 and his wife, Mary, a long-time fulfilled member, as he expressed his great joy and gratitude. He further said that naming the chair after Archbishop Demetrios is a most deserving honor and that the University was “thrilled that his name (the Archbishop’s) and the name of the Jaharis family will forever be associated with Fordham.”
The program was hosted and presented by Professors George Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou, both graduates of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, associate professors of Theology at Fordham and co-founding directors of the Orthodox Christian Studies Program. In attendance were also the Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees John N. Tognino and the Secretary John P. Kehoe, Fr. Patrick J. Ryan, vice-president for University Mission and Ministry and many other Fordham professors and students.
From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America attending were Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, Nicholas of Detroit and Evangelos of New Jersey as well as Bishop Savas of Troas, the President of the National Philoptochos Society Aphrodite Skeadas, the National Commander of the Order of St. Andrew Dr. Anthony Limberakis and many orthodox clergymen, archons, professors and other faithful.
