On March 16, 2021, the Archbishop of America Elpidophoros met with Patriarch Bartholomew and conveyed to him congratulations and wishes from the American flock on the 30th anniversary of his election and enthronement. The Archbishop of America presented the patriarch with panagias as a gift, which, according to him, he will wear on the coming Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, according to orthodoxianewsagency.gr.

At the meeting, the Archbishop of America informed the head of the Phanar about the progress in completing the Church of St. Nicholas at Ground Zero in New York, as well as the preservation of the academic and educational identity of the Greek College and the Seminary of the Holy Cross in Boston.

The Archbishop of America informed on the St. Nicholas Church in his monthly progress report that, despite the restrictions of quarantine, work continues at a rapid pace: “The temple will become a cenotaph for everyone who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. The events of that day and heavy losses, as well as the few relics of those who died, give the temple a special meaning. The temple will become a haven of memory and a place of worship, which imposes a special responsibility on the Greek Orthodox community.”