Former GOA chancellor Triantafilou

calls for one autocephalous jurisdiction

of Orthodox in America

By Stephen P. Angelides

Orthodox News - November 14, 1999

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. November 14, 1999 (ON) -  Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, guestspeaker at tonight's dinner of the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), electrified the room when he unexpectedly ended his fundraising speech by calling for one autocephalous jurisdiction of Orthodox in America.

"Please forgive me for what I am about to say," Triantafilou cautioned. "After 100 years in America, its time that we have one jurisdiction of Orthodox in America so we can go forward together," he continued. "Orthodoxy in America needs to be an autocephalous body in America so we can go forward." "We are one body - IOCC expresses that in a most beautiful manner," Triantafilou concluded his speech.

The 400 guests present immediately gave him a rousing standing ovation.

Until its stunning last four sentences, Triantafilou's speech was a polished but predictable charity fund-raiser. He repeatedly praised and thanked the guests for contributing to the IOCC, and highlighted the IOCC's accomplishments.

Several members of the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL), including its President, George D. Coupounas, were present at the dinner, which they attended as the finale to the OCL's 12th annual meeting which took place this weekend in Berkeley. "We are very pleased to hear that one of our esteemed clergymen said the time has arrived for a united autocephalous American Orthodox Church," Coupounas said after the speech.

Triantafilou is a native of Woburn, MA. He is currently director of the Boston Diocese camp and retreat center. He has served several parishes in Massachusetts, Texas, and North Carolina. He is a former chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), and a former director of the GOA's Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 endowment fund.

Triantafilou has been a member of the IOCC Board of Directors since 1996, and is the father of Constantine M.Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO of IOCC.

IOCC was incorporated in 1992, through the initiative of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). According to Triantafilou, during the seven years of IOCC's life, it has leveraged about $9 million of contributions to access over $90 million in funds.

Most recently, Triantafilou reported, the total response to the Kosovo region through IOCC has reached nearly $3 million. He said IOCC has 12 to 13 staff members at its Baltimore headquarters, as well as staff members in most of the countries in which it operates.

Besides a couple of other brief speeches, the dinner guests were entertained by music and dancing from Russia, Greece, Serbia, and even Ireland. The dinner's fundraising goal was a $35,000 challenge pledge.

The dinner was hosted by the San Francisco Metropolitan Committee of IOCC, Steve Kreta.