Archbishop Elpidophoros receives 'warm welcome' after visiting Texas for the first time

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America during his first visit to Texas.

Born in Turkey in 1967, Archbishop Elpidophoros is the Archdiocese of America's eighth bishop since its creation nearly a century ago.

"I had the pleasure to meet Archbishop @Elpidophoros at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. This is His Eminence's first visit to Texas. It was an honor to see the new renovations. I appreciate the pastoral team and church members for the warm welcome," Mayor Turner said on Twitter.

Houston's Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral was founded in 1917.

Its present location has been a house of worship since 1952.

Archbishop Elpidophoros called the cathedral "the pride of the entire Archdiocese" in his May 30 homily.

He compared Texas hospitality to that the people of Samaria exhibited toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

Born in Bakirköy, Istanbul, Archibishop Elpidophoros earned his degree at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki — School of Pastoral and Social Theology in 1991. He completed his philosophical school of the University of Bonn, Germany in 1993. He was ordained in 1994 at Patriarchal Cathedral and was appointed as the codecographer of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Shortly after, he was appointed deputy secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod.

In 2005, he became chief secretary and ordained to the priesthood by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Patriarchal Cathedral. He became a professor of symbolics, inter-orthodox relations and the ecumenical movement.

"I am delighted to be with this beloved Cathedral, especially on the 50th anniversary of the Annunciation Orthodox School," Archibishop Elpidophoros said in Houston. "It truly is the pride of the entire Archdiocese, and you should all take deep satisfaction in the accomplishment of your community. You are a welcoming and inclusive community that is growing – much like the town of the Samaritans that came running out to meet the Lord Jesus in today’s Gospel reading."