Chicago, IL

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael created the Servant Leadership Awards to honor lay stewards in our Metropolis who have demonstrated exceptional and innovative servant leadership, and whose service has inspired others to participate in the life of the Church. Each parish within the Metropolis was asked to select an individual from their parish to receive the Metropolis Bronze Cross in recognition of his or her outstanding servant leadership.

The Bronze Crosses were to have been bestowed on the recipients by the Metropolitan at the Inaugural Servant Leadership Awards Banquet on May 1, 2020. That event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, His Eminence decided to bring the Bronze Crosses to the recipients – either by visiting them at their homes or honoring them in their parishes.

On his first trip, the Metropolitan traveled to Minnesota and bestowed Bronze Crosses on our servant leaders by surprising them at their homes. His Eminence has now made a second trip — this time, to Missouri and Swansea, Illinois for a second round of bestowals!

Watch the second series of the Bronze Cross bestowals in this video and be sure to read the bios of all of our remarkable servant leaders.

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Read Recipient Bios

Meet the Recipients

Aristomenes (Art) G. Liyeos

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

Town & Country, Missouri

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Arita Travlos

St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church

Columbia, Missouri

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Michael Edward Ferretti

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Saint Louis, Missouri

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Mary Helen Papachrisanthou

SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

Swansea, Illinois

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