His Eminence Metropolitan-elect Apostolos of New Jersey was solemnly enthroned by Their Eminences Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes, Representative of Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as ruling hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey. His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America was among the many distinguished hierarchs from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the Churches of Antioch, and Greece, as well as other notable dignitaries present.

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate accepted the petition of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the United States of America and unanimously elected His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia as the new Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey at its convocation on Monday, July 24, 2023.

His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey was born in Rhodes and is a spiritual son of the late Metropolitan Apostolos (Demelis) of Rhodes. He has served the Sacred Archdiocese of America for twenty years in various capacities as an Archimandrite and Presiding Parish Priest, as Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of San Francisco, as an Auxiliary Bishop, as Spiritual Advisor to the National Ladies Philoptochos Society, and as Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod. Most recently, he served the pastoral and liturgical needs of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey.

Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed his joy that Metropolitan Apostolos will also serve as a member of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Holy and Sacred Synod for one year beginning on September 1, 2023.

Following the Rite of Enthronement, a celebratory Gala Banquet was held at the Venetian, which included greetings from The Honorable Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, His Excellency Evangelos Savva, Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States, and The Honorable Konstantinos Konstantinou, Consul General of Greece in New York, among many other notable leaders of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey.