On Sunday evening, September 29, 2024, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA presented a Cultural Program and their Agency presentations at the Child Hall of St Philip Cathedral in Atlanta Georgia. Folkloric dances and choir renditions manifested the various national traditions of Orthodoxy.

In introducing the evening’s gala and informative program, His Grace Bishop Irinej greeted the audience in a number of languages representing the various Orthodox nations. He noted, in particular, that the hallmark of Orthodox Christian missiology is seen in the fact that we baptize and chrismate not only persons; but also their cultures and traditions, bringing them all into the embrace of the fullness of Holy Orthodoxy.

His Grace descriptively elaborated that the audience would behold this evening how “the intricate steps of the children’s dancing and the melodic sounds of the choir’s singing, would weave before us this evening a visible tapestry, highlighting the beauty of the rich and diverse traditions of our Orthodox lands and cultures. Then behold, how a golden braid will be knit around the outside of that tapestry as a glowing halo depicting the physical embrace of Orthodoxy, which holds within it all our various cultures and traditions as a single tapestry composed of many resplendent threads.”

Photos: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos.