Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Chicago

"Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." — Romans 15:7

The Widening/Expanding of the Heart

A Pastoral Message for Autumn

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As autumn begins, I greet you with gratitude, hope, and great joy as we enter a new season in the life of our beloved Annunciation Cathedral.

September already gives us a beautiful glimpse of the life we hope to cultivate together. Alongside the sacred rhythm of our worship, we gather each week through Feed the Hungry, serving those in need; Discover Orthodox Christianity, deepening our knowledge and experience of the Faith; our Icon Lecture Series, opening opportunities for learning and reflection; Philoptochos and Kali Parea, strengthening fellowship and service; and the many hands already working together in preparation for OPA! at the Cathedral, our September Festival.

We are also enriching our life of prayer through the Lesser Blessing of the Waters at the beginning of each month and the weekly Small Supplication, creating further opportunities simply to come into the Cathedral, pray, and place our lives before God.

Yet these ministries are only the beginning of a larger dream.

In the months ahead, we hope to embark upon a renewed effort for the preservation and beautification of our historic Cathedral, laying the foundations for a capital campaign worthy of the sacred inheritance entrusted to us. We want to care for this beautiful structure, restore what time has diminished, and ensure that Annunciation remains a beacon of Orthodoxy in the heart of Chicago for generations to come.

But our greatest beautification must take place within ourselves.

Our vision is ultimately one of the widening of the heart: making room for more prayer, more service, more generosity, more friendship, more young people and families, more seekers, more neighbours, and more love. The aim is to fit everyone in our heart- all of creation!

We honour those who built before us by having the courage to build again.

And so, this autumn, I invite you not simply to attend Annunciation, but to belong to it. Come and pray. Join a ministry. Serve someone in need. Invite a friend. Offer your talents. Share in our Festival. Help us care for our sacred home. And, above all, help us dream about what more Annunciation can become.

May God widen our hearts, strengthen our hands, and bless this new season of life at our Cathedral.

With all my joy and love in Christ,

† Archimandrite Nephon Tsimalis
Dean

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© 2026 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
1017 N. La Salle Blvd., Chicago, Illinois 60610-2604
V. Rev. Archimandrite Nephon Tsimalis, Dean

© 2026. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
1017 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610-2604 | (312) 664-5485 | https://www.annunciationcathedralchicago.org/
V. Rev. Archimandrite Nephon Tsimalis, Dean