Beloved brothers in Christ, Archbishop Spyridon,
and Bishop Maximos,
Beloved Fathers, Presvyteres and children in the Lord,

We are deeply moved to begin our pastoral visit to the city and Diocese of Pittsburgh, at the conclusion of our visit to the Holy Archdiocese of America, by extending first our love and paternal and Patriarchal blessings to you, who offer your very lives to our Lord and Savior and to His Great Church so that our faithful may come and see “that Christ is the Lord.”  It is only right that we first come to you and to our beautiful Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, so that we may pray together as a united family and remind ourselves of the awesome responsibilities imposed on the hierarchy and on the clergy as we minister to our flock.
Who can gaze on the inspiring icon of that Great Teacher and Hierarch Nicholas, and chant his Apolytikion and not be moved?  Here is the example par excellence for Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Bishops, Priests, their families and the laity!  We are called through this apolytikion to imitate Saint Nicholas, is to teach discipline, to reflect meekness and to live the rule of faith so that we may inspire our flock to reach out to the One who is the Way, Truth and Life.
We encourage you, the ones who have chosen the “better potion,” to scale to the heights by your humility and to acquire treasures in poverty.  Live your lives for the sake of others, your families, your loving Presvyteres, your handsome sons and beautiful daughters and your faithful spiritual children.  In this way you become physician to the sick, savior to those in danger, defender of the helpless, hope to those in need, and, co-traveler to those on journeys.  In short, become imitators of Christ as was our Father and Hierarch St. Nicholas.
We greet the beloved Clergy Syndesmos of “St. John Chrysostom” on this memorable occasion and your President, the Very Reverend Father Polycarp Rameas.  We thank you for all the preparatory work you and the Syndesmos have done for our visit to Pittsburgh and for this warm reception.  We also thank you for your continuing support of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, our Beloved Archdiocese and Archbishop Spyridon, and for your support, love and obedience to our beloved brother in Christ Maximos, who has served our Diocese so well these 18 years.  We also greet the Reverend Father Sarantos Serviou, Dean of this Cathedral, and thank him, his Parish Council and Cathedral Family for their efforts in beautifying this magnificent structure.  We are aware of the ongoing  work done here to the Cathedral and congratulate you on the progress you have achieved.
Your Cathedral and complex, situated in the cultural heart of Pittsburgh, are an important addition to the religious and cultural life of this City.  Your many religious, ethnic and cultural programs do not go unnoticed by us.  Finally, we greet with open arms our beloved children.  Your warm smiles, sparkling eyes and joy convince us not only that your parents have done well in raising you but that you also understand the great role of leadership assigned to you and your family in each of your parishes.  As you grow in the faith and reach adulthood, we wish you every good thing from above so that you can continue in the footsteps begun by your grandparents and which are now being traveled by your parents in this wonderful land.  We thank you all for your love and we look forward to seeing you at tomorrow’s Divine Liturgy where we may all pray together and share in the awesome and life-giving Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Beloved sons and daughters, children in the Lord, we embrace all of you with paternal affection and the love of the Holy Mother Church.  We boast in the Lord because of all of you; for your faith, perseverance, many labors and above all, for the love you bear for one another.  Abide in that love.  Furthermore, abide in the traditions of our Holy Orthodox Church. Avoid innovations and imitative, foreign [liturgical] forms.  Our Holy Church is ever young and original, unique in preserving unshakable the traditions of the first undivided Church for over two thousand years. The only true innovation is that same faithfulness which has been deserted by others, because with every step, we encounter daily different innovations of little worth, in such a way that the only worthy innovation is that rarely held unique position, of preserving a tradition of two thousand years.
This faithfulness of the Orthodox Church to the original and pure faith of the Church, is Her most precious treasure.  Therefore, much care is needed, that we not permit the entry of anything from the religious or cultural milieu, which is not in agreement with the Orthodox faith and the Orthodox ethos.
Brothers and beloved children, stand fast and hold on to your traditions.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen.