(New York, October 31, 2011, Archons of the Order of St. Andrew) -- Archbishop Demetrios of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, together with Archons' National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis presented the Athenagoras Human Rights Award to Admiral James G. Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, who accepted on behalf of the heroic members of the United States Armed Forces. Admiral Stavridis is the highest-ranking Greek American in the history of the United States military. The Award was presented during the annual Human Rights Banquet held at the New York Hilton on October 15, 2011, with over 600 Archons and guests in attendance.

In presenting the Award, Dr. Limberakis paid tribute to Admiral Stavridis and the members of our Armed Forces, stating: "The three million heroes of America's men and women in uniform who defend our way of life each singularly, and together collectively, share in the 2011 Athenagoras Human Rights Award.

"There are those among who lobby for human rights. There are those among us who pray for human rights. But no one among us is called upon to lay down their own lives and make the ultimate sacrifice to safeguard those very fundamental human rights, other than the members of our Armed Services, the recipients of the 2011 Athenagoras Human Rights Award."

In accepting the Award, Admiral Stavridis spoke about his family and the values that were instilled in him and particularly about his father who left Asia Minor in the early 20th Century and conveyed his pride for his Hellenic heritage. Admiral Stavridis also emphasized the humanitarian role of the Armed Forces and highlighted that "it is the duty of the strong to protect those who are weak," adding that "might does not make right" and explaining that "we live in an imperfect world [in which] human rights sadly are not the norm."

Admiral Stavridis closed his speech with the valedictory words of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Report to Greco and Zorba the Greek, saying,

" ‘I want nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.' If we can help create a world without want, a world without fear … we will have created a world where we are free. That is the most important, undeniable, and central human right of all – freedom. Freedom, in the end, is the right to be human.

I thank you for this Award, and I humbly accept it on behalf of the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, volunteers all, who defend our freedom every day."

Archbishop Demetrios, in his response, congratulated "the admirable Admiral" for a "well deserved honor," and conveyed the blessings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Order of Saint Andrew, to the honoree and the all those present at the banquet. The Archbishop said that from the days of Marathon and Salamis to the days of World War II and the invasion of Greece by the Axis armies, the Greek example of military conflict is one of people, small in numbers, who resist submitting themselves and their country to much larger foreign threats and occupation. His Eminence also noted that when Admiral Stavridis' parents were leaving their ancestral land for America they were carrying with them two important and symbolic items: the father, his academic college diploma and the mother, a treasured icon of Saint George, items representative of education and faith. Archbishop Demetrios added that in Admiral Stavridis, as a person, there is a convergence of the ancient Greek traditions and the Hellenic ideals with the witnessing of Christianity and the Orthodox tradition and martyrdom exemplified by many of our Saints and Martyrs, who served in the military service in their time.

On Sunday morning, October 16, Archbishop Demetrios presided at the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City with Metropolitans Methodios of Boston, Isaiah of Denver and Evangelos of New Jersey concelebrating. Following the Divine Liturgy the ceremony of investiture of the new Archons took place. New Archons invested include the following:

Mark Adam, Manchester, New Hampshire; Kostandinos M. Arger, M.D., Reno, Nevada; John Avdoulos, Westland, Michigan; Drake G. Behrakis, Watertown, Maine; Jon J. Couchell, Spartanburg, South Carolina; George M. Gazis, Houston Texas; George Gritsonis, Palatine, Illinois; Constantine Kaganis, Bronx, New York; Chris Karamanos, Toms River, New Jersey; Pavlos Kymissis, M.D., Hempstead, New York and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; Steven Lukac, Sharon, Pennsylvania; Christopher D. Mandaleris, Greensboro, North Carolina; Markos K. Marinakis, New York, New York; Thomas N. Mitrakos, Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania; Theo Nicolakis, Orange, Connecticut; Harry Oryhon, D.D.S., Palos Park, Illinois; Paul J. Plumis, Seattle, Washington; Reince Priebus, Racine, Wisconsin; John C. Rouman, Ph.D., Dover, New Hampshire; John Sakellaris, Jersey City, New Jersey; Dean G. Skelos, Hempstead, New York; Harry W. Spell, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Christopher J. Spilios, Weston, Massachussetts; Gregory J. Stamos, Orange, Connectictut and Ansonia, Connectictut; Thomas M. Suehs, Austin, Texas; George A. Tsougarakis, Tenafly, New Jersey; Argyris Vassiliou, Stamford, Connecticut and Windham, New York; Peter N. Vastures, Columbus, Ohio; George P. Zaharas, Cheyenne, Wyoming

The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle is comprised of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who have been honored for their outstanding service to The Orthodox Church by having a Patriarchal title, or "offikion," bestowed upon them by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Those upon whom this title of the Mother Church has been conferred are known as "Archons of the Great Church of Christ," and the titles are personally conferred by the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.

The Order of St. Andrew's fundamental goal and mission is to promote the religious freedom, wellbeing and advancement of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey.