Some amount of US currency should be taken along. However, Turkish lira can be obtained in advance of the trip if ordered from many US banks and credit unions. There are also exchange bureaus located in airports and in Istanbul at which money can be changed. Also, ATM machines are widely available throughout Istanbul.

Although subject to change, the Pilgrimage of Discovery itinerary will visit: Hagia Sophia (recently converted to a mosque) to witness the epitome of Byzantine architecture and mosaics; Zoodochos Pigi Church at Balukli to receive holy water from the life-giving spring and to see where former Patriarchs are buried; the historic Chora Church (recently converted to a mosque) to marvel at the church's famed Byzantine mosaics; Hagios Demetrios Church in Kuruçesme where the faithful walk through a tight, dark cave in the church to receive holy water from the life-giving spring; and old, Greek ‘Pera’ to see structures that show evidence of thriving Greek culture in Constantinople prior to the 21st century. The young adults will journey on a private charter boat trip through the Bosphorus and into the Sea of Marmara to the Princes' Island, Heybeliada, and will ride in electric vehicles to visit Halki Seminary, founded in 1871 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to train Greek Orthodox priests and later closed by the Turkish government in 1971. A highlight of the Pilgrimage of Discovery will be visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Phanar, attending worship services at St. George Church at the Phanar, and having an audience with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. There will also be time to explore the city freely after dinners and so much more!

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are laws that pertain to accommodations and public access that are enforced only in the United States. While the country of Turkey maintains some legal protections, the same types of accommodations available in the United States may not be available in Turkey. The Pilgrimage of Discovery program requires a moderate level of physical exertion (e.g. walking distances, boarding buses, boarding planes, boarding boats, riding in open-air vehicles, climbing uphill roads, walking up and down stairs, walking on uneven streets, walking with crowds, etc.).

The Archdiocesan District (greater New York area and northern suburbs; upstate New York, Long Island; the western half of Connecticut; Washington, D.C.); Metropolis of Atlanta; Metropolis of Boston; Metropolis of Chicago; Metropolis of Denver; Metropolis of Detroit; Metropolis of New Jersey; Metropolis of Pittsburgh; Metropolis of San Francisco.

Updates will be posted on the Pilgrimage of Discovery website, Instagram and Facebook pages.

Travel expenses will be paid for up to sixteen young adults that are selected, including round trip flights from the United States to Istanbul, all transportation while in Turkey, and entrance fees to programmed sites. The Pilgrimage of Discovery will be seven days/six nights and will include all lodging (double occupancy), breakfasts, dinners, and most lunches. Incidentals, personal expenses, and any additional meals will be the responsibility of the participants.

The young adults will use US international airports designated by the Pilgrimage of Discovery for timely departure to Istanbul, Turkey.

The young adult should contact their priest at the parish they regularly attend and consult with him regarding their correct ecclesiastical region.

The selected young adults will travel at their own expense to a US international airport designated by the Pilgrimage of Discovery. There they will board a flight that is part of the round trip air travel to Istanbul that is included as part of the Pilgrimage of Discovery.

The young adults will travel on daily excursions within Turkey accompanied by several Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with subject matter experts from the Pilgrimage of Discovery Committee, and with a licensed tour guide.

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a group of passionate leaders, relentlessly focused on protecting religious freedom for everyone and ensuring the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate—the spiritual center of the world’s 300+ million Orthodox Christians.

Yes. Passports are required and must be valid for at least six months beyond the travelers’ entry date into Turkey. Also, there must be at least one blank page remaining in passports for entry and exit stamps.

Information on the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate can be found at www.archons.org

Applicants must be age 23 to 30 on August 1, 2024

Yes. The young adults will have the opportunity to attend worship services at St. George Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Phanar and possibly at other churches around Constantinople.

The young adults must be willing and able to attend 3-4 mandatory preparatory meetings by video conferencing in advance of the Pilgrimage of Discovery to get to know the other young adults, to learn what the young adults should expect on their journey, and to prepare for their experiences.

The young adults will travel by private motor coach and by private charter boat. The young adults should also be prepared for a moderate level of physical exertion that will be necessary on the Pilgrimage of Discovery.

Contact Cally Kobza at ckobza10@gmail.com

It is recommended that the young adults have spending money for incidentals, personal expenses, and any additional meals that may not be included on the Pilgrimage of Discovery.

The Pilgrimage of Discovery is a program offering the gift of an inspiring religious-educational journey for up to sixteen young adult leaders, women and men, from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. This peer journey features religious and cultural immersion, visits to historic sites, and a special audience with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Pilgrimage of Discovery is a rare opportunity for the selected young adults to have a transformative and immersive experience in Constantinople and to grow in their Orthodox Christian faith. The young adults may also have the chance to participate in an environmental service program with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew while on the journey.

Any young adult that meets the eligibility requirements that is in good standing at a United States parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in the ecclesiastical region in which the young adult resides and is applying can submit an application for the Pilgrimage of Discovery. However, each applicant is only permitted to submit one application to the Pilgrimage of Discovery 2024.

The Pilgrimage of Discovery will be seven days/six nights.

August 4 - 11, 2024.

Yes. The young adults will be scheduled to have an audience together with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew where they will have the opportunity to engage in open dialogue. The young adults may also have the chance to participate in an environmental service program while on the journey with His All-Holiness who is known as the Green Patriarch because of his efforts as the first major religious leader to have initiated environmental protection events in the 1980s.

The young adults will travel at their own expense for arrival at US international airports designated by the Pilgrimage of Discovery for timely departure to Istanbul, Turkey.

Yes. Applicants that were not selected as Pilgrimage of Discovery recipients in a previous year may apply again this year if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

Eligible applicants will complete one on-line application and they will ask their two recommenders to submit recommendation letters as per the application instructions. Applications will be forwarded to the Pilgrimage of Discovery Selection Committee for a blind review process with only the ecclesiastical region and gender of each applicant made known to the Selection Committee. One recipient will be selected from each respective metropolis and the Archdiocesan District of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America—if eligible young adults have applied from those respective ecclesiastical regions—totaling up to nine recipients. The additional Pilgrimage of Discovery recipients will be selected from the remaining cohort of eligible applicants. The Pilgrimage of Discovery Selection Committee is responsible for selecting up to sixteen young adults total from all eligible applicants. In its sole discretion, the Pilgrimage of Discovery Selection Committee may select less or more than sixteen young adult recipients. Any ecclesiastical region of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that does not have an eligible young adult apply from its territory by the application deadline will forfeit the opportunity to have a young adult from that ecclesiastical region travel on the Pilgrimage of Discovery. In such a case, the Pilgrimage of Discovery Selection Committee may select any other applicant without regard to ecclesiastical region to fill an opening that was originally designated for any of the nine ecclesiastical regions that may be without applicants. Four additional young adults will be selected as alternates without regard to ecclesiastical region to replace any of the sixteen young adult recipients that may become unable to participate in the Pilgrimage of Discovery.

A typical day will include breakfast at the group’s hotel, travel by private motor coach to interesting sites in or around Constantinople, learning about history, culture, and religion, sharing life-changing experiences with other young adults, enjoying local cuisine, meeting new people, having fun, and growing in an Orthodox spiritual journey of discovery.

Yes. American passport holders are required to obtain a Turkish e-Visa for tourist travel to the country. American citizens residing in the USA are eligible to apply for a Turkish e-Visa online, so it is not necessary to visit a Turkish consulate or embassy in person.

The use of an American mobile telephone is a viable option for staying in touch with family and friends as long as the phone model is able to operate at the correct GSM frequencies for mobile phone service in Turkey.

The participants should dress modestly and tastefully while on the Pilgrimage of Discovery since they are representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Men are expected to wear pants, dress shirts, or short sleeve polo shirts for daily excursions. Women may wear pants, dresses, or skirts that fall below the knees, and shirts or blouses that cover the shoulders for daily excursions. For tours of churches and monasteries, women are expected to wear dresses or skirts that fall below the knees, and shirts or blouses that cover the shoulders. Men should wear pants, dress shirts, or short sleeve polo shirts. For more formal occasions, men should wear ties with sport jackets or suits, while women should wear dresses. In general, shorts, blue jeans, tank tops, and spaghetti-strap blouses are not appropriate outside the hotel.

Yes, it will! This life-changing experience will help the young adults grow in their faith, better connect with their religious tradition, and more deeply understand the relevance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as these young adults prepare to lead the Orthodox Church in the future. This immersive journey will create a lasting impact on the young adults’ identity, faith, family, community and culture, while helping secure the continuity of the Orthodox Church.

After the Pilgrimage of Discovery, the young adults will travel and share experiences at various parishes and locations from time to time as Archon ambassadors within the Alumni Leadership Network for up to two years following the Pilgrimage of Discovery. The young adults will help to expand awareness about the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Pilgrimage of Discovery, and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The Pilgrimage of Discovery is being funded by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and by charitable contributions from generous donors across the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Yes. If the applicant was selected as an alternate for the Pilgrimage of Discovery in a previous year but has not traveled on the Pilgrimage of Discovery, they may apply again this year if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

Yes. Siblings are permitted to apply to the Pilgrimage of Discovery, but only one sibling applicant may be selected.