Phanar parish in New York to host dinner honoring Zelensky

The announcement of Zelensky's award. Photo: parish Facebook page

The St. Nicholas parish of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in New York has announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be the guest of honor at its Beacon of Hope Dinner, scheduled for September 26, 2026. The information was reported by UOJ-America.

According to the announcement, Zelensky will receive the Beacon of Hope Award during the gala. Organizers described him as “a most worthy recipient who illuminates the path forward in times of great challenge.”

The event is also positioned as an evening dedicated to “faith, hope, resilience, and unity,” with the promotional slogan: “History will be in the room.”

The dinner will be held at Casa Cipriani in New York and will include a reception, a formal dinner, and an evening gathering.

St. Nicholas Church was built by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the site of the Greek Orthodox church destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan.

Last year, the same event honored emergency responders. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the dinner. During the same visit to the United States, he also met with Volodymyr Zelensky and greeted him with the words, “Glory to Ukraine,” drawing criticism from a number of Greek media outlets.

As the UOJ previously reported, the European Parliament condemned Zelensky over the glorification of the UPA.

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