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Archbishop Stephen (Enea), full title: “His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Stephen, Archbishop of Siracusa and All Sicily, Metropolitan of the Americas and Canada of the Italo-Greeks, Bishop of Utica”, is the primate of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church, a local Orthodox Christian community that has its origins in Sicily and Southern Italy, a region historically known as Magna Graecia (“Great Greece”).

Stephen Enea was born on September 7, 1959 in Utica, NY to Philip and Gloria Enea. He was baptized into the Roman Catholic faith at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church (now St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Church). He remained a member of the Roman Catholic faith until his reception into the Orthodox Church at the age of nineteen.

Stephen attended grammar school and high school in Utica, graduating from Thomas R. Proctor High School in 1977. He attended Mohawk Valley Community College and Herkimer County Community College.

Prior to his ordination to the priesthood, he worked at Diane Love, Inc., and TWA in New York City and Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home, Inc., in Brooklyn, NY. After his and after his ordination as a priest in 1997, he worked at JC Penney in New Hartford, NY. He also supported himself and his parish by writing business and marketing plans. One of the most notable was for Oneida/Legacy Airlines. Legacy was to be a regional airline based out of Utica, NY with its primary base of operations at Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, NY. Stephen successfully put together a management team of seasoned airline professionals which resulted in an application for certification being filed with the United States Department of Transportation in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, certain members of the management team assembled by Enea took the idea and attempted to start a competing airline, using money that was earmarked for Legacy, thus causing Legacy’s failure. The conspiracy and plan became known in September 2002 when an article which appeared in the Syracuse Herald-American Newspaper was brought to Enea’s attention. A lawsuit was subsequently filed against the perpetrators in Supreme Court of the State of New York in New York City. One of the defendant’s in the action agreed to testify against the other defendants in return for being released from the lawsuit. Judgments were subsequently entered against several of the defendants and settlements were made with several others out of court.

Most recently, Stephen worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-D) for Kunkel Ambulance Service in Utica, New York, from 2003 to 2007.

Stephen began his life of service to the Church in June 1978 when he was tonsured a reader by the Italo-Greek Orthodox Archbishop Gennadios. On January 7, 1980, he was ordained a subdeacon by Archbishop Gennadios and served in that capacity to the Archbishop whenever he was present in the United States. Upon the death of Archbishop Gennadios in 1982, Subdeacon Stephen, at the age of twenty-three, became the Administrator of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Holy Metropolitan Archdiocese of North America, a position he held until his consecration as bishop in 2004.

During his tenure as Archdiocesan Administrator, Subdeacon Stephen oversaw an ecclesial faith community of more than 60,000 members spread among 11 congregations located throughout the Northeast United States. Being the only member of the clergy resident in the American Archdiocese, Subdeacon Stephen was keenly aware of the fact that the future of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church in the United States was at risk. This was primarily due to the fact that there were no other clergy to help minister to and serve the members of the Church.

Facing the real prospect of the Church’s eventual demise, Subdeacon Stephen earnestly undertook the task of stabilizing the life and continued existence of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church in Americas and making its presence known among the other local Orthodox Churches.

In the fall of 1985, Stephen entered St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY. There he studied for one year (1985/1986 academic year), after which he took a leave of absence and went to work for the late Archbishop Peter (L’Huillier) of the Diocese of New York/New Jersey of the Orthodox Church in America as the Archbishop’s personal assistant. During his years of service to Archbishop Peter (1985 to 1989), he also worked part-time for the late Very Rev. Alexander Warnecke, then Chancellor of the OCA Diocese of New York/New Jersey.

In his efforts to gain canonical regularization of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church, Subdeacon Stephen first turned, in March 1989, to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. On November 4, 1989, Patriarch Diodoros I, through the Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate, Bishop Timothy of Porphyroupolis, responded to the request for help saying that due to existing Inter-Orthodox regulations at the time, the petition submitted could not be accepted.

In 1993, another petition was submitted to the Jerusalem Patriarchate seeking assistance and help for the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church. This time, the response was positive. On May 24, 1993, Subdeacon Stephen received a letter from Archimandrite Sylvester Berberis on behalf of the Chief Secretary, Archbishop Timothy which said the Jerusalem Patriarchate had accepted the petition and that the Patriarch had blessed the ordination of Subdeacon Stephen to the diaconate and priesthood. The original letter is on file in the archives of the Archdiocese.

Thanks to the foresight of an astute member of the Archdiocese’s Metropolitan Council at the time, who did some further research into the matter, it was learned that a promise of the Archdiocese to financially assist the Jerusalem Patriarchate with the purchase of a piece of real estate in Northcoate, Victoria (Australia) was the reason for the acceptance of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church’s petition for canonical recognition and the diaconal and priestly ordinations of Subdeacon Stephen, which were to take place in Australia at the hands of Archbishop Isychios. Due to interjurisdictional difficulties, the ordination did not take place.

In 1994, a petition was sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for canonical recognition. In early 1995, the Patriarchate appointed Bishop Nicholas (now the late Metropolitan Nicholas) of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA to review the matter and make his recommendations to the Patriarchate. During Holy Week of 1995, Subdeacon Stephen traveled to Johnstown, PA to meet with Bishop Nicholas. Shortly after Pascha, Bishop Nicholas traveled to Utica to meet with members of the community. However, due to a misunderstanding regarding meeting location and inconvenience caused the bishop, the meeting never took place and discussions between the Italo-Greek Community and Bishop Nicholas fell apart. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding for which Subdeacon Stephen took full responsibility and despite several attempts on the part of the Italo-Greek Church to restart the discussions, Bishop Nicholas never responded. It is believed that his report to Constantinople was unfavorable.

In November of 1995, contact was made with Metropolitan Pangratios (Vrionis) who had taken some Italo-Greek parishes into his jurisdiction after the death of Archbishop Gennadios in 1982. Discussions ensued which resulted in the ordination of Subdeacon Stephen to the Diaconate on August 15, 1996. Upon his return home and after announcing his ordination to some priest friends at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery, the newly ordained Deacon Stephen was informed of Metropolitan Pangratios’ past, including the allegations of sexual abuse and Pangratios’ deposition by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America (now the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America). Immediately, Father Deacon Stephen wrote a letter to Metropolitan Pangratios withdrawing from his jurisdiction and repenting of his ordination.

A friend and supporter of Subdeacon Stephen, who was a priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, suggested that he contact one Archbishop Timotheos (Athnassiou) who was an Old Calendar bishop in Greece and whose father had been a priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The priest made an initial introduction to the Archbishop on Subdeacon Stephen’s behalf and discussions began. The Archbishop had knowledge of the Italo-Greek Church and thus was favorably disposed to helping the Church reorganize and re-establish itself.

On March 8, 1997, Subdeacon Stephen was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Timotheos in the Church of St. John the Russian in Melissia, Greece and was also tonsured a Rassaphore monk. The next day, on the Sunday of Forgiveness (March 9th), he was ordained priest with the rank of Archimandrite and appointed Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Neilos of Rossano, a small fledgling monastic house attached to the Cathedral of the Theotokos of Great Grace in Utica, NY.

Archimandrite Stephen returned home to Utica where he immediately began his priestly ministry among the Italo-Greek Orthodox Christians living in the United States. What lay ahead was a challenging and daunting task - to reconstitute, revitalize and reinvigorate communities that, for more than twenty years, had been without clergy and any ministerial and liturgical services. Even though the membership of the Church had decreased to less than 3,500 faithful, the work still proved to be a difficult and daunting task, one which a single individual could not possibly handle alone. Nevertheless, he persevered in constant hope and the belief that God would bless his efforts and provide a workable solution to the challenges he faced.

Archimandrite Stephen was elected bishop by an assembly of faithful of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas and Canada convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 14, 2001, but he initially refused election. He declined two additional attempts to elect him in 2002, stating that he was neither worthy of nor sufficiently trained and prepared for such a responsibility.

On May 10, 2003, at a Provincial Council held at the Cathedral of the Theotokos of Great Grace in Utica, NY, he was once again nominated to be bishop of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church. This time however, having heard the anger expressed by many of the Council delegates regarding certain individuals who were claiming to be Italo-Greek bishops and doing such things as claiming and allowing a married episcopate; ordaining actively gay and partnered men; and allowing for women priests, Archimandrite Stephen reluctantly accepted episcopal election on the promise that he would work vigorously and faithfully to protect the integrity of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church and tradition as well as ensure that such occurrences and situations never happened again.

Prior to the end of the Council, a petition was drafted and signed by all the delegates in attendance requesting the consecration of Archimandrite Stephen as ruling bishop of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas and Canada. The petition was forwarded to His Beatitude, Archbishop Timotheos (Athanassiou) and the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Holy Orthodox Church of Hellas and the Diaspora. The petition was favorably received by the Archbishop and the Holy Synod. A date for Archbishop Stephen’s consecration was set for September 19, 2004 and was scheduled to take place in the Cathedral of the Theotokos of Great Grace in Utica, NY. However, due to the elderly status of two of the consecrating bishops, the location of Archimandrite Stephen’s consecration was changed to Athens, Greece.

Archimandrite Stephen was canonically elected bishop by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church of Hellas and Diaspora on September 18, 2004 and was also tonsured a Stavrophore monk on the same day. He was consecrated in the Synodal Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs on September 19, 2004 by His Beatitude, Archbishop Timotheos; His Eminence, Metropolitan Germanos; His Grace, Bishop Pavlos; His Grace, Bishop Leonides; His Grace, Bishop John; and His Grace, Bishop Timotheos, all of whom were members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Holy Orthodox Church of Hellas and the Diaspora. He was given the title: “Bishop of Utica and Metropolitan of the Americas and Canada of the Italo-Greeks.” In addition, he was also appointed Locum Tenens of the Archiepiscopal See of Siracusa, Sicily. He was enthroned as Metropolitan of the Americas and Canada of the Italo-Greeks and Bishop of Utica in the Cathedral of the Theotokos of Great Grace on September 27, 2004, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Most Holy Cross, by His Beatitude, Archbishop Timotheos. On Sunday, October 17, 2004, Metropolitan Stephen, in the presence of clergy, family, friends, supporters and faithful of the Archdiocese, celebrated his first Divine Liturgy as ruling bishop of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas and Canada.

Metropolitan Stephen was elected Archbishop and Primate of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church at a Provincial Council held at the Cathedral of the Theotokos of Great Grace in Utica, NY on November 19, 2005. The election was subsequently approved and ratified by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Holy Orthodox Church of Hellas and the Diaspora on February 7, 2006, thus making him the rightful and legitimate head of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church.

His Beatitude, Archbishop Stephen is the 78th Archbishop and Primate of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church (the Orthodox Church of Sicily and Italy), the seventh ruling bishop of the Italo-Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas and Canada, and the first bishop of Utica.

Archbishop Stephen is a firm believer that there should be a unified and national Orthodox Church for the Sicilian and Italian people. His efforts to create a national “Orthodox Church of Sicily and Italy” are tireless and well known by many.

He is well aware of the fact that the presence of an “Italo-Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas and Canada” is an anomaly. Without the existence of a real and active Italo-Greek Orthodox presence and ecclesiastical structure in Sicily, the presence of merely an American ecclesiastical presence further complicates an already chaotic situation among the Orthodox in America. The Archbishop has always said that once there is a single, unified autocephalous or patriarchal American Orthodox Church, in which there are no ethnic dioceses or eparchies, but rather territorial dioceses under one Synod of Bishops, he would dissolve the Italo-Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas and Canada and work to integrate his parishes and communities into the new ecclesiastical reality.

His Beatitude is an outspoken advocate of administrative unity among the various Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States and for the formation of a truly American Orthodox Church, one that reflects a focused vision and mission to the evangelization and sanctification of the American people and country, and which is a powerful and respected moral and spiritual voice in the public forum. He believes that the creation and establishment of an American Orthodox Church is possible if the bishops take a firm and aggressive leadership role and stand on the issue.

The Archbishop is also dedicated to fostering a better understanding of the Eastern Church by Western Christians, especially among Roman Catholics. He endeavors to do this within the framework and parameters of a faithful witness to Orthodox Christian Tradition and ecclesiology, primarily in the area of Orthodox-Catholic relations on the local grassroots level.

Maintaining a traditional Orthodox ecclesiology, he professes that “There is only one Church. The fullness of the faith resides in the Orthodox Church, which has preserved, defended and held the Apostolic Faith unbroken, unchanged and unadulterated for more than 2000 years. While other Christian bodies may possess some characteristics and elements of the Church, they are nevertheless outside the Church and therefore cannot properly be called “Churches.” There is no such thing as a “branch theory” in the Orthodox Church as many Protestant’s would have us believe. Within the Orthodox Church there are various local Churches, which are administratively independent of each other, but they are nevertheless part of the one and same Church: the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

His view, therefore, of groups such as the Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, and Baptists is that they are merely “Ecclesial Communities” because they do not possess true sacraments, especially with regard to Apostolic Succession and the Eucharist. With regard to the Episcopalian Communion, he maintains the view that there is no valid priesthood or Eucharist and that the Sacraments imparted by their ministers are void and of no effect. This ecclesiology, which the Archbishop has expressed on numerous occasions in the forum, has not been without controversy and negative repercussions.j

On the other hand, the Archbishop’s view of the Roman Catholic, Polish National Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches is that they are, in fact, true Churches, as they possess a valid Apostolic Succession and their Sacraments are real and efficacious. Nevertheless, he states that there cannot be Eucharistic communion between theses Churches and the Orthodox Church, even though there is more that unites them than keeps them apart, until there is full and complete agreement on all doctrinal matters. He advocates, nonetheless, close relationships with these Churches, especially with the Roman Catholic Church, in the belief that differences cannot be resolved without dialogue and personal interaction.

There are some in Orthodox circles who claim that Archbishop Stephen is an “episcopus vagans,” that is, someone who has been consecrated outside the structures and canon law of the Orthodox Church. This observation is inaccurate for several reasons.

First, in order for an episcopal consecration to be valid, it must be done for service to or within a specific Church. In other words, an ordination or episcopal consecration that concerns only the individual himself is without effect and invalid. Archbishop Stephen was consecrated specifically for service to the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church, which had been widowed of its bishop for more than twenty years.

Second, “canonicity” and “validity” in the Orthodox Church are not determined by any legalistic means but rather by the consideration of a host of different criteria viewed in the light of compassion, love and charity. These criteria include, but are not limited to, a valid Apostolic Succession; a faithful adherence to the Patristic, Dogmatic and Canonical Tradition of the Church; and the overall spirituality and life of the person or Church in question.

Archbishop Stephen is a firm believer that the Church must be, in every respect, the living Body of Christ and that it is very much more than a mere institution. In addition to the four identifying marks of One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, as given in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, he believes that the Church is also a Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and Community of Disciples as well as an Institution. Integrating all these elements one comes to an understanding that the Church as an institution exists to provide order, structure, guidance and clarity (Institution) to what is truly a society made up of people who are disciples of Christ (Community of Disciples), united in the Eucharist and living a common Faith (Communion), proclaiming the one True Faith and Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and Redeemer of the world (Herald); and serving each other and the world (Diakonia/Servant) in a community in which Christ is truly present and active and God’s grace is imparted through signs, symbols and ritual acts (Sacrament).

In this understanding of Church, the Archbishop puts forth the belief that the Church is both human and divine, manifesting in itself the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ, Who is its only Head. Since Christ Himself is the Head of the Church, the Church therefore cannot be subordinate to any earthly government. Rather, it stands side-by-side with civil governments and works closely with them to ensure the well-being of all people, who are first and foremost God’s people. He strongly opposes any attempt by those outside the Church, who see it merely as a human institution and treat it as if it were simply a business, to dictate or interfere in its internal life and practices. For example, he is against any effort which seeks to demean or minimalize the role and status of priests and deacons in the Church. He is quick to correct those who view priests and deacons as “employees” of the Church, educating them that priests and deacons are ordained and consecrated Ministers of Word and Sacrament and that their relationship and work in the Church is by virtue of the conferral of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, thus, they are conformed to Christ, in whose priestly ministry they share and whose servants they are.

Conversely, the Archbishop believes that the Church and its parishes and institutions must be responsible community members and should pay their “fair share” for the essential services they receive from the municipalities in which they are located. He believes that one of the functions of diocesan administrations is to establish close working relationships with each municipal government on behalf of a diocese’s parishes and institutions so that there is peaceful co-existence and cooperation in working for the mutual benefit of God’s people.

The Archbishop is a NYS Certified Emergency Medical Technician with the Deerfield Volunteer Fire Department in Deerfield, NY and Central Oneida County Ambulance Service in Clark Mills, NY. He is also certified in CPR and is a Certified CPR Instructor.

He is Assistant Chief and Chaplain for the Deerfield Volunteer Fire Department, a position he has held now for the past ten years.

In 2010, Archbishop Stephen was awarded the Community Builder Award by Mohawk Valley Community Action for his work with underprivileged children and poor families in Oneida and Herkimer Counties.

The Archbishop is a member of the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, NYS Association of Fire Chiefs and a member of the Firemen’s Association of New York (FASNY)

Archbishop Stephen is signer of the Manhattan Declaration.