In a climate of intense intellectual excitement, but also of obvious concern about the gradual loss of the mother tongue among the younger generations of the Greek diaspora, the 84th graduation ceremony of the Holy Cross Theological School and the Hellenic College was held in Boston.
The glorious event took place at the Malioteio Cultural Center, bringing together the highest leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. The Archbishop of America Elpidophoros , as well as Metropolitans Methodios of Boston, Gerasimos of St. Francis, Savvas of Pittsburgh, Apostolos of New Jersey and Constantine of Denver, were present. Together with them were Bishops Ioakim of Amisos, Antonios of Synados, as well as Bishop Theophanis of Philomeli, who has pastoral responsibility for the Albanian-speaking communities in the United States. The Greek state was worthily represented by the Consul General in Boston, Ambassador Symeon Tegos .
This year’s ceremony marked the successful completion of studies for dozens of young scholars and future pillars of the Church. Specifically, 19 students from the Hellenic College received the Bachelor of Arts degree, while 17 graduates of the Theological School received the Master of Divinity degree, which is the official priestly direction for those destined to enter the holy clergy. At the same time, specialized postgraduate degrees were awarded for staffing other critical ministries of the Church such as laity, catechists, assistant priests and youth directors. In this context, 8 graduates received the Master of Theology (including Nun Chrysostomia ), 9 students received the Master of Theological Studies, while 3 people were honored with the Youth Ministry Certificate – among them Harvard professor Constantine Douglas , a descendant of heroes of the historic exodus of Messolonghi.
However, the flow of the ceremony strongly highlighted the great thorn in the side of the Greek community: the rapid decline of the Greek language. On behalf of the graduating class, David Twombly (Hellenic College) and Deacon David Karle (Theological School) delivered their speeches exclusively in English . The same happened with the leadership of the institutions. The interim president of the School, Father Michael Lambakis, the dean of the Hellenic College Nicholas Ganson, and the dean of the Theological School – the Romanian-born Father Eugenios Pendiuc – did not use a single word of Greek . Even the official messages of the vice president of the Tax Office, Fr. Markos Leontis, as well as the president of Philoptochos, Debbie George, were heard only in English, with the only exception for all of the aforementioned being limited to the resurrection phrase “Christ is Risen” .
The need to preserve roots was highlighted in her message by the executive director of the “Leadership of 100”, Paulette Poulos . Addressing the graduates, she emphasized the unique opportunity they had to learn the language and experience Greek culture, urging them to love and protect this heritage. In fact, she also shared a personal testimony, stating that she was blessed to grow up with two exceptional parents who raised her within the Church, instilling in her the universal values of Orthodoxy and Hellenism.
The national and linguistic dignity of the event was fully restored by the Consul General, Symeon Tegos , who chose to speak exclusively in the Greek language , sending clear messages in every direction. In his farewell speech (as it was his last speech in his consular capacity in Boston), Mr. Tegos moved by saying: “Greece is light, children. Greece is truth. Greece is Orthodoxy. Greece is an incredible force of spirituality. And from today on you will represent it everywhere, in a world that is changing and that we have difficulty understanding. The universal principles of Greece and Christianity will always guide you.”
Essentially responding to concerns about the language, Archbishop Elpidophoros began his speech in Greek, noting meaningfully: “I will speak to you simply so that you all understand that you know Greek, but you don’t.” His Eminence revealed that he had looked through the archives of the Archdiocese and found the codex with the minutes of the first Diocesan Synod (1923–1930). He was surprised to read that as early as 1928, the then Archbishop had expressed his anguish to the Patriarchate, warning that 25% of Greeks spoke only English and that in 30 years the Greek language would be lost. “And here we are, a hundred years later, and we speak English and Greek without any problem. This is a huge success of our Church and my predecessors,” emphasized Mr. Elpidophoros. At the same time, he expressed the deep gratitude of the Greek community to “mother Greece” , thanking the Greek government in the person of Mr. Tegos, because when the Theological School found itself in a dire financial situation, Greece, despite its own harsh economic crisis, “put its hand deep in its pocket” and supported it. “We may forget our mother, but a mother is always a mother and helps her child in need”, he added characteristically.
The ceremony concluded in a solemn tone with the awarding of honorary doctorates . The Hellenic College honored Jeannie Ranglas for her enormous philanthropic contribution. Mrs. Ranglas, who began her Philoptochos activity at the age of just 22 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, this year completes 16 years as president of the Philoptochos of the Metropolis of St. Francis and 23 years on the National Board of Directors of the Archdiocese, having also served as president of the Greek Festival and the Cardiff Orthodox Housing Foundation. Correspondingly, the School of Theology awarded an honorary doctorate in Theology to the distinguished protopresbyter and emeritus professor of New Testament, Theodore Stylianopoulos , who taught there with dedication for 40 years. Father Stylianopoulos, in fact, announced a donation of $5,000 for the repair of the School’s outer fence wall on Goddard Avenue. The event closed ideally with the School’s choir, under the direction of Protopresbyter Professor Romanos Karanos, devoutly singing resurrection hymns, as well as the national anthems of Greece and the United States.
