September 14, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline, Massachusetts. Concelebrating alongside His Eminence were Their Eminences Metropolitans Nicholas of Detroit, Savas of Pittsburgh, Gerasimos of San Francisco, and Apostolos of New Jersey; Their Graces Bishops Sevastianos of Zela, Joachim of Amissos, and Anthony of Synada; and Fr. Elias Villis.
Following the liturgy, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees His Eminence also attended a Legacy Luncheon today. He thanked the members of the Hellenic College Holy Cross Founders Legacy Society, insisting that their benefactions will “undoubtedly yield harvests of spiritual, academic, and institutional fruits” and praying that they “will all have at least a glimpse of this harvest – to behold the flowering, budding, and fruiting of the Legacy Trees” that they have planted.
During his visit to HCHC, His Eminence also welcomed the new academic year alongside students, faculty, and staff at the school’s Convocation. After the Procession of the Relic of the Holy and Precious Cross, accompanied by the chanting of the St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir, Dean of Students Fr. Patrick O’Rourke offered a welcome address. The Honorable Symeon Tegos, Consul General of the Hellenic Republic in Boston; Dr. Nicholas Ganson, Interim Dean of Hellenic College; and His Grace Bishop Anthony of Synada, Ph.D. and Acting Dean of Holy Cross, also offered greetings, while Dr. Demetrios S. Katos, President of HCHC, offered the Convocation Address.
Addressing the school in a Pastoral Address and Benediction, His Eminence emphasized that “the Lord’s greatest commandment to us is to ‘love one another, as He loved us…that we should also love one another,’” or in Greek, “‘Ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.’”
This love, His Eminence stressed, ought to be at the center of HCHC and Orthodoxy more broadly: “Everything…turns on this commandment. For if it does not, if love is not the very heart-center of our Orthopraxy, then our Orthodoxy might not be as pure as we think, and not as useful – ἀχρεῖον.” Closing his remarks, His Eminence commended the students “to the love of God, so that we may share that love with every sister and brother we encounter – whether they are of the Faith or not.”
Read His Eminence’s full Legacy Luncheon remarks here, and his Convocation Address here.
Photos: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos.