Agion Oros - Mount Athos

Photos from the ordination to bishop of our much loved and respected former principal of Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy (Athoniada). ΑΞΙΟΣ, ΑΞΙΟΣ, ΑΞΙΟΣ!!!! Photos courtesy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria's website. http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/

See: http://vatopaidi.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/χωρίς-ζημίες-το-βατοπέδι/ and this video in Greek: http://www.skai.gr/player/tv/?mmid=205345 The Greek government has been covering up the fact that the land swaps were legal. Two separate land valuators have found that the property values were not inflated therefore the Greek Government was not at a loss. 

In 1821 the academy ceases to operate due to the Greek war of independence. At this point the last of the classes were held at the old site. In 1842 the academy re-opens in Karies. At this point the old building near the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi was in ruins and very expensive to renovate. With many donations, a new building is erected in Karies in 1844. Zoes Kaplanis and Eugenios Voulgaris leave a significant amount to the academy in their last will and testament's for the upkeep of the academy. In this time many important and great monks taught at the academy. Bartholomew of Koutloumouseiou, Daniel of Pantokratoros, Christophoros of Prodromou, Chrysostom of Great Lavra, Joasaf of Great Lavra and many others. A new period begins for Athoniada from 1930, when with the decision of the Holy Community, the scholl is transferred from its current buiding in Karies to the external guest wing of the Skete of St. Andrew (Sarai). Father Athanasios of Pantokratoros, a Theologi...

Yesterday, 7th of October 2010, our dearest former principal of Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy, Archimandrite Nikiforos of Mikra Agia Anna Skete, Mount Athos was elected as the new Metropolitan of Central Africa by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. All people who have met or have been guided by Fr. Nikiforos will agree with me in saying that he is one of the most outstanding fathers of our modern era known for his modesty, wisdom and leadership. He guided the students of the Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy firstly as a teacher beginning in 1977 and then as Principal from 1988 to 1997. Many students benefited from his leadership, direction, compassion and strictness as a teacher and as a life guide. Father Nikiforos is one of very few pioneers of Orthodox Ecclesiastical Education in our modern era. After Athonias, he led Ecclesiastical academies in Albania and Africa. I was truly gifted by having Fr. Nikiforos as my Principal between the years of 1992 - 1996 at...

For all of the readers of this blog who have read my series of posts on the pilgrimage of Professor James S. Cutsinger, I hope that you enjoyed this series. I was amazed when I first read his blog in early 2008, the detail and descriptions brought me closer to Mount Athos, a place where I "grew up" and had not been for an extended period of time up until the end of 2008. I would like to thank Professor James S Cutsinger for writing such a marvellous journal and then sharing it to the world through his blog which I then republished in order to bring it to my readers who have a great interest in Mount Athos - Agion Oros. May God grant him many years full of health and wisdom to continue writing, and teaching! Thank You!

Day Eight: Wednesday, 20 June — Simonopetra to Ouranoupolis I left off writing yesterday in the mid-afternoon before the  simantron   sounded for Vespers, when we had our first chance to hear the beautiful chanting of the much-recorded monks of this monastery. I am told that Simonopetra is the only community on the Mountain to employ full double choirs at every service, though perhaps Vatopedi is not far behind. In any case it was quite a change from the soloist cantors we had experienced thus far on our pilgrimage, and it was the first really powerful use of the ison  (the drone note of Byzantine chant); the resonating richness of the sound was breathtaking. As usual Vespers was followed by a light supper, and then it was back to the  catholikon  for a short Compline service and the opportunity to venerate the relics, including in this case the right hand of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite and the left hand of Saint Mary Magdalene— which is incorrupt...