Every year on 30 January we commemorate the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostomos. 

These three special saints are among the greatest teachers and theologians in Christian history and their influence and teachings have echoed down the centuries and are as fresh today as they were nearly 2000 years ago. 

The Greeks consider this feast day not only an ecclesiastical one but also a great national and school holiday.

We chose to celebrate last Sunday as it is more suitable for the families and students to get together to offer thanks and prayers. 

After the service Eva Psomas and Alex Elias, students from the Greek School,  each gave a short speech to honour the saints. 

The Three Hierarchs are honoured and venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Church of England and the Catholic Church. So in effect, they have shaped the way in which we worship and have outlined the precepts of a Christian life.

They are considered the patron saints of education in Greece. 

The Three Hierarchs symbolise the value of education and keeping one‘s language, religion and culture alive and well, not only for the present students but for future generations. 

So at the service and Artoklasia we honoured  the memory of these three holy luminaries who continue to guide and inspire us through the wisdom of their teaching and the sanctity of their lives. 

They are venerated as great teachers and theologians who have communicated  divine wisdom and were inspired witnesses to the glorious love of God. 

We owe them so much for the  depth and richness of their teaching as well as their ardent defence of the Faith. 

Each of these great Fathers of our Faith has his own feast day: St Basil on January 1, St John Chrysostomos on November 13 and January 27 and St Gregory the Theologian on January 25.

 However, this present combined Feast Day, which is celebrated on  January 30, was instituted in the 11th century during the reign of Emperor Alexius Comnenus after a never-ending debate erupted as to which of these luminaries was the greater.

They appeared together in a dream to Bishop John of Euchaita, in the Anatolian province which is now Turkey, and advised him to settle the dispute by honouring all three on one day with these words: 

“As you see, we are one in God and there is nothing contradictory in us; neither is there a first or a second among us.“

In the spirit of a new year of learning, Pater Nikolaos and Archimandrite Doukas blessed the teachers, Artemis and Bojana, the children and the Sunday School upstairs in our Church Hall. 

And then the Greek School at the  Hellenic  Community Centre in Mouille Point was also blessed for the new school year ahead. 

We salute our Greek School and Ariadni Paralis, the  Principal, and teacher Katerina Krithinaki. It’s vitally important that our Hellenic language, culture, history and values are preserved and passed on to each successive generation, especially as we live far away from the motherland in the diaspora. 

May our  children have success and enjoy their school year with plenty of gold stars on their report cards! 

Sending blessings to everyone who is studying this year – may you be guided and inspired by the Three Hierarchs.

(Text and photos: Pepe Sofianos)