Events & News

The Office of Vocation and Ministry hosted the first-ever CrossRoad Alumni retreat on the weekend of March 28-30, 2008.  Forty-five "all-star" alumni travelled from across the country (and were joined by many of our own Hellenic College student alums) for the weekend, and were on the Hellenic College/Holy Cross campus on Friday for an evening session in the chapel, then went to a retreat center from Friday evening through Sunday morning, and then returned back to HCHC for liturgy at the Chapel Sunday morning.  Fr. Thomas Hopko was the keynote speaker, and CrossRoad alumni staff including Mary Long (who is now on staff full time with the OVM, hooray!), Micah Hirschy, Ellie Mellas, Elizabeth Nichols, Thanasi Pantazelos, and George Sarraf attended.  Plans are in the making for another CrossRoad alumni retreat in the Spring of 2009.

The OVM is mourning the recent loss of our dear coworker, Sonia Daly Belcher, wife of OVM Assistant Director Dn. Nicholas Belcher, who fell asleep in the Lord on her 32nd birthday, February 20, 2008.

The work of the Office of Vocation and Ministry and the CrossRoad program would simply not be what it is without the vision and love of Sonia.  Sonia was on the initial planning committe for the Lilly Endowment grant to Hellenic College, and was pivotal in the hiring of Ann Bezzerides as director.  Two years later her soon-to-be husband Nick came on board as the dynamic Assistant Director.  So many CrossRoaders, OCF, and Hellenic College students have had their lives touched by Dn. Nick, and all of his work is infused with Sonia's love and support-of him, of his ministry, and for all the students.  This Sunday he and Sonia were going to host, as they have done every month for the last year and a half, the "OVM RoundTable"--an incre ...

Andrea Sterk, Ph.D., will speak on, "Faith and Learning in Higher Education: Historical Reflections for Orthodox Scholars Today" at the upcoming conference, June 12-13, 2008, in Chicago, The Orthodox Scholar in the Academy: Does it Matter? Should it Matter?

Professor Sterk is Associate Professor of History at the University of Florida. She teaches courses on Late Antiquity, ancient and medieval Christianity, the ancient world, and Byzantine civilization. Her primary research has focused on religious history in Late Antiquity and Byzantium. Her recent books include Renouncing the World Yet Leading the Church. The Monk-Bishop in Late Antiquity (Harvard University Press, 2004) and a co-edited reader of primary source texts, Readings in World Christian History. Earliest Christianity to 1453 (Orbis, 2004). She edited and authored the preface of Religion, Scholarship, and Higher Education. Perspectives, Model ...

Deacon Nicholas Belcher, Assistant Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry, was the keynote speaker for the East Coast College Conference held at the Antiochian Village from December 27-31, 2007.  Audio of Dn. Nicholas' keynote talks, as well as a wrap-up interview, can be found online here at Ancient Faith Radio. 

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What is the vocation of Orthodox Christian parents? How can adults help youth and young adults come to know their own vocation? The OVM produced a new audio resource where some of the most remarkable Orthodox pastors and theologians today address these questions. Geared for parents of Orthodox Christian high school and college-age youth, it has powerful and relevant wisdom for anyone who strives to live as a Christian in his or her community.

What is the vocation of Orthodox Christian parents? How can adults help youth and young adults come to know their own vocation? The OVM produced a new audio resource (from talks given at a CrossRoad Parents' Weekend) where some of the most remarkable Orthodox pastors and theologians today address these questions. Geared for parents of Orthodox Christian high school and college-age youth, it has powerful and relevant wisdom for anyone who strives to live as a Christian in his or her community.

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The Office of Vocation and Ministry and the Orthodox Theological Society in America are cosponsoring a conference on "The Orthodox Scholar in the Academy: Does it Matter? Should it Matter?" in Chicago, June 12-13, 2008. Orthodox faculty from academic institutions across the nation are encouraged to submit proposals through OTSA, and are welcome to contact Ann Bezzerides or Tony Vrame for more information. A full description of the project can be downloaded from this website.  

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Fr. Chris Metropolis of the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) interviews Dr. Ann Bezzerides, Dn. Nicholas Belcher, and Dr. Fran Kostarelos (grant evaluator) on the Orthodox view of "calling" and the work of the Office of Vocation & Ministry (OVM).

Hear the interview!

Dr. Ann Bezzerides, Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry, spoke on November 2, 2007 to the evangelical Christian student body at a chapel convocation at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Her talk, "Eastern Orthodoxy and Christian Vocation" was part of the Faith Seeking Understanding lecture series at Gordon. Like Hellenic, Gordon is one of the 88 colleges and universities nationally that received a Lilly Endowment grant for "the theological exploration of vocation."

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Over a beautiful Labor Day weekend, the Office of Vocation and Ministry hosted its annual Orientation Retreat for Hellenic College’s incoming students. The retreat was held on one of the scenic beaches of Cape Cod, providing a beautiful atmosphere for the students as they said transitioned from summer into the new school year. The retreat was an excellent opportunity for the new class to reflect on their vocation while getting to know one other.

The retreat was led by Dn. Nicholas Belcher, Assistant Director of the Office of Vocation and Ministry, and a stellar staff of Hellenic College students including Demetrios Kazakis, Donna Elias, Ellie Mellas, and Jonathon Resmini. Joining the staff for the retreat were Lily Macrakis, the Dean of Hellenic College, Nikki Stournaras, the Dean’s Executive Assistant, Fr. Philip Zymaris, the Chaplain of Hellenic College/...