Events & News

OVM Sponsors Second Servant-Leadership Workshop

What does it mean to be a servant-leader? On Wednesday, October 5, 2011, Mr. Tim Tassopoulos, Senior Vice President of Operations for Chick-fil-A and member of the Hellenic College/Holy Cross Board of Trustees, led a servant-leadership workshop for a group of HC/HC student leaders. Mr. Tassopoulos provided his perspective that leadership is a choice, not a characteristic or personality trait, thus highlighting that everyone can get better at leadership. This event built on a spring workshop led by Tassopoulos on the importance of every leader first becoming a servant. At each event, he shared seasoned, practical advice that students could start implementing in their present responsibilities. Indeed, students expressed the desire to participate in future leadership seminars sponsored by the Office of Vocation & Ministry (OVM). This event is one of multiple leadership development opportunities for students sponsored by the OVM.

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OVM Sponsors the Annual Hellenic College Orientation Retreat

On September 4-5, 2011 The Office of Vocation and Ministry sponsored the Annual Hellenic College Orientation Retreat. Incoming students spent an intensive 24 hours learning about themselves, building relationships, and exploring the Orthodox Christian understanding of vocation at the beautiful and scenic St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, NH. Together with the retreat staff, Fr. Peter Chamberas campus Chaplain and Dn. Nicholas Belcher Dean of Students joined the students and offered their words of wisdom and experience.  Over the years this retreat has laid the foundations for incoming students to continue to explore their vocation in Christ while pursuing academic studies at Hellenic College.

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OVM Organizes Servant-Leadership Workshop

On April 26^th, the Office of Vocation & Ministry (OVM) offered a servant-leadership workshop for student leaders at Hellenic College and the greater Boston area. The guest presenter was Tim Tassopoulos, Senior Vice President of Operations for Chick-fil-A and member of the HC/HC Board of Trustees, who facilitated students’ learning about the practices of great leaders. This event is one of several leadership development opportunities sponsored by the OVM.

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Fourth Annual CrossRoad Alumni Retreat Held

From March 25th-27th, the OVM welcomed over thirty alumni from the CrossRoad summer institute back to Boston for the fourth annual CrossRoad alumni retreat. Guest speakers for the retreat were Fr. Michael Nasser, the National Chaplain for Orthodox Christian Fellowship, who offered reflections on the theme "Called to be Loved", and Dn. Nicholas Belcher, the Dean of Students at Hellenic College and former CrossRoad Director.

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Faith & Learning Symposium to Focus on Faith and Science

On February 26th, the Office of Vocation & Ministry will hold its sixth annual Faith & Learning Symposium in honor of St. Photios the Great. Scholars from the University of South Carolina, Eckerd College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will serve as guest panelists, encouraging and challenging the college students in attendance to engage scientific issues as faithful Orthodox Christians. For more information about the event or to confirm your attendance, please visit the Facebook event page, download our flyer, or contact Paul Lundberg at plundberg@hchc.edu or 617-850-1312. Follow this link to view the archived broadcast.

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2011 CrossRoad Staff Begins Training

In November, the Office of Vocation & Ministry began preparing for next summer's CrossRoad summer institute.  This year's staff, pictured above, will devote nearly 100 hours to preparing for CrossRoad.  Their activities will include readings on Orthodox Christian theology and contemporary youth culture as well as planning for the 10-day sessions to be held in June and July.  Current high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for CrossRoad and may find more information about the program as well as application materials on the CrossRoad website.

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New Podcasts from the OVM

This month, the OVM is happy to announce the launch of two podcasts in collaboration with Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) and the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN). The AFR podcast series, called Down the Road, primarily serves alumni of the CrossRoad summer institute while the Vocation & Ministry series (with OCN) focuses more broadly on vocational wisdom for a general audience.  To listen to the pilot episodes, visit Ancient Faith Radio and the Orthodox Christian Network.

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OVM Welcomes New College Students

The Office of Vocation & Ministry (OVM) at Hellenic College hosted the seventh annual Orientation Retreat at the St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center in New Hampshire from September 5-6, 2010.  The twenty-five new Hellenic College students who attended began to consider the question "Who am I and why am I here?"  OVM staff challenged participants to live out their vocation by applying their unique talents and strengths in service to God and neighbor.

The new students had a chance to explore their many talents and discuss how to use those talents to build up the body of Christ, both within their incoming class and the broader Hellenic College/Holy Cross community. Retreat staff, a group of experienced upperclassmen, led students through humorous yet insightful skits about life on campus and how to deal with its various challenges.  Students also had the opportunity to formulate class goals, brainstorming and articulating how to best support each other academically, spiritually, and socially in their upcoming years at Hellenic College.

The retreat included sessions, chapel services, time to hike, swim, and socialize by the lake, and the opportunity to reflect prayerfully on the journey ahead.

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7th Year of CrossRoad Institute Completed

The OVM celebrates the completion of the seventh year (and tenth session) of the CrossRoad summer institute! This summer the OVM ran two sessions of CrossRoad in response to the large number of applicants, hosting sixty students from twenty-six different states and Canada, and representing seven Orthodox jurisdictions.  Mary Long and Daniel Belonick worked together again as Director and Assistant Director respectively to lead a team of five program staff members, two student interns, and one videographer for CrossRoad’s 2010 sessions.

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Presvytera Nikki Stephanopoulos Shares Years of Dedication and Service to the Church

The Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College presented its second annual Women Leaders of the Church Lecture on Tuesday, April 27. This year’s guest speaker was Presvytera Nikki Stephanopoulos, who shared her experience of service to the Church, from her parish ministry endeavors to her professional service with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

 Presvytera Nikki started her presentation by highlighting her early life in a close-knit Greek Orthodox community in Rochester, MN, prior to the building of an Orthodox Church.

Presvytera talked of her days at the University of Minnesota as a student in Public Relations, her vibrant work with Radio Free Europe, being courted by her future husband, Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, their time living in Greece following their marriage, and the amazing community of fellow clergy that were and are a strong part of their lives. Presvytera Nikki also spoke to the valuable ministry of Archbishop Michael as an exemplary leader who led the Religious Education movement in the US, founded GOYA and St. Michael’s Home, and introduced English into the Liturgy.

Throughout their pastorates at St. Demetrios Church, Fall River, MA, the Church of Our Saviour, Rye, NY, and Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, Cleveland, OH, she pursued her public relations interest as a volunteer in the parish and community. During her tenure for the Archdiocese as Director of News and Information/...

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