Holy Cross Launches Catechesis Continuing Education Program

Under the vision and leadership Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc, Dean of Holy Cross, and Dr.  James Skedros, Director of Continuing Education Program (CEP), Holy Cross announces the launching of its online  Continuing Education Program Catechesis. Hosted by The Scriptorium Initiative (TSI), Catechesis offers Orthodox  courses on theology, church history, tradition, and praxis to the faithful and to those exploring the Orthodox Church.  

Building off the successful first phase of The Scriptorium Initiative which provides webinars, conferences, and  podcasts for the preaching and teaching the Word of God, Catechesis brings together the faculty of Holy Cross and  TSI to offer theological courses in the context of a robust continuing education program.  

Courses are taught by Holy Cross faculty who are experts in their fields and who convey a well-balanced Orthodox  perspective, the same traditional way in which the School of Theology has educated Orthodox clergy in the United  States and abroad. As CEP advances, Orthodox theologians around the world will teach their courses through TSI. 

There are two sessions of Catechesis for Spring 2026, with three courses being offered each session:

Session I – March 9-30 

• The Bible in the Orthodox Church (Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc) 
• Orthodox Holy Week and its Theology (Fr. Philip Zymaris) 
• Introduction to the Church Fathers (Dr. Tikhon Pino) 

Session II – April 27 – May 22 

• The Church before Constantine (Dr. James C. Skedros) 
• Marriage in the Orthodox Church (Dr. Philip Mamalakis) 
• The Gospel of John and its Theology (Fr. George L. Parsenios) 

During each week of the course, students will have access to a pre-recorded lecture, a one-hour live meeting with the  instructor (via Zoom) primarily devoted to Q&A, and printable PDF files of assigned readings. Students can expect to  spend between two to three hours per week for each course. The cost of each course is $150. 

In announcing the launch of Catechesis, Dr. Demetrios S. Katos, President of HCHC, said, “We are excited about the  launch of a new continuing education program at Holy Cross that offers what we do the best – teaching the Word of  God for the people in the pews, and those not church affiliated, but seeking truth, beauty and meaning. This launch is  part of expanding the reach of Hellenic College Holy Cross beyond our campus in Brookline.” 

The title of the new program, Catechesis, is a word that may not be familiar to the public. The term, which means  “teaching” or “instruction” is a Classical Greek word that early Christianity adopted to identify the nascent faith’s  commitment to teaching and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.  

Catechesis came to be associated with the teaching and formation of catechumens (note the relationship between  the two words), those who were preparing for baptism. Famously, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386 AD), offered in-depth  catechetical instruction during Lent for those seeking baptism.  

For more information, please visit TSI website (thescriptoriuminitiative.org) and click on Continuing Education in the  menu bar.