Huffington Ecumenical Institute

09/08/2026

Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Theotokos, commemorating the birth of the Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to Sts. Joachim and Anna.

Her birth marks the beginning of the story of our salvation and opens the liturgical year with a feast of hope: “Your birth, O Theotokos, brought joy to the whole world, for from you dawned the sun of righteousness, Christ our God.”

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

Image: Nativity of the Theotokos, 16th century, Mt. Athos, fresco by Theophanes the Cretan

09/07/2026

Last call to register for HEI's fall courses!

This semester, we’re offering two courses: one on Eastern & Oriental Orthodox Church Relations, and one on The Challenges and Opportunities Presented by the Ecumenical Movement.

The add/drop deadline is this Thursday, September 10—after that, registration closes for the semester.

🔗 Apply by using the link below:
https://enrollment.hchc.edu/hellenic-course-application

Remote or Online Course Application for Hellenic College, Brookline, MA

09/04/2026

In anticipation of the upcoming colloquium, Honoring His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: 35 Years of Unprecedented Patriarchal Ministry, the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross is pleased to share this article from the Orthodox Observer:

During the Holy Fast for the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in the company of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa […]

09/03/2026

There's still time to register for HEI's colloquium honoring the 35th anniversary of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's enthronement—taking place September 14–15 at HCHC's Maliotis Cultural Center in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Over two days, distinguished scholars, clergy, and laity will reflect on His All-Holiness's 35 years of Patriarchal ministry: his leadership in inter-Orthodox and ecumenical relations, his decades of environmental advocacy, his voice on human rights and social justice, and his enduring pastoral presence across the global Church.

🔗 Register at [email protected]. Registration closes September 7. The event will also be recorded and live-streamed.

09/01/2026

Today marks the Ecclesiastical New Year and the Day of Prayer for Creation, observed across the Orthodox Church since Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios established it in 1989.

As the liturgical year begins, we join Orthodox Christians worldwide in prayer for the natural world and our responsibility to care for it: “Almighty God, who created all things with wisdom and who watches over and guides them by your all-powerful hand, grant well-being that all creation may prosper and remain unharmed by hostile elements.”

08/27/2026

Meet the professors leading HEI’s fall courses!

📚 Rev. Dr. Philip Halikias will be teaching The Ecumenical Movement: Challenges and Opportunities.

Fr. Philip is the Chief Equity and Compliance Officer at HCHC, an adjunct professor for Orthodox-Catholic relations and ecumenism, and the parish priest at St. Nicholas Church in Manchester, NH. He also serves as an Orthodox representative on the National Council of Churches’ convening tables on Christian-Muslim dialogue and Faith and Order.

📚 Dr. Andrew Youssef and Dr. Peter Bouteneff will be co-teaching Eastern & Oriental Orthodox Church Relations: The Schism and its Healing in History to the Present.

Dr. Youssef completed his PhD with a dissertation titled “Comparative Christology: Hypostasis, Nature(s), Will(s) and Energy(ies) in Severus of Antioch and Maximus the Confessor,” which seeks to bridge Christological divergences between Oriental and Eastern Orthodox families in an ecumenical spirit. He has also served as a representative for the Coptic Orthodox Eastern Diocese of Ottawa and Montreal with the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission of Faith and Witness.

Dr. Bouteneff has taught at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary since 2000, in the fields of theology, spirituality, and the sacred arts. Before joining the faculty he spent five years on the staff of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. His latest publication is Union Without Confusion: Councils and Christology Beyond the Chalcedonian Divide.

📩 Find full course descriptions and request information at https://enrollment.hchc.edu/online-courses.

Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is pleased to offer these online courses for the upcoming semester.

08/25/2026

From environmental stewardship to human rights, one session at HEI's September 14-15 colloquium will explore His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s work on social issues and social ethos.

The session will feature presentations from Dr. Chris Durante on His All-Holiness's environmental stewardship, Dr. Vasileia Digidiki Lucero on his condemnation of human trafficking and modern-day slavery, Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou on His All-Holiness’s advocacy for human rights and freedom of worship, and Dr. James Skedros on his commission for a document to guide Orthodox Christian engagement with contemporary social and ethical issues.

🔗 Register at [email protected]. Registration closes September 7. The event will take place at the Maliotis Cultural Center of HCHC, and will also be livestreamed.

Photo by Nikolaos Manginas

08/23/2026

SAVE THE DATE | March 1–3, 2027

The Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross is pleased to announce:

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF ORTHODOXY
Receiving and Supporting New Members in the Church

Organized and hosted by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, this interdisciplinary conference will bring together hierarchs, clergy, theologians, scholars, and lay leaders for an honest and practical conversation about the growing number of people entering the Orthodox Church in recent years.

Focusing on the themes of motivation, formation, and impact, participants will explore catechesis, healthy parish life, digital Orthodoxy, pastoral and liturgical practices, ecclesial authority, and the integration of new members into the life of the Church.

How can Orthodox communities welcome and support those pursuing a life in Christ while remaining faithful to the Gospel and the tradition of the Church?

📅 March 1–3, 2027
📍 Maliotis Cultural Center of Hellenic College Holy Cross | Brookline, Massachusetts

Registration and program information will be announced soon.

08/18/2026

The Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC (HEI) is pleased to announce the launch of a series of publications, entitled “Encounters” in collaboration with Akritas Books in Athens and Holy Cross Press in Boston.

The first two works in the series will be released in September, with publications in both English (through Holy Cross Press) and Greek (through Akritas Books).

An interview with renowned primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall constitutes the first book; Goodall offered the interview in September 2023, when she spoke at the HEI’s opening event.

The second book in the series focuses on the 35th anniversary of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s enthronement, including an exclusive interview with His All-Holiness as well as several reflections on his Patriarchal tenure. This work will be available at HEI’s special colloquium in honor of the anniversary, which will be held on September 14-15, 2026.

The Greek edition will be officially presented in Athens and Thessaloniki in early November. Three additional books are currently forthcoming in the series.

08/18/2026

Across his 35 years of Patriarchal ministry, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has shaped how the Orthodox Church engages both its Christian neighbors and the broader religious world.

At HEI's September 14-15 colloquium honoring the anniversary of His All-Holiness's enthronement, attendees will learn about these contributions. A dedicated session will feature presentations from Fr. Nicolas Kazarian on the Ecumenical Patriarch’s contributions to inter-Christian dialogue, and Fr. Michael Azar on His All-Holiness’s work in inter-religious relations.

🔗 Register at [email protected]. Registration closes September 7.