“…Great St Minas save from all danger those who honour you.”
The current school year is of double importance for the Ecclesiastical
Seminary of Karditsa.
At
first, a quarter of century is completed this year since the foundation of
the school in 1981. For 25 years the Ecclesiastical Seminary of Karditsa
runs ministering to the Greek State and to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Its
teachers teach the “fear of the Lord” (Prv. 1,7) and they do not give
lessons of atheism that make people arrogant, blind them and lead them up to
their doom. They take pride in a considerable number of graduates who serve
adequately their parishes. The try to fulfill their duties in such a way
that the evangelic word: “Those that you gavest me I have kept” (John
17,12). They seek to educate the seminarians, within the bounds of
possibility, given that they are adults, to form their characters and in
particular to affect them in order that they impel them to “the good fight”
(Tim. 4,7).
Of course, this is due not only to human struggles but also to the God’s grace, without which, as constantly the Gospel reminds us, we cannot do anything (John 15,5).
Also, since the bill about the Ecclesiastical Education was voted through
and became a law (3432/2006), the situation has changed for all the
Ecclesiastical Seminaries of our country and especially for the seminaries
like ours, which will be replaced by other schools.
Consequently, the Ecclesiastical Seminary of Karditsa has rounded off a stage of activity and it braces itself for a new start.
Fortunately, this coincides with the 25th anniversary of our school. But,
regardless of this coincidence, we were preoccupied with how we could
celebrate this anniversary. Finally, it seems that in such focal points our
thoughts turn to the Great Martyr Saint Minas, who always intercedes with
God for us and is the patron saint of our school, which ran all these years
under his protection.
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So, we decided to record and put in circulation a compact disk with the paracletic canon of St. Minas. |
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His Grace
the
Metropolitan of Thessaliotis and Fanariofersala Kyrillos II
embraced from the first moment our idea, aided us and supported ardently the
undertaking.
He officiated at the service, which was recorded. His participation does honour to our school and it is a blessing for us. We sought after people who are or were in relation with our school to carry out this task. That’s why we called, along with our Metropolitan, the Byzantine music teachers, who taught at our school since his foundation.
During this period the ever
memorable Theophanes Fysekes, Mr. Elias Kapelas, who is now Director of the
Music High School of Karditsa, the priest of the Holy Church of Sts
Constantine and Helene George Stamos, which is the cathedral of Karditsa,
and the Byzantine music teacher Evangelos Gikas, who serves in our school
the last three years, worked as Byzantine music teachers in our school.
All three accepted with pleasure our invitation.
The outcome of this effort is left now to the judgment of the public. It
remains for us to express our thanks to His Grace the
Metropolitan of Thessaliotis and Fanariofersala Kyrillos II for his interest
and love. We thank also the three Byzantine music teachers for their labour
and selfless devotion.
We
thank as well the teachers of our school, Ms Polyxeni Antonopoulou, Dr. of
Divinity, and Ms Demetra Christopoulou, Dr. of Mathematics, for the
translation of the supporting material in the English language.
Finally, we express our thanks to the nuns of the Holy Monastery of Panaghia Hodegetria in Portaria of Pelion (Volos, Greece), as they gave their consent for the publication of their holy painting as the disk’s cover.
We are certain that St Minas mediates to the Lord for the remission of their sins.
We wish fervently that St Minas will protect the Ecclesiastical Seminary of
Karditsa at this juncture so that the celebration of the next 25th
anniversary will take place in a period of prosperity and fruitfulness for
the school.
On Friday of the Easter Week, 27 April 2006
The Director of the Ecclesiastical Seminary of Karditsa
Christos G. Kalantzis
Degree in History – Degree in Law
(Tel: - Fax)
Ε-mail frekklkar@sch.gr
THE LIFE OF THE GREAT MARTYR SAINT MINAS
Ecclesiastical Seminary of Karditsa: flash back of 25 years