Children Celebrate the Patron Saints of Education on a Remote Greek island Without a Priest

 

Arkoi is a small island in the Dodecanese near Patmos, with few inhabitants. The two children of the island have one teacher, but there is no priest, and without a priest there is no Divine Liturgy, no confession, no Holy Communion, unless a special visit is made to them or they go to a more inhabited nearby island.

This past January 30th, however, which is the feast of the Three Hierarchs, who are revered as the patron saints of education, the teacher of the two young boys took it upon himself to honor the Three Hierarchs with his students at a chapel on the island. Here is what he said about it:

When Saint Porphyrios Traveled Invisibly To Serbia and Observed the Emptiness of the Youth

Saint Porpyrios of Kavsokalyva once said the following to Bishop Irinej of Bačka:

"One day I sat on a bridge over there in your parts [in Serbia, where he used to travel in an invisible way by divine grace], I was observing the people who were passing by. And by the grace of God I saw them transparent, both their bodies and their souls.

What can I say to you, Irinej! I saw empty, lonely, wounded, broken souls. I saw boys and girls passing by holding hands, but without their souls having the strength to truly love. They fall in love roughly and superficially. Raised without a family or even in an atheistic family, they have no provisions for true love. Many of your girls are not even in a position to become mothers from the libertine life they lead.

Message for the Beginning of the School Year for Elementary, Middle School and High School Students (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Message for the Beginning of the School Year for Elementary Students

My beloved students,

With the beginning of the school year, I feel the need as the Metropolitan of this Sacred Metropolis to communicate with you to wish you to have health of body and soul to meet the demands of your education.

You have understood by now that you live your lives between the family and the school, the society and the Church. You were born and grew up in a small family and there you got to know the first impressions of your life.

Q & A: My Young Adult Child Left the Church, What Should I Do? (Archpriest Sergiy Baranov)

 

 

 

When Saint George Karslides as a Child Rode on the Horse of Saint George the Great Martyr

Saint George Karslides was born in 1901 with the name Athanasios, in Argyroupolis (Gümüşhane) of Pontus. As a very young child he lost his parents and his faithful grandmother undertook to protect him. She inspired him with his love for the liturgical life of our Church.

But soon after his grandmother left for heaven. Only one older brother was left, who also tortured and oppressed him. So at the age of 7-8 he left secretly, to escape from the contempt and tyranny of his older brother. He felt a deep thirst for God.