ORTHODOX YOUTH RESOURCES

One Way Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos Ministers to Students of Middle and High School

2026-03-14T13:36:00.003-04:00

For many years now it has been an established practice for the Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Hierotheos Vlachos, to visit the city’s Gymnasiums and Lyceums (Middle Schools and High Schools) at least twice a year, as well as on other individual occasions, and to discuss with students and teachers issues that concern them. One visit takes place at the beginning of the school year on the occasion of the sanctification of the water services (agiasmos) of the schools. The other occurs during the month of January on the occasion of the cutting of the Vasilopita. This also takes place at other times with individual classes.

During these meetings, His Eminence begins with an example, a saying, or an event drawn from ancient Greek philosophy or from more recent times, and then relates it to the present age, enriching it also with elements from the ecclesiastical tradition. Afterwards he invites the students to ask him questions — “the more difficult, the better,” as he says — and an extensive discussion follows. Many times the discussion exceeds an hour and a half. What follows is a brief summary of the introduction to his talk during his recent visits to the schools, after he had first blessed the Vasilopita. In each school he conveyed a particular message.

ORTHODOX YOUTH RESOURCES

One Way Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos Ministers to Students of Middle and High School

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