Second group of Greek Orthodox seminarians arrive for seminarian-exchange.
SEMINARIANS from both the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions have gained a deeper appreciation of their common Apostolic heritage, Archbishop Barry Hickey told a reception for Greek seminarians on August 9 at the WA State Library.
The Orthodox and Catholic Churches had their own heritage, but increased awareness of their common Apostolic heritage would bring them closer together precisely because it was Apostolic, the Archbishop said.
Our faith in Jesus Christ came to us through the Apostles, and awareness of this shared inheritance would make fraternal love and unity stronger and more lasting, he said.
The Archbishop was formally welcoming three students from Greece – Panagiotis, Milutin Mihajlovic and Georgios Tsioulos – and their coordinator Panayiotis Tsakiris, who make up the second party from the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School (seminary) in Athens to visit Perth.
Among the guests at the reception were Albert Jacob MLA representing the Premier, the Kate Doust MLC representing the Leader of the Opposition, Cr Evangel of the Perth City Council representing the Lord Mayor, and Prof. Matthew Ogilvie, Head of the Department of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Fremantle.
In his welcome, Archbishop Hickey recalled that he had presented his invitation to the Board of Rizarios in 2001 and after all protocols and approvals had been gained the exchange program had begun in 2004-05.
Since then, two groups of WA seminarians had visited Greece and two teams from Greece had visited Perth.
It was a unique program and those who had participated had learned to see each other with new eyes and to appreciate even more deeply the beauty and power of the Faith as it was lived out in each Church.
Mr Panayiotis Tsakiris outlined the foundation and unique development of Rizarios which had enabled it to participate in the exchange program which is the first of its kind in the world. The Governor, Dr Ken Michael, will welcome the visitors to WA at a morning tea at Government House on August 17.
Archbishop Hickey also announced Philip Shields as the Convenor of the Catholic Archdiocesan Taskforce for the Catholic Orthodox Bridge-building, known as CATCOB. This position was formerly held by the late Fr Gerard Beeson.
“Mr Shields, ably assisted by the Orthodox delegate and co-ordinator Susana Dimitriakos, has worked hard over many years to facilitate a unique exchange program of seminarians between St Charles Seminary, Guildford and Rizarios Ecclesiastical Seminary, Athens,” Archbishop Hickey said in June’s Ad Clerum.