Source: The National Herald
TORONTO – The Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy is in its 26th year of operation. Through the years 63 young men have graduated and thirty have been ordained and serve in the churches of Canada.
In 2024 four young men graduated, and two of them have already been married and ordained priests. The graduation ceremony took place at the Metropolitan Center of the Archdiocese and Theodore Papadatos, a senior official of CIBC, was the Master of Ceremonies. There were more than five hundred attendees.
The event took place on May 11 and had a rich program, beginning with the chanting of ‘Christos Anesti’ ‘Christ is Risen’ and a prayer by His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios, followed by the national anthems of Greece and Canada.
His Grace Bishop Athenagoras welcomed all the attendees who enjoyed a dinner prepared by the Metropolitan Center and the cathedral Church of St. Nicholas. Everything was overseen by the president of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Anastasia Sotiropoulos.
After dinner, speeches were given, followed by a musical program by the students and the priests, directed by Bishop Athenagoras.
The top graduates were Fr. Christian Vela and Djordje Gojkovic, who were the valedictorians.
Next, Archbishop Sotirios gave paternal admonitions to the graduates and students, speaking on the topic ‘Calling and Mission’.
Degrees were awarded to the four graduates, Fr. Vela, Fr. Evangelos Anastasiadis, Deacon Michael Ghebrehwet, and Mr. Gojkovic.
Like every year, all graduates were given the icon of St. John the Theologian, the patron saint of the Academy, donated by the Monastery of the Virgin Mary the Consolatory.
Archbishop Sotirios congratulated the students and thanked Bishop Athenagoras, the professors, and all the attendees. He conveyed the wishes and blessings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, whose ‘Polychronion’ was chanted at the end of the ceremony.
The evening concluded with a prayer by Bishop Andriy of Toronto of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.