The Feast of the Three Hierarchs at the Patriarchal School of Zion

On Monday, January 30/February 12, 2024, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Three Hierarchs, Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

On this feast, the Church honours the Three Hierarchs as teachers of the faith, defenders of the decision of the First Ecumenical Council on the one essence of the Son with the Father and the teaching of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, and the Virginity of the Mother of God. The three Saints were authors of a multitude of theological writings explaining the Holy Bible, and great teachers, “the three greatest luminaries of the Three-sun Divinity”, as their apolytikion says, who drew the boundaries between Christian teaching and ancient Greek philosophy, mainly through the writing of Saint Basil to the young, “ὅπως ἄν ἐξ ἑλληνικῶν ὀφελοῖντο λόγων “.

This common feast was established in the 11th century by the Church under Metropolitan John to resolve a dispute between the faithful Vasiliites, Gregorites, and Johnites about which of the three Hierarchs is greatest.

In their honour, a Divine Liturgy was held in the Holy Trinity Church of the Patriarchal School of Zion in the morning by the Chairman of the School Board and Elder Sacristan, His Eminence Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis, with the co-celebration of the Archimandrites Claudius, Amfilochios, Fr Nektarios, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon and the students, as the service was attended by the School teachers, the parents of the students, nuns and believers from Jerusalem, in the presence of the Greek Consul, Ms. Anna Mantika.

After the Divine Liturgy, the Elder Dragoman and Managing Director of the School, Archimandrite Mattheos hosted a grand reception for the Episcopal entourage and the congregation in the School’s event hall.

From Secretariat-General

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem