Visit of the Pupils of the Patriarchal School of Sion to the Patriarch of Jerusalem

On Thursday, 24th May / 6th June 2025, the pupils of the Patriarchal School of Sion—final-year students and graduates—visited His Beatitude, accompanied by the Schoolmaster, Monk Basil, the former Schoolmaster, Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Matthaios, and their teachers, to thank Him for His support throughout the academic year and to seek His blessing for their summer holidays and their university entrance examinations in Greece.

On behalf of the School, the final-year pupil of Lyceum class, Michail Psomiadis, addressed His Beatitude with words of gratitude as follows:

“Your Beatitude, Father and Master, Most Reverend Primate of the Most Holy Apostolic and Patriarchal Church of Jerusalem, Theophilos,

Together, we have travelled a demanding path—arduous, often thorny, filled with trials and challenges. Yet, always looking ahead, our eyes would meet Yours. Going before us, You would discern the difficulties and obstacles that arose along the way in a timely manner. As we always looked upwards, we felt the presence of our Lord, drawing strength from Him and receiving His inexpressible yet resounding guidance.

This journey has now been completed, and we stand before You face to face to share in the joy of its festive conclusion. Our long pilgrimage was far from easy. From the outset, we bid farewell to our mothers and the comfort of our homes to be at Your side. Our aim was not merely to complete our secondary education, but also to deepen our spiritual life, so that we might walk more closely with Christ.

We encountered various practical hardships and spiritual trials, yet always with Your blessing and the help of our Lord, we were able to walk our path undeterred. We were embraced by a spiritual family — not bound by flesh and blood, but by true spiritual kinship, by faith, by ethos, and by the love in Christ.

This was the family of the Patriarchal School, which operates under your paternal care, your protective mantle, your concern and guidance. You ensured that we not only received the education prescribed by the curriculum, but also the love and affection we needed as young people in the crucial stage of adolescence. Noteworthy was Your work in guiding us to approach our faith with humble and pure hearts, to draw light from the living presence of God in our lives.

Your Beatitude, Father and Master, at every mention of Your name, or when we remember the Holy Places and the Loving Patriarchal School of Sion, our memories will resurface — memories full of love, built upon the virtues that every young person needs to carry forward in life. You offered these generously as a Patriarch and a paternal role model, to enlighten our souls and, in time, the path of our lives and our choices.

A thousand thanks could never fully express our gratitude for your support and for our transformation into Holy Sepulchre students — into equipped individuals ready for the life ahead. We thank You, we are grateful to You, we honour You, and we commit ourselves with the promise that we will uphold, through our actions, the values and virtues you instilled in us with such diligence and unwavering care. The precious memories and the invaluable teachings we received from You are a firm foundation for the course of our lives and a strong legacy that will accompany us always.

We also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to our Headmaster, Father Matthaios, who spared no effort to ensure the smooth running of our daily lives.

We extend warm thanks to all the teaching staff, who supported us tirelessly in our educational journey, as well as the auxiliary staff, who stood by us faithfully, addressing every practical and other difficulty that arose. We owe special thanks to Father Vasileios, who, with dedication and consistency, managed the boarding house, undertook the duties of Headmaster, and continues to serve the educational and spiritual mission of the institution with integrity and zeal. In closing, we express special thanks to Mrs Amalia, who, during these years, stepped into a motherly role, supporting and helping us selflessly in the daily affairs of life.

Your Beatitude, Father and Master,
We wish You longevity, fruitful in works pleasing to God, abundant in blessings and successes. May the path You chart continue to illuminate the way for countless students seeking Your support. May You always be imbued with the courage and integrity that characterise You, and continue to uphold with unwavering strength and faith the sacred values of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and of our Orthodox Christian faith.

We praise and give thanks to the Lord.

Michael Psomiadis
Graduate Student”

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem gave His blessing to the pupils and wished them success in their university entrance examinations in Greece and, in due time and if they so desire, their entry into the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood for the safeguarding of the Holy Places. He further wished that the Christian education they received during their time at the School may accompany and guide them.

From the Chief Secretariat

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem