On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, accompanied by Bishop Bartholomew of Elaia, celebrated the customary Agiasmos (Blessing of the Waters) service marking the beginning of classes at the Greek School of Stockholm, which is housed on the premises of Sjölins Gymnasium.
The Greek School of Stockholm began operating in 1967 and, for nearly six decades, has carried out a vital educational and cultural mission, offering children of the Greek Diaspora the opportunity to study the Greek language, history, and traditions of our homeland. During the current school year, the School has approximately 300 students.
The Agiasmos service was attended by George Konstantinou, former President of the Greek School of Stockholm, members of the Board of Directors, the teachers, the parents, and the students of the School.
Following the Agiasmos service, His Eminence offered words of paternal counsel to the children and, using the image of a tree, encouraged them always to keep alive their connection to their spiritual and cultural roots:
“Today, I want to ask you a very simple question. Can a tree grow without roots? Of course not. The roots cannot be seen; they are hidden beneath the earth. Yet from them the tree draws strength, grows, and puts forth branches, leaves, and fruit.
Our lives are much the same. We too have roots of our own. They are our family, our faith, our language, our history, and our tradition. The Greek School, where we have come today to celebrate the Agiasmos service, helps you, my dear children, to come to know and love these roots.
I know that it is Saturday. I know that sometimes you might prefer to sleep a little longer, play, meet your friends, or take part in another activity. Yet every Saturday that you come here, you gain something that will remain with you throughout your lives. You learn to speak, write, and think in Greek.
You are learning the language spoken by your parents and grandparents; the language in which great works of history and culture were written; the language in which the Gospel was written and in which, to this day, we hear so many of the prayers and hymns of our Church.
But I also want you to remember something else. It is not enough simply to learn Greek words; we must also learn beautiful words. We must learn to say, ‘thank you,’ ‘please,’ and ‘I am sorry,’ and, above all, we must learn to say, ‘I love you’ and to express those words through the way we live.
A truly educated person is not merely someone who knows many words, but someone who knows how to use the right words to bring joy, hope, and love to others.
Dear teachers, we sincerely thank you for the patience, love, and dedication with which you serve our children and Hellenic education here in Sweden.
Dear parents, I congratulate you because, in a society with a different language and different traditions, you ensure that our children come to know their roots, without ever ceasing to be creative and active members of the country in which they are growing up.
My beloved children, remember the image of the tree. Keep your roots deep and stretch your branches high. Love Greece; love Sweden; love our language, our Church, and our tradition; and, above all, love God and every human being. This is my wish for all of you today.
May God bless our Greek School, its President and the members of its Board of Directors, its teachers, its parents, and our children. May you have a good and blessed school year!”
