On June 9, 2025, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of the Holy Trinity on Halki, presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Following the service, a reception was held in the event hall of the Halki School, featuring speeches by Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, Bishop Kassianos of Arabissus, and Professor Nikolaos Xexakis.
Metropolitan Apostolos highlighted the profound role of the Holy Spirit, calling Him “the Paraclete, the Great Teacher of the Church, the guide of the Holy Fathers and God-bearing teachers.” He emphasized that “without Him, there is no Church, no salvation, no sanctification.”
He also spoke about the Theological School of Halki as a spiritual beacon: “In this sacred place, now once again spiritually fragrant, shines the energy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity Monastery, this venerable ark of Orthodox Tradition, is inseparably linked with the Theological School, which for decades was a precious nursery of theologians, pastors, and hierarchs, significantly shaping Orthodox theological thought.”
Metropolitan Apostolos stressed the importance of reopening the school for the Christian world: “The suspension of its operation remains an open wound for the life of the Church. I pray fervently that the Holy Spirit enlighten us all, strengthen our Church, and bless the efforts of our Primate, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and all of us for the reopening of this sacred School. With faith, patience, and prayer, we await the day when young students will cross the threshold of the Holy Theological School of Halki as new lovers of wisdom, ready to take up the cross of ministry and illuminate the world with the light of the Gospel.”
