With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the unanimous decision of the Holy Eparchial Synod, Holy Cross is happy to announce the launch of the launching of its online Continuing Education Program (CEP): Catechesis. Hosted by The Scriptorium Initiative (TSI), Catechesis offers Orthodox courses in theology, church history, tradition, and praxis to the faithful and to those exploring the Orthodox Church.
Catechesis is an educational offering targeted for those who are inquiring about the Orthodox faith and the Orthodox faithful who desire to learn the basics of the Orthodox Church’s rich tradition of theology and praxis. The curriculum will be aligned with a project currently under development by the Faculty of Holy Cross with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Holy Eparchial Synod, that is, the creation of a Unified Handbook of Orthodox Catechesis. A key element of Catechesis is offering of a Certificate in Orthodox Catechism (“The Catechist”), which will prepare lay educational leaders in the parishes to serve as adult catechists in response to the increasing numbers of new members to parishes throughout the Archdiocese.
As the curriculum for Catechesis unfolds, we are pleased to offer three introductory courses for our inaugural session of the program which runs from March 9 – March 30, 2026.
- The Bible in the Orthodox Church (Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc in conversation with Dr. James C. Skedros)
- Orthodox Holy Week and its Theology (Fr. Philip Zymaris)
- Introduction to the Church Fathers (Dr. Tikhon Pino)
Courses are taught by Holy Cross faculty who are experts in their fields and who convey a well-balanced Orthodox perspective, the same traditional way in which the School of Theology has educated Orthodox clergy in the United States and abroad. As CEP advances, Orthodox theologians around the world will teach their courses through TSI.
During each week of the course, students will have access to a pre-recorded lecture, a one-hour live meeting with the instructor (via Zoom) primarily devoted to Q&A, and printable PDF files of assigned readings. Students can expect to spend between two to three hours per week for each course. The cost of each course is $150.
In announcing the launch of Catechesis, Dr. Demetrios S. Katos, President of HCHC, said, “We are excited about the launch of a new continuing education program at Holy Cross that offers what we do the best – teaching the Word of God for the people in the pews, and those not church affiliated, but seeking truth, beauty and meaning. This launch is part of expanding the reach of Hellenic College Holy Cross beyond our campus in Brookline and affirms the close alignment of Holy Cross with the Archdiocese.”
The title of the new program, Catechesis, is a word that may not be familiar to the public. The term, which means “teaching” or “instruction” is a Classical Greek word that early Christianity adopted to identify the nascent faith’s commitment to teaching and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
Catechesis came to be associated with the teaching and formation of catechumens (note the relationship between the two words), those who were preparing for baptism. Famously, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386 AD), offered in-depth catechetical instruction during Lent for those seeking baptism.