MyHCHC
At Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, our mission is to prepare men and women for leadership by creating an environment that fosters growth in knowledge, faith, and service. Because of its Orthodox Christian identity, the Hellenic College Holy Cross environment is not passive when it comes to the question of faith. It does not hesitate to raise the question of faith. On the contrary, it recognizes that faith is precious and that society gains when its leaders are grounded in faith after having devoted themselves to an experience wherein their faith can be deepened. Our school environment, with Holy Cross Chapel at its heart, provides people with the opportunity to have such an experience.
Holy Cross Chapel is located at the highest point of the Hellenic College Holy Cross campus. It is built in the Byzantine style typical of the 11th and 12th centuries and modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Athens, Greece.
Under the leadership of Archbishop Michael of blessed memory, the Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA) raised the funds for the construction of the Chapel. The Chapel is dedicated to the memory of the Archbishop and all of those who came to America in earlier years and planted the faith here. The first services in the Chapel were held at the graduation exercises in 1963. Beautiful mosaics of the Pantocrator and the Platytera by Demetrios Dukas grace the interior.
Extensive renovations to the interior and exterior of the Chapel were made in recent years. Many relics in the Chapel are available for veneration. A large blessing cross with a piece of the True Cross is kept in the sanctuary. Three hierarchs are buried outside, behind the apse on the east side of the Chapel: Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America, Metropolitan Silas of New Jersey, and Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos.
Fr. Bartholomew graduated from Hellenic College with a BA in Religious Studies (2012) and went on to Holy Cross, where he earned two degrees: the Master of Divinity (2014) and the Master of Theology (2017). He then embarked on his doctoral studies in the field of Canon Law and Ecclesiastical History at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy and earned his doctorate (2025). Ordained to the Holy Diaconate in 2017, he returned to the United States in 2020 and served as the Registrar of the Metropolis of New Jersey until 2021, when His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America appointed him as an archivist of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. His Eminence ordained Fr. Bartholomew to the Holy Priesthood in December 2021 and soon after appointed him Director of the GOA Department of Archives, a position he held while also serving as Proistamenos of the St. George and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Harlem, NY. His Eminence then appointed Fr. Bartholomew HCHC Chaplain in August 2022, a position he holds while also serving as the Assistant Professor of Canon Law.
About this dual role, Fr. Bartholomew says, “It is difficult to describe just how invigorating and exciting it is to engage with our students every day. I have the unique joy of being able to do this both as the Chaplain and as a professor, which allows me to make a connection with them on academic, spiritual, and personal levels.”
Elijah (Nektarios) Vega was raised in Georgetown, TX and graduated from Texas State University in 2022 with a B.A. in English, along with a Teacher Certification for grades 7-12. Elijah taught 7th grade English Language Arts prior to being accepted to Holy Cross.
Elijah’s faith journey began at home with the prayers and Bible stories his parents showed him. Later in life, he began attending a Reformed Baptist Church where he met his wife Talitha (Marie). Initially, he desired to pursue the ministry within that context, but upon further research into the history and theology of the early Christian Church, he discovered Eastern Orthodoxy and began attending his current home parish, Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, in Austin, TX. It was there that he was received into the Church, along with his wife Talitha and his parents.
Elijah is currently in his third year of the Master of Divinity Seminarian program and is both grateful and excited to begin serving the HCHC Chapel as the Assistant Ecclesiarch. The intersection of education and application is incredibly important to him and he hopes to continue unfolding the relationship between these as he continues his studies here at HCHC.
Jack (Basil) McAfee was raised in Beaverton, OR and graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a BA in both History and Theatre Arts in 2018. While Jack was raised in a Christian household, it was not until his time at Baylor that he began attending St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Waco. Jack was received into the Orthodox Church in December of 2017 and his wife Kiersten (Mary), was received the following summer. Jack is currently in his final year of the Master of Divinity Seminarian program and feels immensely grateful to be a student at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Jack and Kiersten welcomed their first child, Evangelos John, into the world in the summer of 2024 and have enjoyed watching him grow within such a supportive and faith-filled community. Jack feels extremely blessed to serve in the HCHC Chapel as the Ecclesiarch.
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