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ALITHEIA-ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ - August 28, 1997

FR. BERBERIS ASSERTS OCL MISINFORMATION
REGARDING ST BASIL’S ACADEMY

THE ACADEMY OF SAINT BASIL

August 28, 1997

Cynthia Yannias
Orthodox Christian Laity
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 4020
Chicago, Illinois 60602


Dear Ms. Yannias:

I was first surprised, and then outraged, when I read in your August 27, 1997 "OCL News Release" that "the closing" of St. Basil's Academy and its impending restructuring as a "Greek School Teacher's College" demonstrated a disregard for the input and consent of the legally constituted Board of these "institutions".

You have done our institution a grave injustice!

First, just what are you talking about? Who informed you that St. Basil's Academy closed? How could your group make such an untrue and unjust statement? Above all, with what right? For your information, St. Basil's Academy never closed! We continue to provide a home, an academic education and spiritual guidance to each student. This coming Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1997, our students return to St. Basil's Academy and the new academic year will begin.

Second, you are totally misinformed about The Teacher's College. It is not a Greek School Teacher's College as you characterized it in your article The purpose of the Teacher's College at St. Basil's is to educate Greek Orthodox men and women who desire to serve the Greek Orthodox Church as teachers of the Modern Greek language, and the Hellenic Christian traditions, as Greek Orthodox religious educators, as Greek Orthodox youth program administrators and as Greek Orthodox parish office administrators. An emphasis, as is natural, is placed on Greek language since our origins and our background will forever remain a intricate part of our Greek Orthodox Church in America. We must secure that the Greek language and the Greek spirit that formulated Christianity from its very genesis is being appreciated by the generations to come till the end of time. If you only took the time to seriously look into the matter and not depend on hearsay you would have avoided falling into this second most serious mistake. I advise that you pick up a pamphlet regarding the Teacher's College at your local Greek Orthodox Church next time you church yourself. It is printed in plain English.

Third, you should know that all decisions and actions at St. Basil's are taken with the unanimous or the majority approval of the Board of Trustees of the Academy. The board minutes reflect this clearly. Again you are wrong in stating that there is a disregard for the input and consent of the legally constituted boards.

In closing I would like to recommend that you "restore" the much needed "harmony" in your information resources and respect what our Archbishop Spyridon so ably and correctly does for our Greek Orthodox church in this part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's jurisdiction. If the August 27, 1997 OCL News Release reflects the caliber of your group then I am certain that our Greek Orthodox church does not need another bunch of irresponsible "koutsoboles" (translation, see Oxford Modern Greek Dictionary, page 105).

I demand that you immediately correct the misinformation you released regarding St. Basil's. It is not only right, it is also morally correct.

Very Reverend Sylvester Berberis
Executive Director

[ ALITHEIA-ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ - www.alitheia.org/EV-AD.HTM - August 28, 1997 ]