NERA advisor Susan Merideth reports that one of the New England Region’s most accomplished alumni, Reverend Deacon Aimilianos Bogiannou, was recently involved in one of the most historic events in the history of the modern Christian world.

On June 29, Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of the Eastern Orthodox Church united at the Vatican for a single Mass, at which both delivered the homily, blessings, and recitation of the Nicene Creed. At their side was Father Aimilianos, an alumnus of the Alpha Nu Upsilon chapter at Hesser College and member of the Eastern Orthodox delegation, who participated in the service by reading from the Gospels.

Attendees at the 2007 New England Regional Convention in Newport, Rhode Island will remember Father Aimilianos giving a well-received keynote speech on the importance of religious unity and cooperation. Due to his deep-rooted belief in bringing together people of differing beliefs, participating in this historic joint service of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church was an even greater honor for Father Aimilianos. As Merideth notes, “For the past several decades, the two Churches have been working to improve communication between them and begin to have a united vision.” This meeting marked yet another major step in improving the relationship.

We congratulate our friend Father Aimilianos on all of his accomplishments, for representing the New England Region as well as he does, and for embodying the Hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa as he strives to bring more unity and understanding to the world.

For more information on Father Aimilianos, click here. A news article about the meeting can be found here.

Father Aimilianos (far right) reading from the Gospels as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (left) and Pope Benedict XVI (right) preside over the Mass

The two leaders, with Father Aimilianos behind Pope Benedict’s staff

The joint delegation exiting from the Mass, with Father Aimilianos in black at the top