The granting of degrees to students graduating from the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, which is located in the new monastery of Saint Vlasios, has already become an event of celebration and great joy. It is a celebration to all those who are going to be either clerics of our Church or young catechists. And it is joy because of the ever-increasing success of the education system of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
June 10, 2017 marked the successful crowning of the four-year efforts of the twelve graduating students of the Theological Academy. On this occasion, the graduation ceremony was held at the Conference Hall at St. Vlasios Monastery. Present at the ceremony were His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, who is also the President of the Academy, its founder and builder; His Eminence Ignat, the Metropolitan of Berat, His Eminence Nikolla, the Metropolitan of Apolonia and Fier, His Eminence Andon, the Metropolitan of Elbasan, Bishop Asti of Bylis, the Academy teaching staff, parents etc. For the new graduates, it was a special joy to receive not only their degrees but also an abundance of blessings from His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios.
In his speech on the occasion, His Beatitude Anastasios expressed his paternal joy for the successful crowning of the graduates’ efforts in theological education, and said that the Academy was founded out of the ecclesiastical needs, but also out of love and devotion to God and His Church from a generation who bear the great responsibility of being today either a cleric or a theologian of the Church. He highlighted that through the years, the Academy brought also a novelty to the church education which was the acceptance in the Academy of female students as well abolishing thus the mentality in Albania that “the church is for men only.” The female students serve today in different aspects of Church life in Albania. At present the Resurrection of Christ Academy, being at a University level that meets all the teaching and legal criteria required by the state, is a worthy candidate and very close to its recognition by the government. Among many spiritual messages and paternal blessings, Archbishop Anastasios concluded his word, re-emphasizing God’s words in the Gospel that, “…to whom much was given, of him much will be required.”
Next, the Hierarchs who were present at the ceremony as well as the family members of the graduating students and their friends were greeted on behalf of the Academy staff by the Acting Dean of the Theological Academy, His Eminence Nikolla, who is also the Metropolitan of Apolonia and Fier. While Ms. Olimbi Selenica, the Valedictorian student spoke on behalf of the graduates emphasizing in her valedictorian speech the tireless work of Archbishop Anastsios for the well-being of the Academy, and thanked the teaching staff as well as all those who helped her and her class through their journey during their four years of study. While the other best student, Ms. Matilda Dedja, read a spiritual book extract, delivering thus a bunch of messages to the newly graduates and to all the participants. The Academy Choir performed also in the graduation ceremony, which was finalized with the traditional lunch on the occasion.
