100 years of Marist presence in Greece

From the 27th to the 29th January 2007, the Marist Brothers with their lay partners organised the first events to celebrate their arrival in Athens one hundred years ago. The celebrations started on Saturday 27th January by a solemn Eucharist at Lycée Léonin Néa Smyrni, in the presence of a great number of teachers and employees who have worked or currently work at the school, as well as parents and former students. Among them were the Catholic Archbishop of Athens, a former student, the metropolitan of Thèbes and Lévadia, a former teacher, priests, former students, deputies, parents of students, representatives of the ministry of national education and the French ambassador in Greece. After the Eucharist a meeting followed in the theatre with short projections and testimonies recalling the historical past of the establishment. Then there was a meal in honour of all the invited guests.

The following day, the same scenario was repeated at Lycée Léonin Patissia with a Eucharist celebrated by an orthodox priest, a former teacher, and a crowd of teachers and employees, current or former. Finally on Monday morning the 29th January, a solemn Eucharist was celebrated by the orthodox archbishop of Athens and primate of all of Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos, in the presence of five hundred students, representatives of our schools and a good number of teachers and parents.

In the photo you can see the Archbishop Christodoulos, Orthodox Archbishop and primate of all of Greece, a former student of the Lycée Léonin Patissia, after the mass that was celebrated for the one hundred years of Marist presence in Greece, with Marist Brothers and laypeople.