On Saturday the 9th of October at 8 pm, the Very Reverend Father Anastasios Bozikis, Parish Priest at St Nektarios in Wollongong and Lecturer at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, conducted the fourth seminar in the Greek Orthodox Christian Society’s 2021 Seminar Series via Zoom.

Father Anastasios considered the Series theme, “O God, You are my protector, Your mercy shall go before me” (Psalm 58: 10-11) by speaking on “Kollyva & Communion: An 18th Century Crisis on Mt Athos”.

After songs by the young men and women’s Virtual Choirs of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society, Father Anastasios introduced the ‘Kollyvades Controversy’ and its origin in 1754 at the Skete of St Anna. The controversy concerned the day on which the deceased should be commemorated, and the traditional and canonical practice of its positioning on Saturdays. This issue prompted what is referred to as the ‘Kollyvades Movement’, led by St Makarios of Corinth (1731-1805), St Athanasios Parios (1722-1813), and St Nikodemos the Hagiorite (1749-1809).

However, the actual day that the memorial service was to be held constituted only a minor detail in the movement’s entirety. The movement’s aim was to convince the Orthodox faithful to adopt an internal spiritual life by returning to the roots of the Orthodox Patristic Tradition. The Kollyvades stressed the need for frequent participation in Holy Communion, through confession, fasting, prayer, and spiritual reading. These three saints, along with the Kollyvades movement, have since remained timeless in their influence and impact on the Greek Orthodox people and liturgical life through the publications of their books, some of which are the Philokalia (1782), the Evergetinos (1783), and Concerning Frequent Holy Communion (1783).

 

The next seminar will be held on Saturday 16 October at 8pm, His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope speaking on “Inner Spiritual Life”. The login details can be found below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86863547557?pwd=Rm0yUVJId3g4VXF6cTVRQnZ6MzRidz09

Meeting ID: 868 6354 7557

Passcode: Enosi1955