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September 27, 2005 |
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In the occasion of the new Academic Year 2005-6, St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology held a Vespers service at the Monastery of Balamand Church. Archimandrite Isaac Barakat, the Abbot of the Balamand Monastery, presided the service and the Choir of St. John of Damascus chanted. All the Faculty, staff, and students of the Institute, as well as the University of Balamand Officers attended the event. After the Vespers, Dr. Elie Salem addressed the audience at the Monastery Great Hall. In the beginning Dr. Salem welcomed the new Dean, Dr. Georges Nahas, who is also the Vice President of the University since its inception eighteen years ago. Afterwards the President spoke about the essential role of the Institute in the Orthodox Church, and the need to reinterpret theology for today's world, bringing the believers closer to the Divine. (Click here to read the complete text in Arabic). After the Service of Blessing of Water celebrated at the Institute of Theology, the Dean, Dr. Georges Nahas, addressed the students, greeting and welcoming them, and expressing his enthusiasm for the beginning of this year. In his speech, Dr. Nahas stressed the special Antiochian identity of the Institute, being the only Antiochian institute of theological studies of higher education in the world. The Dean urged the students to work for academic excellence and deepen their theological knowledge by continuous research. He also brought their attention to the demands of community life, and the importance of order and punctuality. (Click here to read the complete text in Arabic). The ceremony ended with a meal of love shared by all the Faculty, Staff and students of the Institute.
Dr. Elie Salem, President, in his Opening Speech
The Audience at the Balamand Monastery Great Hall
Blessing of Water Service at the Institute of Theology
The Dean, Dr. Georges Nahas, Welcoming the Student
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