STUDENT LIFE

Hellenic College Holy Cross offers a Christ-centered community life that enhances the intellectual, moral, and spiritual lives of students, who will become the next generation of leaders for the Church and the world at large. Here, students do not learn Orthodox Christian theology only in the classroom. They also put theology into practice in the Chapel, campus housing, the cafeteria, the athletic field, and as volunteers in the community. HCHC provides the experience of living in an Orthodox Christian community, which helps to develop service-oriented leaders for our Church and our society.

OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE

The Office of Student Life (OSL), overseen by the Dean of Students, provides a holistic, integrated, and responsive approach to co-curricular education within the context of a nurturing and formative Orthodox Christian community life that effectively addresses the moral, intellectual, and spiritual development of HCHC students and prepares them for roles of service-oriented leadership. The Student Government Association (SGA) is the parent organization of several smaller organizations and committees that are under its auspices, including the Campus Activities Board, Married Student Association, Spiritual Life Committee, Athletics Committee, as well as many other programs and committees, all of which contribute to student offerings and activities.  Specific Student Services are offered through the OSL, the Residence Hall Staff, the Office of Spiritual Formation and Counseling Service (OSFCS), and the Office of Vocational Ministry (OVM).

 OSL serves the Hellenic College Holy Cross community in many capacities and supports student initiatives for improving community life. OSL also assists students and their families with problems for which they have been unable to find adequate resolution elsewhere.  Click here to access the Student Complaint Process.

SERVE BY LEADING. LEAD BY SERVING.

HCHC students come from a variety of traditions and backgrounds. They are at many different stages of life and have different goals and aspirations, but they all come together to form one community of faith and learning. Students are encouraged to actively participate in campus organizations to further develop themselves as service-oriented leaders. New organizations are formed at the beginning of each academic year based on student interests. Learn more about student diversity.

Student Government Association (SGA)

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official representative of the HCHC student body and aims to strengthen our religious, intellectual, and social responsibilities as well as to coordinate the shared desires of the students. The SGA is the parent organization of several smaller organizations and committees that are under its auspices, including the Campus Activities Board, Married Student Association, Spiritual Life Committee, Athletics Committee, as well as many other programs and committees. Together, these organizations form a mutual effort to provide spiritual, social, and communal activities. Download the SGA Constitution to learn more.

Campus Activities Board (CAB)

The Hellenic College Holy Cross Campus Activities Board (CAB) focuses on campus fellowship and community. CAB sponsors various events throughout the year that are ideal for students of all ages. CAB’s main events include the Fall and Spring Panigiris, Fall Fest, the “Chamby’s” Awards Night, Boat Cruise, and Community Graduation Dinner Dance. CAB prides itself on providing the best activities possible to suit all the students of HCHC. Our door is always open to students who want to offer their time and talents.

St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir

The School’s Byzantine Choir is named for St. Romanos the Melodist, the saint of the Church known for his gift for sacred music. The St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir which sings and performs ecclesiastical music in the Byzantine tradition and traditional Greek music, is often invited to perform at special occasions in the Greater Boston area and elsewhere. The St. Kassia Byzantine Choir, a women’s choir composed of students from both schools, operates in conjunction with this program.

Missions Committee

The Missions Committee works to promote a mission consciousness at Hellenic College Holy Cross. It seeks to increase the awareness of the importance of missions as a central part of our lives as Orthodox Christians and within the Church, and tries to expose our students to the work of Orthodox Christian missionaries worldwide. The Committee promotes participation and support for international and domestic cross-cultural missions through our annual Fall Missions Week and Lecture, regular meetings, and group involvement in short-term mission trips during Spring Break or over the summer through the OCMC and the Missions Institute here at HCHC.

Athletics Committee

The Athletics Committee coordinates events on campus to support fellowship, active lifestyles, and friendly, competition. The athletic program currently hosts four major intramural sports throughout the year (flag football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball), in addition to the very popular annual Hellenic College vs. Holy Cross football, dodgeball, and/or basketball games.

The Married Student Association (MSA)

The Married Student Association (MSA) exists to foster relationships both within the married community, but also between the married community and the community at large. This is done through a series of private and group events, including both marital enrichment and recreational activities.

Orthodox Inter-seminary Movement

The OISM is a movement that helps to improve relations between Orthodox seminarians of all jurisdictions throughout the United States and Canada. Weekend encounters are held at the various member seminaries during the academic year. Emphasis is placed on spiritual, intellectual, and social activities among the representatives of all the member seminaries.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship

OCF works to support Orthodox fellowship on college campuses through witness, prayer, service, and study. Hellenic College students are encouraged to participate in the OCF at Boston College to foster relations with fellow students.Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Sonia Belcher’s HCHC Admissions Ambassadors

The Ambassadors are a group of carefully selected students from both Hellenic College and Holy Cross who are trained in youth ministry throughout the academic year. Implementing these skills, the Ambassadors travel throughout the country to run programs for Orthodox Christian youth and educate them about HCHC.

The Hellenic Drama Club

The Drama Club seeks to promote an open space where students can express themselves creatively, bond, hone their talents, and have fun exploring the performing arts! After all, being able to speak well before an audience is an essential skill for many future vocations: the priesthood, teaching, and leadership in most professional fields.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Polemanakos Hall

HCHC offers private dorm rooms to all single students who choose to live on campus. Communal lounges with couches and televisions, a study room, a rec room with pool and ping-pong tables, a kitchenette and seating area, and laundry facilities are shared by all students. Additionally, the St. John the Theologian Chapel, located on the third floor, offers a quiet space for prayerful devotion and for small groups to gather for a Compline or Akathist service.

Halki and Dendrinos Villages

About one quarter of the students at HCHC are married, and most of these families live on campus. HCHC strives to provide a warm and supportive environment to help these families face the challenges of college and seminary life. One, two, and three-bedroom apartments are available for married students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Family size is taken into account when determining housing assignments.

Campus Parking

Every vehicle is required to maintain a valid registration and proof of insurance, along with a current HCHC permit while on campus. Upon completion of the vehicle registration form, a permit will be issued and is required to be affixed to the rear window, driver’s side. Each permit indicates where the vehicle is to be parked. They are issued as follows:

• Commuters are issued commuter permits and are to park in the parking lot directly behind the gymnasium.
• Halki and Dendrinos residents are issued Halki/Dendrinos permits and are to park in their assigned spaces.
• Polemanakos residents are issued resident permits and are to park in the red marked spaces of the lower lot or in the spaces fronting the classroom wing before the gymnasium.
• Faculty and staff are issued permits to park in the blue marked spaces of Administration lot in front of the cross, Library lower lot, or the Chapel roadway.

DO NOT PARK IN FIRE LANES, RESERVED OR VISITOR SPACES, OR THE CHAPEL COURTYARD.

If your vehicle is towed, please contact D&G Towing at 617‐9032525. They are located at 2 Emery Road in Allston.

Halki and Dendrinos Parking Policy
Non-Resident Driver Policy
Citations and Sanctions

Overnight Visitor Policies

Hellenic College Holy Cross welcomes prospective students, remote students, staff/faculty, and visiting clergy/speakers to enjoy a complimentary but limited stay in campus housing to experience the beauty of an Orthodox Christian Community upon approval from our Director of Campus Housing.

Hellenic College Holy Cross asks all overnight visitors to email guests@hrfjk.com at least two weeks before the visitors’ anticipated arrival. Verbal or written requests to other HCHC staff, faculty, or students will not be considered binding until a request to guests@hrfjk.com is submitted and approved. Overnight guest accommodations are limited; requests may be denied during periods of high demand, such as prospective student open house weekends. Please communicate your requests to guests@hrfjk.com well in advance and allow 48 hours for a response to your request during regular business hours.

Out of respect for this high-demand complimentary service, overnight visitors are only accepted during the academic school year. Campus visitors are encouraged to limit their travel plans to include three days and two nights in HCHC’s campus housing. For more information, please refer to the linked document below for the full policy and procedure.

Overnight Guest Policies and Procedures

Service Animal Policy

Animals may pose a real or perceived threat to other members of the HCHC community and may disrupt HCHC activities.  Consequently, animals brought into campus buildings present a liability for HCHC that is not normally associated with HCHC operations. In order to promote a safe, non-threatening, and healthy work environment for the members of the HCHC community and to protect HCHC’s physical assets, HCHC prohibits animals in campus buildings. (Exceptions are defined in the Policy below.)

Residential Life Assistance Animal Policy

Service Animals Policy

Vaccination Policy

Requirements apply to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students under 30 years of age and all full and part-time health science students. This includes full or part-time students attending any postsecondary institution while on a student or other visa, including foreign exchange students attending or visiting classes as part of an academic visitation or exchange program.

Vaccination Policy

DINING SERVICES

The Condakes Refectory, the main dining hall on campus, is a warm, friendly dining space for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to enjoy delicious food prepared by Chartwells. The cafeteria features a full self-service salad bar, a variety of fresh fruits, and different food stations, such as a “greens and grains” station and a pizza station. In addition, the cafeteria offers the option to create your own sandwich or panini, using an assortment of breads, sandwich meats, cheeses, and other toppings. Sodas, juices, hot coffee, and fruit-infused waters are also available. During fasting periods in the Orthodox Church, Chartwells prepares and serves meat-free, dairy-free, and oil-free options.

CAFETERIA HOURS

Meal Times

The Condakes Refectory is open from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and 11:30 am to 7:00 pm on weekends, holidays, and snow days. Complimentary hot and cold beverages are available during these hours.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Pappas Gymnasium

Named in honor of donors John and Thomas Pappas, the gymnasium houses a basketball court, two racquetball courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness center donated by the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Fund, Inc.

 

Learn more about HCHC Athletics

Spiritual Formation and Counseling Services

The Office of Spiritual Formation and Counseling Services supports the mission of Hellenic College Holy Cross by nurturing the spiritual development and psychological well-being of all students and their families. The Pastoral Care Director works in conjunction with school counselors to oversee and coordinate services, which include the Spiritual Fathers program, spiritual and psychological assessments, and counseling and referrals.

Students and their families are invited to use these resources to define goals, develop strategies for change, and realize a greater understanding of self and others. Counselors are available to listen and offer guidance and support as students work to resolve personal concerns and seek out ways to achieve a greater sense of wellness. The Office is committed to an integration of theology and psychology and is sensitive to cultural and ethnic issues.

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EXPLORE BOSTON AND BEYOND

The great wide world lies just beyond our beautiful campus. HCHC is situated on a prominent hill with a magnificent view of Boston, which literally lies before you and beckons you to come and explore.

Once dubbed the “Hub of the Universe” by the intellectuals and pedigreed families of the nineteenth century, Boston remains a center of great cultural, intellectual, and commercial activity unparalleled for a city of its size. It will charm you with its elegant architecture and lovely public spaces from the Colonial and Victorian periods, and it will amaze you with its vitality, as it is a modern city on the forefront of global innovation in medicine, technology, and finance.

What better place to study? It is no wonder that each September the population of Greater Boston swells by some 200,000 students. Our campus is just minutes from the city center, world-class museums, musical performances of all genres, a vibrant theater district, diverse ethnic cuisines, lively neighborhoods, and the homes of legendary professional sports teams. New England’s historic villages, pristine conservation areas, rugged mountains, and inviting coastline are all within easy driving distance for year-round outdoor activities.

Van Ride Request Form

STUDENT LIFE STAFF

V. Rev. Archimandrite Bartholomew Mercado

Interim Dean of Students and Chaplain
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Ian Abodeely

Director of Residential Life
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Constandina Demos

Director of Campus Housing
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