Greek Orthodoxy

The Orthodox Church has two great sources of authority: Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.

Holy Scripture comprises the writings of both the New and the Old Testaments.

Holy Tradition, of which Holy Scripture is a part, is a combination of wisdom and experience collected throughout the centuries. This collective includes the writings, teachings, and acts of the Apostles, saints, martyrs, mothers, and fathers of the Church. It also includes the Church's liturgical and sacramental traditions throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church, and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils.

The Creed contains the Church's basic summary of doctrinal truths to which we adhere as Orthodox Christians. It consists of the twelve articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, or the "Pistevo."

The central worship service of the Church is the Divine Liturgy which is celebrated each Sunday morning and on all holy days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

AOS began as a ministry of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and the Cathedral continues to be the school's home parish. The Cathedral provides a powerful and welcome influence on AOS students as they grow into responsible and well-rounded young men and women. To learn more about Greek Orthodox Christianity or the Cathedral specifically, please visit the Cathedral's website.

Each school day begins with a morning prayer. Through this prayer, we ask God to bless our day and invite Him to guide us through it. Students of different beliefs or faiths are not required to recite or participate in the prayer, but they are asked to stand quietly with reverence.

All students attend religion class weekly where they learn about the Christian faith from a Greek Orthodox perspective and study the Bible’s many lessons.

All students attend a chapel service each week. Services are thirty minutes long and include age-appropriate hymns, scripture readings, and lessons. Chapel services typically take place at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and are led by a member of the clergy. Parents of AOS students are welcome to attend. Students of different beliefs or faiths are not required to actively participate in the weekly chapel service, but they are required to attend and listen quietly and respectfully.

Through our Chapel Buddy program, our youngest students are partnered with our older students who act as a model of AOS behavior and demonstrate strong student leadership. Chapel Buddies attend chapel together each week.

The Orthodox religious calendar differs slightly from other western forms of Christianity. Every day of the year is dedicated to a certain saint or event in the life of the Church. These include a number of Feast Days that are not recognized by other forms of Christianity. The school celebrates these Feast Days in a variety of ways (see the next section for more detail). Additionally, Pascha (Easter) within the Greek Orthodox Church often falls on a different weekend than Easter within western Christianity. AOS honors both weekends as school holidays.

A word is designated each month to help our students make the connection between Christ's message, how He wants us to live, and how we treat one another. These words (such as "love," "compassion," or "forgiveness") are displayed around the school, woven into daily lessons, and are reflected in the priest's message at chapel.

Iconography is quintessential to Orthodoxy as icons are a part of our prayer life. They are visual explanations of biblical stories and teach us about the people who lived their life for Christ as well as important events within the life of the Church. The AOS campus houses many religious icons and displays religious symbols throughout the school.

Each year, AOS recognizes the National Day of Prayer by hosting an all-school assembly beginning with a special chapel service called the "Agape Vespers." During this chapel service, members of our community read the Gospel in a variety of different languages. These languages represent the universality of Christ's message which has been spread to the "four corners of the Earth." (John 20: 19-25). Languages included in the past have been Greek, Spanish, French, Swedish, Tagalog, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, and American sign language.

The Elevation of the Cross is a Feast Day which honors the discovery of Christ’s Cross by St. Helen in 326 AD under a bed of basil at the site of His crucifixion. We celebrate by displaying throughout campus the Elevation icon accompanied by fresh basil.

Christmas, also called the Nativity of Christ, is celebrated in many ways including the study of the biblical account (Matthew 1: 18-25, Luke 2: 1-20) and the iconography regarding the birth of Christ. We also celebrate this holiday with the displaying of Christmas trees and a variety of Christmas programs and performances.

To honor this Feast Day, Orthodox Christians bake a Vasilopita loaf with a coin inside. As the bread is cut, the person who receives the piece with the coin is promised a good year. At the end of January, members of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and parent volunteers bake over 100 loaves of Vasilopita that are distributed schoolwide to students, faculty, and staff.

St. Basil the Great was Bishop of Caesarea and wrote many articles and books explaining the Christian faith. He is honored each year during the Feast of St. Basil which occurs on the anniversary of his death, New Year's Day.

AOS honors its name during the Feast of the Annunciation. On this Feast Day, we commemorate Archangel Gabriel's announcement to Mary the good news that she had been chosen to give birth to Christ (Luke 1: 26-38). We celebrate this Feast Day with a special all-school assembly referred to as the Name Day Celebration. The assembly begins with a chapel service and concludes with traditional Greek songs and dances performed by students.

Pascha (Easter) is the most significant religious holiday in Greek Orthodox Christianity. This is the day on which we celebrate Christ's Resurrection and greet one another with "Christos Anesti!" (Christ is Risen!). Celebrations around this time include the dyeing and sharing of red eggs, representing the new life in Christ, as well as Easter egg hunts and Easter-themed service projects.

No. AOS is well-known for its inclusive, welcoming environment. Members of the AOS community, including students, families, faculty, and staff, represent a wide variety of beliefs and religious practices and enjoy a shared sense of belonging.

Our current student body identifies as:

• Catholic (29%)
• Greek Orthodox (15%)
• Christian (13%)
• Episcopalian (12%)
• Methodist (10%)
• Presbyterian (7%)
• Orthodox Christian (5%)
• Baptist (3.2%)
• Hindu (2.25%)
• Jewish (2%)
• Lutheran (1.4%)
• Muslim (0.14%)
• Buddhist (0.1%)
• Not Reported (9%)

Yes. All students are required to attend the weekly chapel services. However, students of different beliefs or faiths are not required to participate in the service, but they are asked to stand quietly with reverence.

No. The Orthodox Church does not proselytize.

At AOS, students are taught the importance of living a faith-filled life through the lens of Christianity. Through this same approach, we encourage students of different beliefs to embrace the faith of their own family.