George M. Cantonis to Step Down as HCHC President
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Chairman of the Board of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, has with regret accepted the resignation of George M. Cantonis from the position of President of the institution effective August 31, 2023.
President Cantonis, who is a member of Leadership 100, communicated his intention in a letter to His Eminence and to Fr. Jon Magoulias, Vice-Chair of HCHC’s Board, on April 21. The body of the letter was as follows:
George M. Cantonis
Christ is Risen!
In this glorious season of our Lord’s Resurrection, I am grateful for His love and support in the ministry I have offered our beloved Church in America. It is with great regret, however, and with the guidance of my physicians, that I must submit my resignation as President of Hellenic College Holy Cross (Hellenic College, Inc.) due to personal health reasons, effective August 31.
It has been a great honor to work with the good people at HCHC. The staff, faculty, and administration have greatly assisted in the accomplishments we have made. I am most grateful to the Board of Trustees that has been engaging and most supportive. We have received many generous contributions from faithful stewards and I am so grateful for their generosity. Getting to know the students, worshiping with them in the Chapel, and interacting with them regularly surpassed any expectations I may have had taking on the position of President. Particular thanks I must extend to you, Your Eminence, for your vision and leadership. We have formed a relationship based on trust and respect without which the progress we have made would not have been possible. We have come far in the last 3 1/2 years, but our focus must remain on the challenges of the future: building enrollment and the endowment, expanding our excellent faculty, furthering our outreach, and actualizing our vision of being the premier center of Christian Orthodox thought and seminarian training.
The future of our Faith during these challenging cultural and financial times is in many ways decided by the future of Hellenic College Holy Cross. We must all help in any way we can to secure that future. I assure you that I will remain fully engaged until my final day in order to ensure an orderly transition and maintain the positive momentum that has developed.
With deep respect and profound thanks for the opportunity to serve our Faith and Scholê,
George M. Cantonis
President
In response, His Eminence said:
It is with great sadness that I received a letter of resignation from Mr. George Cantonis from his position as President of Hellenic College Holy Cross for reasons concerning his health. His resignation, which is to be effective at the end of August, is nonetheless lamentable as his leadership since taking up this post in December of 2019 has been exemplary and produced many fruits.
During his tenure, the institution’s financial stability was reestablished by significantly decreasing its previously substantial debt. Likewise, academic vigor and institutional security were restored with its recent full reaccreditation by NECHE (New England Commission of Higher Education). Additionally, the vision of our beloved School was reinforced through new programs, centers, and institutes that have brought even greater visibility and acclaim to Hellenic College Holy Cross.
On behalf of the entire Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College Holy Cross, I would like to extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to George Cantonis for his exemplary work, his fervent dedication, and his unending love for Hellenic College Holy Cross. Moreover, I would like to offer my personal thanks for his friendship and for our close and cordial collaboration which have helped to advance this most important institution of our Sacred Archdiocese. Finally, I offer prayers for George on behalf of our Archdiocese for his return to fullness of health.
