BOSTON, MA – Archbishop Demetrios of America, who is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology fired most of the trustees and replaced them mostly with obedient priests and with some laypersons. He promised Patriarch Bartholomew at the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s (EP) Holy Synod that he would resolve HCHC’s problems, but it is believed that this action reflects his strong desire to keep Fr. Christopher Metropulos as HCHC president in an effort to control dissenting opinions with the School.
The fired Trustees had challenged both Archbishop Demetrios and Fr. Metropulos on accountability, because they could not defend the spending and the School’s dire financial situation.
In June, the Herald published the entire contents oof a confidential letter dated to Demetrios by 11 Trustees, including some from the Executive Committee, warning that the College faced the danger of closing and the School of losing its accreditation, even as its own future was doubtful.
They wrote about “the very serious state of the institution” and they requested Metropulos’ immediate removal: “as trustees of HCHC, we have become recipients of a special spiritual and legal duty. How we exercise this duty is not only something for which we must answer to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but, much more importantly, something for which we must answer to God and to all the faithful members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who love and depend on HCHC. In addition, those of us who are members of the Executive Committee serve as representatives of all of the other trustees; they depend on and expect us to oversee the institution’s well-being, to report to them, and to communicate their insights and concerns to Your Eminence and the other corporate officers.
“We have had serious concerns about Fr. Christopher’s abilities for many months; now, however, we believe beyond doubt that tolerating his continuation as the President of HCHC would be a betrayal of our spiritual and legal responsibilities as trustees.
“In addition, we cannot, as fiduciaries, accept an incoming class at HCHC without a compelling recovery plan and a President capable of executing it in collaboration with staff, faculty, trustees, and other donors.”
The letter’s authors revealed that “HCHC enrollment has dropped 25% from 185 students in Sept ’15, to 182 students in Sept ’16, to 166 students in Sept ’17, to an expected 140 in Sept ’18.” It is clarified here that the numbers represent Schools, Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology.
“The overall financial trend is alarming and is not sustainable. Over the three-year period, HCHC has incurred or will incur cash deficits ranging from $2.2 -$3.1 million per year. Over the past 36 months, we have been averaging a monthly cash deficit of $190,000, and HCHC is now unable to make payroll without further endowment borrowing. During Fr. Christopher’s presidency, we have borrowed a total of $6.7 million from our unrestricted endowment funds (pooled accounts), and as of April 30, 2018, HCHC only had $1.1 million of such unrestricted pooled account funds remaining, as compared to a projected cash deficit through the calendar year ending December 31, 2018 of $2.6 million.
Absent a significant cash infusion, HCHC will run out of money before the end of the current fiscal year (June 30). Realistic projections for the next two fiscal years are equally dire. As is evident from these figures, which project cash deficits over the next two fiscal years ranging from $3.7-$3.9 million per year, HCHC’s financial situation has reached crisis levels. In order to fund operations for the balance of this fiscal year (which will require $1,050,000) and achieve a balanced budget for the next two fiscal years, which is essential in order to justify admitting the next incoming class, HCHC will require $8.7 million of incremental funds through either additional revenues or reduced costs.”
Regarding the danger of losing accreditation, they wrote that: “NEASC, one of our two accrediting bodies, issued us a formal “Notice of Concern” in March 2017, stating that we are “in danger of not meeting the Commission’s standard on Institutional Resources.” One year after this warning, in April 2018, NEASC voted to continue HCHC’s ‘Notice of Concern and will be coming to campus this Fall for a site visit. Given the continued decline of our finances and enrollment and numerous governance issues, the probability that we will be placed on probation or even lose our accreditation outright is high.”
They emphasized the oversized faculty. “HCHC has 22 full-time faculty for only 164 students. This overall ratio is nearly three times higher than the ratio at comparable institutions, and the ratio comparisons are even worse for some specific programs.”
They accused Metropulos of lying and wanted him out. They wrote that “Dean Skedros submitted his letter of resignation to Fr. Christopher in October 2017, requesting to end his term as dean a year early; yet, at the December 2017 EC meeting, the president denied that Dean Skedros had done so and he never communicated this critical information to the Academic Affairs Committee.
“In light of our experience over the past three years, we have withdrawn our confidence in him as HCHC’s President. In our judgment, even if the ‘recovery plan’ he presented on April 24th had been a compelling plan, he is not capable of leading the HCHC community through such a complex and inescapably collaborative endeavor.
“We need a leader who will work with us, not ignore us; who will solicit and listen to our
expertise, not sideline and patronize us; and who will bring out the best in the students, staff, faculty, trustees, alumni, and benefactors of this sacred school.”
All those trustees who signed the letter were fired.
The new Board of Trustees is comprised of:
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America, PhD, Chair
Rev. Fr. Christopher T. Metropulos, D. Min, President
Thomas C. Lelon, PhD, Vice Chair
His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver
His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit
His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh
His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey
His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago
John Alahouzos, Jr.
Rev. Fr. Nicholas Anctil
Rev. Fr. Dean Botsis
George Cantonis
Spyros Catechis
Rev. Fr. Demetrios Costarakis,
Rev. Fr. Stratton Dorozenski
Rev. Fr. Paul Kaplanis
Rev. Fr. Michael J. Lambakis
John Lazares
Nicolaos E. Madias, MD
Rev. Fr. Jon E. Magoulias
Joanne S. Mitchell
V. Rev. Archimandrite Constantine Moralis
Rev. Fr. Konstantinos Pavlakos
Gus G. Perdikakis
Jeannie Ranglas
Nickolas G. Spiliotis
Rev. Fr. Nicholas Verdaris
Rev. Fr. Steven P. Zorzos
EX-OFFICIO
Rev. Fr. Thomas FitzGerald, ThD, Interim Dean, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
Bruce Beck, ThD, Interim Dean, Hellenic College
Rev. Dn. Gary Alexander, JD, Administrator, Strategic Planning and Initiatives
Kevin Derrivan, MBA, Chief Financial Officer
Rev. Dn. Antonios Papathanasiou, Dean of Students
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis, PhD, Holy Cross Faculty Representative
Athina-Eleni Mavroudhis, PhD (cand), Hellenic College Faculty Representative
Magdelini Drivas, President, Student Government Association
Emmanuel N. Papanickolas, Esq, Legal Counsel
Anthony J. Limberakis, MD, National Commander, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Maria Logus, Esq, National President, Ladies Philoptochos Society
Argyris Vassiliou, Chairman, Leadership 100
Rev. Fr. Mark Leondis, President, Archdiocesan Presbyters Council
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