ABSTRACT
One of the oldest Greek Orthodox communities in the country is the Holy Trinity Church in Lowell, MA. The philosophy of the Lowell school is to provide quality educational instruction equivalent or superior to that offered by public schools, focusing on the following areas: Greek language, Greek Orthodox faith, basic morality, and family values. Today the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has two departments: Education and Culture, which provides leadership for the Greek schools; and Religious Education, which provides materials and services for the Christian education of the Orthodox children in the Americas. The ethnic tradition of the Greeks is inseparable from their Orthodox religion; therefore, when Greek Orthodox Churches were established, afternoon schools were organized to provide the young people with religious, cultural and linguistic education. The Greek Orthodox Church places great emphasis on education as a formation of the whole person.
