Catholic - Orthodox Initiative

In 2017, the Aquinas Center began a Catholic-Orthodox Initiative, thanks to an endowment by Solon and Marianna Patterson.  This Initiative consists of a series of programs and events promoting greater understanding and cooperation between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.  We are focused on communion between Catholics and Orthodox, and the commonality of our faiths, rather than our differences in this endeavor. 
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Programming includes a Catholic-Orthodox lecture at Emory University; community-building events with Catholic and Orthodox parishes; and the development of joint Orthodox and Catholic student activities at Emory University.  We also assist the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta in promoting their annual events, including the Catholic-Orthodox Ecumenical Prayer Gathering.

​Please also check our Calendar of Events webpage, for more information on upcoming Catholic-Orthodox programming.
 Catholic-Orthodox Lecture
  Past Lectures Include:
  • Faith in History: Nicaea at 1700 (2025)
  • ​Restoring the Office of Deaconess in the Orthodox Church with Carrie Frederick Frost (2024)
  • Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Almost Twenty Years After John Paul II (2023) with George Demacopoulos
  • ​The Politics of Virtue, Love and Suffering (2022) with Michele Watkins
  • After Dostoevsky (2021) with Katie Kelaidis
  • Orthodox Worship Traditions (2021) with Susan Harvey 
  • The Story of Christian Art as Iconography (2020) with ​Fr. Panayiotis Papagergiou
  • Sister Churches: From Conflict to Dialogue (2019) with Demetrios Bathrellos
Please check our YouTube Channel to view our past lectures.  
Catholic-Orthodox Community Programs 
The Catholic-Orthodox community programs aim to build community and deepen relationships amongst Catholics and Orthodox clergy and parishioners from neighboring churches.   

Four programs occur annually: two in the fall and two in the spring.  For more information, please e-mail [email protected]. 
Resources for Catholic and Orthodox Students
 The Aquinas Center has hosted several gatherings for Catholics and Orthodox students at Emory University.  As we assist in growing both student groups, we plan to host joint events for these groups. Feel free to reach out [email protected] if you are interested.

Student Groups