On January 29-30, 2024 His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presided at the celebrations for the patronal feast day of the Three Hierarchs chapel at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Monday, January 29, His Beatitude celebrated the Festal Vigil in the seminary chapel. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese, and His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and New England.
The next morning, January 30, His Beatitude presided at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Grace Bishop Nikodhim, His Grace Bishop Benedict, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, OCA Chancellor, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President of the Seminary, and other seminary and visiting clergy.
During the course of the Liturgy His Beatitude ordained Monk Stephen Guirgis to the Holy Diaconate.
His Beatitude offered the homily where he used the three hierarchs, Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, as a celebration of unity and harmony in the Church. His Beatitude explained that this harmony is the harmony in the Gospel which extends into the lives of the faithful as “the harmony between words and deeds, doctrine and practice, contemplation and action. This is clearly expressed in today’s Gospel, when the Lord tells us, his disciples: ‘Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.’”
Read the full text of His Beatitude’s homily
Following the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude greeted the clergy and faithful where he wished a joyful feast to all assembled. He also greeted the newly ordained deacon and encouraged everyone likewise “to minister to one another, to condescend to each other’s weakness, to support each other in the struggle, to strengthen one another’s faith.”
The faithful and parishes of the Orthodox Church in America are urged to intentionally pray for vocations and to support the seminaries, students, faculty, and their families. It is also vital to commit to financially support the three OCA seminaries as they continue the necessary work of providing exceptional education and spiritual formation for the future leaders of the Orthodox Church.
Parishes are reminded of the resolution approved at the 16th All-American Council in Seattle, which calls for parishes of the Orthodox Church in America to allocate 1% of their budget towards the support of these seminaries.
If you want to know more about supporting our seminaries, their work, or learn more about vocation and theological formation, seminary contact information is available here.
Photo credit: Andrew Prather