St. Vladimir’s Seminary receives international award
On Tuesday, September 15, 2009, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate, was invited to the headquarters of the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations (IFUOCN) by its President, Professor Valery A. Alekseev, where he was informed that Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, NY, an institute of higher education of the Orthodox Church in America, had been chosen to receive the Foundation’s International Award “For Outstanding Activity in Strengthening Unity of Orthodox Nations and for Confirming and Advancing Christian Values in the Life of the Society.”
This decision was made with the blessing of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus, who serves as Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and after much consideration by the Board’s members during their recent meeting September 10, 2009.
At its establishment in 1938, the seminary was given a two-fold mandate by the leaders of the Orthodox Church to prepare well educated clergy and other leaders to serve the Orthodox faithful in this country, and to promote study and research in Orthodox theology, history, and culture. Now in its second half-century, the seminary is able to explore this mandate as never before.
Professor Valery A. Alekseev informed Father Zacchaeus that the Foundation’s Award will be bestowed on the seminary during the annual awards ceremony in January, 2010. Likewise, Prof. Alekseev suggested that Archimandrite Zacchaeus accompany him to Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in late October to personally deliver the official decision of the IFUOCN, bearing the signature of Patriarch Kirill, and to discuss the details of the award and other issues of importance. During this upcoming visit to the US, Prof. Alekseev will arrange to meet with the His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, President of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary.
More information about the IFUOCN and its international award can be found at http://www.fepn.ru/.