Acting Dean Fr. Luke, Rector Metropolitan Laurus, Assistant Dean Fr. Vladimir

In the presence of the Miracle-Working Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity Seminary community gathered Sunday, June 2 to mark the successful conclusion of yet another academic year at the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia's only seminary. This year five seminarians received the Bachelor of Theology degree.

Seraphim Chemodakov receives his BTh

Metropolitan Laurus addressed the graduates, exhorting them to pursue the activity, for which they have been prepared: service to the Holy Orthodox Church. He then recognized the seminary's students, who displayed outstanding academic achievement over the course of the last academic year - Mark Seremetiev (first year), Daniel Marshall (second year), Eugene Utniukhin (third year), Rassaphore monk Anempodist Pronoza (fourth year), and Vitaly Yefimenkov (fifth year).

First year seminarian Mark Seremetiev receives an award

Following seminary tradition, two graduates addressed the audience - Vitaly Yefimenkov in Russian and Seraphim Chemadakov in English. Then guest speaker Archpriest Alexander Lebedev, a graduate of Holy Trinity Seminary, spoke on the "Temptations of the Priesthood".

The day also held special significance for the seminary since three of its students were ordained at the Divine Liturgy celebrated that morning. Hierodeacon Evtikhi, a member of the second year class, was ordained to the priesthood. Reader Seraphim Chemadakov became a subdeacon, and fourth year seminarian Sergei Serjanov was made a reader.