Visit to St. Herman's Seminary
Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov, Assistant Dean of Holy Trinity Seminary, accompanied His Eminence, Archbishop Evgenii of Vereia, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, and Hieromonk Evfimii (Moiseev), a faculty member of the Moscow Theological Academy, on a visit to the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska and St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary in late October, 2004.
His Grace, Bishop Nikolai of Anchorage, Sitka, and Alaska, and local clergy met the group at the Anchorage airport and accompanied them to the St. Innocent Cathedral in Anchorage for a Moleben and reception. Archbishop Evgenii, Bishop Nikolai, Hieromonk Evfimii, Priest Daniel Andrejuk, Archdeacon Isidore, and Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov then traveled by small plane to Kodiak, where faculty and students of St. Herman's Seminary, along with local faithful, awaited them at the Holy Resurrection Cathedral. After having venerated the relics of St. Herman of Alaska, Bishop Nikolai took his guests to Spruce Island, the home of St. Herman of Alaska during his earthly struggles. The day ended with an Akathist served before the relics of St. Herman of Alaska, read in both English and Slavonic. The following morning, Archbishop Evgenii, Hieromonk Evfimii, and Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov were invited to view the library and archives of St. Herman's Seminary, which hold documents from the Alaskan Diocese dating to the nineteenth century. Faculty and seminarians gathered for a lunch with Bishop Nikolai and his guests, during which Archbishop Evgenii shared his insights on theological education in Russia with all present and responded to questions. Bishop Nikolai, Rector of St. Herman's Seminary, presented his guests with a framed reproduction of a 1798 watercolor of the Russian colony on Kodiak. Archbishop Evgenii then donated several books printed by the Moscow Theological Academy to the Seminary's library and expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown by the Seminary community and local clergy. Fr. Vladimir conveyed Metropolitan Laurus' greetings to the Rector, faculty, and students of St. Herman's Seminary, presenting several books to the St. Herman's Seminary library on behalf of His Eminence.
The group returned the same day to Anchorage and attended services at the St. Lazarus Mission in Eklutna on October 29 and in Anchorage on October 30, where His Eminence, Archbishop Evgenii, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Grace, Bishop Nikolai and diocesan clergy.
Holy Trinity Seminary expresses its gratitude to the His Grace, Bishop Nikolai, and his clergy, as well as to St. Herman's Seminary's faculty and students, for their kind hospitality.