The Feast of Three Hierarchs
On February 11-12, 2006, the seminarians and faculty of Holy Trinity Seminary together with the brotherhood of Holy Trinity Monastery celebrated the feast of the Three Hierarchs, Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, the heavenly protectors of the seminary. The festive services were presided over by His Eminence, Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary. His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, as well as Archpriest Boris Kizenko, both alumni of the Seminary, arrived on Saturday to join the celebration. During the Vigil, as well as during Divine Liturgy large parts of the serives were read and chanted in Greek, including the reading of the festive canon, the Epistle and Gospel. Following the Divine Liturgy a moleben was served to the Three Hierarchs.
Following the Divine Liturgy and a meal in the Monastery refectory, the students gathered for the traditional reception in the Seminary graduation hall. Metropolitan Laurus greeted all the assembled on the occasion of the feast, following which Bishop Peter likewise congratulated everyone and conveyed Archbishop Alypy's greetings as well. Archpriest Boris Kizenko, a Seminary alumnus (Class of 1958) and currently rector of the St. Vladimir's Memorial Church in Jackson, N.J., addressed the students, remembering his own Seminary days. Following Fr. Boris' talk, Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov announced this years recipients of scholarships granted by the Russian Orthodox Theological Fund, the Koulaev Foundation, and the Metropolitan Philaret Fund. The recently established Holy Trinity Seminary Scholarship was granted to fourth year seminarian Felipe de Oliveira, a native of Brazil, in recognition of his diligence in all aspects of Seminary life.
Special thanks are due above all to Metropolitan Laurus and Bishop Peter for taking time out of their busy schedules to come and pray with the seminarians on their feast day, to Archpriest Boris Kizenko for his inspiring and instructive talk, to Hierodeacon Cyprian (Alexandrou), who led the choir during parts of the service chanting in Greek, and to the students who prepared the reception.