In July of 2008, three seminarians from Holy Trinity Seminary, Sergio Silva, Ephraim Willmarth and Jovan Marianac, traveled to the Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy. The trip provided them with a chance to become acquainted with the life in the seminary and academy and to meet and share experiences with their fellow seminarians in Russia. Likewise, they had the opportunity to venerate the many relics which can be found at the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, and pray at various monasteries and holy sites of Russia’s capital.

This trip was organized as a result of cooperative educational efforts between the two institutions. Currently, several students from the Moscow Theological Seminary study at Holy Trinity Seminary, and HTS graduates have enrolled at the Moscow Theological Academy. HTS selected several students, who are studying Russian at Holy Trinity Seminary, to offer them, aside from a spiritual experience, the opportunity to improve their Russian skills in a environment of full language immersion.

The seminarians became quickly acquainted with students of the Moscow Theologica Seminary and Academy, and were shown generous hospitality by their hosts. Among the many holy places visited, the students from HTS visited the Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God in nearby Khotkovo, where they venerated the relics of Sts. Cyrill and Maria, the parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Sergio, Ephraim and Jovan attended daily services in the Academy’s Church of the Protection of the Mother of God, formerly the Tsar's private chapel, as well as in the Seminary Church of St. John of the Ladder, in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where the relics of St. Sergius are, and in the Dormition Cathedral, the largest church in the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, which contains the relics of St. Innocent of Alaska and St. Maximus the Greek.
 
Holy Trinity Seminary expresses its gratitude to His Eminence, Archbishop Evgeny of Vereia, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, for his hospitality. We look forward to the further development and strengthening of our institutions’ relations, which provides educational and spiritual benefits to our communities.