With the blessing of Archimandrite Luke, the Holy Trinity Seminary Choir made its first visit of the 2009-2010 school year. By the invitation of Priest Victor Boldewskul, the choir returned to the Holy Epiphany Parish in Roslindale, Massachusetts on December 5-6 to sing the Sunday Vigil and Liturgy. Returning to the choir from last year’s quartet are conductor and 2nd tenor Ephraim Wilmarth (4th year), and bass Nikolai Lochmatov (4th year). Joining the veterans are 1st tenors Vladislav Naumkin (5th year) and Matthew Romanchuk (2nd year), 2nd tenor Igor Evgenievich Kamenii (instructor of Dogmatic Theology), Baritone Anthony Williams (2nd year), and bass Peter Markevich (2nd year). Fourth year student Maksim Abroskin also traveled with the choir and read portions of the Divine services.

It was the second time the choir came this year to Holy Epiphany parish. The parish has been visited frequently by seminarians on various occasions what established the strong ties between Holy Trinity Seminary and the Holy Epiphany community. These visits always contribute to the fruitful experience, which will help seminarians in their future service to the Church. Here they see a healthy parish life and parish spirit. They can perceive the parish grow before their own eyes, regularly interact with clergy and discuss various practical and theoretical questions and problems.

After arriving in Boston on Saturday Dec. 5th, the fourth year students, along with Dr. Karina Ross, made an excursion to the Boston Museum of Fine Art to view an exhibit of Romantic era paintings as a compliment to their current study of Russian Literature of the same period. That afternoon, the choir traveled to Roslindale to sing All-Night Vigil. The next morning, the choir also sang the Divine Liturgy in Roslindale. The choir sang selections from Holy Trinity Monastery repoirtoire, including compositions by Allemanov, Archimandrite Matfei (Mormil), Rimskiy-Korsakov, and Trubachev.

Following Divine Liturgy, the entire parish joined the seminarians in singing a Molieben service to the Mother of God for the health of Archimandrite Ioasaf Mclellan, head of the Russian Eccliastical Mission in Jerusalem, who is being treated in Boston for a serious illness. Fr. Ioasaf, a graduate and former professor of Holy Trinity Seminary, and a former parishioner at the Holy Theophany parish, himself conducted the seminary choir for several years. After a delicious meal prepared by the parish sisterhood in the church hall, the choir visited Fr. Ioasaf and sang several pieces for him from the weekend’s services - the Irmosi of Nativity and the Exapostilarion from the Entrance of the Theotokos. Fr. Ioasaf was in good spirits, thanked the choir for coming, and asked for everyone’s prayers.

The choir would like to thank the parish clergy, Fr. Victor and Fr. Thomas Reske; Protodeacon Alexander Yarostchuk and Andrei Alekseevich Klinov, who graciously accepted the seminarians into their homes Saturday night; the parish Sisterhood and the entire Holy Theophany parish for their hospitality and generous support of the seminary. Finally, we would like to ask for our readers’ fervent prayers for Fr. Ioasaf’s recovery.