Students at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary
began and ended their first week with prayer and celebration
The week began with the traditional Labor Day weekend pilgrimage to Holy Trinity Monastery. The pilgrimage was instituted by the ever-memorable Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), the third abbot and founder of the Seminary. He followed the example of St. Tikhon of Moscow, who started a Memorial Day pilgrimage at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, PA. Seminarians prepared the monastery for the pilgrims and participated in the liturgical ceremonies.
On Tuesday, the Seminary began the new academic year. Archimandrite Luke, the Rector and Acting Dean of the Seminary, served a supplicatory moleben after the liturgy. The brotherhood and seminarians prayed for a blessed year in the presence of the Kursk-Root Icon.
After breakfast, students met with seminary administration for orientation. Father Luke welcomed the students and gave some words of advice. He stressed the importance of asking oneself, ”Why am I here?” and of treating each day of one’s seminary career as the first. He then blessed new students to wear their cassocks.
On Tuesday, the Seminary began the new academic year. Archimandrite Luke, the Rector and Acting Dean of the Seminary, served a supplicatory moleben after the liturgy. The brotherhood and seminarians prayed for a blessed year in the presence of the Kursk-Root Icon.
After breakfast, students met with seminary administration for orientation. Father Luke welcomed the students and gave some words of advice. He stressed the importance of asking oneself, ”Why am I here?” and of treating each day of one’s seminary career as the first. He then blessed new students to wear their cassocks.
Hieromonk Cyprian (Alexandrou), the Dean of Students, then explained the basic guidelines for common life in the seminary, and then announced each student’s obedience for the year. In addition to classes, each student will spend several hours a day helping the monastery in various capacities. Obediences include cleaning the church, working in the bookstore, and baking bread.
Classes began on Wednesday. Students were placed in classes according to the results of their placement exams. Most are taking classes in the same year, but others are taking classes from multiple years.
On Friday and Saturday, the monastery celebrated the feast of St. Job of Pochaev. Father Cyprian also brought Kursk-Root Icon to the seminary dormitory and blessed each of the rooms. The Icon then left the monastery to return to the Synodal Cathedral in Manhattan.