On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, visited Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, where he presided at the Divine Liturgy marking the patronal feast of the school’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, attended the 35th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture, and presided at Commencement ceremonies for three graduates of the Master of Divinity program.
Concelebrating the festal Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Tikhon were His Grace, Bishop John of the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Worcester and New England; His Grace, Bishop Anthony of the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest; and seminary and guest clergy. Also in attendance was His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of the Orthodox Church in America’s Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. A video of Metropolitan Tikhon’s homily is available on line. [See related story.]
In the evening, seminary alumnus Dr. Scott Kenworthy presented the 35th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture, titled “Saint Tikhon of Moscow (1865–1925) and the Orthodox Church in North America and Revolutionary Russia.” Dr. Kenworthy’s passion for his subject was infectious, and his expertise was evident throughout his talk.
Dr. Kenworthy’s address offered a fitting prelude to the Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony of the Doctor of Ministry Class of 2018. Three Doctor of Ministry candidates received their degrees: Priest John E. Parker III, Rector of Holy Ascension Church, Mount Pleasant, SC [OCA]; Priest Timothy Chrapko, Associate Priest of Saint Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation, Calgary, AB, Canada; and Gregory Abdalah, Youth Pastor, Saint George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ.
A video of Metropolitan Tikhon’s closing remarks after the lecture and Commencement also is available online.
Photo credits: Subdeacon Roman Ostash, Alexandru M Popovici
