2025 Fall Semester Underway at OCA Seminaries
The Orthodox Church in America’s three seminaries – St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, and St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak, AK – have begun the 2025–2026 academic year with new and returning students, faculty, and staff, continuing their work of forming the future leaders of the Orthodox Church.
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Vladimir’s Seminary opened its 2025–2026 Academic Year on Monday, August 25 with twenty-seven new students, including both men and women, single and married. Nineteen are beginning the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program, seven are enrolled in the Master of Arts (M.A.) program, and one has entered a specialized program. With the new class, the Seminary now has eighty-seven students across its M.Div., M.A., Th.M., and D.Min. programs.
The incoming students represent six Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions: fifteen from the Orthodox Church in America, six from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, three from the Armenian Apostolic Church, one from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch (Malankara Archdiocese), one from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and one from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie welcomed students and families following a Moleben in the Three Hierarchs Chapel, assuring them that the Seminary community recognizes their sacrifices and is committed to serving them in a Christ-centered, student-focused, and education-driven way.
Several new faculty and staff members joined SVOTS this fall, including His Grace Bishop John Abdalah as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, Archpriest Dr. Mark Roosien as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, Archpriest Dr. Kirill Sokolov as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology (D.Min. Program), Archpriest Michael Nasser as Director of Spiritual Formation, Dn. Alexander Hatcher as Director of Institutional Communication, Dr. Daniel Stauffer as Operations Manager of SVS Press, and new Student Affairs Administrator Abby Legaspi and Administrative Coordinator Laura Ionescu.
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Tikhon’s Seminary welcomed the Class of 2028 as it began the 2025–2026 Academic Year with Orientation Week. This week included a warm welcome to families and children, seasonal beautification of the campus, student–administrator meet-and-greets, and the annual “All The Good Summer Dinner” celebrating the start of the new academic year.
Seventeen new full-time residential students entered this fall, representing eight dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America, along with the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The Seminary expressed gratitude to these communities for entrusting the formation of their candidates to its faculty and staff, and reaffirmed its commitment to preparing clergy and all those called to seminary education for faithful service to the Church.
St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Herman’s Seminary opened the Fall Semester with an orientation which focused on academic, spiritual, and community life. Archpriest John Dunlop introduced students to the Seminary’s history, faculty, and the rhythm of chapel services, while students spent time getting to know one another.
His Eminence Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska addressed the seminarians, encouraging them to embody a living missionary spirit inspired by St. Peter the Aleut, St. Herman of Alaska, St. Innocent of Alaska, and St. Olga of Kwethluk. His Eminence also spoke of the need for students to become teachers of the gospel, defenders of the Church, and caretakers of the faith in Alaska’s unique pastoral context, always in unity with the wider mission of the Orthodox Church in America.
Support for Seminary Education
As the seminaries begin another year of forming men and women for service in the Church, the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America are reminded of the resolution of the 16th All-American Council, which called on every parish to designate 1% of its annual budget to support the work of the three OCA seminaries.
If you want to know more about supporting our seminaries, their work, or learn more about vocational and theological formation, please contact:
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary: Mr. Zachariah Mandell, Director of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Alumni Relations, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
St. Herman Theological Seminary: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
May the intercessions of St. Vladimir, St. Herman, St. Tikhon, and all the saints of North America support the seminarians, faculty, staff, donors, and their families at the start of the new academic year!