On Wednesday, Jan 30/Feb 12, the Holy Orthodox Church celebrated the Feast of the Synaxis of the Three Hierarchs; SS Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. These three great hierarchs and luminaries of the Church are considered as the patrons of every Orthodox Theological Seminary, and therefore this feast is recognized as the patronal feast of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary.

All Night Vigil was celebrated on Tuesday evening at 7pm.  As is customary, our seminarians read many of the prayers in Greek, and the choir sang a number of Greek melodies as well.

The Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was served on Wednesday morning, with the greeting of His Eminence, Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America at 9am. His Eminence was co-served by His Grace, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and His Grace, Bishop Luke of Syracuse, Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of the Seminary.  All three serving hierarchs are graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary; Archbishop Peter (’71), Bishop Nicholas (’98) and Bishop Luke (’78). 

The presence of the visiting hierarchs was of particular significance this year due to the fact that the Seminary is now reactivating the Seminary Alumni Association. Due to this factor, many clergy traveled from as far away as Canada and California to attend the divine services. 

 At the end of the Liturgy, a short molebien was served to the Three Hierarchs.  After the usual festal meal, a tea was served in the seminary hall for the bishops, clergy, seminarians and our local neighbors and visiting pilgrims.  His Grace, Bishop Luke opened the gathering with his greetings, followed by Dr. Nicolas Schidlovky who spoke for the first time on this patronal feast as our seminary dean.  The major lecture; “Three Hierarchs in our theological thought’ was given Dr. Vitaly Permiakov, Associate Professor of Dogmatic and Liturgical Theology & Director of M.Div. Program

Following the tea, a meeting of the Alumni Association was opened by its director, Mitred Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko (HTOS Class ’71), who will be assisted going forward by deputy director, Archpriest Victor Boldewskul (HTOS Class of ’91)  The association will also move forward, God willing, with the appointment of representatives in each ROCOR diocese, as well as representation for graduates serving in other jurisdictions, particularly the Serbian Church.