This past summer, seminarian Reader Timothy Zelinski (M.Div 3rd year) interned at St. Tikhon Russian Orthodox Church in Blountville, Tennessee. St. Tikhon's is a vibrant and rapidly growing community, with over 130 regular parishioners and 11 currently in catechism. The parish has daily services, which gives ample opportunity to help sing and direct the kliros. The parish is also noted for its choir, which is almost exclusively made up of young people. Timothy was able to use his background in music to produce professional-quality recordings of the St. Tikhon choir. These recordings will be posted on the parish's YouTube channel in the coming months.

 

St. Tikhon's offers the uncommon ministry burial preparation for those who are to be interred in their parish cemetery. Mostly importantly, this provides treatment for the bodies of the departed that are more becoming for Orthodox Christians that what traditional funeral homes offer. The parish was blessed with an opportunity to provide a full funeral service for a woman who otherwise would not have received a proper Orthodox burial. This provided a unique opportunity to share in one of the most important ministries of the priesthood, and provided a template to open similar ministries in other parishes.

 

Beyond this, Timothy was able to help the rector, Fr. Matthew Williams, in many aspects of parish life, including travelling to conduct services for parishioners living far away, conducting daily compline and vespers services, and with parish administration. At the end of the summer, lead a day-long reader's workshop to teach the basics of liturgics for men interested in reading in the Divine services.

 

May God continue to bless the community of St. Tikhon's for their support of seminarians in formation!