COMMENCEMENT 2025: HOLY TRINITY SEMINARY MARKS THE CONCLUSION OF THE 77TH ACADEMIC YEAR

On June 15, 2024,  the 1st Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints, Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary held commencement exercises at the conclusion of its 77th academic year. The day began with a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy concelebrated by His Grace, Bishop LUKE of Syracuse, rector of the seminary, together with His Grace, Bishop GERASIM (Eliel) of Fort Worth, Auxiliary Bishop to the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America. 

After the Cherubic Hymn, Hierodeacon Constantine was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Luke, in preparation for his service to the ROCOR mission in Jamaica. Fr Constantine (formerly Brother Moses) had been tonsured into the angelic (lesser) schema by Bishop Luke and given his new monastic name in honor of the Emperor Constantine. This occurred here at Holy Trinity Monastery after the evening service of the small compline on Tuesday, June 3. Fr Constantine was tonsured a reader and set aside as a subdeacon on the following Sunday, The Great Feast of Pentecost, June 8. Then, on the following day of the Holy Spirit, Monday June 9, the monastery’s altar feast, Monk Constantine was ordained to the Holy Diaconate. AXIOS to Hieromonk Constantine!

The combined monastery/seminary choir for both Saturday evening’s All Night Vigil, as well as for Sunday’s Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was under the direction of Michael Perekrestov. 

The commencement ceremonies began at 2:00pm with an academic procession from the monastery trapeza to the cathedral. This procession was led by His Grace, Bishop LUKE, Seminary Rector, His Grace, Bishop GERASIM, who served as the day’s Commencement Speaker, and Dr. Nicolas Schidlovsky, Academic Dean. This procession also included members of the seminary administration, the board of trustees, the faculty in residence, and the entire student body. Bishop LUKE and Bishop GERASIM offered a Moleben of Thanksgiving, assisted by participating clergy, for the Seminary's success during this past 2024-25 academic year, and in supplication for Divine blessings on all those who help to perpetuate the institution. The responses for the Molebien were sung by the combined monastery/seminary choir under the direction of Hieromonk Anatoly (Zilin).

Following a group photo on the front steps of the cathedral, a second procession from the Cathedral to the Seminary, again led by Bishop LUKE and Bishop GERASIM began the commencement ceremony. Seminary Dean, Dr. Nicolas Schidlovsky then followed and led the five graduates (from our on-campus degree programs) into the Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov (main) Hall located in the Dean Nicolas Alexandrov Seminary Building. The Monastery’s troparion was sung by those present in the hall as the processional hymn.

The ceremony began with the singing of ‘O Heavenly King’ followed by the National Anthem of the United States, and God Save the Tsar, under the direction of Timothy Zelinski, M.Div. ‘24.

His Grace, Bishop Luke (B.Th. class ‘78), seminary rector, gave the welcome remarks.

Following Bishop Luke’s remarks, Protodeacon Andrei Psarev, Ph.D., Professor of Canon Law and Russian Church History and Director of Undergraduate Studies, introduced this year’s commencement speaker, His Grace, Bishop GERASIM of Fort Worth, Auxiliary to the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America. His Grace’s address was titled: “The Challenge of Priesthood in the Orthodox Mission Today”.  

To view his Grace's address, click here.

To listen to his Grace's address, click here.

Protodeacon Andrei returned to the podium to introduce our undergraduate valedictorian, Reader Luke Kendrat, who delivered his collegial address on behalf of the undergraduate class of 2025.

Rev. Fr. John Boddecker, Senior Lecturer of Sacred Scripture, Department of Scriptural Studies and Exegesis, and Director of Graduate Studies, then introduced this year’s graduate valedictorian, Rev. Deacon John Golovin, who delivered his collegial address on behalf of the graduate class of 2025. 

The program moved on to the main event; the conferral of degrees. Dean Nicolas read the following text: 

“By the recommendation of Holy Trinity Seminary’s Faculty Council and the resolution of the Seminary Board of Trustees, I hereby bestow the degree of Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) upon the following six students of the Class of 2025”: Each graduate was handed his degree by Dean Nicolas Schidlovsky, received a blessing Bishop LUKE and Bishop Gerasim, and was presented with his alumni medallion by Rev. Fr. Ephraim Willmarth, Director of Admissions, Assistant Dean, and Registrar. 

The following two individuals were the 2025 undergraduate degree recipients: Gabriel William Blake, and Reader Luke Michael Kendrat, cum laude, undergraduate valedictorian.

This text form was repeated for the following three graduate students who received the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree: Rev. Fr. Lawrence Cunningham, cum laude, graduate valedictorian Rev. Deacon John Golovin, cum laude, and Rev. Deacon Jorge Luque-Martin, honoris causa

Following the conferral of degrees, nagradi (awards) for excellence and for diligence were presented to the following students:

B.Th. Freshman year

Excellence: Elijah Kirk Demerath

Diligence: Jonathan Rose

B.Th. Sophomore Year

Excellence: Nikita Nazarenko

Diligence: Thomas Lyall

B.Th. Junior Year

Excellence: Dario Rancic

Diligence: Nicholas Thomas

These awards included a copy of “Choral Music of the Orthodox Church”, Vol. 1 The Sunday Octoechos, Dr. Kurt Sander, Editor. This gift was given to the recipients by Rev. Fr. John Boddecker.

At the conclusion of these presentations, Reader Luke Kendrat and Rev. Deacon John Golovin were both presented the 4th Annual ‘Holy Seminary Achievement Award’. This award was instituted in 2022, and sponsored for the fourth year in a row by Stefan, Christian, and Ivan Andreev of the Jordanville Monument Company in memory of their father, Michael Stefanov Andreev. A check for $900 was presented to Reader Luke Kendrat by Stefan, Christian, and Ivan Andreev, and a check for $1,150 was presented to Deacon John Golovin, also by Stefan, Christian, and Ivan.

Finally, Dean Nicolas Schidlovsky gave his annual ‘Charge to Graduates’. 

Following the closing prayer of ‘It is truly Meet’ which was sung by those in attendance, photos, refreshments, and fellowship followed in the Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov hall.