New academic year begins at UOC seminaries

The new academic year has begun at UOC seminaries. Photo: KDAiS

Theological schools of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church began the new academic year with festive services and formal ceremonies.

Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led the celebrations at the Kyiv Theological Schools. The archpastor celebrated the festive Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Spring Icon of the Mother of God at the Holy Protection Holosiiv Monastery.

After the Liturgy, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry led a prayer service for the beginning of the academic year and sprinkled the students with holy water. The festive day concluded with a communal meal and class meetings, during which faculty advisors met with students in the academy’s classrooms.

Pochaiv Theological Seminary

Metropolitan Sergiy of Ternopil and Kremenets and the seminary rector, Archbishop Job of Shumsk, led a festive prayer service at the Dormition Cathedral of the Pochaiv Lavra. Faculty members, students, and students of the choir director’s department took part in the service.

Students and faculty prayed to God for wisdom and spiritual strength in the new academic year. At the conclusion, participants venerated the miraculous Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God, the Footprint of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the holy relics of Venerable Job and Amphilochius. A meeting of the Academic Council was also held that day, at which faculty members discussed matters related to the educational process.

Odesa Theological Seminary

Metropolitan Agathangel of Odesa and Izmail celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a prayer service before taking part in the theological school’s formal ceremony. The hierarch wished the faculty and students God’s help, spiritual strength, and inspiration. Metropolitan Agathangel personally presented the new students with commemorative books and blessed them for a fruitful course of study.

Volyn Theological Seminary

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Nafanail of Volyn and Lutsk. Concelebrating with him were the eparchy’s vicar, Archbishop Athanasius of Kamin-Kashyrskyi; seminary rector Archimandrite Evmeniy; vice rector Archimandrite Kirill; head of the eparchial chancery Archimandrite Paisiy; and members of the seminary faculty.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Nafanail led a prayer service for the beginning of the academic year. Special petitions were offered for the faculty and students of the theological school. The archpastor congratulated everyone on the start of the new academic year and sprinkled them with holy water.

Kharkiv Theological Seminary

The festive Divine Liturgy at the Ozeryanska Church of the Holy Protection Monastery in Kharkiv was celebrated by the monastery’s dean, Archimandrite Pimen. Seminary faculty members and students in holy orders concelebrated with him. A combined choir of seminarians and students of the choir director’s department, conducted by Archpriest Feodor Voskoboinikov, sang the liturgical hymns.

After the service, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kharkiv and Bohodukhiv presided over a formal ceremony at the bishop’s residence. During the event, academic secretary Archpriest Dimitry Tarasov announced the results of this year’s admissions campaign.

Eparchial secretary Archpriest Mykhailo Kyt read a congratulatory message from Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, chairman of the UOC Education Committee. Rector Metropolitan Onuphry presented the newly admitted students with commemorative gifts, offered words of guidance, and wished them God’s help in the new academic year.

As the UOJ reported, His Beatitude chaired a meeting of the KDAiS Academic Council ahead of the new academic year.

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