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SOUTH CANAAN, PA [STOTS Communications] – New Seminarians Arrive at St. Tikhon’s!
St. Tikhon’s Seminary welcomes 14 new M.Div. Students for the coming academic year! Of the new students, eight are from the Orthodox Church in America, two each from the Antiochian and Greek Archdioceses respectively, one is from the Bulgarian Patriarchate, and one is from the Eritrean Church. In addition, several other OCA students are beginning special programs of study.
The new academic year coincided with the new Ecclesiastical year. Archpriest Steven Voytovich, Seminary Dean, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on September 1st, with Priest Patrick Burns, Alumni President, and Priest Ignatius Gauvain, Director of Student Life. Seminarian Deacons Mikel Hill and Basil Ferguson also concelebrated. At the end of the Liturgy prayers were offered for the monastery and seminary at the beginning of the New Year, and new students were blessed to wear their cassocks.
Alumni came together for a continuing education program in part to have greater interaction with new and returning seminarians. This initiative came from the alumni. Presentations were offered by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick (STOTS, 2007), Pastor of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Emmaus, PA, and Archimandrite Sergius, St. Tikhon’s Monastery Igumen (STOTS, 2005). Alumni and seminarians alike expressed how meaningful it was to have spent almost two days together! A separate story will be posted with more details related to the retreat.
Fr. Steven shared a comment about the beginning of the year: “With special thanks to the work of many during this past week, especially Fr. Ignatius Gauvain as Director of Student Life, and Fr. Patrick Burns, Alumni Chair who spent most of the week at the seminary, we are off to a very good start for the new year!”
