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The Orthodox Church in America’s three seminaries – St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, and St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak, AK – have begun the 2026–2027 academic year.
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary began its 2026–2027 academic year on Monday, September 7, welcoming thirty-three new students. Twenty-four of the incoming students are enrolled in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program, seven in the Master of Arts (M.A.) program, and two as non-degree students.
The incoming class includes both single and married students and represents eight Eastern and Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions. Thirteen students are from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and ten from the Orthodox Church in America, with additional students from the Armenian Apostolic Church, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Moscow Patriarchate in the USA, American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America, Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, Malankara Archdiocese, and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
With the incoming class, St. Vladimir’s has a total student body of ninety-eight. An additional eight students have entered the Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, while many others are studying through the St. Vladimir’s Online School of Theology, including eighty-nine students enrolled this fall in its Catechist Certification Program.
Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie welcomed the new students and their families following a Moleben in Three Hierarchs Chapel and reflected on the changing pastoral needs facing the Orthodox Church in North America and the sacrifices made by seminarians and their families as they prepare for service in the Church.
The Seminary has also undertaken several initiatives in response to its growing student body and the needs of seminarians and their families. Construction is underway on three new apartments in the Seminary’s Bazil Building, expanding available housing particularly for the increasing number of married students and families.
St. Vladimir’s has also expanded its Spiritual Formation Program and Clinical Pastoral Education offerings. The program now includes peer learning groups, sessions with experienced pastoral leaders, youth ministry training, financial management, and programs focusing on relationships and communication. The St. Juliana Society is also being renewed to provide additional formation, fellowship, and support for student spouses and other women in the Seminary community.
Several new faculty and staff members have joined the Seminary for the academic year, including Archpriest David Alexander as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies, and Archpriest Philip LeMasters as Professor of Christian Ethics.
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary began the 2026–2027 academic year by welcoming eighteen new seminarians to its residential program in South Canaan. The incoming class represents the Orthodox Church in America’s Dioceses of the Midwest, New England, New York and New Jersey, the South, and the West, as well as the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America.
This fall also marks the beginning of St. Tikhon’s new Chicago M.Div. program, which opened with twelve seminarians from the OCA Diocese of the Midwest. With the incoming classes in South Canaan and Chicago, St. Tikhon’s begins the academic year with sixty seminarians.
Orientation Week began with an orientation for seminarians and their families, giving incoming spouses and children an opportunity to meet returning members of the Seminary community and learn about family life at St. Tikhon’s. Students were also introduced to the Seminary’s revised curriculum by Academic Dean Archpriest Paul Witek.
The Seminary also welcomed Professor Justin Smith as Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology.
Orientation Week concluded on Friday, September 4, with a visit by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. His Beatitude blessed the cassocks of the incoming seminarians and offered words of encouragement as they began their studies and formation for service in the Church.
St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary welcomed new and returning seminarians to Kodiak in August for the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year. The Seminary’s annual orientation provided an opportunity for students to prepare for the coming semester of study.
During orientation, His Eminence Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska invited Deacon Andrei Mesak, Pavel Mesenbrink, Vasily Nicholai, and John Amik to reflect on their recent travels to Russia. The seminarians spoke about their encounters with Orthodox life there and considered how practices of prayer, preparation for the Holy Mysteries, attentiveness in worship, and the formation of children in the life of the Church might further strengthen Orthodox life in Alaska.
The beginning of the academic year also included the ordination of Pavel Mesenbrink to the subdiaconate by His Eminence. As part of his continuing formation, Mr. Mesenbrink is expected to travel to Unalaska for an introduction to the Aleutian Deanery and the possibility of future summer service among the faithful of the Aleutian Islands.
Among those beginning their studies at St. Herman’s this year are Sarjus Moonin of Nanwalek, Alaska, and Andrew Bramlett of Missouri. Sarjus was raised in the Orthodox Church in rural Alaska and hopes, God willing, that his formation at the Seminary will prepare him for future service to his home community. Andrew comes to Kodiak from the continental United States, drawn in part by the distinctive missionary and spiritual inheritance of Orthodoxy in Alaska, and hopes to serve the Church particularly through the formation of young Orthodox Christians.
Through its academic, liturgical, and pastoral formation, St. Herman’s Seminary continues the work of preparing faithful servants of the Church within the missionary tradition established in Alaska by St. Herman, St. Innocent, St. Jacob, and generations of Indigenous Orthodox Christians.
Support for Seminary Education
As the seminaries begin another year of forming men and women for service in the Church, the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America are reminded of the resolution of the 16th All-American Council, which called on every parish to designate 1% of its annual budget to support the work of the three OCA seminaries.
The faithful are also encouraged to pray for vocations and for the students, faculty, staff, and families whose lives are dedicated to theological education and formation for service in Christ’s Church.
For more information about the seminaries, their programs, and opportunities to support their work, please visit:
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary: svots.edu
St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary: sthermanseminary.org
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary: stots.edu
May the intercessions of St. Vladimir, St. Herman, St. Tikhon, and all the saints of North America support the seminarians, faculty, staff, donors, and their families at the start of the new academic year!
