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2023 Saint Herman Seminary Orientation
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September 19, 2023St. Herman Seminary was blessed to open its 2023-4 School year by celebrating an All-Night Vigil for the feast of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God with His Grace, Vladyka ALEXEI, our beloved Father in Christ. With the glow of candles and beautiful singing the services began around 8 PM and continued with Divine Liturgy and a tasty meal served in our Seminary refectory. The service included the poetic hymns of the Lamentations for the Mother of God chanted by Vladyka and clergy and a procession with her plaschanitsa around the Seminary chapel and campus. Joining Vladyka were Interim Dean Priest Andrei Tepper and new Chaplain Priest Michael Nicolai.
John Amik of Napaskiak, Andrew Mesak of Oscarville and Vasily Nicolai of Napaskiak were later blessed to wear the cassock by Vladyka. New seminarian Deacon Fyodor Timpko of New Boston, Michigan also arrived to join the community.
Seminary Orientation included an expansive talk by His Grace which outlined the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska from the golden age of its missionary founders until the Russian sale of Alaska by Tsar Alexander II. His Grace underlined the deep traumas inflicted on Alaskans by Sheldon Jackson and other U.S. government sponsored American Sectarian missionaries, the tragedy of the Bolshevik Revolution and twenty first century challenges of Pastoral abuse and mismanagement. His Grace outlined the path forward for the Diocese including revitalization of Church Slavonic, Native languages and Alaskan musical and liturgical tradition. Faculty, staff and seminarians were challenged, blessed and inspired by His Grace’s message of revitalization through the preservation and recovery of Holy Tradition.
The prayerful services and inspiring talks perfectly prepared Seminarians for their coming months of Orthodox Theological study. What better way can there be to commence our studies then to ask for the holy intercessions and protection of the Mother of God? The Seminary round of services, classes and work-study has begun well and our Seminary looks forward to many blessings in the coming months remembering the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ: “for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).”
