On Thursday, January 31, 2025, His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America, presided at the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York, for the Patronal Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs Chapel.

 

Concelebrating with His Beatitude was His Grace Irinej, Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church, member of the Board of Trustees, together with Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Acting Chancellor and Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Rector of Three Hierarchs Chapel, and numerous faculty members, visiting and student clergy. The seminary mixed choir sang the responses, led by Mr. Zach Mandel.

 

Prior to the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude tonsured seminarian John Rexford a reader and ordained him to the subdiaconate. The homily was offered by Archpriest Alexander Rentel. During the liturgy, His Beatitude ordained third year seminarian Dn. Justin Taylor to the priesthood and second year seminarian Subdeacon John Rexford to the diaconate.

 

Following the Liturgy, His Beatitude greeted all those present in the joy of the feast and offered words of congratulations and encouragement to the newly-ordained priest and deacon. His Beatitude stressed that ordination is a gift that is a gift of God. “It is not something we earn, but something we are given. And truly, ordination is the proverbial gift that keeps on giving: we receive ordination so that we can share, through our ministry, the abundant gifts of the grace of God.”

 

Fr. Alexander Rentel then welcomed the hierarchs on behalf of the seminary community, and Bishop Irinej offered his appreciation for his recent visits to the seminary.

 

That evening, the festivities continued with the 42nd Annual Fr. Alexander Schmemann Lecture and Mid-Year Commencement. This year’s keynote presentation, “Heaven to Earth, Earth to Heaven: Neoplatonic Theology and the Art of Byzantine Churches,” was delivered by Dr. Henry Maguire, Emeritus Professor of the History of Art at Johns Hopkins University. Before the presentation, Dr. Maguire was presented with an honorary doctorate by Dr. Ionut-Alexandru Todorie, Interim President and Academic Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Following the lecture, degrees were conferred upon three graduating students; Archpriest Alessandro Magheritino (D.Min.), Deacon Habib McGee (M.Div.), and Mr. Christopher Abdelehad (M.A.).

 

Source: OCA