Start Date



On Friday, September 11, 2015, at 6:30 p.m., the Board of Trustees and Faculty of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary will bestow a Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa, upon His Holiness Irinej (Gavrilovic), archbishop of Peć, metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, and patriarch of Serbia. Patriarch Irinej will also deliver a presentation titled "Theology as a Hope for the Future of the Church."

At 5:30 pm, prior to the academic convocation, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, members of the seminary clergy, and all visiting clergy will greet the Patriarch with all solemn rites at the Three Hierarchs Chapel doors upon his arrival. The public ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building, and will include a Q & A session between the Patriarch and attendees. An open reception will follow.

The 45th Patriarch of Serbia, His Holiness was enthroned in his position on January 2010. Prior to this, he was ordained as a Hieromonk in 1959, and was both a professor and rector of Prizren Seminary. He also served as Bishop of Moravica and Nis prior to his election as patriarch. 

In the Patriarch’s entourage will be His Grace the Right Reverend Maxim (Vasiljevic), bishop of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America and seminary Trustee; His Grace the Right Reverend Dr. Mitrophan (Kodic), bishop of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America; and His Eminence the Most Reverend Jovan VI (Vraniškovski), archbishop of Ohrid and metropolitan of Skopje, which is under the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć.

View travel directions to St. Vladimir’s Seminary.

Download the flyer (PDF)