Prepare for a holy pilgrimage and expect a multi-cultural immersion experience this year at our annual campus event, "Orthodox Education Day," on Saturday, October 2nd.

Our campus will be especially graced to receive from Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, an exact replica of the famed Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. As well, the curator of Antiochian Heritage Museum, Julia Ritter, will hand deliver a superb exhibit of 15th–19th century icons, Arabic manuscripts, and Syrian artifacts—never before seen in this area. Additionally, "The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir," "The Boston Byzantine Choir," and "St. Nino's Georgian Orthodox Choir" will present concerts of liturgical music in our chapel.

Archpriest Michael Oleksa will set the tone for this year's theme “Many Cultures, One Faith,” in his keynote about Alaska Native history. Father Michael has spent the last forty years in Alaska, serving as village priest, university professor, and consultant on intercultural relations and communications.

What other sights, sounds, tastes, and discoveries can you expect on the day? Music and folk dance groups from New York City's boroughs, ethnic dishes and delicacies, and colorful exhibits will introduce you to the religious traditions and cultural customs of peoples from both the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches. Special displays will include watercolors by Alaskan artist Matushka Xenia Oleksa, and an exquisite photo gallery of Ukrainian women monastics.

Hands-on and How-to workshops will range from decorating Ukrainian Pysanky to learning folk dances. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) will present a special workshop on missionary activities around the globe, from Africa to South America to the Far East.

We've also included a panel discussion titled "The Road to Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Unity" which will be led by faculty from St. Vladimir's and St. Nersess Armenian seminaries and which will explore the historic divide between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches. Since our student body encompasses seminarians from both backgrounds, and since we recognize the rift in communion between the two bodies of faith, we wanted to address a topic that challenges our theme.

We have arranged our liturgical schedule this year as follows: early Divine Liturgy at 7:30 a.m., a Hierarchical Akathist at noon*, and a Memorial Service at 4 p.m., followed by Vespers, to conclude the day.

Food booths and cultural exhibits will be open from 10:30AM until 4:30PM.

Please join us as we transform our campus into a global community that represents the multi-cultural backgrounds of our students at St. Vladimir's and demonstrates the breadth of the influence of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches worldwide. We welcome you! 

View our detailed schedule in the attached PDF. Feel free to distribute this article and schedule to your friends, family, and fellow parishioners! 

*Note the schedule change in the time of the Hierarchical Akathist: It is now at noon.

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