Seminarians from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) at St Vladimir’s Seminary were blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Grace Dr Thomas Mar Ivanios, Metropolitan of the Diocese of South-West America, on January 23-24. His Grace presided over Vespers on the evening of Tuesday, January 23, and the midnight watches and matins services the following day in the St Thomas Chapel on campus. Assistant Professor of Malankara Studies, the Rev. Dr Varghese M. Daniel assisted His Grace in leading the divine services and helped to coordinate his visit.
His Grace’s visit coincided with the three-day “Ninevah Fast,” during which Malankara faithful remember the prophet Jonah’s sojourn in the belly of the whale on his way to Ninevah. After both the evening and the morning services, His Grace exhorted the students in attendance with words of counsel for their pursuit of a life of ministry. His Grace, or “Thirumeni”, as Malankara hierarchs are known to their spiritual children, also took time to meet with seminarians one-on-one.
“Having Ivanios Thirumeni with us during the Nineveh Fast was certainly a blessing,” said Kripaya Varghese (M.A. ‘24). “His Grace took time out of a busy schedule to come and be with his spiritual children. Thirumeni shared a lot of encouraging words with the seminarians during his days with us. His Grace reminded us that we are servants of Christ and should live as such. When we happen to fall away, it is simple for us to turn back. We have to remember the ‘4 R’s’ during that time: repent, reconcile, return (to God), and rejoice. We are what we are by God’s grace and so our lives should reflect that. It was a joy to pray with Thirumeni, learn from Thirumeni, and end the fast in liturgy with Thirumeni. It is my hope that His Grace continues this trip to the seminaries during the Nineveh Fast as it would be a fruitful time for all the seminarians.”
From left: Fr Geevarghese Renish Abraham (M.Div. ‘24, Th.M. ‘24), His Grace Dr Thomas Mar Ivanios, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie
In addition to meeting with the students, His Grace also met with Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, and Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie in the Rangos Building boardroom. After the meeting, Fr Chad remarked, “It was very good to spend time with His Grace–we greatly appreciate his care for the Malankara seminarians at St Vladimir’s, and we look forward to welcoming many more students from the Diocese of South-West America in the future.”
