His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) served at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) on March 24 and March 25.
On Friday, March 24, His Beatitude presided over the morning Presanctified Liturgy and the festal vigil for the Feast of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos in the evening. During the day, he ate lunch with students in the refectory and met with seminary faculty and staff for pastoral conversations.
A full Hierarchical Liturgy was celebrated for the Feast of the Annunciation, at which time His Beatitude tonsured Anthony (Antwian) Davis, SVS Press Bookstore Manager and SVOTS Alumnus (M.Div. ‘19), as a Reader. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were Archpriest Chad Hatfield and other seminary clergy.
His Beatitude delivered an uplifting homily for the feast, highlighting the true meaning of the role of the Most Holy Theotokos in the lives of all people, and urging his flock to “redouble our filial devotion to our Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos, from whose womb our Life was born.” The sermon can be read in full at OCA.org, and heard on the SVOTS Give Me a Word podcast, hosted on ancientfaith.org.
