On Wednesday and Thursday, eight hierarchs from three Orthodox churches visited St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) to get a closer look at the Seminary’s operations, curriculum, and future plans: Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishops Benjamin, Melchisedek, Michael, and Alexander, and Bishop Paul from the Orthodox Church in America (OCA); Bishop John from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA); and Bishop Saba of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church in North America.
The hierarchs were officially invited to campus by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon at the request of the Seminary. The group met with Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield and other faculty and staff over the two days.
“We are very much interested in working closely with hierarchs to give them a better sense of how seminarians from their respective jurisdictions are being trained, as well as to give them a platform for their essential input and cooperation,” said Fr. Chad.
Due to scheduling conflicts, not all hierarchs invited were able to be present for the discussions. The Seminary plans to continue working with them, however, as well as all hierarchs who have seminarians at St. Vladimir’s or who are interested in sending students in the future.
“These two days,” added Fr. Chad, “were further evidence of something so wonderfully stated recently by one of the bishops visiting: ‘Pan-Orthodoxy is not just a dream at St. Vladimir’s, it is lived here.’ May that long continue!”
