The St. Innocent Mission Society—a student initiative under the auspices of the Student Council here at St. Vladimir’s Seminary—continues to be a tour de force on campus, introducing seminarians to missionary opportunities both near and far.
During fall semester the group did everything from sponsoring our Annual Missions Weekend to preparing meals for a local soup kitchen. They also hosted impromptu and informal campus chats with visiting missionaries, such as Alumnus Fr. Nicholas Andruchow, who is the currently the director of Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage, and Fr. Denis Pozdnyaev, a presbyter and missionary in Hong Kong, China. Additionally, they hosted an informal interactive campus discussion titled, "Orthodox Missions and Their Interaction with the Canonical Tradition of the Church," led by Seminarian Attorney Dimitrios Nikiforos.
Father Christopher Moore, student leader of the society, and Archpriest Chad Hatfield, seminary president and faculty advisor to the society, are both experienced missionaries committed to opening even more doors to mission fields, as the society’s upcoming schedule indicates:
- Seminarian Mission Overnight Retreat Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2, at Ss. Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church, with talks by Dr. Joseph William Black
- Meal Prep for St. Bart's Soup Kitchen Saturday, December 9
- IOCC Home Build in New Orleans Monday January 8–Sunday, January 14
- OCMC Mission Trip to Uganda, Africa Tuesday, May 22–Tuesday, June 5 (tentative)
We wish society members Godspeed as they follow Jesus' call to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) locally, nationally, and internationally, and as they strive to love their fellow human beings while edifying Christ's Church.
