“Come, all believers, to praise the honorable Intercession of the Mother of God”: the Academy celebrated the Dedication Day

Today, the Church celebrates the great feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, which marks the Dedication Day of the Moscow Theological Academy.

This year the Intercession Academic Church turns 152. It is the spiritual heart of the Moscow Theological Academy, where under the protection of the Mother of God, the future clergy of the Russian Church grows up.

The festive services were attended by numerous guests, - bishops, clergy and laity - who call the Academy their Alma mater.

On October 13, the academic family gathered at the Intercession Academic Church for a joint prayer to the Mother of God at the All-night Vigil.

The Bishop of Skopinsk and Shatsk Pitirim led the All-night Vigil co-served by the Bishop of Zaraisk Konstantin, Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; the Bishop of Peterhof Siluan, Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; the Bishop of Zvenigorod Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, and the academic clergy.

The Bishop of Peterhof Siluan officed the festive Litiya and consecrated the bread.

On October 14, the Metropolitan of Voskresensk Dionisiy, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Academic Church of the Moscow Theological Academy.

Bishop Dionisiy was co-served by the Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin Ambrose; the Bishop Skopinsk and Shatsk Pitirim; the Bishop of Zaraisk Konstantin; the Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Thomas, Abbot of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra; the Bishop of Peterhof Siluan, Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; the Bishop of Zvenigorod Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy; Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, Head of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Rector of the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Sts. Cyril and Methodius; Archpriest Vladimir Chuvikin, Dean of the Patriarchal Metochion at the Nikolo-Perervin Monastery in Moscow; Archpriest Vadim Leonov, Rector of the Sretenskaya Theological Academy; Hegumen Dionysius (Shlenov), Abbot of St. Andrew’s stauropegial monastery in Moscow, Head of the MThA Postgraduate Department; Archpriest Daniel Andreyuk, a representative of His Beatitude the Metropolitan of All America and Canada Tikhon, Dean of St. Catherine’s Church; Hieromonk Andrey (Vasilyuk), Secretary of the Academic Council at the Minsk Theological Academy; and the academic clergy.

After the Sacrament verse, Archpriest Sergiy Zabelich, a MThA senior teacher, delivered a sermon. In his speech, he recalled history of the celebrated feast and spoke about its deep spiritual meaning.

After the dismissal, the clergy sang the glorification in front of the Intercession icon of the Mother of God.

At the end of the service, the Metropolitan of Voskresensk Dionysiy read a greeting letter from His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to the Moscow Theological Academy and delivered a sermon.

Background information:

Chanting performed by a male choir sang under the conduct of E.V. Borovinsky and a mixed choir led by S.P. Borovinskaya.

On the day of the feast, a water-blessed prayer service and a memorial service for the repore of deceased tutors were officed before the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church.

MThA Press Office