The Academy honored the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

 On May 21 and 22, festive services on the day of transfer St. Nicholas’s relics from Myra in Lycia to Bari held at the Intercession Church of the Moscow Theological Academy.

In the 11th century, the Greek Empire suffered from the Turks invasion. They rampaged in Asia Minor, destroyed cities, burned villages and blasphemed Christian shrines. In order to save the relics of Saint Nicholas, Western Christian merchants went to Myra in Lycia and carried them to the city of Bari.

On May 21, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an all-night vigil at the Intercession Academic church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

On May 22, the Rector also celebrated the Divine Liturgy co-served by the academic clergy.

At the antiphons, Bishop Theodorite tonsured Andrei Manya, a 1st year Master’s student of the Nikolo-Ugresh Theological Seminary, as a reader and elevated him to the rank of subdeacon.

After reading the Gospel, Bishop Theodorite addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word.

During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite ordained Deacon Dimitri Belnyak, a 1st year MThA student, into a presbyter, and Subdeacon Andrei Manya into a deacon.

After singing the sacrament verse, Hieromonk Kassian (Plosky) delivered a sermon. 

Background information:

Chanting performed by two academic choirs under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and V.V. Chuvilov.

MThA Press Office

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