The Academy honored St. John the Climacus and celebrated the patronal feast of the seminary church

On April 14, on the fourth Sunday of the Holy Pentecost, the Church remembers St. John the Climacus, Abbot of the Mount Sinai monastery and an author of a famous ascetic book “The Ladder”. For the Moscow Theological Academy, this Sunday is an especially significant day, because they celebrate a patronal feast of the seminary church. 

A patronal celebration is always a special event. Therefore, parishioners of the seminary church, whose throne was consecrated in honor of St. John the Climacus, felt great spiritual joy. 

The seminary church is famous for its its warm and cozy atmosphere. Here nothing will distract a person from concentrated prayer and inner work that takes place in the depths of the heart and the soulful singing of mixed choirs will help you tune in to prayerful dialogue with God. 

Today, the Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, celebrated the festive Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. John Climacus co-served by the academic clergy.

Teachers, students and church parishioners from the academic community prayed at the service.

Before the start of the Divine Liturgy, the Rector, according to a long-standing tradition, tonsured some academic as Readers. They were Victor Diakovsky, Kirill Kuznetsov, Alexei Grigorovich, Sergei Tkachenko, Kirill Shilenko.

After the Eucharistic Canon, Bishop Kirill ordained Dmitry Khudaleev, a third-year graduate student, into a deacon.

Before the Communion, Hieromonk Philotheus (Artyushin) delivered a sermon, in which he emphasized that “The Ladder” is relevant both for monks and for laity.

After the prayer behind the ambo, the clergy sang glorification to St. John the Climacus. 

At the end of the service, Bishop Kirill read the decree of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill on conferring the right to perform the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. John the Climacus with the open Royal Doors up to the “Our Father” for the academic clergy. 

On April 13, on the eve of the festive day, Archimandrite Michael (Borey), Dean of the seminary the Church of St. John the Climacus, officiated the All-night Vigil and performed a festive lithia. 

Background information:

Chanting performed by the first mixed choir under the conduct of S.P. Borovinskaya, the second mixed choir under the conduct of K.A. Alekseeva and the third mixed choir led by A.A. Antonova.

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MThA Press Office