The Academy celebrated the Intercession of the Mother of God

On this day, the host of angels and saints rejoice and praise the Virgin Mary. Today, the Mother of God spreads her Veil over all the faithful who have prayerfully ascended to the Heavenly Kingdom on the day of the Her glory.

The academic family gathered at the Intercession church of the Moscow Theological Academy. Bishops, clergy and numerous guests of the Academy arrived to celebrate its patronal day.

The Metropolitan of Krutitsk and Kolomna Pavel, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Diocese, performed the Divine Liturgy co-served by the Bishop of Skopinsk and Shatsk Pitirim, the Bishop of Venev Theodorite, the Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Abbot of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, as well as the academic clergy.

On October 13, the Rector, teachers, students and guests of the Academy prayed at All-night Vigil glorifying the Mother of God in prayers and chants.

The Bishop of Skopinsk and Shatsk Pitirim led the festive lithia and offered a prayer to the Lord for the consecration of bread.

Before the Kathisma, Serafim Mishakov, a fourth-year undergraduate student delivered a sermon. In his speech, the preacher recalled the history of the home church of the Moscow Theological Academy:

In 1869, the administration of the Academy asked the Holy Synod to establish a church in the theological school in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, remembering the day in 1814, when the Academy settled in the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra. We can symbolically make a parallel with the Isaiah’s prophecy. The church became another temple in honor of the Mother of God on Mount Makovets. Since then we have been calling Our Lady to take theological schools and all students under Her intercession..

On October 14, Metropolitan Pavel performed the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church.

Before the Communion, Seraphim Krivonogov, a first-year Master's student, delivered a sermon: 

After the prayer behind the ambo, the clergy sang the glorification to the Mother of God in front of an icon of the Intercession. Then many years were proclaimed to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill. — сказал проповедник. 

After the prayer behind the ambo, the clergy sang the glorification to the Mother of God in front of an icon of the Intercession. Then many years were proclaimed to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill.

At the end of the service, the Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Abbot of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, presented Metropolitan Paul a panagia in memory of the current celebration. It was a replica of the panagia of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I (Simansky), which is now stored at the Museum of Christian Art of the Moscow theological Academy.

Metropolitan Pavel thanked the Rector and congratulated everyone with the Intercession of the Mother of God.

Background information:

Clergy served at the All-night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy: the Metropolitan of Krutitsk and Kolomna Pavel co-celebrated by the Bishop of Skopinsk and Shatsk Pitirim, the Bishop of Venev Theodorite, the Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Abbot of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Forkavets), Luka (Golovkov), Simeon (Tomachinsky), abbots Gerasim (Dyachkov), Adrian (Pashin), hieromonk Varnava (Losev), archpriest Sergius Zabelich, hieromonks Apollinaris (Panin), Tikhon (Zimin), Feodor (Yulaev), secretary of the academic council of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, hieromonk Luka (Pronskikh), hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin), priests Stefan Domuschi, Andrei Lysevich, hieromonks Cassian (Plosky), Micah ( Kopytov), ​​priest Anatoly Kolot, hieromonks Georgy (Pimenov), Serapion (Zalesny), deacons Dimitry Maslov, Valentin Mishakov, hierodeacons Savva (Tatsiy), Pimen (Shein), Anthony (Streblyachenko), Zinovy ​​(Rusakov), deacon Dionisy Makarov.

Chanting performed by the United Choir of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a mixed choir led by K.A. Alekseeva.

MThA Press Office