< Back page
Rector of Orthodox Theological Seminary of Saint Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America congratulated Sumy seminary with the opening
Reverend Michael, Archbishop of New York and New The Jersey, rector of St. Tikhon's Seminary of the Orthodox Church in America, sent a congratulatory message addressed to the Rector of Sumy Seminary, Eminence Archbishop of Sumy and Akhtyrka Evlogii.
December 13, 2015
His Eminence Evlogii
Archbishop of Sumy and Akhtyrka
Soborna Str., 31
Sumy, 40000
Ukraine
Your Eminence, beloved fellow servant of the Lord:
Christ is among us - He is and always will be!
With deep gratitude to Omnipotent God on behalf of the administration, Board of Trustees,from professors,teachers and students of St. Tikhon's Seminary of the Orthodox Church in America, your sisters in Christ, I want to express my congratulations and best wishes to Your Eminence of the occasion of joyful, historic opening of Sumy Seminary in Ukraine.
The importance of training future priests of our Holy Church in our seminaries clearly stated by St.Grigoriy the Theologian: "It must first clean out yourself, then purifed; contrive, then make wise; become light and then enlighten; closer to God, then lead others to Him; sanctified, then sanctify "(Word 2, 71). Great Father asserts that learning is undoubtedly necessary and after ordination, telling us that the spiritual development of the pastor never stops - even after its initial training should be developed steadily and constantly remembering "a poor sailor who does not dream to become a helmsman" or "bad soldier who does not dream of becoming a general."
Our future pastors may not obey by their own desires, because they are elected by the will of God. In the Gospel of John, our Lord's words are transmitted to future pastors of His Church: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and fructify" (John 15:16). These words mean that we should teach seminarians to broadcast the words of Christ, the word of His Church, but not their own. They must proclaim His Gospel, the Gospel of His Church but not their own. They need to learn to accept, rather than engage in speculation; save, but not to introduce changes; defend but not to attack; to protect but not to destroy our tradition, which, according to Vladimir Losskiy, "Tradition is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church."
This means that the seminary should open them spirit, the wisdom of the Church. They must understand that they were elected and ordained to be a part of spiritual space truth carrier, which covers the history of the Church of Christ. They must dwell with the Holy Fathers of the Faith - "the faith once devoted to the saints" (Jude 3), that the Church had a single voice among today's cacophony.
In conclusion, the graduates of seminary should be able to love his people. The New Testament tells us, what is the Christian life: "God - this is love," says St. John. "A new commandment I give unto you - love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another "Christ teaches."Love your enemies" it is probably the biggest test for us, which sounded from the lips of our Lord. Today, the seminarians should be those deeply spiritual fathers of his congregation that Christ wanted to see, and so long ago taught Andrew and Peter, James, and John in the first seminary classroom - a fishing boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
All Orthodox Theological Seminary of Saint Tikhon spiritually and prayerfully joins to the celebration of your landmark event and asks the Lord to edify and bless Your Eminence as the Rector, the administration, the professors an teachers of Sumy Seminary in your righteous work, aimed to spiritual formation and theological education of future priests of Ukrainian Church of XXI century to the glory of our Supreme Shepherd, our Savior Jesus Christ.
With love and deepest respect,
Mikhail,
Archbishop of New York and New Jersey,
Rector of Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Orthodox Church in America
