THE REVEREND RECTOR BLESSED THE BEGINNING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR AT SUMY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

The celebrations dedicated to the new 2017 - 2018 academic year took place at Sumy Theological Seminary on the 1st of September. On the eve (August 31), the evening service, as well as confession and prayers for Holy Communion were held at the seminary church of St. Simeon New Theologian and Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt.

Archimandrite Antony (Bondarenko), Vice - Rector (responsible for teaching and educational work) together with Vice - Rector assistant, priest Vasiliy Pylypiv conducted the Divine Liturgy at the seminary church in the morning on the 1st of September. All the students of the Theological Seminary communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Then the service of blessing of the waters was perfomed and all the students, classrooms and residential accommodation were sprinkled with holy water.

His Eminence Archbishop Sumskiy and Akhtyrskiy Eulogius, Rector of the Theological Seminary headed the service of blessing of new school year. The prayers ended with proclaiming "many years" and sprinkling all the students with holy water.

Then the Rector, Archbishop Sumskiy and Akhtyrskiy Eulogius led the solemn act dedicated to the new 2017 - 2018 academic year. His Eminence read out the congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill.

The secretary of the Pedagogical Council Trohimchuk A.S. summed up the results of the 2017 Entrace Examination Campaign. At the end, the secretary of the Council on behalf of the teachers and students thanked His Eminence for the paternal care of the theological seminary, and for creating all necessary conditions for fruitful work, study and student upbringing. He also emphasized that the assembly hall and classrooms were rebuilt during summer holidays due to His Eminence's donations, so in the blessed Sumy "vineyard" of spiritual education everyone could grow and strengthen in piety and wisdom, comprehending the depth of theological knowledge becoming partakers of living patristic tradition.

Vladiko Rector said his archpastoral word of edification to the teachers and students at the end of the solemn meeting. Then Sumy Archbishop blessed the teachers and the staff of the seminary to work hard and the students to learn well. Newly arrived students were presented with memorable gifts - books.