On Saturday, May 20, 2006, twenty-six students in four academic programs graduated from St Vladimir's Seminary. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America and president of the seminary, was joined by His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and a member of the seminary's Board of Trustees, in conferring eighteen Master of Divinity degrees, five Master of Arts degrees, and three Master of Theology degrees. The graduates represented many Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches including OCA, Antiochian, Serbian, Russian, Greek both from the USA and Canada, as well as Armenian, Coptic, and Malankara Indian.

The day began with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, with Metropolitan Herman presiding and ordaining Dn Nikolay Miletkov, a member of the class of 2006, to the Holy Priesthood and Matthew Brice Cantrell to the Holy Diaconate. St Vladimir’s Seminary’s Director of Systems and Technology, Dn Kirill Sokolov, was elevated to Protodeacon by His Beatitude.

At 2:30 in the afternoon the community gathered in the Three Hierarchs' Chapel for a thanksgiving prayer service. After years of lectures, late-nights with little sleep, research in the library and writing papers and exams, the graduating students beamed with a sense of satisfaction and gratitude to God. The words of one of the prayers read by His Beatitude resonated with the graduates, “Thou hast mercifully listened to the prayers of Thy servants, O Lord; Thou hast shown us Thy tender compassion and love for man.”

Setting out on the next phase of life the graduates prepare to leave what has become home, but know that God will be with them where ever they go. The prayer continued, “Do not forsake us in the days to come, but fulfill all the good desires of Thy faithful people. Reveal Thy mercy to us, disregard our sins…” It ended with, “and attain glory for Thy name, we beg Thee, Lord; hear us and have mercy.” It is this sentiment that unites all the graduates and current students of St Vladimir’s Seminary - whether they are convert or cradle, men or women, single or married, ordained or lay – it is their desire to serve God and give Him glory.

Students, graduates and faculty left the Chapel in a procession to the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium for the Commencement Exercises. Parents, grandparents, wives and other family members filled the auditorium to capacity awaiting the proud moment when their loved one’s name would be called. Co-valedictorians, Fr Joshua Mosher and Dn Joshua Lollar, both expressed gratitude for what they had experienced during their three years at seminary – for the learning, the teaching, the friendships, the role models and the sacrifices. Dn Hermogen Holste, a second-year student in the MDiv program, who spoke as salutorian, also illuminated the topic of gratitude.

The keynote address was given by Dr Geoffrey Wainwright, Cushman Professor of Christian Theology at the Duke University Divinity School. As a member of the British Methodist Church he inspired graduates to help other Christian confessions to hold firm to the substance of Christianity, which cannot be altered.

The Saint Basil the Great Award given annually to students in the Master of Divinity program who rank the highest in academic achievement was given to Dn Joshua Lollar in the senior class. The first (junior) and second year (middler) students will be awarded at the start of the fall 2006 semester.

Concurrent to the end of the semester, the Board of Trustees held their annual spring meeting. Among other things, the Board announced the formation of a Dean Search Committee to identify possible successors to Fr John Erickson, whose term as Dean ends on June 30, 2007.

A complete listing of degree candidates and their thesis titles is available, together with galleries of photographs from the ordinations and commencement ceremonies.

May God grant the graduates and newly ordained seminarians along with their families many years!