Recent St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) graduate Dimitrios Nikiforos is now Hierodeacon Aetios! Hierodeacon Aetios was tonsured and ordained by the hand of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at St. George’s Cathedral, Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday of Orthodoxy weekend.
His All-Holiness tonsured Hierodeacon Aetios into the monastic life at Vespers on March 16, 2019, and ordained him subdeacon at Orthros the following morning. Hierodeacon Aetios was ordained to the holy diaconate by His-All Holiness during Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 17. Seminary Professor and Orthodox Church in America Chancellor Fr. Alexander Rentel flew to Istanbul to attend the tonsuring and ordination.
Trained as an attorney, Hierodeacon Aetios was initially drawn to SVOTS due to its strength in canon law and historical disciplines. He graduated from the Seminary summa cum laude with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2018. He was also selected as the class valedictorian. Hailing from Greece, Hierodeacon called Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY home during his time at St. Vladimir’s.
The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary wishes the newly ordained Hierodeacon Aetios many years!
