Holy Trinity Seminary Delegation Continues its Pilgrimage to the Holy Sites of Russia

On June 19, 2005, a group of teachers and students of Holy Trinity Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia arrived in Russia. This visit to Russia is being made with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and is one of the practical results of the recent dialog between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad. The Jordanville students received this invitation to visit Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy from Archbishop Evgenii of Verey during his visit to Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in October 2004.

Holy Trinity Seminary and the Moscow Theological Academy are connected through the experience and traditions of the pre-revolutionary Russian theological schools. Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky), First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, blessed the founding of the school in Jordanville. He was also at one time the Director of Moscow Theological Academy. The way of life in the Seminary, its close ties with the monastery and a series of other critical principles of the organization of the central religious school of the diaspora were borrowed from the experience of pre-revolutionary Academy at Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra.

The trip has a very busy itinerary. On the Pentecost, the pilgrims attended Divine Liturgy performed by His Holiness the Patriarch at Holy Trinity Cathedral at the Lavra.

After the visit to St Sergius' monastery, the pilgrims will see the holy sites of Moscow, St Petersburg, the Yaroslav Diocese and will visit Solovki as well.

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