It was at 2:00 p.m. on October 3, 1938—75 years ago today—that Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary formally opened with a Molieben celebrated by His Eminence, Metropolitan Theophilus [Pashkovsky], the school’s first President.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Campus, watercolor by David Lucs, http://www.dlucscollection.com/
Classes began the following day at Christ the Saviour Church in Manhattan, by invitation of Archpriest Vasily Kurdumoff, parish rector. His Grace, Bishop Makary (Ilyinsky) of Brooklyn and former rector of Saint Platon Seminary, Tenafly, NJ, served as the first Dean.
Saint Vladimir’s community is marking the day with a special podcast featuring Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus, on Ancient Faith Radio. Titled “St. Vladimir’s Seminary: A Personal History”, the podcast focuses on the life of the seminary in its early days, before it moved to Yonkers, NY in the early 1960s.
The seminary’s year-long Diamond Jubilee celebration will culminate in a Gala Benefit Banquet at the Glen Island Harbour Club, Glen Island Park, Weyman Avenue, New Rochelle, NY, at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2013. Keynote speakers will be His Grace, Bishop Basil (Essey) of Wichita, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and Archpriest Dr. John McGuckin, Professor at Columbia University. Seats are still available for the banquet and may may be purchased on-line through October 15 athttp://www.svots.edu/gala-benefit-banquet.
May God continue to bless Saint Vladimir’s Seminary as it marks this joyous occasion in its life and ministry!
An excellent, detailed history of Saint Vladimir’s may be accessed athttp://www.svots.edu/about/history
Source: OCA
