UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA
CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRESS RELEASE

Three Holy Hierarchs –
The Patron Feast Day at St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary!

Three Holy Hierarchs – St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian – Chapel of St. Sophia Seminary was filled with incense and chanting of festal verses as local clergy and faithful joined the faculty and student body of the Seminary to celebrate the Chapel’s Patron Feast Day.

Seminarians, along with their sacred Music instructor Dr. Michael Andrec, led the chanting for the All-Night Vigil on Friday evening February 11, 2011, as Rev. Fr. Ivan Synevskyy, Instructor of Liturgics at the Seminary served at the Holy Altar for the service presided over by Bishop Daniel.

The next day, February 12, 2011 – the feast day of the Three Holy Hierarchs, His Grace Bishop Daniel celebrated Archpastoral Divine Liturgy. Very Rev. Fr. Bazyl Zawierucha, Provost of the Seminary, assisted by over 20 clergy greeted the Bishop at the entrance to the Seminary. Responding, the Bishop greeted the faculty, students, guest clergy and faithful on behalf of the Rector of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary His Beatitude Metropolitan Constantine and His Eminence Archbishop Antony, President of the Consistory.  He expressed his gratitude to Almighty God for the blessings bestowed upon the Seminary, its seminarians and professors, who invest themselves in securing the future of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA in preparing those who will lead parish life as pastors of local parishes.

The joy of the day became was enhanced with the participation of parishioners from Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York City, along with their Pastor, Very Rev. Fr. Todor Mazur. In addition, parishioners from as far as Johnson City, NY and Connecticut traveled to share in prayer on the Feast Day.

In his sermon Bishop Daniel reflected upon the historical meaning of the Feast and presented a brief account of each of the Saint’s lives and their dedicated service and love for the Word of God. The Bishop stressed the importance of academic studies and called upon the students to embrace the love for Sacred Texts and Tradition of the Church in the tradition of the Patron Saints, adhering to our Lord’s Commandment of love. He exhorted the academic body to familiarize themselves and to study the social and moral needs of the faithful in order to provide the adequate pastoral response to the challenges of the 21st century.

At the conclusion of the liturgical services, His Grace presented a Blessed Certificate of appreciation to Protopresbyter Michael and Panimatka Tatiana Zamlachenko, as they marked 65th wedding anniversary. Congratulating Fr. Michael and Panimatka, the Bishop emphasized the importance of the relationship that the seminarians have with the clergy of the Church. For the past several years, the students of St. Sophia Seminary have visited with Fr. Michael and Panimatka Tatiana, assisting and honoring one the oldest living priests of the Church and at the same time absorbing the wisdom he so freely shared with them.

The liturgical celebration concluded with the melodious chanting of “God grant many years…” to the hierarchs of the Church, her clergy and her faithful.

Following the Liturgy, the participants took part in a splendid luncheon, which was prepared by the seminary’s cook, Mrs. Maria Morozovska and the parishioners of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in New York, NY.