Vilnius, October 3, 2023
Photo: orthodoxy.lt
On Sunday, October 1, the grand opening for the Theological Courses of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church was held at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius.
The program is designed to train future clergy, catechists, choir directors and singer, and iconographers, reports the Lithuanian Orthodox Church.
Teachers and students from throughout Lithuania gathered in the monastery’s cathedral church to receive their first instructions and entreat God’s help in studying and serving the Church.
Before the start of the assembly, a moleben was served for the beginning of a good deed by the dean of the monastery, Igumen Antony (Gurinovich).
His Eminence Metropolitan Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania then opened the meeting with a welcoming speech in which he encouraged everyone involved with the courses to make their best effort to do something for Christ and for their fellow man.
“I hope that in difficult times for the Church you will show steadfastness and loyalty to God and our Church,” His Eminence said.
Then the head of the program, His Grace Bishop Ambrose of Trakai, spoke about the courses and introduced the students to their new teachers.
A total of 82 students have enrolled in the courses: 27 in the choir directing department, 22 in the pastoral department, 17 in the iconography department, and 16 in the catechesis department.
The course will last two years with classes on Fridays and Saturdays. Thanks to an agreement with the Polish Orthodox Church, Graduates of the pastoral department can then enroll in the second year of the Warsaw Theological Seminary.
Previously, a full-fledged seminary operated in Vilnius from 1839 to 1944 and 1946 to 1947.
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