83rd Annual Commencement & Groundbreaking
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83rd Annual Commencement Exercises Confers 10 Master of Divinity Degrees

South Canaan, 28 May, 2025 - His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, presided over the 83rd Annual Commencement Exercises at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary on Saturday, 24 May, 2025.

The 83rd Annual Commencement and Memorial Day Pilgrimage weekend at St. Tikhon’s Seminary and Monastery began with joy as His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, welcomed the miraculous Hawaiian Iveron Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Mother of God at the monastery archway on the evening of Friday, 23 May. Pilgrims, seminarians, and clergy gathered for the opening molieben before Vespers and Matins in the monastery church.

Following the icon reception, celebrations continued with the ceremonial breaking of ground for the upcoming construction of married student housing units in the empty fields colloquially called the “Cook Property” adjacent to the campus. His Beatitude, along with the Rector - His Eminence, Archbishop Michael - and Board of Trustees Chairman, David Jarrett, processed with the Seminary community to the site of the future housing installations. His Beatitude then blessed the land before all three broke the soil in unison, officially beginning work on this multi-stage project.

Thereafter, Archpriest Constantine Nasr delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2025 in the Archangel Michael Convocation Hall, generously gifting each graduate with his published work, The Resource Book for Orthodox Evangelism.

On Saturday afternoon, our Blessed Hierarchs, faculty, and trustees convened to recognize the graduating cohort. The 2025 valedictorian, Priest Paisios Hamann, delivered a moving exhortation for his classmates to live in ways recognizably holy, even to the point of appearing foolish to the world around them, acknowledged the faithful character of his peers, and extended tearful gratitude for the loving work and support of his beloved wife, Matushka Anna, throughout their seminary years.

Alumni Association President, Archpriest Nikolai Breckenridge, then presented the Alumnus of the Year Award to his predecessor, Archpriest Patrick Burns (Ansonia, CT), following many years of zealous support for St. Tikhon’s Seminary, including a decade-long tenure as President of the St. Tikhon’s Seminary Alumni Association.

The Class of 2025 voted to select Ginger Smith (Dining Services) and Timothy Scheitlin (Housekeeping) as this year’s dual recipients of the Father Alexander Atty Service Award, bestowed annually in recognition of exemplary sacrificial love within the St. Tikhon’s Seminary community.

Finally, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, and His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, conferred ten Master of Divinity degrees to the Class of 2025. Four graduates - Priest Davede Thompson, Thomas Coon, Mathew Varughese, and Ashich Mohan - were recognized with Honors for their theses and senior projects.

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