Wives' Evening Education Lecture

The faithful turned out in large numbers this past weekend to participate in this years Founders Day Celebration. Visiting with us were His Grace Bishop Irenee, Bishop of Quebec City as well as the Chancellor Archimandrite Alexander (Pihach) and Proto-Deacon Nazari Polataiko. Also present was the Dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary Fr. John Behr. Archimandrite Alexander gave a wonderful and moving homily on Fr. Arseny, one of our most beloved founders and all the work God was able to accomplish through his hands in both of our respective communities. During this service we also saw the ordination of Dn. Phillip Halliwell to the Holy Priesthood. After the service was complete there was a presentation of a check from the current president of the Society of Friends of St. Tikhon's, John Paluch, to His Grace Bishop Tikhon and Fr. Alexander Atty to help support the school in all of it's endeavors. Immediately following the service their was a banquet sponsored by Fr. Alexander and Matushka Olga Atty in the St. Tikhon's Gymnasium. At the banquet, The Century Association gave the first of it's many yearly gifts to St. Tikhon's Seminary. The Century Association successfully raised over thirty thousand dollars last fiscal year to help support the Seminary and has done so loyally for decades. A very special thanks to them for all they do to ensure for the long term health and prosperity of our institution. A very special thanks to Katherine Brasowski (Atty) and Alex Atty for setting up for the banquet and taking care of the beautiful fall arrangements. A very special thanks also to Alexis and Veronika Baldwin for the delicious meal and for all of the seminarians who assisted with the serving and clean-up. Thank you to all who attended and helped make this a truly memorable Founders Day Celebration. Photos

Dr. Boosalis began his lecture by defining the word icon. He spoke of the word icon as meaning likeness, representation or in the image of something else. Furthermore, he taught that the icon is given honor or reverence.

Dr. Boosalis also spoke of Jesus being the natural image of God and humanity being an imitation of that image. Like an icon we are created in the image and/or likeness of God, but are not the image of God. Furthermore, he said that we are called to grow in the likeness/image of God.

Dr. Boosalis went on to define and discuss iconoclasm. He defined iconoclasm as the condemning and/or banning of the use of icons. He discussed the banning and destruction of icons that occurred in the 700s and the tension between those who supported the ban, the iconoclasts, and those who did not, the iconodules. In 787AD, the 7th Ecumenical Counsel was called and resolved the issue by clarifying the distinction between worship, which is reserved for God alone, and honor and/or veneration that is given to icons and the saints.

Dr. Boosalis ended his talk by going back to the idea that humans are the living icons of God and that by honoring each other as such, we honor God. It was a very enlightening and enriching lecture.

We thank Dr. Boosalis for his time and the spiritual knowledge that he shared with us.

By Sh. Amanda Thompson, Wife of Dn. Nathan Thompson, Antiochian Archdiocese