Interested in the Priesthood?

[Justin Kissel]

Interested in the Priesthood? Why not consider the Holy Trinity Seminary. It's a bit different than the other Orthodox seminaries in America... go ahead and take a look

Justin

[Logos]

Being a priest is an awesome task(in terms of awe and magnificence). Being a priest means being judged at a higher level by God than the layman. It takes a special person to be one, it does not require intelligence or literacy even, but a strong faith and love for God. That is all a priest needs in my opinion.

[Mary Kissel]

A priest needs all that logos, and needs to be ordained by the Bishop(s) as well as go to seminary before they're Ordained

MaryCecilia

[Justin Kissel]

Agreed, all of it.

The priesthood is also not something that should be "desired," in the same way that you might desire a "dream job" or "career". Someone who thinks of it in that way should be lovingly sat down and made to read about the multitudes of saints who fled being ordained (and why they fled), sometimes even mutilating their body so that they wouldn't be ordained. Let anyone who approaches the priesthood approach it with a sober mind, and cast out all the romantic notions they might have before they start on that long and trying road!

[Serge]

AFAIK Holy Trinity Seminary is a Russian-speaking community - classes the last two years or so are ALL in Russian. If you're not fluent when you get there, they'll try to make you fluent fast, or else.

Makes me wonder - are convert clergy and congregations who don't speak Russian (they exist - I once visited an all-convert church) out of the loop as far as inside news and communications go?

Having written that, they've got a nice website and the 'integrism' of the place is admirable.

And I see they had a guest lecturer from St Vladimir's recently.

[Justin Kissel]

Serge

AFAIK Holy Trinity Seminary is a Russian-speaking community - classes the last two years or so are ALL in Russian. If you're not fluent when you get there, they'll try to make you fluent fast, or else.

Yeah, but even during the first three years you have to be able to handle Russian (otherwise you'll miss a lot of information as you're trying to "get the hang" of it). Interestingly, after talking with Fr. George Lardas this weekend, I found out that the seminary isn't the only "route" to the Priesthood in ROCOR.

One option is to express the idea to your spiritual father and bishop that you might be called to the priesthood. If given a blessing, you begin starting to work out whether or not you are called, which of course is typical for those trying to discern a calling. What is not typical, however, is that during this time you are not only trying to discern and "prepare" in a typical way, but are in actuality receiving the training that you will need if you do become ordained. After a number of years of this "training, learning, and experiencing," then, if it is decided that you are to be ordained, then you just get ordained without any formal seminary training, and get assigned as a legit priest.

The second option, which seems to be a future option, is an "English" priestly training course (or class, or whatever). Father said that they hadn't started this yet, but that they were working on it, so that non-Russian-speaking peoples, who didn't speak English, could at least get some formal training before being ordained (other than the training they'd get at the local level).

Makes me wonder - are convert clergy and congregations who don't speak Russian (they exist - I once visited an all-convert church) out of the loop as far as inside news and communications go?

From what I've seen, everything important that ROCOR puts out is put out in English translation as well. Regarding "inside stuff"... well, as we all know, that type of stuff has a way of "getting around" (much like gossip, though of course there is a big difference). I'm sure whatever needs to be known by a Priest will be known by him... or will be told by him if someone "in the know" thinks he had better tell him.

Justin

[Seraphim Reeves]

One thing to keep in mind, is that the seminary system is a late western (post-schism) development. It's been adopted by the Orthodox world (to varying degrees) because it tends to work out well. However, as Justin pointed out (and as the heirarchs of ROCOR have recognized) it's not the only way to go about priestly formation.

One thing that is against the seminary system, is that it's a severe burden to married men with families. In it's origin (in Catholicism), it was intended for men who were never going to be married; in the modified forms it's taken in the Orthodox world, seminaries seem to be geered at men who pretty much knew early on they wanted to be priests; the system would work out best if the man went into the seminary very single, and found a wife towards the end of his studies.

Thus, the question arises, what about the many married men who become priests who only see their calling later on? I think a good number of modern priests, particularly those out of convert backgrounds, fall under that category. It's much like the situation of the early Church.

Given this, I think the flexability is a good thing.

Seraphim