At the annual Diocesan Assembly of clergy and laity in the Tikhvin Diocese, a solemn graduation ceremony was held at which Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin and Lodeynopolsk presented certificates of graduation from courses of basic elementary theological training for monastics.
In his speech, Vladyka Mstislav emphasized the importance of constant growth in the level of education of monastics, noting that the deepening of knowledge contributes not only to personal spiritual enrichment, but also to the strengthening of monastic life, which is extremely important for the spiritual revival and missionary activity of the diocese.
The presentation of diplomas, which took place in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross at the Tikhvin Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God, was an important event for the Tikhvin Diocese, as it was the first graduation after the diocese received a proposal to hold such courses independently.
The courses, organized by the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Tikhvin Diocese, were held for the residents of the Tikhvin Theotokhdichny Dormition Monastery, the Vvedensky Monastery, the Holy Trinity Alexander Svir Monastery, the Pokrovo-Tervenic Women's Monastery monastery, Vvedeno-Oyatsky nunnery, Antonievo-Dymsky monastery, Holy Trinity Zelenetsky monastery, St. Nicholas Cyprian-Storozhensky skete.
The training program included face-to-face and distance learning sessions, providing participants with comprehensive training in theology in the following areas.
The training program included face-to-face and distance learning classes, providing participants with comprehensive training in theology in the following areas: Holy Scripture of the Old Testament, Holy Scripture of the New Testament, Orthodox doctrine, general church history, history of the Russian Orthodox Church, basics of the liturgical statutes and liturgics, Church Slavonic language, history of monasticism and ascetics, basics of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The program included face-to-face and distance learning, history of monasticism and ascetics, basics of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Tikhvin Diocese, Priest Roman Sokolov, noted that the successful completion of the courses and the high evaluation of the knowledge of graduates by the accreditation commission confirm the high level of teaching and involvement of participants, which was noted during the certification and accreditation of the courses at the exams by representatives of the visiting Interdepartmental Commission from Moscow.
The courses of basic initial theological training were organized in 2021 with the blessing of Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin in pursuance of the decisions of the Bishops' Bishops' Councils. Councils of 2011 and 2013 and the Holy Synod of December 25, 2019. The Tikhvin Diocese received permission to conduct basic training from the Interdepartmental Commission for the Education of Monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church. The training was conducted in a face-to-face format with the use of distance technologies for monasteries of the Tikhvin Diocese. The programs were developed by the Interdepartmental Commission. The head of the courses of basic initial theological training for monastics of the Tikhvin diocese — Archpriest Eugene Goryachev. The teachers of the course — clerics of the Tikhvin diocese with pedagogical experience: Archpriest Eugene Goryachev, Hegumen Adrian (Dementiev), Hegumen Anthony (Gutnik), Archpriest Vitaly Fonkin, Priest Roman Sokolov, Priest Dionisy Yakimenko. They prepared and conducted a weekly course of lectures in a face-to-face format.
Acts.
Teachers of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Archpriest Vladimir Hulap, Priest Konstantin Scherbak, Priest German Kapten, Archpriest Konstantin Kostromin, and A.A. Andreev gave distance lectures on basic initial theological training for monastics
The graduates of the course were those who showed the best results and received recommendations and the blessing of the ruling bishop to study in higher schools. educational institutions. This year they successfully entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and the Russian Christian Humanities Academy named after F.M. Dostoevsky. Certificates of completion of the courses were given to all students (31 people) who successfully passed the certification and are ready to apply the acquired knowledge in their daily monastic life.
The solemn act ended with a general prayer and the blessing of the bishop.
Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism/Patriarchy.ru
