On Friday evening, November 8, at the invitation of the rector of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, the choir of Holy Trinity Seminary arrived from Jordanville, NY. The seminarians arrived not long after a wedding in the capital’s cathedral of two young Ukrainians, and were in time to share in the wedding reception. Afterward, the seminarians were settled into the homes of parishioners, where they would be hosted for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, November 9, the seminarians headed out to see the sights in the American capital’s historic district. They were given a tour in the National Gallery of Arts, led by a Russian-speaking guide. After the tour, the seminarians returned to the church for a brief rehearsal before the start of Vigil.

The All-Night Vigil started at 5 o’clock in the evening, sung entirely by the choir, performing under the direction of its talented conductor and seminary professor Deacon Nicholas Kotar. The choir harmoniously sang both ancient and contemporary Russian Orthodox Church melodies in two languages – Church Slavonic and English. It is no coincidence that the choir’s visit happened on the very feast day of Venerable Job of Pochaev – the Heavenly patron of the brethren of Holy Trinity Monastery.

The reader can judge for himself the quality of the choir’s singing on this recording on YouTube.

After Vigil, the parish sisterhood organized a traditional and bountiful American luncheon in honor of the seminary choir’s visit and on the occasion of the upcoming (in two weeks) holiday of Thanksgiving. The menu consisted of juicy turkey meat with all of the traditional Thanksgiving sides. Present at dinner were the parish clergy, the singers of the parish’s two choirs, and a group of young people from Ukraine. They all had the opportunity to get to introduce themselves with the seminarians and speak to them one-on-one.

On Sunday, November 10, the seminary choir gathered at 7:30 AM for the early English Liturgy. Exactly at 8:00, the initial "Blessed is the Kingdom" was pronounced… and the cathedral was filled once more with the marvelous voices of the young mail singers. Archpriest David Pratt celebrated Liturgy, co-served by Priest Alexander Resnikoff, and Deacons Michael Pavuk (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery) and John Dean.

The early Liturgy can be heard here.

After Liturgy, parish rector Archpriest Victor Potapov addressed those who gathered at the early service with a heartfelt appeal to everyone to show generosity and donate to the needs of the seminary, noting that the students traveling from Jordanville are preparing for future service to the Church and, possibly, one of them might one day replace him as rector. Supporting the seminary is supporting the future of our Church Abroad, said Fr. Victor.

During breakfast in the parish hall after the early Liturgy, representatives of the Holy Trinity Seminary administration – Priest Ephraim Willmarth and Fr. Michael Pavuk – spoke for 45 minutes with the English-speaking on the programs and academic work of the seminary, and answered their audience’s many questions. Their presentation would have gone longer, but it was time for the choir to return to the church for the later, Slavonic Liturgy.

At the second Liturgy – celebrated by Fr. Victor Potapov, co-served by Archpriest Michael Popkhadze from Tbilisi, Priest Damian Dantinne, and Protodeacon Leonid Mickle – the choir sang a number of hymns which they had not employed at the earlier service. The church was filled to capacity. Upon completion of the service, Fr. Victor once more appeared to worshippers, asking them to donate to the needs of the seminary.

The later Liturgy can be heard here.

After this Liturgy, everyone gathered in the parish hall for lunch, during which Frs. Ephraim and Michael spoke about the work of the seminary. Fr. Victor spoke to those gathered about how he decided to attend seminary in the 1960s and dedicate his life to serving the Church, and about all that seminary had given him in the process of becoming a clergyman.

During the open discussion, one parishioner proposed offering seminarians an opportunity to spend time in Washington during the summer and other breaks, staying with families of parishioners and taking part in parish life, in order to obtain experience in serving the Church. Her idea was supported by other parishioners.

At 3 o’clock, it was time for the seminarians to be on their way, departing on the seven-hour drive back to Jordanville.

Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Cathedral hope that memories of their visit to Washington, DC will long remain with these young seminarians.

Archpriest Victor Potapov