Three OCA Seminaries Welcome New Seminarians for 2026–2027

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) three seminaries have begun the 2026–2027 academic year, welcoming new students and expanding programs to prepare future clergy and other servants of the Church.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY, welcomed 33 new students on Sept. 7, including 24 entering its Master of Divinity program and seven pursuing a Master of Arts degree. Its incoming class represents eight Eastern and Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions, with 13 students from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and 10 from the OCA. The seminary now has 98 students, alongside eight entering its Doctor of Ministry program.

St. Vladimir’s is expanding housing and pastoral training to meet the needs of its growing community. Construction is underway on three apartments for seminarians and their families, while its Spiritual Formation Program and Clinical Pastoral Education offerings have expanded. The seminary is also renewing the St. Juliana Society to provide fellowship and support for student spouses and other women. New faculty include Archpriest David Alexander in pastoral care and counseling, Bp. Vahan Hovhanessian in biblical studies, and Archpriest Philip LeMasters in Christian ethics.

St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, welcomed 18 new residential seminarians, representing several OCA dioceses as well as the Antiochian Archdiocese and Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America. The institution also launched a new Master of Divinity program in Chicago, which began with 12 seminarians from the OCA Diocese of the Midwest. Together, the two programs bring St. Tikhon’s enrollment to 60 seminarians.

During orientation, students and their families were introduced to the seminary’s revised curriculum. The institution also welcomed Justin Smith as Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology. On Sept. 4, Metr. Tikhon blessed the cassocks of incoming seminarians and encouraged them as they began their preparation for service in the Church.

St. Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak, AK, welcomed new and returning students in August. During orientation, Abp. Alexei of Sitka and Alaska invited Dcn. Andrei Mesak, Pavel Mesenbrink, Vasily Nicholai, and John Amik to discuss their recent travels to Russia and reflect on practices that could strengthen Orthodox life in Alaska, including prayer, preparation for the Holy Mysteries, attentiveness in worship, and the Christian formation of children.

The Alaska seminary also marked the beginning of the academic year with Mesenbrink’s ordination to the subdiaconate. He is expected to travel to Unalaska to learn about the Aleutian Deanery and explore opportunities for summer service among the faithful of the Aleutian Islands. New students include Sarjus Moonin of Nanwalek, Alaska, who hopes to serve his home community, and Andrew Bramlett of Missouri, who is particularly interested in helping form young Orthodox Christians.

St. Herman’s continues to prepare students for ministry within Alaska’s distinctive missionary tradition, shaped by St. Herman, St. Innocent, St. Jacob, and generations of Indigenous Orthodox Christians. Across all three seminaries, the new academic year reflects continuing efforts to prepare clergy and other workers for the Church’s pastoral and missionary needs.

The OCA is also urging its faithful to support theological education financially. A resolution adopted at the 16th All-American Council called on every parish to designate 1% of its annual budget to the three seminaries. The Church has additionally encouraged prayers for vocations and for the students, faculty, staff, and families participating in their work of theological education and formation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry certificate program set a November 1 application deadline.