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St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Welcomes Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

Service of Thanksgiving
on the Occasion of the Visit of
His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I
to St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Saturday, October 25, 1997

[Prayer Service]
When all have assembled and the procession in completed, the intonation is made to begin the service:

Priest: Blessed is our God, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.

Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.


Choir: O Heavenly King / The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth / Who art everywhere and fillest all things / Treasury of blessings / And giver of life / Come and abide in us / And cleanse us from every impurity // And save our souls, O Good One. Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, be deliver us from evil.

Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Reader: Amen.
Deacon: In the 4th Tone:
God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!

O give thanks unto the Lord for His is good; for His mercy endures forever.

Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!
Deacon: All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord have I withstood them.
Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!
Deacon: I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.
Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!
Deacon: The stone which the builders rejected has become the headstone of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.
Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!

O Holy Prince Vladimir, you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith,
you found Christ, the Priceless Pearl.
He appointed you to be another Paul,
washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness.
We celebrate your memory,
asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians of Russia,
and for us, your spiritual children.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

(Tone 8)
As the bountiful harvest of Thy sowing of salvation, the lands of North America offer to Thee, O Lord,
all the saints who have shown in them.
By their prayers keep the Church and our land in abiding peace,
Through the Theotokos, O Most Merciful One.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Victorious leader of triumphant hosts!
We your servants, delivered from evil,
sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos!
As you possess invincible might set us free from every calamity,
so that we may sing: Rejoice! O unwedded Bride! Litany

Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great goodness, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Deacon: Furthermore we pray for His All Holiness, Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW, for His Beatitude, Metropolitan THEODOSIUS, for all the venerable hierarchs here assembled, for priests, deacons, monks and nuns, and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Deacon: We, Thine unprofitable servants, give thanks to Thee with fear and trembling, O Lord, our Savior and Master, for Thou has poured Thy blessings upon us abundantly. We fall down in worship before Thy loving mercy and praise Thee as our God, fervently crying to Thee: Deliver Thy servants from all calamities, and in Thy mercy, grant all our request which are unto salvation, we beg Thee, Lord: hear us and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Deacon: Thou hast mercifully listened to the prayers of Thy servants, O Lord; Thou has shown us Thy tender compassion and love for man. Do not forsake us in the days to come, but fulfill all the good desires of Thy faithful people. Reveal Thy rich mercy to us, disregard our sins, and attain glory for Thy name, we beg Thee, Lord; hear us and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Deacon: May our thanksgiving be as sweet-smelling incense before Thy majesty, most merciful Master. In Thy love for mankind, always send down Thy rich blessings upon Thy servants. Deliver us from the assaults of our visible and invisible enemies; preserve Thy Holy Church; and grant all Thy people health, virtue, and length of days, we beg Thee, most bountiful King; incline Thine ear to our prayer, and speedily show mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Priest: Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are far off upon the sea, and show mercy, show mercy, O Master, upon us sinners. For Thou are a merciful God, and lovest mankind, and unto Thee we ascribe glory; to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray to the lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: O Lord, Jesus Christ our God, the God of all mercies and bounties, whose mercy cannot be measured, and whose love for man is an unfathomable deep; with fear and trembling, we fall down in adoration before Thy majesty, unprofitable servants that we are. We humbly thank Thee for the visit and blessings of His All Holiness, Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW, this day with our father and president, Metropolitan THEODOSIUS, and for all the blessings Thou has given this theological Seminary.

We glorify Thee, we praise Thee, we sing to Thee, our Lord and Master and Defender; we fall down before Thee and beg Thy boundless mercy. As Thou hast graciously received Thy servants' prayers and granted them, so also deliver Thy Church and preserve this theological seminary from every hostile assault. Grant us peace and tranquility, that Thy faithful people may grow in virtue and love for Thee, and may partake of Thy benefits, and so we will always offer thanksgiving to Thee, together with Thine Unoriginate Father, and Thy most holy, and good and life-giving Spirit, God glorified in Three persons, and will joyfully sing to Thee: Glory to Thee, O God our Savior, unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom!
Priest: Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Choir: More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word; true Theotokos, we magnify you.
Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ, our God and our hope, glory to Thee.
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (three times). All Holy Master, bless.
Priest: May Christ our true God, through the prayers of His All Pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles, of the Enlighteners of North America, Herman of Alaska, Innocent, the Enlightener of the Aleuts, Tikhon, the Confessor Patriarch, the holy martyrs, Juvenal, Peter the Aleut, John and Alexander, and the righteous priests, Alexis and Jacob, of the Holy Prince Vladimir, of the martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries, of Constantinople, whom we commemorate today, of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good, and loves mankind.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon and Choir: : Polychronion.