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Press Release
Bishop Nikon presides at Feast of the Cross,
ordination of David Arnold to the Holy Diaconate

St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
575 Scarsdale Road, Crestwood, NY 10707-1677
Contact person: Fr Steven Belonick
tel +1.914.961.8313, ext. 328 / email info@svots.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2003

Bishop Nikon Presides at Feast of the Cross,
Ordination of David Arnold to the Holy Diaconate

Photo galleries:
Vigil for the Exaltation of the Cross
Liturgy with Ordination of David Arnold

The Right Reverend NIKON, Bishop of Baltimore, made his second official visit to St Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, New York, September 13-14, to celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Bishop NIKON serves as auxiliary bishop to His Beatitude, Metropolitan HERMAN, President of the seminary.

 
Bishop NIKON, a St Vladimir's Seminary alumnus, presided at a solemn and beautiful Vigil Saturday evening at Three Hierarchs' Chapel, with the liturgical rite of the exaltation of the cross. In this ancient rite, the cross, adorned with flowers, is slowly lowered and elevated by the bishop as a dramatic sign of its glorification in the Church. The cross used in the seminary chapel for this rite for more than 20 years is a gift by His Beatitude and our former president, Metropolitan THEODOSIUS, who has given many gifts to the Seminary. His Beatitude obtained the Cross during his many travels to holy places in Greece and the Holy Land.

At the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning, His Grace ordained seminarian David Arnold to the diaconate. In his sermon, he spoke of the importance of the participation of every person in the worship of the Church, so that we might all together fulfill our common calling to be "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). Afterwards, amid a large gathering of the seminary community, His Grace addressed the newly-ordained deacon, his wife Catherine, and his four daughters, Rachel, Sarah, Emily, and Anna, with words of warmth and encouragement in their vocation.