ROCOR Establishes New Russian-Language Theological Institute in Europe
The ROCOR Synod will open a theological school in the autumn of 2027, while preparatory courses for laypeople and future clergy will begin this autumn.
The Bishops' Synod of ROCOR has established a new Russian-language theological institute and spiritual seminary in Europe. The new institution will open its doors to students in the autumn of 2027, while preparatory Russian language courses with a theological focus will begin in September 2026. This was reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists in Germany.
The institute will be organized by two European ROCOR dioceses — the German Diocese and the Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe. The new spiritual centre will complement the programme of the traditional English-language Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, located in the United States, and will offer theological programmes for both future clergy and laypeople. The new institution will be dedicated to the memory of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco.
The preparatory language programme will launch in September 2026 in an online format via the Zoom platform. Organisers are inviting students with language proficiency levels A1, A2, and B1 to study the fundamentals of the Russian language with an emphasis on theological terminology.
The German Diocese of ROCOR also recommends that the faithful take note of the Orthodox department at the University of Munich and the Orthodox Theological Distance Learning School, which operates under the blessing of Archbishop Tikhon of Ruza. The hierarchs of the two Russian-language Orthodox dioceses in Germany regularly coordinate their efforts in order to systematically expand opportunities for theological education in the region.
The patron of the institute, Saint John of Shanghai (born Mikhail Maximovich), served as a hierarch in Shanghai, Western Europe, and San Francisco, becoming renowned for his ascetic life, his intercession on behalf of refugees, his care for orphans, and numerous miracles. The Bishops' Synod of ROCOR glorified him as a saint in 1994.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists previously reported, ROCOR has approved rules of conduct for clergy on social media.
