ST PETERSBURG: February 6, 2017
The Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America to partner with St Petersburg Theological Academy

The Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America feels strongly that active partnership with higher education theological institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church/Moscow Patriarchate is an important aspect of making the continuing reconciliation of the Russian Church a real, living effort that will bear spiritual fruit, and that this is fully within the spirit of the Act of Canonical Communion signed by the ever memorable Patriarch Aleksey II and Metropolitan Laurus on the day of the Ascension 2007.

The Pastoral School is happy to announce the signing of a Partnership Agreement with St. Petersburg Theological Academy on January 21/February 3, 2017. Signing on behalf of the Pastoral School was the Rector, Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America. Signing on behalf of St. Petersburg Theological Academy was the Rector, Archbishop Ambrose of Peterhof. As stated in Article 2 of the agreement, this partnership is designed to benefit both the Pastoral School and St. Petersburg Theological Academy through:

exchange of students;
exchange of teaching and research personnel;
exchange of experience in the area of modern educational technologies;
development and implementation of joint research projects;
organization of joint research symposiums, conferences and seminars;
organization of joint publications, mutual providing of the opportunity for publication in editions published by each of the Parties;
exchange of educational and scientific publications, and also exchange of training, scientific and other materials representing mutual interest.

A link to the coverage of this signing on the St. Petersburg Theological Academy site can be found here:

http://spbda.ru/news/duhovnaya-akademiya-zaklyuchila-dogovor-o-sotrudnichestve-s-pastyrskim-uchilischem-v-ssha/

It is our hope to announce additional Partnership Agreements in the near future.

Very Rev. Fr. Gregory Joyce, D.Min.
Dean