On July 22 in the evening His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia had a look at the Holy Dormition Monastery of Odessa, where he called to the Churches of Holy Dormition and of St Nicholas, and the over-the-gates Church of the Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb.
Then His Holiness made a visit to Odessa Theological Seminary, where he looked over the church-museum dedicated to the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. As his Primatial blessing the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church gifted a beautiful Icon of St John the Theologian to the oldest theological school in the south of Ukraine.
On behalf of the teachers and the students Rector of Odessa seminary archimandrite Seraphim offered His Holiness a picture “Christ in the desert” as a present.
Then at the assembly hall of the seminary His Holiness the Patriarch addressed future pastors with a first hierarch’s word, in which he noted that all of you came to the theological school to the inner call of their hearts, I hope, to deepen Your knowledge of God and get yourselves prepared to the independent ministry to the Church of Christ. At the seminary some or other subjects are taught, aiming to expound God-revealed knowledge of God, world, man and future life. The students need special diligence in their study of theological sciences. One should not solely comprehend the divine truths by mind, but conceive spiritually the knowledge given at the seminary, not just accumulate knowledge for themselves and their outlook.
One should not think that the education ends with getting diplomas. One should study all life long in order to become worthy priests”, patriarch Kirill emphasized. His Holiness the Patriarch was accompanied by Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa and Izmail and Bishop Alexiy of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Vicar of the Diocese of Odessa. 
