Sankt Ignatios College

19/06/2026

Congratulations to our students who have successfully completed and defended their Bachelor’s and Master’s theses this year!

Their research reflects the wide range of contemporary theological and educational inquiry taking place within our academic community.

Here are a few summaries of their theses (not all graduates are pictured):

📲 Manuel explored how converts to Orthodox Christianity are shaped by two formative influences at once—parish catechesis and algorithm-driven online media—and the tensions that can arise when these types of formation pull in different directions.

💫 Fr. Markos examined understandings of Eucharistic reception in the Syriac Orthodox Church, highlighting the important role of pastoral teaching and theological formation in helping parishioners connect the Church’s liturgy to their everyday lives.

📚 Yuliia investigated how embodied approaches to Religious Education can foster non-oppressive non-oppressive agency in post-totalitarian contexts marked by normative disruption and social anomie, with a focus on contemporary Ukraine.

We are proud of all our graduates for their dedication, hard work, and contribution to scholarship. We wish them much success in their future academic, professional, and ecclesial endeavors!

18/06/2026

Last week, one of our faculty members Veljko Birać presented his ongoing doctoral research at the Nordic New Testament Conference, held at University of Gothenburg from 12–15 June 2026.

As part of a special PhD session, he presented his doctoral project, “The Son David Sang About: The Psalmistic Background of the Messiah Language of Early Christianity within Ancient Judaism Literary Discourse.”

In addition, on 13 June, he was invited to give a lecture at the Serbian Orthodox parish in Gothenburg, where he spoke on “Letter to Philemon: A Prisoner’s Plea for a Runaway and Its Living Theology.”

We congratulate Veljko on these contributions to both academic scholarship and church life, and we look forward to following the continued development of his research.

11/06/2026

🌟 We are proud of our Student Council President Denys Bakirov who recently presented his paper "Is Constitution Timeworthy?" at the Political Theologies of Constitutions, the Rule of Law, and the Common Good conference at the University of Cambridge!

The conference brought together 55 delegates from 18 countries for two days of conversation on politics, law, theology, and the future of constitutionalism and democracy.

After the conference, Denys and Manuel, another of our students, visited the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) in Cambridge, the Essex Monastery of John the Baptist, and the Dormition Cathedral in London.

Well done, Denys! 👏

09/06/2026

👀Did you miss Cyril Hovorun's talk last week? You can watch it on YouTube!

👉🏻 His talk explored the imbalances between the Ukrainian Orthodox churches and suggested ways to rebalance them.

This meeting continues a series of open discussions and practices w...

08/06/2026

Archbishop Juraj of Mihalovce and Košice Visits Sankt Ignatios College

Sankt Ignatios College was honored to welcome His Eminence Archbishop Juraj of Mihalovce and Košice for an official academic visit to Sweden from June 2nd to 5th, 2026 — a visit rich in liturgical celebration, academic dialogue, and ecumenical encounter.

The visit began with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Sankt Ignatios chapel, celebrated on the feast of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen, followed by a traditional Swedish fika for students, faculty, and the Archbishop. Later that day, Archbishop Juraj and a Sankt Ignatios College delegation were received at the Ecumenical Office of the Church of Sweden in Uppsala, deepening mutual understanding between Christian traditions. The day concluded with a dinner hosted by our Dean Michael Hjalm and Deputy Dean Serafim Smensgård.

On Thursday, His Eminence held an official meeting with the Dean, Deputy Deans, and faculty of the Department of Byzantine Studies, exploring concrete possibilities for cooperation between the Orthodox Diocese of Mihalovce and Košice and Sankt Ignatios College in education and ministry. He also met with our Tewahedo students and seminarians, a meaningful encounter reflecting Sankt Ignatios's vocation as a place of meeting among Eastern Christian traditions.

The day continued with visits to several Orthodox communities in greater Stockholm: the Coptic Orthodox Church in Södertälje, the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles in Hallunda, and the Church of Christ's Transfiguration in Stockholm (the oldest Orthodox parish in Sweden where we were welcomed by the Very Reverend Protopresbyter Angel Velichkov, a dear friend of Sankt Ignatios).

On Friday, June 5th, Archbishop Juraj departed for his Diocese in Košice, Slovakia.
We at Sankt Ignatios College extend our heartfelt gratitude for his visit and carry with us the hope that the seeds of prayer, friendship, and academic cooperation planted during these days will bear lasting fruit. We look forward with joy to welcoming His Eminence once again to Sankt Ignatios College in the not too distant future.

07/06/2026

Allmän kurs Cultural Day
Last week, our students in Allmän kurs had a cultural day, where they celebrated their home cultures through music, food, and laughter. We had a special performance from the Zema students in the Tewahedo tradition, and it were so popular that the students insisted they come back for an encore song! We also had special songs from Syria, Iraq, Serbia and more. Afterwards, we feasted on cuisine from a variety of countries, and it was all delicious.

We are very proud of our students at Allmän kurs. They have worked so hard to improve their Swedish, advance their education, prepare for future careers, and integrate into Swedish society. We celebrate their success!

26/05/2026

🌟 We warmly invite you to be a part of the visit of Archbishop Juraj (George) from the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

➡️ On Wednesday, 3 June, the Feast Day of Saints Constantine and Helen will be celebrated during Divine Liturgy at 8:00. There will be coffee afterward with an opportunity for fellowship and informal conversation with Archbishop Juraj.

➡️ On Thursday, 4 June, His Eminence will give an open lecture at 11:00.

These in-person events are free and open to all - no registration required. We hope to see you there!

25/05/2026

📣 We are very excited to welcome our own Cyril Hovorun to the Ukrainian-Swedish Forum next week!

Professor Dr. Hovorun's talk will focus on the frictions and imbalances between the Orthodox Churches of Ukraine, and he will offer some suggestions on how torebalance their relations.

We invite you to attend the event which will be held online and in person at Sankt Ignatios College:

3 June, 16:00
Nygatan 2, 151 72 Södertälje

Please register your attendance by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/q6PbQDx4kPEnQseB8

See you there! ✨

21/05/2026

Our Deputy-Dean Very Rev. Fr. Serafim Smensgård and Senior Lecturer Rev. Dr. Milutin Janjić represented Sankt Ignatios College in Zagreb, Croatia, on 15–17 May 2026. They participated in the international round table "Respecting the Other as a Brother in Christ," organized by the Institute of Eastern Christian Spirituality at the Greek Catholic Diocese of Križevci.

Fr. Serafim delivered a lecture on inter-Christian dialogue, while Fr. Dr. Milutin presented on ecclesiology and the Eucharistic life of the Church. The program concluded with a visit to the Žumberak retreat center and a warm meeting with Archbishop Mate Uzinić of Rijeka.

Fr. Serafim and Fr. Milutin also introduced Archbishop Uzinić to the academic and research work of Sankt Ignatios College, emphasizing our unique role in Europe as an institution where students study the heritage of Eastern Christianity through four liturgical traditions: Byzantine, Coptic, Tawahedo (Ethiopian-Eritrean), and Syriac. The visit concluded with a shared desire to continue developing future cooperation and mutual initiatives dedicated to dialogue, peacebuilding, and theological education in Europe.

19/05/2026

Today in our faculty research seminar we had the privilege of hearing a presentation by Inna Shvorak, a Ukrainian musicologist, ethnomusicologist, folk singer, and independent researcher based in Sweden. Inna's post-doctoral research has focused on contemporary ritual transformation in wartime Ukraine, including military funerals, commemorative practices, ritual soundscapes, and the role of folk music in conditions of war and militarization. We appreciate Inna's perspectives and expertise in this area!