On October 6, 2014, two second year students were tonsured to position of readers in the house church in honor of St. Innocent of Moscow at the Khabarovsk Seminary; they were studying by correspondence in seminary and were members of St. Peter and Paul Orthodox parish in the city of Hong Kong. With the blessing of the Rector of CDU Metropolitan Ignatius of Khabarovsk and Priamursk, the service was conducted by Bishop Ephraim Bikin, vicar of Khabarovsk diocese, first vice-rector of CDU.
For the second year, two students from Hong Kong, one of whom at the baptism named Anatoly (in honor of the Saint Anatoly of Optina's Elders), trained in Khabarovsk Seminary in correspondence sector in the implementation of educational programs for international students.
The program is designed to create all the necessary conditions for practical training in the Russian language and Orthodox culture training for citizens of the countries of East Asia. During their session at the service in the house church seminary one hears prayers in Chinese, and during the Liturgy, they are able to read the Apostle in Chinese. Tonsure to a reader (first degree clergyman) of spiritual university students, is part of the educational process in the seminaries of the Russian Orthodox Church.
-Tonsure of reader - a unique event for our parish, - commented on the news Fr Dionisy Pozdnyaev, rector of St. Peter and Paul parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hong Kong. - For the first time in the history this tonsure is performed on the residents of Hong Kong. Their entry into the clergy - a particularly welcome development for us as it symbolically marks a step forward in the development of the local Orthodox Church. So the new reader Anatoly Kung knows the main language of Hong Kong - Cantonese, we hope that his ministry would be a welcome help for the local congregation, and for all, waiting to hear the word of God in their native language.