The worship service marking the beginning of the 162nd academic year of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2000 at 4:00 p.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, St. Louis. This opening service is normally held on the Seminary's campus, but will take place at Holy Cross this year in order to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Seminary's move from Perry County, Mo. to St. Louis. The public is invited and encouraged to join the Seminary community in worship on Sept. 3. Holy Cross Lutheran Church is located at 2650 Miami Street in St. Louis, two blocks west of Concordia Publishing House.

"Concordia Seminary shares a rich history with Holy Cross Lutheran Church," commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "The 1850-1926 Concordia Seminary campus included adjacent facilities with Holy Cross, and Holy Cross maintains the only remaining Seminary building from the 1850-1926 campus. During those years, Rev. C.F.W. Walther was the head pastor of four Lutheran congregations in St. Louis, including Holy Cross. He taught at Concordia Seminary until his death in 1887 and was also the first president of Concordia Seminary. The first classes taught at Concordia Seminary after it moved to St. Louis in 1850 were taught by Rev. Walther in the Holy Cross parsonage. The location of this opening service provides an opportunity for Concordia Seminary and Holy Cross to give thanks for the blessings God has provided through the years."

In 1926, Concordia Seminary moved from the campus adjacent to Holy Cross to its current campus site in Clayton, Mo. Special celebrations are being planned for the summer of 2001 in order to mark the 75th anniversary of the Seminary's current campus. The anniversary of the campus dedication day will be commemorated on Wednesday, June 13, 2001, and a special celebration in conjunction with the 2001 Convention of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod will take place on Sunday, July 15, 2001.

For more information, contact Communications Department, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105; 314-505-7374; communications@csl.edu.