he Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Atty, a distinguished alumnus of the Class of 1979 at St. Vladimir's Seminary, reposed in the Lord early Sunday morning, March 23, 2014. Father Alexander was most recently the Dean and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, which posted a eulogy on its Website remembering him "as a dedicated churchman, a husband, a father, a friend, and a leader."
"Father Alexander was known for his primary concern of meeting the pastoral needs of his seminarians, above all else," noted The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Seminary. "We were honored to have him present at a retreat here on our campus in 2009, during which he focused on priestly and parish ministry, using the theme, 'Good and Faithful Servant.'"
Father Alexander held a B.S. in engineering from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. After earning his M.Div. at St. Vladimir's Seminary, he was ordained a priest on December 9, 1979, at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY, and was elevated to the rank of archpriest in 1988. He served as the rector of St. Michael Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY for several years, under the Self-Ruled Antiochian Christian Archdiocese of North America. He went on to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2008, prior to assuming his role at St. Tikhon's Seminary, where he served from 2010 until his retirement due to health issues in 2013.
LINKS
View the announcement and funeral arrangements on St. Tikhon Seminary's Website
St. Vladimir's Director of Field Education Dr. Al Rossi interviews Fr. Alexander
The Good and Faithful Priest talks by Fr. Alexander
