Fr Alexander Rentel (M.Div. ‘95) has dedicated much of his adult life to theological education at St Vladimir’s Seminary; as a student, professor, board member, and now, as the Chief Operations Officer (COO). We sat down with him to speak about his history with the seminary, his new role, and his thoughts for the future.
Fr Alexander, could you share your journey with the seminary—from your time as a student to becoming a professor and now the COO?
I knew that I was going to come to St Vladimir’s Seminary when I was a very young man. I knew that I was going to go to seminary, and there was only one place that I was going to go, and that was St Vladimir’s Seminary.
There was always a certitude in my head that I would become a priest, inspired by my father, the Very Rev. Daniel Rentel. When I was a young man, my father would speak in very glowing terms of Fr Alexander Schmemann and Fr John Meyendorff. He was not a graduate of St Vladimir’s Seminary (he graduated from St Tikhon’s Seminary in 1961), but he had a great love for Fr Alexander Schmemann and read and was inspired by him and the various publications that came out of SVS Press. I remember my father being deeply moved by the book, Our Hope, published by SVS Press in 1977. The book was a collection of sermons by Fr Dmitry Dudko, who, unfortunately, is somewhat of a controversial figure within the Russian Orthodox Church. However, his sermons in this book are on point–they spoke about a very real and dynamic faith in the Soviet Union. His words transcended that particular place and time and spoke to people around the Orthodox world.
Three generations of Rentels: Dimitrios, Fr Daniel, and Fr Alexander
My father was formally trained as a historian in Byzantine-Slavic Studies, so of course he also greatly enjoyed reading the works of Fr John Meyendorff, who worked in much of that same field.
So the publications coming out of the seminary were very influential to me as I grew up, but the recordings of liturgical music released by the seminary in the 70’s and 80’s were equally formative.
I remember how excited the OCA Orthodox world was when St Vladimir's Seminary began releasing its choir recordings, especially The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (SVS Male Choir, 1972), Great and Holy Saturday (SVS Male Choir, 1975), Pascha (SVS Male Choir, 1977), and Orthodox Hymns of Christmas (St Vladimir's Liturgical Chorale, 1979). And then when The Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church, (St Vladimir's Liturgical Chorale, 1982) came out, it was on heavy, heavy rotation in my life.
My family loved liturgical music, and we would gather together, like some old-time family huddled around the radio for story time, and we'd listen to the albums. My grandfather, Michael Holovach, a very prominent choir director in the Pittsburgh area, my dad, who loved to sing, and my mother, Elaine Holovach Rentel, who directed choirs forever and a day, they would listen carefully to every track, and analyze each one. For me, when these albums came out, they were like thunderclaps; it was like somebody else hearing the Beatles for the first time.
And so in 1992 when I first came to seminary as a student in the fall, it was something that I had thought about, planned on, set as a star to navigate much of my life by–it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do.
I had a wonderful time and had a great group of classmates. I was accorded any number of great opportunities, to see and be with people and travel. I met my wife, Nancy Homyak Rentel, in the M.Div. program at the seminary, and she and I got married right after we graduated in 1995. I regularly think about the three years that I had at seminary as a wonderful time.
Fr Alexander and Mka Nancy as a young couple on the SVOTS campus
During my time as a student at seminary, I was deeply inspired and informed by the professors: Fr Tom Hopko, Fr Paul Lazor, Fr John Breck, Fr Paul Tarazi, Dr John Boojamra, Fr John Erickson, and Dave Drillock.
These men very much shaped my life and anything successful, anything positive that I've been able to do, I credit to them, and to my own parents. And where I've fallen short, well, I bear the burden for that.
One thing that always stayed with me, that I was especially taught by Fr Tom and Fr Paul, was a love for the liturgical services. Fr Paul taught us formally how to serve, but he also taught us reverence and love for the services, and he demonstrated that by example. His reverence was something that was given over to us. There was always an excitement with Fr Paul, and it was contagious.
Fr Tom taught in a very different way, by doing, by being. It might sound silly, but it was incredible for anybody who saw him do a great censing during Vigil, serve Daily Matins or the Liturgy, or just offer an extemporaneous sermon at the end of services. It was a master class on how to be a priest. I've tried to carry all those things that inspired me during seminary with me for my life as a priest.
During his ordination to the priesthood, July 21, 2001
After my wife and I graduated in May 1995, we got married in September, and I went on and did my doctoral work in Rome, and then I came back to the seminary in 2002. I started out as an assistant to Fr John Erickson, who was named Dean at the time, and I was teaching a few classes. I continued in various ways as a faculty member and had different administrative responsibilities. When Fr John Behr and Fr Chad Hatfield became Dean and Chancellor of the seminary, I began assisting Fr John Behr in the chapel as the seminary ecclesiarch. Then when Fr Chad became the rector, I assisted him until 2019 when I became the Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America.
Now here in 2025, I've returned to the seminary as rector of the seminary chapel; I will be resuming my position as full-time Assistant Professor of Canon Law, and taking on the Chief Operating Officer position.
I can't say enough that the seminary has been at the forefront of my adult life, the adult life that I've shared with my wife and my three children. It's been formative for us. We've gone to services as a family here since 2002; two of our kids have been baptized here. I consider myself a very grateful servant of the seminary.
The Rentel family in Three Hierarchs Chapel: (from left) Dima, Maria, Mka Nancy, Fr Alexander, and Daniel
Could you say a few words about your time as OCA Chancellor, and how that experience will inform your work at the seminary moving forward?
One of the biggest lessons I've learned as chancellor came from traveling through our parishes and around the world. I've seen firsthand the impact that the seminary and SVS Press have had on these communities. Wherever you go, you can always find a graduate of the seminary, which is incredible. But what stood out most to me during my time as chancellor was the immense value of theological education, particularly residential theological education.
In the evening during the Council in Crete, Chania, Crete, 2016
I've been very much impressed by the words of His Eminence Archbishop Michael, Rector and CEO of St Tikhon’s Seminary, who speaks eloquently and beautifully about the importance of residential theological education. He especially points out that residential theological education is formative. Why do I emphasize this? Because the Church today must address the real questions people have, in the present time and place. Theologically trained men and women, especially those who have experienced formal theological education, are uniquely equipped to provide these answers.
Fr Alexander during his time as OCA Chancellor, with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and his son, Daniel at St Tikhon’s Monastery
Now, you can go to a religious department in a university, or a divinity school, for example, and come to many of the same answers. We also have strong programs within the OCA, such as the Diaconal Vocations Program, which trains excellent men who do a very good job. However, what sets residential theological education apart is the opportunity to form men and women, to develop a person’s character. Beyond providing theological knowledge, students living on campus experience spiritual formation through living in community, attending services in chapel, fulfilling community service assignments, and serving others during their CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) programs.
I think especially going to the divine services fulfills something that our blessed former dean, Fr Alexander Schmemann pointed out many, many years ago: the revelation that is offered to us in the divine services is true theology. Liturgical theology is not theology about liturgy. It's not a theology that's derived from liturgy. It's the theological method of encountering the true and real revelation of God accorded to us in the services. A seminary offers a fuller cycle of services that parishes may not be able to provide, including early mornings, evenings, and sometimes late-night services. This is key to spiritual formation in residential theological education.
Censing the congregation during the Paschal Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel
Another vital aspect of seminary life is the fellowship. The friendships formed through that fellowship sustain graduates for the rest of their lives. This is something I’ve witnessed repeatedly in my travels. Theology is not only a discipline that's learned, it's something that is very much worked at. One passage from the Bible that is so powerful to me is when Paul, after his revelation on the road to Damascus, was told by God through Ananias that he must learn how much he would suffer for the sake of the Gospel. And so life at seminary is not necessarily going to be easy. I heard Fr Chad speak about this many times: theological education is something that you suffer. That's not grim, that's part of our evangelical life. You have to shake loose of the old man to put on the new man and bring this gospel to the people, to the nations.
What does your role as Chief Operations Officer entail, and how does it align with the seminary's mission and vision?
The role of Chief Operations Officer is an interesting one. I always say that in all my years at the seminary—whether as a student, professor, seminarian, ecclesiarch, or in any other capacity—I've always enjoyed and taken advantage of the operations side of things, but I’ve never actually been involved in it. So, stepping into the role of COO, and working with Dr Tudorie and Ted Bazil, has been a new experience for me. Ted, a great resource for the seminary, works just next door. I've also had the privilege of working with others in operations, like Raphael, Yuri, and Georgios and Oscar in technology.
The role has given me the opportunity to better understand the seminary’s operations, including the physical plant and campus—everything from the buildings and grounds to the maintenance and upkeep. It's a monumental task, and I’ve been trying to help ensure the good ordering of these areas.
This is an area I’m still learning about, and I approach it with humility, seeking guidance from my colleagues. I’m fortunate to have great teachers in Rafael, Yuri, Ted, Georgios, and Oscar, who have been providing me with a lot of information. It can be overwhelming at times, especially for an academic priest used to working with words and concepts, but I’m trying to do the best I can.
How do you see the seminary evolving operationally in the next 5-10 years, and what initiatives are you most excited about?
Any initiative that happens will need to be done in collaboration with the incoming seminary leadership, as we are in a position of transition. It will also need to be done in close collaboration with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the seminary’s Board of Trustees. I love the physical place—the seminary campus is beautiful. Of course, there will have to be new initiatives, as every physical plant requires regular maintenance and updates. But in terms of priorities, that has to be done collaboratively. My hope and desire would be to really enhance the spaces—not necessarily expand, but improve and create really inviting common areas. These spaces would allow us to bring people into the seminary and show them our life—show them who we are.
If people have questions about us or have read our promotional materials, we want to give them a chance to experience our life firsthand. Let them hear our choir sing, see our students give sermons, and be inspired by the way we live day to day. Chapel spaces, the refectory, and the grounds could always use a bit of sprucing up, but this is the vision I’m excited about.
Fr Alexander churches Luca Margheritino, Three Hierarchs Chapel, June 2014
Can you share a favorite memory or story that reflects the spirit of the seminary?
I don't have any stories, but I will share this. There are many times when I'm in the seminary chapel, which is perhaps one of my favorite places on Earth, and I'm hearing the familiar melodies, the hymns, watching the recurring patterns of the services that I've seen many, many times, and sometimes I let my mind go and think about all of the people who I've been here with, going back to when I was a student or when I first came back as a faculty member. I think not only of the many colleagues that I've been blessed to serve with–deacons, priests, my professors–but also my classmates and the many, the many, students that I've had. And I'm not trying to be overly mystical or strange or anything like that, but sometimes it feels like I can see everybody here at the seminary chapel all together, almost as if there's a flattening of time, and I can see people who were not at the seminary at the same time standing next to each other.
Fr Alexander and Dn Evan Freeman, feast of the Nativity, 2017
I've been very fortunate to be inspired, to be taught, not only by great professors, but also, by seminarians, the great Malankara students we have here, who teach me about life in India as a Christian, or the great Armenian students who come here from St Nersess Seminary. In other words, I've been inspired, encouraged, and formed, not only by the professors who taught me, my colleagues and priests, and other clergy here, but also by generations of students.
Serving in Three Hierarchs Chapel, Theophany 2025
