By God’s grace, there were 9 ordinations, one elevation, and one tonsure to monastic orders among St Vladimir’s Seminary alumni, faculty, and students during the latter half of 2024. Giving glory to God, we would like to announce the recipients of Holy Orders and elevations among our alumni and students here.
ELEVATIONS
His Eminence Archbishop Elia (Wallgrén) (M.Div. ‘03)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church of Finland
Elevation: Elevated as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Finland (Ecumenical Patriarchate), on December 15, 2024, at Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki.
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Priest John (Masatoshi) Shoji (M.Div. ‘07)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in Japan (Moscow Patriarchate)
Holy Priesthood: Ordained on July 14, 2024, by His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim (Tsujie), Metropolitan of All Japan.
Current Ministry: Rector at Holy Protection of the Mother of God Orthodox Church, Shizuoka, Japan; Rector of the Chapel of the Nativity, Hamamatsu, Japan.
Priest Josef Candelario (M.A. ‘25)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA))
Holy Priesthood: Ordained July 19, 2024, by His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, on behalf of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA) at St Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral, Holy Protection, Santa Rosa, CA.
Current Ministry: Concluding studies at St Vladimir’s Seminary
Priest Mark Sultani (M.Div. ‘23)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA)
Holy Priesthood: Ordained August 18, 2024, by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America, at the Basilica of St Mary, Livonia, MI.
Current Ministry: Assistant Pastor at St George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, Wichita, KS.
Hieromonk Vasily (Vitaly) Permiakov (M.Div. ‘04)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA))
Holy Priesthood: Ordained September 14, 2024, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA) at Three Hierarchs Chapel, Yonkers, NY.
Current Ministry: Ecclesiarch of Three Hierarchs Chapel, St Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY.
*On January 17, 2025, he was tonsured to the small schema at St Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery (South Canaan, PA) with the name Vasily.
Priest Juxhin Shkurti (M.Div. ‘24)
Jurisdiction: Albanian Archdiocese, Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Holy Priesthood: Ordained September 21, 2024, by His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese at Sts Peter and Paul Church, Philadelphia, PA.
Current Ministry: Assigned Priest at St George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral, Boston, MA
Priest Paul Hunchak (M.Div. ‘90)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Holy Priesthood: Ordained October 20, 2024, by His Eminence Archbishop Michael of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey at Our Lady of Kazan Church, Sea Cliff, NY.
Current Ministry: Acting Rector at Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Church, Sea Cliff, NY.
Priest Alexander Nelson (M.Div. ‘25)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Holy Priesthood: Ordained December 25, 2024, by His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey, on behalf of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA), at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection in New York, NY.
Current Ministry: Concluding studies at St Vladimir’s Seminary
HOLY DIACONATE
Deacon Nicholas (Ghassan) Kassab (M.Div. ‘21)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA)
Holy Diaconate: Ordained November 24, 2024, by His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Ottawa, Eastern Canada, and Upstate New York, at St George Church, Montreal.
Current Ministry: Deacon at St George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Montreal, Canada.
Deacon Stéphane Sollogoub (M.Div. ‘07)
Jurisdiction: Metropolis of France, Ecumenical Patriarchate
Holy Diaconate: Ordained December 28, 2024, by His Grace, Metropolitan Demetrios of France, at the Cathedral of Saint-Stéphane, Paris, France.
Current Ministry: Deacon at the Orthodox Church of Saint Basile le Grand et Saint Alexis le Juste, Nantes, France.
MONASTIC ORDERS
Hieromonk Danaks (Dennis) Rhodes (D.Min. ‘77)
Jurisdiction: Albanian Archdiocese, Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Small Schema: Tonsured as a Riasophore Monk on September 20, 2024, by His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese at Sts Peter and Paul Church, Philadelphia, PA.
If an alumnus you know received holy orders or an elevation during the summer/fall of 2024 and is not mentioned here, let us know! Please send the details and a photo to advancement@svots.edu, and we will be happy to update this announcement page.
