With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Trustee Emeritus Mitchell Zunich. Zunich, 93, died on the Feast of Holy Pascha, Sunday, April 19, at his home at St. Mary of the Woods Assisted Living in Avon, OH.

Zunich was born May 10, 1926 in Lorain, OH. He served with the US Army during World War II in the 357th Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division. During his service, he participated in the battles of Rhineland and Central Europe and received the European-African-Middle-Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, a WWII Victory Medal and an Occupation Medal for Germany. His division was awarded the Bronze Star and participated in the liberation of Flossenburg Concentration Camp. Zunich attended the Ohio State University where he earned a bachelor of science in accounting. He founded Mitchell Zunich & Co. Certified Public Accountants, retiring in 2001. He was active in the community, having served as an officer, president, and board member of many organizations including the Lorain Rotary Club, Lorain Salvation Army, Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority, the City Bank Co., Lorain Family YMCA, Clearview School Board, and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. In the 1990s, Mitchell and his wife, Violet, helped establish a scholarship for Serbian Orthodox seminarians at St. Vladimir’s so that no young Serbian Orthodox men would be turned away from becoming priests. Zunich was a member of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Lorain, the Serbian National Federation, the Ohio Society of CPAs, and the AICPA.

"Mitch was honored to be on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees," said fellow St. Vladimir's Trustee Emeritus Brian Gerich. "He served many years as one of the four Serbian trustees along with [Trustee Emeritus] Alex Machaskee, Leon Lysaght, and myself.

"During our 1990’s Capital Campaign, I asked Mitch to join with me in establishing endowments for scholarships for Serbian Orthodox students studying to become priests. He immediately accepted, and he and his beloved wife Violet added to their endowment regularly. Mitch was pleased to know that as students graduated they were debt free as they prepared for a lifetime of serving our Lord."

"I remember Mitch as a quiet, decisive, compassionate gentleman who was a staunch supporter of our Orthodox Christian faith and a great contributor of time, talent, and treasure to St. Vladimir's Seminary," added Alex Machaskee. "He was a founding contributor to Monastery Marcha in Richfield Ohio, a decorated veteran of World War II, and a highly esteemed civic leader."

Mitchell Zunich is survived by his sons, Mitch Zunich of Cleveland and Rob (Eva) Zunich of Avon Lake; grandchildren, Neven, Dane, Rada, and Mila Zunich; and sister, Sophie Tyrin of Chicago. Zunich was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Violet M. Zunich (née Kobac) on Sept 7, 2014; infant son, Nick Zunich, in 1959; parents, Nikola & Stanka Zunich (née Kunic); brothers, Demeter, George, Nick, and Mike Zunich; and sisters, Mildred Stamatis, Dorothy Kovan, Nellie Raynovich, and Mary Zunich.

Due to restrictions on social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, private family funeral services will be held. Hieromonk Nektarije Tesanovic of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church will preside with burial to follow in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain. Memorial contributions may be made to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 3355 Grove Ave, Lorain, OH, 44055 or St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 575 Scarsdale Rd, Yonkers, NY, 10707. Arrangements are under the direction of Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel, 3224 Broadway Ave, Lorain. Online condolences may be made at www.gluvna.net. 

May the memory of Mitchell Zunich be eternal!

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(The photo and some information in this article have been reprinted from The Morning Journal.)

Attend the 2026 Summer Music Institute

We are excited to announce the return of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Summer Music Institute, to be held on campus from June 23–27, 2026, with pre-institute intensive June 22–23.

This year’s Institute will celebrate and explore the planting, cultivation, and flourishing of Orthodox musical traditions in North America, and the musicians who laid the groundwork for the English language liturgical singing of today. Teachers and experts including Alexander Lingas, Vladimir Morosan, Photini Downie Robinson, Juliana Woodill, and Alice Hughes will lead courses of study on vocal technique and choral conducting, as well as advanced seminars on Orthodox music. Come worship, build skills, and enjoy fellowship together!

Registration Information & Schedule Coming Soon.

About the Institute of Sacred Arts

The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness. With a theology that is holistic, and a liturgy that unites multiple artistic disciplines and all the human senses, the Orthodox Christian tradition is ripe for the exploration and celebration of the sacred arts. Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the study of icons, music and liturgy. The ISA serves to extend the seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts by: contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts; engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox artistic tradition; inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts. Learn more at www.instituteofsacredarts.com.

Bishop-Elect Philip (Mugadizi), an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, was ordained Tuesday, November 25, to serve as Bishop of the Orthodox Diocese of Kisumu and Western Kenya.

The ordination took place at the Holy Patriarchal Church of Saint Nicholas in Hamzawi, Cairo, Egypt. The Divine Liturgy and ordination rites were presided over by His Beatitude Theodoros II, the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.

Following the ordination, the Patriarch recalled that the words of our Lord, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” remain alive and relevant, particularly in the missionary land of Western Kenya. His Beatitude called on the new hierarch to become a “laborer of this harvest,” fearless in the face of the difficulties of ministry, with the conviction that Christ will strengthen him, the Holy Spirit will enlighten him, and the Saints will accompany him.

Bishop Philip expressed his deepest gratitude to Patriarch Theodoros II and assured His Beatitude that he would make every effort to prove himself worthy of the trust and great mission entrusted to him.

His Grace Bishop Philip holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership and Management from St. Paul’s University in Kenya, and he graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2003. He currently serves as Deputy Dean and Lecturer at the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III Archbishop of Cyprus in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bishop Philip is described as “a devoted servant of God who has consistently demonstrated humility in his walk of faith, integrity in his leadership, and commitment to teaching the principles of the Orthodox faith. … His journey in education and ministry reveals a rare blend of intellectual excellence and spiritual depth, a proof that true leadership flourishes when knowledge and humility walk hand in hand.”

May God grant His Grace Bishop Philip many years! AXIOS, AXIOS, AXIOS!

Some information for this article was adapted from romfea.gr.

The Very Rev. Michael Nasser joined St. Vladimir’s Seminary in the summer of 2025 to serve as the Seminary’s Spiritual Formation Director. It was a return to the place he began his seminary studies and formation in the early 1990s. Fr. Michael studied at St. Vladimir’s Seminary for two years before completing his M.Div. at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, in Brookline, MA. He also received his Th.M. at Holy Cross following studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Beverly, MA, in the fields of Missions and Youth Ministry. Fr. Michael’s priestly ministry in the Antiochian Archdiocese has spanned more than twenty years, taking him to parishes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Michigan; to Antiochian Village where he served as Camp Director; and to Tijuana, Mexico where he served as a mission priest.

Fr. Michael has been married to Khouria Vicky since 1994, and they are blessed with three wonderful (and now adult) children: Maria, Joshua, and Elena.

Fr. Michael sat down with first-year seminarian Seraphim Hamilton to talk about his experience at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and to offer insights about forming the next generation of priests—as well as how best to go about discerning whether you are being called to ministry in the Church.

Watch the discussion in its entirety, or read an abbreviated transcript below.

Tell us about your history with St. Vladimir’s. How long have you been interacting with this institution?

Well, it began in the dark ages of the early 1990s. The Seminary played an important part of my journey to ministry. It’s actually the place that I was petrified of when I was just starting to think about life in ministry, and in the priesthood in particular. So I had to sort of get over that hurdle of coming here to this place. And once I came to visit, I came during college, I was all in. I was going to quit going to the college I was at and come to the collegiate program here (at the time you could actually finish college here). But no, I held off, and I didn’t actually graduate from here. I did two years here, and then a year at Holy Cross, and I finished up my M.Div. up there. But I loved my years here and great, great experiences.

Any big impressions on shifts between then and now?

It’s a much different place in lots of ways. I’m still finding parts of the campus that didn’t exist when I was here, it was all just forest area that you couldn’t even get to. Much bigger, much more complex. We had some—we would call them—luminaries that were here. My professors were Fr. Hopko, Fr. Meyendorff, Professor Kesich—names that are revered names now, so to not have them here was a little strange. I’ve adjusted now, of course, but so impressed with the faculty we have, so impressed with the leadership of Dr Tudorie and the staff. In many ways, the atmosphere on campus is better. It’s lighter. There’s a bit more joy in the air. So it’s almost the best of what it was, and now it’s even better. So I’m really enjoying my time here so far.

Thank God! Between being a seminarian here and now Spiritual Formation Director, sketch out how you ended up back here.

I’ve had a very varied ministry—parishes, I was a camp director, I was a mission priest in Mexico for three years, all of which I feel so blessed for, all the opportunities that I’ve had. But the opportunity to come back here was really not in my mind in any formal way, although I thought even early on in my ministry, at some point, I would love to share what I was learning along the way with the next generation of leaders in the Church. I hadn’t really thought about how that would work, except maybe in retirement, volunteering. I told the previous dean of the school that someday—having been a parish priest at the time, for about thirty years—I said, I want to come back and teach a class, and the name of the class is “What It’s Really Like to Be a Priest” [laughs]. And we laughed about it at the time. And then there was a change in administration, and when they were looking for a new director of spiritual formation my name came up through some common colleagues that I share with some of the staff here, and they approached me. At first, I just thought it was a joke! I literally laughed at the first phone call. Then that was followed by a lot of intimidation about what it would mean to come back and help to work for the formation of the seminarians and their future ministry. But the more I thought about it, the more excited I got about the possibilities of sharing what God has taught me through the many different ways that I’ve served in many different locations and situations. And now that I’m here, I’m even more convinced that I think this is where God wants us to be. And I’ve just been loving my time talking with the seminarians.

It is a heavy task, to direct spiritual formation of the people who are going to be spiritually forming others. … How do you approach that? What is your vision for what you want to accomplish here?

I look back at my own life and realize how many ways God was forming me through other people. Some of them knew they were doing that and did it intentionally. Some didn’t, but were still very beneficial to me. And just how many situations I was in and, I would say, especially the difficult ones. You know, when you go through a difficult time, the difficulty can be just all you see. Sometimes it just fills your vision. And at the time, it was hard to see those as good experiences. But now looking back, I look back at all my experiences, and especially the really tough ones, and I can recognize how valuable those were in my formation, my development, in my growth, both as just a Christian, as a human being, and as a priest. 

So as I’m meeting with the students right now … we’re just getting to know each other. But one of the things I’m sharing with them is that I want to provide an environment and a relationship where the students can process their time here, and specifically their challenges with trying to find ways to grow from them. You know, life in seminary isn’t easy for married students. They’re uprooting their families. They’re bringing them here. Some have kids … and moves are always difficult for families. This is difficult in the sense that they’re not moving into their own house somewhere. A lot of them have moved out of houses, now they’re living in little apartments, and in all kinds of ways it’s difficult. The life of a seminarian is very full in terms of time commitment. So you know, the seminarians are torn between their schoolwork, their parish assignments, their other responsibilities being a student and in family life. And then you have single students who have their own struggles as they’re going through this phase of life, just a different struggle. But everybody has hard times here. In the past and even in my own experience here, those hard times were just seen by so many of us as things to get through, and at best survive. But as I look back at my life in ministry, so many of those challenging times were the opportunities that I needed to grow. I didn’t want those things to happen at the time. The last thing I wanted is to go through those difficult times. But as I went through them, and then reflected later on them, now I can look back at that as crucial to my growth. So one of things I’m hoping to do is help the students. And I told them, I said, “Come in. Tell me your tale of woe. I will be compassionate.” I’m not going to just tell you, you know, “Suck it up,” because they are difficult [experiences] and we should acknowledge that. At the same time if we just “get through it,” we’re missing big opportunities. So one thing I hope to do is help them process that and realize that God, even in those really difficult times, is using those difficulties to form them in really important ways that they’re going to benefit from later on, when they’re out doing ministry.

Could you speak a little more to the way in which you yourself were spiritually formed at seminary? What specific things kind of cut into you in a way that leaves that cross-shaped mark that we’re looking for?

Well, when I was here there was no spiritual formation program, and as I explained to the students in orientation this year, the whole program here, then and now, is spiritual formation. You know, I’m not in charge of the seminary, even though the seminary’s job is the spiritual formation of the students. I am a part of that, and it’s not the part that relates to the running of the chapel and the liturgical life, as much as I serve there, and that’s a part of what I do here. Father Alexander [Rentel], he’s the Rector of the chapel. That’s really his job in addition to the other things that he does. I don’t do the work of a professor, at least not at this point, and will always, if I teach, it’ll be the minor part of my time here. As I see it, and as I’ve talked with the Dean Dr. Tudorie and others, I really want to work on bringing all the rest of that experience: the community life, the challenges of operating in a tough schedule, the difficulties as students start to encounter real people in their ministry, whether it’s through a parish assignment or through their CPE program. Maybe they’re working in an emergency room, in a big city hospital, or they’re at a nursing home, dealing with real people and then learning how to process that. It’s all those other things that are not really part of any set program that I want to help the students process. And specifically—I love the way you say that, to “find that cross-shaped mark”—those are ways that we are called to serve and live out a crucified Christian life, which is not an option. Christ said, “If you want to follow Me, you deny yourself, you take up your cross.” He didn’t say, “One of the ways to follow.” That [taking up your cross] is the way. And if we’re not learning to do that—and I would say especially in the seminary, if students are coming here and they’re being shown crosses, or there are crosses they come across, and all they want to do is get around them, or just survive them, get through them, get past them—then they’re not going to be formed in those situations, in those encounters with those challenges, with those crosses, and they’ll miss that opportunity. I tell students … “I don’t want to give you bad news, but life isn’t easier once you’re done.” It really isn’t. It’ll be easier in the sense that if you learn how to handle the difficulties and use them for your spiritual growth, or more properly, let God use them. Don’t close Him out of that struggle. Then those things become the ways that we all grow personally. And I think what’s unique to a seminary is we’re not growing just for ourselves. I think we should all be growing as Christians, but the people at the seminary, the students, are here specifically, as they can go out and minister to others who all need to be taught how to encounter the crosses in their life. So how does a priest or somebody serving any function in the Church as a leader of ministry, how do they teach somebody else how to bear their cross and grow spiritually if they themselves haven’t done it? And so that’s what I see is really my job, trying to help everyone process those challenges well and practice the ways that they’re going to have to continue bearing the crosses. Because once we get out of here, there are just different crosses in a life of ministry.

For someone to whom the thought has occurred, “Hey, maybe I should consider becoming a priest,” what is a good sign they should consider that?

It’s such a hard thing, because the call to ministry really is a mystery, no less mysterious than the other sacraments. We look at the Eucharist as a mystery, and we know that we don’t define how bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ. In the same way, with the same respect, I think we should approach the mystery of men being called the priesthood. So it’s not that we don’t say anything, but we have to recognize that this is not something that can be fully explained or understood. It’s just something we know to be true. When I have heard of a young man who has either his own sense of a call or my perception of a potential call, one of the things that I’ve suggested they do is develop a relationship with the altar of their church, which I know sounds like a crazy thing. How do you develop a relationship with what some people consider a piece of furniture? Yeah, that piece of furniture, to some, is the meeting place of heaven and earth. It’s where the gifts are offered from the people through the clergy set up to be offered up to God in the Eucharist. It’s the source of so much of our life in the Church—the sacraments, the liturgical life. And then we ask a, typically, young man to go and stand at that altar. As Bishop John of the Antiochian Archdiocese says so beautifully, a priest stands before God on behalf of the people, and he stands before the people on behalf of God. So when a young man starts to sense that calling, that’s one thing I do is say, come and just be an altar server. See what developments happen, and see what understanding starts to grow because, principally, that’s what a priest does. This is the—you might call it—the paradox of the priesthood. The most central thing the priest does is serving at that altar. That defines him in so many ways … and yet, if we just go by time spent, it’s probably the place he spends the least amount of time. Even priests that serve daily services, the majority of their day is not served at the altar, but it does define everything else they do. So I think that’s one way to help them develop the potential for relationship with that very sacred place. And because it’s a mystery, I think all we can do is just try to remove barriers that can be removed. For me, it was the fear of, if that first domino fell, if I came to the seminary and if I wasn’t blocked through that, then maybe everything else is going to come, and maybe I’m not ready for all that. So walking slowly with somebody who’s trying to discern their call. Being reminded that every step that you’re not going to walk alone. You walk with Christ, you walk with your priest, and others that are going to walk with you. You’re not going to walk this path alone. Another barrier I think we really need to work harder at is, you know, fears of financial instability. There are some people who are called to poverty, especially monastics, and for them poverty is not a barrier. But for a married man, or a man who wants to be married, it’s not wrong to want to financially support your family. And so I think there’s lots that we could do to remove the barriers for—and I think we’ve come a long way—supporting clergy financially. I think we still have work to do, but then I think we have to communicate that. When I talk to young men and I say, you know, “Have you thought about priesthood?” “Well, I would, but I want to take care of my family, and I don’t want to put them through living a life of poverty.” Well, a lot of them don’t know that’s not necessarily the case. So removing those barriers that I think we can, and there are others.

How does a person distinguish if they’re concerned about, “Oh, maybe I’m just being spiritually delusional. How could I be a priest? How could I stand at that altar? I’m just going to put this away, because this is from the devil.” How do you manage all of those thoughts?

Don’t do it yourself. You process it with a father confessor that hopefully you have a good relationship with and that you can dialog with. I tell the students here, your job was to discern as best you can that God intended for you to come and get the experience of being at the seminary, and your job is to decide how much you’re open to. Are you willing to be ordained, first as a deacon and then later as a priest? Other than that I really think that those that our candidates really shouldn’t play much more of a role. Their job is to be available, to be perceptive, to dialogue with a good mentor, like a spiritual father, to take that spiritual father’s advice over their own. They might say, “Well, I could never stand there. And if their father confessor says, “I think you should at least pursue this next step”—if they don’t feel that it’s wrong, that it’s the wrong direction—I don’t think they should let either their pride or their humility stop them. I think, in their humility, they say, “Father thinks I should do this. I’m willing to do it. I take the next step and I present myself to the bishop and let the bishop decide.” … I just think it’s easy to get over involved. And we might say, in a worldly sense, you have every right to. It’s your life. Well, as a clergyman, it’s not! There are traditions where you get a new name. You are told where you’re going to live. You’re not typically asked. And you know, the bishops try to accommodate. They want a good situation for the priest, for his family, but ultimately you are submitting your life to service in the Church, and specifically through the bishop. And so practicing that, practicing that willingness to be obedient and to just present yourself and say, “Here I am, Lord. If it’s Your will, send me.” And let God and the bishop take care of the rest.

Father Michael, is there anything else you really want to communicate to people as they maybe consider coming to seminary or as they are praying for the seminary?

Yeah, we need prayers. This is a tough place to be. Just think about it as sort of a tactical area. You know, if we were in a physical war, the opposing army would try to knock out headquarters and ammo depots and training centers. This is the training center for those that are going to lead the spiritual combat for the Church in the years to come. So to be praying for the seminaries, even financially support the seminaries. … For people that are considering or even just get an inkling of service, learn about it. These days you can go on the website, you can take virtual tours, you can come and visit. We have an open house … or just like I did in my young adult years, come and make an excuse for a visit. I had a friend being ordained across the river, and I came here for a couple nights. And you know, there’s nothing like coming to see what it’s like. I still remember, even how old I am, that for the entire two nights I was here there was never a time I woke up for a second that I didn’t hear typewriters somewhere in the building! You don’t hear that anymore, thankfully, as people just click on their little keyboards. … Be open that maybe God is calling you, and if so, work on your trust that you’ll be okay. Work on your trust in Him, that He’ll get you through. I think for me, that was the big lesson of my journey to coming here as a student, was all these kinds of fears. I mean, it’s so many fears layered on fears, and what I got to by the end of the process was “Okay, it’s okay to be afraid.” But am I really thinking that if God wants me to do this, that He’s not going to provide for me a way through all those things I’m afraid of? And then it was just enough for me to say, “Let me give Him a chance to do that,” and I came. And thank God, I’ve been blessed ever since.

St. Vladimir’s Seminary faculty member Dr. Ana Iltis is being honored with the 2026 Paul Ramsey Award for Excellence in Bioethics. 

The Paul Ramsey Award, named after the distinguished twentieth-century writer on bioethics, honors those who have made an outstanding contribution to the bioethics discussion and are actively engaged in society. Each year, the Center for Bioethics and Culture and the Paul Ramsey Award Committee select the recipient. 

Ana S. Iltis, Ph.D., is St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Professor of Philosophy for the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program as well as the Carlson Professor of University Studies, Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Center for Bioethics, Health, and Society at Wake Forest University. She has been working on both secular and Christian approaches to bioethics throughout her career, and she is an active teacher and scholar with a passion for integrating theory and practice in bioethics. Her scholarly focus is primarily on the ethical conduct of human research, including research involving children and mental health, first-in-human studies, and risk in research decision-making. She has published extensively on ethics and policy issues regarding organ transplantation and emerging biotechnologies as well as the role of religion in bioethics. Dr. Iltis is Founding Co-Editor of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics (Johns Hopkins University Press), Associate Editor of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy (Oxford University Press), Associate Editor of Christian Bioethics (Oxford University Press), and co-editor of the Annals of Bioethics (Routledge) series. She recently edited the Oxford Handbook of Research Ethics. 

Professor Iltis earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy at Rice University, studying under renowned bioethicist and SVS Press author Dr. H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., and completed bioethics training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She is a past president of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities.

Dr. Iltis, husband Steve, and daughter Sophia are members of Holy Cross Orthodox Church (OCA) in Kernersville, North Carolina. She also serves on St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Iltis is set to receive the Paul Ramsey Award in April at the 2026 Paul Ramsey Dinner in East Bay, California.

Christian media outlet theDove featured Priest Peter Runyon in a discussion about the surge of interest in Orthodox Christianity and other topics. Father Peter made an appearance on theDove TV’s Focus Today with host Perry Atkinson earlier this fall.

Watch the full interview below.

Atkinson asked Fr. Peter about the growth at Fr. Peter’s parish, Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church in Ashland, OR.

“[We’re seeing] a lot of young people coming in, middle-aged people,” said Fr. Peter. “It's a pretty broad demographic, but we're seeing probably the largest group are young people coming in. ... Our parish has been growing phenomenally. We're outgrowing our space.”

Fr. Peter also spoke more generally about the significant increase in seekers and catechumens seen in Orthodox parishes nationally and globally, and he also discussed other topics related to the Orthodox faith including liturgy, icons, and confession.

The Rev. Peter Runyon is a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2021. In addition to his ministry as rector of Archangel Gabriel, he is a member of Seminary staff, serving as Systems Engineer. 

St. Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus Archim. Philip Mugadizi has been called to join the ranks of the Holy Episcopate in Africa. 

On October 7, 2025, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, under the presidency of Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, His Holiness Theodore II, elected Archim. Philip to serve as Bishop of the Orthodox Diocese of Kisumu and Western Kenya. Fr. Philip was one of several priests elected to the episcopate for the Patriarchate of Alexandria that day.

The Right Rev. Archimandrite Philip holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership and Management from St. Paul’s University in Kenya, and he graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2003. He currently serves as Deputy Dean and Lecturer at the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III Archbishop of Cyprus in Nairobi, Kenya.

Father Philip is described as “a devoted servant of God who has consistently demonstrated humility in his walk of faith, integrity in his leadership, and commitment to teaching the principles of the Orthodox faith. … His journey in education and ministry reveals a rare blend of intellectual excellence and spiritual depth, a proof that true leadership flourishes when knowledge and humility walk hand in hand.”

May God grant Bishop-Elect Philip many years! 

AXIOS, AXIOS, AXIOS!

Our cup overflowed this weekend with the visit of His Grace Bishop Vasily (Permiakov) and a blessing of new icons for the Seminary chapel gifted in memory of Archpriest Paul Lazor.

Bishop Vasily Returns

Bishop Vasily (M.Div., '04) returned to campus for the first time since his ordination to the episcopate in August. His Grace served as a full-time member of the Seminary’s faculty leading up to his ordination, and now continues as part-time faculty as he oversees the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the West. On Saturday, November 8, Bishop Vasily joined the Seminary community at Three Hierarchs Chapel for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels and the Bodiless Powers of Heaven. The festal celebration was further blessed by the presence of another beloved faculty member and alumnus, Archpriest Kirill Sokolov (M.Div., '07), who flew in from California for the intensive week of the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program. Bishop Vasily then presided over Hierarchical Divine Liturgy the next day on campus.

New Icons in Memory of Archpriest Paul Lazor (+2020)

Following Divine Liturgy on Saturday, Bishop Vasily blessed icons of the Holy Four Evangelists newly adorning the Chapel walls. The four icons are the result of an incredibly generous gift from Matushka Natasha Lazor in memory of her husband, the Very Rev. Paul Lazor (June 28, 1939–May 9, 2020). 

Father Paul was an inspirational spiritual father and teacher for generations of Seminary graduates and clergy. He graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1964, and was married that same year to his beloved Matushka Natasha (Manturoff). After his ordination to the priesthood, by the hands of Archbishop John (Shahovsky) of San Francisco, Fr. Paul went on to serve parishes in Wisconsin and Connecticut. He later returned to the Seminary, where he served for many years as Dean of Students and full-time member of faculty, teaching courses in liturgics and liturgical theology, practical (pastoral) theology, as well as the Russian, Church Slavonic and Greek languages. He also served as priest and rector of the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel. During those years of service at St. Vladimir’s, Matushka Natasha worked on the Seminary staff and then for the special education organization BOCES. Father Paul retired from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in June of 2007.

“Anyone who was a seminarian at St. Vladimir’s when Fr. Paul was Dean of Students will likely remember him in the choir or serving. He was always at services,” remembered Fr. Alexander Rentel, the current rector of Three Hierarchs Chapel. “He loved the services and believed in them, their power to bring us closer to God himself. He loved the services, but he also enjoyed the services. I learned so much from him about the services, organizing them, the underlying method beneath their structure, how to serve, but also just that enjoyment that I mentioned. 

“I will always remember a quote, too, from him, which was really from his mother, whom he quoted frequently: ‘Any gift that comes from goodness has an inexhaustible source.’”

May the memory of Archpriest Paul be eternal!

More about Archpriest Paul Lazor

Fr. Paul’s Life & Ministry in Photos

The St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale sang before a packed audience at Three Hierarchs Chapel and hundreds of online viewers Thursday evening, November 6, in memory of eminent Orthodox Church musician Boris Ledkovsky (1894–1975).

The concert, Fitting and Right, paid tribute to Ledkovsky’s foundational contributions to the repertoire and ethos of Orthodox liturgical music especially in America. One of the founding professors of music at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Ledkovsky joined the Seminary faculty in 1953. His contributions to the school as well as the Church in North America continued until his repose in 1975. The year 2025 marks fifty years since Ledkovsky’s falling asleep.

The Chorale, directed by Seminary Liturgical Music Instructor Zachariah Mandell (M.Div. ’20), performed selections from Vespers, Matins, and Holy Saturday composed and arranged by Ledkovsky, before concluding the evening with a beautiful performance of We Have No Other Help. 

Watch a recording of the concert in its entirety on the Seminary’s YouTube page.
 

View Concert Program

Read More about Boris Ledkovsky

About the St Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale

First established twenty years ago, the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale was reconstituted in 2025 as an auditioned, standing ensemble composed of seminarians, spouses, faculty, and community members. The Chorale is directed by Seminary Liturgical Music Instructor Zachariah Mandell (M.Div. ’20), with assistance and input from Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music The Rev. Dn. Dr. Harrison Basil Russin. The newly reformed Chorale put on its first public performance last May.

If you are interested in hosting the Chorale for a performance or workshops for your parish, please contact Zachariah Mandell at zmandell@svots.edu.

A memorable celebration took place on campus as Theodore (Ted) Bazil was honored for his tremendous contributions to St. Vladimir’s Seminary and the Church. On Thursday, October 30, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon bestowed the Primatial Gramota upon Ted Bazil in recognition of his more than fifty years of faithful service.

His Beatitude led an Akathist of Thanksgiving at Three Hierarchs Chapel before the reception of the Gramota. 

“On these sacred grounds, you offered yourself, not primarily to buildings and facilities, but rather to the human persons who lived, labored and prayed here,” remarked His Beatitude. “Successive generations of these many constituents have come to know Ted, along with your faithful wife, Claudia, as a pillar of St. Vladimir's Seminary and its mission. But beyond these sacred grounds, you have become known to the wider Church—bishops, priests, deacons, and faithful from many parishes and missions—as an advocate for the work of the local Church here in North America.”

Read Primatial Gramota Presentation Remarks

The occasion was further blessed by the presence of His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah), Seminary faculty member and auxiliary bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese; His Grace Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic) of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church; and His Grace Bishop Nikodhim (Preston) of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Other members of the Seminary community, alumni, trustees, the extended Bazil family, and friends also gathered for the beautiful ceremony and reception.

It was a fitting celebration of Ted, whose contributions to the Seminary in particular have been so numerous, impactful, and varied, they can scarcely be summarized in any concise fashion. 

“What sets Ted apart is not just his enormous energy, which anyone who has tried to keep pace with him knows better than I, but it's the way he channels that energy into service,” Trustee Emeritus Pdn. Peter Danilchick said during the reception. “Whatever the issue, whether problem or opportunity, Ted leaps into the breach, not for recognition, not for reward, but simply because the work needs doing.”

Ted Bazil is the most senior member of the management staff at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Originally hailing from Michigan, he began his time at the Seminary as a student in 1969 after graduating from Michigan State University earlier that year (with a B.S. in Urban Planning, minor concentration in Engineering). He received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from St. Vladimir’s in May of 1973 and began his employment with the Seminary the very next month, in June. 

Professor Emeritus Dave Drillock, himself another enormously important figure in the Seminary’s history, recalled how Ted began assisting him in the early days of St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.

“Ted Basil, then a student, would see the light on and come in many nights and help me collating orders, ordering books, looking up publishers of books … I was especially impressed with Ted's humility, and at the same time, he showed a genuine interest in theology, bookstore details, and theological publishing. This is when I really got to know Ted, his natural love for St. Vladimir’s.”

Prof. Drillock went on to recommend to then-Dean Fr. Alexander Schmemann that Ted be hired full time upon graduation. Since then, Ted has been instrumental in the rise of SVS Press and the expansion of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, holding many roles—most of them held simultaneously—including Business Manager, Director of SVS Press, Recording Secretary for the Board of Trustees, Director of Advancement CFRM, Planned Gifts Officer, and acting Chief Operations Officer. He both directed and was the project manager for construction and capital improvements totaling over $20 million, and was the lead person for campus expansion for over fifty years. During his tenure as the Director of SVS Press in its early years in the 1970s through 2013, the Press grew from 2-3 titles to over 500 titles, began generating over a million dollars in annual sales revenue, and established itself as the world’s largest and most active publisher of Orthodox Christian books in the English language. 

• READ MORE: Theodore Bazil on his history with St. Vladimir’s Seminary

 “Over the decades, Ted has diligently and faithfully shared his talents through acts of service, love, and care in various roles in the Seminary administration,” said Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie. “As we have been renewing our commitment to the Crestwood campus, moving into a new era of the Seminary's history, Ted has been a constant source of strength, ideas, resilience, and support for our faculty, staff, and students. 

“I am honored to call Ted a true friend and colleague,” added Dr. Tudorie. “It has been a great joy and pleasure getting to know him through our shared work over the years.

During the reception Thursday, Ted’s eldest son Andrew (Drew) shared more about what makes his father such a faithful and dedicated servant.

“If you know my dad, you know what relationships mean to him. It's one of the most important things that I love about my dad. ... He's just a caring person, and he just keeps in contact with everybody,” Drew Bazil explained. “I mean, sometimes he’ll sit on the couch … and just start going through contacts. ‘Oh, I haven't called this person in a while. Maybe I'll give him a call or her a call and see what's going on.’ He just cares about people, and that's very important.”

Ted’s focus on relationships was evident throughout the celebration, as many friends and colleagues from near and far traveled to St. Vladimir’s Seminary to honor him. Many others who weren’t able to make the trip offered messages of appreciation and congratulations to Ted and his family.

“I have to say that I'm happy,” Ted said to conclude the memorable evening. “I'm happy that [Prof. Drillock and the Seminary] took a chance on hiring me. And finally, I just want to just conclude and say, ‘Where your treasure is there, your heart will be also’ [Mt. 6:21]. This is something that Fr Schmemann always used to quote from Scripture and tell me. And after all these years, I now realize that my treasure is here in this place, in my work, in this chapel, in the Seminary, in this community, my family and my wife, and my faith in Christ. So God bless you all.”

May God grant Theodore Bazil and his family many years! Axios!