With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of the Rev. Protopresbyter Angelo Artemas (M.Div. ‘88), of Woodland Park, NJ. Fr Angelo fell asleep in the Lord on April 20, 2023, after a short but powerful fight with cancer (glioblastoma). Fr Angelo is survived by his loving and dedicated wife Patricia and their adored daughters Katie (New York), Maria (New York), and Eleni and son-in-law Brandon Putre (Denver).

Fr Angelo was born in Great Falls, Montana, on a Sunday morning to Fr John and Presbytera Nikie Artemas. As a son of a priest, he grew up serving the church and learning about the Orthodox faith. In 1985, he met his wife, Patricia Guethlein, after attending two Young Adult League conferences in Detroit and Seattle. They were married in August 1986 in Cincinnati, OH. They went on to grow their family with three beautiful girls - Katie, Maria, and Eleni.

Fr Angelo attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He went on to attend St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York,

where he earned both his Master of Divinity and completed coursework toward his Doctor of Ministry. While he was working toward his doctorate, he became a certified trainer through the National Institute of Youth Ministry in Irvine, California.

On April 12, 1987, Fr Angelo was ordained a deacon at Annunciation Church in Buffalo, NY, and then ordained a priest on August 17, 1988, at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toledo, OH. Both ordinations were celebrated by Bishop Timothy of Detroit. On November 1, 2020, he was elevated to the rank of Protopresbyter by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St John the Theologian in Tenafly, NJ.

Fr Angelo will always be revered for his strong moral ethics and convictions. In every decision he made, he stayed firm in his Orthodox Christian belief to always serve his faith and his family with truth and love. Behind every decision was both a humble and humorous spirit, always being the first to find light and levity during difficult times.

His extensive knowledge of music, movies, sports, and pop culture aided his impactful ministry with the youth and everyone with whom he engaged. Fr Angelo served as the National Youth Director for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA) from October 1991 – July 1997. His involvement spanned groups from St Michael’s Home in Yonkers, NY, the Greek American Motorcycle Association (GAMA) in Chicago, IL, the Character Counts Committee in Glenview, IL, and guest lecturing at multiple universities.

Many also remember Fr Angelo as an author for his column in the GOA’s national newspaper the Orthodox Observer, where he eloquently analyzed various modern-day topics with a spiritual lens. He also compiled and edited the newspaper’s youth supplement.

Fr Angelo was blessed to serve a number of communities. Most recently he was Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St John the Theologian in Tenafly, NJ since January 2019. Fr Angelo had previously served at St George Church in Clifton, NJ (December 2016 – January 2019), Holy Trinity Cathedral in Charlotte, NC (June 2015 – June 2016), Annunciation Church in Milwaukee, WI (June 2012 – June 2015), Saints Peter and Paul Church in Glenview, IL (June 2001- May 2012), St George in Downey, CA (August 1997- June 2001), the Archdiocese Youth Office (September 1991- July 1997), and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toledo, OH (July 1988 – September 1991).

Fr Angelo was predeceased by his mother Presbytera Nikie Artemas, brother Peter and his in-laws Stan and Sophia Guethlein. In addition to his Presbytera Patricia and children, Father leaves behind his siblings Elaine (Chris Tikka), Lucy (Mike Banks), sister-in-law Stephanie McElroy, and his nieces and nephews Nikie and John Tikka, Alexandra Artemas, and Kira and Sophia McElroy.

A viewing will take place from 4-8 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at The Metropolitan Cathedral of St John the Theologian in Tenafly, NJ. The Trisagion Service at 6 p.m. will be presided by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros. A second viewing will be held at 4-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, Glenview, IL. The Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, IL, presided over by Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, or the charity of your choice. Donations may also be made in Fr Angelo’s memory to Distinguished Diocesan Benefactors of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey of the OCA or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

May Father Angelo’s memory be eternal! Christ is Risen!

Article adapted from barrettleberfuneralhome.com.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of longtime friend and supporter of St Vladimir’s Seminary, Joseph Domanick, who fell asleep in the Lord on the morning of April 11, 2023 at the age of 98. Joe was a Three Hierarchs chapel member for many years and was known and loved by many alumni and their families. 

Joe was born on November 8, 1924 in Queens, NY to a family of Carpatho-Russian ancestry.  Growing up, he attended St Nicholas Orthodox Church. He served in the US Navy during WWII as an electrician’s mate where his ship was sent to the South Pacific. After the war, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Siena College and then joined the NYPD. He had a long career, became a sergeant, and served for many years as truancy officer in Harlem and other neighborhoods. 

Joe was a longtime member of the St Vladimir’s Seminary community.  He was friends with the seminary’s founders, and many of the students who would go on to become bishops, priests, deacons, and serve the church in other roles. He sponsored Fr John Meyendorff for American citizenship.  After retiring from the police force, he also worked at the seminary bookstore.

Joe is survived by his loving wife Therese to whom he was married for 36 years. To most of us, Joe was just always there—for every baptism, wedding, ordination, funeral, and social function at the seminary. He was loved by many and will be missed by all who knew him.

The funeral followed the Bright Monday Divine Liturgy on April 17, 2023, in Three Hierarchs Chapel. A detachment of NYPD officers attended and served as pallbearers and honor guards.

May the memory of Joseph Domanick be eternal! Christ is risen!

The Fr Georges Florovsky Library at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is an essential hub for all seminarians. Last semester, the library and the John G. Rangos building received key updates to further enhance student access to research materials and study space. The most impactful addition was a state-of-the-art self-checkout kiosk, where seminarians can use their student ID cards to borrow books at any time of the day or night, whether or not the librarian is on duty. Cameras and key card readers at building entrances ensure the security of the library and the Rangos building while allowing seminarians access around the clock. Much of the funding for the upgrades was generously provided by the Estate of Eva Cadwell.

These updates have streamlined the checkout process for books, giving both the students and Librarian, Matushka Danielle Earl more flexibility and freedom. Matushka Danielle, a Yale Divinity School graduate with extensive experience in academic libraries, has undertaken various large projects during her tenure, including oversight of an inventory project by Backstage Library Works, cataloging and organizing the library’s holdings of rare books and papers, as well as the papers of former St Vladimir’s Seminary deans, Fr Georges Florovsky and Fr Alexander Schmemann. Elaborating on the value of the self-checkout kiosk, Matushka Danielle said, "The kiosk is one more step in actualizing the Florovsky Library's mission of academic excellence in the Orthodox world. It allows for unlimited research and the space to create even more educational programming. The library is constantly evolving in its goals to serve students, scholars, and the Orthodox community worldwide."

Laura Ionescu, a master of arts student specializing in the sacred arts, commented on the ways the new library technology has improved her study routine: “It’s a huge benefit to be able to check out books any time, even when the librarian is not in. If I realize I need a certain book to finish a paper later in the evening or on a weekend, I can always find what I need and check it out right away.”