Apply to become a seminarian at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary! We are now accepting applications for the following degree programs for Academic Year 2023-2024: Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Arts (M.A.), and Master of Theology (Th.M.). The M.A. program encapsulates four available concentrations: General Theological Studies, Sacred Arts, Theological Scholarship and Orthodox Christian Leadership (a hybrid program for those who desire distance learning and are interested in the intersection of Orthodox theology and leadership).
Prospective students are able to complete the entire application process online, including interviews. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2023.
The degree programs at St Vladimir's Seminary prepare dedicated Orthodox Christians for both ordained and lay ministry and a variety of vocations. The Orthodox Church has a great need not only for priests but academics and teachers, church musicians, missionaries, writers, chaplains, and other ministries. Visit theDegree Programs section of the seminary website to explore the different offerings at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Academic Convocation and Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture 7 p.m. EST
In celebration of the Feast of Three Hierarchs, St Vladimir’s Seminary will celebrate the Divine Liturgy Monday, January 30, at 9 a.m. from Three Hierarch's Chapel, presided by His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest.
On Monday at 7 p.m., in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, St Vladimir’s Seminary will hold an Academic Convocation for all mid-year graduates. Following the convocation, the 40th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture will begin. This year, Dr Hans Boersmawill deliver the presentation entitled: God as Embodied.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
You are invited to attend the Liturgy and the lecture in person or watch live online. We will send you one link to watch both after you register.
Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary has received a grant of $1M from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish a new program to strengthen preaching and homiletics in Orthodox Christian parishes.
This effort to provide ongoing training to established Orthodox parish clergy is being funded through the Compelling Preaching Initiative of Lilly Endowment Inc. St Vladimir’s Seminary received the funding in an invitational round of grants for the initiative, which is designed to help Christian pastors strengthen their abilities to proclaim the gospel in more engaging and effective ways.
This grant will seed the development of training, learning, and peer support for Orthodox preachers and their hearers, make a variety of resources available to preachers nationwide, and will develop programs and resources based on the findings from an earlier Lilly Endowment planning grant, with opportunities for mutual sharing with others working in homiletics, rhetoric, and corresponding fields.
The three objectives for the new preaching program at St Vladimir's Seminary can be summarized as Renew, Research, and Resource. Through continuing education, peer learning, and engagement with local parish communities, we will help renew the preaching ministries of Orthodox clergy; and help good preachers be great preachers. Our research efforts will include surveys and interviews of hearers to better understand what compelling preaching looks like in local parish contexts, and we will also host an interdisciplinary academic conference on preaching in the Orthodox Church. Finally, we will develop a curated online preaching resource to inspire preachers in their ongoing work.
St Vladimir’s Seminary president, The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield expressed gratitude for the grant, saying, “We are confident that this program will be successful and will garner support from a broad cross-section of individuals, judicatories, and parishes during the first five years, and beyond.”
Fr Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St Vladimir’s Seminary, will direct the new program. Fr Sergius takes on this project with enthusiasm, noting, “Being part of this inspiring initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc. is truly an answer to prayer. More than two decades ago I began my doctoral studies with the dream of helping to improve preaching in the Orthodox Church. With this grant, and with our world-class team at St. Vladimir's, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen preaching and build up the Body of Christ."
Sharing in the administration of the program at St Vladimir’s Seminary are Fr Lucas Christensen and Arpi Nakashian. Fr Lucas will serve as the Assistant Director for this program. He is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and is currently working on his Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame.
Arpi Nakashian, the recently appointed Director of Online Education, will assist in developing online tools and programs to support preachers.
“We are excited about the work that these organizations will do to foster and support preaching that better inspires, encourages, and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Their programs will serve a significant number of aspiring and current preachers who are working to reach and engage increasingly diverse audiences both within and beyond congregations.”
The Compelling Preaching Initiative is part of the Endowment’s longstanding interest in supporting projects that help to nurture the religious lives of individuals and families and foster the growth and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States.
ABOUT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate, and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.
Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) faculty members and students participated in the 2023 International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) mega-conference (Jan 12-14) in Volos, Greece, alongside over 400 other lay scholars, clergy, and hierarchs hailing from 45 different countries. “Mission and the Orthodox Church” was the overarching theme of the three-day conference; 350 academic presentations were given on the topic of missions and other important contemporary topics related to the work of the Orthodox Church.
The Metropolis of Demetrias and the Volos Academy for Theological Studies cohosted the conference, bringing together scholars from every corner of the Orthodox Christian global community. IOTA President, Prof. Paul Gavrilyuk gave voice to the mission of IOTA, saying, “IOTA is about the worldwide exchange of knowledge within the context of the Orthodox tradition; it is about tearing down the jurisdictional walls that we erected in our collective imagination in order to encounter each other in the freedom of Christian discipleship; it is about breaking out of the silos of specific academic disciplines in order to reflect on the most difficult questions of today with a view of the transformation of culture by the power of the Gospel; finally, it is a place where all Orthodox Christians and our ecumenical friends can have a taste of ‘conciliarity from below.’”
SVOTS faculty members, many of whom also serve in leadership positions for IOTA administration and committees, as well as two students, gave presentations in their respective areas of research and participated in panel discussions.
SVOTS President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield serves on the Advisory Council of IOTA, and was a panel member for a roundtable discussion on Theological Education in the 21st Century, which centered on the discussion of Christ’s instruction to “make disciples” (Mt 28.19). Fr Chad also spoke regarding the recent efforts and achievements of St Vladimir’s Seminary in a session entitled “Co-laborers.”
Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie serves as co-chair of the group, Romanian Orthodoxy, with the Rev. Dr Radu Bordeianu, and participated as a panelist in a book review session held by the group, on Marco Guglielmi’s The Romanian Orthodox Diaspora in Italy: Eastern Orthodoxy in a Western European Country. He also chaired the group’s session entitled “Romanian Orthodox Perspectives on Mission.” This session featured a presentation by Associate Professor of Patristics, the Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur, on the topic, “Re-Learning Christianity with Fr Nicolae Steinhardt: Insights from The Journal of Joy.”
Dr Peter Bouteneff, Professor of Systematic Theology, was featured in the filming of IOTA Talks, short videos in which Orthodox scholars share their work to engage non-academic audiences in the exploration of theological topics. He was also a panelist in a roundtable discussion for the Science and Orthodoxy around the World (SOW) project on environment and evolution, and presented a paper entitled “Rethinking Ontotheology: Towards a Constructive Dogmatic Theology” at the session moderated by the Dogmatic Theology Group, of which he is co-chair with Rev. Prof. Nikolaos Loudovikos.
Assistant Professor of Canon Law, the Very Rev. Dr Alexander Rentel serves as the Interim Chair for the Canon Law and Pastoral Theology group, and presented his paper, “Words of Primacy in the Canons,” in the group’s session entitled “The Role of Canon Law in the Life and Mission of the Orthodox Church.” He also chaired another session hosted by the group, on the topic “The Challenges of Pastoral Theology in the Contemporary World.”
The Very Rev. Dr Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric, presented as one of three speakers in a session entitled “Academic and Ecclesiastical Freedom: When to Speak the Truth in Love”; Fr Sergius spoke on the topic “An Orthodox Christian Rhetoric of Humility.” He also gave a paper titled "The Liturgical Homily as Sacred Art" at the Orthodox Theological Society in America (OTSA) annual meeting, held on Tuesday, January 10, prior to the beginning of the IOTA conference.
Professor of Philosophy and SVOTS Trustee Dr Ana Iltis presented her research on the topic “Innovation and Translation in the Biomedical Sciences through an Orthodox Lens,” at the Science and Theology Group’s session entitled “Biomedical Issues and Christian Anthropology. She was also featured on IOTA Talks, recording a video entitled “Responding to Suffering by Causing Death: Medical Aid in Dying.”
The Liturgical Studies Group was chaired by Dr Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music at St Vladimir’s Seminary; he moderated the session, “The Liturgy in History”. At the session entitled “Contemporary Themes and Challenges of Liturgical Studies”, he presented the paper “Orthodox Liturgy and Liturgical Music in the Concert Hall”, exploring questions of mission and spiritual formation beyond the boundaries of the institutional church.
Dr Michael Legaspi, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, took part in a panel entitled “The Mission of God and the Mission of Humanity at the Intersection of Scripture”, hosted by the Biblical Studies Group. He presented his findings in a paper entitled “The Exegetical Significance of Mission in the Gospel of Matthew with Reference to the Prophet Jeremiah.”
Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov was also in attendance, and participated in sessions held by the Liturgical Studies Group.
SVOTS students Fr Anthony Gilbert (M.Div.’23) and Fr Alexander Earl (M.Div.’23) each presented their own research during the conference. Fr Anthony presented his paper, “Come and See: Orthodox Mission, Literature, and Metanoia” in a session given by the Orthodoxy and Literature Group, entitled “Orthodox Literature as Mission”. Fr Alexander spoke on “Platonic Relationality and Trinitarian Hypostases in St. Gregory of Nyssa: Revitalizing an Ontology of Communion” during a session entitled “Dogmatic Theology for Today”, held by the Dogmatic Theology Group.
Conference participants came away expressing gratitude for the opportunity to discuss current issues facing the Church from an Orthodox scholarly perspective. Dr Legaspi had the following comments: “The time in Volos was exceedingly valuable. Conferences like this one provide opportunities not only to discuss scholarly topics but also to learn about the many challenges facing our churches around the world. I came away with a much broader perspective on Orthodoxy in our current moment and new inspiration to serve God faithfully in our scholarship.”
Future conferences being planned by IOTA include “The Faith of Nicaea,” in commemoration of the 1700-year anniversary of the first ecumenical council held at Nicaea in AD 325, to be held in 2025, and IOTA’s third mega-conference, projected to take place in the Republic of Georgia, in 2027.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of His Grace Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald), former Bishop of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the West of the Orthodox Church in America.
Stephen Fitzgerald was born on November 14, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan. On December 18 of the same year, he was baptized in the Lutheran Church. He attended St. Olaf College from 1952 to 1954 and graduated from Wayne State University, Detroit, in 1958. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957. He was received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation in September 1960, at the Lackland Air Force Base Chapel by Fr. Peter Zolnerovich. He re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a commissioned officer from 1960 to 1965, and again from 1966 to 1971. In the academic year 1965-1966, he studied at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Bishop Dmitri ordained him to the Holy Diaconate in December 1971 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Washington, D.C., after which he was transferred to Los Angeles in 1972, where he served at the Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral as Deacon, and then Protodeacon, until 1978. Bishop Gregory of Alaska ordained him to the Holy Priesthood in 1978 to continue serving the Cathedral as second priest; and he became the Rector of the Cathedral in December of 1979, maintaining that responsibility until his election as Bishop of San Francisco. The Holy Synod elevated him to the rank of Archpriest in 1982.
On the diocesan level, he was a long-time member of the Diocesan Council, an alternate Diocesan delegate to the Metropolitan Council, and a member of the Diocesan Court of the Diocese of the West. He served as Dean of the Pacific Southwest Deanery from 1981 to 1984, following which he became the Diocesan Chancellor for two years.
After nomination as Bishop of San Francisco at the Extraordinary Diocesan Assembly held in San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral on March 12, 1987, Fr. Stephen was elected Bishop of San Francisco by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America on March 17, 1987. On the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Tikhon at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania, and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite on Lazarus Saturday at Christ the Savior Church in San Francisco by Bishop Job, the Temporary Administrator of the Diocese of the West.
His Grace served as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of the West for nearly two decades from 1987 to 2006. In retirement, Bishop Tikhon lived quietly at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles, where he had resided since his assignment there as a deacon in 1972. While his health permitted, His Grace prayerfully and unassumingly attended the divine services at the cathedral, where he was beloved and esteemed.
May the memory of His Grace Bishop Tikhon be eternal!
Hundreds of thousands made the trip to Washington DC this past Friday, January 20, for the annual March for Life, and 15 students and family members from St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) were among them. As in past years, the pilgrimage was organized by the St Ambrose Society, the seminary's pro-life student interest group, which seeks to raise awareness, educate, and promote action. The Society seeks to do this by hosting seminars and lectures on vital pro-life issues; they also host prayer vigils outside an abortion clinic year-round.
Upon arriving at the March for Life, SVOTS seminarians joined other Orthodox Christians, including hierarchs, clergy, and representatives of the Orthodox Christians for Life (OCLife). During the March, SVOTS students carried the large “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner and sang hymns with students from St Tikhon’s Seminary. There was a sense of prayerful unity amidst the Orthodox contingent.
Dn Joseph Thornburg (M.Div. ‘23), President of the St Ambrose Society, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the March for Life, saying, “It’s an honor to represent Orthodox Christians at this monumental event. I encourage all Orthodox Christians to come to this and other pro-life events and pray for the unborn and mothers in need. We must all come and stand in this culture of death, and bring Christ’s presence into it.”
Recently, the St Ambrose Society organized a presentation by Joan Farha, former SVOTS trustee, about her work at The Treehouse in Wichita, KS.
The Treehouse is a ministry which assists new mothers experiencing an unplanned pregnancy who have chosen to bear and keep their babies. It is the first social service agency sponsored by a local Orthodox community, which for The Treehouse, is St George Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Wichita. Joan has dedicated many years to service at the Treehouse, and spoke on all aspects of the ministry to the St Ambrose Society members.
The shelter provides an impressive array of services, countering the common criticism that pro-life activists protest abortion without offering actionable alternatives. Services The Treehouse offers include parenting, life skills, and financial classes four days a week, baby showers for new moms, a community thrift store, and monetary donations as well as formula, diapers, clothing, and toys.
For those who would seek to emulate the ministry done by The Treehouse, Joan had pointed and pragmatic advice. “If you want to get involved, identify the need in your community. The Treehouse filled a gap that existed in Wichita, we needed a place that provided care for new moms right after birth for the first two years,” she said. In getting the ministry started, it was very important to have the buy-in of the parish community. St George church members see The Treehouse as “their baby”; according to Joan, parishioners feel a sense of ownership and dedication that inspires consistent volunteering and giving, year after year. In terms of administrative organization, Joan emphasized the need to have a fully-fledged team in launching a successful ministry on a scale similar to The Treehouse. “You have to be prepared to recruit people with non-profit experience, people who have fundraising skills, who can run a board of directors, volunteer coordinators, a volunteer base, and a great executive director.”
St Ambrose Society members welcomed the opportunity to learn about practical ways to support mothers in choosing life for their babies, some expressing hopes to visit The Treehouse in the future to learn more about starting and managing a similar ministry.
The Board of Trustees at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) welcomed four new trustees in November 2022: Dr Nick Pandelidis, Fr Mihai Faur, The Right Reverend Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis), and David Solheim. The board ratified the new elections in a virtual session, chaired by SVOTS President, The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield.
The new trustees represent a range of Orthodox jurisdictions and professional backgrounds, adding their experience to the already distinguished group of leaders who guide the work of St Vladimir’s Seminary.
The Right Reverend Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis) is Protosyngellos and Assistant to the Metropolitan at the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He previously served at Antiochian parishes in Oklahoma for fifteen years and holds an M.Div. from St Vladimir's (2004). He is the author of Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life (Ancient Faith, 2022). Fr Jeremy joins the board as a way to help further the work of his alma mater, saying, "My studies at Saint Vladimir's deepened my faith and equipped me for ministry. I am honored to help the seminary continue that mission for future generations."
Fr Mihai Faur is a finance executive at UiPath, a co-founder in start-ups, and priest at Holy Brancoveanu Martyrs Romanian Orthodox Church in Fairfield, CT; he is married and has 4 children. Fr Mihai feels that it will be a "great opportunity to join SVOTS Board of Trustees and a unique chance to help and support the management in different matters, especially in those related to finance. Also, this will allow me to contribute with any help possible for the greater good of the Orthodox Church in general."
Dr Nicholas Pandelidis is returning to serve as a SVOTS Trustee, after previously serving for 15 years (2005-2020). He is a founding member of OSS Health, and a member of St John Chrysostom Orthodox Church and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in York, PA.
David Solheim is a Saint Vladimir's Seminary alumnus (2022), a corporate executive, and he currently serves as chairman of a private foundation. David takes up the responsibility of trustee at St Vladimir’s Seminary with joy, saying, “The time students spend at seminary is crucial in their formation and preparation for service in God's vineyard. I am grateful for the opportunity to help them meet the challenges that lie ahead.”
Chair of the Trusteeship Committee, David Hicks, commented on the election of the new members, extending “a warm welcome to new members of the SVOTS board and heartfelt thanks for agreeing to join the good work of the Seminary at this critical moment in its history.” David emphasized the importance of these new elections: “Our growing Church's demand for priests has never been greater, nor has our faltering culture's need for the voice and wisdom of our Ancient Faith. To meet these pressing needs and challenges, our board has unanimously voted to find a more suitable location and move the Seminary from its limited space and aging campus in Yonkers. As we undertake this journey, your guidance and support will be critical. Please pray for us as we will for you.”
Executive Chair, Dn Michael Hyatt, built on the thoughts expressed by David Hicks, and expressed his gratitude for the service commitment made by the new members, writing, “with the current clergy shortage reaching critical levels and the challenges of an increasingly secular society, the Seminary’s mission is more relevant and urgent than ever. That’s why it’s so important that the SVOTS Board of Trustees is made up of committed leaders eager to share their knowledge, experience, and networks to collectively build up and propel the seminary forward.”
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Archpriest Eugene Tarris, who fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, January 13, 2023 at the age of 88.
Father Eugene was born on July 24, 1934, in Simpson, PA. His grandparents on both sides emigrated from Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Father Eugene was a high school valedictorian, with an interest in science, and a 1956 graduate of Penn State University. After college, he worked in the aerospace industry until entering Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’67). While traveling on a choir trip, he met his future wife, Sonia Katherine Reshetar, whom he married at Saint Vladimir’s on September 5, 1965. He was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Ireney at Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel, Syosset, NY on July 4, 1966.
Father Eugene had a long and fruitful ministry, serving parishes in Dix Hills, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Dallas, TX, Garfield, NJ, Auburn, NY, San Diego, CA, Temecula, CA, and Littleton, CO. He also served as a chaplain for the Marines at Camp Pendleton. Following his retirement, in 2001, he was assigned as an assistant priest at Holy Transfiguration Cathedral (Denver, CO) and awarded the jeweled cross. During these years of service to the Church, Father was also employed as an aerospace engineer, and found time to pursue graduate studies in Biblical languages. His interest in languages is notable, as for years he has been carefully translating the famous Handbook for Church Servers, originally published in 1900 by Sergius Bulgakov. In recent years, Father Eugene was attached to Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN.
Father Eugene and Matushka Sonia had four children: Theodore, Faith, Christopher and Michael. Matushka Sonia reposed in the Lord on June 10, 1994. Fr Eugene reposed on January 13, to be laid to rest with Matushka by the Annunciation Chapel at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Archpriest Sergius S. Kuharsky, who fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at the age of 92. He served Holy Trinity Church in New Britain, CT (1956-1964), Saint Theodosius Cathedral in Cleveland, OH (1964-1976) and Saints Peter & Paul Church in South River, NJ (1976-98).
“Father Serge was a people’s priest, a priest’s priest, a priest of the Most High God,” said His Eminence Michael, Archbishop of New York and New Jersey. “A man of simple elegance and Christian distinction, the consummate husband, a devoted dad and grandfather, a beloved spiritual father and altar brother, a trusted confidant of hierarchs, and a humble servant of the Lord. He was the ultimate preacher of the Word—in homily, in music; in services, in service; in instruction, in confession; in guidance, in love. “It was my honor to bestow upon him the mitre; he never sought or wanted one. He no longer needs it; for he now receives a crown of glory. His wife and family, his spiritual children and his altar brothers, and his bishop will miss his loving smile, his gentle but firm word, his prayerful presence and his awesome example. Our loss is Heaven’s gain.”
Father Serge was born on August 26, 1930 in Central City, PA where his father was pastor of Holy Assumption Church. He grew up in St Clair, PA, singing with his father and five sisters at home and at divine services conducted by the Mitred Archpriest Andrew Kuharsky at Saint Mary’s Church. Father Serge’s love of singing extended to school and community groups. He was a graduate of Columbia College and Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (1953), which was then housed at Union Theological Seminary. His close group of seminary friends called themselves the 8-Balls and included Father Daniel Hubiak, who died in 2021. His influences included Father Georges Florovsky, Father Alexander Schmemann and Archbishop John (Garklavs). After graduation, Father Serge served as choir director at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he met and married Faith Stchur, his wife of nearly 67 years.
He was ordained into the deaconate on February 15, 1956, by Metropolitan Leonty and the priesthood 18 days later by Bishop John.
He then spent eight years as pastor of Holy Trinity in New Britain, CT, where he was instrumental in organizing the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America, serving as its first executive secretary. When he arrived in Connecticut, he remembered visiting the parish as a child and enjoying sweet black cherries from a tree on the parish grounds. He lamented having to cut that very tree down shortly after he took over as rector. While dean of Saint Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland from 1964-76, he served eight years as secretary and two years as president of the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Association of Cleveland and spent four years as the national spiritual advisor of the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs, now FOCA. He also oversaw the Cathedral’s plan to build and run Ridge Manor, a banquet Hall adjacent to the parish cemetery. As at the two parishes before, at Saints Peter & Paul, he guided the church to more consistent use of English, more frequent communion and a transition to the new calendar.
All three parishes Father Serge served celebrated their 100th anniversaries during his lifetime and he and Matushka Faith attended services and festivities to mark the occasions.After his retirement in 1998, he was a popular colleague to priests in multiple Orthodox jurisdictions, serving liturgies around New Jersey as a substitute and sharing his personable style with numerous congregants.
In 1971 he attended the canonization of Saint Herman of Alaska. He also visited the USSR with the FROC in 1977 and again with Bishop Dmitri for the OCA in 1978, went to the Holy Land in 1983 and Jerusalem in 1987 and traveled to Austria, Yugoslavia and Greece in 1984. When Father Hubiak served as OCA Representative to the Moscow Patriarchate, Father Serge attended the 1999 consecration of Saint Catherine’s OCA Representation Church in Moscow. He also led family trips to national parks and beaches on both coasts where he instilled his fearlessness as a swimmer—and confidence fighting rough waves and enduring cold water—into his children, often leaving Faith fearful he was too far from shore. The couple visited several Caribbean Islands, often with the Hubiaks. While growing vegetables in a backyard garden, he fought rabbits and rocks.
He loved to go on long walks, though he sometimes offset them with an Egg McMuffin at the halfway point. He was an avid reader, always intent on learning more about the lives of the Holy Fathers and Saints, increasing his knowledge of the gospel, reviewing classics he read in college and occasionally taking a family suggestion on a work of nonfiction.
He is predeceased by his sisters Xenia Kostun, Catherine Oluich, Lydia Lewis, Vera Kuharsky; brother, Andrew Kuharsky who died as a boy; and a granddaughter Sara, who died of SIDS. He is survived by Matushka Faith; his sister Manya Kuharsky of Conklin, NY; and four children: Andrew Kuharsky (Merry), director of The Greenville Ballet and a CPA in Greenville SC; Gallia Vickery (Bill), a math and dance teacher at The Thacher School in Ojai, CA; Sergei Kuharsky (Celia), a marketing executive and professor from Princeton Junction, NJ; and Paul Kuharsky (Teresa), a sportswriter in Nashville, TN; as well as seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Donations may be made in his 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.
The schedule of services for Father Serge is as follows:
Tuesday, January 10
Saints Peter & Paul Church, South River, NJ
4:00 PM - 7:00PM Viewing
7:00 PM Funeral for a Priest
Wednesday, January 11
Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM
Wednesday afternoon, interment at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA
May God grant many blessed years to the St Vladimir's Seminary alumni and students who were recently ordained! Axios!
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Priest John William Vazquez (M.Div. ‘23) Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained April 2, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Anthony (Michaels), Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest, at St George Orthodox Christian Church, Fishers, IN. Holy Priesthood: Ordained October 23, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Anthony (Michaels), Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest, at St George Orthodox Christian Church, Fishers, IN. Educational and Professional Background: B.A. History, Kent State University.
Priest Alexander Earl (M.Div. ‘23) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained March 25, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Ft Worth at Three Hierarchs Chapel, Yonkers, NY. Holy Priesthood: Ordained November 6, 2022 by by His Eminence, the Most Reverend Alexander, Archbishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese, at Three Hierarchs Chapel, Yonkers, NY. Current Ministry: Serving under the omophorion of Metropolitan Tikhon, in the roster of Stavropegial clergy, attached at Three Hierarchs Chapel, Yonkers, NY. Educational and Professional Background: Served as instructor and director of the Center for Philosophy & Theology at Pacifica Christian High School in Santa Monica, CA, prior to seminary. M.A. Religion, concentration in philosophical theology, Yale Divinity School; B.A. Religious Studies and Philosophy, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL.
Priest Tiberiu Opris (M.A. ‘20; Th.M. ‘21) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, under the omophorion of His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel Holy Diaconate: Ordained November 27, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Andrei, St Thomas Romanian Orthodox Church in St Louis, MO. Holy Priesthood: Ordained December 3, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Andrei, at Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, Chicago, IL. Current Ministry: Parish Priest of St Thomas Romanian Orthodox Church in St Louis, MO. Educational and Professional Background:B.A. in Orthodox Pastoral Theology, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Bucharest, Romania; M.A. in Christian History and Tradition, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Bucharest, Romania; currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies at the Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies within the University of Bucharest.
Priest David Galloway (M.Div. ‘23) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Diocese of the South Holy Diaconate: Ordained April 3, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Ft Worth at St John of the Ladder Orthodox Church, Greenville, SC. Holy Priesthood: Ordained December 18, 2022 by His Grace, Bishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska at St John of the Ladder Orthodox Church, Greenville, SC. Current Ministry:Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, South River, NJ Educational and Professional Background: Undergraduate studies in English Literature and Philosophy, Goldsmiths College, University of London. Worked as an IT Project Manager and Senior Technical Writer prior to seminary.
Presbyter John Capones (M.Div. ‘23) Jurisdiction:Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained November 2, 2022 by Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, NY. Holy Priesthood: Ordained December 25, 2022 by Archbishop Elpidophoros at the St. Nicholas National Shrine at Ground Zero. Current Ministry: Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church of Port Washington, NY. Educational and Professional Background: B.A. Religious Studies from Hellenic College ('17), M.A. Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook University ('19). Former Registrar Director for a large private institution in the Greater New York City Area.
Photo credit: Archon Dimitrios Panagos, GOA.
HOLY DIACONATE
Deacon Immanuel (Amal) Punnoose (M.Div. '19) Jurisdiction: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) Holy Diaconate: Ordained October 29, 2022 by His Grace, Gabriel Mar Gregorios at St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Elmhurst, IL. Current Ministry: Pastoral assistant at St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Elmhurst, IL. Educational and Professional Background: B.S. Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 2016; Masters in Public Health - Epidemiology, University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB), December 2022.
Deacon Phillip Ritchey (M.Div. '20) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained November 5, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Ft Worth at St Symeon Orthodox Church in Birmingham, AL. Current Ministry: Project lead for OCA's Department of Liturgical Music and Translations; attached to St Symeon Orthodox Church in Birmingham, AL. Educational and Professional Background: B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Forensic Scientist in the Drug Chemistry discipline of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
Deacon Joshua Ford (M.Div. ‘11) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained November 13, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Daniel, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest, at St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN. Current Ministry: Attached at St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN. Educational and Professional Background: B.S. Music Merchandising, South Dakota State University, 2003. Currently working for Chromebookparts.com, a supplier of Chromebook laptop parts to schools and resellers throughout North America.
ELEVATIONS & AWARDS
Archimandrite Nikodhim (Preston) (M.Div. ’07) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), The Albanian Archdiocese Elevation: Elevated from hieromonk to the rank of archimandrite on November 13, 2022 by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, at the Regular Fall 2022 Session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America. Holy Priesthood: Ordained in 2010 by Archbishop Nikon (Liolin) of blessed memory at St Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Jamaica Estates, NY. Current Ministry: Administrator of the Albanian Archdiocese and rector of the St Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Jamaica Estates, NY.
Archimandrite Seraphim (Johns) (M.Div. ’09) Jurisdiction: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver Elevation: Elevated from hieromonk to the rank of archimandrite on November 19, 2022 by His Grace Bishop Constantine of Sassima, on behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, at Holy Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Price, UT Holy Priesthood: Ordained May 17, 2015 by His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Pocatello, ID Current Ministry: Parish Priest of Holy Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Price, UT.
Dr Albert Rossi, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at St Vladimir’s Seminary Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Award: St Innocent Medal (Silver Class), presented by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon on November 13, 2022, at the 10th Anniversary celebration honoring the election of Metropolitan Tikhon as the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
