On the Sunday of Orthodoxy St. Vladimir’s Seminary welcomed to campus Archpriest John Parker, dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary and alumnus of St. Vladimir’s (Th.M. 2004, D.Min. 2018). Father John presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the homily for the first Sunday of Great Lent.
Following Divine Liturgy, the Seminary community made procession around Three Hierarchs Chapel and read from the Synodikon of Orthodoxy.
View of photo gallery of the celebration below (photos by Seminarian Andrew Prather).
The Song of Tears, a new book from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press, features Olivier Clément's essay on repentance based on the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.
This book includes a translation of the Great Canon, making The Song of Tears a perfect companion during Great Lent or for reflections on repentance throughout the year.
"A remarkable interpretation of the Bible unfolds throughout the Great Canon....” writes Clément, who reminds readers the Great Fast was originally a preparation for Christian initiation during the Paschal night. “Each day…the bishop would give a biblical catechesis in which the literal and spiritual meaning fitted each other, and in which the entire Bible was interpreted as being the encounter of the two Adams, as one vast parable of the Prodigal Son. These efforts to understand were inseparable from a committed asceticism—as they still should be—for one must approach Scripture with an intelligence that is purified, heart and mind united...."
The Song of Tears may be purchased online, at SVSPress.com, or by calling 1-800-204-BOOK (2665).
Oliver Clément (November 17, 1921–January 15, 2009) was an Orthodox writer and theologian, who served on the faculty of St. Sergius Institute in Paris, France. He is also the author of SVS Press’s Three Prayersand Conversations with Patriarch Bartholomew I.
For this year’s Feast of the Annunciation, the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed by the visit of The Right Reverend Andrei, Auxiliary Bishop of the Romanian Episcopate (Orthodox Church in America).
His Grace presided over services on the eve of the Feast and for the Feast itself. During the Vesperal Divine Liturgy on March 25, Bishop Andrei ordained second-year seminarian Blake (Silouan) Cohen to the holy diaconate and seminary professor Dr. Vitaly Permiakov to the rank of subdeacon.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Mitred Archpriest Basil Summer, who fell asleep in the Lord the morning of March 26, 2021, at the age of 95. Father Basil served as Director of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards (FOS) for the Orthodox Church in America (now Stewards of the OCA) from 1990-94 following his ministry as rector of St. Mark Church in Bethesda, Maryland from 1972 to 1989. He also possessed a deep and beautiful connection with St. Vladimir’s Seminary, enrolling at St. Vladimir’s in 1966 as a Lutheran and receiving chrismation in 1971 by the hand of Fr. John Meyendorff at the seminary chapel.
Born William Summer on January 28, 1926 in Waynesboro, PA to a devout Lutheran family, he was baptized in the Lutheran Church as an infant. After serving in the US Navy at the end of World War II, William attended Muhlenberg College, where he excelled in track and obtained a bachelor’s degree in history in 1949. He then enrolled at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, receiving a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1952. After graduation, he embarked upon nearly two decades of ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church, which took him to parishes in several states. While serving a parish in Charleston, South Carolina, Fr. William (as he was then known) attended the Lutheran Federation Assembly in Helsinki, Finland. It was there that he discovered the Orthodox Cathedral located near the Lutheran Cathedral. Enthused by his first encounter with the Orthodox Church, he decided to continue exploring the Orthodoxy through the Greek Orthodox Church in Charleston. He continued to be inspired by the Orthodox faith and deepened his knowledge.
A particularly memorable incident that Fr. Basil recounted with some emotion in recent years occurred when he was a Lutheran pastor in Charleston that also spurred a major step on his road to Orthodoxy. One Sunday, he welcomed an African-American family to services at the church. The parish council vehemently rebuked Fr. William for his action and unanimously opposed such integration in the congregation. Father William promptly resigned as pastor. He then requested a leave of absence from his bishop in order to enroll at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York in 1966, where he was greatly inspired by the teaching of the faculty, especially Frs. John Meyendorff and Alexander Schmemann. In 1968, he was assigned to pastor a Lutheran parish in Bay Shore, NY, but continued to strengthen his connections to and knowledge of the Orthodox Church. Having become convinced that Orthodoxy was the true Church of Christ, William Summer was chrismated by Fr. John Meyendorff at St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chapel on October 17, 1971. He was given the name Basil at chrismation. On February 19, 1972, Basil Summer was ordained to the diaconate at the seminary chapel by Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Washington, DC. His ordination to the priesthood followed on June 18, 1972 by Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) at Christ the Savior Church in Paramus, NJ. On September 3, 1972, Fr. Basil was assigned as Rector of St. Mark Church in Bethesda, MD, a newly established all English language parish just outside of Washington, DC. Under Fr. Basil’s leadership, the parish grew quickly and acquired land with a church building which was dedicated in 1977 and consecrated in 1982. A dynamic speaker and inspiring preacher, Fr. Basil was also a father confessor to many. Several young men from the parish were moved to enroll in seminary and be ordained to the priesthood. Two other parishes—St. Catherine’s in Hagerstown, MD and Saint Mathew’s in Columbia, MD—were established under Fr. Basil’s leadership as offshoots from the Bethesda parish.
At the end of 1989, Father Basil left the parish in Bethesda, as he was called to serve the Orthodox Church in America as Director of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards (FOS). He moved to New York and assumed his new position at the OCA Chancery effective January 1, 1990. His work entailed much travel to visit parishes throughout the United States to preach and conduct retreats, and to instill among the faithful a consciousness of the larger Church outside their own congregations and the stewardship necessary to sustain the work of the departments of the OCA funded through donations to FOS. Father Basil undertook his labors energetically and his own enthusiasm radiated to the faithful, making his efforts successful. After nearly five years of intense labors as FOS Director, Fr. Basil retired. He continued to live near the OCA Chancery and would regularly serve at St. Sergius Chapel there. He was often called upon to substitute for clergy in various parishes and was also invited to churches to serve and preach. He continued to maintain contact with his spiritual children and many friends throughout the country.
Father Basil was a larger-than-life personality not easily forgotten. He loved to socialize and had a keen sense of humor and a distinctive laugh. He made those around him comfortable and a certain charm drew people to him. Among his hobbies and interests were music, reading, bike riding (he would regularly ride several miles until slowed by age and illness just a few years ago), travel, oil painting, theatre, golf, and movies. No matter what he did or where or with whom he spoke, his life was always centered on Christ and His Church. Through his outsized demeanor, he led people to Christ and earned the love and respect of many.
For his labors, Fr. Basil was granted numerous honors and awards, the latest being the mitre that was bestowed upon him by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon in 2018. Just hours before his repose, on the great feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, Fr. Basil was blessed with the opportunity to receive the Holy Eucharist brought to his bed in a hospice facility by Metropolitan Tikhon.
The schedule of services for Fr. Basil’s funeral are as follows:
Monday, March 29 Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 369 Green Avenue, East Meadow, NY
4pm: Arrival of the Body, Panikhida, and Visitation
6:30pm: Office of the Burial for a Priest
Tuesday, March 30 Transportation of the body to St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA for interment
Please note that due to COVID restrictions, only invited clergy may serve at the services. For all of these services, clergy and faithful should also be sure to maintain all safety protocols and precautionary measures.
Other than serving clergy and singers, all in attendance must wear a mask. Additionally, due to social distancing requirements, please register to attend the services here.
The alumni of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) recently elected four of their fellow alumni to SVOTS’ Alumni Association Board: Fr. Basil Zebrun (’83), Fr. Photius Avant (’11), Mariam (Ceena) Varghese (‘09, ’10), and Richard Ajalat (’13).
“On behalf of the Alumni Association and the Seminary, we congratulate the newly elected board members and ask God to grant them many years!” said Archpriest David Barr (SVOTS class of ’83), the president of the Alumni Association. “We sincerely appreciate their willingness to serve and represent their fellow alumni in the life and mission of the Seminary.”
Seminary President, Archpriest Chad Hatfield congratulates the new members of the alumni board and expresses his eagerness to work together in service to our graduates and in finding new ways to better serve alumni.
Nominations for Alumni Board members were submitted to the Nominating Committee between January 25 and February 15, 2021. Once the list of nominees was vetted and a list of candidates approved, alumni cast votes electronically between March 3 and March 7, 2021, as the SVOTS’ Alumni Association Board sought to fill four seats on the board.
The Board elections continue a busy and eventful period for the Alumni Association. On February 5, the Seminary’s Board of Trustees approved updated Association Bylaws. And in October of 2020, the Seminary held an online alumni gathering and launched the Alumni Portal to give SVOTS graduates access to resources, news, events, and an alumni directory.
About the Newly-Elected Alumni Association Board Members
Father Basil Zebrun is an archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America who has served the Church in multiple capacities since graduating from SVOTS in 1983. Father Basil began his priestly ministry at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church in Hartshorne, OK and is currently priest of St. Barbara Orthodox Church in Ft. Worth, TX, where he has served since 1987. He has also served as secretary to His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) for nearly a decade; managing editor of the diocesan newspaper The Dawn; dean of the Southcentral (Dallas) Deanery of the Diocese of the South, and recording secretary for three All American Councils and for Diocesan Assemblies. Father Basil and his wife, Matushka Christine (SVOTS Class of ’80 and former co-chair of the OCA’s Department of Christian Education), have two grown sons and a granddaughter.
Father Photius Avant is a native of East Texas. After receiving his BA in Literature from the University of North Texas, he taught middle school and high school English. He graduated St. Vladimir’s with a Master of Divinity degree in 2011 and was assigned to St. Sava Orthodox Church (OCA) in Allen, TX as assistant priest. In 2014, he was made rector. He led the parish through the building of a new temple in 2018. His wife Carissa is an accountant and directs the choir. They have four children.
Mariam Ceena Varghese holds two degrees from St. Vladimir's Seminary, a Master of Theology ('10) and Master of Arts in Theology ('09).She also holds a degree in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology from the University of Maryland. After seminary, Ceena worked as the resource coordinator of the Youth and Young Adult Ministries Department of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for three years, and taught a few classes at St. Vladimir’s for four years. She also served as a curriculum writer for an Orthodox project of Gospel Light Worldwide & World Vision and was part of the team that represented the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at the last World Council of Churches, in South Korea. Ceena is involved in various ministries of the Malankara Orthodox Church, working with children, youth, and adults. She now lives in KY where she works as an IT Analyst, and lives with her husband and one-year-old son.
Richard Ajalat graduated from St. Vladimir's Seminary in 2013 with a Master of Divinity degree. He was a youth director in Livonia, MI for one year after seminary. He has been a pastoral assistant at St. Michael Church in Van Nuys, CA for the past seven years, doing everything from keeping fundraising records on the building of the new Church, to youth and young adult ministry, to other typical pastoral assistant duties including liturgical duties and serving as liaison between church leadership and church ministries. Richard serves on the FOCUS NORTH AMERICA national board and the St. Michael parish council, and he is Vice President of the Young Adult Ministry of the Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West
Alumni of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) are invited to vote now to elect new members of the Seminary’s Alumni Association Board. The voting period ends March 7, 2021.
The Alumni Association is hosting elections to fill four seats on its board. After assessing nominations, the Association’s Nominating Committee recommended placing the following names on the ballot:
Fr. Basil Zebrun (M.Div. '83)
Fr. Nicholas Hubbard (M.Div. '09)
Fr. Photius Avant (M.Div. '11)
Fr. Andrew Honore (M.Div. '18)
Mrs. Mariam Ceena Varghese (M.A. '09 Th.M. '10)
Mr. Richard Ajalat (M.Div. '13)
Brief biographies of each candidate are available here.
As established by Alumni Association Bylaws, all St. Vladimir’s Seminary alumni (those with at least 24 credits or those with a certificate/degree granted by SVOTS) are invited to cast their vote through the Alumni Portal.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Archpriest John Tkachuk, the founding pastor of the Sign of the Theotokos parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in Montreal, former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canada, and retired U.S. Air Force chaplain. Father John fell asleep in the Lord on February 19, 2021 in Bronxville, NY, where he had been living in retirement. He was 76 and had been suffering from cancer.
Born in 1944 in Lodz, Poland to Archpriest Igor and Maria (Steblinksa) Tkachuk, their family fled Poland that year to Germany where Fr. Igor ministered to many persons displaced by World War II. Eventually, they immigrated to the United States with their children, John and Nina. Father Igor came from a part of Ukraine that later became part of Poland, and had served at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Warsaw.
Father John was educated at Iona College and Fordham University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then completed studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and was awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1969. While at St Vladimir’s, he was a member of the 1965 Seminary Octet which toured the United States raising awareness of the Seminary’s mission.
In 1969, he married Mary A. Schmemann, daughter of Fr. Alexander and Matushka Juliana Schmemann. Soon after, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal at the Chapel of St. Sergius in Lac Labelle, Quebec, Canada, and then to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) of New York at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Church in Brooklyn, NY. Father John and Matushka Mary subsequently served Three Saints Church in Ansonia, CT, and at Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Buffalo, NY.
In 1973, Father John was assigned to Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. During his tenure, Fr. John encouraged the use of English in the Divine Services. He was soon appointed secretary of the Archdiocese of Canada and was instrumental in organizing the 5th All-American Council in Montreal in 1977, at which Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) was elected as primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
In 1978, Father John and several families received permission from Archbishop Sylvester, then ruling hierarch of the Archdiocese of Canada, to form a new English- and French-language parish dedicated to the Sign of the Theotokos in Montreal. The new parish welcomed Orthodox believers of all national backgrounds. In their early years they met in humble rented quarters, then for many years in the basement of a Roman Catholic church. Finally, in 2000, “The Sign” acquired a spacious church building on the Boulevard Saint-Joseph, which remains its home.
Throughout his Canadian ministry, Fr. John held senior positions in the Archdiocese, serving as secretary, secretary-treasurer, and as the first chancellor. Among his many contributions to church life in Canada, Fr. John helped organize an annual retreat known as the Orthodox Theological Institute (OTI). Held over three days, OTI became a fixture of the Lenten calendar in Montreal and came to feature some of the most prominent names in the OCA as speakers. Matushka Mary also organized an annual conference of “Orthodox Christian Women of Montreal,” whose speakers included her mother, Matushka Juliana Schmemann.
Beginning in 1983, he served in the US Air Force Chaplaincy. He was a Reserve Chaplain at the Plattsburgh (NY) and Hanscom (MA) Air Force bases, which included active duty for several weeks every year. He proudly served in the chaplaincy for twenty years and retired in 2003 with the rank of major.
In 1990 he became the first chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canada and was awarded the Jeweled Cross in 1992. Before his retirement in September of 2013, Fr. John was awarded the Order of Saint Innocent (silver class) by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, in recognition of his forty years of priestly ministry.
Soon after retirement, Fr. John and Matushka Mary moved to Bronxville, NY, where they could be near their daughter, Vera; care for Matushka’s mother, the late Matushka Juliana Schmemann; and be near St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He was attached to Holy Trinity Church in Yonkers, NY.
Archpriest John is survived by his wife, Matushka Mary (Masha); their daughter, Vera; granddaughter Alexandra Solak; and grandson Peter Bullock. Their first grandchild, Justin Solak, passed away in February 2016.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Opioid Center of Support, a website founded after the death of Archpriest John’s grandson, Justin, of an overdose.
The schedule of services for Fr. John’s funeral is as follows:
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
3 p.m., Vesting (clergy only) at the funeral home
5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Visiting Hours at Holy Trinity Church, 46 Seymour St., Yonkers, NY
7 p.m., Funeral Service for a Priest at Holy Trinity Church
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
9:30 a.m., Divine Liturgy followed by Memorial Litiya at Holy Trinity Church;
Burial at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Cemetery, South Canaan, PA, to follow
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Protodeacon John Eby. Protodeacon John, 73, longtime assistant manager of the Seminary Bookstore and alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly at his home in Bronxville, NY.
Protodeacon John was born in Lansing, MI on December 8, 1947. Raised as an Episcopalian, he was received into the Orthodox Church during his time at Michigan State University. He graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interior and architectural design in 1970. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1977.
Protodeacon John belonged to Holy Trinity Church, Yonkers, NY for four decades. He served the parish first as a devoted layman and then, for the past 22 years, as their parish deacon, retiring recently from active diaconal service. He was ordained to the diaconate on August 15, 1999 by His Eminence, Archbishop Peter (L'Huillier) and elevated to the rank of protodeacon at Holy Trinity Church on December 22, 2013 by His Eminence, Archbishop Michael. He was awarded the right to wear the kamilavka in 2016.
During his professional career, Pdn. John worked as an interior designer in Detroit before relocating to New York, where he worked for Royal Copenhagen and then Asprey of London. After retiring from his previous career, he began working at St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press and Bookstore, where he served as assistant manager up until his passing.
John is predeceased by his parents, F. Eugene Eby and Zetta Zoss Eby. He is survived by many generations of dear friends across several countries and many godchildren. He was full of faith, joy, and love, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Viewing hours are scheduled for Friday, February 5, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 46 Seymour St, Yonkers, NY, immediately followed by a Panikhida at 7:30 p.m. Divine Liturgy is scheduled for Saturday, February 6, at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Yonkers, or St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
On Saturday, St. Vladimir’s Seminary celebrated the patronal feast of the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel and hosted the 38th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture.
The Seminary community gathered in the morning for Divine Liturgy for the Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, patrons of the Seminary chapel. Seminary Academic Dean Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie delivered the homily, his first at Three Hierarchs Chapel.
On Saturday afternoon, New York Times bestselling author Rod Dreher delivered the 38th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, which was held in an online format. More than 650 people participated in the online event.
Dreher’s lecture was titled “Living in Truth: How the Communist-Era Suffering Church can Prepare Us to be Dissidents.” In it, Dreher defined the challenges and explored the gifts the suffering church has for a complacent West.
"The world today either wants us to abandon Christianity, or substitute a very modern Christianity...which amounts to the same thing," said Dreher. "Parishes that live the true faith, though, will be a beacon in the night to those who long for Jesus Christ.
“These are parishes that don't give themselves over to cultural fads or to the politics of the left or the right, but seek nothing but unity with Christ—no matter what it costs."
Dreher’s talk coincided with the publication of A Voice for Our Time: Radio Liberty Talks, Vol. 1, featuring an English translation of Schmemann’s broadcasts into the Soviet Union that began in 1953. This first volume of the two-part series, being published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press, features a foreword by Dreher.
Click HERE to preorder a copy of A Voice for Our Time
Saturday’s Schmemann Lecture and the forthcoming book are part of “The Year of Schmemann” celebrations at St. Vladimir’s. In 2021, the Seminary is honoring 100 years since the birth of Fr. Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983), its beloved former dean and renowned theologian.
On Thursday, St. Vladimir’s Seminary took part in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)’s Virtual March for Life, to rally against abortion and pray for the unborn.
The OCA’s Virtual March mirrored the March for Life in Washington, D.C. this year, which also moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Metropolitan Tikhon led a moleben at Three Hierarchs Chapel to begin the Virtual March for Life.
The event began with a prayer service at St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, led by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon. His Beatitude then offered a message to those gathered at Three Hierarchs and the Virtual March attendees watching online.
"The children destroyed by abortion have no action that they can take or voice to speak with,” said His Beatitude. “They have done nothing right or wrong. They have committed no crime. They have no power. They are truly the most vulnerable among us, and so it is up to us to act and speak for their protection.
“This is a sacred task…because God Himself is a protector—the Father of the fatherless and protector of widows; He is a rescuer, a savior, especially of the vulnerable."
Metropolitan Tikhon’s message was followed by a talk from Dr. Ana Iltis, professor and director of the Center for Bioethics, Health and Society at Wake Forest University and professor of philosophy at St. Vladimir’s.
"What actions will I take...," Dr Iltis challenged viewers, "to cultivate a life-giving and life-affirming culture, one in which abortion is not the answer to difficult questions pregnant women may face?"
Virtual March for Life host Fr. Thomas Soroka brought the event speakers together for a brief discussion before the conclusion of the March.
The Virtual March also featured words from His Eminence, Archbishop Michael and representatives from three pro-life organizations: Orthodox Christians for Life, Zoe for Life, and Vision for Life. The representatives described the work their organizations do to support pregnant women in crisis. They also challenged Orthodox Christians to get involved in pro-life work throughout the year, and offered examples of how to do so.
Watch the recording of Thursday’s Virtual March for Life below.
