The Rev. Herman Fields graduated as the valedictorian of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’sClass of 2019. On hisblog page, which he set up as a student to facilitate information sharing between other seminarians and community members, Fr. Herman recently imparted how he succeeded during his studies at St. Vladimir’s.
Father Herman, his wife, Khouria Anna, and their two children are moving to Canada following graduation to serve a parish in Saskatchewan.
As my time at St. Vlad’s is coming to a close, I was asked by a student who is arriving next year how you become valedictorian at St. Vlad’s. I replied, “Tip #1 is that you should have a BA in Theology and do theSt. Stephen’s coursebefore you get here!”
I said that because, while I did work very hard, I don’t really feel that the playing field was level. Some students come here never having studied theology, and they manage to graduate with distinction. I had a bit advantage having already studied so much. So while I was honored to be valedictorian, there might be plenty of people who worked harder than I did. But here are Fr. Herman Fields’ tips for doing well in seminary:
When I was an undergrad, my grades improved immensely when I got married. I was doing my school work on a 9-5 schedule and didn’t fool myself into thinking that I could do quality work starting at 10 p.m.
If you take advantage of every minute of non-class time during the day, avoiding as much as possible the time-wasting but oh-so-fun opportunities to just sit and talk to people about nothing in particular, you will get more done than if you’re up ‘till 3 a.m. Even if you only have an hour (say your class gets out early and you have extra time before your next activity) take an hour and read one article, or write that one little tiny assignment you’ve been putting off. The best work I ever did was when I knew that I only had 45 minutes or an hour to work. There’s a saying in Swedish, “many small streams become a river.” It applies here! No matter what your family situation is, if you use your time consistently with discipline you will get more done in less time.
I used Google Calendar and had all my classes and chapel times blocked out. Sometimes I even put deadlines in the calendar. I don’t think I ever missed a deadline, or at least not by mistake.
And get some sleep! Get a minimum of 7 hours per night. If you’re sleep deprived your work will be much less efficient and you won’t remember what you’re reading.
Seminarian Sophia Theodoratos was featured at the Seminary’s Monthly Seminar series on Tuesday, May 9.
The Seminary’s Monthly Seminar series is meant to operate as a kind of academic laboratory for scholars, allowing each month’s presenter to share their latest findings to their peers, engage in discussion, and receive feedback.
Sophia’s presentation, “A Seeing Human Being: Sensing Christ and Gaining Sight,” drew from her thesis.
“How and why does John the Theologian use sight and more broadly engage with hearing, touch, smell and taste in his Gospel?” Sophia asks. “Gaining sight is essential to apprehend light from dark and to “see” Christ, who has been revealed as the Light of the World (Jn 8.12).”
Sophia’s study places the event of the human being born blind (Jn 9.1-41) at the center of her review into how sensory perception is used in John’s Gospel. She explains in her thesis’ abstract:
…The beloved disciple engages our senses to enable us to fully perceive Christ through the flesh, beyond empirical boundaries, and to know that God is always forming us, and seeking to lead us back to eternal life in Paradise. In this way John’s engagement with the senses aligns with the reason he gives for writing his Gospel, which is “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name” (Jn 20.30-31).
Sophia’s thesis and the theses of other graduating students are made available after completion each year in the Seminary’sFather Georges Florovsky Library.
The latest episode of the podcastThe Wounded Healer, on Ancient Faith Radio, features SVOTS Seminarian Dan Bein in a conversation about his experience in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
The podcast is produced by Seminary ProfessorFr. Adrian Budicaand ChaplainSarah Byrne-Martelli, a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) student at SVOTS. In this episode, “The Power of Holy Listening,” Bein tells Byrne-Martelli that what he encountered through the Seminary’s CPE program was not what he expected.
“CPE was actually part of why I specifically chose St. Vlad’s….” he said. “I was really hoping that I would have this kind of ‘romantic’ experience in the hospital [unit of CPE], and everything would be all roses and sunshine, and I would come into every single room and know just what to say at just the right moment….”
“Obviously, it was a lot tougher than I imagined…” he continued, “tougher in a good way and a really beautiful way.”
Dan Bein is a second-year seminarian in SVOTS’ Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program. He calls Pittsburgh home and is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and all its territories, under His Grace Bishop Karas. At SVOTS, Dan serves as president of the Student Council.
This reflection is written from the perspective of a first-year seminarian. I am writing to those who are considering coming to seminary, those who are here, and those who have come and gone. Without being too presumptuous or ambitious, I would like to give some impressions and reflections on the first few weeks at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
I heard it said best recently: “to come to seminary is special” (I took this to meanunique. I will use this word often in this reflection.). Some people come to seminary after years of planning, others come from directly from their undergraduate studies, while others come quite suddenly, and many leave their careers to matriculate here. I can identify with many of these categories. With that said, I think everyone who comes to seminary is answering (as best they can discern) Christ’s call for service in His Holy Church, and St. Vladimir’s fosters and environment of fertile ground for the seeds of service to take root and bear fruit.
I am a married seminarian with one child. My family began exploring the possibility of coming to seminary about two years ago when I began theological studies through the Antiochian House of Studies. This experience truly deepened my thirst for knowledge and led to my application to become a seminarian through the Antiochian Archdiocese. At the time of my application to Saint Vladimir’s I was employed as a police detective in Waco Texas and my family owned some acreage with livestock. Once we were notified that we had been accepted to attend classes for the Fall semester we “kicked into high gear” and put our home on the market. We sold cows, tractors, farm equipment, and even my old pickup truck. Glory to God, the house and land sold! We sold much of our furniture and loaded what remained into a moving truck and set our course in a northeasterly direction. We arrived at St. Vladimir’s the second week of August (before classes) and began to settle in.
We were met at the seminary not by strangers—instead we were welcomed home. We were received by the seminary community with open arms as if we were family members returning home. This was not just a feeling or something that was gleaned after reflection. Our new seminary family showed up in numbers (this is especially impressive since many students/families were still out of town) and helped us unload our moving truck. Everyone seemed so happy to meet us and to help us feel at home. The seminarians, faculty, and staff that initially welcomed us were our first impression and true icons of Christ at our new home. Many of the questions you have when moving are practical ones. Finding out where to get groceries, who has the best produce, school system information, and other local information are at the forefront of your concern. The community was more than happy to impart every bit of information they could to make our transition as smooth as possible.
I started writing this reflection after moving in. I am now beginning my fifth week of classes. Several thoughts have occurred to me that I would like to leave with the reader. First, I am astounded at how quickly the time passes. We are now past the quarter mark in this semester! Secondly, I thought how desperately I need to cherish every moment of this experience. Living in a true “Orthodox community” is a unique blessing. I do not know if my family and I will ever have an opportunity like this again. Living amongst like-minded Orthodox Christians allows for a way of life that is not found in our society today outside of a monastery. Lastly, I thought, while we are all living together, worshiping together, and attending classes together, how different this experience must be for each individual seminarian and family. Simply put, people are different. In community life, I think it is important to enjoy the differences that each community member brings into the fold. It should also be said that differences can be the cause of anxiety and stress. Humbly, I would say that if we keep Christ as the focal point of all we do, we may begin to see others as Christ sees them and not as we would see them for our own personal gain. In doing so, we see a person for how they glorify Christ in His Kingdom! Living at St. Vladimir’s is giving me the unique opportunity to see others living out their faith. My prayer is that this helps me more and more to see others as Christ does.
Please pray for the clergy, faculty, staff, seminarians, and their families at St. Vladimir’s that we may serve Christ in His Holy Church and go forth from this place to“Engage the World in Orthodox Christianity.”
Charles Youngbloodis beginning his first year in SVOTS’ Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program, and is a seminarian of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. Before receiving the blessing to attend seminary, he was employed as a police detective with the police department in Waco, Texas. Charles has also served in the United States Navy (both active and reserve) for the past sixteen years. He was commissioned as a Navy Chaplain Candidate Program Officer shortly before arriving at SVOTS.
From May 21to June 3 of this year, I, alongside eight of my seminary colleagues, had the amazing opportunity to travel to Uganda as part of a teaching missions trip sponsored by theOrthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). Thanks to the support of OCMC, St Vladimir’s Seminary, and many others, the nine of us were given the incredible opportunity to serve the communities of the Ugandan Orthodox Church, which would not have been possible on our own. With the blessing of Metropolitan Jonah of Kampala and all Uganda, we were able to travel across the country and serve many communities, especially those in Northern Uganda.
Our first few days were spent in Nsinze in the Eastern region of Uganda where we had the honor and privilege to participate in the diocesan clergy conference. Over fifty priests from all over the country were present. We spent time both in prayer and fellowship as we focused on the tough realities of ministry. The priests of theUganda Orthodox Churchdo not have a salary and must have secular jobs to provide for the needs of their families and their churches. Despite the many sacrifices, it was an inspiration to see how these clergymen found strength in Christ and in each other as they prepared themselves to continue serving their people.
Two truly memorable occasions occurred next. For the conclusion of the clergy conference, we had the blessed opportunity to celebrate the Divine Liturgy alongside these fifty priests who had gathered together. It was a great act of fellowship and comradery as we were able to serve as brothers in His ministry. From there, we traveled to Gulu in Northern Uganda where we had the opportunity to participate in the Feast of Pentecost, celebrated by Metropolitan Jonah and the local clergy. In this moment, alongside the people of Gulu, we were able to transcend barriers of language, culture, and ethnicity, as we became the One Body of Christ during this service, similar to that of the very day of Pentecost two thousand years ago. As we prepared ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit and renew ourselves in our commitment to serve the Church and each other, it was a powerful moment as we all prostrated together before the mighty throne of God.
The next week of our trip flew by quickly as we worked alongside a medical mission team traveling to different schools and communities across Northern Uganda from Gulu to Lira. We spent our days in prayer as we used our time there to preach the Gospel, be with the people, and try to understand their struggles. It was an exhausting effort since we spent many hours every day traveling to reach these communities, but it was definitely worth it. Personally, it was a humbling experience to see the people of Uganda, who have so little, give so much for the Church. I was able to witness first-hand the love that they have for their Church and for each other. These people looked out for each other; they made sure the most ill were taken care of first. They shared their food and took the time to show concern and care for their neighbor. Uganda is the Pearl of Africa—not because of the beauty of the land but because of the treasure that is found in the hearts of its people. Regardless of the wealth they may not have, they are rich in their love for Christ, and it was truly an unforgettable experience to receive so many blessings from their unending treasury. May God strengthen us all to have the same resolve in faith and love that He has given His people in Uganda.
Amal Punnoose is entering his third year as a seminarian in SVOTS’ Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program. He hails from Atlanta, GA, and is a member of the Diocese of Southwest America of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. He has given lectures and led youth retreats and other events at Malankara Orthodox parishes around the U.S. and Canada. Joining Amal on the OCMC trip to Uganda were members of the graduating class of 2018 Rev. Fr. Christopher Moore (Team Leader), Dn. Simon Menya (a native of Uganda), Dn. Gregory Potter and his wife Faith Potter, Dn. Larry Soper, and Dr. Tracy Gustilo, and current seminarians Dn. Herman Fields and Cornelius Schuster.
Simon Menya, a 2nd-year seminarian from Gulu, Uganda, recently accompanied four other St. Vladimir’s seminarians on amissionary journey to Guatemala, under the auspices of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). Happily, Seminarian Simon has recorded a thorough description of his Team’s travels throughthe provinces of Huehuetenango and Escuintla, culminating at Lake Amatitlán—his official report to OCMC, his sponsoring agency. His travelogue is full of warmth, sincerity, and captivating descriptions of the Team’s engagement with local residents and their customs, and so we are presenting it in full, in Simon’s own words—with minimal editing—so as to retain the charm and wonder of the sights and sounds through his eyes and ears. Enjoy
I thank God for His wonderful plans for us all. I thank Him for our recent St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary seminarian trip to Guatemala organized by OCMC. It was a good chance for me to participate in the trip because I tasted and saw (Psalm 34:8): first, that the Lord is good; second, that OCMC have huge tasks in their mission works associated with challenges around the world to bring people to Christ; and, third, many faithful people in Guatemala have found the Orthodox Church recently and have devoted their lives to the Church with enough eagerness to learn more about God.
This is seen in engagement with them when they ask questions and share their experiences before and after their conversion into Orthodox Church. It was so good to see the work of the OCMC missionaries on the ground, like Fr. Juvenal, Jesse Brandow, and Jennifer Rice, working so hard with the rest of the priests there, like Fr. Evangelios Pata, Fr. Mihail Castellanos, Fr. Daniel Muxtay, and others, who are so active with efforts to defend the faith by teaching them after they converted to the Orthodox Church to live the Gospel. That way, Christ is kept alive among them.
They teach and explain, encourage, and print out monthly liturgical calendars in Spanish for people to read. This is helping in creating awareness about the Orthodox liturgical life and the Orthodox form of worship, to match the humility of the Guatemalans. The missionaries and priests there do travel long distances to visit different scattered Orthodox communities and teach.
I will never ever forget that a foreign mission is an important part of the Church’s work, to imitate Jesus Christ, who left the glory of heaven to come to [perform a] mission on this earth. And by this He made heaven close enough to the Church to share with everyone, reaching them and bringing them out of darkness to the participation into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) in order that they too could become missionaries to His body, the Church.
Our short trip made me feel at home because I experienced a similar poverty level of the people and standard of life as in Uganda; for instance, I saw a young boy in Aguacate chew a corn stem because it is sweet like a cane sugar stem. ThisI didwhen I was a young boy too, because I was illiterate and there was no one to teach me. That proved to me the need for more education of the people in Guatemala to improve their general health status and standard of living.
It was surprising for me to see that the same tree species, like bamboo and others, that we have in Uganda, also grow in Guatemala.
Also waking up in that new environment: looking at volcanoes that I used to teach the children in high school in Uganda about, using my text book knowledge, on this visit was a reality! I saw a real volcanoes—even a steaming one!—making this visit a real learning avenue that will inform my ministry in a special way.
In different villages, hearing the sounds of the birds of nature in the night and day, the cork crows in the early mornings telling people it’s a new day. Villagers then getting up and putting their hand-held hoes onto their backs, and walking to their gardens for farming. Cows roam on the streets, village dogs bark when a car drives past their compound. Huge farmlands with corn growing for food, cane sugar planted alongside village paths grows untouched by the hands of passers-by. Drivers waving to greet each other, many pedestrians on a shared road, children going to school, and people walking to Church—all of this was such a “home feeling” for me.
The quiet nature with mountains and the love of the people, mended my broken soul, healed my disappointed self, by pouring healing balm right onto my heart as I said my unworthy prayers travelling between mountains. The young boys who gather at the football pitch next to the big Church in Aguacate to play soccer every evening till it’s dark, made me feel at home when they asked me to join them to play.
Many people who are not reached and [have not yet been] taught the Gospel are always ready and want to learn more about God. During a two-day retreat that we led, many catechists attended and were so willing to learn.
This shows the unbroken belief established by Christ Himself in the world which is being carried on by the Orthodox Church. I learnt here a reason why some people in the world resist the Gospel; it’s simply because they are not reached and taught the Gospel and the words of Christ, which they need to hear and to get comfort from, by God’s words (Mathew 9:35–38).
By seeing the need to know more about Christ among the people of Guatemala, I experienced what Fr. Martin Ritsi at OCMC said during our orientation at Florida: that out of the people called to be missionaries only 5% of the them become missionaries around the world!
And so I asked myself: Is it OCMC to be blamed for not sending many missionaries around the world to teach and spread the Gospel? No only 5% out of the people who learnt about the mission do respond. The need for more missionary work around the world is needed to spread the Gospel, which is a move toward God that all of us can bring to people. This can only be possible and can only happen when we allow our hearts to be transformed by mission works: to go outside our town, cities, and countries to other nations and spread the Gospel. The only hardship is making our decision to “Go,” but it’s a blessing to have OCMC, an organization that support missions with its staff ready to share experiences about mission works, and it’s also a blessing to have others who support missions.
Remembering the time we set up to the airport, Fr. Chad Hatfield, the president of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, woke up and by 5:00 a.m., he was ready to bless our travel, teaching us for tomorrow to support mission works at any time and to spread the Gospel to other communities both in our local churches and abroad. He also gave us copies of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Annual reports that we handed to the people in Guatemala.
Our time in Guatemala showed all of us that Christ calls us to meet Him anywhere when we hear the call and to respond in order to share Him with others.
When I was preparing my presentation in Guatemala, I prayed, and I found the strength to talk about the power of the Holy Spirit: how the Holy Spirit performs miracles, convinces and restrains; commands and directs people; can be prayed to and asked to intercede on a person's behalf; and how He gives believers gifts.
I then chose to talk about the life of St. Nektarios, and I used his icon [in my talk]. I described how the saint himself lived in poverty with his parents at an early age and endured just like the Guatemalan people are living and enduring; and how he used prayers as the primary tools or weapons for anything in his life as a Christian. His miracles are understood in relation to the power of Holy Spirit, when we believe. So when we follow his footsteps we become holy icons through the power of the Holy Spirit and that becomes our better way to see heaven.
It was good to see children sit with their parents and listen to our teachings in Church. This reminded me of the teaching of St. George that says, “Teach them when they are young” found in Proverbs 22:6.
Liturgically, it was so joyous to be in the four different Divine Liturgies we attended, listening to the music sung by everyone by heart. And even if we didn’t understand the language, we were still moved by the beautiful liturgies, which were a blessing. I was so moved by seeing a full Church during the weekday liturgies that we attended, showing that people put God first in their lives.
Seeing people line up to offer their little gifts in Church from their meager earnings, answered my question: Who is a poor person? It was good to see that the [people of the] Guatemalan Church make their own vestments with the local materials. Some priests are so gifted, and they paint icons for the local Orthodox churches filled with meanings within the culture.
We visited Orthodox churches andHoly Trinity Monastery, where we also learned projects like bee-keeping, [and keeping] fish, pigs, chicken, rabbit, goats and sheep, which help [to support] the monastery, priests, schools, and other Church growth.
It was also a wonderful endeavor to see Fr. Evangelios nurture the four young seminarians in Guatemala who are exploring Orthodoxy, with a great need to learn more about the faith to serve as ordained ministers in the future, if it’s God’s will. This is a blessing for the already existing priests because a priest told us many young-abled men leave the country, mostly at the productive age of 18 to go and look for Jobs in North America, leaving few to be trained to help the Church. These seminarians were so joyful to be with, especially when we had a session to talk to them and encourage them to help the church.
This is similar to how I came to seminary in America after meeting OCMC mission team in 2008: I became an OCMC mission team translator for 9 years, which led to God working through the members (Sue and Fr. Joseph) whom I continued to meet, and who inspired me to come to study at the Seminary. From the Seminary, my confessor priest, Fr. Chad Hatfield, tries to help me like biological father, together with other professors and my fellow students who are all there for me all the times. This is a real blessing for me. There are always people whom God sends to meet us wherever and whenever we are, and they are actually God’s true messengers, with a message and influence to change our lives forever.
Visiting the Holy Trinity Monastery was a blessing: getting my first blessing from Abbess Nun Mama Ines, hearing all the words of wisdom from Sister Maria who welcomed us, and all the unforgettable joy with the sisters!
The nuns in the Monastery run the first online university in Guatemala, and they enroll and train many young boys and girls, while hiring professors around the world [to teach them]. They are also busy with translations of books into local languages, and running wood workshops that produce Orthodox crosses and pens, and sewing vestments—and many other things.
I thank OCMC and all who supported this trip for us and all who supports OCMC missions. I pray that may God bless all the works of your hands to continue to multiply everyday into productive endings.
By Jillian Rettig, wife of 2nd-year seminarian Will
"I am married too, to Christ," began Madre (Mother) Ivonne of the Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage in Guatamala. Madre was visiting the seminary for a week in September, and on the evening of September 29, she presented her life and work to the women of the St. Juliana's Society. In her lively and engaging presentation, she spoke of the unfortunate situation of adoptions being closed in her country, and of the several thousand orphans and neglected children she and the other sisters have taken in over the years they have been administrators at the home for youth.
Miracles of spiritual and physical healing happen every day at the Hogar, which in the last few years has moved from a dangerous city neighborhood to a beautiful countryside location on a lake. Our own chancellor and his wife, Fr. Chad and Matushka Thekla Hatfield, have been supporters and visitors to the orphange for many years, and Fr. Chad has led mission teams from St. Vladimir's to the Hogar.
In closing, Madre Ivonne encouraged the women to pray for the ministry and if possible, to visit in person, since the children love the missionaries who come.
As my family and I plan the details of our cross-country journey to St. Vladimir’s Seminary for Fall Semester 2017, I’m coming to grips with this monumental change in our lives. We are leaving behind our community, our beloved parish, our extended families, and our home. There is so much unknown ahead!
However, as I sat in the beautiful banquet hall at the Seminary’s recent “Roaring 20s” fundraiser and listened to the stories of former seminarians—faithful men and women who had come out of St. Vladimir’s in years past—my heart was calm. It was as if they were speaking directly to me. I felt encouraged, knowing these people had already walked the path my husband and I were about to take. Also of great benefit to me was realizing that other people on different paths of life were there, eager to support seminarian and clergy families. That special evening, hosted by St. Luke’s Church in Garden Grove, California, and coordinated by St. Vlad’s alumni, was one I will not soon forget—and one I was so glad I had decided to attend….
As a newish mom to a one-year-old little girl, I had soon discovered that leaving the house without a baby is a rare occasion. So when I got word about the “Roaring 20’s” fundraiser, I leaped for joy and secured my trusty sitters: Grandma and Grandpa. Just the thought of a special night out with “my fella” made me giddy, but a themed party with a dress code suggestion?I was so there!
Upon arrival, we were greeted by glamorous, accessorized ladies who kindly directed us to the hidden-out-of-sight cocktail hour with a variety of delicacies. I felt as if we were being ushered into a secret speakeasy, filled with happy people adorned in 1920s fashion—and yummy treats!
After checking in with Matushka Robyn Hatrak, who handles Special Events for the Seminary, and whom we had met during our recent visit to the seminary campus, I turned around and saw Fr. Chad Hatfield walking towards me at the check-in booth. I wondered if this President of the Seminary was going to remember me, since our previous meeting had been so brief. As I approached him, I caught his eye and was met with a smile. Though I wasn’t convinced by his smile that he had recognized me, I greeted him by asking for his blessing, and as he gave it, I realized that he had, in fact, recognized me. His warm reception made me feel as if I had known him longer than I actually had: a special moment indeed.
Then, we all were invited into the banquet hall. The real party was about to begin! We were spoiled (lavishly!) by a special photo booth station, silhouette artists, and a live band, as the magical atmosphere transported us back to the 1920s.
Looking around the room, I could see exquisitely set tables, twinkling lights, and dashes of black and gold shimmering all around. People whom I did not recognize surrounded me and made me pause in awe, as I realized how many people love and support St. Vladimir’s Seminary. I realized this group (all strangers to me) represented the little-known faithful who wish to support the mission of the Seminary and the Church. There was unspoken comfort and unity amongst the guests, which though hard to describe made me feel like I was meeting old friends.
Just before dinner was served, Fr. Chad took an opportunity to honor the spouses of St. Vladimir’s alumni and even the spouses of current seminarians. When I saw the spouses of the alumni stand, and I heard the loving applause of the crowd, I realized that people genuinely recognized the sacrifice, not only of the seminarians but also of people like me—a future seminarian’s wife. My eyes immediately filled with tears, as I comprehended their understanding. They knew, they could see, without my—or any pastor or clergy wife—having to tell them, the cross a clergy family is called to bear. I felt very loved within that room.
While a band played in the background, our table was dismissed to get food. When we returned, we began to engage in conversation with one of the night’s speakers, St. Vlad’s Alumnus Greg Abdalah. You would expect us to have spent our time talking about the Seminary, life’s big issues, or perhaps theology, or some other deep and lofty topic; in reality, we merely received good advice from Greg concerning the best places to eat around Yonkers! I left our table with very little doubt that I would be able to find a delicious deli or pub once we landed at the Seminary; I found this to be an invaluable and important part of becoming a “local”!
As my “Roaring 20s” experience came to a close, I felt peace, contentment, and assurance that my husband Jarod and I are already part of an extended family keenly aware of the challenge before us, and supportive of us in our journey. For me, a 21st-century Orthodox Christian and soon-to-be seminarian wife, traveling
Many visitors frequent our campus each Academic Year: bishops, priests, musicians, academics, monastics, potential students, and so forth. All of them enrich our lives as seminarians as we converse with them, share meals with them, and worship together.
On February 4, 2017, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Onyekakeyah from Nigeria came to St. Vladimir's to talk to us students about Orthodox mission work in Africa. With the permission of the Seminary’s President, Fr. Chad Hatfield, I had issued the invitation to Fr. Chrysostom, whom I’d met during my parish assignment at St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral in Brooklyn. I had already learned a bit about his fascinating life, and I wanted him to share his story further with me and with my fellow seminarians.
We found out that Fr. Chrysostomos serves large communities of converts, by riding from village to village each Sunday on his bicycle, and organizing benevolent projects for the elderly and for orphans. We also discovered that he runs St. Christopher's, an orphanage and elementary school in rural Nigeria, under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Additionally, Fr. Chrysostomos serves five different parish communities in the area! The Orthodox Church in Nigeria, he told us, is growing, but the resources are scarce, and finding young men to become priests, training them, and then providing livable salaries for them are all serious challenges. (He himself has been a priest for twelve years, having studied at the archdiocesan seminary in Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria.)
Very interesting to me was Fr. Chrysostomos’ statement that the Orthodox Church in this particular mission field makes a number of concessions to local custom, a phenomenon he calls “enculturation.” By blessing and accommodating not only the local language, but also some local customs, the Church succeeds in making Orthodox Christianity truly organic and local, while unequivocally remaining inside of the universal canonical church tradition.
Even more interesting to us all were Fr. Chrysostomos’ descriptions of the church services: his sermons are often more than an hour long, and are given in a manner that invites congregational response and interaction; baptisms involve performing the sacrament with twenty or thirty children during the same service—such is the growth rate of the Orthodox communities he serves; and so many children are being communed on a Sunday that distributing Holy Communion can take from 45 minutes to an hour!
Finally, Fr. Chrysostomos encouraged us to consider the responsibility we have within the global Orthodox community to remember our brothers and sisters who have fewer resources, and to consider supporting his mission and orphanage. (Vestments are especially difficult to come by in Nigeria, and local churches in the New York area have kindly donated some. Others have donated prayer ropes and icons.)
I, and my fellow seminarians, learn a lot when we follow our Lord’s admonition to welcome strangers (Matt 25.35). I’m told by Fr. Chad that Fr. Chrysostom’s visit has providentially led to the possibility of his coming in the near future to St. Vladimir’s for study, along with other Nigerian students. I’m so blessed to have had that initial conversation with Fr. Chrysostom at my parish assignment—it’s opened doors and pathways, both spiritually and materially, for both of us.
"When we started out our years of ministry, I was terrified," admitted Matushka Thekla Hatfield, in an evening where she shared the Hatfield family story with the women of the St. Juliana Society at St. Vladimir's. The Society supports future clergy wives through special presentations, and Mat. Thekla's talk about the years she and Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield have ministered together in locations around the world, is always a favorite.
Matushka recalled their five years of teaching, preaching, and raising small children in South Africa, during the dangerous era of apartheid and unrest. She remarked that God's grace was always with her as she began to learn to deal with people of diverse backgrounds and persuasions. "In every parish you're going to meet with the same people in different guises," she explained. "You must learn to love the unloveable."
Later, she and Fr. Chad served in several parishes large and small, eventually planting Orthodox mission churches in Kansas before moving to Alaska to assume the leadership of St. Herman's Orthodox Seminary. While actively engaged in that outpost, the call came again to relocate to St. Vladimir's Seminary. Matushka testified to God's faithfulness as they made yet another huge adjustment, this time from life in the Alaskan wilderness to life as two New Yorkers.
"There were our plans, and then there were the Holy Spirit's plans," said Fr. Chad during his portion of the evening. "You have to be prepared for what the Lord asks you to do, and sometimes, it's pretty scary."
Other "Matushka-isms":
""That will never happen' was proven to be wrong, time and time again!"
"Protect your spouse, your home, your kids, and be your own advocate."
"Wherever we land, I find my place, and use my gifts as I can. Find your way to keep yourself going. No matter how old you are, you can always learn new things. Don't forget about the things that your heart wants to do."
