On Monday, May 4, the St. Vladimir's Women's Group sorted donated clothes and cleaned the facilities at Emmaus House in New York City, a hospitality home in Harlem with a mission of serving the poor in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We learned about the history and mission of the house from several of its earliest and long time volunteers: Annie, Omar, and Tom.
Annie explained that the house is in leadership transition at this time and many of its ministries are not currently operational. The house is in need of volunteers, resources, and prayers to restart many of their outreach programs. They have recently reinstated their Sunday Food Pantry, and are also focusing on repairing many areas of the house so that it can act as a shelter again in the future.
We were impressed by the dedication of the volunteers, and by the Harlem community's great need for the ministry of Emmaus House. The potential for growth in the ministry is great. Annie always appreciates it when the women of St. Vladimir's visit, and the blessing is mutual.
It was Easter morning during my first year at St. Vladimir's Seminary, and I stood at the altar of St. Mark's Cathedral in Teaneck, New Jersey, wearing subdeacon vestments, listening to our bishop read the gospel of St. Mark. In the traditional Syriac Orthodox melody, he chanted:
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him." (Mark 16.5-6).
I was overwhelmed by these words. He is risen, he is not here! Silently, I began to weep. The sense of awe that accompanied this moment was soon replaced with embarrassment, as I saw our bishop looking right at me as tears dripped off my chin. I shuffled off to find a tissue.
Why did tears come to me at such a moment? Certainly, the feast of our Lord's resurrection holds great power. But thinking back on all that had occurred over my first year at St. Vladimir's Seminary, I realized that what I experienced on that day was the result of accumulation. The Seminary prescribes for its students a life focused on seeking the Lord, and such a life is a struggle against the outside world. This Christ-centered focus is supported by chapel services, classes, community service, fasts, confession, and for a married student such as myself, family life. Yet on any given day, I would often wonder if such a routine was bearing any fruit. On this Easter day, I received an answer. Each day lived trying to fix our gaze on our Lord has a great benefit. It is a benefit that is usually unseen from day to day, but which accumulates slowly over time.
St. John Climacus addresses the unseen character of the spiritual life. He writes:
“After a long spell of prayer, do not say that nothing has been gained, for you have already achieved something. For after all, what higher good is there than to cling to the Lord, to persevere in unceasing union with him?” (Ladder of Divine Ascent, 28.32)
Life at seminary, and the life of every Orthodox Christian, is an effort to cling to the Lord each day. My time at St. Vladimir's, particularly on that Easter morning, has taught me that, though we may not perceive any immediate changes as we try to live according to Church teaching, each day of effort matters. The Lord sees our labor and our constant yearning for Him, and slowly changes us by His grace.
The tears granted to me on Easter were a gift, showing me that, to some small and humble measure, the truth of the resurrection had established some root in my heart. Even so, the reality is that I am still a spiritual beginner, returning often to ego and self-will instead of casting myself completely upon the Lord. Yet, as my time here at seminary draws to an end, I will leave as a spiritual beginner, yet one who knows what I must do with the remainder of the earthly life that God gives me. I must work, seeking Him every day, and I pray that by His grace the following words will continue to descend into my heart, filling it through and through:
He is risen, he is not here!
Thomas Totonchy is a third-year Master of Divinity student from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. He is from Portland, Oregon, where his father helped to establish the St. Ignatius of Antioch parish. There he served as a subdeacon and was involved in youth ministry before coming to New York for seminary with his wife Jennifer, who works at the Weill Cornell Medical College. In the summer of 2015, they welcomed their daughter Josephine into the world. After seminary, Thomas hopes to continue to serve the Church as a youth minister, and if it be God’s will, as a priest.
The O'Keefe familyAn extensive profile of first-year St. Vladimir's seminarian Seraphim O'Keefe was published in Richmondmag.com on December 22, 2015. In the article, reporter Alan Pell Crawford tells the story of Seraphim's conversion to Orthodox Christianity, his subsequent journeys and studies in Alaska, the Republic of Georgia, and Russia, and his miraculous recovery after a brush with death in Georgia.
As Seraphim developed his skills in iconography, he was given commissions in parishes, which eventually led him to painting the icons for the St. Cyprian of Carthage Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church in America) in Midlothian, VA in the summer of 2015. Immediately following the work on the icons atSt. Cyprian, Seraphim and his family packed their belongings and drove to St. Vladimir's Seminary, where he began his three-year course of study inthe Master of Divinity degree program.
In the article,"The Miraculous Life of Seraphim O'Keefe,"author Crawford explains that "becoming a competent iconographer doesn’t happen overnight, but Seraphim’s reputation is growing, and commissions are coming in, almost always by word of mouth."
On September 21, the Women's Group at St. Vladimir's began the 2015–2016 year with a casual wine and cheese gathering in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. The event started at 7 pm, and included introductions to both the St. Juliana Society—a support group for future clergy wives—and the all-inclusive Women's Group, which is specifically aimed at facilitating events that encourage fun and fellowship for all the women on campus, whether they be staff, faculty wives, or students.
“Alex, lets skip Dr. Al Rossi’s session and go to the library so we can go on the computers.” It was Orthodox Education Day, 2005, and I was about 15 years old, and trying to decide whether or not to follow my friend to the library instead of going to Dr. Al’s session for teenagers. I ended up going to the library with my friend, who insisted that I take this time to create my Facebook profile in order to stay connected to the world.
The joke is that my formation at St. Vladimir’s began at age 15, but the truth is that 10 years later (2015), it was St. Vladimir’s that connected me to the world…
Not the world that I had come from where sports, music, and money
dominated the culture and determined whether or not you were successful
Not the world where independence, popularity, and style
determined whether or not you were living a good life.
St. Vladimir’s connected me to the reality of this world…
A world where “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”(Jn. 1:14)
A world where Christ himself walked, preached, and taught, leaving footprints for us to follow
A world where saints and holy men and women throughout the centuries have kept those footprints fresh
A world where we as humanity follow those footprints, which lead to the kingdom
A world where we await the Bridegroom in every moment and offer the moment to Him
A world where the Bridegroom often redirects us, placing us back in His footprints, which lead to the wedding banquet.
Every now and then the world can seem scary to the seminarian that has given up financial security, a life near family, and a secure job. My third year of seminary is coming to a close soon and the reality of ordained ministry is starting to hit home…
A reality that can seem daunting and overwhelming
A reality that can seem filled with trials, tribulations, and crisis
A reality that is filled with unknowns
A reality that is filled with crosses.
Yet, St. Vladimir’s has not left us alone in this reality, but rather has taught us that a reality filled with crosses is a reality that is also fulfilled by the cross…
A reality that is filled by the love of Christ and his victory over death
A reality that is filled with the presence of the kingdom here and now
A reality that is shaped from liturgy to liturgy
A reality where everyday is lived out as liturgy as we offer up all our work to God
A reality where we are surrounded by a great a cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) to turn to, for intercession and motivation A reality where the light of Christ illumines all and transfigures how we see the world.
Alex Mackoul is a third year seminarian in the Master of Divinity Program. He is a member of St. George’s Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester, MA and currently serves as an assistant to the Right Reverend Bishop Nicholas of the Antiochian Archdiocese. This past summer Alex married Amanda, a young woman he met during his time as a counselor at the Antiochian Village. They both adoreDr. Al Rossiand attend as many of his sessions as they can.
“Keep a regular spiritual canon while in seminary. There’s value in studying theology, but without daily prayer and sitting with God, God will be less of a Father and more of a textbook.”
Someone shared this advice with me before I arrived at seminary, and I’ve tried to remember these invaluable words always, in my life here at St. Vladimir’s.
As I approach my final semester here at the seminary, I’ve begun to reflect on all that I have learned. I remember how I was so eager to finally arrive and begin my studies. I had almost always been interested in theology and was anxious to come to an Orthodox seminary where I could learn Orthodoxy and live Orthopraxy, rather than merely attend classes at a regular graduate school where students are primarily focused on academia.
My first few weeks felt almost surreal. Being immersed in the liturgical life of the Church, in the Scriptures, and in the writings of the Fathers, I instantly felt right at home. It was so edifying to be surrounded by a crowd of like-minded intentional people, all striving in their spiritual journeys, all determined to serve Christ and His Church. Although the daily schedule became difficult and the course load became challenging, all of my time in the chapel and in the library enriched my spiritual and personal growth.
As the months unfolded, I learned a lot about myself; what qualities I value, the dynamics of my spiritual life, and how to better manage my time. Yet still, nothing has proven truer or has been more apparent to me than the wisdom of that simple advice I received before I arrived here. I have found, while at St. Vladimir’s, that the days when I have been able to bridge the gap between theology and my own spiritual life, have been the days that I excelled in my studiesandtruly felt “renewed in my mind.”
This renewal came as I practiced my own spiritual rule, but also through the great encouragement provided through the existence of the Coptic Chapel of St. Mark on campus. Being able to pray in my own tradition, rites, and liturgical music, has been a special treat, something I will always cherish and for which I am grateful. Here, in this familiar, sacred space, I have been able to quiet my thoughts, and stand in the presence of God.
The Story of St. Mark’s Chapel
The Coptic Chapel was just a few months old when I started as a student at St. Vladimir’s. It had been offered as a generous gift to our small community of Coptic seminarians, and was meant to give us the chance to pray in our liturgical tradition and to feel completely at home. Our humble prayer space was adorned by a Coptic icon of Christ, one that had been presentedto Fr. John Behr, St. Vladimir’s Dean, by our patriarch, on Fr. John's trip to Egypt in 2013. The room held a few other Byzantine icons as well. While this simple arrangement certainly didn’t keep us from praying and using this as our sacred space, we all had big dreams for the room. We all hoped to make this small classroom a beautiful example of Coptic liturgy and art, so we started brainstorming.
As it turned out, God was even more eager than we were to get this work going! The weekend after our first unofficial meeting to make plans for the Coptic Chapel, I was attending Midnight Praises atSt. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church.As I was leaving at the end of the night, I noticed a giant pile of things stacked up in the church’s storage room. Curious, I went over to look and discovered that it was an old iconostasis! It had suffered some water damage, but nevertheless, it was an entire iconostasis! The cantor of the church, seeing my interest, told me that it was being replaced and jokingly offered for me to take them, if I so desired. To his surprise, I jumped at the opportunity and loaded up my tiny sedan with huge slabs of woodwork and icons and headed back to seminary. As beat-up as these pieces were, we all felt really blessed, and were ready to start putting together our chapel!
Our first step was to restore the main icons of the Pantocrator and of the Theotokos. I approached a couple, Evelyn AveryRophael and Wafik Rophael, from my home parish in Maryland. They create and restore Coptic icons and woodwork, and they did not disappoint! They stripped and redid the gold leaf, repainted the damaged pieces of painting, set the canvas on a new support frame to straighten it out, and added it to an entirely new façade-frame. They did marvelous work and really brought out the dormant beauty of these 30-year-old icons.
On the Feast of the Cross, the icons went up, and the room was transformed from a classroom to a sanctuary. It was a joyous day, indeed! Standing in our new chapel at Vespers, I couldn't but notice the difference in our worship experience. There, in that room, now arose the same strength that shines in the classroom, and the awe I take with me to the library. This feeling has stayed with me. Worship now both informs and transforms every aspect of my life here at St. Vladimir's.
Peter Mansour is a second-year Coptic student in the Master of Arts Program. He is a member of St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church of Savage, MD, where he served in the middle school ministry, and as a coordinator of the Coptic Hymns ministry/choir before he arrived at seminary.
Peter attended the University of Maryland where he received his B.A. in History and served as the president of the Coptic Orthodox Christian Association chapter at College Park, MD. He is now earning his Masters for the advancement of the ministry of the Coptic Orthodox Church in America. He hopes to pursue further studies after graduation while continuing to serve the Church in any capacity, as he is able.
The Doctor of Ministry Program at St Vladimir’s Seminary: Four Things I’ve Learned (So Far)
The pastor and the triage nurse have much in common. Both spend significant time assigning priority among hard cases. In the parish and in the emergency room, the need for urgent care is often pronounced and pressing. And the basic fact of life is that time and resources are limited. “The poor you will always have with you” (Matt 26:11) takes on special meaning in parish ministry.
Seminary is of course the place which prepares the Orthodox pastor for ministry in a world of profound suffering. And this is true regardless of whether one labors in a declining heritage parish in the northeast or a booming mission parish along I-10. The goal of ministry is neither to keep the doors open, nor is it to multiply the number of new parishes. The basic goal is to connect the weary and the heavy laden to Christ, so that He might give them rest (Matt 11:28).
And this is what Orthodox pastors do. Whether you are a priest, youth pastor, prison chaplain, retreat leader, iconographer or missionary, the calling is the same — to make the timeless gospel make sense for the person who stands in need before you, right here and right now.
But with so much to do, it is easy to lose sight of the truth that ministry is a blend of calling and skill, and that both of these need nurturing. We nurture our calling to ministry by taking care of our own relationship with Christ through prayer, fasting, worship, confession, and works of mercy. But we must pay attention to our pastoral skills as well. For too many the world is a misery mill that tirelessly churns out creative forms of suffering and alienation.
For me, the Doctor of Ministry program at St Vladimir’s Seminary is proving to be an experience which nurtures both calling and skill. On the one hand, the D.Min. program is providing an excellent opportunity to pause and learn more about the many and novel pastoral challenges we face in the parish, and a major fruit of coursework so far is that I now bring better skills to the whack-a-mole work of ministry. But the value of the program for me is not limited to the activity of hands and head. It has nurtured my heart as well. The D.Min. experience is strengthening my identity and calling as an Orthodox pastor.
To focus a bit, here are four things I’ve learned so far as a D.Min. student at St. Vladimir’s.
(1) Pastors have experience, and the Church needs it. Ministry is not just about coping with the problems of today. Ministry is also about processing and learning from our pastoral experiences to this point, so that we might be armed to the teeth as we help our people confront the uncertainties of an unfolding future. Orthodox pastors have an obligation (I would say) to hold up what they have learned through the years, whether by failure or by success, and to offer that experience as a resource for others who are laboring in the vineyard. The D.Min. program offers such an opportunity. As a D.Min. student, I am asked to think about ministry in a critical way, both because it makes me a better parish priest, but also because the Church needs me to do it. The coursework and doctoral projects required along the way will be used by the Holy Spirit to ensure that the gates of hell most certainly will not prevail against the rock of our confession (Matt 16:18).
(2) I have more time in my schedule than I feared. One bar to entering the program was a concern about whether “one more thing” (and a big one at that) would dynamite the delicate constellation of work, family, and Netflix that already trembles each time the church phone rings. Spoiler alert: the work takes time — you cannot dash it off between coffee hour and the post-liturgical nap. However, the distance-learning nature of the program delivers flexibility to your door — or at least to your web browser. If you like to listen to lectures at a desk, wearing a cassock, with pencil and paper primed for taking notes … then you can certainly do that. But if learning on the treadmill or train ride works for you, then let the world be your classroom! Pajamas or pants — your wardrobe makes no difference.
(3) I am not pursuing a doctorate in ministry, but WE are. For students in the D.Min. program at St Vladimir’s, this statement makes sense. We are blessed that St Vladimir’s takes the “cohort” vision quite seriously. I entered the doctoral experience with ten others from eight different jurisdictions across the United States and Canada, and by design there is intimate overlap in our work. We are proceeding through the program together. We reflect on each other’s work weekly, and the “onsite intensive” each term is a jewel in the crown of the whole experience. For a full week each semester we meet at St Vladimir’s and gather critical feedback from the cohort on our developing projects.
Have you ever shouted your best idea with eloquence and power only to hear crickets in response? (I’m looking at you, committee meeting.) Or do you from time to time take the Nestea plunge into Facebook and float on the waves stirred up by like-minded voices? In my cohort, there are no crickets, and there are no echo chambers. Discussions are spirited and informed. What I find in the cohort is a fellowship of disciples who want to make our common efforts alongside Christ as fruitful as possible. It is a place where truly the goal is to speak the truth in love so that we may become the mature body of Christ (Eph 4:15).
(4) There is a difference between being self-emptying and self-draining. This is a quotation from Fr Nicholas Solak who taught the recent coursePastoral Counseling in the Parish. If I had to pick a slogan for the D.Min. experience so far, this would be it. One priceless benefit of my studies to this point is perspective, in a word. It is easy to lose ourselves in ministry, to erase the good and needed boundaries that protect our authenticity as pastors and guides. As we deepen our understanding of youth ministry, or advances in medicine and biology, or liturgical practice, we are reminded over and over that what we do, we do for the glory of God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is good to step back and see the wide scope of excellent ministry that is ongoing in the Body of Christ. For me, this has been a source of encouragement and renewal. I know it has been for others as well. I look forward to the challenging work that still lies ahead.
Rev. Theophan Whitfield is the rector ofSt Nicholas Orthodox Churchin Salem, MA. With degrees in philosophy from Princeton and Columbia, he was a teacher of mathematics and the history of science before entering St Vladimir’s Seminary, from which he graduated in 2010. When he is not busy explaining to witches that Christians have been blessing water, homes, and graves for 2000 years, he enjoys exploring the North Shore of Boston with his wife, Matushka Manna, and three daughters.
Two presentations hosted by the St. Juliana Society (SJS) in the fall 2015 term provided the future clergy wives at St. Vladimir's with much food for thought and discussion. On Monday evening, October 26, a large group of women turned out to join in a mini-workshop offered by Matushka Amy Bozeman. Matushka and her husband Fr. David Bozeman (SVOTS '12) lead the community of St. Nektarios Orthodox Mission in Waxahachie, TX.
As an experienced labor and delivery nurse, an educator, doula, writer, editor, and mother of teens, Mat. Amy wears many hats. Her workshop focused on how women can identify and intentionally work through the expectations that they bring to seminary life. She emphasized the need for women to establish healthy patterns of self care, including the setting of appropriate boundaries that will be important later in the nurture of clergy family life.
L to R: Mat. Amy, Mat. Thekla Hatfield, Mat. Robyn HatrakOn Monday, November 9, Matushka Dennise Kraus of Holy Trinity Church in East Meadow, New York spoke to the SJS women on the topic "Pregnancy, Loss and the Orthodox Church: Praying for and ministering to families who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth." Matushka and alumnus Fr. Martin Kraus are the parents of five children ages 1–19. The couple experienced two miscarriages before and during their years at St. Vladimir's; this motivated Mat. Dennise to assemble prayers for the loss of an infant, and to prepare guidelines to help those who seek to minister to bereaved couples.
If you asked me about seminary two years ago, I would have replied that it wasn't even on my mind. I was tucked away on the other side of the world, 16,500 kilometers away (yes, we use the metric system in Australia!). I had just finished my physical therapy degree and accepted employment in a private practice. I was set in a comfortable workplace, reporting to honest bosses, and enjoying a supportive environment such as any new graduate would dream of. I was ready to begin my career.
Then everything changed. His Grace Bishop Suriel, dean of St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College (SACOTC) and bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne, commissioned me to come to St. Vladimir’s to study towards a Master of Arts degree. Eight months later, I landed in New York and began the process of making St. Vladimir’s my second home, and the adventure began. I’m hoping to complete a Master of Theology here at St. Vladimir’s before pursuing doctoral studies. God willing, when I return home, I will work as a lecturer at SACOTC.
I certainly stand out at St. Vladimir's, with my Australian accent and vocabulary, and my need of spellcheck for words like “colour” and “centre.” (Sometimes I deliberately spell them this way, on my papers!) What I've found, however, is that I’m not the only one with an unusual background. I've discovered that almost everybody here has a story, a unique experience to share, something inspiring to say.I’ve kept a careful record of it all, and my journal is full of what I'm learning and experiencing. So many comments and observations have slipped off the tips of people’s tongues here, and have triggered days of subsequent reflection for me. Little do they know how their words have echoed in my mind, and stayed with me.
While the whole experience of moving to New York has been an adventure, and living away from home has taught me many things, it is truly the people at St. Vladimir's who have made the experience most memorable. Living in this like-minded community, I've been amongst people who have committed their lives to the message of the Gospel. My professors and fellow seminarians alikehave given me a new perspective on life, and even the everyday happenings on campus are shaping and sharpening me.
In the classroom, the pressures of academic work have stretched me and the required reading has left me wanting more. Perhaps the most valuable skills I’ve learnt have been methodological. We’ve been taught how to read the Fathers, how to prepare a spiritual reflection on a Biblical text, and how to analyse primary historical documents. I also took a course in Hebrew, which has opened up possibilities of tasting the beauty of the Old Testament in a new way I never knew was possible. This is the real value in formal theological study. It’s not so much the material I’ve learnt; rather, it’s the tools I’ve been given, and will use for the rest of life, to grow in my faith, as I walk the pilgrim’s road to the kingdom of heaven.
Since I left home in August last year, I have seen God’s hand at work in my life in a far clearer way than ever before. He’s arranged everything, from the simplest of things as my circle of friends, to the numerous travel arrangements. He's provided academic and spiritual nourishment, and even finances, and He’s taken care of my every need. It’s been the journey of a lifetime. I am like the sojourning pilgrim of Russia, travelling where the Lord leads, not knowing the way but holding a steady Hand, trusting in His wisdom and growing in His love.
I’ve been blessed with an opportunity I would not have thought to choose for myself, and I am deeply thankful. Glory to be God in all things!
Abraam Mikhail is a first year Coptic student in the Master of Arts Program. He hails from Melbourne, Australia. This summer he was invited by Bishop Suriel to attend a conference in Egypt with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, 118th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He visited the Monasteries of St. Antony the Great and St. Paul of Thebes in the Red Sea, as well as that of St. Pakhomius, near Luxor (Thebes). St. Pakhomius was the father of cenobitic monasticism. Abraam was amazed to see the remains of Ancient Egyptian temples — the Karnak Temple and Temple of Luxor — that have been standing tall for thousands of years.
In his leisure time, Abraam enjoys making phone calls back home to Australia, and maintains a patristics blog. He hasn't posted anything all semester because he was busy doing the required reading for the Patristics survey course and the Origen class; hopefully things will change over the next few weeks!
The St. Juliana Society met on Monday, December 7, 2015 in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium on campus to hear a special presentation by Khouria Krista West. Owner of Krista West Vestments, an author, and a very dynamic speaker, Kh. Krista creates designs that may be found in Orthodox churches of every major jurisdiction in North America as well as numerous countries throughout the world.
An avid scholar of the history and construction techniques of Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical vesture, she writes and lectures on the topic in her Ancient Faith Radio podcast, The Opinionated Tailor, and has published a book with SVS Press on the same topic. She is the wife of Fr. Alban West, rector of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Portland, OR.
