The appealing invitation read, "Good afternoon, Ladies, Please join us at tomorrow’s Wine & Cheese reception. Let’s enjoy this last celebration before Lent begins!" Invited by Matushka Thekla Hatfield and Matushka Robyn Hatrak, SVOTS women attended a pre-lenten campus gathering on March 7 featuring an honored guest, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
The ladies first enjoyed a potluck of favorite cheesefare cuisine, before assembling to hear from His Beatitude, the Seminary's president and board chairman. After the chancellor of the Seminary, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, offered a short introduction, and Metropolitan Tikhon briefly shared his thoughts on the role of clergy wives in the Church, the floor was open for questions.
“How can I help my husband establish a good relationship with our bishop?”
“If there happens to be another Orthodox jurisdiction nearby, may I confess to a priest there?”
“What is your opinion on confession over the phone?”
“How did your trip to the Diocese of the South go, and what is your view on the incorrupt remains of Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas?”
“Has the process of canonization changed and sped up with the development of information technology, especially social networks like Facebook and Twitter?”
“What is your vision for the OCA in the years to come?”
“How does one regard the concept of spiritual fathers in America?”
“Whom do you turn to for spiritual guidance?"
Metropolitan Tikhon provided candid informal responses to these and other questions. As he elaborated on the practical pastoral aspect of serving at a parish, he pointed out that the ministry of a priest’s spouse is unique and demanding; yet to preserve one’s sanity and humanity, one shouldn’t forget about self-care.
“The role of a clergyman’s wife is to keep him grounded. As he gets caught up in the mysteries—hearing confessions, serving Liturgy, and so on, she helps him get back down-to-earth. But in order to do that, you have to keep grounded yourselves. Many of you came tonight with a baby. Tending to a parish is somewhat similar—in some sense they are your children, your flock. And then the temptation is to escape into a fantasy, to imagine yourself someplace else: ‘I’m not really here.’ And yet it is essential to be present. Remember: your role is important, you are not just an accessory to the priest.”
One of the seminarian spouses asked the Metropolitan to share some concrete advice in how to stay grounded: “Of course, praying, fasting, and reading Scripture are some of the ways. But can you suggest something specific? Like a concrete prayer or other measure?”
Metropolitan Tikhon paused in thought for a moment, before he gave a response: “You know what? Go for a walk. Tell your husband to look after the kids for a bit, and take a stroll in the woods or the park. This is also a way to get away from the problem, but it’s a healthy distraction. Consult a therapist. Some look down on seeking counseling, but it can really help. Talk to a friend. And even if you don’t have friends in this town—as clergy families are usually a bit detached from the parishioners, in order to maintain a healthy parish—have some friends to call, establish a network, make a connection.
"I think I understand your question," he continued. "Praying and reading Scripture is good, but when one feels burdened and trapped, then telling yourself ‘I have to do my prayer rule! I have to read the Bible!’ can add more pressure. And yet often you just need an outlet to speak things out. That is why an important part of my vision for the OCA is promoting clergy health—establishing peer groups for priests where they can share their experiences. And of course, talk to your husbands. Encourage each other.”
"At seminary," reflected first-year seminarian spouse Ilaria O'Keefe afterwards, "we are given many opportunities to interact with clergy, including hierarchs of the Church. It is encouraging to see bishops who act as true pastors to their flock. Metropolitan Tikhon's gentleness and humility help make him a kind and approachable minister to the people of North America. Mravalzhamier! Many Years!"
(Text by Olga Kirilchenko; Photos by campus photographer Mary Honoré)
During Holy Week and Bright Week, 2015, St. Vladimir's seminarians Edward Hunter, Lijin Raju, and I had the unbelievable opportunity to travel to Kenya as part of a mission trip sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), and led by Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi. As the result of a generous grant, the three of us were able to travel to Kenya without any expenses of our own. The trip was one that we will never forget, as it has left an imprint on all three of our hearts.
Our first week in Kenya was spent in Nairobi at the Orthodox seminary, which is run by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya. We were able to spend the entire week at the seminary, participating in Holy Week services, which the priests served using a mix of English, Greek, and Swahili. One of the days, Archimandrite Philip Mugadizi (a graduate of St. Vladimir's Seminary), told us about the work Archbishop Makarios has done as well as what he hopes to accomplish in the future.
The entire time we were there, the staff and students were exceptionally hospitable and His Eminence always went out of his way to ensure that we were taken care of. The highlight of our Holy Week in Kenya was when we processed from St. George's Cathedral with Christ's tomb on Great and Holy Friday through the impoverished neighborhood of Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world. We processed in the middle of the town, amidst all the chaos, singing the hymn over and over. During his homily, His Eminence said "Jesus has been crucified, But He will resurrect on the third day. Even if you are in the poorest place, Jesus will resurrect here also." What a powerful message for some of the poorest people on earth! It helped to remind us that what we do for "the least of these," we do for Christ Himself.
After Paschal Liturgy, we flew to Turkana, a two-hour flight northwest from Nairobi. The week we spent there was extremely different than Holy Week in Nairobi. Nairobi is a relatively metropolitan area where there are tall buildings, fast food chains, and people dressed in Western clothing. However, the Turkana are a people who wear their traditional tribal clothing and adhere to their customs more closely. We began our week there by traveling to St. John the Baptist Church and celebrating Agape Vespers. The people there, many of whom had traveled well over a day to be there with us, were ecstatic and smiling wide as we came to the parish.
The three of us had prepared lessons for catechists who had come from their villages to learn, so Monday through Wednesday of Bright Week was spent at St. John the Baptist's church working our way through the Nicene Creed and teaching catechesis to the catechists present. The three priests present, Fr. Vladimir, Fr. Moses, and Fr. Zechariah, were our translators as we presented the material. The evenings were spent often playing games with the children and catechists who were at the parish.
On Thursday, we traveled far into the desert and met under a tree with three villages that came together to hear us preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. About half the villagers who came to hear us were Christian, while the other half were not. Even more predominantly, the men were not Christian, and in cultures such as these, the men decide everything. The priests went to these villages before our arrival to ask our permission to preach to them the Word of God, and they agreed because each time a group from OCMC had come before, rain also came. As can be assumed, in an environment as dry as Turkana, rain is truly a gift from God Himself.
While we preached to the villages gathered under a large tree I had only previously seen inThe Lion King, it began to rain. Our God is a God of action! Thus, more than any of our words or theological elucidations, it was the rain that convinced the people there to listen to what we had to say. While we will never know how many of them will end up being baptized because of that day, it is safe to say that we learned what it meant to "sow the seeds of the Word of God," regardless of the turnout, because our Lord works with what He has. As a result of the rain, the tribal leaders asked Fr. Martin to continually bring people back to tell them about his God because every time they came, so did the rain. What a miraculous experience!
At the end of our trip, the three of us told Fr. Martin Ritsi that "...this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience." Fr. Martin then replied, "Why does it have to be 'once-in-a-lifetime'?" It made the three of us stop to reflect. We came to Kenya thinking it would be a rewarding, one-time experience, but all three of us left wanting to do more in Kenya and all around the world to encourage the growth of our Holy Church. While only time will tell what is in store for each one of us, it is apparent that our two weeks in Kenya has shaped us in a way that we had never before imagined.
Our lives are meant to be an embodiment of Matthew 28:16-20. What form that will take is different for each person, but the reality of being ambassadors for Christ is one that we cannot deny as Orthodox Christians. Ed, Lijin, and I hope to return to Kenya one day, to receive a blessing from Archbishop Makarios, to see the smiles of our brother seminarians, to embrace the loving people of Turkana, and to preach the Word of our Lord and Savior to those who have yet to hear it.
Shawn Thomas, author of this article, is a second-year seminarian in the Master of Divinity program. He is from Chicago, IL, and his home parish is St. Peter's Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church. Edward Hunter is a second year Master of Arts student. He hails from Williamsport, PA, and his home parish is The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Orthodox Church in America). Lijin Raju is in her second year of pursuing her Master of Theology degree. Her home city is Dallas, TX, where she attends St. Mary's Orthodox Church (Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church).Read her reflection, "Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall..."
Over the course of two Monday evenings, February 15, 2016 and March 21, a unique St. Juliana Society program was hosted in the Bashir Auditorium on campus. Hierodeacon Father Herman (Majkrzak), lecturer in Liturgical Music and director of Chapel Music, presented a two-part series, "Introduction to the Divine Services and the books used in them."
Offering an overview of all the liturgical resources used by clergy and choir directors to assemble services—hymns, prayers, saints' lives, and more—Fr. Herman explained each part of the service, and how each piece contributes to the whole. He also brought copies of all the service books, displaying them on a table in front of the room. As a helpful visual aid, he sketched out the framework of the entire Church calendar, September through August, on the lecture hall's long white board. The chart presented the women with a vivid depiction of both the complexity and the unity present in the liturgical year.
"On archdiocesan websites, you can access the service rubrics for any given day: all hymns, prayers, and other information," noted first year seminarian spouse Mary Honoré . "These are good tools, and yet it can be hard to grasp the whole scope of the church year. Since it's through the services and hymnography that the Faith is transmitted, it's so important for us to understand the big picture. All the women in attendance were taking notes and having 'aha!' moments; regardless of whether we are recent converts or cradle Orthodox Christians, we learned a lot about how this all fits together.
"And on the practical side," Mary added, "as future priest wives we might find ourselves in a position where we need to help to prepare services, so this basic knowledge will help us as we assist our husbands."
I've often wondered if I would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, which has represented this journey of mine for the past three years at St. Vladimir's. It's been a journey full of joy, new friendships, learning, and achievements...but it's been equally full of sadness, loss, misunderstandings, and defeats.
My time at St. Vladimir's has been like a roller coaster: full of ups and downs with some loops thrown in-between — and I'm not particularly fond of roller coasters, either! But when I muster up the strength to ride one, I realize at the end that it wasn't so bad...and was actually quite fun. In fact, my roller coaster ride at seminary has prepared me for the many more I will (most likely) ride in my ministry — figuratively speaking.
I'm grateful for the diverse and first-hand experiences I've had at St. Vladimir's. Before coming here, I thought Orthodoxy consisted only of things done in my home parish: Byzantine chant, vespers on Saturdays, liturgy on Sunday, and the occasional feast day, celebrated a few times a year.
Instead I heard traditional Russian chant, experienced daily matins and vespers with vigil on Saturdays, raced to my parish assignment on Sundays, and went to another liturgy during the week for a feast day or saint's commemoration—a big adjustment for me, but one, I believe, I needed, because without learning to change and adjust, I would remain stagnant.
I got to see another side of Orthodoxy, and what a sight! The St. Vladimir's "Damascene" and "Cassia" choirs were some of the best I'll ever hear, and the liturgical services are done more fully, at times, so that I could experience how these services were originally celebrated. And, for the most part, we students were the ones responsible for making it all happen.
St. Vladimir's also did a great job of letting me experience the life of a priest. Here, I learned the meaning of the Scripture: "You are not your own" (1 Cor 6:19). Priestly ministry is a life of service to others — period. Here, I was tasked with chapel duty, meal crew, and janitorial duty; with preparation for special events and participation in student council; with attending choir rehearsal and fulfilling parish assignments; with navigating relationships and even volunteering for the Advancement Department, and so forth.
To top off the rigorous schedule, there's Great Lent. As an Antiochian student I traveled three to four times a week to extra services. For Holy Week I visited a different parish everyday.
All this leads me to talk about my best experience while at St. Vladimir's. The summer after my first year, as part of the seminary's M.Div. requirement, I did my chaplaincy internship at Banner Good Samaritan in Phoenix, AZ. I fulfilled 400 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which included patient visitations and classroom sessions for self-reflection.
It was the best thing I'd done in my three years at St. Vladimir's — hands down.
Why? Because communication will be at the heart of my future ministry, and CPE helped me become a better communicator by helping me recognize where I needed to improve. CPE's also the reason why I have decided to continue down the road of chaplaincy.
Last December I applied for a CPE residency in Wichita, KS, at Wesley Medical Center: Over the winter break I had an interview with Wesley, and a couple weeks later they offered me the position, which I gladly accepted. I begin August 31.
My CPE residency will be a one-year chaplaincy program geared towards helping students learn how to become better communicators. By "communicate," I mean listening. As I've learned from my seminary professor, Dr. Albert Rossi, active listening is "85% of effective counseling."
Following my residency, if God so chooses, I hope to continue chaplaincy work toward CPE certification. I believe chaplaincy is an important ministry to the continuing work of Jesus Christ, one at the front lines of the "Great Commission."
But why did I choose Wichita for CPE training?...because that's where my fiancée, Rebecca, is from. I met Rebecca in the fall of my second year, when she came to St. Vladimir's to visit her best friend. She left after meeting the man she'll spend the rest of her life with. On August 22, 2015, I'll marry THE most amazing woman, and I'll look forward to spending each day with her for the rest of my life.
I'm grateful to St. Vladimir's for providing the moments leading up to this point, to a future that (to me at least) looks bright—like a light at the end of the tunnel.
Rami Dahdal is a third-year seminarian in the M.Div. program. He is from sunny Glendale, AZ, and loves photography and comic books (Batman is his favorite). He has a younger sister and brother, and is an uncle of two beautiful boys, Ace and Jax. His home parish is St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Phoenix, AZ.
So much of what we do is like chaff that will be burned away on the last day because of its non-essential character. I would venture to say that this Scriptural idea not only concerns the pointless aspects of our lives, such as when we are sitting aimlessly on the couch; it is also a reminder that those of our activities which by the name of it seem "good" or even "Christian" will all-too-easily be obliterated with time unless they possess a concrete foundation in Jesus Christ [cf. I Cor 3.10–15]. What is this foundation, more practically speaking? Perhaps it is a mature theological knowledge of Christ. Perhaps it is a motivation behind our actions which draws its power from the contemplation of the activity of God himself, nothing less, albeit in a small measure. But how can we in any sense be attuned to this divine motivational power if we have only vague and worldly notions concerning goodness, concerning meaningfulness, concerning beauty, concerning the divine?
My intentions in pursuing another cycle of studies in theology at St Vladimir's were perhaps a bit less "practical" than those of many of my fellow classmates. Through the mercy of God, things have already fallen into place concerning my vocation in life—that of iconographer and instructor. On the surface of it, I don't particularly need another degree. But I keep realizing that despite my religious occupation, despite four years of theological education at the Saint Sergius Institute in Paris (not to speak of the earlier years at college pursuing a BA in classics), my attention is seldom focused on Christ and his invisible working in an adequate, focused way. Despite being called men and women of the Church, most of us are still more or less beating around the spiritual bush. What is lacking is the convincing "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" [Eph 4.13].
This is not to imply that a spiritual maturity will be guaranteed by theological education. At seminary, we are simply working through things, training the muscle which is our mind (as our Dean suggests). We remember that the "mind" is a key term in the anthropology of many of the Fathers. To "hold the mind in check" when stray thoughts attempt to seduce it, but also to train the "mind's eye" to be attentive to the manifestations of the divine Word—this is the path of Christian spiritual progress in a nutshell. What I will primarily take away from my studies at St Vladimir's is the discovery that these two rules apply just as much to the classroom and to readings as to personal ascetic discipline.
Simply put, an active sobriety of the mind is indispensible in the pursuit of theology. As facets of this idea, at St. Vladimir's, I have learned to read authors very closely, with sensitivity towards the original intentions and particular genius of each, to be attentive, on a basic level, to the way a written piece is organized, for example. I have learned to what extent considerations of context and literary style play a part in every single writing of the Church, including the gospels. I have begun to realize just how important a part rhetoric plays in the majority of ancient writings and even in the liturgical art of the Church. What my professors have offered are valuable insights concerning methodology, not ready-made dogmatic formulas for memorization.
My original intention in coming to the Seminary was simply to spend more time with the teachers and teachings of the Church. I come away with something perhaps even more important: cultivating the organ for perceiving these teachings is half the battle. Perhaps with the training of this faculty on all its levels our faith will have the chance of reaching a token of maturity that will be, in some respect at least, impressive.
Nikita Andrejev is a second-year MA Student at St. Vladimir's. He started on the path of icon painting with his father and has been painting and teaching for the past twenty years in the US and Europe. His wife Marrit is Estonian and a free-lance conference interpreter. They have three children and make their permanent home near Tallinn, Estonia, despite frequent travels.
At the beginning of 2015, two of us from St. Vladimir's Seminary joined students from three other Orthodox seminaries, to participate in a home building effort in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sponsored by theInternational Orthodox Christian Charities(IOCC) in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, the humanitarian project addressed the ongoing need for housing rehabilitation in the city still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Most of our days were spent working on home construction and rehab, but we also were able to take a trip to see the Ninth Ward, a section of New Orleans that had beenespecially impacted by the hurricane. A decade after Katrina, there is still a lot of work to be done in rebuilding New Orleans.
This is the second year that IOCC has enlisted a team of seminarians to assist in the building and repair of homes;several students from St. Vladimir's participated in a similar project in 2014.In fact, since 2005, nearly 1,000 volunteers on IOCC Orthodox Action Teams have donated over 33,000 man-hours to repair 193 family homes across the United States damaged by natural disasters.
These past three years, I have been in the classrooms, the library, and the chapel at St. Vladimir's, studying and praying. However, soon it will be time to graduate and leave this behind, and I then will begin to apply the theology I have studied. The home build with IOCC reminded each of us seminarians that the universe is our parish, and that our Church is without borders. If we are to lead, we must first learn how to serve.
A third-year seminarian, Fr. Mark was ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of the Holy Cross this past year at Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, Maryland. His wife, Kh. Vasilia, is a clinical social worker who works at an outpatient counseling center with youth and their families in the Bronx, NY. They welcomed their first child, daughter Catherine, into this world on November 8, 2014. Father Mark will serve in the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America upon graduation; he is looking forward to fulfilling his vocation through Christian service and ministry.
By Djakonitsa Adrienne Soper, wife of Deacon Larry Soper, 1st-year M.Div. Seminarian
Clergy wives have to navigate the complex issues of parish life, and sometimes knowing exactly what do in each situation can be difficult. This was the topic chosen by His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah) of Worcester and New England (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America), as guest speaker at the March 6, 2017 meeting of the St. Juliana Society—our women’s fellowship at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
His Grace, spoke to us wives of seminarians about parish dynamics, offering advice gleaned from his own experience, both as a widowed bishop and as a married priest.
“It is important,” he noted, “that clergy couples need to remain strong in their bond of marriage, by making time for one another and carefully crafting and scheduling time away from parish duties.”
Borrowing from St. Paul’s admonitions to married couples (Ephesians 5), he said that wives could be supportive of their husband’s ministry by being respectful of their husbands—and added that husbands must cherish their wives.
“Essentially,” he reminded us, “the couple must preserve their bond as a couple, as oftentimes parish life can be demanding, and it is easy to become consumed by it.”
We women of the St. Juliana Society were able to ask questions on His Grace’s chosen theme and then to receive feedback from him, as well as from our peers. At the end of this wonderful exchange, we realized we had received a treasure trove of wisdom to guide us as we accompany our spouses in their priestly vocations.
His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop John is an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and is an auxiliary bishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, overseeing the Diocese of Worcester and New England.
On Monday, the St. Juliana Society (SJS) welcomed to campus His Beatitude the Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, metropolitan of All America and Canada, and chair of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
His Beatitude met with the group, comprised of women seminarians and wives of seminarians, at the home of Archpriest Chad and Matushka Thekla Hatfield. Matushka Thekla coordinates SJS. Metropolitan Tikhon discussed a number of topics proposed by the group, including his own journey from childhood to primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), his mother, the role of youth in the OCA, the March for Life, and humility.
The Wives’ Program on campus was formalized in 2007 to help strengthen the formation of clergy families. In 2010, the fellowship took the name of the St. Juliana Society. Women’s fellowship events and programs on campus also include women seminarians.
On Monday evening, the Seminary’s St. Juliana Society (SJS) welcomed Mother Christophora, who spoke to women of the Seminary community about Great Lent.
“Mother Christophora shared with us that humility is knowing yourself and knowing God, and she encouraged us as women and mothers to be ourselves,” said Kh. Anna Fields, whose husband, Fr. Herman Fields, is in his third year at Seminary. “She gave us a lot of practical advice about navigating fasting and long church services for those of us with young children.”
“Her talk was refreshing…” added Seminarian Asha Mathai, who said Mother Christophora reminded priest wives and mothers not to feel guilty if they can’t follow the practices of a fast as strictly as others. “She reminded us that these practices were created by single young monastics in the desert. She told us of her mother who couldn't prostrate after injury. She reminded her mother that her pain is her prostration.”
Mother Christophora also shared with the group that wives of clergy are the priests of their family while the husband attends to needs of his parish. While the father is away, the mother teaches a child how to cross oneself and pray. Additionally, the wife of a priest cares for her husband, who will be giving so much of himself to his parish.
The Wives’ Program on campus was formalized in 2007 to help strengthen the formation of clergy families. In 2010, the fellowship took the name of the St. Juliana Society. Women’s fellowship events and programs on campus also include women seminarians.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Protopresbyter Daniel Hubiak, former Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America (1973-1988) and former OCA Representative to the Moscow Patriarchate (1992-2001). Father Daniel fell asleep in the Lord Friday, February 5, at the age of 94.
Father Daniel Hubiak was born on December 29, 1926 in Akron, OH to Archpriest Afanasy and Susan (Wanchisen) Hubiak, where his father was the founding pastor of St. Nicholas Church. After serving in the US Army, he graduated from Columbia University and St. Vladimir’s Seminary (then in New York City) in 1951. On September 16, 1951, he married Evdokia (Dunia) Martynuk of Brooklyn, NY. Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), Primate of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (informally known as the Metropolia and precursor to the Orthodox Church in America) ordained Fr. Daniel to the Holy Diaconate on September 21, 1952 and to the Holy Priesthood on September 27, 1952. He was then assigned as assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Detroit, MI until June of the following year, when he was transferred to Holy Assumption Church in Marblehead, OH, where he would serve as pastor for more than two years. On July 17, 1956, he was assigned as assistant pastor at Holy Transfiguration Church in Brooklyn, NY, where he would remain for another two years. Subsequently, on June 1, 1958, he was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Church in East Meadow on Long Island, NY. There, during his more than a decade-long pastorate, he would lead the community in the construction of its new church building.
With the creation of the positions of chancellor, secretary, and treasurer for the Metropolia at the 11th All-American Sobor in 1963, Fr. Daniel was invited to become the treasurer for the Church while continuing his pastoral work as rector of the East Meadow parish. This work required his frequent presence at the chancery offices, then located at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Manhattan. Father Daniel exerted much effort to make the finances stable and to provide accountability to the Church. In May 1970, he was named to the seven-member delegation assigned to travel to Moscow to receive the Tomos of Autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in America. In August of that year, he participated in the glorification services in Kodiak of St. Herman of Alaska, North America’s first Orthodox saint. Finally, in October 1970, he was a delegate to the historic 1st All-American Council of the new autocephalous Church.
After the Council, Fr. Daniel was asked to take on additional responsibilities within the Church administration by serving as secretary. At this point, after twelve years in East Meadow, he relinquished his parish responsibilities to devote his energies fully to labors in two of the three officer positions of the OCA. Effective December 1, 1970, he was assigned to St. Sergius Chapel at the Metropolitan’s Residence, located in Syosset, NY. When he was not traveling in fulfillment of his chancery responsibilities, Fr. Daniel would provide pastoral care for members of the chancery staff and other faithful attending services there for nearly two decades. He would continue as secretary-treasurer for the Church for three years, until he was named OCA chancellor in November 1973 to succeed Protopresbyter Joseph Pishtey, who had reposed a year earlier. Father Daniel was the only person to hold at some point each of the three officer positions of the OCA since their establishment in 1963. In fact, during the late 1970s, Fr. Daniel managed the duties of all three offices simultaneously, as the positions of secretary and treasurer were vacant for several years. In his role as chancellor, Fr. Daniel was the key assistant for Metropolitans Ireney (Bekish) and Theodosius (Lazor), especially in facilitating the smooth functioning of the Holy Synod, the All-American Councils, and the Metropolitan Council as well as the growing number of various Church departments and commissions and the chancery offices. In 1974, he oversaw the transfer of the Chancery offices from Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City to Syosset, NY.
In 1988, Fr. Daniel and Matushka Dunia returned to parish ministry when he left his position as chancellor and was assigned to succeed his late friend, Fr. John Skvir, who had reposed unexpectedly, as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Jersey City, NJ.
At this time, perestroika and glasnost were rapidly changing the life of the Church in the Soviet Union, and it became possible for the Orthodox Church in America to realize its long-held vision to establish a representation church in Moscow, alongside the representation of several other autocephalous churches. The idea of establishing a representation church of the North American Diocese in Russia was first conceived in the early twentieth century. With his vast experience in church administration, understanding of the Russian Church through his contacts with its leaders and travels there, along with his pastoral and language skills, Fr. Daniel possessed the requisite qualities to become the representative, a kind of ecclesiastical ambassador, for the OCA in Moscow. Therefore, effective January 1, 1992, Fr. Daniel and Matushka Dunia were assigned to serve in Moscow. Initially, Fr. Daniel conducted services at a chapel within the Danilov Monastery, gathering a flock of Americans and other English-speaking Orthodox stationed in Moscow, along with locals who also joined the community. As this community grew, it became apparent that the American representation could indeed become a permanent fixture in Moscow. Patriarch Aleksy II of Moscow and All Rus offered the OCA a choice of several churches in central Moscow to house its representation. The Church of St. Catherine in the Fields on Bolshaya Ordynka Street was chosen. On December 7, 1994, the feast of St. Catherine, Patriarch Aleksy and OCA Primate Metropolitan Theodosius concelebrated a festive prayer service at the church to officially inaugurate its functioning as the OCA Representation Church. Father Daniel worked tirelessly to restore the church buildings that had been used for secular purposes during Soviet times. He built up the parish community and made the OCA a visible presence in Moscow in both ecclesiastical and secular circles. Through the labors of Fr. Daniel, the altar of St. Catherine’s Church was readied for its solemn consecration by Patriarch Aleksy and Metropolitan Theodosius on June 11, 1999. Many hierarchs and clergy concelebrated and numerous pilgrims from the United States attended the festive occasion.
After nearly a decade of ministry in Moscow, Fr. Daniel and Matushka Dunia returned to the United States in 1999 and settled permanently in their home in coastal Maryland. He started a new mission community, Christ the Savior, which has now progressed to parish status in Berlin, MD. After the assignment of Fr. John Parsells as parish rector in 2006, Fr. Daniel was able, at the age of 80, to relinquish his pastoral responsibilities, although he and Matushka remained an active presence in the parish until the end of his life. In his later years, he was also active in the management of Sts. Cosmas and Damian Adult Home in Staten Island, NY and spoke at various events reflecting on the historical events he had witnessed in church life. Father Daniel and Matushka Dunia were also able to visit Russia again several times in the two decades since they left. They were always warmly welcomed back, especially at St. Catherine’s Church where they had labored so energetically. Most recently, Fr. Daniel participated in the celebrations marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the inauguration of St. Catherine’s Church as the OCA Representation that took place in Moscow in December 2019, where he was acknowledged by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
Father Daniel was honored with many awards throughout his long ministry. Most notably, he was elevated in 1997 to the rank of protopresbyter, a rare honor for clergy who serve with great distinction. He was also awarded the St. Innocent Award (gold class) and the right to wear the mitre.
He is survived by Matushka Dunia, his beloved spouse of sixty-nine years; daughters, Larice Nescott and her husband Gregg, an attorney and prominent Orthodox layman who was a longtime member of the Metropolitan Council, and Matushka Annice, wife of Archpriest Joseph Oleynik, recently retired pastor of St. John the Baptist Church of Canonsburg, PA; and several grandchildren and their families.
His passing truly marks the end of an era. From Fr. Daniel’s connection through his father to the Church in North America in the early twentieth century to the multitude of major historical events he personally experienced and significant church figures he knew through most of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. He will be missed by many who were touched by his multifaceted priestly ministry in both America and Russia.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Christ the Savior Church, Berlin, MD; Wounded Warriors; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The schedule of services for F. Daniel’s funeral is as follows:
Wednesday, February 10
9 a.m. Vesting of the Body at Funeral home in Salisbury, MD (with diocesan clergy invited)
2 p.m. Viewing at Christ the Savior Church, Berlin, MD
3 p.m. Memorial
7 p.m. Funeral
Thursday, February 11
9 a.m. Divine Liturgy, followed by travel to St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA
