Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel

On Saturday, September 5, 2015, the the Very Reverend Dr. Alexander Rentel, assistant professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies, represented St. Vladimir’s Seminary at the canonization of a new Serbian saint, St. Sebastian of San Francisco and Jackson. His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church led the festivities. The celebration was planned by the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, and held in the Western American Diocese at St. Steven’s Cathedral in Alhambra, CA, pastored by Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Nikola Ceko (M.Div. ’85). The hosting hierarch for the weekend, His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljevic) of the Western American Diocese, is a St. Vladimir's Trustee.

“The beautiful and spacious St. Steven's Cathedral in Alhambra was too small to receive all the faithful who came from many directions to witness the canonization of St. Sebastian,” reported the Western American Diocesan News. Diocesan and visiting clergy from the Diocese of Eastern America, New Gracanica and Midwestern America escorted Patriarch Irinej and all the hierarchs into the Cathedral, which was filled to overflowing. Seating and television screens were prepared for those outside the church as well.

“The entire canonization weekend was very moving,” noted Fr. Alex. “The many visiting hierarchs, clergy, and faithful were reminded that saints are the living fulfillment of the promise that you can be a Christian in this world. It was wonderful to be joined by His Holiness Irinej—a patriarch from one of the ancient world patriarchates—for the canonization of a saint born in San Francisco in the time of the gold rush, who was very much a part of the American landscape.”

Father Alex also commended the community of St. Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral for their gracious hospitality, which was extended throughout the whole weekend. “The enormous luncheon on Sunday for a huge crowd,” he said, “was memorable; among other things, it included a program that highlighted the saint’s ecumenical activity, his charitable giving, and his skills as an iconographer. We were reminded that his life has great relevance for us today.”

Read more on the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Read about the life of St. Sebastian

From July 30 through August 10, 2015, Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), director of Chapel Music and lecturer in Liturgical Music at St. Vladimir's, was a guest of the Diocese of Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). With the blessing of the Right Reverend David, Bishop of Sitka and Alaska, he travelled to Napaskiak, a village of about five hundred residents on the Kuskokwim River. There he took part in the Kuskokwim Deanery Conference, an annual gathering of clergy and laity from several villages of the region.

The conference was organized this year by the parish of St. James in Napaskiak, led by its rector and assistant priest, the Reverend Vasily Fisher and the Reverend Ishmael Andrew, both former students of Fr. Herman's from his time at St. Herman's Seminary ten years ago. Father Herman gave two scriptural and catechetical meditations, one for acolytes and one for church singers and choir directors. The conference concluded with a festal Vigil and Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Glorious Prophet Elijah, Sunday, August 2 (July 20 on the old calendar), at which His Grace presided.

The following week, Fr. Herman travelled to Kodiak, returning to St. Herman's Seminary for the first time since he moved away in 2007. On Saturday, August 8, he participated in the annual St. Herman Pilgrimage to Spruce Island, organized by the Very Reverend Innocent Dresdow, dean of Kodiak's Holy Resurrection Cathedral. At Divine Liturgy at Ss. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Chapel at Monks' Lagoon on Spruce Island, Fr. Herman directed a choir comprising faithful from several parishes in Alaska. An ad hoc rehearsal was organized the night before, and their hard work at rehearsal was rewarded the following morning, when they sang with much attentiveness and beauty.

On the feast of St. Herman on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, August 9, Fr. Herman was among the clergy who served with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon at Holy Resurrection Cathedral, where the relics of the venerable elder have been enshrined since his glorification on that date in 1970.

"It was a great gift to return to one of my most beloved homes and to celebrate there the feast of my patron saint," Fr. Herman remarked. "As the birthplace of Orthodoxy in America and the land of St. Herman's ascetic labors, Kodiak is a place of immense grace — and therefore also a place of hard spiritual warfare. Being away for eight years, I saw much growth and fruit in the life of the Church there. Despite trials and temptations, God is generous and faithful, and St. Herman's prayers are strong."

he Very Reverend Eugen J. Pentiuc, St. Vladimir's professor of Scripture and Semitic Languages, was invited by École biblique et archéologique française to spend six weeks in Jerusalem in the summer of 2015 completing his work for La Bible en ses traditions / The Bible in Its Traditions (or B.E.S.T). His contribution, "The Book of Hosea: A New Translation with Notes," once finished, will be published along with other contributions thus far completed by additional scholars, as the very first achievements of this ongoing digital Study Bible project. This will be the first digital, online Study Bible produced by the same school that created the well-known Study Bible, La Bible de Jerusalem (1956), known also as The New Jerusalem Bible.

"We are thrilled having Fr. Pentiuc as the main contributor to our Bible project, on the book of Hosea," stated Fr. Olivier-Thomas Venard, OP, Vice-Director of the École biblique and B.E.S.T. Project Director. "His multifaceted scholarly expertise, especially his highly recognized philological skills, his interpretive insights, both based on fresh textual criticism and anchored in patristic and liturgical tradition, and his enthusiasm, are commendable. His presence among us and our collaboration provide us with one more opportunity to appeal to our Orthodox scholar-brothers, inheritors of such a rich hermeneutical and theological tradition, to join us in retrieving the Bible as it has been read for two thousand years, while we are passing it on to the digital era."

The rigorous template designed by the B.E.S.T.'s steering committee, and followed by the contributors in their work ,aims to condense two thousand years of scriptural interpretation. This new Scripture translation based on the Septuagint, Masoretic Text, Peshitta, and Vulgate, will be accompanied by a wide array of study notes divided into three sections: text, context, and reception. The translation will cover various interpretive aspects, from textual, lexical, and literary notes, to Jewish and Christian commentaries and theological treatises.

École biblique et archéologique française is the oldest center of biblical and archaeological research in the Holy Land. It was founded in 1890 by Father Marie-Joseph Lagrange. The school is the world-renowned premier biblical school that combines written documents, archeological artifacts, and patristic interpretive tradition aiming at a holistic understanding of the Word of God.

Dr. Peter Bouteneff, St. Vladimir's professor of Systematic Theology, has written the September 2015 cover feature for BBC Music, the world's biggest-selling classical music magazine. The issue, dedicated to famed Estonian composer and Orthodox Christian, Arvo Pärt, hit the newstands in early August, with copies available in the United States as well as the UK.

The magazine's theme, "Arvo Pärt: How the composer's sacred sounds have captivated a generation," is explored by Dr. Bouteneff's piece, "Arvo Pärt: A Portrait." Similar themes are discussed in greater detail in Bouteneff's recently released SVS Press book Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence.

"BBC Music became aware of my SVS Press book," notes Dr. Bouteneff. "They also talked to Paul Hillier, one of the world’s great living choral conductors. He wrote the first book on Pärt, and he recommended me to write the article for this issue, which commemorates the composer's 80th birthday. I leapt at the opportunity!"

Since 2011, the Arvo Pärt Project at St. Vladimir's Seminary has fostered an extensive collaboration between the school and the composer, focusing on the Orthodox Christian underpinnings of Maestro Pärt's work through concerts, lectures, and the printed word. On June 18 of this year, a concordat between representatives of the Arvo Pärt Centre and St. Vladimir's was signed in Laulasmaa, Estonia. The concordat agrees to continued cooperation between the Centre and St. Vladimir's in the fields of arts and theology, in mutual counseling, and in joint academic activities. 

From June 17-24, 2015, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir's, attended the inaugural meeting of the new Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC).  Held at the Caraiman Monastery in Busteni, Romania, the meeting brought together 49 theologians from across the world representing Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Churches. Much of the gathering was spent in planning for the work of the Commission, whose term lasts until 2020.

St. Vladimir's Trustee the Right Reverend Maxim (Vasiljevic), bishop of the Western American Diocese, Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America, also participated in the meeting as a member of the Commission.

His Beatitude Daniel, archbishop of Bucharest, metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudgea, and a former staff member of the Commission, met with the group on Monday, June 22, and shared his memories from his time working with the Commission in Geneva.

Members at the meeting were assigned to one of three working groups tasked with addressing particular theological themes: Justice and Peace, Ecclesiology, and Moral Discernment. Professor Meyendorff will be working with the second group, whose primary responsibility will include receiving and analyzing responses to a 2013 convergence text on ecclesiology, entitled "The Church: Toward a Common Vision." Based on these responses, the group will then identify and begin working on theological issues that require further work and reflection.

The Faith and Order Commission, charged with doing the theological work of the WCC, includes many representatives from Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. St. Vladimir's has historically been well-represented since the 1950s, with former deans Frs. Georges Florovsky, John Meyendorff, and Thomas Hopko playing leading roles. Dr. Meyendorff has been a member of the Commission since 2004. "The Commission offers an excellent opportunity to meet and collaborate with important theologians from across the Christian world," Dr. Meyendorff noted upon his return. 

Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel

From Monday, June 15, to Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, assistant professor of Canon Law, accompanied His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, president and board chairman of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, to Constantinople for a meeting between the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. While not a member of the Executive Committee, Metropolitan Tikhon nevertheless had been invited to participate in this meeting, which was held on June 16 at the Phanar with His All-Holiness presiding. His Eminence Archbishop Dimitrios of America (GOA) led the delegation of hierarchs from the U.S., which also included SVOTS Trustee His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western American Diocese, Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America.

Read about the meeting on Oca.org
Read the report on the Assembly of Bishops website

Immediately following Commencement, St. Vladimir's Seminary hosted the 88th meeting of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation on June 2–4, 2015. The Consultation, this year celebrating its 50th anniversary, continued its current work on an agreed statement on the role of the laity, focusing primarily on the implications of baptism. At this meeting, members of the Consultation also worked on plans for a 50th anniversary celebration, to be held in October 2015 at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Worcester, MA, where the initial meeting took place in October 1965.

Faculty from St. Vladimir's have been active participants in the consultation from the very beginning. Current members include Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology; the Very Reverend Dr. John Erickson, retired Dean and Professur Emeritus; and the Right Reverend Bishop Alexander (Golitzin), bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese, Orthodox Church in America, who will serve as Visiting Professor of Patristics during the Fall 2015 semester.

On April 29, 2015, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Fr. Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology,  participated in a colloquium on Orthodox-Catholic relations at Seton Hall University, in South Orange, NJ. Professor Meyendorff delivered a lecture on a 2010 common statement issued by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation. The statement, "Steps Toward a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future," proposes a number of steps to foster unity that could be taken even before full agreement in reached. In particular, it calls for the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches to address the issues of primacy and concilarity together, rather than separately, in order to achieve a model of church structure that would be workable and acceptable to both sides.

In his presentation, Meyendorff also noted that the North American Consultation, which began in 1965, marks its 50th anniversary this year, having worked without interruption since its founding. The Consultation hosts biannual meetings of Orthodox and Catholic representatives, in order to facilitate discussion of theological and pastoral issues. In addition to releasing statements concerning marriage, baptism, the Eucharist, and the pastoral office, the Consultation also offers formal comments on statements from the ongoing Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in other parts of the world.

Read a news article about the Orthodox-Catholic Ecumenical Dialogue

On April 16, 2015, the "Live Ideas" festival sponsored every year by New York Live Arts featured the life and work of famed Orthodox composer Arvo Pärt. Renowned musician Laurie Anderson, the festival's curator, enlisted the Arvo Pärt Project at St. Vladimir's Seminary to help her plan and organize three events with the theme "Arvo Pärt: Journeys in Silence." The festival was also the ideal venue for the public debut of the new SVS Press book Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence authored by Dr. Peter Bouteneff, associate professor of Systematic Theology. Book signings by the author were held several times throughout the course of the day. 

"The release of the book tied in perfectly with the day's discussions," noted the Reverend Dn. Gregory Hatrak, director of Marketing and Operations for SVS Press and Bookstore. "We received many words of thanks for publishing a work dedicated to Arvo Pärt's faith."

dded Dr. Bouteneff, "I wrote this book with a widely diverse readership in mind — within and also outside the Church. The
enthusiasm of this festival audience for our panel discussions, and for my book, was so exciting to see. St. Vladimir's Seminary's deeper engagement with the arts – visual and musical – is already having tangible implications for its outreach into communities we've never before been able to reach."

The Project at St. Vladimir's Seminary is an important component in the Seminary's plans for a new Institute of Sacred Arts. The Institute is described in the Board of Trustees' 2020 Strategic Plan.

Read about the seminary's 2014 Arvo Pärt Carnegie Hall concert.
A reviewer writes about the book on Goodreads

As the holder of the Donohue Chair at the Pontifical Oriental Institute for the 2014-15 academic year, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, St. Vladimir's Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, traveled to Rome, Italy on March 19–28, 2015. The Oriental Institute, part of the Gregorian University, offers graduate degrees in Eastern History, Theology, Liturgy, and Canon Law. At the Institute, the SVOTS professor taught a week-long course and delivered the annual Donohue Lecture to an audience of some 200 persons. The lecture was entitled "Towards a Baptismal Ecclesiology." 

While in Rome, Dr. Meyendorff also visited with alumna Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze. An Orthodox theologian and former staff member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Dr. Grdzelidze was appointed the nation of Georgia's new ambassador to the Holy See last year. She presented her credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican in September of 2014.