With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, a delegation including a St. Vladimir’s Seminary alumnus and faculty member represented His Beatitude and the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) at the enthronement of His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros as the new archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
The Rite of Enthronement was celebrated at the Greek Archdiocese’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York, NY, on Saturday, June 22, 2019.
Representing the OCA were Archbishop Michael of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey; OCA Director of External Affairs Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky, who studied at St. Vladimir’s from 1964 to 1967; and Archpriest John Behr, consultant to the OCA Office of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations, director of the Master of Theology Program at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY, and the Seminary’s Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary prayerfully wishes Archbishop Elpidophoros many years!
Sections of this article have been reprinted from OCA.org
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is pleased to announce that Sarah Werner has been hired as the new marketing director for St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.
Werner will lead the strategic vision for marketing and sales of product, supervise SVS Bookstore operations, and work closely with all aspects of Press operations.
"SVS Press books have contributed greatly to my own spiritual journey and theological understanding,” said Werner, “and I am honored to have a hand in expanding the Press and continuing to provide reputable theological resources to the Church and those seeking the Church."
Werner joins the staff with demonstrated experience in multiple fields, including in marketing and nonprofit work. She hails from Lexington, KY, where she was a member of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church (OCA) in Nicholasville, KY, under the pastoral leadership of Archpriest Justin Patterson (SVOTS Class of 2005).
The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary warmly wishes Sarah many years of success in leading and developing the valuable mission and work of SVS Press.
SVS Press & Bookstore will be closed from Wednesday, June 26 through Friday, June 28, 2019 for inventory, and will also be closed the following Monday, July 1 for auditing. The Press & Bookstore is closed Saturday and Sunday as usual.
Customers may email, fax, or leave a voice message regarding orders during this extended closure, but all orders will be held for processing until regular summer business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST) resume Tuesday, July 2.
Please note the bookstore will also be closed Thursday, July 4 for the national holiday. The SVS Press & Bookstore staff thank you for your patronage and understanding.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press is offering 30% off all SVS Press titles and CD’s and free shipping (US only) from June 12 through June 25.
To get the discount, head to the SVS Press website and enter the coupon code “Summer19” at checkout (the code is case-sensitive). You can also get the discount in-store at the SVS Press Bookstore, located on campus at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY.
During the summer months, SVS Press and Bookstore hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Alumni from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) represented the Orthodox Church in America [OCA] at the 98th Session of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.
The gathering, held at the Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, Contookook, NH, May 28-31, 2019, was co-chaired by His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and His Eminence, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, NJ. The participants—eighteen theological scholars of varying disciplines—contributed to discussions on pastoral, theological, and practical matters.
Recent SVOTS graduate Laura Wachsmuth, the Class of 2019 salutatorian, was invited to be a “steward” at the Consultation’s spring meeting in part because of her interest in Orthodox-Catholic relations. Laura attended a Roman Catholic Seminary in Oregon for a year prior to enrolling at St. Vladimir’s.
“It was an invaluable experience for me to see this dialogue in action,” said Laura. “I was struck by the community of friendship that has developed among the Consultation members over the years. These friendships have helped create an atmosphere where difficult, complicated, and controversial topics can be broached.
"This theological consultation, the longest-lasting Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, has issued a number of significant agreed statements, including on baptism, the eucharist, marriage, and most recently on the laity,” said Dr. Meyendorff. “Meeting regularly since 1965, the group has continued its work unimpeded by the conflicts that at times hindered the progress of the official international dialogue.”
“On a personal level, it has brought me into contact with leading Orthodox and Catholic theologians, which has served as an extension of my tenure at St. Vladimir's."
Meyendorff has remained active in ecumenical dialogues and gatherings since his retirement from SVOTS in 2016, and he has represented the OCA at previous North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultations. He has participated in the Faith and Order Commission of both the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical work dovetails with his responsibilities as an advisor to the Department of External Affairs of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a position he has held since 2000. Meyendorff is also a charter member of the St. Irenaeus Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, which just published a significant statement on primacy and conciliarity, entitled "Serving Communion.” The statement is included in a recent volume of the St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly (SVTQ), Vol. 63, No. 1, 2019.
During the Theological Consultation, participants discussed an unofficial international Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue, the Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, and considered one of this Dialogue’s statements on primacy and synodality. Additionally, participants examined the issue of mixed Orthodox-Catholic marriages and made final revisions to a statement titled “Vocation and Mission of the People of God.”
On Thursday, May 30, the Consultation joined the Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops, co-chaired by Metropolitan Methodios and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston. The two bodies met to discuss mixed marriage, reflect on synodality in the Church, and consider interchurch relations between and within their respective traditions.
Will you be at the 2019 Antiochian Archdiocese Convention this July? Or will you be in the Grand Rapids, MI area around that time? Meet us there for a gathering of alumni and friends!
The SVOTS event will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25at the Ford Ballroom of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
Questions? Contact Matushka Robyn Hatrak at rhatrak@svots.edu.
The Board, chaired by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), made the decision at its semi-annual meeting on Friday, May 17, 2019.
The trustees in attendance voted unanimously to appoint Fr. Chad to a new five-year term. His current term expires in June.
“Father Chad has faithfully served the seminary now for twelve years, first as chancellor and then as president after the Seminary launched its new governance model in 2016,” said Deacon Michael Hyatt, executive chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are excited about his vision for the Seminary’s future and confident in his ability to lead us there.”
“With the looming clergy shortage on the horizon and the challenges of an increasingly secular society, the Seminary’s mission is as pressing as ever. That’s why it’s so important that we have a trusted, visionary leader like Fr. Chad at the helm,” Hyatt added.
“The work of St. Vladimir’s Seminary is so important, and it remains renowned all over the Orthodox world and beyond for its excellence in theological education and formation,” said Fr. Chad. “So, I am humbled to accept this appointment and am grateful for the full support of the trustees.”
Archpriest Dr. Chad Hatfield came to SVOTS in 2007 from St. Herman Seminary in Alaska, where he served as dean from 2002 to 2007. His experience in various pastoral, teaching and administrative roles, spread over some 40 years of ordained ministry, are now blended into his ministry at SVOTS. He holds multiple advanced degrees from Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Nashotah, WI, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
At its Commencement Ceremonies Saturday, May 18, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) conferred degrees upon twenty-two graduates, including fourteen Master of Divinity, three Master of Arts, and five Master of Theology students, and the Seminary also awarded two honorary doctorates.
On Saturday morning, His Beatitude the Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), presided at Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel. At the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude elevated Rev. Dr. David Mezynski, the Seminary’s Director of Residential Life and Admissions, to the dignity of archpriest.
Metropolitan Tikhon officially opened the 2019 Commencement Exercises Saturday afternoon, followed by welcoming remarks from Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield. Among the many distinguished guests were His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church; His Eminence Nicolae (Condrea), Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas; His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak, archbishop and patriarchal vicar of the Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church for the Eastern United States of America; His Eminence Ayub Mor Silvanos, archbishop of America, Canada & Europe Regions of the Malankara Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese; His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Seminary Board member; and His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, primate of the Diocese of France of the Armenian Church.
His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II was one of this year’s honorary degree recipients, along with longtime Trustee Alex Machaskee. The Seminary bestowed the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon Mor Ignatius and the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Mr. Machaskee.
“We have warm memories of the time His Holiness spent as an archbishop of the eastern United States, where he was known for his work with the youth and overseeing the growth and expansion of his parishes,” said Metropolitan Tikhon. “Now as the 123rd patriarch of Antioch and All the East, he serves not only as an archpastor to his flock, but as an ardent advocate for the protection of Christians in Syria and the Middle East and throughout the world.”
“Publisher, philanthropist, patron of the arts, humanitarian—Alex Machaskee, you are an accomplished leader who has worked tirelessly and have served in numerous capacities of leadership,” said Archpriest Dr. Sergius Halvorsen, the faculty secretary, as he announced Machaskee’s honorary doctorate. “You exemplify the virtues of dedication, clear vision, and sacrificial charity in the care of the neighbor.”
The Commencement Exercises continued with the Salutatory Address given by Laura Zane Wachsmuth, this year’s class salutatorian
“In all of these opportunities, through all of the blessings we have been given at St. Vladimir’s, it is clear to me that Christ is at work here in a powerful way,” Laura said in her address.
Laura graduated cum laude with a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree, with a commendation for service to the community.
Father Alexander, a popular professor at St. Vladimir’s, received a standing ovation as he approached the podium to speak.
“The knowledge that comes from theological education should not satisfy us with the satisfaction of simple vocational outcomes based on clearly stated goals or even broadly based education… but a knowledge of Him who was not found in the tomb; a knowledge of Him who Mary Magdalene thought to be the gardener,” said Fr. Alexander, who also reminisced about the events that led him to pursue studies in the Church and celebrated the discipline of theology.
“I’m not asserting that you need to be an academic to be saved—God alone saves,” he said. “I am, however, arguing that we all must come to a knowledge of God in order to be saved.”
“The glory of seminary education is to fulfill the canonical mandate of teaching on one hand and acquiring knowledge on the other…so that this knowledge can be taught and acquired anew.”
Listen to Archpriest Alexander Rentel’s 2019 Commencement Address
Following the Commencement Address, Academic Dean Dr. Ionut Alexandru Tudorie led the conferral of degrees on the Class of 2019. Two of the twenty-two graduates received their degrees in December from the Seminary but were formally honored and participated in Saturday’s ceremony.
President of the Student Council Daniel Bein then announced the winner of this year’s St. Macrina Award for Excellence in Teaching, selected each year by student vote, to Priest Dr. Varghese M. Daniel, assistant professor of Malankara Studies.
Bein read from Seminarians who had written about Fr. Varghese’s excellent teaching and guidance.
“Father is able to take a complicated subject and makes it very simple,” wrote one seminarian. “He is able to break it down into its various parts, and this is because for him this is not a game—the spiritual life is not just something he speaks about, the spiritual life is a life that he prays, a life that he lives.”
Following the award, graduate Priest Herman Fields delivered a moving and heartfelt Valedictory Address, at times fighting back tears as he addressed his colleagues.
“I wish, in one sense, [the Seminary] would almost have given me a crown as the valedictorian, so that I could break it into little pieces and give a little piece to all of my fellow students,” he said. “You are the ones who taught me what liturgy is—liturgy is to give our lives to Christ.”
“You have sacrificed so much to be here,” he continued. “You have given up jobs and homes and financial security and knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow—you have given it up to serve God.”
“You are all my concelebrants in the liturgy.”
Father Herman graduated the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program magna cum laude and will move with his family this summer to serve a parish in Saskatchewan, Canada.
At the conclusion of the Commencement Exercises, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon offered closing remarks for the Class of 2019, recalling the message of Fr. Alexander’s commencement address.
“I encourage all of you, both the graduates and those who are continuing to search for that knowledge of God, that you will remember the strength and the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Life,’ and that your own relationship with Him will build that foundation of humility and love to care for your fellows…and that you will share that with all those you are in contact with throughout your life.”
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Seminary Alumnus Peter Melnik, 88, of Wilmington, DE. Peter passed away peacefully in his home May 12 with his wife, Elizabeth, by his side following a lengthy illness.
Peter Melnik was born July 12, 1930 to John and Anastasia Melnik, who had emigrated from Eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth century and labored in the tanneries and factories in Peabody, Massachusetts to put their son through college. Peter attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He also received two Master of Divinity degrees, one from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1959 and a second from Harvard University in 1962.
His work history included brief stints with DuPont, Shell, and American Cyanamid. Most of his career, however, was spent at Hercules, Inc., where he developed an expertise in the manufacture of polypropylene resins. Utilizing his theological education, Peter served as a lay leader in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a president of the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs (FROC), and Editor in Chief of the FROC Journal, contributing influential articles on Orthodox Christianity in America. Peter, a gifted writer and speaker, often advocated for the education and participation of the laity in the life of the Church.
Although his life revolved around the Church and family, Peter also contributed time to other community organizations, including volunteering with his sons’ Boy Scout troops, coaching Little League, and teaching at The University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Peter leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth (Kuchta), and their three children: Philip, of Voorheesville, NY (Kit Yezzi), Alexandra of Carlisle, PA (Paul Makosky), and Vladimir of Wilmington, DE (Susan Melnik). He also leaves four grandchildren: Herman, Xenia, Juliana, and John.
A viewing will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church, 2300 West Huntington Drive, Wilmington, DE, followed by the Divine Liturgy and Funeral Service at 9:30 a.m. A mercy meal will follow the services at St. Michael. The burial at St. Mary Orthodox Church Cemetery, Chambersburg, PA, is scheduled for Monday, May 20 at 11 a.m.
Memorial contributions can be made in lieu of flowers to St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church or Delaware Hospice (16 Polly Drummond Center, 2nd Floor, Newark, DE 19711), which provided essential support in the last leg of Peter’s earthly journey.
Three years of groundbreaking exploration into the sacred arts culminated this spring in Byzantine Materiality at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Byzantine Materiality, a conference of the Sacred Arts Initiative, brought together scholars and members of the public May 8-11 to explore matter, materials, and materiality in Byzantine art and culture.
“The attention we devoted to materiality over these rich few days has been a vital antidote to dualism,” said Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, the Seminary’s professor of Systematic Theology and director of the SAI. “It has been a pernicious tendency of human beings, throughout history, to privilege the spiritual world, and to vilify the material world. Christian theology, when it recalls the incarnation, has no dualist option.”
“The conviction, I think, is that the only way that God is reliably known is in and through the material world.”
Professor Bouteneff spoke at the conference, as did fellow faculty members Rev Dn. Dr. Evan Freeman, the conference organizer, and Richard Schneider. The large and diverse lineup of speakers at Byzantine Materiality also included Annemarie Weyl Carr, Laura Veneskey, James Magruder, Anthony Cutler, Sean Leatherbury, Vasileios Marinis, Mary K. Farag, Roland Betancourt, Katherine Taronas, Harry Prance, Béatrice Caseau, Stephanie Rumpza, Gary Vikan, Alicia Wilcox Walker, Holger Klein, Charles Barber, and Joseph R. Kopta.
During the conference, discussion centered around Byzantine and ancient theories of matter and form; the use and significance of materials such as wood, stone, gold, and glass in ecclesiastical and other contexts; the roles of matter and materials in the Eucharist, icons, relics, and reliquaries; the rite for consecrating a church; sensory experiences of liturgy; and the neuroscience of viewing icons.
“As an art historian, I’m accustomed to thinking about form and image in Byzantium,” said Freeman, “but this conference challenged us also to think carefully about the stuff of which objects were made, how materials mean, and the ways that matter and materials impacted people in Byzantium and its larger Mediterranean networks.”
Members of the SAI plan to publish a book based on the discussions and findings presented at Byzantine Materiality.
