His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department of External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and prolific writer and composer, visited St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) Monday. His Eminence met with members of the Seminary community and discussed two of his monumental series published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS Press).

Metropolitan Hilarion has been a great friend of the Seminary for many years. His Eminence has spoken many times before at SVOTS, including at the 28th annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture. He also helped with the Seminary’s 2011 performance of St. Matthew Passion, composed by His Eminence himself, and has authored numerous books published through SVS Press, most recently the five-volume Orthodox Christianity series and the landmark series Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching, of which the second of six planned volumes is due out soon.

His Eminence spoke about the two series with members of the Seminary community Monday, and later signed copies of his books for seminarians, faculty, and staff.

“I am grateful for many years of cooperation [with SVS Press], and I look forward to new possibilities.” said His Eminence.

“I will try to offer some shorter books,” the Metropolitan then joked, after pointing out that his best-selling SVS Press book is Prayer: Encounter with the Living God, a relatively small title compared to the sizeable volumes of his two recent series.

At the conclusion of Metropolitan Hilarion’s talk, SVOTS President Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield presented Metropolitan Hilarion with two gifts on behalf of the Seminary community: a set of SVS Press books and an extraordinary hand-written letter from famous Russian Orthodox composer Aleksandr Grechaninov (d. 1956).

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, celebrated fifty years of collaboration with a special event Friday, October 11, on SVOTS’ campus.

• St. Vladimir’s & St. Nersess Seminaries: A Timeline of Collaboration

The event began with Vespers at Three Hierarchs Chapel celebrated according to the Armenian rite. SVOTS/St. Nersess Alumnus His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan (M.Div., 1989), primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America and president of St. Nersess Seminary, then delivered the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, titled, “The Sacrament of Theological Education: St. Vladimir’s and St. Nersess Seminaries at 50 Years”.

“I should like to propose that the fifty-year collaboration of St. Vladimir’s and St. Nersess Seminaries illustrates the sacred, ecclesial, and truly sacramental essence of the theological enterprise, understood in its broadest, most Orthodox sense,” said His Grace. “And if that is true, then our half-century of common work in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ has great implications for us in this room, for Orthodoxy, for the Body of Christ, and, I think, for the world.”

Listen to Bishop Daniel’s lecture in its entirety below.

The celebration was also attended by St. Nersess Dean Rev. Mardiros Chevian, SVOTS President Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS Academic Dean Dr. Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie, and faculty, staff, seminarians, alumni, and friends from both institutions.

“It is remarkable for someone like me, who wasn’t around fifty years ago, to encounter so many alums from both St. Vladimir’s and St. Nersess…who come and tell me stories,” said Fr. Chad, “and most of those stories also conclude with reminiscence of life-long friendships. And I think that’s one of the most important things about what we’re doing here tonight.”

A formal relationship between SVOTS and St. Nersess began in 1968, when negotiations with SVOTS resulted in St. Nersess becoming a satellite institution. Over the coming decades, the two seminaries formalized (and later revised) a joint Master of Divinity (M.Div.) curriculum. In 2004, the partnership resulted in the launch of the Treasures of the Armenian Christian Tradition Series (AVANT) through St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press. In 2016, the schools once again renewed their commitment to work together, this time via an Inter-Seminary Agreement of Collaboration signed along with Gevorgyan Seminary in Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin), Armenia. At present, seminarians studying at St. Nersess take approximately forty percent of their course load at St. Vladimir’s.

“We remain as committed as any two institutions in the entire Orthodox world to seeing this breach between the so-called ‘Oriental’ and the so-called ‘Eastern’ ended,” added Fr. Chad. “And this seminary is recommitting itself to building a fire once again under that particular topic, because the truth of the matter is we are living in a time in which we cannot tolerate our unhappy divisions.”

The celebration continued with a reception following the lecture Friday evening and a special fellowship event Saturday on the campus of St. Nersess, organized and sponsored by the St. Nersess Alumni Association.

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Metropolitan Kallistos Ware’s modern classic, The Orthodox Way, is now available in a new edition from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.

The book—which has for decades served as a popular introduction to Orthodox Christianity for those outside Orthodoxy and deepened the faith of many already in the Church—is the second release in SVS Press’ Classics Series. It features a new foreword by Very Rev. Dr. John Behr.

The Orthodox Way, first published in 1979,is a general account of the doctrine, worship, and life of Orthodox Christians. It raises the basic issues of theology: God is hidden yet revealed; the problem with evil; the nature of salvation; the meaning of faith; prayer; death and what lies beyond. In so doing, it helps to fill the need for modern Orthodox catechism. Yet this book is not a mere manual, a dry-as-dust repository of information. Throughout the book, Metropolitan Kallistos shows the meaning of Orthodox doctrine for the life of the individual Christian. Doctrinal issues are seen not as abstract propositions for theological debate but as affecting the whole of life.

The Orthodox Way (Classics Series, Vol. 2) may be purchased in paperback and hardcover editions at SVSPress.com or by calling 800-204-BOOK (2665).

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, are preparing to celebrate more than fifty years of collaboration on Friday, October 11.

Those five decades include several milestones. A formal relationship between the two seminaries began in 1968, when negotiations with SVOTS resulted in St. Nersess becoming a satellite institution. Over the coming decades, the two seminaries formalized (and later revised) a joint Master of Divinity (M.Div.) curriculum. In 2004, the partnership resulted in the launch of the Treasures of the Armenian Christian Tradition Series (AVANT) through St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press. In 2016, the schools once again renewed their commitment to work together, this time via an Inter-Seminary Agreement of Collaboration signed along with Gevorgyan Seminary in Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin), Armenia. At present, seminarians studying at St. Nersess take approximately forty percent of their course load at St. Vladimir’s. 

At the formal celebration October 11 on the campus of St. Vladimir’s, Alumnus Bishop Daniel Findikyan (M.Div., 1989), primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, will deliver the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, titled “The Sacrament of Theological Education: St. Vladimir’s and St Nersess Seminaries at 50 Years”. The Meyendorff Lecture will follow Vespers celebrated according to the Armenian rite at Three Hierarchs Chapel.

The special, 50th anniversary event replaces SVOTS’ annual Orthodox Education Day this year, and is free and open to the public. More information may be found in the events section of SVOTS’ website.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon presided at services Saturday and Sunday as the Seminary community celebrated the Feast of the Glorification of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts, and Apostle to the Americas (October 6).

The celebration began with festal All-Night Vigil at Three Hierarchs Chapel Saturday. At the Vigil, His Beatitude spoke about St. Innocent.

We give thanks to God for raising up this saint in our midst, St. Innocent, as a shepherd who tended his flock in our own times, and in our own lands. The history of all the Orthodox Churches sojourning through North America invites all to share in the celebration of this hierarch as one who valiantly and faithfully served the Church as a missionary and bishop, that is to say, one who both sowed the Word of God and served as one who harvested the bountiful crop. Additionally, his physical labors, literally constructing Church buildings, assured the presence of Orthodox Christianity on this continent to this very day. May his missionary zeal, his faith in Christ, his willingness to do hard work be not only the subject of our commemoration, but an inspiration for each of us in all that we do laboring for the most holy Church of Christ.

Read His Beatitude’s message in its entirety at OCA.org.

The following day, His Beatitude presided at celebration of the Divine Liturgy, joined by clergy from among the faculty and student body.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Rev. Dr. Thomas (Athanasios) Parthenakis of Erie, PA, who fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, October 3, 2019 following a battle with cancer.

Father Thomas was a professor of American history at Gannon University in Erie for 36 years before retiring in 2007 to become a priest. He graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2010. On January 2, 2011, at 69 years of age, he was ordained to the priesthood at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, Ithaca, NY by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit. Father Thomas was assigned to St. Catherine’s, where he served until his retirement as pastor in June of 2017. He and his wife, Presbytera Cathy, then moved back to Erie to be near family. Father Thomas would often serve at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, New Castle, PA when the parish’s pastor was away.

The Funeral service for Fr. Thomas will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 4376 West Lake Road, Erie, PA. Burial will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Fr. Thomas' name to the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 4376 West Lake Road, Erie, PA 16505 or the A.N.N.A. Shelter, 1555 East 10th Street, Erie, PA 16511. 

May the memory of Fr. Thomas be eternal!

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has announced Seminarian Andrew Kayaian as the winner of the 2019 St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest.

The contest was opened to current SVOTS students at the beginning of the fall semester. For his winning entry, titled, “’Follow me’: Religious Reality over Facebook Phantasm,” Kayaian will have $3,000 in award money added to his scholarship fund.

“Following on social media does not carry with it any incumbent real life consequences….,” he wrote in his essay. “Contrarily, Christ's command to his disciples, ‘Follow me,’ is substantive, carries obligations, and involves the whole person without reservation. The command is significant enough that the same story in which Christ says, ‘Follow me,’ is recorded similarly in all four Gospels.”

Read the winning entry in its entirety here.

Andrew Kayaian is a second-year seminarian in the Master of Arts (M.A.) program. As a seminarian of the Armenian Church in America, he is also studying concurrently at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in history from Fordham University. Kayaian’s home parish is St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, NY.

The St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest is offered annually, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors also selected the topic of the 2019 essay contest and developed thorough and thoughtful criteria to determine the winner.

The contest is one of many offerings by the Seminary to help its seminarians graduate tuition-debt free as they go forth to serve the Church. SVOTS also administers need-based tuition grants, need-based scholarships, merit scholarships, continuing education grants, and matching grant opportunities for seminarians. These are made possible thanks to many benefactors who have graciously given funds to the Seminary.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa’s Catechetical Discourse is now available through St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press. The new entry in the Popular Patristic Series (PPS) features the original Greek text along with an English translation by Seminary Alumnus and SVS Press Editor Rev. Ignatius Green.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote the Catechetical Discourse as a handbook for his catechists, to help them defend and articulate the foundations of the faith, the Trinity, creation and the image of God, the fall and the nature of evil, the saving work of Christ, and the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. The Discourse draws upon the previous tradition—especially Origen, St. Methodius of Olympus, and, above all, St. Athanasius' On the Incarnation (PPS 44)—and influences later fathers like St. John of Damascus in his On the Orthodox Faith (new translation coming soon from SVS Press).

This complex work is also known for its ambiguous relationship to Origen's universalism, perhaps including the idea that the devil himself will be saved. The translator's introduction places this question, and a clear understanding of the Catechetical Discourse in general, in the context of St. Gregory's use of rhetoric, his other writings and the broader patristic tradition.

Catechetical Discourse is available in paperback at SVSPress.com or by calling 800-204-BOOK (2665).

About the Popular Patristic Series

The Popular Patristics Series is comprised of more than 50 volumes. The series aims to mine the riches of early Christian literature and provide readable and accurate translations of a broad range of these writings to a wide audience—from students of Christian history and theology to lay Christians reading for spiritual benefit. Texts include classics of Christian literature, thematic volumes, homily collections, letters, spiritual guidance, and poetical works from a wide variety geographical contexts and historical backgrounds. Patristic authors include Athanasius, Gregory the Great, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Ephrem the Syrian, Tertullian, and many more. Recognized patristic scholars provide short but comprehensive and clear introductory essays according to their specializations for each volume.

All 54 volumes currently available in the PPS series may be purchased individually, or as a complete set at a discounted price.

Three hierarchs from the Syriac Orthodox Church (SOC) visited their seminarians on campus and met with Seminary leadership Thursday: His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak, archbishop and patriarchal vicar of the Archdiocese of the SOC for the Eastern United States of America; His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho, archbishop and patriarchal vicar of the Malankara Archdiocese of the SOC in North America; and His Eminence Ayub Mor Silvanos, archbishop of America, Canada, and Europe Regions of the Malankara Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese.

Each hierarch has visited the Seminary previously—His Eminence Mor Titus is also an alumnus of the Seminary (’03)—but Thursday marked the first time all three bishops, each representing different jurisdictions within the SOC, visited St. Vladimir’s together. There are currently seven seminarians from the SOC enrolled at the Seminary.

The hierarchs’ visit began with meetings with Seminary President Fr. Chad Hatfield and Academic Dean Dr. Alex Tudorie, followed by the observance of third and sixth hour prayers according to the Syriac rite in the Seminary’s chapel for its Syriac/Malankara students. The hierarchs then met with their seminarians and others during the Seminary’s midday meal.

A large group of Orthodox Christian leaders—including well-known authors and speakers Fr. Barnabas Powell and Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green and successful entrepreneurs Gabriel Otte and Calee Lee—once again gathered at St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) for the annual Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative (OCLI) Conference.

The Orthodox Vision Foundation (OVF) has hosted the conference on campus each year since its inaugural event in 2017. The 2019 OCLI Conference, titled, “For the Life of the World,” began Friday, September 20 and concluded following Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel Sunday, September 22.

The leadership conference’s pre-selected attendees included bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and lay leaders from several Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and across North America.

“I'm excited to be one of the speakers,” said Fr. Barnabas Powell of Faith Encouraged Ministries, as he recorded a live message Saturday to his followers on Facebook. “And I'm also very excited about what's going to come next...continued discussion about how we escape being irrelevant in this society and start being what normal Orthodoxy has always been: a society- and culture-shaping influence that makes men and women [become] like Jesus Christ by grace."

Dedicated to nurturing and empowering Orthodox Christian servant leadership, OCLI plans to expand its ministry in the coming years by hosting seminars throughout the United States. Members of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, including President Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Seminary Trustee Dr. Frank B. Cerra, and Trustee Emeritus Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, have played key roles in OCLI’s efforts.

About the Orthodox Vision Foundation
The Orthodox Vision Foundation was founded by Charles and Marilee Ajalat, whose son, Richard Ajalat, is an alumnus of SVOTS (’13). The organization funds a broad range of issues and organizations that tackle everything from feeding and equipping the homeless and working poor, to spreading the Orthodox Church’s worldview, to church governance and policy issues, to ongoing education for our clergy and lay leaders, and launching new ministries.