Giving thanks to God, the trustees, faculty, and students of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) invite the public to the Commencement of the Class of 2019, Saturday, May 18. Ceremonies will begin at 2:00 p.m., with a “Prayer of Thanksgiving” in Three Hierarchs Chapel, followed at 2:30 p.m. by Commencement Exercises in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building.

The commencement speaker this year is Archpriest Alexander Rentel, SEOD, chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

About the 2019 Commencement Speaker

The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel has served for many years as ecclesiarch, assistant professor in canon law and Byzantine studies, and the John and Paraskeva Skvir lecturer in practical theology at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

A faithful priest of the OCA for seventeen years, Fr. Alexander possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge as a professor, liturgist, pastor, and confessor. His expertise in canon law is not only academic, but practical. On many occasions, he has provided canonical guidance and opinions to the Holy Synod on a variety of subjects, and he has been called upon to consult in this area by Orthodox churches around the world.  Fr. Alexander is widely known and respected by the many seminarians who have studied under him.

Father Alexander, an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS), received his B.A. in English from The Ohio State University in 1990. He received his M.Div. from SVOTS in 1995, and finished his doctoral dissertation under the direction of Fr. Robert Taft, SJ, at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome in 2004.

Prior to Fr. Alexander becoming an instructor at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 2002, he was a Junior Fellow in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. in 2000-2001. He was ordained to the priesthood in July 2001. In October 2018, the Holy Synod of Bishops confirmed Fr. Alexander as Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Seminary Alumnus and noted Church musician Walter Shymansky, who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Born on July 29, 1928, the son of Archpriest Walter (later Bishop Peter) and Matushka Emily Shymansky, he enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from Olyphant, PA High School in 1946.  He served as a control tower operator in the Pacific, primarily in Guam.  After his honorable discharge, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Stroudsburg, PA State Teachers College.  He also earned a Master’s degree in School Administration and Guidance from Pennsylvania State University.  A gifted instructor, he taught biology in New Jersey schools, including a 26-year tenure at Teaneck High School.

He and his beloved wife Mary, who fell asleep in the Lord May 31, 2017, were married in August 1966.

Walter attended Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, where he pursued evening classes in music and conducting, after which he served various parishes in northern New Jersey and southern New York.  He also was a member of the Capella Russian Male Chorus for 29 years and served as its conductor for a decade. Upon retirement, he and his wife relocated to Cohoes, NY, where he was asked by local clergy to organize the Saint Andrew’s Brotherhood Choir.  In addition to serving Saint Nicholas Church, Cohoes, NY, he also directed the choir at Saint Nicholas Church, Pittsfield, MA and taught at Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA.  He maintained an extensive repertoire of liturgical music, much of which is available on the Podoben website. In September 2014, he was awarded the Orthodox Church in America’s Order of Saint Romanos.

Walter is survived by his younger brother, Russell; nieces Arlene DeWitt and Donna Moyer; and nephews William and Gary Rusen.

Visitation will begin at Saint Nicholas Church, 67 Saratoga Street, Cohoes, NY at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 5.  At 7 p.m., His Eminence, Archbishop Michael will celebrate a Requiem.  Funeral services will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, followed by interment in Saint Nicholas Cemetery.

May Walter’s memory be eternal!

This article has been adapted from OCA.org
PHOTO: OCA.org

Explore matter, materials, and materiality in Byzantine art and culture; delve into topics including the Eucharist, relics, icons, church decoration, jewelry, and more as you experience Byzantine Materiality, a conference of the Sacred Arts Initiative, May 8 through 11 at St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS).

The conference will continue a conversation that began in 2018, when scholars gathered on SVOTS’ campus to explore the theme of Byzantine materiality. 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.

Now, the public is invited to take part in the findings. Visit the Byzantine Materiality website to learn more about the conference, speakers, and daily schedule. Click below to register.

• Attend Byzantine Materiality

Byzantine Materiality has been made possible through the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation.

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Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev’s Orthodox Christianity, Vol. V is now available through St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press, marking the completion of the monumental Orthodox Christianity series.

The five-volume series is a detailed and systematic exposition of the history, canonical structure, doctrine, social and moral teaching, liturgical services, and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church. The purpose of this series is to present Orthodox Christianity as an integrated theological and liturgical system, in which all elements are interconnected.

This fifth and final volume is dedicated to the mysteries (or sacraments) of the Orthodox Church—baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, confession, ordination, unction, and marriage—in addition to the services of monastic tonsure, Christian burial, the blessing of water, and the consecration of a church building, which were also regarded as mysteries by some of the fathers of the Church. The book also explains the remaining non-sacramental church services or rites that fall outside the daily, weekly, and annual liturgical cycle, such as molebens and akathists, and various blessings for people, objects, and occasions.

• Purchase Orthodox Christianity, Vol. V separately or as part of the complete set through SVSPress.com.

The series author, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, is the chairman of the Department of External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. He has authored numerous works on theology and church history, and is an internationally recognized composer of liturgical music. Several of his works are available through SVS Press, including his other landmark series, Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching, and Christ the Conqueror of Hell.

On the first two days of Great Lent, the community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary entered into its annual Lenten Retreat.

On Clean Monday and Tuesday, classes were cancelled and students were encouraged to practice silence. The community entered the chapel together several times each day for a fuller cycle of prayers and for a series of talks for meditation.

This year, the meditations were delivered by Mother Miriam, CSM, the Mother Superior of the Anglican Community of St. Mary the Virgin, near Albany, NY. Mother Miriam was the last sister in her community to be trained as a novice by Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko (+2015) forty years ago.

Her four talks were centered on the theme “Experiencing the Transfiguration: Glory and Trinitarian Action with Christ.”

“I want to share with you as much of the awe and partial—always partial—understanding that God has granted me, and pray that He will give you that moment on the mountain that will bring profound understanding to your own relationship with God that Jesus had at His Transfiguration,” said Mother Miriam, as she began her first meditation.

Listen to each of Mother Miriam’s four meditations in their entirety below.

• First address: Trinitarian interaction with the Second Adam: Messianic Themes Woven in the Baptism, Transfiguration, and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
• Second address: The Transfiguration's Impact on Peter, James and John.
• Third address: The Transfiguration's Message for Later Readers of Scripture.
• Fourth address: The Results of the Lenten Journey to Resurrection: Eucharistic Being with God our Father as Adopted Sons Through Christ.

With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, Leonard W. Soroka, who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, March 10 after a difficult battle with cancer.

Born in 1950, the son of Archpriest Vladimir and Matushka Olga (Konik) Soroka, he graduated from Iona College, New Rochelle, NY and Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY before embarking on his vocation as a choir director that spanned over 45 years.  He served as choir director at Saint John the Baptist Church, Passaic, NJ; Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre, PA; Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN; and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL.  Most recently he served as choir director at Saint George Antiochian Orthodox Church, West Saint Paul, MN.  He also was widely known for editing and publishing several collections of liturgical music, including two volumes featuring festal and Holy Week selections.

He is survived by his son Aaron Soroka, daughter Kyra (Shane) Dunn, and their mother, Kathleen Kirkendall.  He is further survived by his sister Donya (Paul) Yewisiak; brothers Michael Soroka and Archpriest Thomas (Matushka Joni) Soroka; and three grandsons, five nieces and two great nephews.

Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at the Kozlak-Radulovich Chapel, 1918 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN, where a Parastas will be celebrated at 6 p.m.  Visitation will resume at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, at Saint George Church, 1250 Oakdale Avenue, West Saint Paul, MN, after which the Funeral Service will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN.

May Leonard’s memory be eternal!

Sections of this article have been reprinted from OCA.org.

Seminarians from St. Vladimir’s, St. Tikhon’s, and Holy Cross seminaries gathered on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary March 8-11 for the Spring 2019 Conference of the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement (OISM).

Founded in the 1960s and revived in 2003, the OISM fosters fellowship and cooperation among Orthodox seminary and theology students. The group meets every year at one of North America’s Orthodox theological seminaries. St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) was selected as the host for 2019.

“I joined OISM because I wanted to actively foster a deep brotherhood between Seminarians of every jurisdiction. We also had in mind how isolated and lonely the clerical vocation can be,” said St. Vladimir’s Seminarian Evan LeDoux, who helped organize this year’s conference.

“God-willing, when we are all ordained priests or are serving Christ's Church in another capacity, we will have true friends to support us who understand our shared challenges and can work together with us.”

The weekend-long event began with a Western Rite Divine Liturgy celebrated by Archpriest Edward Hughes of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lawrence, MA. Father Edward, the Vicar General of the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate, also spoke and led discussions at the conference regarding the Western Rite and Orthodox unity.

“For me, the Liturgy was an amazing event,” said Seminarian David McReady, who assisted Fr. Edward at the Liturgy. “The Western Rite is very small and not well-known in Orthodoxy, so it was wonderful to share this treasure with our brothers and sisters.”

McReady, a native of Belfast, was raised in the Church of Ireland and served as an Anglican priest before coming to SVOTS as a student of the Antiochian Archdiocese. He hopes to serve as a Western Rite priest.

Following Divine Liturgy, seminarians gathered for the talks led by Fr. Edward as well as SVOTS Professor Dr. John Barnet. Professor Barnet delivered a lecture on Christian unity in the New Testament. The conference concluded with Sunday’s Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel.

**Registration is now closed. Please visit SVOTS.edu/events over the next several months for information about next year's Diaconal Liturgical Practicum.

The 13th Annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) will be held July 16–19, 2019 at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Santa Rosa, CA. The four-day program will offer intense practical liturgical training for deacons and lay diaconal candidates. Supper, prayer, and an opening session will launch the Practicum at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16.  The last day of the Practicum will conclude with hierarchical Divine Liturgy and feast day lunch.

During the program, practical liturgical training will be centered on the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and other services.  Intensive workshops will provide each participant with skills needed to serve effectively as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. In addition, focused presentations will augment the deacon’s understanding of his place in the liturgical life of the Church and his broader vocation as a symbol to the faithful of the diakonia (ministry) of Jesus Christ.

“This practicum is highly recommended by the Holy Synod of Bishops for participants in the Church’s Diaconal Vocations Program and other programs of diaconal formation,” said Archpriest Kirill Sokolov, director of Diaconal and Late Vocations, and leader of the practicum’s liturgical workshops. “In addition to liturgical practice, sessions will also cover chanting and vocal technique and address teaching about our faith.”

• Online registration is now open. Click here for registration info.
• Click here for more information about the program.
• Questions? Email Archpriest Kirill at dvp@oca.org.

Accommodations: Located 1.5 miles and only minutes away from the Cathedral, the newly-built Oxford Suites Sonoma County - Rohnert Park is well-equipped to handle all of your travel needs. With 163 non-smoking suites and our on-site restaurant, the Oxford Suites Sonoma County - Rohnert Park is your home away from home.  Hotel web site:https://www.oxfordsuitessonoma.com/.  To get the group rate, call 844-584-0333 and state that the reservations are for the “Diaconal Liturgical Practicum."

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Academic Dean Dr. Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie presented his research into the legacy of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos at the latest installment of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s monthly academic seminars. On March 5, Dr. Tudorie delivered the lecture, “New Constantine or New Judas? The Afterlife of an Excommunicated Emperor: Michael VIII Palaiologos (1258-1282),” in the Seminary’s Gerich Boardroom.

“My research topic—in general terms, the consequences of an excommunication on the body and soul of an individual and the question of whether Michael VIII Palaiologos was a potential saint or an outcast—is one that I have been developing for years now,” said Dr. Tudorie.

Dr. Tudorie has had the opportunity to discuss his findings on several occasions, including at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Spring Symposium of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

“As interesting as the subject is, this topic has received surprisingly little attention from scholarly circles,” Tudorie added. “The one who took Constantinople back from the Latins ended this life as an excommunicated individual, both by the Greek and Latin Churches.”

“The legend about the repulsive appearance of his uncorrupted, swollen body erupted a century after his death and endured until the fall of Constantinople. This strong image of the so-called ‘New Constantine,’ provided and discussed by several authors, can be easily connected with a peculiar image of Judas in Hell in Byzantine and post-Byzantine iconography.”

The Seminary’s Monthly Seminar series—initiated by Dr. Tudorie himself—is meant to operate as a kind of academic laboratory for scholars, allowing each month’s presenter to share their latest findings to their peers, engage in discussion, and receive feedback.

“I got several questions, and it seems that the audience really enjoyed the topic,” Tudorie said. “Both students and faculty were engaged in the discussion.”

Related: Lecturer Dn. Evan Freeman explores art and liturgical reform

St. Vladimir's Seminary hears you. You want to know what the Seminary is doing to make sure the next leader at your parish is being formed and educated the right way, because their future ministry will affect you, your family, and your church. That's why we want you to hear face-to-face how we are raising up servants for the Orthodox Church—and why we have "doubled down" on our commitment to residential life for our seminarians. Of course, YOU are the reason this commitment to your future church leaders is possible. Consider becoming a sponsor, and let's take on this important work together.

Join the party in Fort Worth Texas, as St. Vladimir’s Seminary rolls out western-inspired food stations and music by Uptown Drifters to help raise support for the next generation of Church leaders. The River Ranch Stockyards will host the Big Hats & Cocktails fundraiser, which will also feature inspiration from Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Trustee Priest Philip LeMasters, and Priest Jason Foster. Alumnus Priest Photius Avant will serve as emcee.

The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased below. Questions? Email events@svots.edu.

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