Four St. Vladimir's seminarians and one faculty member were ordained to Holy Orders during the first semester of the 2015–2016 Academic Year. Our newly ordained priests and deacons have rich cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds, and hail from five different states.

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Deacon Ryan Bishop, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Student status and church affiliation Third-year, Master of Divinity; Orthodox Church in America

Ordination, Holy Diaconate September 14th, 2015, Exaltation of the Precious and Life Giving Cross, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary; by the hand of His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada. Concelebrants: the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, Dean;  the Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor/CEO ; the Very Reverend Dr. Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies; the Very Reverend Dr. Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric; the Reverend Aleksy Paranyuk; the Reverend Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak; the Reverend Deacon Gregory Hatrak; the Reverend Deacon Evan Freeman; the Reverend Deacon Joseph Ramos; the Reverend Deacon Michael Rozdilski

Educational and professional background Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Columbia Bible College, Joinery Foundations Certification from The British Columbia Institute of Technology, four years as apprentice cabinet maker, two years as a stay at home dad.

Biographical note Deacon Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Columbia Bible College in 2006, and a Joinery Foundations Certificate in 2008. After several years in the cabinetry industry, he decided to work for himself from home, making furniture and looking after his two children. In 2013, the Bishop family embarked on their journey to New York, in order for Dn. Ryan to participate in the Master of Divinity program at St. Vladimir’s.
 

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Deacon Paul Fuller, Louisville, KY

Student status and church affiliation Third-year, Master of Divinity; Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Ordination, Holy Diaconate  November 8, 2015, St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church, Louisville, KY; by the hand of (SVOTS alumnus) His Grace Bishop Anthony, Diocese of Toledo and the Mid-West. Concelebrants: the Very Reverend Alexis Kouri; the Very Reverend George Geevarghese; the Reverend Deacon Kyrill Schaefer; (alumnus) the Reverend Deacon Andrew Leake; (alumnus) Subdeacon Joseph Olas; (alumnus) Subdeacon Anthony Westermann

Educational and professional background Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Kentucky; worked for five years as the Youth and Young Adult Director of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, TX.

Seminarian parish placement St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Danbury, CT, with the Very Reverend George Alberts

Biographical note Deacon Paul is married to Ramia (Foteh) of Houston, TX. Noted Dn. Paul, "I feel very humbled and blessed to be ordained to the Holy Diaconate, especially being able to go home to St Michael (Louisville) for my ordination."
 

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Deacon George Parsenios, Princeton, NJ

Status and church affiliation Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary; Sessional Professor of New Testament, St. Vladimir's Seminary; Deacon, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Ordination, Holy Diaconate December 13, 2015, The Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, Tenafly, New Jersey; by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey. Concelebrants: the Very Reverend William Cassis, the Very Reverend Michael Westerberg, the Reverend Peter Orfanakos, the Reverend Anastasios Kousoulas, the Reverend Christopher Flesoras.

Educational and professional background Deacon George is the Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, and is Sessional Professor of New Testament at St. Vladimir's Seminary. He earned his Master of Arts in Classics from Duke University, a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and a Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy, and Ph.D. from Yale University. His teaching and research explore the interaction of early Christianity with classical literature, as well as the interpretation of the New Testament in the early church. He is the author of two books and several articles. He regularly teaches courses on the Gospel of John, I Corinthians, and Paul the Pastor.

Biographical note Deacon George, his wife, Maureen, and their three children Nicholas, Julia and Constantine, live in Princeton, New Jersey.
 

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Deacon William Rettig, St. Paul, MN

Student status and church affiliation Third-year, Master of Divinity; Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Ordination, Holy Diaconate December 31, 2015, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, St. Paul, MN; by the hand of  (alumnus) His Grace Bishop Paul, Diocese of the Midwest. Concelebrants: (alumnus) the Reverend Jonathan Proctor, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church; the Reverend Andrew Jaye, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church; the Reverend Philip Ramstad; Gregory Krutchek, St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN; the Reverend Deacon Bohdan Melnychenko, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church; the Reverend Deacon Alexei Dupay, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. (Note: All parishes listed, other than St. Mary's in Minneapolis, are located in St. Paul, MN.)

Educational and professional background Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, both from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN

Seminarian parish placement St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church, Jamaica Estates, NY

Biographical note  Deacon William is married to Jillian, and is a native of Washington State. He worked for the outdoor industry for eight years before coming to seminary and will be serving in the Midwest following commencement.
 

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Father Ignatius Green, Slippery Rock, PA

Student status and church affiliation Master of Divinity degree (2015); currently studying in the Master of Theology program; Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR)

Ordination, Holy Diaconate December 27, 2015 (Sunday of the Holy Forefathers), ROCOR Synodal Cathedral, Our Lady of the Sign, Manhattan, NY; by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Concelebrants: The Right Reverend Nicholas, Auxiliary Bishop of Manhattan (ROCOR); the Very Reverend Andrei Sommer, Dean of the Synodal Cathedral; the Very Reverend Alexander Golubov, St. Nicholas Cathedral, NYC;  the Very Reverend Vasiliy Raskovskiy, Synodal Cathedral; the Very Reverend Aleksey Paranyuk, St. Nicholas Cathedral, NYC, SVOTS seminarian; Protodeacon Nicholas Mokhoff, Synodal Cathedral; the Reverend Deacon Nathan Mousselli, Synodal Cathedral; the Reverend Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), SVOTS Music Instructor and Choir Director

Ordination, Holy Priesthood  January 3, 2016 (Sunday of the Holy Fathers), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Washington, D.C.; by the hand of (alumnus) His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah. Concelebrants: the Very Reverend Victor Potapov, Rector of St. John the Baptist Cathedral (present in altar for ordination, but served the Slavonic liturgy after, not concelebrating at English liturgy); the Very Reverend John Johnson, St. John the Baptist Cathedral; the Reverend Dr. Patrick Viscuso, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Chantilly, VA; the  Very Reverend Victor Klimenko, St. John the Baptist Cathedral; Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell, St. John the Baptist Cathedral; Protodeacon John Dean, St. John the Baptist Cathedral; the Reverend Hierodeacon Polycarp (Strosnider), St. John the Baptist Cathedral. Also, Monk Silouan (Brown) was ordained to the subdiaconate prior to the Divine Liturgy.

Educational and professional background Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. John's College (Annapolis, MD), a "Great Books" program; Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

Seminarian parish placement Father Ignatius has been assigned to the Protection of the Mother of God parish in Nyack, NY as an assistant to Fr. Ilia Gorsky and Fr. George Larin until his graduation. Future plans have not yet been finalized.

Biographical note Through reading the early Church Fathers and experiencing the grace of the Liturgy, Fr. Ignatius decided to convert to the Orthodox Christian faith while in college. Together with his local chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) and his godfather, Fr. Robert Miclean, he helped to start a mission in Annapolis, MD. His wife Aimilia converted with her family at the age of nine, and she was homeschooled at a Greek women’s monastery where she received her Orthodox formation. Father Ignatius and Mat. Aimilia have two children: Ephraim (2 years old) and Theophano (8 months old). 

Reflects Fr. Ignatius, "I am deeply humbled by so great a gift. I cannot express my gratitude for having found Christ’s Holy Church, for becoming a member of His Body, and now for being ordained to the Holy Priesthood. I pray that I may be able to bring others to the fullness of grace and truth that are found in the Church."

On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary’s annual #GivingTuesday challenge proved a tremendous success, for the second consecutive year. The Seminary engaged more than 300 friends and alumni around the world to reach and exceed its one-day fundraising goal of $50,000.

At day’s end, the campaign had yielded $98,764 in donations. A dollar-for-dollar match from an anonymous donor resulted in a grand total of $148,764.

“We were amazed to witness an incredible community of people coming together in support of our #GivingTuesday campaign,” said Archpriest Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir’s. “These supporters have helped fund worthwhile initiatives like student aid, academic projects, and field education, and other SVOTS causes that bring the light of Christ to the world.”

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities, and organizations to encourage philanthropy and celebrate generosity worldwide. GivingTuesday.org estimated that more than 1 million donations were given on December 1, totaling $116.7 million.

“We are thrilled to be able to share 10% of the total raised with the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III, our sister seminary in Nairobi, Kenya,” continued Fr. Chad. “Our tithe of $14,876 will help them in acquiring much needed books for their library.”

The Seminary ran a strategic campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, leading up to and on #GivingTuesday. SVOTS supporters photographed themselves wearing T-shirts branded with the Seminary’s campaign hashtag, #give2svots, and shared the images with their friends on social media. Additionally, throughout the day of the campaign a dedicated group of seminarians phoned individual #GivingTuesday supporters to express their gratitude for donations.

“We were humbled by the generosity of our donors, and we extend our sincere appreciation to all those who contributed to #GivingTuesday,” concluded Fr. Chad.

This year’s accomplishment builds on last year’s successful #GivingTuesday campaign, which raised $80,000. Following that campaign St. Vladimir’s offered a tithe of $8,000 to His Beatitude John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, to alleviate the dire conditions of people in his care in Syria.

Did you donate on #GivingTuesday? Thank you!

At its meeting held November 12–13, 2015, the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary elected three new members, including His Grace Bishop David of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Additionally, the Board honored two retiring Trustees for their distinguished service to the Seminary: Anne Mackoul, JD, D.H.L, and Anne van den Berg, JD.

“It is an honor and indeed a privilege to be a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir Seminary,” remarked incoming Trustee Bishop David, who was consecrated in 2013 as the first Shepherd and Diocesan Bishop of the newly formed Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England. His Grace holds two Master’s degrees, one in pastoral counseling from Fordham University and another in theological studies from Holy Cross School of Theology.

The two other new Trustees are Joan Farha and David V. Hicks, both of whom have extensive experience in the field of education. Mrs. Farha is the founder and coordinator of the Learning Differences Network, and is a parishioner at St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, Wichita, KS (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America).  Mr. Hicks, as the celebrated author of Norms and Nobility, is known around the world for his work in classical education, and is a parishioner at St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, Bozeman, MT (Orthodox Church in America).

“Faith and education have been my family's foundation for generations,” said Mrs. Farha. “St. Vladimir's uniquely embodies that foundation, and I am grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve.”

Mr. Hicks, remarking on his new appointment as a Trustee and the Seminary’s reputation, said, "The life of every American Orthodox Christian in every jurisdiction is unimaginable without St. Vladimir's: its priests spiritually and intellectually prepared for the world's fight, and the steady flow of godly books from its famous press. How could I refuse the invitation to serve on its board, even if what I can bring is no greater than the widow's mite?"

Retiring Trustee Dr. Mackoul served as a member of the Board from 2003–2015, and in 2008, the Board of Trustees unanimously elected her as its first Executive Chair. Mrs. van den Berg was one of the longest serving members of the Board and most recently chaired the Trusteeship Committee.

Commenting on Dr. Mackoul’s term, Archpriest John Behr, seminary Dean, said, “We owe so much to Anne Mackoul, our first Executive Chair. She helped us not only to formulate a new governance structure at the Seminary, but also to grow into our respective roles.

“She was always ready with sage advice and words of wisdom, helping us to navigate the many internal, local, and international dimensions of our work, as a friendly support and guide,” Fr. John continued. “And who can forget the splendid 75th Anniversary banquet that she, together with her aides, hosted a few years ago!

For her many years of service to the Seminary and to the Church of Antioch and at large, she was recognized by the bestowal of an honorary doctorate,” he ended. “We owe Anne, and her husband, Sabry, a great deal for all that they have done and continue to do for us."

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir’s, likewise lauded Mrs. van den Berg, “for bringing a professional and legal perspective to our SVOTS Board for nearly 25 years.

“Anne served as chair for the Advancement and Trusteeship Committees and was an active member of the Legal Affairs Committee,” Fr. Chad noted. “She and her husband, Dr. Egerton, have been longtime supporters of the Seminary, and we are grateful for their recent generosity, which aided SVS Press in publishing The Holy Gospel According to St. John, the final book in the set of commentaries authored by the late Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas and the Diocese of the South.”

Completing their episcopal terms of service were His Eminence The Most Rev. Savas (Zembillas), metropolitan of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; and His Eminence The Most Reverend Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations.

+Watch an interview with His Grace Bishop David.
+Read an interview with David V. Hicks in Circle Magazine.
+View a complete listing of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Seminary.

View a list of earlier presenters of the Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture

The Reverend Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, will be the presenter at the 33rd Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture on Sunday, January 31, 2016, at 7 p.m. The lecture is titled, "Toward the Holy and Great Council: Retrieving a Culture of Conciliarity and Consensus," and will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building on our campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Prior to the lecture, the seminary Board of Trustees and Faculty will award a Doctor of Divinity degree honoris causa to Fr. John. It will also award a Doctor of Canon Law degree honoris causa to former Trustee Charles Ajalat.

Father John was born in Australia (1958), where he matriculated at The Scots College (1975). He received his degree in Theology from the University of Athens (1980), a diploma in Byzantine Music from the Greek Conservatory of Music (1979), and was awarded a research scholarship to St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (1982). He completed his doctoral studies in Patristics at the University of Oxford (1983).

After several months in silent retreat on Mount Athos, he served as Personal Assistant to the Greek Orthodox Primate in Australia (1984-94) and was co-founder of St. Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney (1985), where he was Sub-Dean and taught Patristics and Church History (1986-95). He was also Lecturer in the Divinity School (1986-90) and the School of Studies in Religion (1990-95) at the University of Sydney.

In 1995, he moved to Boston, where he was appointed Professor of Theology at Holy Cross School of Theology and directed the Religious Studies Program at Hellenic College until 2002. He established the Environment Office at the same school in 2001. He has also taught as Professor of Patristics at Balamand University in Lebanon. A member of the Office of Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Affairs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, he coordinates the Social and Moral Issues Commission of the Orthodox Churches in America. Currently, he serves as theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on environmental issues.

Father John is the author of over twenty books and numerous articles in several languages on the Church Fathers and Orthodox spirituality, including Letters from the Desert: A Selection from Barsanuphius and John, published St. Vladimir’s Press in 2003. He is also the editor of three volumes containing the select writings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Fordham University Press, 2010-2012).

On November 20, 2015, the Henry Luce Foundation announced a grant award of $250,000 to St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, to fund a three-year study of the Sacred Arts, with an emphasis on “material spirituality.” Through a series of conferences, workshops, and seminars to be held fall 2016 through spring 2018, the grant award will allow seminary faculty to survey the current landscape of the field of Sacred Arts, and to explore the distinctive contribution Orthodox Christian theology can make within it.

“More often than not, the Sacred Arts are studied in isolation, as ‘sacred music,’ ‘sacred art,’ or ‘sacred texts,’” noted Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, professor of Systematic Theology at the seminary, “but the liturgy, among other things, impels us towards a holistic approach to the Sacred Arts.

“Instead of thinking exclusively in terms of history, culture, or aesthetics, the Sacred Arts ought to invite a consideration of how the holy, the true, is enfleshed through human creativity,” he explained. “The opportunity to partner with the Henry Luce Foundation with a grant award of $250,000 will allow our faculty to lead such an integrated exploration and help us identify and refine our unique contribution.”  

Dr. Bouteneff, along with the Reverend Deacon Evan Freeman, doctoral candidate in the Department of the History of Art at Yale University and lecturer in Liturgical Art at St. Vladimir’s, will be directing the exploration through 5 events, based on the seminary campus:

-   September 2016, “The State of the Sacred Arts” workshop: a survey of the landscape;

-   February 2017, “Arvo Pärt: Sounding the Sacred” conference: an exploration of Pärt’s music as sacred embodiment in sound;

-   June 2017, “Sacred Arts and Public Engagement” workshop: a presentation by Krista Tippett, host of the radio program “On Being,” at an internal seminary workshop and at a public panel in NYC, examining why the Sacred Arts appeal to the “spiritual but not religious”;

-   Autumn 2017, “Byzantine Materiality” seminar: a collaboration of select scholars of Byzantium, sharing their research in preparation for a larger conference in Spring 2018; and

-   Spring 2018, “Byzantine Materiality” conference: an exploration of the roles and meanings of “matter” and “materiality” in Byzantium.

Deacon Evan explained the particular significance of the final two events, saying, "Although Orthodox liturgy and liturgical arts are often described in spiritual terms—sometimes even in opposition to the material world—it is precisely through the matter and materiality of iconography and architecture, liturgical vestments and vessels, and even the sacraments themselves that the Spirit is revealed to us.

“In a time when most of our lives are becoming increasingly ‘digital’ and ‘virtual,’ this project aims to explore the importance of matter and materiality in the Orthodox tradition," he added. 

The grant award was given through the Henry Luce Foundation’s Theology Program, which aims to “advance understanding of religion and theology,” through projects that "cross religious, disciplinary, and geographic borders," and through support for "scholarship that is theoretically sophisticated, historically informed, critically reflexive, and practically invested.” Read more on the Luce Foundation’s website. 

Theologians and book lovers in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area can look for St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press), the publishing house of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, at the Annual Meetings 2015, hosted by the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and held November 21-24, 2015.

“Exhibiting at the Annual Meetings is a highlight of the year for us,” commented Press Marketing Director Dn. Gregory Hatrak. “It gives us the opportunity to speak with the best religion scholars and connect with other theological publishers.”

The Annual Meetings of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Langagues (SBL) is the largest gathering of scholars interested in the study of religion in the world. Approximately 10,000 members and exhibitors were present at last year’s meeting in San Diego, California.

“We are looking forward to sharing our recent releases with the Annual Meetings participants,” said Production Manager Michael Soroka. “Several of our series—including the well-known Foundations Series and our new Scholarly Monographs Series—have volumes released this year which make significant contributions to the study of Orthodox theology.” One of those new volumes is the much-anticipated work exploring the role of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Church: Gateway of Life: Orthodox Thinking on the Mother of God, by scholar Mary B. Cunningham.

The newest series at SVS Press, the Scholarship Monographs Series, aims to encourage the study of the Orthodox Church in academia through the publication of in-depth scholarship of the highest academic rigor. The first offering in this new series edited by seminary Dean The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr is Orthodox and Greek Catholics in Transylvania (1867–1916): Convergences and Divergences. It examines the relationship between the two Romanian communities by incorporating a wealth of archival information.

Other new and noteworthy releases include Church in the Making: An Apophatic Ecclesiology of Consubstantiality, an important contribution to the field of ecclesiology by The Reverend Nicholas Loudovikos; and Prayer: Encounter with the Living God, a simple set of talkstranscribed and translated from television episodes presented on Russian television by His Eminence The Most Reverend Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations.

“We are also pleased to announce that our most exhaustive work on St. Isaac the Syrian will be formally released at the Annual Meetings,” continued Dn. Gregory. St. Isaac the Syrian and His Spiritual Legacy, edited by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), compiles papers delivered at the inaugural International Patristics Conference held in Moscow, 2013.

“For the first time, AAR/SBL will open the exhibit hall at the Annual Meeting to the public free of charge on Tuesday morning, November 24,” noted Deacon Gregory. “We hope this will give us an opportunity to catch up with many of our friends and seminary alumni living in the Atlanta area who may not be attending the conference.”

Visitors can find SVS Press at Booth 509 during the Annual Meetings 2015.

O marvelous depth of wonders!
Those who were hard-hearted in understanding and wandering in vain,   
rejoice now in the holy Church,
for this is the day of Vladimir.
Christ our God reigns, and has found another Paul,
setting him as faithful prince in his land,
for by holy baptism he has enlightened his people.
—Aposticha for the Feast of St. Vladimir

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 On the weekend of October 31–November 1, 2015, the community of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) gathered to honor its heavenly patron, the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir, by commemorating the translation of his holy relics to Three Hierarchs Chapel.

In November 2013, a delegation from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, led by His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Philip, archbishop of Poltava and Myrhorod, presented the community with the relics of St. Vladimir and a rare Book of Gospels. The precious gifts were presented on behalf of His Beatitude Vladimir (Volodymyr), metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, who reposed in 2014.

“When St. Vladimir’s Seminary was founded in 1938, the decision was made to give our seminary a missionary saint as its patron,” said seminary Chancellor/CEO the Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield. “The presence of St. Vladimir’s relics are a constant reminder that we too are called to carry out the Great Commission.”

Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great was the prince of Novgorod, the grand prince of Kiev and ruler of Kievan Rus’ from 980 to July 15, 1015. St. Vladimir introduced Orthodox Christianity to the Kievan Rus’ in the year 988. Orthodox Christians around the world have organized events in 2015 to commemorate the 1,000th year anniversary of the blessed saint’s repose.

“It is a great blessing to have relics of our patron saint, and the ‘transfer’ of the relics has given us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this feast annually and combine it with an early Thanksgiving community meal, remarked seminary Dean the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr. “The presence of St. Vladimir amongst us constantly reminds us of the missionary purpose and character of all that we do together, on behalf of the Church and for the Church.”

The weekend’s events began with a beautiful vigil on Saturday evening, sung antiphonally by the St. Damascene and St. Cassia chapel choirs. His Beatitude the Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and president of the seminary, presided at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. Concelebrating were His Grace Bishop Alexander, bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese of the OCA, and His Grace Bishop John, bishop of Naro-Fominsk and administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Moscow Patriarchate (read the story from their website).

“St. Vladimir’s Seminary was always intended to have a missionary focus, and this is why St. Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, was chosen as its heavenly patron,” commented His Beatitude in his Sunday morning homily. “As the seminary has evolved and changed, it has always kept this missionary focus. It has always remained an apostolic seminary.” (View the gallery of the Divine Liturgy by Glen Mules and Roman Ostash)

The community continued its joyous celebration that evening with a cherished—and delicious—St. Vladimir’s tradition: a pre-Nativity Fast Thanksgiving dinner. Seminarians, faculty, and staff, and their families, enjoyed a delightful feast prepared by Chef Nat Fasciani.

On Tuesday, December 1, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) will continue its new tradition of participating in #GivingTuesday, a national movement that celebrates generosity.

“Giving is at the very foundation of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s mission, so we are enthusiastic again this year about taking part in this day dedicated to philanthropy,” said seminary Chancellor/CEO the Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield. “Our professors give their hearts to teach the gospel of Christ. Our students give their time to prepare for service in the Church. Our graduates give their lives to minister to Christ's flock.”

Last year, the Seminary’s highly successful #GivingTuesday campaign raised $80,000. In an expression of love and solidarity with the suffering peoples in the Middle East, St. Vladimir’s offered a tithe of $8,000 to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, to alleviate the dire conditions of people in his care.

“Because we believe in giving back at St. Vladimir’s, we will donate 10% of whatever we raise on #GivingTuesday,” continued Fr. Chad. “This year’s tithe will support the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III, our sister seminary in Nairobi, Kenya. This great center of Orthodoxy in Africa is in serious need of books for their library, and we want to help.”

Archimandrite Philip Mugadizi (SVOTS alumnus ’03), deputy dean of the Nairobi seminary, has been instrumental in arranging this year’s tithe. “We are delighted to partner with St. Vladimir’s for #GivingTuesday,” remarked Fr. Philip. “The relationship between our two theological institutions is growing stronger by the day, as evidenced by the upcoming visit of Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir’s. It is our hope to continue this exchange and dialogue between our seminaries, offering opportunities for our seminarians, faculty, and staff to learn from one another. I hope that many people will support our schools on #GivingTuesday.”

“Given the response to #GivingTuesday last year, an anonymous supporter has challenged us to raise $50,000 on #GivingTuesday this year—and if we do, every penny will be matched. With this incredible matching opportunity, it would be within reason to expect that we could potentially take in $100,000 on December 1, with $10,000 going to our brothers seminarians in Nairobi, Kenya,” explained Fr. Chad. “These donations will spread the gospel across North America and Africa.

“Right now, we’re asking Orthodox Christians around the world to help us get the word out on their social media networks, through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,” Fr. Chad concluded, “and to stay in the loop about this venture by signing up for #GivingTuesday emails. Our website,  www.svots.edu/givingtuesday, contains a host of resources for anyone interested in supporting Orthodoxy in America and Africa this December 1.”

Donate directly to SVOTS #GivingTuesday here (all monies will be totaled December 1, 2015).

What:  Saint Ambrose Society, St. Vladimir's student-led pro-life advocacy group, is hosting a public seminar titled "ON THE PRO-LIFE FRONT LINES—Crisis Pregnancy Centers &  College Campuses"

When:  Friday, November 13, 2015, 1:30–4:30 PM

Who:  Maryl Turchi, the Executive Director of Life Options Center, a crisis pregnancy center in Yonkers, and Keri Landeche, the Northeast Regional Coordinator of Students for Life of America, will speak about the pro-life work in their respective fields. It's open to the public, and admission is free.

Where:  Metropolitan Philip Auditorium in the Rangos Building
St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
575 Scarsdale Rd
Yonkers, NY 10707

View directions

For further information, contact St. Ambrose Society on Facebook or by email at SAS@svots.edu.

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Listen to the Keynote Address, "Our Common Father: Saint Cyril"
Listen to the concert, "Our Common Saints"

On the first Saturday in October, St. Vladimir's Seminary welcomed hundreds of friends and alumni to campus for its annual Orthodox Education Day.

"This year's theme, 'East Meets East,' was inspired by the diversity of our student body," remarked seminary Chancellor/CEO, The Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield. "At St. Vladimir's, Oriental and Eastern Orthodox students have been living, learning, and growing together in Christ for over fifty years."

Three Hierarchs Chapel served as the locus for the day's events. The day began with Sh'himo, a service comprising matins, 3rd hour, and 6th hour according to the Rite of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The Reverend Dr. Varghese M. Daniel, newly-appointed Sessional Assistant Professor of Malankara Studies at St. Vladimir's, presided alongside Malankara Orthodox seminarians, alumni, and friends of the seminary. In the afternoon, Coptic Orthodox students and friends led the community in prayer at a raising of incense service. The day concluded with Eastern Orthodox Great Vespers.

The Very Reverend Dr. John Anthony McGuckin presented the keynote address, "Our Common Father: Saint Cyril." Renowned author of 25 books, several of which are published by SVS Press, Father John is The Ane Marie and Bent Emil Nielsen Professor of Late Antiquity and Byzantine Christian History at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Byzantine Christian Studies at Columbia University.

"We have preferred, because of political reasons, to relegate each other's traditions to poor apologetic representations," stated Fr. John. "We have to learn a dialogue of love and the truth of one another's traditions. We need to learn to love through prayer." Father John then went on to outline a brief history of St. Cyril and made the point that the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox traditions agree with much of the saint's theology. "It is not beyond us to restore the fallout of the last 1,600 years," he stated in closing.

Guests had the opportunity to explore a marketplace filled with Orthodox books and gifts and to eat their fill of barbecue, Indian cuisine, and delicious desserts prepared by the seminary community.

Workshops on topics ranging from Coptic iconography to a history of the dialogue between the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches filled the late afternoon hours. A lively book discussion group, co-moderated by Three Hierarchs Chapel member Vera Hubiak and third-year seminarian Dn. Shiryl Mathai, mulled over the message and themes in Way of the Ascetics, by Tito Colliander. Eight seminarians performed a concert of Orthodox music titled "Our Common Saints: Hymns of Rome, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Sebaste," under the direction of Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), lecturer in Liturgical Music and director of Chapel Music at St. Vladimir's.

"The day was replete with opportunities to explore the relationship between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, a relationship that is lived out daily at St. Vladimir's," commented the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, seminary Dean. "Our seminary is a unique community where priests and leaders from both traditions are molded and prepared for ministry. We are grateful for our long history with the Oriental Orthodox churches."

View a gallery of Orthodox Education Day photographs on the seminary's Facebook page.
View the 2015 Program Book
View the Concert Program