During their Fall Session at the Chancery in Syosset, NY, October 23 through 26, 2018, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops confirmed the nomination by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Professor Archpriest Alexander Rentel as chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America.
The appointment of Fr. Alexander was made in accordance with Article VI Section 2 of the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America and endorsed by the Metropolitan Council at a special meeting on Thursday, October 18. He succeeds Archpriest John Jillions, who has served as Chancellor since 2011 and who was recently appointed Rector of Holy Ghost Church, Bridgeport, CT. Fr. John will continue as chancellor through December 31, while Fr. Alexander will assume his duties on January 1, 2019.
A faithful priest of the Orthodox Church in America for seventeen years, Fr. Alexander brings a wealth of experience to his new position as a well-known professor, liturgist, pastor and confessor. His pastoral ministry has been offered within the context of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary [SVOTS], Yonkers, NY, where he has worked for over sixteen years as a professor, and for ten has served as the seminary’s ecclesiarch. As ecclesiarch, he has overseen the life of the school’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, the liturgical training of seminarians, and the ordination process. The latter ministry is a key component of the chancellor’s responsibilities, along with assisting the metropolitan in the areas of theological training and parish assignments.
Currently, Fr. Alexander is the Seminary’s assistant professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies and the John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology. He has been a member of the Holy Synod of Bishop’s Commission on Canons and Statues. His experience with the Statute Revision Commission has given him an extraordinary familiarity with the current—and past—Statutes.
Fr. Alexander’s knowledge and experience of Canon Law are 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. Having worked closely with all of the bishops of the Holy Synod, collectively and individually, he is intimately familiar with the general functioning of the Holy Synod. He is widely known and respected by the many seminarians who have studied under him.
Fr. Alexander is married to Matushka Nancy Rentel (SVOTS Class of 1995), who works in Higher Education in New York City. Together they have three children.
St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has announced Ms Sophia Theodoratos as the winner of the 2018 St Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest.
The St Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest will be offered annually, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors also selected the topic of the 2018 essay contest and developed thorough and thoughtful criteria to determine the winner.
“It was an honor and a privilege to have had the opportunity to read all the works several times. We treasure them,” said one of the family members. “…When I read the essays, I felt each had a pearl.”
Sophia Theodoratos hails from Brisbane, Australia. She graduated from SVOTS Master of Arts (M.A.) program in the spring of 2018 and returned to SVOTS for the 2018 fall semester to pursue a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree.
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.
Members of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) took part in “unforgettable” celebrations in Estonia as the Arvo Pärt Centre officially opened its doors in the village of Laulasmaa.
SVOTS President Archpriest Chad Hatfield and Professor Peter Bouteneff, who directs the Seminary’s Arvo Pärt Project, traveled to Estonia for the opening ceremonies, which took place from October 12 to 17.
In 2015, SVOTS signed a concordat with the Arvo Pärt Centre for continued cooperation between the Centre and SVOTS, above all in the fields of arts and theology, in mutual counseling, and in joint academic activities.
“Our formal relationship with the Arvo Pärt Centre now has the possibility of including internships for M.A. [Master of Arts] students from St. Vladimir’s who have a concentration in Music,” said Fr. Chad. “This trip has provided the first conversation about this possibility—which is part of our re-imagining of residential life under Vision 2020.”
The Arvo Pärt Centre was founded by Arvo Pärt and his family, with the aim of creating opportunities for preserving and researching the creative heritage of the Orthodox Christian composer in the context of his native language in Estonia. The core of the Arvo Pärt Centre is the archive, which comprises information and documents related to the composer’s work in both physical and digital formats. The Centre also includes a library, cafe, concert hall, and small exhibition area for children, and open meeting spaces for musicians, researchers, and music lovers. The chapel built within the Arvo Pärt Centre, dedicated to St. Silouan the Athonite, will feature frescoes currently being painted by SVOTS alumnus Dn. Nikita Andrejev (’15).
On their trip to Estonia, Fr. Chad and Dr. Bouteneff also visited the St. John the Theologian Orthodox School, founded largely on the efforts of Immanuel and Irina Pärt, the son and daughter-in-law of Arvo.
“It was incredibly impressive,” said Bouteneff. “Their school, founded on sound educational principles and on the prayer life of the Orthodox Church, has quickly developed such a strong reputation that non-Orthodox and non-believing families send their children there.”
Since the end of the 2017-2018 Academic Year, four priests have been added to the ranks of our student body and alumni fellowship, as well as nine new deacons. This list only includes ordinations that took place during the summer of 2018 and the fall semester so far. More seminarians and alumni are scheduled to be ordained in the coming months, God-willing.
We keep them all in prayer as they continue in their ministries. Axios!
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Priest Gregory Potter (M.Div. ‘18)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 29APRIL18 by the hand of His Grace John, bishop of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (AOCANA), at St. George in Norwood, MA Holy Priesthood: Ordained 28JULY18 by the hand of His Grace Alexander, bishop of Ottawa, Eastern Canada, and Upstate New York (AOCANA), at St. George Orthodox Church in South Glens Falls, NY Current ministry: Assigned as pastor at St. George Orthodox Church in South Glens Falls, NY Educational and professional background: B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University; Shortly thereafter, he was received into the Orthodox Church, and chanted, taught Sunday school, and studied at church while working at Starbucks for seven years
Priest Daniel Greeson (M.Div. ‘18)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada, in Three Hierarchs Chapel, at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, 3MAR17 Holy Priesthood: Ordained 25AUG18 by The Most Reverend Alexander, archbishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese (OCA), at St. Anne's Orthodox Church, Oak Ridge, TN Current ministry: Assigned at St. Anne's Orthodox Church, Oak Ridge, TN Educational and professional background: Graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies in 2014; worked in title insurance industry
Priest Herman Fields (3rd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained by Metropolitan Joseph, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Little Falls, NJ, 21JAN18 Holy Priesthood: Ordained 30SEPT18 by the hand of His Grace John, bishop of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (AOCANA), at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Danbury, CT Current ministry: Student parish assignment at Virgin Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, Yonkers, NY, under the mentorship of Rector, Fr. Christopher Eid Educational and professional background: M.A., Oxford, Theology; St. Stephen's Certificate in Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies; worked in IT for ten years, as a web developer and project manager; moved to St. Vladimir's from Sweden, with wife, Anna, and children, Julia and Jacob
Priest George Katrib, Alumnus (M.Div. ’14) Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Houston, TX, 28JAN18 Holy Priesthood: Ordained 11NOV18 by His Grace BASIL, bishop of Wichita and Mid-America (AOCANA), at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, TX Current ministry: Assistant Pastor, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Houston, TX Educational and professional background: Bachelor’s Degree (BA) 2008, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL
HOLY DIACONATE
Deacon Symeon Halsell (2nd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 8JULY18 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of all North America (AOCANA), at the Antiochian Diocese of the West 2018 Parish Life Conference in Portland, OR. Current ministry: Student parish assignment at St. Stephen the Protomartyr Orthodox Church in South Plainfield, NJ Educational and professional background: B.A. in Sociology from California State University of Los Angeles; worked as supervisor for UPS for seven years and as Facilities Manager for his home parish for four years; served the Church before coming to seminary as an Orthodox middle-school teacher on Sundays, an altar server, and as an adult catechist to inquirers and catechumens
Deacon Brandon Gallaher (M.Div. ‘03)
Jurisdiction: Patriarchal Exarchate For Orthodox Parishes Of The Russian Tradition In Western Europe (under the Ecumenical Patriarchate), Deanery of Great Britain and Ireland Holy Diaconate: Ordained 15JULY18 by His Eminence Archbishop Jean (Renneteau) of Charioupolis (Patriarchal Exarchate) at St. Anne’s Church in the Parish of Holy Prophet Elias, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom Current ministry: Deacon at Holy Prophet Elias Parish, Devon, UK Educational and professional background: B.A. in English and Philosophy from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; M.A. in Religious Studies focused on Patristics and Systematic Theology at McGill University, Montreal, Canada; D.Phil. from the University of Oxford, UK; Theological Subject Expert in the Press Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate during the Holy and Great Council of Crete in June 2016; currently senior lecturer of Systematic and Comparative Theology and Orthodox chaplain at the University of Exeter and co-chair for the Eastern Orthodox Studies Group at the American Academy of Religion
Deacon Jarod (David) Winn (2nd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 23SEPT18 by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of all North America (AOCANA, at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY Current ministry: Student parish assignment at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY Educational and professional background: B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Biola University; deputy sheriff in Orange County, CA
Deacon Christopher Dillon (2nd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of North America (AOCANA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 30SEPT18 by the hand of His Grace John, bishop of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (AOCANA), at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Danbury, CT Current ministry: Student parish assignment at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Danbury, CT, under the mentorship of Fr. George Al-Dehneh Educational and professional background: BA, UC Davis, History; M.Ed., UC Santa Barbara; CA Teaching Credential in Social Science, St. Stephen's Certificate in Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies; taught High School and Middle School History for eleven years; attends St. Vladimir's with wife, Claire, and children, James, Alexander, Peter and Isaiah
Deacon Philip Maikkula (M.Div. ‘18)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 13OCT18 by the hand of The Most Reverend Alexander, archbishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese (OCA), at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville, SC Current ministry: Pastoral assistant at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church; campus minister to the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Furman University and Clemson University. Educational and professional background: BA in Philosophy from the University of Central Florida.
Deacon Basil (Brian) Crivella (3rd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Diocese of the Midwest Holy Diaconate: Ordained 28OCT18 by the hand of The Right Reverend Paul, bishop of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA), at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY. Current Ministry: Student parish assignment at Christ the Savior Church in Southbury, CT, under the mentorship of Fr. Vladimir Aleandro. Educational and professional background: Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from Westmoreland Community College; served seven and a half years on active duty military service with the United States Coast Guard, taking part in search and rescue along with law enforcement operations on both Lake Michigan and in the Caribbean Sea; served as the Logistics Petty Officer at a search and rescue station on Lake Erie
Deacon Thomas (Shawn) Thomas (M.Div., ’16; Th.M. ‘17)
Jurisdiction: Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 27OCT18 by the hand of His Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos at St. Thomas Chapel, Diocesan Metropolitan’s Residence (Aramana), Muttontown, NY Current Ministry: Assists His Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos; speaker at different retreats and conferences in both the Northeast American Diocese and the Diocese of South-West America Educational and professional background: BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Deacon Timothy Aznavourian (2nd-year Seminarian, M.Div. program) Jurisdiction: The Armenian Church, Eastern Diocese of America Holy Diaconate: Ordained 1July18 by the hand of His Eminence, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Ecumenical Director and Legate to Washington DC for the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY Educational and Professional Background: B.A. in Philosophy from Rhode Island College
Deacon Kuriakose (Alex) Abraham (M.Div., ’16) Jurisdiction: Diocese of Northeast America of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) Holy Diaconate: Ordained 23OCT18 by the hand of His Grace Metropolitan Youhanon Mar Dioscorus at St. George Orthodox Church of Parampuzha, Kerala, India. Current ministry: Assigned as spiritual adviser for annual Winter Summit conference for Malankara Orthodox college students Educational and professional background: B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University
This year, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is once again participating in #GivingTuesday, set for November 27. And this year, SVOTS will tithe 10% of the funds raised on #GivingTuesday to our select non-profit partner for 2018: The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Kerala Flood Relief Project.
“It is a matter of greater consolation to know that our sister Churches are concerned with the situations we face,” said His Holiness Baselius Marthoma Paulos II, the Supreme Head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India. “It gives us good motivation that we are not alone in fighting the perils and calamities with which our people are affected.”
The worst flooding and landslides in Kerala—the land where St. Thomas the Apostle is traditionally believed to have evangelized starting in A.D. 52—occurred in August. As a result of the disaster, more than four hundred people were killed, 750-800 thousand people were displaced and put in relief camps, and more than 220 thousand people were left homeless.
After the flood waters eventually receded, massive rebuilding efforts began. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, among other organizations, has launched a flood relief project.
“Our Church has already charted and launched several rehabilitation programs. We are joining with the common communities in organizing programs of rehabilitation in several regions of Kerala which were critically affected,” explained His Holiness.
Those programs include reconstructing homes for one thousand families, providing food, clothing, medical help, and trauma and rehabilitation services, participating in clean-up efforts, and offering financial aid to people who have lost livestock.
To support SVOTS’ #GivingTuesday campaign with a gift of any size:
1. Give online between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. EST on November 27, 2018
2. Give over the phone – we’ll be here at 914-961-8313 x 317 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST (send an email to GivingTuesday@svots.edu after 10 p.m. EST)
3. Mail us your check dated November 27, 2017, to 575 Scarsdale Rd, Yonkers, NY, 10707 (it would help us if you write “#GivingTuesday” on the memo!) 4. Give now online, and your contribution will be counted with what is raised on GivingTuesday
Funds raised on #GivingTuesday also support seminarians, programs, and operations of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Education Day, which fell on the Feast of St. Innocent of Alaska, began with Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at which relics of St. Innocent were present. His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada, presided. Members of the Seminary community and OED guests packed into Three Hierarchs Chapel for liturgy; the Chapel was so full, in fact, that many had to stand outside in the narthex and outside as the Chapel doors were kept open for everyone to worship.
Listen to a recording of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on OED, October 6, 2018
The day included several more highlights befitting the historic celebration, including a passionate call to spread the Gospel as individuals in addition to supporting Orthodox evangelistic enterprises such as SVS Press and Ancient Faith Ministries.
“We have a responsibility to care for the souls of men and women for whom Christ died…” said John Maddex, CEO of Ancient Faith Ministries, and the keynote speaker for OED. “The best thing that ever happened to the world was when God came in the flesh and dwelt among us; his life, death, and resurrection brought love and healing to a sick and dying world.”
Listen to John Maddex’s keynote address, “Saving Some by All Means” (I Cor 9.22)
Following Maddex’s address, former SVS Press director Ted Bazil and SVOTS Professor Emeritus David Drillock offered a fantastic look back and wonderful stories from the fifty-year history of SVS Press and OED.
“It was during the summer of 1973 when I was in the bookstore, working late at night, that Ted Bazil, a seminarian who was working on the Seminary grounds crew, would see the light in the bookstore and come in, offering his assistance…” Drillock reminisced. “Since that time, I have had a really wonderful relationship with Ted.”
Bazil would go on to become manager and then director of SVS Press from 1973 until his retirement in 2012, helping to establish SVS Press as the largest and most active publisher of Orthodox Christian books in the English language.
“We had all this material then [c. 1974]; we actually started advertising it and were taking orders…but we didn’t have the books, because we couldn’t afford to buy the inventory,” Bazil laughed. “So what we had to do is work additional time, work additional hours and be very careful in how we managed and how we purchased…and we finally would receive this material in, and we would distribute it to our customers.”
Listen to “50 Years: A First-Hand Look Back at SVS Press & OED”
Orthodox Education Day also featured bookstore and marketplace sales, a workshop for teens, children’s activities, food, and a fantastic performance at Three Hierarchs Chapel by the Boston Byzantine Choir in celebration of the choir’s own anniversary of 25 years since its founding
Listen to the Boston Byzantine Choir 25th Anniversary Concert
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Alumnus Very Rev. Dennis Pavichevich. Fr. Dennis fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at the age of 72.
Fr. Dennis Pavichevich (Dragoljub Pavicevic) began his theological studies at St. Sava Seminary in Belgrade, Serbia. He returned to the United States after two years and completed his undergraduate studies at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science in 1972. Fr. Dennis graduated from Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1975 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.
Fr. Dennis’s first parish as a priest was St. George in Schererville, Indiana, where he oversaw construction of the parish’s church building. He also served at St. Steven's Cathedral in Alhambra, California, Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chicago—where he helped establish a full-time parochial school, St. Sava Academy—and St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church in Brookfield, Illinois.
For me, Fr. Dennis is a man and a priest who is really “down to earth.” He is a solidly “grounded” servant of Christ who never feared to get “soiled” in his daily duties. In a word, he is a humble man; a man without guile, a man who has always known how to “turn and become like a little child” for the sake of God’s kingdom. But Fr. Dennis has never been childish. He has always been a big, strong, mature man. Those who went with him on one of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary summer octets know this very well since Fr. Schmemann and Prof. Verhovskoy told him to “take care of the boys” during their travels. Fr. Dennis did so, firmly and clearly, just as he took care of his people during all the years of his priestly and pastoral ministry.
Fr. Dennis raised five children with his wife, Protinica Jovanka.
A wake service, or Pomen, will be held Friday, October 12 at 7 p.m. at St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church, 4301 Prairie Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. The Divine Liturgy (9 a.m.) and funeral service (approximately 10:30 a.m.) are scheduled for Saturday, October 13, at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 5701 N. Redwood Drive, Chicago, Illinois. The Burial will follow at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery, 32377 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville, Illinois.
Thanking the Arvo Pärt Project for its “longstanding dedication and in-depth study” of Pärt’s music, the Estonian Ministry of Culture recognized St Vladimir’s Seminary’s (SVOTS) work with Arvo Pärt with a Letter of Appreciation. The most-performed living composer in the world, Pärt’s spiritual roots in Orthodox Christianity have inspired the seminary to engage in a project that has produced high-profile concerts, publish essays and books, and engage in cross-disciplinary panel discussions.
On Friday, September 28, the Letter of Appreciation was given by Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid to SVOTS Professor Peter Bouteneff, who directs the Project, which he co-founded in 2012 together with former SVOTS faculty member Nicholas Reeves. The Letter was presented at the New York Estonian House during a reception for President Kaljulaid.
Reacting to the honor, Bouteneff said, “Ever since its founding, the Estonian government has strongly encouraged and supported our work. They see us as helping to promote someone whom they see as their most celebrated cultural export.”
He continued, “Pärt’s music has an incredibly broad and devoted listenership, and yet he sometimes feels like music’s best-kept secret. Plumbing that mystery and sharing it with the wider world has been a great joy.”
On November 12, 2018, the Project is co-presenting a concert of Pärt’s music centered on St. Silouan the Athonite. That concert will be preceded by a lecture by Father Zacharias, of the monastic community founded by Archimandrite Sophrony in Essex, UK, devoted to the teaching of St. Silouan.
More than eighty people took part as the Orthodox Advanced Leadership Conference returned to St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS). The conference, titled, “Faith and Business Synergy,” began Thursday, September 28 and ended after Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel Sunday, September 30.
“I was a part of it last year, and it was terrific,” said Hank Hanegraaff, also known as the “Bible Answer Man,” who also participated in this year’s conference. “The people who are speaking at this conference come from a wide range of leadership capacities; the spiritual input, the leadership principles, and the way that these principles are being disseminated I think is just top notch.”
In addition to Hanegraaff, the pre-selected attendees included bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and lay leaders from several Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and across North America. Notably, speakers included His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America); His Eminence and Geron Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America; and His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of all North America (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese). His Grace Bishop John of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (Antiochian Archdiocese) was also a participant. Other distinguished participants and speakers included Chick-fil-A President Tim Tassopoulos, well known authors Fr. Josiah Trenham, Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, and Rod Dreher, former Exxon Mobile executive and SVOTS Trustee Emeritus Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, and several faculty and alumni of SVOTS.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon welcomed his brother hierarchs to the conference and addressed all of the conference participants.
“I am encouraged by the fact that the initiative and unbounded energy of [OVF Founder] Mr. Charles Ajalat has allowed us to meet again this year for this most excellent and important gathering of leaders of the Orthodox world in North America,” said His Beatitude.
“The lands of North America are the desert in which labor and strive to serve Christ and are perhaps not so far removed from the desert into which the Holy Apostles journeyed after the resurrection and ascension….,” Metropolitan Tikhon added. “If there is a plan for us in North America, it should be this: to make this place a special place by our special care for it. This is not a new plan, but something that we, as Orthodox Christians, have been doing already.”
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.
With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, Archpriest Dragan Filipovic, who graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1971. Fr. Dragan, of Pittsburgh, died unexpectedly Tuesday, September 18, 2018. He was 73.
Fr. Dragan was born December 30, 1944, in Belgrade, Serbia. He was ordained to the diaconate August of 1971 and to the priesthood September of 1971. During his 47 years of priesthood, he faithfully served Orthodox parishes in Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Cumberland, Rhode Island; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and North Canton, Ohio. Upon retirement, Fr. Dragan served as second priest at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, Canonsburg. He also served as the chaplain for the Stark County Sheriff's Department in Ohio and the Washington County Sheriff's Department in Pennsylvania.
In addition to his ministry, Fr. Dragan was a dedicated husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Popadija Mirjana Zivanovic Filipovic; his son, Matthew Filipovic, and his wife Brittany; his daughter, Elizabeth Fuellhart, and her husband Jack; his sister, Jelena Djurovic, and her husband Blagota; his grandchildren, Aleksandra and Jacqueline Fuellhart; nieces, Natasha Duric, and Gordana Bozovic; nephew, Bosko Djurovic, and his wife Nancy; 4 great nieces, 3 great nephews; and many godchildren.
Visitation will be held Sunday, September 23, from 3 to 8 p.m., at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, 601 W. McMurray Road, Canonsburg, PA, 15317. A service will begin at 7 p.m. Divine Liturgy will begin at 9 a.m. the following day, Monday, with funeral services scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh will be assisted by Father George L. Livanos. Burial services will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ellwood City, PA.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests memorial contributions be made to Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 321 Monastery Ln., Ellwood City, Pa, 16117, or to All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, 601 W. McMurray Rd. Canonsburg, PA, 15317.
