The celebration of Divine Liturgy was especially blessed by the presence of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and chairman of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. OCA Chancellor Very Rev. Alexander Rentel, Seminary President Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, and other clergy from among the Seminary’s faculty and student body also participated in the Liturgy.
Very Rev. Sergius Halvorsen, assistant professor of homiletics and rhetoric, delivered a powerful homily during the Divine Liturgy on how to view the incredible ministry of St. Vladimir through the lens of our own calling as individual Christians--and how not to grow despondent by comparing the fruits of our ministries with those of St. Vladimir or anyone else.
"...Christian ministry is ultimately not about being great, or wealthy or powerful, or famous," Fr. Sergius preached. "Christian ministry is about being faithful to Jesus Christ, and serving Christ through serving my neighbor; using whatever God has given me, no matter how great or how small, to serve the flock—to serve the people that have been entrusted to me today."
The full transcript of Fr. Sergius' homily can be read on the Seminary's Synaxis Blog.
Holy Prince Vladimir, you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls. By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith, you found Christ, the priceless pearl. He appointed you to be another Paul, washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness. We celebrate your memory, asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians and for us, your spiritual children. (Troparion, Tone 4)
Seminary Alumnus Archimandrite Pitirim (Stehnach), 90, fell asleep in the Lord on the evening of Wednesday, July 10, 2019 in Ellwood City, PA.
Born in Conemaugh, PA on August 15, 1928 to the late Michael and Mary (Glova) Stehnach, he was the sixth of nine children. He served for seven years in the US Navy and Marines, after which he attended Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary from 1958 to 1963, when he graduated with the Certificate of Studies in Theology. He was ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Ireney on December 4, 1962 and to the priesthood by Archbishop Sylvester on April 27 of the following year. On October 14, 1966, he took monastic vows. He was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite on the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
Father Pitirim faithfully served parishes of the Orthodox Church in America for over 50 years in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. He also served as personal aide and driver for Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania for over 20 years. After retiring on his 85th birthday in 2013, he attended divine services at the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA and St. Elias Parish as his health permitted.
He is survived by brothers Paul and Steven Stehnach and several nieces and nephews, as well as numerous spiritual children. He was greatly appreciated for his practical and loving spiritual guidance.
Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 14 at the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA. The Funeral for a Monastic will follow at 6 p.m. The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 15, followed by interment in the monastery cemetery.
With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, a delegation including a St. Vladimir’s Seminary alumnus and faculty member represented His Beatitude and the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) at the enthronement of His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros as the new archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
The Rite of Enthronement was celebrated at the Greek Archdiocese’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York, NY, on Saturday, June 22, 2019.
Representing the OCA were Archbishop Michael of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey; OCA Director of External Affairs Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky, who studied at St. Vladimir’s from 1964 to 1967; and Archpriest John Behr, consultant to the OCA Office of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations, director of the Master of Theology Program at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY, and the Seminary’s Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary prayerfully wishes Archbishop Elpidophoros many years!
Sections of this article have been reprinted from OCA.org
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is pleased to announce that Sarah Werner has been hired as the new marketing director for St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.
Werner will lead the strategic vision for marketing and sales of product, supervise SVS Bookstore operations, and work closely with all aspects of Press operations.
"SVS Press books have contributed greatly to my own spiritual journey and theological understanding,” said Werner, “and I am honored to have a hand in expanding the Press and continuing to provide reputable theological resources to the Church and those seeking the Church."
Werner joins the staff with demonstrated experience in multiple fields, including in marketing and nonprofit work. She hails from Lexington, KY, where she was a member of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church (OCA) in Nicholasville, KY, under the pastoral leadership of Archpriest Justin Patterson (SVOTS Class of 2005).
The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary warmly wishes Sarah many years of success in leading and developing the valuable mission and work of SVS Press.
SVS Press & Bookstore will be closed from Wednesday, June 26 through Friday, June 28, 2019 for inventory, and will also be closed the following Monday, July 1 for auditing. The Press & Bookstore is closed Saturday and Sunday as usual.
Customers may email, fax, or leave a voice message regarding orders during this extended closure, but all orders will be held for processing until regular summer business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST) resume Tuesday, July 2.
Please note the bookstore will also be closed Thursday, July 4 for the national holiday. The SVS Press & Bookstore staff thank you for your patronage and understanding.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press is offering 30% off all SVS Press titles and CD’s and free shipping (US only) from June 12 through June 25.
To get the discount, head to the SVS Press website and enter the coupon code “Summer19” at checkout (the code is case-sensitive). You can also get the discount in-store at the SVS Press Bookstore, located on campus at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY.
During the summer months, SVS Press and Bookstore hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Alumni from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) represented the Orthodox Church in America [OCA] at the 98th Session of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.
The gathering, held at the Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, Contookook, NH, May 28-31, 2019, was co-chaired by His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and His Eminence, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, NJ. The participants—eighteen theological scholars of varying disciplines—contributed to discussions on pastoral, theological, and practical matters.
Recent SVOTS graduate Laura Wachsmuth, the Class of 2019 salutatorian, was invited to be a “steward” at the Consultation’s spring meeting in part because of her interest in Orthodox-Catholic relations. Laura attended a Roman Catholic Seminary in Oregon for a year prior to enrolling at St. Vladimir’s.
“It was an invaluable experience for me to see this dialogue in action,” said Laura. “I was struck by the community of friendship that has developed among the Consultation members over the years. These friendships have helped create an atmosphere where difficult, complicated, and controversial topics can be broached.
"This theological consultation, the longest-lasting Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, has issued a number of significant agreed statements, including on baptism, the eucharist, marriage, and most recently on the laity,” said Dr. Meyendorff. “Meeting regularly since 1965, the group has continued its work unimpeded by the conflicts that at times hindered the progress of the official international dialogue.”
“On a personal level, it has brought me into contact with leading Orthodox and Catholic theologians, which has served as an extension of my tenure at St. Vladimir's."
Meyendorff has remained active in ecumenical dialogues and gatherings since his retirement from SVOTS in 2016, and he has represented the OCA at previous North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultations. He has participated in the Faith and Order Commission of both the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical work dovetails with his responsibilities as an advisor to the Department of External Affairs of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a position he has held since 2000. Meyendorff is also a charter member of the St. Irenaeus Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, which just published a significant statement on primacy and conciliarity, entitled "Serving Communion.” The statement is included in a recent volume of the St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly (SVTQ), Vol. 63, No. 1, 2019.
During the Theological Consultation, participants discussed an unofficial international Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue, the Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, and considered one of this Dialogue’s statements on primacy and synodality. Additionally, participants examined the issue of mixed Orthodox-Catholic marriages and made final revisions to a statement titled “Vocation and Mission of the People of God.”
On Thursday, May 30, the Consultation joined the Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops, co-chaired by Metropolitan Methodios and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston. The two bodies met to discuss mixed marriage, reflect on synodality in the Church, and consider interchurch relations between and within their respective traditions.
Will you be at the 2019 Antiochian Archdiocese Convention this July? Or will you be in the Grand Rapids, MI area around that time? Meet us there for a gathering of alumni and friends!
The SVOTS event will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25at the Ford Ballroom of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
Questions? Contact Matushka Robyn Hatrak at rhatrak@svots.edu.
The Board, chaired by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), made the decision at its semi-annual meeting on Friday, May 17, 2019.
The trustees in attendance voted unanimously to appoint Fr. Chad to a new five-year term. His current term expires in June.
“Father Chad has faithfully served the seminary now for twelve years, first as chancellor and then as president after the Seminary launched its new governance model in 2016,” said Deacon Michael Hyatt, executive chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are excited about his vision for the Seminary’s future and confident in his ability to lead us there.”
“With the looming clergy shortage on the horizon and the challenges of an increasingly secular society, the Seminary’s mission is as pressing as ever. That’s why it’s so important that we have a trusted, visionary leader like Fr. Chad at the helm,” Hyatt added.
“The work of St. Vladimir’s Seminary is so important, and it remains renowned all over the Orthodox world and beyond for its excellence in theological education and formation,” said Fr. Chad. “So, I am humbled to accept this appointment and am grateful for the full support of the trustees.”
Archpriest Dr. Chad Hatfield came to SVOTS in 2007 from St. Herman Seminary in Alaska, where he served as dean from 2002 to 2007. His experience in various pastoral, teaching and administrative roles, spread over some 40 years of ordained ministry, are now blended into his ministry at SVOTS. He holds multiple advanced degrees from Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Nashotah, WI, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
