In the face of a clergy shortage affecting all Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in North America, St. Vladimir’s Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield sat down to discuss the future of vocations and the vision for the seminary moving forward.
Fr. Chad was recently interviewed by Adam Lowell Roberts of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America’s Department of Missions and Evangelism. In this two-part interview, Fr. Chad addresses the clergy shortage and also details SVOTS’ Vision 2020, a plan for the future of formation and education at the seminary, which could take effect as early as fall 2018.
A group of renowned scholars and artists took part in a three-day symposium over the weekend at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as they worked to explore sacred arts both in historic and new, possibly groundbreaking ways.
“’Sacrality,’ ‘the sacred,’ ‘arts,’ and ‘Sacred Arts’ show up in a lot of different fields and disciplines, often without definition…and a lot of these terms are taken for granted,” said Dn. Evan. “So, what we wanted to do was to try to bring a truly interdisciplinary group of scholars and artists [together] to discuss this.”
Among those presenting papers were historians of Byzantine and Armenian art and architecture Charlie Barber, Annemarie Weyl Carr, and Christina Maranci; musicologist Peter Jeffery; musicologist and theologian Margot Fassler; Orthodox priest, composer, conductor, and musicologist Ivan Moody; iconographer George Kordis; poet Nicholas Samaras, theologian and Roman Catholic priest Richard Viladesau; and Professor Schneider.
“Getting scholars and practitioners of this caliber to reflect on fundamental themes isn’t easy,” said Dr. Bouteneff. “It is a testimony to the level and character of the people assembled here that they contributed so thoughtfully, enthusiastically, and brilliantly, to the theme of sacredness in the arts. We realized together that we have here the potential of offering something new and useful to Christian reflection on theology and the arts."
Dr. Bouteneff added that one of the goals of the Sacred Arts Initiative is the future publication of a book based on the papers presented at this recent symposium.
On Saturday, the first-year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students gathered in the Seminary Refectory for a lunch and debrief of their prison ministry experience this year. They were joined by Priest Paul Tolve, Director of Pastoral Care, Westchester Correctional Facility (Valhalla, NY) and Priest Adrian Budica, director of Field Education and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) supervisor, who led their CPE101/Prison Ministry this year.
First-year Seminarian Chris Evans prepared a delicious three-course meal for all attending, offering his more than thirty years of experience as a chef as hospitality to his peers and mentors. The group then reflected on the meaningful experience they had visiting inmates, interacting with the correctional officers and reflecting together in the CPE-like group.
"As our interaction with inmates concluded, we miss the actual practical experience [of ministering to real people] on a regular basis, as we did in the prison," said Seminarian John Thetford.
Others echoed that feeling with a hope for more opportunities of authentic pastoral engagement with each other and learning.
"I am blessed to continue Fr. Nicholas Solak's ministry at the correctional facility", said Fr. Adrian Budica. "The process-discussion in the classroom is something I also cherish much, as I learn with and from the seminarians and their individual experiences with inmates. I believe that the most powerful and lasting learning takes places when it is initiated by the student from their own personal experiences, including struggles.”
Fr. Adrian and the seminarians reflected together on themes such as pastoral authority, boundaries, obedience, compassion fatigue, counter-transference and use of self, humility, and other themes as they arose organically from their ministry with inmates.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary is committed to continuing the CPE process-model, which proved effective in these groups for both pastoral formation and pastoral competence (skills of ministry), as well as continuing parish field education.
Rome-based Catholic filmmaker Robert Duncan took part in a special, public screening of his documentary Faces Among Icons on Sunday at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, followedby a panel discussion about the renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia.
The film, recently released by Catholic News Service (CNS), chronicles the rebirth of the Russian Orthodox Church following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Duncan directed and helped produce the documentary.
Before the start of the film, Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield thanked both Duncan and the Roman Catholic Church for making the film, which is of great interest to Orthodox Christians.
Fr. Chad joined Duncan and third-year Seminarian Priest Christopher Moore for the panel discussion following the film screening. Several members of the general public and seminary community in attendance raised questions about, among other topics, ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the nature of church-state relations in Russia, and how the Orthodox Church there is addressing social ills.
Listen to the panel discussion in its entirety below.
An opportunity to transform your ministry for the better might sound too good to be true, but that is exactly what St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program was set up to be. And its most recent graduates want you to see fruits of the D.Min. program for yourself.
On Wednesday, May 9, we are hosting the second of three webinars featuring D.Min. graduates presenting their final projects. These webinars—free and open to the public—are meant to give people a taste of what the D.Min. program offers and what it can do for your ministry.
Registration ends at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 8, so register soon if you plan on joining us!
The third webinar presentation will feature Subdn. Gregory Abdalah, D.Min, and his project, titled, “The Church of Today: Youth, Liturgy, and Community.”
“Our youth are often referred to as ‘the future of the church.’ While a nice sentiment, this outlook ignores their role and place within the Church’s here and now,” said Subdn. Gregory. “We will look at the role community plays within the lives of our youth, contrasting the definition of community offered by the world with that which the church offers.”
Registrants will be emailed a link to join the webinar via computer or phone.
Seminarians from the Patriarchate of Alexandria helped make for a particularly memorable celebration of the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the Venerable Church of Alexandria.
On Wednesday, the seminary community observed the Divine Liturgy for the feast according to rubrics and languages commonly used for the Divine Liturgy in Africa. The Liturgy was led by first-year Seminarian Archimandrite Chrysostomos Onyekakeyah from Nigeria and third-year Seminarian Deacon Simon Menya from Uganda; Seminarian Loveday Okafor, also from Nigeria, sang the responses during the Liturgy. All three students belong to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.
During his sermon, Fr. Chrysostomos pointed out that sermons in Nigeria are usually much longer than sermons typically given in Orthodox churches in America. Sermons he delivers back home can be up to an hour in duration, and members of the congregation sing, dance, and clap for thirty minutes or more.
Speaking about the importance of the feast day, Fr. Chrysostomos reminded the congregation that, though it is important to glorify saints like St. Mark, we too often glorify them but forget that we should also strive to be like them. It is our duty to, like the saints, become the salt and light of the earth.
According to Church tradition the Apostle and Evangelist Mark is considered to be the founder and first bishop of the Alexandrian Church. Saint Mark is believed to have arrived in Alexandria in AD 43, traditionally observed as the year the Alexandrian Church was founded.
Next year, the seminary anticipates even more students enrolling from the Patriarchate of Alexandria, due to the closure of many seminaries in Africa because of financial crises. St. Vladimir’s Seminary has established the St. Cyprian of Carthage Fund for African seminarians who would not be able to attend St. Vladimir’s Seminary without financial support. Read more about the initiative on the St. Cyprian of Carthage Fund page.
An opportunity to transform your ministry for the better might sound too good to be true, but that is exactly what St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program was set up to be. And its most recent graduates want you to see fruits of the D.Min. program for yourself.
On Tuesday, May 1, we are hosting the second of three webinars featuring D.Min. graduates presenting their final projects. These webinars—free and open to the public—are meant to give people a taste of what the D.Min. program offers and what it can do for your ministry.
Registration ends Sunday, April 29 at 5 p.m., so register soon if you plan on joining us!
This second webinar session will feature Rev. John Parker, D.Min, rector of Holy Ascension Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Fr. John’s presentation is titled, “Radechesis: a Radical Return to the Roots of Christian Catechism.”
“Sociologist of Religion Amy Slagle has said, ‘The Orthodox Church in the United States has no uniform, cross-jurisdictional program for instructing and bringing new adult members into its fold,’” explained Fr. John. “In my experience, and demonstrated in the survey prepared for this effort, it is more often the case than not that new adult converts are educated to be parochial Masters of Divinity students, rather than being prepared to be divinized students of the Master.”
In this webinar, Fr John Parker shares a summary overview of his D.Min. work to address this issue, including a review of how it has worked in its first instantiation, in hopes of forming disciples, and not converts.
Registrants for Fr. John’s presentation will receive a link to join the webinar via email. Watch this space for information about the third and final webinar coming soon.
Hinkle Law Firm,1617 Waterfront Suite 400,67206,Wichita,KS,US
Come join us in Wichita, Kansas to help support St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and enjoy a little jazz on the side! On Friday, June 1, alumni and friends in Wichita will host a jazz cocktail evening to support the seminary. The event will be held at the Hinkle Law Building.
Special guests include His Grace Basil, bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), and Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The night will also feature live music from the Randy Fields Jazz Band, heavy hors d'oevre by Georges French Bistro, and a cash bar.
Tickets for the jazz cocktail event, which begins at 6 p.m., are priced at $35 with an additional donation requested.
Please support your next priest or lay leader. For more information, contact 914.961.8313, x330 or rhatrak@svots.edu.
St. Vladimir's Seminary,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,US
*UPDATE: Registration for the 2018 Diaconal Liturgical Practicum is now closed, due to full capacity. If you were unable to register this year, please email diaconal2019@svots.edu to be placed on a list for next year's practicum. You will be first to receive registration materials for the 2019 Diaconal Liturgical Practicum tentatively scheduled for next summer.
The Twelfth Annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) will be held July 15–18, 2018 on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY. The four-day program will offer intense practical liturgical training for deacons and lay diaconal candidates. Sessions begin late evening on Sunday, July 15, and end after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, July 18.
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.”
Click here for more information about the program.
An opportunity to transform your ministry for the better might sound too good to be true, but that is exactly what St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program was set up to be. And its most recent graduates want you to see fruits of the D.Min. program for yourself.
On Thursday, April 19, we are hosting the first of three webinars featuring D.Min. graduates presenting their final projects. These webinars—free and open to the public—are meant to give people a taste of what the D.Min. program offers and what it can do for your ministry.
While registration is free, space is limited, so sign up through this link if you are interested:
The first presentation will feature Rev. Dr. Timothy Chrapko, associate priest of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Fr. Timothy’s topic for the webinar session will be “Heavenly things for earthly, eternal for temporal: experiencing the Divine Liturgy.”
“The Divine Liturgy is the primary point of encounter between the faithful and the theology of the Church,” said Fr. Timothy. “A meaningful experience of the Divine Liturgy is an important aspect of the continued formation of an Orthodox Christian. We will look at the role that a deepened experience in worship has on the faithful that participate, and suggest methods for deepening the experience both in Lent and throughout the year.”
Registrants for Fr. Timothy’s presentation will receive a link to join the webinar on Thursday. Watch this space for information about the next webinar coming soon.
