22 November–12 December 2014 • Off-Campus • San Francisco, London, Moscow

St. Vladimir's Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr has been on the road, offering retreats and lectures to the faithful both in the United States and overseas. During the second week of December, he'll conclude his busy fall schedule with a trip to Moscow, Russia, where a select group of eminent scholars have been invited to present papers in The Second International Theological Patristic Conference, themed "St. Simeon the New Theologian and his Spiritual Heritage."

The Conference is being sponsored by the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and the National Research Nuclear University MEPhi (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute). A cooperative agreement between St. Vladimir's and Ss. Cyril and Methodius was signed in 2013, allowing for the exchange of teachers, students, and resources between the two institutions.

Over the weekend of November 22 and 23, Fr. John presented a retreat to the faithful of San Francisco's Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of the West episcopal see, presided over by The Most Rev. Benjamin, archbishop of San Francisco and the West. The Dean's topic, "Becoming Human," was the theme of his 2013 SVS Press book of the same title.

Father John scarcely had time to unpack his suitcase in New York before heading in the opposite direction, to London, England, where he delivered the Annual Constantinople Lecture on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. Sponsored by The Anglican and Eastern Churches Association and The Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, his talk centered on one of his recently explored themes, the paradox of life through death so central to the Christian message. "Christ has set us free from the fear of death," noted Fr. John. "He has turned death inside out....This reversal is located in the heart of the Gospel."

The lecture was "a wonderful opportunity to meet old friends and meet new ones," Fr. John reflected afterwards.

The next day, Fr. John journeyed to The Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Crawley Down, West Sussex, to lead a retreat for the Anglican religious group, the "Community of the Servants of the Will of God." Formed in the 1950s, the community consists of men and women who follow the Rule of St. Benedict while endeavoring to unite the traditions of East and West through their liturgies and prayer practices.

"I've benefitted from their fellowship at other conferences," explained Fr. John. "It was a joy to finally be able to visit with them in their community, to be present at their worship, and to share my work on the formation of Christian theology and spirituality."

SVOTS Communications/Yonkers, NY • Deborah (Malacky) Belonick, Photos by Dn. G. Hatrak

In an expression of love and solidarity with the suffering Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, St. Vladimir's Seminary has presented a gift of $8,000 to The Most Blessed John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. His Beatitude, whose patriarchal throne is in Damascus, Syria, will personally oversee distribution of the monies to alleviate the dire conditions of Orthodox Christians in that country.

The gift represents a tithe (i.e., one-tenth) of the total $80,000 donated to the seminary during its highly successful #GivingTuesday campaign conducted on December 2. Seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield and Dean Archpriest John Behr were received by Patriarch John at the headquarters of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) in Englewood, NJ, on Thursday, December 4, at which time they presented him with the $8,000 check. They also gave him a palitza, beautifully embroidered with an icon of the Three Hierarchs, Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, patrons of the seminary chapel.       

Patriarch John is in the U.S. in anticipation of the enthronement of His Eminence The Most Reverend Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui) as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America for the Antiochian Archdiocese, which will take place on December 6, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to presenting gifts to His Beatitude, the Chancellor and Dean presented an icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir to Metropolitan Joseph in honor of his upcoming enthronement and in recognition of his being the newly elected Vice President of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Seminary.

"After weeks of anticipation and publicity, the seminary received an overwhelmingly generous response when it launched its very first #GivingTuesday campaign," reported Fr. Chad.

"We are humbled by this gift, which will allow our students to continue to learn about and preach the true faith," he said, "and we are grateful that we can offer a tithe—as we promised our donors—to the Orthodox believers in Syria, who daily bravely witness to that faith."

See a gallery of photos by Haitham Fakhouri of the Dean and Chancellor's meeting with Patriarch John and Metropolitan Joseph.

On Tuesday, December 9, 2014, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, will deliver the annual Kuehner Seminar Lecture at St. Paul's Reformed Episcopal Church, 800 Church Road, Oreland, PA, 19075.

The Seminar will begin with Morning Prayer at 10:00 o'clock. Father Chad will speak on: "The One-Hundred Year Cycles in Anglican/Orthodox Relations: From Hooker to the Present Day." He will give two presentations, one before and one after lunch.

The cost for the seminar including lunch is $25 per person. To register, or for more information, e-mail the Reformed Episcopal Seminary: seminaryoffice@reseminary.edu or registrar@RESeminary.edu, or call: 610–292–9852. Please register by Thursday, December 4.

26 November 2014 • SVOTS Communications / Yonkers, NY • Deborah (Malacky) Belonick

Priest Matti Veli Juhani Wallgren, graduate of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (M.Div. 2003) and currently rector of Vaasa Orthodox Church, Diocese of Oulu, Finland, has been elected as the new Metropolitan of the Diocese of Oulu. He will succeed His Eminence Archbishop Panteleimon (Sarho), now retired, as metropolitan.

Father Matti was ordained to the priesthood September 1, 2003, in Jyvaskyla, Finland.  He served as second priest for two and a half years in central Finland and eight and a half years as a Dean of the Cathedral in Vaasa, western Finland.

Archpriests John Behr and Chad Hatfield, dean and chancellor/CEO of the seminary respectively, both expressed their sincere congratulations to Fr. Matti upon his election. "Our close relationship with the Church in Finland is longstanding and we look forward to even closer ties with the Finnish Church through Metropolitan Matti," said Fr. Chad.

Father  Matti will be consecrated as bishop and assume the duties of the Metropolitan of Oulu on January 11, 2015, at Oulu's Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The Orthodox Church in Finland is an autonomous Church belonging to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is made up of three dioceses: Karelia, Helsinki, and Oulu. Oulu, the smallest diocese among the three, was established in 1980. It includes five parishes made up of nearly 10,000 members.

Within the entire Orthodox Church of Finland, there are 24 parishes with 140 priests and more than 58,000 members. A convent and a monastery also operate within the church.

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Listen to Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield talk about the upcoming Schmemann Lecture on Ancient Faith Radio.

His Grace Nicholas (Ozone), auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn for the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), will be the guest speaker for the 32nd Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, to be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building on January 30, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Bishop Nicholas will be speaking on "The Life and Ministry of St. Raphael of Brooklyn." In 2015 the Antiochian Archdiocese will mark the 100th anniversary of the beloved saint's repose with a year-long series of events commemorating the milestone.

Bishop Nicholas holds several engineering degrees, and a Master of Divinity degree awarded with Highest Distinction from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. He speaks Arabic and English fluently and has a working knowledge of French, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, New Testament Greek, and Modern Greek. Since December 2011, His Grace has resided at the Antiochian Archdiocese headquarters in Englewood, NJ, where he administers the Diocese of New York and Washington D.C. and also serves as the assistant to His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America.

The Antiochian Archdiocese and St. Vladimir's have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship for six decades, and today this has continued under the direction of Bishop Nicholas, the liaison between the Archdiocese and the Seminary. Beginning with the enrollment of three Syrian Orthodox students in 1951, numerous Antiochian clergy, academics, and laity have been a part of St. Vladimir's history: faculty and staff, authors, board members, and choirs. 

READ MORE

• Celebrating Byzantine services at St. Vladimir's with Bishop Nicholas
• His Grace's biography
• Fall 2014 Ordinations of Antiochian seminarians
• Seminary welcomes Bishop Nicholas for his first visit

On November 8, at a special academic convocation, the seminary Board of Trustees and faculty awarded His Eminence The Most Reverend Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Metropolitan Hilarion was on campus to present a public lecture: "Primacy and Conciliarity from an Orthodox Perspective"—a topic of critical importance to the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, of which he is a key participant. His Eminence is also an appointed member of the seminary Board and author of the SVS Press Orthodox Christianity Series.

Upon receiving he honorary degree, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed his gratitude for his longstanding relationship with St. Vladimir's Seminary, noting the seminary's crucial role in building trust between Orthodox churches throughout the world. In his lecture, he defined church structure and organization as understood by Christians of East and West.

"There are two traditions," Metropolitan Hilarion noted; "The West is centralized, and primacy is understood as descending directly from the first Pope. No such primacy has ever existed in the Orthodox East, which is decentralized and based on the notion of communion between local autocephalous churches.

"When the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church scheduled for 2016, convenes," he added, "the Ecumenical Patriarch will occupy a central seat, but only in the midst of his fellow primates, who will be arranged around him according to the diptychs of the Church.

"By contrast, in Roman Catholic councils the Pope is seated on an elevated throne and separated from his fellow hierarchs," he explained.

"For the Orthodox, synodality is higher than primacy," concluded His Eminence.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), attended the lecture, as well as the primate and bishops of the Anglican Church in North America, and visiting clergy from the Pentecostal Convergence Movement. (See the article about the meeting between the Anglican delegation and Metropolitan Hilarion).

Earlier in the day, Metropolitan Hilarion met with SVOTS administrators and Metropolitan Tikhon, and joined the community for Vespers. He also traveled with a delegation to celebrate a panikhida at the grave of renowned Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, in Valhalla, NY. His Eminence is a gifted composer; in 2011, more than 1,000 New Yorkers attended the English premiere of his composition, St. Matthew Passion, sponsored by St. Vladimir's Seminary and presented at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan.

LINKS

• Coming Soon: the lecture, on Ancient Faith Radio's "Voices from St. Vladimir's Seminary"
• Photo gallery (Leanne Parrott Photography)
• Honorary Doctorate citation
• Text of Metropolitan Hilarion's lecture

From Oca.org: Funeral services for Dr. Constance Tarasar will be celebrated at St. Mary Cathedral, 1629 Fifth Street NE, Minneapolis, MN at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Visitation will be held at the Kozlak-Radulovich NE Chapel, 1918 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, with the celebration of a Parastas at 6:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the Funeral, after which interment will take place at Saint Mary Cemetery.

Dr. Constance Tarasar, a pioneer in the field of Orthodox Christian education and the first woman to enroll in one of St. Vladimir's degree programs, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, November 7, 2014.

A native of Minneapolis, MN, Dr. Tarasar graduated from seminary in 1965 after finishing coursework for a Bachelor of Divinity degree and submitting a thesis on the role of women in the Church. Her years at St. Vladimir's proved eventful, even determinative, for her life; there, she met Fr. Alexander Schmemann, who became her theological inspiration and lifelong mentor.

Later, she returned to the Seminary to serve as Lecturer in Christian Education.

"She was a real leader and model for our women students," notes Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr. "As a towering figure for many years in the field of Orthodox education, she served as Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) and Chair of the Orthodox Church in America's Department of Religious Education. Throughout her outstanding career, she mentored generations of seminarians while producing an immense amount of curriculum. Many of the student and teacher manuals used in church school programs today, originated with her."

In addition to her work in Christian Education, Dr. Tarasar contributed significantly to broader dialogue. In 1976 she was selected to represent the United States at an international "Orthodox Women's Consultation" at Agapia Monastery in Neamt, Romania. The consultation sought to dialogue and explore the role of women in the Orthodox Church in modern society. As a representative to the World Council of Churches, she served as a regular participant and leader in ecumenical discussions on women's roles and issues.

Prior to her retirement and return to Minneapolis, Dr. Taraser helped develop an Orthodox Christian curriculum used in Romania, Russia, and other central and eastern European countries. In these same years, she also helped to bring Orthodox education online, making curricular materials available on the internet.

“Above all, Dr. Tarasar loved the Church and devoted her entire life to the ministry of Christian Education,” says Fr. John Behr. “The Seminary is indeed grateful for her many contributions. May her memory be eternal!”

View Dr. Tarasar's biography and bibilography

On-Campus • January Term courses

REGISTER HERE

In January 2015, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary will be offering four public courses, comprising an online and a residential component. Offerings include three pastoral theology courses and one liturgical music course, taught by experts in their fields: "The Therapeutic Encounter," by Dr. Daniel Hinshaw; "The Parish and Prison Ministry," by The Very Rev. Dr. Nicholas Solak and The Rev. Stephen Powley, executive director, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM); "Stewardship in American Orthodoxy," by The Very Rev. Dr. Robert Holet; and "The Music and Faith of Arvo Pärt," with Dr. Peter Bouteneff.

"Each course uniquely and practically addresses pastoral and mission-minded concerns," Dr. Barnet continued. "Students will have opportunity to learn, for example, with Dr. Hinshaw, a holistic approach to healing rooted in Orthodox Christian spirituality, and how to apply that approach within an actual healing encounter; or they can learn with Fathers Solak and Powley how to prepare a parish to accept a recently released prisoner into its fold, or how to begin a parish-run Bible study at a local prison.

"Likewise, with Fr. Holet, students can learn how to create a functional parish stewardship program as modeled by the sacrificial High Priesthood of Christ; and with Dr. Bouteneff, they will be able to explore how the sacred arts engage the surrounding culture, becoming a witness to the Orthodox faith.

"I'm elated that we are able to offer these exciting opportunities to both our current students, so that they may augment their education, and to our alumni and the general public, so that they may continue their education," concluded Dr. Barnet.

Course participants will be able to earn one Masters-level credit for each of the courses, and there are no pre-requisites for enrollment. Courses will begin with 10 hours of online instruction (starting Monday, January 12), followed by the residential component (either January 18–23 or January 19–24), which includes 2.5 hours of instruction and 2 hours of homework per day for five days, and will conclude with a 10-hour writing assignment, typically 4-5 pages, due Saturday, January 31.

Non-degree students should begin registration by first contacting Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions, or Nina Matusiak, student affairs administrator, as explained on the registration page. Registration requests from non-degree students will be accepted until Friday, December 19.

To view course details and to download a registration form, click here. The cost of each 1-credit course is $438.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00; the cost of each course for auditors is $219.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00.

Important Note: On-campus housing for the required residential component of the courses is not available; participants who are not enrolled students are welcome to commute if they live nearby, or to take advantage of local accommodations in the area.

In a joyful start to the 2014–2015 Academic Year, three St. Vladimir's seminarians in the Master of Divinity program were ordained to the Holy Diaconate and the Holy Priesthood. (Photo credits: Rami Dahdal and Chris Humphrey )

Father Mark Vair, Baltimore, MD

View the photo gallery

Student Status  Third Year

Ordination  Holy Priesthood, September 14, 2014, Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD, by The Right Rev. Bishop Thomas. The Very Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green of Holy Cross  and The Very Rev. John Mefrige of St. Ephraim Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Antonio, TX, were sponsors for ordination.

Educational and Professional Background  Father Mark earned an Associates of Arts degree from the Community College of Baltimore County, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University.

Biographical notes  Father Mark worked in healthcare for seven years before entering St. Vladimir's Seminary in the fall of 2012. His wife Vasilia works as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the Bronx, New York. The couple is expecting their first child in early November.  

My goal for my ministry is to heal, restore, and renew people's lives in Christ. My mission is to evangelize North America and continue to grow the Church. Perhaps the most influential persons in my life was His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of Blessed Memory, as well as my parish priest The Very Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green.

Deacon Joshua Burnett, Pittsburgh, PA

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Student Status  Third Year

Ordination  Holy Diaconate, September 28, 2014 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA, Dn. Joshua’s home parish. The ordaining hierarch was The Rt. Rev. Bishop Thomas, Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic, Antiochian Archdiocese, on behalf of His Eminence the Most Rev. Metropolitan Joseph, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America.

Concelebrating were The Rt. Rev. Bishop John, Diocese of Worcester and New England, with Cathedral Dean The Rev. Demetrios Joshua Makoul.

Educational and Professional Background  Deacon Joshua received a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then served as a high school English teacher with Teach for America in the St. Louis public schools, and most recently directed a non-profit school garden program in Pittsburgh, PA (2007-12).

Biographical notes  Deacon Joshua's parish assignment is at the St. Stephen Orthodox Church in South Plainfield, NJ, with The Very Rev. Stephen Tewfik. He and his wife, Meredith have four children: Katherine (7), Naomi (5), Isaiah (2), and Gideon (9 mo.). They enjoy gardening and cycling together.

Father Gabriel Tannous, Spring, TX

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Student status  Third Year

Ordination  Holy Priesthood, November  2, 2014, at St. Anthony the Great in Spring, TX, with ordaining hierarch The Right Rev. Bishop Basil, Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, Antiochian Archdiocese. Clergy present included The Rev. Anthony Baba, St. Anthony rector; The Rev. James Shadid of St. George, Houston; and The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS Chancellor/CEO. Deacons serving were Hierodeacon Monk Benedict (Armitage) and Protodeacon George Moubayed.

Educational and Professional Background  Bachelor of Arts in International Politics, Minors in Business and Middle Eastern Studies at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, May 2006; sales executive; employee for his father’s business.

Biographical notes  One of six children, Fr. Gabriel was born as “Jabra” in Amman, Jordan, and moved with his family to the U.S. as a child. His parents grew up as Palestinian refugees in Amman, Jordan, after their parents fled Palestine following World War II.

Father Gabriel married Gabriella Mobayed of Sugarland, TX on June 16th, 2013, in St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church in Spring, TX, and participated as a member of the St. Vladimir's Student Council during the 2013–2014 school year. In the summer of 2014, he served as an assistant to The Right Rev. Bishop Nicholas (Ozone), auxiliary bishop for Brooklyn, of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, at the Antiochian Archdiocese headquarters in Englewood, NJ.

I am still contemplating the whirlwind of emotions that were involved in the ordination. Bishop Basil gave an incredible homily on the priesthood and how ordination is transformative. I feel different and changed in ways that I cannot explain. I am incredibly grateful and humbled by Fr. Anthony Baba and the entire parish at St. Anthony in Spring, TX. It was truly a blessed day.

The Rev. Nicholas Andruchow (SVOTS 2002) and his wife Presbytera Merilynn (Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Class of 2002) presented a free public lecture at St. Vladimir's titled "Changing the World: Transformation through Missions with Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage as a Model."

Held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium on campus, the missions night featured the fascinating narrative of how Fr. Nicholas and Pres. Merilynn ended up moving their family of five to the 16-acre orphanage ranch near Rosarito, Mexico, after a series of extraordinary "coincidences."

In their talks, the Andruchows explained that the process of transformation through missions is a two-way street. On the one hand, they observe dramatic changes in the lives of the boys they serve at the orphanage, and they receive tremendous gratitude from the local families who receive homes built by Project Mexico volunteers. But they also see how the missionaries and interns' lives are transformed through their sacrifice of time and talent. Hundreds of lay volunteers participate in home building projects each summer, and in the process discover that they are moved to greater commitment, compassion, and service in the Church.

Before undertaking missionary work, Fr. Nicholas spent two years in the Dominican Republic as a member of the Peace Corps. As a single man, he then worked with Project Mexico for three years, establishing a pig farm and teaching entrepreneurial skills to the orphanage boys. Following graduation from St. Vladimir's Seminary, Fr. Nicholas and Pres. Merilynn spent nine years leading the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Mission Church in Flagstaff, AZ, before moving to Mexico.

Missions Night is an annual SVOTS event that coincides with the Hellenic College Holy Cross Missions Week. Both events are planned and promoted by The Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity, of which SVOTS Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. John Barnet, are board members.

"Here at St. Vladimir's, we are longtime supporters of Project Mexico," said Fr. Chad in his lecture introduction. "In the future, we hope to bring a team of volunteers to assist in the work there." The Sessional Professor of Missiology at St. Vladimir's, Fr. Chad has served as a missionary to South Africa and in more recent years, has led numerous seminarian mission trips to Guatemala and Alaska.

Photos by Rami Dahdal

Learn more about Project Mexico
Listen to an interview with Fr. Chad about missions and evangelism on the podcast "Lord, Send Me