Listen to the Forum on Ancient Faith Radio, and hear Bishop Michael's reflections prior to the Forum

The Open Forum sponsored by Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) and hosted on the campus of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary Friday, October 24, 2014, provided eye-opening access into the work of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Especially enlightening was the discussion of a proposed ten-year plan for greater cooperation among the canonical Orthodox Churches of all jurisdictions in the United States, leading toward eventual unity. The drafted proposal is now under the consideration of all the hierarchs, under the direction of the Assembly's Committee for Canonical Regional Planning, which includes as a member His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard), Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Forum participants were briefed by Alexei Krindatch, consultant to the Regional Planning Committee of the Assembly, about decisions made by the Assembly at its fifth annual meeting in Dallas, TX, in September 2014. In his PowerPoint presentation Mr. Krindatch also included surprising demographical and geographical survey data he had gathered, related to the desire for a unified Orthodox Church in America and about the cultural identity of Orthodox Christians in U.S. parishes.

In responding to participants' questions following Mr. Krindatch's presentation, His Grace The Rt. Rev. Michael (Dahulich), Bishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA), who serves on the Theological Education Committee for the Assembly, shared some details of the draft proposal, which in its final form will be submitted to the upcoming Great and Holy Council (to be held in Constantinople in 2016). Such a plan was initially solicited from all thirteen Assemblies in 2008 by the Primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches worldwide, convened at the 4th Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference in Chambésy. Bishop Michael said that the Assembly was working with the more conservative of two plans under consideration by the Canonical Regional Planning Committee, the one "which initially unifies various ministries and departments to nurture a common life, while solving the territorial question more gradually."

The other plan — not fully supported by all the bishops — had proposed a ten-year path toward a potential autocephaly, with an interim status of autonomy, to be overseen by all the Primates of the Orthodox Churches. It would have more directly and immediately addressed territorial canonical anomalies. His Grace shared his thoughts on the reasoning behind the Assembly's consideration of the more gradual of the two proposals.

First, Bishop Michael noted, significant historical changes and new pastoral concerns have arisen since the question of unity was initially seriously addressed in 1994 by twenty-nine Orthodox Christian bishops meeting in Ligonier, PA. That assembly, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis), then Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) and chairman of the now defunct Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops (SCOBA), had generated much hope for an inclusive and universally recognized local Orthodox Christian Church in America.

But since Communism has fallen, the relationship between U.S. jurisdictions and their mother Churches in Eastern Europe has changed for the better. Churches here in the United States respect and love the heads of their mother Churches and desire to keep closer ties with them. Moreover, said His Grace, there is concern for the growing number of immigrants from motherlands to parishes in the U.S. Each jurisdiction is dealing with new pastoral issues specific to the needs of such migrations.

Second, His Grace explained that getting used to working together will afford the 53 bishops who comprise the Assembly a level of comfort.

Nevertheless, His Grace reminisced about the great personal enthusiasm and excitement he had felt as a young seminarian, and which the Ligonier assembly, which he witnessed as a priest, had promised. He urged Open Forum participants to support one another's local parishes — by attending Divine Services and parish functions. "Don't live the limitations. Show us by your actions that you believe in the same dream that I had as an 18-year-old" — the dream of one Orthodox Church in the U.S.

He also shared that at an earlier Assembly, an informal survey of its members had revealed that a majority of the bishops felt that the work of the Assembly would eventually result, either directly or indirectly, in autocephaly. He reiterated the OCA's continued position at the Assembly: it is autocephalous, but it is more than willing to join its autocephaly into an all-encompassing autocephalous Church that includes all Orthodox Christians in our country.

His Eminence The Most Rev. Nathaniel (Popp), Archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate (OCA), also contributed to the Open Forum discussion. He expressed his desire for one canonically unified, autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church in the U.S. and candidly admitted his preference for the committee's more immediate plan for "an autocephalous Orthodox Church from the beginning," while acknowledging that fulfillment of such a plan would come only through a people filled with the power of God.

"The Church is one; it is the Church of Christ, living in various places around the world," he said. "And, as the Church is inspired by the Holy Spirit in the U.S., the 'solution' is the Holy Spirit.

"Let the Holy Spirit say 'autocephaly,' and let the bishops here say how to 'go forth,' " he urged, "It's the most efficient, pneumatic way...and, we ought to pray fervently for it."

His Eminence further noted that during 2015, the entire Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the U.S. will refine its chosen proposed plan for unity and will present it to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for consideration at the worldwide Great and Holy Council of Orthodox Christian bishops in 2016. However, he reported, "At the forthcoming Great and Holy Council the matter of an Orthodox solution to administrative chaos in the U.S. may not be a big item for the Church at large, but I have not yet seen their agenda; it is forthcoming."

At the conclusion of the Open Forum seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield thanked participants for coming and reminded them "Historically St. Vladimir's Seminary has been a place where you can ask tough questions; and this forum has reminded us of the vision ahead of us and the great challenges we face."

The Open Forum was designed by the OCL and took place within the context of its Annual Meeting, held on the seminary campus, October 23–25, 2014. Please check the OCL website for further details.

Read Mr. Alexei Krindatch's PowerPoint presentation.

Seminary friends are welcome to join the Three Hierarchs Chapel community on Saturday, November 1, 6:30 p.m. for a Festal Vigil, and Sunday, November 2 at 9 a.m. for the Festal Divine Liturgy. 

An autumnal feast of St. Vladimir will be celebrated this weekend, beginning a new tradition at the Seminary. "We are doing so to mark the arrival of the saint's relics to our community, which took place last year roughly at this time," notes Ecclesiarch The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel. "This celebration will also allow us the opportunity to honor our patron in the school year, since his regular feast falls during the summer break."

A year ago on the eve of the November 7, 2013 75th Anniversary Gala Banquet, a delegation from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, led by His Eminence, The Most Rev. Metropolitan Philip, archbishop of Poltava and Myrhorod, presented the community with the relics of St. Vladimir and a rare Book of Gospels. Instead of Daily Vespers, all of the Seminary's clergy gathered to receive the relics, process around the Chapel, and serve an Akathistos Hymn to St. Vladimir.

The relics, along with a rare Gospel Book, were gifts from His Beatitude Vladimir (Volodymyr), metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). St. Vladimir's Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield travelled to Ukraine last June, where he and the Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, Metropolitan Antony (Borispolsky), reached a cooperative agreement calling for student and teacher exchanges, the development and execution of joint research projects, the co-sponsoring of conferences, and co-publication of scholarly materials.

When receiving the relics and Gospel, Fr. Chad noted that "these gracious gifts remind us that from our founding, the decision was made to give our seminary a missionary saint as its patron. The rare Gospel Book, commemorating the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus', will inspire us to remember our first charge to be a missionary school."

• Read about the reception of the relics on November 6, 2013.
• View the reception photo gallery by Leanne Parrott Photography.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, you can help us launch a new tradition by joining the national movement that celebrates generosity called #GivingTuesday. We're excited to participate in #GivingTuesday.

After all, giving is at the very foundation of St. Vladimir's mission. 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.

Our goal this year is to raise $5,000 in 24 hours. And, thanks to 4 generous supporters pledging matching gifts totaling $20,000, your online gift made on December 2 will be multiplied 5 times. If you help us raise $5,000 on #GivingTuesday, St. Vladimir's will receive $25,000!

And because we believe in giving at St. Vladimir’s, we’ll be giving 10% of whatever we raise on December 2 to our suffering Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters in Syria, via His Beatitude John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.

Will you help us get the word out about #GivingTuesday?

• Share this page with family, friends, community groups, and any other personal contacts. Add a note about why you give, or what St. Vladimir's means to you!
• Sign up to receive our #GivingTuesday emails and forward them to friends.
• Like us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to participate in #GivingTuesday. Help us spread the word about #GivingTuesday by updating your cover photo and profile picture and sharing our posts.

Take advantage of #GivingTuesday this December 2 and make your gift count for more! Help us meet this $5,000 challenge on December 2. 

We can’t do this without you. 

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Choose a blurb about our #GivingTuesday Appeal to include in your parish bulletin or newsletter:

Pay it Forward with St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Appeal

On December 2nd, #GivingTuesday, please consider St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Appeal: it’s a chance to “quintuple” (that’s 5x!) your donation to the seminary through a matching challenge and aid suffering Orthodox Christians in the Middle East. On #GivingTuesday, St. Vladimir’s will match your gift 5x, and will then donate 10% of your gift to the Patriarch John X of Antioch to distribute at “Ground Zero” in Syria, where more than 100,000 Christians have been martyred and many more displaced. If you give $10, it will become $50 automatically, with $45 going to St. Vladimir’s and $5 going to your brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Go to www.svots.edu to give!  

Give to St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Give to Christians in Middle East

St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s #GivingTuesday Appeal, December 2nd will allow you to donate to the seminary and to suffering Christians in the Middle East. When you donate any amount that day to the seminary that day, not only will your gift be multiplied 5x by a matching challenge donor, but 10% of your gift will be given to Patriarch John X of Antioch to distribute at “Ground Zero” in Syria, where more than 100,000 Christians have been martyred and many more displaced. If you give $10, it will become $50 automatically, with $45 going to St. Vladimir’s and $5 going to your brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Go to www.svots.edu to give!  

#GivingTuesday Appeal at St. Vladimir’s Will Quintuple Your Money!

We know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday: huge shopping days! But #GivingTuesday, December 2nd, allows us to donate to our favorite charity. Please consider St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s #GivingTuesday Appeal that day: whatever amount you donate, a generous benefactor will match 5x! And, the seminary will donate 10% your gift to Patriarch John X of Antioch to distribute at “Ground Zero” in Syria, where more than 100,000 Christians have been martyred and many more displaced. So, if you give $10, it will become $50 automatically, with $45 going to St. Vladimir’s and $5 going to your brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Go to www.svots.edu to give!

When Patriarch John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visits the United States this fall, he will receive not only warm wishes but also a charitable gift from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. The gift, intended to aid suffering Orthodox Christians in Syria, will be presented to His Beatitude in December and will represent a tithe (one-tenth) of the Seminary’s #GivingTuesday appeal.

“Life has a deeper meaning than fighting crowds on Black Friday or scouring the web for the best deals on Cyber Monday,” said seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. “That’s why St. Vladimir’s is participating in #GivingTuesday, a national day of charitable giving.

“Four generous donors are heavily supporting this effort, in matching five-to-one any charitable donation given that day, so a $10 gift will transform into a $50 gift, and a $100 gift will transform into $500 gift,” explained Fr. Chad, “and these donations will provide not only for our seminarians but also for our suffering brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

“Our seminary community felt impelled to share whatever is given to us with the Orthodox Christians in Syria, in light of their horrific plight,” he continued. “So, on December 2nd, whatever monies come in, we’re going give a full tithe to His Beatitude John X, who realistically will know how to distribute this funds ‘at ground zero’ so to speak. With each of our four generous supporters matching up to $5,000, it would be within reason to expect that we could potentially take in $25,000 on that day, with $2,500 going to our brothers and sisters in Syria.

“Right now, we’re asking Orthodox Christians in the U.S. to get 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.”

Patriarch John X will visit the U.S. to preside at the enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, who was elected as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) on July 3, 2014, by the Holy Synod of Antioch, meeting in Balamand, Lebanon. Events related to the enthronement will take place during the weekend of December 5 through 7, 2014, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. The actual enthronement will take place in conjunction with a Service of Thanksgiving on Saturday, December 6.

• Read Patriarch John X’s recent interview on the state of the Church in Syria.
• Donate directly to SVOTS #GivingTuesday here (all monies will be totaled December 2, 2014).

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, due Saturday, January 31.

Students who are already enrolled at the seminary may begin the registration process by contacting Dr. John Barnet: jbarnet@svots.edu. Students not currently enrolled currently should begin registration by first contacting Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions: jmatusiak@svots.edu. Deadline for registration is November 6.

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.

The St. Ambrose Society, St. Vladimir's student-run Pro Life group, is sponsoring a daylong course titled "Pastoral Counseling following abortion and other crises," to be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, on Friday, October 24, from 9–5.  Specifically designed for pastors and trained counselors, the seminary will also be useful for parish lay ministers engaged with those suffering from post-abortion distress and other trauma. Dr. Theresa Karminski Burke, founder of Rachel's Vineyard, the largest ministry in the world dealing with post-abortion healing, will lead four sessions: "The Need for Post-Abortion Counseling," "Pregnancy Loss and Suicide," "Crash Course in Trauma (PTSD)," and "Brain Science: How Emotional Trauma Impacts the Brain."

Dr. Burke, who holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University, has lectured and trained professionals nationally on the subject of Post-Abortion Healing, and her programs offer a unique sensory-based treatment that integrates emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. She is a Nationally Certified Psychologist, Certified Diplomat of the American Psychotherapy Association, Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Clinical Psychotherapist, and Diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Counselors.

St. Ambrose Society, a pro-life student run group at St. Vladimir's, is sponsoring the seminar. The Society's President, Seminarian Ignatius Green, said the group is especially pleased to present the opportunity because "nearly every priest will meet women who are suffering with the consequences of abortion, and this workshop will show how clergy and others engaged in healing ministries can more effectively minister to women who are seeking emotional and spiritual healing."

Pastors, counselors, lay ministers, and seminarians of all faith communities are welcome to the seminar, which will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, top floor of the Rangos Building. 

To register, email SAS@svots.edu by October 23. The registration fee is $30.00 and includes lunch. Please send check payable to St. Vladimir's Seminary (memo: SAS),  St. Ambrose Society, 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY  10707.

• Directions to St. Vladimir's Seminary
• Download the flyer (PDF)
• Download the flyer (JPG)

The Paradosis Center’s Director, Dr. Charles Raith II, is also assistant professor of Religion and Philosophy at John Brown. “This conference was deliberate in its efforts to focus on the Gospel of John,” he explained, "but in doing so our similarities and differences naturally surfaced as well. The Center wasn't trying to start a dialogue in this Conference since one is already in place. We did want to direct the conversation in a way that best serves the Christian faith.” In addition to a sizeable number of John Brown students, clergy from the general region also attended.

Listen to Fr. John’s talk 
Learn more about the Paradosis Center

Asking the question "Do Books Still Matter?" during its annual fall open house, St. Vladimir's Seminary paid tribute to Orthodox Christian authors, illustrators, and publishing houses on Orthodox Education Day, in a "Celebration of Orthodox Christian Publications." Display tables lined the hallways of the John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, showcasing the books and wares of nine publishers; among those, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press received special mention for having reached its 50th Anniversary Year. 

"Clearly, this year's theme resonated with large numbers of Orthodox Christians who appreciate the educative value and pure joy in reading great books about spirituality, church history, lives of saints, sacred arts, and so on," said seminary Chancellor/CEO, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. "Despite the gloomy skies, the faces of our visitors beamed with the pleasure that only a book lover can have, when he or she has a great book in hand!" 

In the day's highlight, Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, author of academic, popular, and spiritual works, presented the Keynote Address, “From Scroll to Book to Net: The Web of Knowledge.”  Father John highlighted the symbiotic relationship between Christianity and books, and described how the development of the internet has changed the way people read. (Listen to Fr. John's talk on Ancient Faith Radio.)  A discussion followed, with panelists John Maddex, Ancient Faith Ministries CEO; His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, former member of the Publishing Council for the Moscow Patriarchate; Fr. John Behr; and SVOTS Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Peter Bouteneff.

In other venues, children enjoyed the workshop set up in the Germack Solarium, and guests feasted on delicious food truck cuisine or desserts created by the St. Vladimir's community. Dancers from neighboring Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle provided entertainment, and two afternoon workshops—"Writing About Theology," with Dr. Bouteneff, and a young adult discussion on The Maze Runner with Sessional Professor of Literature Dr. Kate Behr, provided food for thought. 

The celebration of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Three Hierarchs Chapel at 9:00 a.m.  started the day. The Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada, Orthodox Church in America (OCA), concelebrated with His Grace Bishop John, His Grace Bishop Saba of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church in North America, and seminary clergy. Archbishop Melchisedek of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania also attended. During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Tikhon awarded a Nabedrennik to SVS Press Editor-in-Chief The Rev. Dr. Benedict Churchill for his years of dedicated service.

Former longtime St. Vladimir's Seminary's Old Testament professor, The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, pastor emeritus at St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, New York, reposed in the Lord on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at age 98.

Father Paul came to St. Vladimir’s as a student in the early 1940s, when the campus was still located in New York City. He was ordained a priest in 1943 and served Antiochian Orthodox parishes in Iron Mountain, MI and Allentown, PA before moving to New York to serve at St. Mary’s in Brooklyn, from 1951 until his retirement in August 2002.

Former St. Vladimir’s Dean and Peter N. Gramowich Professor of Church History, Emeritus, The Very Rev. Dr. John Erickson, remembers him as “urbane, witty, and well-read.”

“Father Paul's familiarity with all aspects of twentieth-century Orthodoxy was legendary,” Fr. John recalled, “but conversations with him were not limited to ecclesiastical matters.They could include anything from the gold fields of Alaska (where he was born) to Pharaonic Egypt.

“Father Paul's pastoral ministry also deserves special mention,” he continued. “It extended beyond the usual church contexts. He seemed to sense when a parishioner or friend was in need of a cheery phone call.”  

Librarian Eleana Silk remembered, “Fr. Paul's favorite phrase, when asked how he was, was always ‘never better, never better.’

“He often came to use the library after he retired from teaching at St. Vladimir’s,” added Ms. Silk. “We were in the old building then, and the light was not very good in the (library) stacks, so he brought his own flashlight!”

As a priest within the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America for 71 years, Fr. Paul served as the first chairman of its Department of Christian Education, as dean of the Atlantic Deanery, and as the first editor of The WORD magazine. A tireless advocate for Orthodox unity in America, Fr. Paul worked under the direction of hierarchs Metropolitan Antony Bashir (+1966) and Metropolitan Philip Saliba (+2014), as the Archdiocese’s Ecumenical Officer.  

A charter member of the Orthodox-Anglican, Orthodox-Roman Catholic, and Orthodox-Polish Catholic ecumenical dialogues, Fr. Paul had been a member of the General Board of the National Council of Churches (NCCC) since the 1940s and was the last surviving member of the original founders of The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). In 2007 SCOBA, the predecessor to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, recognized Fr. Paul in a December 10 resolution that cited his “lengthy and extraordinary” support for inter-Orthodox development and communication.

As a young man, Fr. Paul had converted to Orthodox Christianity from a Protestant background. Years after his priestly ordination, his interest in the Western Rite was rekindled by a visit to a parish of that Rite within the Romanian Orthodox jurisdiction in Paris, France. Subsequently, he wrote and lectured extensively on the topic and encouraged Metropolitan Antony Bashir to allow its practice and development within suitable congregations. He also served as the Antiochian Archdiocese’s Western Rite Vicar General for many years.

Father Paul was married for 70 years to Khouria Shirley, who reposed in 2012. The couple were parents of three children:  Dorothy Downie Orrill and Peter Christian Schneirla, and the late William Sutfin Schneirla, Jr.

The website of St. Mary’s Church notes that “In keeping with Fr. Paul’s express wishes, his children, Dorothy Orrill and Peter C. Schneirla, have arranged for private services on Wednesday, September 24. Burial will occur at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY, where his beloved wife, Shirley, and their son William are interred. His Grace John, Auxiliary Bishop of Worcester and New England and the Episcopal Overseer of the Western Rite, will preside at his services, along with Fr. Michael Ellias, Fr. Thomas Zain, and Fr. Robert Stephanopoulos.”

Read an interview with Fr. Paul about the Western Rite on the Occidentalis blog.

(Special thanks to SVOTS Librarian/Archivist Matthew Garklavs for the historic photos.)

Alumna Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze was recently appointed as the new Georgian Ambassador to the Vatican. The following report is posted with the permission of the World Council of Churches.

Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze, an Orthodox theologian and former staff member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), has been received as the nation of Georgia's new ambassador to the Holy See, presenting her credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican this September.

From January 2001 through December 2013, Grdzelidze served in Geneva, Switzerland, as a programme executive for the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, which coordinates dialogue among Christian leaders on matters related to theology, doctrine and the nature of the church.

Among the gifts she presented to Pope Francis was a copy of the book A Cloud of Witnesses: Opportunities for Ecumenical Commemoration, a WCC publication which she co-edited in 2009 with Brother Guido Dotti of the Roman Catholic Church.

Grdzelidze is a graduate of Tbilisi University in Georgia, St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary in the United States, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. She describes her experience of inter-church and inter-cultural dialogue while at the WCC as "a school of international relations" in itself.

Her ambassadorial appointment was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Grdzelidze explains, "The main task of the embassy is to represent the state in its fullness, especially regarding Georgia's unique Christian heritage and culture. Georgia's most ambitious task is to become a full member of the European family to which it belongs culturally and in many ways historically."

Fifty years after the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Grdzelidze continues to harbour a belief in "real possibilities for more visible unity among Christians," she says, despite evidence all around that ours has become a "less enthusiastic and hopeful world."

Pondering today's challenges to peace among nations and visible unity within the Christian church, Grdzelidze concludes that "what we know for sure is that the gospel message of Jesus Christ, teaching us to love God and our neighbour, is still with us, and we are to interpret the message to the best of our ability."