"I've made hard decisions both in the boardroom, and with patients, and the thoughts I share with you are born out of practical experience," began Dr. Ryan Nash, the Hagop S. Mekhjian, MD chair in Medical Ethics and Professionalism and director of the Ohio State University Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. The physician and scholar's presentation, "Compassion and Conscience: Toward Health, the Good Life and the Good Death," was sponsored by the St. Ambrose Society, a St. Vladimir's Seminary student-led organization that promotes the sanctity of human life through lectures, prayer, film screenings, and other events both on and off campus.
As a practicing physician, Dr. Nash has discovered that many health care workers and hospitals are now operating under a new rubric: "If the procedure is legal, then it is ethical; if it is ethical, then patients have a right to demand that all physicians provide it." Physicians are then recast as mere medical technicians, he explained in his lecture, and as a parallel, chaplains become mere psychological technicians.
In his lecture, Dr. Nash defended a more robust notion of patient health and well-being, one that is informed by foundational understandings of what it is to be human. "Should there be a particular Christian medicine?" he asked. "If so, what would this look like in today's context?
"If we take our eschatology seriously we will do our healthcare accordingly," he stressed. "Orthodox Christians in medicine should resist an outcome-based, secularized norms and instead boldly proclaim religious truth. Our goal should be to baptize this existing philosophy, insisting on a particular view of truth, as represented by the icon of Christ. We don't follow philosophies, we follow Christ, the living God."
In addition to practicing medicine and teaching, Dr. Nash serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy and Christian Bioethics. His publications include multiple abstracts, manuscripts, book chapters, and one book, and he has presented more than 60 scientific papers and invited lectures at national and international meetings. His depth of knowledge and experience was evident during the lively question and answer session following the lecture, which was recorded for Ancient Faith Radio's Voices from St. Vladimir's podcast.
The March for Life is an annual event in the nation's capital marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in all 50 states. This year's 41st March is scheduled for January 22, 2014, and will be preceded by a noon rally with prayers and guest speakers at the National Mall. The St. Ambrose Society, St. Vladimir's Seminary's Pro Life group, has reserved a 47–passenger bus with restroom facilities. The bus is open to the public, and will leave campus at 5 a.m. on January 22 to travel to Washington D.C. for the March, returning on the same day at about midnight.
After the rally, participants will process from the National Mall to the Supreme Court Building where the March route ends. All the Orthodox Christians both lay and clergy then will gather and The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), will lead in the singing of a panikhida in memory of the departed unborn.
"As we recall those who have died," notes Hierodeacon Herman, St. Vladimir's lecturer in Liturgical Music and St. Ambrose member, "we also sorrow with those who have survived the tragedy of abortion in their own lives—mothers, fathers, and siblings. We pray that their suffering and pain will not be repeated in future generations."
Reserve a seat on the bus by emailing St. Ambrose representative Ignatius Green. The bus fare is $20.00 for single tickets or $30.00 for married couples and families. Payment may be submitted to the Seminary's Finance Office, 575 Scarsdale Rd., Yonkers, NY 10707, with a note stating that the money is for the March for Life bus.
Seminary, directed by Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), and the Schola from St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, led by Director of Music Dr. Jennifer Pascual. The two theological schools, representing their respective church traditions, received two standing ovations from more than four hundred concert–goers at the conclusion of their performance.
"Tonight, we are carried through a liturgical year as we hear hymns to the Mother of God from East and West," said St. Vladimir's Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield in his homily. "With perfect harmony we experience the magnificent song of praise from Luke's Gospel that is 'Magnificat'!"
Music selections from the Orthodox tradition illustrated the Church's feasts dedicated to the Theotokos (Mother of God) and included a stunning original arrangement for the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, composed by Hierodeacon Herman, with featured soloist Gregory Abdalah ('08 alumnus). St. Joseph's Schola presented time-honored hymns to the Virgin Mary taken from ancient Latin chant and from the classical period up until modern times, such as, O Sanctissima, by Beethoven (1770–1827). The choirs joined in a few pieces to conclude the concert, ending with the sublime Ave Maria, by Biebl, with St. Vladimir's seminarians Gregory Tucker, Brad Vien, and Ian Abodeely singing triadic portions of the piece.
Noted Fr. Chad, "This sort of joint venture has never been done between an Orthodox and Roman Catholic Seminary before, and it heralds the renewal of our mutually beneficial relationship with St. Joseph's."
Rector of St. Joseph's Seminary The Rev. Msgr. Peter Vaccari remarked, "This evening reflects our vibrant, living traditions and represents the most recent phase of what has been a growing tradition of collaboration and communication in prayer, the promotion of a culture of scholarship, and our mutual recognition of the place of beauty in artistic expression."
Other distinguished guests offered greetings at the concert's conclusion: St. Jean Baptiste Church's Rector, The Rev. John A. Kamas, S.S.S; His Eminence Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and St. Vladimir's episcopal Board of Trustee member; and Bishop Gerald Walsh, vicar general of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Trustees, faculty, and staff from both institutions enjoyed a VIP reception prior to the concert.
Note: a CD of the concert may be offered in the future, and will be advertised accordingly.
Computer Science, and has brought his background to bear on the many complexities and challenges of Orthodox liturgical translation.
"Why do we do translations?" asked Dr. Colburn at the start of his talk. "Because language and culture can be barriers to the understanding and acceptance of the Faith; the Lord wants all to come to repentance, and be healed by God." He noted that of the 7100 living languages in the world, 2000 of them have no Scriptural translation. Additionally, the complete liturgical texts used by the Orthodox are eleven times the size of the New Testament text, so the challenge for Orthodox translation work is even greater.
However, Dr. Colburn also explained that due to developing technology, the tools for translators are rapidly improving. He cited a major development in free open source software that will significantly aid in the process of Orthodox Christian translation. "From the translator's hand to the chanter's stand" is our goal, noted Dr. Colburn.
The Missions Lecture at St. Vladimir's coincides with a missions week hosted every fall at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, MA. Holy Cross houses the Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity, directed by former OCMC missionary The Rev. Luke Veronis. The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS chancellor/CEO and adjunct professor of missiology, has been an integral part of the pan–Orthodox Institute since it launched in 2010 with the stated goal of promoting an awareness of missions within Orthodox Christian schools of theology in the U.S. In April of this year, St. Vladimir's hosted the annual Missions Institute board meeting.
The 31st Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture titled "On 'The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church'"will be presented by The Very Rev. Dr. John McGuckin, a leading international commentator on Eastern Orthodox theology and early Christian history. The free and public lecture, Friday, January 31, 2014, will be immediately preceded by an academic convocation at 7:00 p.m., at which Fr. John will be awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree honoris causa.
Father John is professor of Byzantine Christian Studies at Columbia University, and Union Theological Seminary's Ane Marie and Bent Emil Nielsen Professor in Late Antique and Byzantine Christian History, an endowed Chair created in 2008 out of one of the oldest Church History departments in America. Father John has authored 23 books and has served as visiting professor and guest lecturer in many universities and colleges in England, Ireland, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, and the United States. On November 7, 2013, he was a featured guest speaker at St. Vladimir's 75th Anniversary Gala Banquet.
A public reception will follow the lecture, which will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building. The lecture will also be made available as a "Voices from St. Vladimir's Seminary" podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
On Sunday December 1 at 7 p.m., St. Vladimir's Seminary's student–run St. Ambrose Society will be hosting Dr. Ryan Nash, M.D., M.A. for a free and public lecture. Entitled "Compassion and Conscience: Health, the Good Life, and Death," the talk will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. Following the lecture, a question and answer session will allow for response and discussion. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion.
Dr. Nash is the director of the Ohio State University Center for Bioethics; his research focuses on the interplay between theology, morality, and medicine, especially in the realm of palliative care. He has held a number of chairs in clinical ethics, and he also serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy and Christian Bioethics. Dr. Nash is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading experts in medical ethics and palliative care.
Earlier this year, the St. Ambrose Society sponsored a March 2013 Lecture titled "On the Corpse and the Chaplain: How Medicine is Destroying Pastoral Care" with Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, M.D., Ph.D.
Seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield recently attended the blessing of the new lakeside home and property–San Miguel del Lago–for Guatemala's Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage, Holy Trinity Church, and Holy Trinity Monastery. Mayor Álvaro Arzú of Guatemala City, Russian ambassador to Guatemala Mr. Nikolay Yevguénievich Bábich, and other distinguished guests were also present.
His Eminence Archbishop Antonio (Chedraoui), metropolitan of Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela (Antiochian Archdiocese) presided over Sunday's Hierarchical Liturgy in Holy Trinity Church. Two St. Vladimir's alumni also served with Fr. Chad and the other visiting clergy: The Very Rev. Steven Kostoff of Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit Church in Cincinnati, OH and The Rev. Justin Foster, Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Church in Royalton, IL.
Following the Liturgy, Metropolitan Antonio and Fr. Chad blessed the tranquil, rural orphanage grounds, and then over 500 guests attended a celebratory luncheon. In his remarks, Metropolitan Antonio commended the orphanage's dynamic leader, Mother Ines Ayau, for her many accomplishments, noting that St. Vladimir's had awarded her a Doctorate of Humane Letters honoris causa during the Seminary's 2013 Commencement Exercises.
"The Holy Angels have protected us on each step and now we must rejoice and let God fill us with His joy and satisfaction of a well done job for His glory," wrote Mother Ines to orphanagehas been filled with obstacles, but the miracles have prevailed."
Back on St. Vladimir's campus, Fr. Chad reflected, "The missionary work in Guatemala is an inspiration to many of us from around the world and is a model for students in the missiological courses offered here." In his eight visits to Guatemala, the Chancellor has led three mission trips and also filled in as the community's priest. Most recently in 2012, he led a mission team from the Seminary that helped the orphanage relocate from "Zone 1," a crime-ridden and dangerous area of Guatemala City, to its new location at San Miguel by the Lake.
The Fr. Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology Dr. Paul Meyendorff recently journeyed to Busan, Korea to attend the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) as a representative of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). The Assembly is the highest governing body of the WCC, convening every seven years to review the WCC’s ongoing agenda, formulate public statements of concern and action, and endorse activities and outreach being undertaken by Christian ecclesial bodies around the world.
In addition to conducting its ordinary business and electing officers and Central Committee members, the Assembly issued statements concerning the perilous situation of Christians in Syria, Egypt, and the Middle East. In its business sessions, it elected a new top governing body to lead the WCC, and appointed eight presidents for the WCC's respective "regions." His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, was elected to represent the Eastern Orthodox, while Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, will represent the Oriental Orthodox churches.
The Orthodox at the Assembly also met separately to discuss issues of common concern. In an expression of unity, both the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox attended liturgy together on Sunday November 3 at the Annunciation of the Theotokos parish, Metropolis of Korea, Ecumenical Patriarchate. "The Assembly provided a wonderful opportunity to meet with other Orthodox throughout the world," noted Dr. Meyendorff. "It was especially remarkable to see the number of St. Vladimir's graduates who are in leadership positions in various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches."
In addition to Dr. Meyendorff, other attendees associated with St. Vladimir’s were: Trustee His Eminence The Most Rev. Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department of External Affairs; Trustee Dr. Anne Glynn Mackoul; Trustee His Grace The Rt. Rev. Maxim (Vasiljevic), bishop of the Western Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America; Trustee H.G. Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Church of North America; Alumnus H.E. Metropolitan Mor Polycarpus Aydin of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East; Alumnus His Grace The Right Rev. Alexander (Golitzin), Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese, OCA; Alumnus His Grace The Right Rev. Irinej (Dobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Seminarian Lijin Raju; and Mariam Ceena Varghese, SVOTS lecturer in Malayalam.
More than 430 guests gathered for the black tie dinner hosted by the Seminary's Board of Trustees at Glen Island Harbour Club, New Rochelle, NY, and celebrated the good news during an evening designed to evoke remarkable memories and point out significant milestones for the Seminary, begun in 1938 in rented quarters in New York City and now situated on 12 beautiful wooded acres in Westchester County.
"The Evaluation Committee from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission on Accrediting, which visited our campus recently, will recommend a 10–year reaccreditation for our school and its programs, without any notation," said The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir's. "This recommendation means that St. Vladimir's is recognized to be working at the highest standard possible.
"The Evaluation Committee were especially commendatory about the culture of excellence, transparency, and critical-self reflection that they found at our school, and that does, indeed, mark everything we do and have done for the past seventy-five years, and will continue to do," noted Fr. John.
The ATS team visited the campus October 21–24, interviewing students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Immediately after its visit, the team notified both Fr. John and seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield of its recommendation, which will be reviewed for final approval by ATS's national Board of Governors in February 2014.
Throughout the evening, Master of Ceremonies Theodore Bazil, longtime former Director of St. Vladimir's Seminary Press and now senior advisor at the Seminary, made public recent gifts, all of which are earmarked as endowments for either student scholarships or special projects. Among these were significant donations from two seminary trustees: a $750,000 donation from Trustee Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, and his wife, Tanya, to establish the "Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies" for students enrolled in the Seminary's new Doctor of Ministry program; and a $50,000 donation from Trustee Brian Gerich, to establish the "Dr. Albert Rossi Endowment" for student scholarships.
Additionally, $250,000 from an anonymous donor was given to establish an endowment for the newly envisioned "Institute for Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary." The Institute is an element of the Seminary's 2020 Strategic Plan and is being proposed as a center where theological scholarship and practical artisanship will comprise student training, eventually leading to a Master of Sacred Arts degree.
Several bequests to the Seminary, all earmarked as endowments for student scholarships, also were announced, including: a $1M bequest from Lydia Meshenko, held by The Pittsburgh Foundation; a $154,000 bequest from Susan Kushner; and a $110,000 gift from the estate of longtime seminary chapel member Georgia B. Toumbakis.
"These endowments are gifts to be held in perpetuity, and they represent a high level of trust and commitment by our donors to our institution," said Mr. Bazil. "With their reception, the Seminary is charged with the responsibility to preserve, protect, and steward these gifts."
Father Chad also expressed deep gratitude for the many recent monetary gifts received by the Seminary on the occasion of its Diamond Jubilee, observing, "These gifts are essential for our special projects and scholarships, but I remind all of our generous supporters that we annually draw only a small percentage from these endowments to keep the principal amounts in them stable and sound, and that our operational costs, which are covered by our Annual Fund, are still underfunded."
"Perhaps the joy of this 75th Anniversary celebration will resonate with our friends and church family to increase support for our day-to-day operations," he quipped, "which, as I understand, have historically run on 'shoe-strings.' —I'd like to see those shoe strings turn into strong life lines."
Father Chad in turn acknowledged the extraordinary gift of the relics of St. Vladimir, received through His Eminence, The Most Rev. Metropolitan Philip, archbishop of Poltava and Myrhorod, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, in Kyiv, saying, "When the relics were brought to St. Vladimir's three years ago, we thought that was a once-in-a-lifetime blessing, but now the Church in Ukraine has graced us with the permanent blessing of the relics of our patron saint, along with a valuable Book of Gospels commemorating the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus'."
Adding to the joy of the occasion were the presence of guest speakers His Grace, The Right Rev. Basil (hon. D.D.), bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; and The Very Rev. Dr. John McGuckin, The Ane Marie and Bent Emil Nielsen Professor in Late Antique and Byzantine Christian History, Union Theological Seminary, and Professor of Byzantine Christian Studies, Columbia University. Each noted the remarkable contribution that St. Vladimir's has made to the Church and the Academy alike worldwide. His Grace Bishop Basil noted that in speaking at the 75th Anniversary, he had come home to "the place that made me all that I am," and that the Seminary likewise has had a "sustained impact in Orthodoxy throughout the world." Dr. McGuckin spoke specifically about "The Contribution of St. Vladimir's Seminary to the Discipline of Theology," reiterating the school's academic history and noting its continued insistance upon highly qualified instructors to ensure academic excellence.
Regrettably, the President of the Seminary's Board of Trustees, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was unable to attend the gala due to illness from pneumonia. (The Metropolitan sent a message stating he is recovering but doctors' orders currently required bed rest and avoiding travel.) However, he sent a congratulatory message, which was read by His Eminence the Most Rev. Nikon, archbishop of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese of the OCA, which stated in part: "St. Vladimir's Seminary has always provided a place where these inspired leaders, together with those who taught, counseled, and administered at their sides, could share the life-giving truths of Christ and His Church with all who came, and continue to come, to this institution for spiritual and intellectual refreshment."
Co-chairs of the 75th Anniversary Committee were Alex Machaskee, who serves as Executive Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Seminary, and Anthony Kasmer, chair of the Audit Committee of the Board. Mr. Machaskee thanked those who planned the banquet, Co-chairs Anne Glynn Mackoul, Matushka Sharon Rubis, and Tatiana Hoff, and those who planned events throughout the entire anniversary year and read a congratulatory letter from Serbian Patriarch His Holiness Irinej, archbishop of Pec and metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, which expressed best wishes and offered prayers for the "successful establishment of the St. Vladimir's International House of Studies, including the St. Sava House of Studies." The International House of Studies is also part of the Seminary's Strategic Plan 2020, and it will include faculty and student exchanges with several Orthodox Christian seminaries around the globe. Several other congratulatory letters from church and political leaders were also read.
Other honored guests included: His Eminence, The Most Rev, Justinian, archbishop of Naro-Fominsk,Church in the USA; His Eminence, Metropolitan Savas, archbishop of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America); His Grace The Right Rev. Michael, bishop of New York and New York and New Jersey (OCA); His Grace The Right Rev. Melchisedek, bishop of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania (OCA); His Grace The Right Rev. Irénée, bishop of Québec City and administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada (OCA); His Grace The Right Rev. Nicholas, auxiliary bishop for Brooklyn, and resident assistant to His Eminence Philip, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of All North America, of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA); His Grace The Right Reverend Bishop John, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (AOCANA); The Very Rev. George Roschin, representing Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate, and member of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Seminary; The Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Voytovich, dean of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary, South Canaan, PA; The Rev. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, New Rochelle, NY; and Matushka Marie Meyendorff, wife of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff (dean of St. Vladimir's 1984–1992).
Distinguished guests from other church bodies included: Archbishop Robert Duncan, primate, Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Bishop Edward Salmon, sometime bishop of South Carolina and dean of Nashotah House Seminary, WI (ACNA); Msgr. Joseph G. Quinn, vice president, Fordham University Missions and Ministry; Board member of Union Theological Seminary Calvin Mew and his spouse Mary Crawford; and Viji George, Ed. D., president of Concordia College, Bronxville.
Other highlights of the evening included a video featuring Matushki Juliana Schmemann, wife of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann (Dean, 1962–1983) and Marie Meyendorff, wife of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff (Dean, 1984–1992), and Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko (Dean, 1992–2002) and The Very Rev. John Erickson, hon. D.C.L. (Dean 2002–2006); a historical slideshow; and a Silent Auction filled with items related to the history and mission of the Seminary. The Honorable Michael Spano, Mayor of the City of Yonkers, NY, presented the Seminary with a special citation on the occasion.
Dr. Michael Colburn, Mission Specialist in Linguistics and Translation for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), will be on St. Vladimir's Seminary's campus to talk about his work in translating Orthodox Christian liturgical texts into native languages in East Africa and Guatemala. Once a missionary linguist / translator with the Wycliffe Bible Translators serving the Ogea people of Papua New Guinea, Dr. Colburn also worked twenty-four years as a full-time software developer and software product manager for the US Government. He has degrees in Biblical Studies, Linguistics, and Computer Science, and he will be discussing the software tools and courses he has developed to help Orthodox Christians around the world worship in their mother tongues.
