Maggiano’s Little Italy of South Point,8030 Renaissance Pkwy,27713,Durham,NC,US
Celebrate Annunciation with us! On Sunday evening, March 25, on the Feast of the Annunciation, friends in North Carolina will host a banquet to support St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The dinner will be held at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Durham.
Alumni Priest Christopher Foley and Priest Dr. Timothy Thomas will be speaking at the banquet along with Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield. Fr. Christopher graduated from St. Vladimir’s in 2006 and is currently Pastor of Holy Cross Orthodox Church in High Point, NC. Fr. Timothy, from the class of 2016, serves as Associate Pastor of St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church in Raleigh, and is an Assistant Professor at St. John’s University in New York.
Tickets for the banquet meal, which begins at 5 p.m. are priced at $35, with an additional donation requested.
With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, Archpriest Paul Richard Ziatyk, who graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1964. Fr. Paul, long time Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvana and retired Rector of Saint John the Baptist Church, New Kensington, PA, fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, March 5, 2018 at the age of 81.
Ziatyk on January 22, 1937, he was a graduate of Northampton Area High School; Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (magna cum laude); Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY; and the Iliff Theological Seminary, Denver, CO, from which he received a Masters degree in Pastoral Counseling.
Fr. Paul was ordained to the priesthood in 1964, after which he was assigned to Transfiguration of Christ Church, Denver, CO, which he served for seven years. In 1971, he was assigned Rector of Saint John the Baptist Church, New Kensington, PA, which he faithfully served until his retirement in 2012. During his pastorate, the church mortgage was retired and the interior and exterior of the church were beautified and stand as a shining example of Orthodox iconography. In 1972 Fr. Paul was appointed Dean of the Allegheny-Beaver Valley Deanery. He also served as Chairman of the Archdiocesan Committee on Religious Education and the Late Vocations Program, organized numerous youth and adult retreats and diocesan events, and served as Secretary to the Bishop. From 1996 until his retirement, he served as Chancellor of the Archdiocese. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania and as the Orthodox Chaplain at Highland Drive Veterans Hospital. In the early 1980s, he wrote monthly articles for The Orthodox Church newspaper and chaired the Canonical Department of the Orthodox Church in America. As a very dedicated priest, Fr. Paul loved to serve the people entrusted to his care. He deeply loved his family and was a devoted father.
He is remembered by those who knew him at St. Vladimir’s as an excellent pastor and church leader and a warm, loving soul.
Fr. Paul was predeceased by his parents, brothers John and Donald, and sisters Jean Stefancin and Patricia Mayers.
In addition to his beloved wife of 56 years, Matushka Helen Marie [Radon] Ziatyk, Father Paul is survived by three children, Mark Ziatyk, Paul [Genevieve] Ziatyk and Julianne [Lon] Daily; five grandchildren, Samantha, Jacqueline, Zackary, Malaya and Damien; a sister, Rosalie Mayers; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Saint John the Baptist Church, New Kensington, PA on Wednesday and Thursday, March 7 and 8, from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. The Parastas will be celebrated both evenings at 7:30 p.m. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be celebrated on Friday, March 9 at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Elwood City, PA.
Donations in Father Paul’s memory may be made to Saint John the Baptist Church, 150 Elmtree Road, New Kensington, PA 15068, or the Monastery of the Transfiguration, 321 Monastery Lane, Elwood City, PA 16117.
May Father Paul’s memory be eternal!
Sections of this article are reprinted from OCA.org.
The entire seminary community entered into the holy season of Great Lent by participating in Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday, February 18, and by gathering for worship and reflection during two full days of a Lenten retreat held Monday, February 19, and Tuesday, February 20.
This year’s retreat speaker was Priest Anthony Roeber, Ph.D., professor of Church History at St. Vladimir’s. Father Anthony presented four talks based on the “Great Farewell Discourse” of our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Gospel of St. John (John 14–17), and especially focused on the words, “That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17.21).
Offering rich scriptural and patristic resources, as well as commentary by contemporary writers, Fr. Anthony challenged Orthodox Christians to love, trust, and seek unity with others—whether they are inside or outside the borders of the faith:
“That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17.21): love, trust, and unity within a local Orthodox household of faith
“That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17.21): love, trust, and unity within the global Orthodox community
“That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17.21): love, trust, and unity with non-Orthodox Christians
“That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17.21): a “confident pluralism” within a secular and religiously diverse society
On Saturday, February 10, 2018, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale commenced its “Orthodox Masterpieces” series, a musical endeavor that invites the public to hear beautifully composed hymns in their proper setting: communal worship. To inaugurate the series, the Chorale sang Great Vespers in Three Hierarchs Chapel, featuring select compositions by Alumnus Archpriest Sergei Glagolev. Robin Freeman, director of Music at the Seminary, conducted the singers, and Archpriest Alexander Rentel, chapel ecclesiarch, presided at the service, assisted by seminarians Dn. Larry Soper and Dn. Herman Fields.
Following the vespers service, fellow worshippers listened to an educational talk by Harrison Russin, lecturer in Liturgical Music at the Seminary, and enjoyed a light reception. In his talk, Mr. Russin noted Fr. Sergei’s enormous contribution to North American church hymnography: the creation of English-language musical compositions with a uniquely American sound and the introduction of those pieces into Orthodox Christian parishes.
“Father Sergei's music dwells in the tension between innovation and tradition, and between complexity and simplicity,” noted Mr. Russin, “a tension that reflects the American Orthodox experience.
“His music is at the same time fresh and genuinely Orthodox,” he continued, “and that combination has fueled the vision of what music in the Orthodox Church in America—and in every Orthodox jurisdiction—can be."
Mrs. Freeman, commenting on her passion for singing high quality church music in the context of worship, said, “The Church has always employed music to convey her sacred theology in the liturgy; therefore, our program teaches seminarians both the traditional tonal systems of Russian, Byzantine, and other Orthodox music, as well as fundamentals such as reading musical notation, vocal production, and conducting technique.
“We aim to synthesize all that we learn within the liturgy,” she explained, “producing beautiful tone and clear diction, harmonious choral blending, and seamless exchanges between clergy, choir, readers, and the people.”
View and listen to the entire Great Vespers service
Photo credits: Dn. Ryan Tellalian
Video credits: Alexandru M Popovici
In keeping with the liturgical and spiritual tradition of St. Vladimir’s Seminary to mark the beginning of Great Lent, the entire seminary community will enter into the holy season by participating in Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday, February 18, and by participating in two full days of Lenten retreat on Monday, February 19, and Tuesday, February 20.
During the Lenten retreat, students, faculty, and staff will worship in Three Hierarchs Chapel nearly 12 hours daily, and will hear edifying meditations by Priest Anthony Roeber, sessional professor of Church History at the Seminary. (See the chapel schedule.)
Classes will not be held on those days, and the Seminary will be closed for business.
David Bradshaw, Ph.D 575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,NY,US
The trustees, faculty, and students of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary welcome the public to the Commencement of the Class of 2018, Saturday, May 19. Ceremonies will begin at 2:00 p.m., with a “Prayer of Thanksgiving” in Three Hierarchs Chapel, followed at 2:30 p.m. by Commencement Exercises in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building.
Our commencement speaker this year is David Bradshaw, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky, and a member of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Nicholasville, KY. Professor Bradshaw earned his doctorate at the University of Texas, Austin, and he currently specializes in ancient and medieval philosophy, philosophy of religion, and the interactions of theology and philosophy.
His current research focuses on the ways that ancient Greek philosophy shaped medieval philosophy and religious thought, and how these, in turn, contributed to the formation of modernity. Most of his work to date has been on the philosophical roots of the division between the Greek-speaking (eastern) and Latin-speaking (western) branches of Christianity.
Over the next few years his hope is to explore more fully the implications of Eastern Christian thought for contemporary philosophy of religion, and ultimately to use this work (both historical and contemporary) as a basis for a new analysis of precisely why modern philosophy rejected traditional religious belief, including in what respects that development was and was not justified.
View an absorbing interview of Dr. Bradshaw, about the connection between philosophy and theology, conducted in Moscow and published on the website, “Philosopher’s Corner” in March 2015
St. Vladimir's Seminary,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,US
One hundred years after the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution of 1917, a documentary movie recently produced and released by Catholic News Service chronicles both the ruin of the Russian Orthodox Church during that time and the rebirth of the Church following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The movie, Faces among Icons, will be shown on our campus in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family building at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, 2018, followed by a panel discussion. The producer of the movie, Robert Duncan, a Rome-based Catholic filmmaker, will attend the screening, and will be a panel participant, along with select seminary faculty and students. The event is free and open to the public, and fresh popcorn will be served!
While the release of Faces among Icons was timed to coincide with the centenary of the Russian Revolution, for Roman Catholics the year 2017 also marked the 100-year anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima, at which time the Virgin Mary was said to have predicted the conversion of Russia to Christ. Catholic News Service Editor-in-chief Greg Erlandson was quoted in the media outlet Crux as saying, “Following seven decades of atheistic communism, there now appears to be the seedlings of a Christian renewal, which is the subject of this remarkable film.” The documentary itself—notably—states at its outset that the “conversion” predicted by the Virgin did not specify a conversion to Roman Catholicism but rather “to Christ,” and that the film would focus on the renewal of the Orthodox Christian Church in Russia.
The fascinating 30-minute documentary showcases a range of Russian individuals providing firsthand accounts of the changes in religious life that have occurred within their country since the fall of communism. They offer widely diverse personal perspectives on the extent to which church-state cooperation is deemed healthful, and they evidence the tension in opinions as to how much influence the state should yield over the church.
Even with such tension, Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill have enjoyed a particularly warm and cooperative relationship—resulting in the first meeting between a pope and a patriarch in over 1,000 years. Together, they have pushed for Russian Orthodox and Catholic cooperation, both for shared Christian causes and international cooperation on various fronts.
We welcome you to our campus to watch this engrossing movie, and to engage in dynamic discussion.
Open House begins with the 7:30 a.m. Matins service in Three Hierarchs Chapel, Thursday, March 8, and ends with the 5:00 p.m. Vespers service, followed by supper. A full schedule is available here.
“What’s it like to study at SVOTS?” Seminarian Subdeacon Shawn Thomas engages in a discussion about the priesthood, with his professor, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, in his Canon Law class.
“Seminarians Speak”: Read about our students’ rich experiences during their training: women and men, clergy and lay, scholars, pastors, iconographers, musicians, missionaries, diplomats, and educators included!
With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, James (Jim) Balamaci, who graduated from the Collegiate Division (also known as the “pre-theology” program) of St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1976. Mr. Balamaci was concurrently a student at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY, when he attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Mr. Balamaci, as President and CEO of Special Olympics Alaska, was an extraordinary leader who lived to inspire goodness in people and communities. He passed away during the morning of February 1, at the age of 63.
The Anchorage Daily News has published a full obituary containing details of Mr. Balamaci’s life. Details on memorial services will be announced as they are received. Arrangements are entrusted to Legacy Funeral Homes. To share words of comfort with the family please visit www.legacyalaska.com.
Three major campus events marked the Feast of the Three Hierarchs on Tuesday, January 30, the day that commemorates the patrons of our campus chapel—Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. We honored the day by celebrating worship, spiritual instruction, and academic knowledge, all of which characterize the lives of the three bishops remembered on that feast.
HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY
The day began with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and Chair of the Board of our Seminary, presiding at the Divine Liturgy. The theme of His Beatitude's homily centered on both a text from the Gospel for the day, "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5), and a text from the writings of St. Gregory the Theologian, "The mystery of godliness is for those who are willing, not for those who are overpowered." Joining His Beatitude in celebrating the liturgy were chapel clergy, and His Grace John, bishop of Worcester, and His Grace Anthony, bishop of Toledo, both of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA). His Eminence Melchisedek, archbishop of Pittsburgh (OCA) also attended liturgy.
ANNUAL SCHMEMANN LECTURE
In the evening, seminary alumnus Dr. Scott Kenworthy presented the 35th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture, entitled, “St. Tikhon of Moscow (1865–1925) and the Orthodox Church in North America and Revolutionary Russia.” Dr. Kenworthy’s passion for his subject was infectious, and his expertise was evident throughout his talk.
"St. Tikhon is a particularly important and relevant saint for us,” said Kenworthy, “not only because he was one of the greatest visionaries when it came to planting Orthodoxy in North America—something he shared, of course, with Fr. Alexander Schmemann—but [also because he] faced all the complications of living in the modern world in religiously pluralistic environments and, of course, the most challenging of political environments imaginable."
Dr. Kenworthy went on to describe St. Tikhon’s pastoral responsibilities both in North America and Russia. He noted, in particular, St. Tikhon’s unique approach to church-state relations following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and the saint’s insistence on keeping the Church out of political arguments and removed from political motivations.
Lastly, Dr. Kenworthy described the impact of St. Tikhon’s unique personality upon the people whom he shepherded. He was a person characterized not by fame or uncommon intellect but by simplicity, humility, kindness, and approachability—yet, he accomplished so much for the Orthodox Church in both North America and in Russia.
Listen to Dr. Kenworthy’s lecture in its entirety here.
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY MID-YEAR COMMENCEMENT
Dr. Kenworthy’s address offered a fitting prelude to the Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony of the Doctor of Ministry Class of 2018. Three Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) candidates, who began their seminary studies as part of the Cohort of 2017, earned their degrees: Priest John E. Parker III, rector of Holy Ascension Church, Mount Pleasant, SC (OCA); Priest Timothy Chrapko, associate priest of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Gregory Abdalah, Youth Pastor, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ. The Cohort of 2017 is the first group ever to enroll in the D.Min. program hybrid model, which includes both online courses and on-campus classroom intensives.
At Commencement, the graduates explained how the program had helped them to grow as pastors by allowing them to apply fresh ideas in current pastoral settings. One of the graduates, Fr. John Parker, said he had joined the D.Min. program in order to help him accomplish what every priest is called to do: “to become a Christian disciple—a student, a servant, a steward, and a sharer.” (View the Academic Convocation program here, which includes the final project title for each D.Min. graduate.)
Listen to the Commencement Ceremony and the speeches of the D.Min. graduates here.
At the conclusion of the lecture and Commencement, Metropolitan Tikhon acknowledged the influence that St. Tikhon’s visionary legacy continues to have on Orthodox Christianity in North America. He cited as proof the concelebration by hierarchs from the OCA and AOCANA at the Divine Liturgy that morning, together with the diverse pan-Orthodox composition of St. Vladimir’s Seminary on all levels (e.g., student body, Board of Trustees).
“St. Tikhon,” he remarked, “would perhaps be pleased that today, we have also, in a smaller and more humble way, gathered to hear the words offered to us by Dr. Scott [Kenworthy] and to rejoice in our communion with one another as the body of Christ—and through this gathering, to reflect upon the great accomplishments of our father among the saints, St. Tikhon, the Patriarch of Moscow and the enlightener of our lands.” Lastly, His Beatitude called upon the new “doctors” who graduated to transform their surrounding culture with their newfound knowledge, by bringing to others the gospel of Christ.
