"St. Vladimir's Seminary has stepped up to the challenge recently set by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) to provide our clergy with continuing education," said Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at the seminary.

"We are working vigorously to help clergy reach the goal established by the newly formed Department of Continuing Education of the OCA, requiring 20 hours of education and training each year for priests," he explained.

Dr. Meyendorff was referring to the mandate set by the OCA bishops at their January 2013 meeting, which requires clergy to receive further education in professional and ethical issues. The person heading the OCA's new department is The Very Rev. Ian G. Pac-Urar, while Dr. Meyendorff is Director of Continuing Education at St. Vladimir's.

"We're delighted to see St. Vladimir's step forward with the first institutional response to the Holy Synod's call," said Fr. Ian. "As a matter of course, clergy participating in the offerings from St. Vladimir's will receive full credit for the Continuing Clergy Development (CCD) program. We encourage all clergy to take advantage of this great opportunity."

Similarly, The Very Rev. Eric S. Tosi, secretary of the OCA, noted: "We are so pleased that this program is moving forward. The issue of continuing education has been discussed for many years in the Holy Synod and was brought to fruition with the mandate of the Strategic Plan of the 16th All-American Council held in Seattle in 2011.

"Father Ian Pac–Urar and the Strategic Planning Committee of the Metropolitan Council were dedicated to making this become a reality so that the OCA clergy can continue to improve their pastoral skills," he added. "St Vladimir's Seminary has taken the lead in offering such a program in a formal manner and it is hoped that many will take advantage of the expertise and resources in the program."

Salem, South Carolina

Inaugurating the seminary's efforts, Dr. Meyendorff noted, was a recent seminar given by The Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen, assistant professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's. From March 31 to April 2, Fr. Sergius led a continuing education seminar on "Liturgical Preaching" for eight priests from the Carolinas Deanery of the Diocese of the South, OCA. The seminar began with a webinar in the middle of March, during which Fr. Sergius presented some fundamental concepts for preaching and gave the participants assignments to prepare in advance of the in-person session. Then, gathered at a home on the shores of beautiful Lake Keowee in Salem SC, the participants worked together in sessions that began on Sunday night and concluded on Tuesday morning.

During these sessions Fr. Sergius presented basic guidelines for effective preaching and then each participant made two oral presentations: a short meaningful story about their life and a "work in progress" version of their sermon for the following Sunday. Following each presentation the other participants shared thoughts with the speaker, both about how their presentation was effective, and also about how the presentation could have been more effective.

Reflecting on the seminar, Fr. Sergius said, "The depth and honesty of the feedback from the participants was quite remarkable. Everyone left the seminar with a few really solid ideas to help them in their preaching ministry."

Regarding the entire experience, Fr. Sergius said, "I am extremely grateful to Fr. Thomas Moore, dean of the Carolinas Deanery, Fr. Marcus Burch, chancellor of the Diocese of the South, and Archbishop Nikon, locum tenens for the Diocese of the South, for the opportunity to spend time working with the clergy. Pastors are physicians of souls, and like doctors who treat the flesh, they benefit greatly from continuing education to help hone, refine, and strengthen pastoral skills. Furthermore, participants benefit greatly from strengthening ties with brother clergy who support and encourage each other in their ministry. This continuing education session was quite successful on both these levels." (Listen to Fr. Sergius' recent interview discussing preaching and evangelism, on Ancient Faith Radio.)

Fort Worth, TX

From April 7–9, Fr. Sergius Halvorsen was a guest of St. Barbara's Orthodox Church in Fort Worth TX. On Sunday morning he preached at the Divine Liturgy, and during coffee hour he delivered a talk on vocations and spoke about the work of St. Vladimir's Seminary in cultivating and nurturing ordained and lay vocations to serve Christ and His Holy Church. That evening, he delivered the sermon at a Pan–Orthodox Vespers service held at St. John the Baptist Church in Euless, TX. Fourteen priests from the Dallas-Fort Worth area con-celebrated in the beautiful new temple, and approximately two hundred and fifty area faithful were in attendance.

On Monday morning Fr. Sergius led a retreat for clergy of the Southcentral (Dallas) Deanery of the OCA. His topic, "Orthodox Ecclesiology from the Perspective of Preaching," addressed aspects of the "applied ecclesiology" found in the Baptismal Homilies of St. John Chrysostom. Father Marcus Burch and about fifteen priests and deacons were present at the retreat. On Monday evening, Fr. Sergius delivered a lecture in honor of Archbishop Dmitri, "The Vulnerability of the Incarnation: God Made Man," which reflected on the mystery of the Word of God humbling Himself and becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8) Father Basil Zebrun, pastor of St. Barbara's Orthodox Church in Fort Worth and host of the event, is planning on making this an annual lecture series, with the hopes of eventually publishing some of these talks in a collection of articles in honor of Archbishop Dmitri.

Speaking of future goals for continuing education for clergy, Dr. Meyendorff said, "Our aim is to develop continuing education workshops on topics such as homiletics, end of life issues, dealing with mental health issues, confession, parish management, and so forth.

"Programs will be held both on the seminary's campus and at locations throughout the country," he continued. "We will be working with dioceses, deaneries, clergy associations, and alumni groups to develop and host one- or two-day sessions."

Anyone desiring further information should contact either Prof. Meyendorff or Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions and Alumni Relations.

In keeping with St. Vladimir's Seminary's continuing emphasis on missions and outreach, SVOTS hosted this week's board meeting of the pan–Orthodox Missions Institute, which is housed on the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS chancellor/CEO and adjunct professor of missiology, has been an integral part of the 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.

Institute Director and former Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) missionary The Rev. Luke Veronis addressed the members of the board and led a discussion of several new initiatives, including the creation of a fund to underwrite short–term mission trips for seminary faculty members, and the creation of a new Mission Class Guatemala trip, commencing in the summer of 2014. For the past several years SVOTS seminarians have participated in a for–credit collaborative seminarian missions trip, joining Holy Cross seminarians and Fr. Luke for two weeks of study and ministry in Albania.

In another missions initiative, the Seminary hosted its first annual Missions Day in late November, 2011 with guest speaker The Rev. Themistocles Adamopoulo, a member of the Alexandrian Orthodox Patriarchate who ran a vibrant ministry and mission in Nairobi, Kenya for years and now serves in Sierra Leone. Hurricane Sandy forced the postponement of the next missions lecture, which had been scheduled for November 7 with guests The Very Rev. Archimandrite Dr. Andres Girón de Leon and The Very Rev. John Chakos, both missionaries among the indigenous people of Guatemala.

The Institute was founded in 2010 with support from the Virginia H. Farah Foundation and the Endowment Fund for Orthodox Missions (EFOM), a charity honoring Greek Orthodox missionary pioneers the Very Rev. Alexander and Presbytera Pearl Veronis. In addition to Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dr. John Barnet, associate dean for Academic Affairs and associate professor of New Testament, and Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, attended the mid–week meeting.

RELATED LINKS:

• Read about the 2010 Albania mission trip and the trip in 2011
• Visit The Missions Institute website

Kodiak and Fairbanks, Alaska...Denver, Colorado...Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida...Cincinnati, Ohio...Worcester, Massachusetts...Charleston, South Carolina. By the end of this season of Great Lent, Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield and The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary, will have visited parishes on both coasts and many points in between, serving and presenting homilies, lectures, and retreats, in service of Christ's Church.

Father John Behr kicked off his busy retreat schedule with a full Florida weekend; he presented two parish retreats on the topic "Becoming Human," which also is the title of his upcoming SVS Press book. Members of St. Stephen the Protomartyr Orthodox Church in Longwood, and its rector, The Rev. Daniel Hickman (alumnus '10); and the parish of St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church (OCA), with its rector, The Very Rev. Ted Pisarchuk (alumnus '94), warmly welcomed him.

In a Colorado Rocky Mountain weekend, The Very Rev. Seraphim Gisetti hosted Fr. John as he offered two retreats: one for clergy of the Greek Metropolis of Denver; and a public retreat at St. John Chrysostom Church in Golden (Antiochian Archdiocese).

In Worcester, Massachusetts, St. Vladimir's Alumni Board Chair Gregory Abdalah (SVOTS '08) planned a unique "Silent Lenten Retreat" at St. George Orthodox Cathedral, whose rector is Fr. Milad Selim; Fr. John was guest presenter. Lastly, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Fr. John joined The Very Rev. Steven Kostoff (alumnus '81) and the Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit Church community for an eventful weekend of talks and a meeting with the Indianapolis Deanery. 

Criss–crossing the United States several times, Fr. Chad Hatfield visited Alaska twice during the Lenten season. His theme for this year's Lenten talks was "The Three 'M's – Mary, Mysteries and Mission" and in his retreats, Fr. Chad elaborated that there are "three assured paths to spiritual renewal as we participate in the Great Fast: Mary and the incarnation, the mysteries of Baptism and the Eucharist, and our vocation and calling to mission." During the first trip to Kodiak, two seminarians joined the Chancellor to assist him in a workshop offered to students at sister institution, St. Herman's Theological Seminary. In the first week of April, Fr. Chad returned to the state to the city of Fairbanks, where he presented a retreat to parishioners and guests at St. Herman Church, the northernmost Orthodox parish on the continent. 

In between his Alaskan ministries, he joined the St. Vladimir's Seminary Octet for a day of teaching and music at the St. Andrew's Orthodox Church (OCA) in Dix Hills, New York. In a second Lenten Octet visit, this time to St. Anthony Orthodox Church (Antiochian) with The Very Rev. Joseph Allen in Bergenfield, NJ, Fr. Chad offered the homily and addressed parishioners after the Liturgy. Mindful of St. Vladimir's many Southern connections, Fr. Chad also spent a fruitful weekend with alumnus Fr. John Parker and the parish of the Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

"What a blessing it was for me personally and for our parish to welcome Fr. Chad to Holy Ascension for our end-of-Lent Retreat," noted Fr. John Parker. "His words to us on Christian discipleship as it relates to 'Mary, Mysteries, and Mission' were not only refreshing, but also encouraging, compelling, and practical."

Meetings of the St. Juliana Society for St. Vladimir's future clergy wives are often punctuated by laughter and animated conversation, and Monday evening's gathering at the residence of Fr. Chad and Mat. Thekla Hatfield was no exception. Lively guest Khouria Krista West, host of "The Opinionated Tailor" podcast, offered a mini-seminar on both the care, and the spiritual symbolism, of clergy garments.

Krista has worked as an ecclesiastical tailor for over fifteen years and has created nearly 1000 sets of vestments through her Portland-based business. Her interest in the history and traditions of Eastern Orthodox liturgical vesture led her to Greece in 2004 to participate in a museum conservation course hosted by the Greek Ministry of Culture, and since then she has continued to research multiple aspects of this field, including natural dyestuffs and early Byzantine textile history.

"I'm here to tell you eleven things about vestments," announced Kh. Krista. "It was originally a nice, tidy list of ten, but then there was one I just had to add, so eleven it is!" Khouria noted that as a fellow clergy wife (her husband Fr. Alban is rector of St. George Antiochian Church in Portland, OR), she understood that there were some very practical issues related to vestments and as such, she offered this list:

• Know what your husband's vestment needs are and be willing to share them with people in the parish.
• Flowers aren't "girly" so get used to them!
• Know the "hierarchy of vestments" and which are most important, so if the budget is limited, you can decide where it's appropriate to spend the most money.
• Get to be friends with a very good dry cleaner.
• Learn the right names of your husband's vestments.
• Take vestments seriously; your children shouldn't play with them.
• Monochromatic fabric isn't common in the Orthodox tradition—gold will always be shot through with red, for instance.
• Vestments don't have a Jewish origin, they came from Roman civil dress and were subsequently standardized in the Byzantine era.
• Don't let your husband throw his vestments in the back of the car and make sure he does grubby work in his spare grubby cassock.
• Don't try to make vestments yourself! It is tricky business and is even difficult for professionals who've been highly trained.
• Enjoy vestments and notice them.

Khouria Krista ended her talk with a quote from St. John of Damascus, who said that sight is the "queen of the senses." In Orthodoxy, she concluded, there is a richness that can be a source of joy and celebration throughout our lives, and in this, vestments play an important part.

RELATED LINKS:

Read Khouria's biography

Listen to the podcast, "The Opinionated Tailor"

View Kh. Krista's work at her website  

This northernmost Orthodox parish in North America consists of a diverse group: people of Russian, Yupik, and Aleut backgrounds; cradle and convert Christians; soldiers and families from Ft. Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base; and university students.  

Assisted by their host, The Rev. Isaac Farha, Fr. Chad and Monk James spoke for several days on the theme "Orthodox Christian Discipling: Back to the Basics." Monk James, offered these dispatches and photos from the field. 

 Thursday, April 4

We arrived in Fairbanks and began our weekend by offering the Akathist to St. Herman at St. Herman Church. This Akathist is sung every Thursday evening throughout the Diocese of Alaska. Father Chad Hatfield and parish rector Fr. Isaac Farha concelebrated the service before the first installment of our weekend of lectures in an annual Lenten retreat hosted by the parish called "Orthodox Revive 2013."

Listen to an excerpt from the Akathist, with Fr. Chad and Fr. Isaac and the choir of St. Herman Church, on Soundcloud or on Facebook.

Friday, April 5

The below–zero temperatures and snow are an interesting contrast to the spring weather we left behind in Yonkers, NY! Today Father Chad led a small discussion at a local book store and coffee shop, Gulliver's Books. He introduced the notion of Christian discipleship and discussed the setting for evangelism in North America.

In the evening, Fr. Chad served the Akathist to the Theotokos and gave another lecture on Mary and the church community, and the work of evangelization through baptism and renewal.

Saturday, April 6

This morning, I led a retreat with the University of Alaska at Fairbanks Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) on the topic "The Joyful Christian Witness." I emphasized the importance of confession in manifesting the Risen Christ in the midst of a community.

Later we joined the faithful and Fr. Isaac for the Vigil for the Feast of the Annunciation, which on the Old Calendar fell on the Sunday of the Cross this year.

Retreat session three was offered by Fr. Chad, who spoke about a return to the beginning and Paradise which occurs in us through Holy Baptism, and how Orthodox Christians must be engaged in mission to fulfill this renewal. After the busy day, we enjoyed fellowship with St. Herman's parishioners.

Tweet: Here in AK where they observe the old–style calendar, the Feast of the Annunciation falls on the Sunday of the Cross, making for rich feast. 

Sunday, April 7

During the Divine Liturgy this morning for the Sunday of the Cross, Fr. Chad was the homilist. After the service, he participated in a question and answer session, answering a wide variety of queries concerning the spiritual life, ritual and practice, and even some interesting theological questions about animals.

Then we enjoyed a quick diversion to the area north of Fairbanks to see the sights (a moose!).

Tweet: A moose came to visit during the our excursion!

Monday, April 8

We're traveling back to the Lower 48 today, and true Alaskan–style, we're departing in a "whiteout."  For those of you unfamiliar with that term it's a heavy snow and fog combination that is so thick you can't see in front of you.

Father Chad summarized the trip this way: "What touched me deeply was the generosity of the people who expressed their appreciation for the way St. Vladimir's and SVS Press have made a lasting impact on their lives as Orthodox Christians. When small communities with many legitimate needs reach deep in their pockets to express their thankfulness, it sets an example of generosity worth emulating."

Tweet: Father Chad at the Fairbanks airport. That’s snow out the window. Here’s to not having the flight cancelled!

View the photo galleries:

• Ordination of The Rev. Dn. Scott Miller (Facebook)
• Ordination of The Rev. Dn. Steven Bruns (Leanne Parrott Photography)

The midpoint of Great Lent marked a life–changing milepost for two of our seminarians, Scott Miller and Steven Bruns. Both were ordained to the Holy Diaconate during the season's distinctive Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

Seminarian Miller was ordained April 10th by His Grace The Rt. Rev. Nicholas, auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and resident assistant to the Metropolitan for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), at St. Stephen the Protomartyr Antiochian Orthodox Church in South Plainfield, NJ. On April 12th His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), ordained Seminarian Bruns in Three Hierarchs Chapel on our campus.

Deacon Scott, who earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Science from Kansas State University, is a former broadcaster who worked primarily in talk radio. His broadcasting career eventually brought him to Boston, where he was baptized at St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2007, taking St. Tikhon, patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America, as his patron.

During his seminary training, Dn. Scott, with his wife Danielle, and daughters, Stella and Sofia, have served at St. Stephen's in Plainfield, where The Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Tewfik is rector but was not able to serve due to illness. In his stead, The Very Rev. Romanos Malouf, rector of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Bridgeport, CT (former parish of the Miller family); The Rev. David Mezynski, assistant dean of Student Affairs at the Seminary; and The Rev. Adrian Budica (alumnus '10), attached priest at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY, served alongside Bishop Nicholas.

Deacon Steven earned a B.A. in Religion from University of Florida in 1993, and an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY. In 2011 he completed a Doctorate in Historical Theology through Middlesex University's London School of Theology. As an ordained United Methodist minister for twelve years, he served parishes in Florida and Kentucky in both suburban and rural settings, while teaching Church History, Theology, and Church Polity courses at Asbury Theological Seminary's Dunnam Campus in Orlando, FL.

Through his friendship with another former Protestant minister, Dn. Steven was introduced to Orthodoxy, and he and his family—his wife Pamela and children, Anna, Leah, Sarah, and Silas—joined the Church after a seven–year journey of study and discernment. During his tenure at St. Vladimir's, Dn. Steven has served at the Orthodox Christian Church of Christ the Savior, Paramus, NJ. After Commencement in May 2013, he will be attached to St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church (OCA) in Jacksonville, FL, under the leadership of The Very Rev. Theodore Pisarchuk (alumnus '94).

At Dn. Steven's ordination, His Beatitude noted: "Among the clergy, a deacon is one who serves and leads a life of repentance, prayer, and service. May you find great joy in this moment, in the middle of Lent, in the week of the Cross, with hope in the resurrection and with courage like that of your patron, St. Stephen the Protomartyr."

In addition to His Beatitude, those serving at Dn. Steven's ordination included: The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, The Rev. Dr. David Mezynski, The Rev. Dr. Benedict Churchill, The Rev. James Parnell, The Rev. Pdn. Joseph Matusiak, The Rev. Dn. Gregory Hatrak, and newly ordained The Rev. Dn. Scott Miller.

The St. Vladimir's Seminary Library recently received the Skvir–Buketoff Music Collection from The Very Rev. Daniel (SVOTS '69) and Tamara Skvir, rector and choir director of the Holy Transfiguration Chapel in Princeton, NJ (Orthodox Church in America). The Collection consisted of four boxes of Eastern Orthodox liturgical music published from the year 1819 up through 1950, and included several unique and rare scores.

The bulk of the Buketoff–Turkevich–Skvir collection of Russian Orthodox liturgical music belonged to The Very Rev. Constantine Buketoff, who came to the United States in the first decade of the 20th century as a church musician, and served as a rector of several parishes in the vicinity of New York City. It includes hundreds of pre–Revolutionary individual sheet music scores as well as anthologies. Dozens of Russian composers are represented, prolific composer, conductor and teacher Pavel Chesnokoff prominent among them.

The Buketoff portion of the collection was later passed on to Fr. Constantine's son, Igor Buketoff, a renowned symphony conductor and composer known for his unique rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture that incorporates the choral component, and for his orchestration of Rachmaninoff's unfinished opera, Mona Vanna.

Subsequently, Fr. Daniel and Tamara Turkevich Skvir (Fr. Constantine's granddaughter) inherited the collection and supplemented it with the music collection of The Very Rev. John Skvir, who reposed in 1987 and served as the rector of Ss. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Jersey City for 35 years. The entire collection was then donated to the Father Georges Florovsky Library by the combined families.

"In addition to making this generous donation, the Skvirs also volunteered a significant amount of time in 2012 at St. Vladimir's to organize the Collection and create a list of its contents," noted Librarian Eleana Silk. "We are grateful to Fr. Daniel and Matushka Tassie for their efforts to make this Collection more accessible to our patrons. Many thanks! Please contact the librarians with any questions."

View the complete list of contents for the Skvir–Buketoff Collection.

For further information, mail Eleana Silk at es@svots.edu

Read about other recent library donations:

• The Liberty Fund
• The Fr. John Leonard Collection

One of the other Orthodox participants, SVOTS Board of Trustees Corporate Secretary The Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, presented a paper on "Eastern Orthodox Social Ethics in the Anaphora of St. Basil the Great" in one of the study groups. Father Philip is professor of Religion, director of the Honors Program, and dean of the School of Social Sciences and Religion at McMurry University in Abilene, and in 2011 he presented the keynote address for St. Vladimir's annual Education Day.

Following the conference, Dr. Meyendorff led a parish retreat on the theme of the Sacrament of Confession at St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church in Abilene (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America), where Fr. Philip serves as the rector. Noted Fr. Philip, "Professor Meyendorff unfolded for us the historical development of the practice of confession, and then responded to questions from parishioners during a lively discussion time. Those who attended learned a great deal and were most appreciative for the spiritual encouragement provided by his presentation, coming as it did at the beginning of Great Lent." 

Two public lectures at St. Vladimir's during the second week of Lent featured authors known for their expertise on the topics of caring for the illnesses of the soul and body. On Monday evening after the conclusion of services for the Feast of the Annunciation, the seminary's pro life ministry, the St. Ambrose Society, hosted author, physician and philosopher Dr. Jeffrey Bishop in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium for his talk, "On the Corpse and the Chaplain: How Medicine is Destroying Pastoral Care." The lecture was streamed lived on the Society's website and will also be posted at a future date to the Voices from St. Vladimir's Seminary podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

Widely recognized for his work in medical ethics in the field of death and dying, Dr. Bishop earned a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Dallas. He also holds a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School, and serves as the Tenet Endowed Chair of Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University. His story of conversion to the Orthodox faith is told in the SVS Press book Turning East, and in his lecture at St. Vladimir's he discussed how this faith informs his approach to the issues faced by today's health care providers and chaplains. "The words 'holy' and 'health' and 'holistic' are all related," he noted. "The great philosophers also used to be physicians." Yet in more recent history, he explained, the living body became "nothing more than matter in motion: medicine is now about controlling the cogs which are failing in this body, which is a machine."

The week's second SVOTS lecture followed the Wednesday Lenten Presanctified Liturgy and community potluck, when author Klaus Kenneth spoke about the themes explored in his book Born to Hate, Reborn to Love (Mount Thabor Publishing). Born in 1945 in Czechoslovakia at the time of the flight of the Red Army after World War II, Mr. Kenneth experienced abuse and rejection in his early childhood and subsequently traveled the globe looking for truth and meaning. Along the way he explored numerous religious paths, eventually discovering the Orthodox faith. An encounter with Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), the founder of the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex (UK), changed Klaus Kenneth's life and set him on the path of spiritual healing.

In his talk in the Kunett Auditorium at Three Hierarchs chapel, Mr. Kenneth unfolded the story of his life and travels, describing how he eventually visited most of the world in his relentless spiritual quest. Rejecting Christianity in his youth after suffering abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest, Klaus acquired spiritual knowledge and even occultic powers through Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, and New Age phases of his life. A meeting with Mother Teresa didn't convince him to return to Christianity although it opened his heart to his need for prayer and Christ.

After years of spiritual wandering, Klaus encountered Orthodox Christianity and eventually became the spiritual child of Elder Sophrony. "In his talk, Klaus stressed the importance of using the tools at our disposal as Orthodox Christians, and he particularly emphasized the importance of the practice of the Jesus Prayer," noted a lecture guest afterwards. "He referred to the prayer rope on his wrist as his Rolex, saying that the Prayer held more power than all of his former religious practices combined."