Crossing the Atlantic Ocean without leaving his office, St. Vladimir's Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric The Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen presented a paper at a conference hosted by St. Tikhon's Orthodox University in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1992, the University has hosted an annual theological conference for 24 years and this was Dr. Halvorsen's second year to participate via the internet.

The theme of this year's conference, "Distance Education in Theology: Practice, Problems, and Prospects," fell within Dr. Halvorsen's area of expertise. As one who is familiar with the challenges and benefits of distance learning, he directs the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Vladimir's, now in its final stages of meeting New York State requirements prior to receiving full authorization.

The professor's paper, offered to the Russian students on January 22, was titled "The inverted classroom: how effective teaching goes beyond content delivery." "Good teaching goes beyond simply giving a lecture," he explained to his virtual Moscow classroom, with the aid of a translator. "The inverted concept is gaining traction as a way of educating, and it works like this: students view videotaped lectures outside of class, while time in class is used for discussion and engagement, rather than passive listening."

The St. Vladimir's professor emphasized that it is critical for seminarians to focus on practical applications throughout their years of theological study. "In the last judgment," he stressed, "Jesus never asks anyone how much do you know, but what did you do?" The Church in Russia, he added, is dealing with staggering numbers of new converts and there is an urgent need for solid theological teaching in the distance learning context. "I'm impressed by the work they are doing at St. Tikhon's in Moscow. Clearly they are laboring to reach out to a vast population of Russians who have received little intentional Christian formation."

Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University and St. Vladimir's plan to collaborate significantly in the next few years. Last October, St. Vladimir's Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield and Dean The Very. Rev. Dr. John Behr met with members of St. Tikhon's faculty to discuss cooperation in the creation of an Institute of Sacred Arts. More information about the Institute is available in the "SVS Strategic Plan 2020," recently approved by the Board of Trustees. 

Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, popular Orthodox Christian speaker, author, and pro life advocate, made our Seminary's participation in the 41st March for Life in Washington, D.C. very special this year. Not only did she travel with St. Vladimir's Seminary's contingent to the nation's capital for the March—which annually marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all fifty states—but she also gave an informal talk on campus the prior evening, concerning her own history with the pro life movement. She especially addressed members of the St. Ambrose Society, a student-led group that organizes the Seminary's participation in the March, and which is dedicated to promoting awareness about pro life issues from cradle to grave.

"When I was a college student and a feminist in the early '70s, there were no sonograms, and we couldn't view the life in the womb," noted Kh. Frederica in her talk. "We used the phrase 'a glob of tissue' to describe the unborn child; it seemed absurd that people would be sentimental about this."

Then, she said, a pregnant friend showed her a flier chronicling the progress of a growing baby. She was stunned by the hidden beauty and perfection of the tiny life.

"I began to realize that abortion was becoming a big funnel to dispose of the problems caused by promiscuity and unplanned pregnancies—nobody's life had to change because the whole thing could remain a secret. Why had we feminists decided this was okay?" she related.

Khouria Frederica went on to serve with pro life advocacy groups and published numerous books and articles on related topics, including Real Choices: Listening to Women; Looking for Alternatives to Abortion. She continually advocates for awareness of pro life issues within Orthodox Christian circles, drawing from history to illustrate that "Christians stood against infanticide and abortion from the beginning." Although she cites statistics indicating that younger Americans have become more and more pro life (American Grace, 2010), she still believes "there is much to be done in church circles regarding pro life issues."

Along with her husband, The Very Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, Kh. Frederica serves the community of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD. View details of Orthodox Christians participating in this year's March for Life on oca.org.

The formation of a seminarian happens both inside and outside the classroom. Over the course of the 2013–2014 winter break, three St. Vladimir's seminarians participated in the first-ever International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Seminary Action Team. Together with junior seminarian Sara Staff and middler Tor Vergard Svane, I traveled to New Orleans to join nine other seminarians from five Orthodox theological schools to work as part of an IOCC home-build team, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The leader of our group, IOCC's Country Representative for the United States, Dan Christopulos, was joined by his co-leader The Very Rev. Paul Wesche, rector of St. Herman's Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church in America) and president of the Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association.

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, IOCC was able to offer this great opportunity to seminarians for the minimal cost of $150, which included our flight plus our room and board. In the last few years the organization has provided hands-on opportunities for ministry within the United States, allowing students, professionals, and retirees to work together to help out their most vulnerable neighbors. Subsequent to two major hurricanes, Katrina in 2005 and Ike in 2008, IOCC has mobilized teams of volunteers to help build homes for those displaced by these tragic disasters through their long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

Our team flew to New Orleans in the early evening after the Feast of Theophany, on January 7, and stayed through Sunday afternoon, January 12. After an orientation on Tuesday morning we split into small teams working in different sections of two houses, sheetrocking ceilings and walls for eight hours each day. Most of us had very little experience in construction, and we made our fair share of mistakes measuring walls incorrectly or putting a few screws in the wrong places. However, the Habitat supervisors patiently guided and taught us what we needed to know; they modeled for us an example of forbearance with our inexperience and care for us personally. We will remember their example when we are called upon to show the same spirit in our future ministry with people we will serve in the Church.

After finishing a full day of physical labor, we were allowed time for reflection and prayers in the evenings. In our open discussions on the team, we learned more about the work of IOCC, and how we might further the cause of Christian charity once we leave St. Vladimir's. We also made time to drive around those neighborhoods of New Orleans that were most devastated by the hurricanes. In the Lower Ninth Ward, many of the lots are still empty, and only a few bricks on the ground indicate where houses once stood, while a number of houses are still severally damaged. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of our trip was the inter-seminary fellowship. There are very few events which bring seminarians from different schools and different jurisdictions together. Seminarian Sara Staff commented afterwords that "The IOCC home-build mission trip was especially meaningful in that we worked toward a common goal alongside fellow seminarians from across the United States...gaining a new perspective on missions in general. It was very challenging to be reminded that Christ's love is made manifest through His people ministering to the poor. I hope to cultivate and share all that I have learned!"

Added Seminarian Tor Svane, "As a seminarian we learn many things in the classroom, but there is less time to put into practice the love of Christ in a practical manner such as this. Working in New Orleans together in a physical and down-to-earth context brought us together in a way that academic work couldn't have done. Friendships were made and strengthened through our shared labor and our common goal, and I thank God for this opportunity."  

St. Vladimir's Seminary is offering its second public continuing education course in Byzantine Music, beginning Monday, January 27, and ending Monday, April 7, 2014, in collaboration with The Axion Estin Foundation of New Rochelle, NY. Eleftherios Eleftheriadis, the highly regarded Protopsaltis of St. Nicholas Shrine Church in Flushing, NY, who previously served on the faculty of the Music School of Thessaloniki, Greece, will instruct students in chanting the services of Great Lent, as well as the Sunday Orthros and Divine Liturgy.

Classes will be held every Monday evening, with the exception of Monday, March 3, and will be divided into two sections: Beginner/Refresher Class, 6:45 pm–7:30 pm, and Regular Class (Beginners welcome), 7:30 pm–8:45 pm. Classes will be conducted in the Greek language, with translation, and will be held in Classroom 307 of the Metropolitan Leonty Education Building on campus. Course materials include original music texts in Byzantine notation and the Greek language.

Resource materials for the course will be available electronically for further study, and students have the option of participation in the Lenten Services at Three Hierarchs Chapel on the Seminary's campus. Students will be awarded a certificate upon successful completion of the course.

"More than a third of our alumni are in jurisdictions that use Byzantine music," noted The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO at St. Vladimir's Seminary. "In order to serve the Church and our students preparing for service in these ecclesial settings, we are fortifying our Byzantine music course offerings and chapel music repertoire for the 2013–2014 Academic Year."

To register, call 914–961–8313 x353, or email byzantine@svots.edu. A one-time registration/tuition fee of $150 payable to Axion Estin Foundation, 10 Mill Rd, New Rochelle, NY 10804, is required to begin the course. 

Read more about the Byzantine music program at St. Vladimir's.

By Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), Director of Chapel Music and Lecturer in Liturgical Music

The Octet has had an active Fall. Though the first of our four engagements was not until early November, we spent September and October carefully preparing an extensive repertoire for what proved to be a strenuous but rewarding conclusion to the semester.

On November 7 we had the honor of attending the Seminary's 75th Anniversary Gala Banquet and singing a selection of hymns in honor our Seminary's patron, the Great Prince Vladimir, Equal of the Apostles. We also took the opportunity to recognize and honor all former members of the SVOTS Octet present that evening.

On Sunday, November 10, the singers left early in the morning to drive to the far end of Long Island where we chanted at the Kimisis Tis Theotoku Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons in Southampton. Seminary Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr accompanied us and preached at Liturgy. It was a great joy to sing in this church's rich and live acoustical setting. We were warmly received following the service and a short concert, after which we were hosted at a fine local restaurant.

Our concert on Monday November 25 marked the culmination of nearly a year of brainstorming and planning. St. Vladimir's Seminary collaborated with St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Seminary (Dunwoodie) to produce "Magnificat," a program of hymns in honor of the Mother of God from Orthodox and Roman Catholic liturgical traditions. St. Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in Manhattan opened its doors for hundreds of people who came to hear both seminary choirs. The members of the Octet put in many hours at meticulous and demanding rehearsals, recordings of which were sent back to them a day or two later with copious notes on what needed improvement. Despite having such high expectations placed on them as an ensemble, each member rose to the occasion, practicing on his own and returning to the next rehearsal fully prepared. I could not have asked for a more willing and gifted choir.

The fruit of all that preparation paid off, not only with the great success of our concert in Manhattan, but with a repeat performance on December 8 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Stroudsburg, PA, with pastor, sessional faculty member, and alumnus The Rev. Dr. Nicholas Solak. 

Accompanied by Chancellor The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, who preached at Divine Liturgy, and by The Rev. Dn Gregory Hatrak, who brought along many goods from the Bookstore, we left campus long before sunrise on the Sunday before finals week. Though a stressful time for all students, the Octet put in many hours on the road and in practice and performance, with their usual musical competence and cheery manner, singing at Divine Liturgy and at a special Christmas concert sponsored by the parish on Sunday afternoon.

Not only as ambassadors for the Seminary, but above all as liturgical musicians who lead the people of God in prayer and worship, the members of the St. Vladimir's Seminary Octet have mustered all their strength and skill this semester, making an offering that we pray is well-pleasing to God.

Browse the gallery by photographer John Mindala on the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons Flickr site

On this 31st Anniversary of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann’s death,  the entire community of St.Vladimir's remembers his life, his work, and his influence on the Church in America. Honoring his memory, the Summer/Fall 2014 issue of Jacob's Well was dedicated to his legacy and featured the theme "Thanksgiving, Salvation, and Eternal Joy." The publication included articles by The Right Rev. Michael, bishop of New York and New Jersey; Fr. Alexander's son, Serge; his former students, Frs. John Shimchick and Alexis Vinogradov and John Jillions; and former SVOTS faculty member Fr. Paul Lazor. Also featured were reflections by faculty members Dr. Albert Rossi and Dr. Paul Meyendorff, and quotes "remembered and rendered" by Fr. Thomas Hopko.

As Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary from 1962–1983, Fr. Alexander formed hundreds of students, providing them with an understanding of what he termed “liturgical theology”—the study of liturgy as a theological discipline, rather than as a historical or archeological discipline or a mere adherence to the letter of the ecclesiastical Typikon (ordo). Father Alexander approached liturgy as a life-giving source of grace and the knowledge of God, and the many seminarians studying under him subsequently imparted his teaching to thousands of Orthodox Christians in the United States and abroad.

On Sunday, December 14, immediately following the Divine Liturgy, the community gathered at Three Hierarchs Chapel will celebrate the annual panikhida for Fr. Alexander Schmemann, one day after the anniversary of his repose. May his memory be eternal!

• Save the Date! 32nd Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, January 31, 2014, with His Grace Bishop Nicholas on  "The Life and Ministry of St. Raphael of Brooklyn"
• Read a Nativity reflection by Fr. Alexander in our SVOTS' blog,  Synaxis:"The Divine Child" 
• Order books by Fr. Alexander from SVS Press

Second-year Seminarian Burke Vair was ordained as "Deacon Mark" on November 3, 2013, by His Grace Nicholas (Ozone), auxiliary bishop for Brooklyn and assistant to His Eminence Philip, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of All North America, of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The ordination took place at St. Stephen's Antiochian Orthodox Church in South Plainfield, NJ, where Dn. Mark is fulfilling his parish assignment requirement as a seminary student. The Very Reverend Fr. Stephen Tawfik, rector of the parish, and a third-year seminarian, Dn. Scott Miller, served alongside His Grace.

Earlier this year, on March 17, 2013, Bishop Nicholas blessed Dn. Mark to be a sub-deacon at St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, NY, where The Very Reverend Fr. Michael Elias is pastor. The newly ordained deacon considers both Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD, pastored by The Very Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, and St. Ephraim the Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Antonio, TX, pastored by The Very Rev. John Mefridge, as his home parishes.

Deacon Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies from Towson University in Maryland and worked for seven years in hospital administration before deciding to attend St. Vladimir's Seminary in the fall of 2012. His wife, Shamassy Vasilia Jankovich, holds a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland and currently practices as an Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) for a high school in the Bronx. 

Over Thanksgiving weekend, SVS Press Marketing and Operations Manager Dn. Gregory Hatrak traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to exhibit books at the Annual Meeting of the Atlanta-based American Academy of Religion (AAR). The AAR is a 9,000-member professional association of teachers and research scholars who work in some 900 colleges, universities, seminaries, and schools in North America and overseas, and SVS Press and the Seminary's faculty and alumni have an annual presence at its main meeting.

The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, a member of the Academy and dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary, traveled with Dn. Gregory. "It's always a joy to attend and visit with our alumni who have gone on to pursue doctoral work," he commented, and added that many of them now hold university positions. "Furthermore, I am always reminded at this conference, which is indeed the main gathering of those working and studying in the field of religion and theology, of how widely our Press books are used and how greatly they are respected."

The Academy sponsors many regional conferences and meetings, publications, programs, and membership services, but the Annual Meeting is always its largest event. Over 15,000 people attended this year's gathering in Baltimore. SVS Press hosts a display every year, since the meeting's yearly book exhibition, typically with more than 200 publishers participating, provides an ideal opportunity for the Press to engage with leading scholars within the field of religion.

"It also gives us a chance to meet with our international distributors, and to find out what is going on in the world of theological publishing in general," explained Dn. Gregory.

The AAR hosted the meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center, with publishers setting up shop on the bottom floor while speakers and attendees gathered upstairs, and in Baltimore-area hotels. "The event was huge," noted Dn. Gregory. "Some 27 hotels hosted Annual Meeting-related gatherings. Our SVS Press booth was open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day. We offered our books for sale and had many discussions with professors about using our texts for their courses."

This direct contact with teachers from leading universities, colleges, seminaries brings about course adoptions of SVS Press books, said the deacon, with the Popular Patristics Series leading the way. "Our Letters of St. Ignatius, for instance, has already been chosen by several schools for use in coursework." Other new releases, such as Fr. John's artistic and reflective Becoming Human, generated a good deal of interest as well.

"Most people attending the AAR's Annual Meeting aren't Orthodox," commented Dn. Gregory afterwards. "It's amazing to discover how many non-denominational Christians are reading the church fathers." 

"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.

Other St. Ambrose Society stories:

March for Life 2013

Lecture on Sex–Selection Abortion

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.

• Learn more about the March for Life

• Read about St. Vladimir's participation in the 2013 March