The Sophia Institute International Center for Eastern Christian Thought and Culture,3041 Broadway,10027, New York,,NY,US
URL: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gold-and-clay-healing-and-transformation-in-jungian-psychology-and-orthodox-christianity-tickets-33580982623

A preliminary meeting of Orthodox Christian theologians, clergy, chaplains, and counselors, and Jungian psychoanalysts, will be held under the auspices of the Analytical Psychology and Orthodox Christianity Consultation (APOCC) at The Sophia Institute International Center for Eastern Orthodox Thought and Culture. At the meeting, titled, “Gold and Clay: Healing and Transformation in Jungian Psychology and Orthodox Christianity,” the select group will share perspectives on healing and human flourishing in light of modern societal trends, including those within mental health care and pastoral care.

The first part of the day is a private consultation between the core participants, followed by two panel discussions open to the public from 2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Reverend Adrian Budica, supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Director of Field Education at St. Vladimir's Seminary, helped to organize the conference, and he will co-chair the event. He will, as well, facilitate one of the afternoon panels. "My involvement with the conference" said Fr. Adrian, "started with discovering a common interest in Analytical Psychology via a meeting with my co-chair, Pia Chaudhari, and Fr. John Behr (the seminary faculty member who advised her Ph.D. thesis). For me, the Jungian theory informs my pastoral supervision theory in CPE."

Other participants from our St. Vladimir’s Seminary community will include:

• The Reverend Sean A. Levine: Seminary Alumnus (M.Div. 2010); Priest, Orthodox Church in America; Chaplain (Major) US Army
• The Reverend Dr. David Mezynski: Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Director of Admissions at SVOTS
• Laura Josephson, CCH: Member of Three Hierarchs Chapel Community; Iconographer and Homeopath

Register to attend the Public Panel through Eventbrite.

Visit the Conference website.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and chair of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, has announced two significant actions taken by the Board concerning the governance of the Seminary, at a special meeting Wednesday, May 3, 2017. His Beatitude made the announcement in a letter sent to seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield on May 4.

In his letter His Beatitude informed Fr. Chad that the Board had voted unanimously to confirm him as President of the Seminary for a new two-year term, beginning July 1, 2017, and concluding June 30, 2019. The Board had offered Fr. Chad—who had previously been appointed by the Board to act as President in May 2016—a contract for the position in early April 2017, and had affirmed his acceptance letter, dated April 18, 2017, at the special Board meeting this week. 

His Beatitude further announced that the Board had accepted the resignation of Archpriest John Behr as Dean—a role he has filled for the past ten years—as of May 15, 2017. He remains Professor of Patristics.

Metropolitan Tikhon explained that the new governance structure and statutes adopted by the Seminary’s Board within the past year had set in motion the newly affirmed administrative changes. In his letter His Beatitude tasked Fr. Chad with “overseeing the immediate steps of the transition.”

His Beatitude also graciously thanked both Fr. Chad and Fr. John for their sincere dedication and continuing service to the Seminary and its mission, especially recognizing “the hard work and sacrifices Fr. John and his family have made during this decade that you [Fr. Chad] and he shared the leadership of the Seminary.”

A celebratory book launch of Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness(SVS Press, 2017), with guest author His Grace Dr. Anba Suriel, bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions in Australia, was held on Saturday, April 22. His Grace offered a presentation on the life and work of Habib Girgis, a Coptic Egyptian who dedicated himself to advancing religious and theological education, and who eventually was canonized by the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The volume is the second publication in SVS Press’s Coptic Studies Series, and His Grace’s presentation—which was titled “The Role of St. Archdeacon Habib Girgis in the Renaissance of the Alexandrian Coptic Church,” included a photo exhibition of images taken from the book. View the entire presentation here on YouTube.

The book describes Girgis’ six-decade-long career as an educator, reformer, dean of a theological college, and pioneer of the Sunday School Movement in Egypt over the first half of the twentieth century, and it includes his own publications as well as a cache of newly discovered, previously unpublished texts from the Coptic Orthodox Archives in Cairo. The volume sets in context Girgis’ work in the midst of the identity crisis and deep social vulnerability that Coptic Christians had been experiencing in their homeland since the mid-nineteenth century. It traces his agenda for educational reform for all age groups in the Coptic Church, as well as his work among the villagers of Upper Egypt. And, it meticulously details his struggle to implement his vision of a Coptic identity, forged through education in the face of a hostile milieu.

Bishop Suriel holds a Ph.D. from Fordham University. He is the Dean of St. Athanasius College in Melbourne, Australia, as well as Senior Lecturer in Religious Education, Pastoral Ministry, and Coptic History at that school. His grace also is the translator of The Life of Repentance and Purity, by Pope Shenouda III, the first volume of the Coptic Studies Series, which was a joint project with the St. Athanasius College Press.

The Reverend Dn. Gregory Hatrak, director of Marketing and Operations for SVS Press and Bookstore, welcomed Bishop Suriel to the Seminary, and in his introduction of him, he noted that The Life of Repentance and Purity was the “fastest-selling first print run,” ever at SVS Press. “In the first four months,” said Dn. Gregory, “we sold out 6,000 copies of that book, and now, we are well into the second print run.”

Deacon Gregory also expressed his appreciation for Bishop Suriel’s current efforts to illumine further the life of Habib Girgis, especially through the unique photograph exhibition he has compiled. “Many of the photos we will see today,” Dn. Gregory remarked, “have never yet been seen in the U.S., and some of them have never been seen outside of Egypt.”

As Holy Week began, many clergy from our seminary community participated an ancient ritual: the preparation of Holy Chrism. They gathered at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, in South Canaan, PA, with other priests and deacons, and bishops, to confect the specially blended oil used in the Rite of Chrismation in Orthodox Churches.

The Rite of Consecration of Holy Chrism began on Holy Monday morning, as His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, sanctified water to bless the ingredients that would be used in making the chrism. Then, some attending clergy poured the blessed exotic spices and oil into an enormous stainless-steel container and continuously stirred the ingredients as they boiled, while other clergy stood nearby, reading the Gospels.

The fragrant blend of olive oil, white wine, styrax, benzoin, rose oil, basil, balsam, Venetian turpentine, and galangal; aromatic incenses extracted in oil; oils of bergamot, clove, marjoram, thyme and sandalwood; and extracts of ginger root, calamus root, nutmeg, and orris root will continue to simmer until Holy Thursday. During that entire period, in 2-hour shifts day and night, a multitude of clergy from the monastery and surrounding area will take turns continuously stirring the mixture and reading the Gospels.

When the Holy Chrism is ready, it will be poured into bottles and distributed to the 700 parishes of the OCA—from Canada to the United States to Mexico. Parish priests will use the chrism during the Rite of Chrismation to anoint a person at the pronouncement of the words, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit”—a practice that some historians trace to the almost immediate post-apostolic period.

The fifth-century Patriarch, Cyril of Jerusalem details how this special oil was "symbolically applied to the forehead, and the other organs of sense" during Chrismation, and specifies that the "ears, nostrils, and breast were each to be anointed.” St. Cyril insisted that being "anointed with the holy anointing oil of God" was the sign of a Christian, a physical representation of having the gift of the Holy Spirit. He notes: "Having been counted worthy of this Holy Chrism, you are called Christians, verifying the name also by your new birth. For before you were deemed worthy of this grace, you had properly no right to this title, but were advancing on your way towards being Christians."(On the Mysteries 3.5)

Preparing chrism is also a unique privilege of autocephalous (self-ruled) Orthodox Churches, which connects them historically to their Mother Churches, since every batch of new chrism contains drops from an earlier batch of chrism. (The OCA’s Archives boasts a lead container that held chrism brought from Russia in 1900, and the Russian Church originally received its chrism from its Mother Church, Constantinople.) Every drop of chrism powerfully testifies to church unity, and to the freely given gift by God of the Holy Spirit.

Seminary clergy participating in the Rite of Consecration of Holy Chrism this year included President Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Dean Archpriest John Behr, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Priest David Mezynski, Deacon Evan Freeman, and Deacon Gregory Hatrak, and Seminarians Priest Seth Earl, Deacon Daniel Greeson, and Deacon Christopher Moore. During the visit to St. Tikhon’s Monastery Fr. Alexander Rentel also visited the gravesite of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, seminary Dean 1962–1983, and his recently departed wife, Matushka Juliana, January 2017, and served a Memorial Service in their remembrance.

On Wednesday, March 29, 2017, a delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, led by His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej (Dobrijevic), bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America, met with Archpriest Dr. Chad Hatfield, president of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. They discussed potential areas of academic cooperation between St. Vladimir’s and the “Faculty of Ortodox Theology” at the University of Belgrade, including faculty and student exchanges and a collaborative international conference. Bishop Irinej is an alumnus (M.Div. ’82) of St. Vladimir’s Seminary and member-designate to its Board of Trustees.

Representing the school of advanced theological studies in Belgrade was Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dr. Vladimir Vukadinovic, full professor of Liturgics and Ecclesiastical Art History. Father Vladimir had been in the U.S. serving as guest lecturer for the Diocese of Eastern American during its Fraternal Seminar and Clergy Confessions gathering, held in Cleveland, Ohio, March 23–25.

Also among the delegation were: Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dr. Zivojin Jakovljevic, episcopal deputy of the Diocese of Eastern America, dean of St. Sava Cathedral in New York City, and assistant professor in Church Slavonic at St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, IL, and lecturer in Linguistics at Cleveland State University; Protopresbyter Vladislav Radujkovic, parish priest at St. Sava Cathedral; and Deacon Dr. Jovan Anicic, director of Religious Education of the Diocese of Eastern America and assistant professor of Dogmatics and Church Chant at St. Sava School of Theology.

During their time on campus, the delegation also toured the “Father Georges Florovsky Library,” the largest repository of Eastern Christian literature in the U.S. besides the Library of Congress, Three Hierarchs Chapel, and SVS Bookstore. Additionally, His Grace and Fr. Vladimir met with Deacon Gregory Hatrak, Director of Marketing and Operations manager of SVS Press and Bookstore, to discuss another cooperative venture: the translation and publication of theological works.  

Another highlight of the visit was a meeting between Fr. Vladimir and the seminarians of Serbian background at St. Vladimir’s: Dn. Larry Soper and Stefan Djoric of the Eastern American Diocese, Joseph Wesseler of the Western American Diocese, and Stefan Mastilovic of the Australian and New Zealand Metropolitanate. The students and Fr. Vladimir took a unique opportunity to discuss contemporary issues concerning Orthodox Christian theological education.

His Grace Dr. Anba Suriel
St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary,Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, John G. Rangos Family Building,10707,575 Scarsdale Road Yonkers,NY,US

Please join us for a celebratory book launch of Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness (SVS Press, 2017), with guest author His Grace Dr. Anba Suriel, bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions in Australia. On Saturday, April 22, at 1:00 p.m., His Grace will be offering a presentation on the life and work of Habib Girgis, a Coptic Egyptian who dedicated himself to advancing religious and theological education. The volume is the second publication in SVS Press’s Coptic Studies Series, and His Grace’s presentation will include a photo exhibition of images taken from the book.

The book describes Girgis’ six-decade-long career as an educator, reformer, dean of a theological college, and pioneer of the Sunday School Movement in Egypt over the first half of the twentieth century, and it includes his own publications as well as a cache of newly discovered, previously unpublished texts from the Coptic Orthodox Archives in Cairo. The volume sets in context Girgis’ work in the midst of the identity crisis and deep social vulnerability that Coptic Christians had been experiencing in their homeland since the mid-nineteenth century. It traces his agenda for educational reform for all age groups in the Coptic Church, as well as his work among the villagers of Upper Egypt. And, it meticulously details his struggle to implement his vision of a Coptic identity, forged through education and in the face of a hostile milieu.

Heather J. Sharkey, associate professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Pennsylvania, wrote in her review of the book: “This meticulously researched and beautifully written study examines the inspiring life of Habib Girgis…. Historians of modern Egypt generally, and of Coptic Orthodox and other Egyptian Christian communities more specifically, will appreciate this study for its sensitive yet rigorous treatment of a great twentieth-century educator who, in the words of Bishop Suriel, helped Egyptians ‘to give meaning to their own struggles… [and] to look within to understand their lives and to think of what lay beyond.’”

Bishop Suriel holds a Ph.D. from Fordham University. He is the Dean of St. Athanasius College in Melbourne, Australia, as well as Senior Lecturer in Religious Education, Pastoral Ministry, and Coptic History at that school. His Grace also is the translator of The Life of Repentance and Purity, by Pope Shenouda III, the first volume of the Coptic Studies Series, which was a joint project with the St Athanasius College Press. 

Representatives from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Sankt Ignatios Theological Academy, (Stockholm, Sweden), Saint Athanasius College (SAC, Melbourne, Australia), and the Amsterdam Centre for Orthodox Theology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (ACOT at VU; Amsterdam, The Netherlands), met in Amsterdam on March 27–28, 2017, to discuss areas of mutual concern and possible areas of cooperation. 

Partipants included His Grace Suriel, bishop of Melbourne and chancellor and dean of St. Athanasius College; the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary and the Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) Chair in Orthodox Theology at VU; the Reverend Dr. Ioan Lena, lecturer at ACOT; Fr. Michael Bakker, director of ACOT; and Olle Westberg, chancellor of Sankt Ignatios Theological Academy and Michael Hjälm, dean of Sankt Ignatios Theological Academy.

"Our meeting was unique in that all four of our respective institutions include Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians in their student bodies, faculty and/or governance structures," noted Fr. John Behr. "I would hope that this commonality among us will allow us to develop academic resources that will continue to highlight the source of the historic divide between Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Christians, and to add to the knowledge of it."

St. Vladimir’s Seminary is pleased to announce that in January 2017 it received an unprecedented major monetary gift to support St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press), its renowned publishing house. The gift, made by Bronson and Kathleen Eden, will be used to establish “The Mr. & Mrs. Bronson B.T. Eden Endowment for St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press,” which will promote the educational work of the Press by providing funds for acquisitions and translations, editorial and managerial support, and marketing and other activities that further the growth and financial success of the Press.

Since its founding the Press has been instrumental in supporting the Seminary’s mission in spreading the gospel of Christ and the teachings of the Orthodox Christian faith. Benefactor Kathleen Eden shared that she had been actively acquiring and reading SVS Press books since 1988, even before she entered the Orthodox Church, and that the Seminary’s publications had had a significant influence on her. Her husband, Bronson (†), who reposed in the Lord one month following the couple’s generous gift, also was an enthusiast of the Press.

“The Edens have decided to make this major gift to increase the work of the Press and to help insure its growth and its ability to reach new markets in fulfilling its mission,” remarked the Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield, president of the Seminary. “In so doing, they have also helped us complete one of the short-term goals of our new business model put into place by our Board in May 2016, which is: ‘to manage and grow SVS Press and its program quality.’ We express an enormous debt of gratitude to the Edens for their confidence and belief in St. Vladimir’s Seminary to enlarge the ongoing missionary work of the Press.”

Over the years the Press has grown from a small enterprise that published and distributed its faculty’s class lectures (using a mimeograph machine) to an internationally recognized first-class academic publication house. Its volumes—including works on spirituality, Christian biography, contemporary issues in religion, church history, doctrine, patristic studies, biblical studies, sacred arts, and even children’s books—have been translated into 16 languages; its music and spoken word collection includes more than 15 compact disk recordings.

In the past two years the Press has achieved record-breaking marks: $1M in sales in fiscal year 2016, and a combined total of 41 new volumes released in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (projected by June 2017). Among the most recent releases are:

In Albania: Cross and Resurrection, interviews with Archbishop Anastasios of Albania
The Liturgy of Death, by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann
Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words, introduction by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, edited by Archpriest Chad Hatfield
Saint John Chrysostom Letters to Saint Olympia, Popular Patristics Volume 56, translation and introduction by Professor David C. Ford
Theology of the Body, by Jean-Claude Larchet

“I have been informed by our accrediting agency, The Association of Theological Schools,” said Fr. Chad, “that our Press is the only seminary publishing house—among all the other seminaries they accredit—to earn an annual net profit without requiring a subsidy from the operations budget of its school.

“Rather than requiring funds from our Seminary’s operations budget,” he explained, “SVS Press annually contributes to our operations budget. So, besides being a blessing to so many around the globe, SVS Press is essential to our ability to run the Seminary. In fiscal year 2016 SVS Press contributed its net profit of $415,740 to the Seminary’s operations budget, and this is nothing short of amazing.

“Truly,” Fr. Chad ended, “God has blessed this ministry, and we are profoundly grateful to Bronson and Kathleen Eden for granting us the means not only to continue it but also to expand it for the benefit of the Seminary and to the glory of God.”

Despite Winter Storm Stella dumping nearly 2 feet of snow and ice on our campus on the first day of our Spring Open House, eight prospective students were able to brave the weather and attend the event, March 15–17, 2017.

During their 3-day stay, our visiting inquirers were fully integrated into our seminarians’ regular routine—attending classes and chapel services and sharing meals with the seminarians and their families. They also met with our President, Dean, administrators, and faculty (discussing everything from degree programs to financial aid to spiritual life), and had special tours of the library and chapel. View the full schedule here.

One of the highlights of their stay was hearing from first-year Seminarian Deacon Larry Soper, who candidly, humorously, and soberly shared his seminary experience with them.

“I didn't have a ‘rehearsed’ speech in mind,” said Dn. Larry, but I decided I would tell them what my previous 24 hours were like. As I recounted my schedule for them, I realized that ‘for as much as is given to us here at Saint Vladimir's, much is required,’ to paraphrase the Gospel! (Luke 12.48)

“I detailed my day, which started early with morning Matins and then proceeded to a scheduled class (typically, with assignments due or testing to be done), to afternoon study, to evening Vespers, and then to choir rehearsal, and finally, to my community service chore,” he explained. “Of course, not every day is that packed, but often, a day at St. Vladimir's can be rigorous.”

Deacon Larry further emphasized to the visitors that “a ‘calling’ to seminary requires commitment,” which necessitates a daily personal examination to assure authenticity and integrity in approaching that commitment.

“By no means do I ever have a perfect day with perfect effort,” he told the would-be seminarians. “But, as I long as I am true to the commitment of the journey, each day becomes an opportunity for spiritual and personal growth, not only in the classroom but also in my everyday life.

“You must be prepared to be tested, to face adversity and to be fully committed to serve Christ and your peers if you come to Saint Vladimir's,” he told prospective students. “And, being part of a community that serves and is responsible to one another, while employing Christian principles, certainly helps.”

Resources For Prospective Students

• “Are you called to study at St. Vladimir’s Seminary?” 1st-year seminarian Dn. Larry Soper talks about the decision-making process that led him to St. Vladimir’s and tells about his first semester at St. Vladimir’s.
• “What’s it like to study at SVOTS?” Subdeacon Shawn Thomas engages in a discussion about the priesthood, with his professor, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, in his Canon Law class. 
• “Experiences in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)” 2nd-year seminarian Stefan Mastilovic talks about the growth in clinical expertise and self-awareness afforded him through CPE.
• “Twelve Students and Alumni Ordained” Read about the rich and varied backgrounds of our seminarians who have been ordained just this Academic Year.
• “Tell Me a Story,” Read about our students’ experiences in our Annual Report FY2015: women and men, clergy and lay, scholars, pastors, iconographers, missionaries, diplomats, and educators included!

Admissions Information

• Welcome!
• Degrees offered
• Tuition & other expenses
• Application forms
• Financial aid
• Housing
• Health insurance
• International students

On November 29, 2016, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary received $126,580 in donations for its annual #GivingTuesday campaign, and on March 13, 2107, the Seminary gave one-tenth of it away. In keeping with its annual custom of giving away a tithe of whatever donations it receives on #GivingTuesday, the Seminary presented a a check for more than $12K to a select partner with a special need, in thanksgiving to God for the bounty it had received.

The Seminary's #GivingTuesday partner this time around is IEIRA, an online university in Guatemala that is educating 300 students from Central and South America, including Orthodox Christian young men and women who once resided at Hogar Rafael Ayau and San Miguel del Lago orphanages. During a visit to IEIRA headquarters, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of St. Vladimir’s, personally presented a check for $12,658 to Dr. Igumeni Inés Ayau García (aka Mother Inés), who is both Abbess of the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Trinity and overseer of the Rafael and San Miguel orphanages, as well as Vice-Chancellor of the Senate governing IEIRA.

“This check for $12,658,” said Fr. Chad, during the presentation ceremony, “comes with the love and respect of your sister Orthodox institution in New York.

“I followed what you were doing with IEIRA,” continued Fr. Chad, “and I thought: ‘What’s the best way that we can assist you?’ ... and so, we decided, on #GivingTuesday, to use our own large internet communications capabilities from St. Vladimir’s, which literally go around the world—currently, we have students on campus from 12 countries!”

The presentation happened just two days following a horrific tragedy at a state-run orphanage in Guatemala, the Virgen de la Asunción. A fire within that institution killed (by latest count) 40 teenage girls, and a subsequent investigation uncovered issues of abuse and neglect in the institution’s management.

During Fr. Chad’s visit, Mother Inés not only expressed her gratitude for the funds for the university, but also asked that Orthodox Christians globally begin praying for a change in the laws that govern orphanages in Guatemala, in light of the recent tragedy. Additionally, Fr. Chad, Mother Inés, and another monastic from her monastery, Mother Ivonne, were able to attend a public commemoration on March 14 for the 40 young women. At that commemoration the two monastics presented a formal petition to their government, which included a call to their Congress to enact changes in their country’s present laws, in order to help protect the abandoned children of Guatemala.

“This loss of young life,” Mother Inés stated in an open letter accompanying her petition, “has shone a bright light on the darkness that exists regarding the situation faced by orphans and underprivileged youth in Guatemala, where the laws are completely against them and anyone who desires to help them…Pray for our country. Pray for us.”