His Eminence The Most Rev. Tikhon, archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) during the 17th All-American Council of the OCA at Holy Trinity Church, Parma, OH, on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. According to the statutes of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), and under the laws of the State of New York, by virtue of his election Metropolitan Tikhon also becomes the president of the Seminary and chair of the Board of Trustees.
As reported by Oca.org; "Six hundred and sixty–three hierarchs, clergy and lay delegates, and observers representing OCA parishes across the U.S., Canada, and Alaska participated in the Council. Five hundred and ninety were eligible to vote. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot [which by OCA statute allows for two votes per delegate for candidates] His Eminence Tikhon, archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, and His Grace Michael, bishop of New York and New York and New Jersey, received 317 and 355 votes, respectively. The members of the Holy Synod retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon."
Ancient Faith Radio posted timely podcasts of the events of the Council, beginning with Vespers on November 12, and including all the key addresses and proceedings of the gathering the next day.
His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon will preside over the next meeting of the Board of Trustees at St. Vladimir's Seminary. "With deep and sincere prayers for many years," noted The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, "I look forward to working closely with Metropolitan Tikhon as he assumes his role as the president of St. Vladimir's Seminary's Board."
Added The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean of the Seminary, "We are delighted with the election of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, and we look forward to serving him in any way we can."
The seminary community began a slow recovery from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as lights and heat were finally restored, and as work, class, and chapel schedules normalized. There was a "reverse exodus" of students and families, as they returned to their dwellings. Staff resumed work on Monday, November 6. Three Hierarchs Chapel Ecclesiarch The Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel announced that the full cycle of services would commence on Saturday, November 10, with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. Regularly scheduled classes resumed on Monday, November 12. The reanimation of campus life followed two weeks of dark, cold nights, and scrambling for resources, as the seminary community pulled together to cope with what has been termed as "Frankenstorm Sandy."
On Monday evening, October 29, Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the east coast. Sustained winds of 70-90 miles per hour, rain, and a devastating storm surge left millions of Americans without power, including the community of faculty, staff, and students at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Although the campus suffered only minor damage—two downed trees on the property—some residents went without electricity and heat until Monday evening, November 5, when Con Edison of New York restored power in the final section of campus remaining in the dark, the north end. During the weeks without power, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, encouraged community members to travel off campus to stay with friends or family members, since dropping temperatures and perishing food sources made life difficult, particularly for families with small children. Classes were initially cancelled for the week of October 29-November 2, and then were cancelled again for the following week of November 5-9, as the extent of the disruption due to Sandy's effects became more apparent.
In this second week post-Sandy, on Wednesday, November 7, Nor'easter Athena arrived on the battered east coast. The Seminary community again was battered with more high winds, coastal flooding, and snow, while still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
Throughout the challenging two weeks of difficult weather, the St. Vladimir's community found ways to cope and help one another. On Thursday, November 1, several barbecue chefs fired up the grill behind the Germack building so that people could cook and share their defrosted meat. After the meal, the front campus lawn because the site of a spirited soccer game, with players steering clear of a huge downed tree with exposed roots lying across the field.
In the meantime, the neighboring parish of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle, with the blessing and encouragement of the priest, The Very Rev. Nicholas Anctil, made their extensive facilities available to St. Vladimir's families. People could use the parish's hot–water showers, go online via the parish's Internet service, and access the warmth and light available at Holy Trinity during the evening hours. Mother Raphaela of Holy Myrrhbearer's Monastery in Otego, New York, also offered shelter and hospitality to families in need of a place to weather the storm's aftermath.
Alumni offered support and encouragement as well. Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions and Alumni Relations, wrote to alumni: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the alumni who have written to offer their support and prayers for our students, faculty, and staff. I would like to make special mention of St. Joseph Church (OCA) in Wheaton, Illinois, who took a collection this past Sunday for our seminarians and raised over one thousand dollars which will be used to provide a festive community dinner this week. Thanks also to The Very Rev. Alexis Vinogradov, rector of St. Gregory the Theologian Orthodox Church in Wappingers Falls, NY, who provided the seminary a generator so that food and other goods in the Germack kitchen would not spoil."
His Eminence The Most Rev. Nathaniel, archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate and locum tenens of the Metropolitan See of the Orthodox Church in America, wrote words of encouragement: "In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I am writing to thank and encourage you and your families for your service and sacrifices for Christ and the Church. I understand that most of you are without power and heat, that phone and Internet connections are only intermittent, and that this may continue for days to come. Many of you have children to care for in these trying circumstances....This is a trial, but also a rare opportunity for you to help, comfort and encourage each other. No doubt it will give you many occasions to bear one another's burdens and be forbearing and good humored."
The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) and the Orthodox Church in America's (OCA) Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry, are co–sponsoring a free and public forum on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, titled "Campus Ministry Night." The evening will feature presentations by OCF Executive Director Jennifer Nahas; The Rev. John Diamantis, regional OCF chaplain for New York and New Jersey; and the Chair of the Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry, Andrew Boyd. Presenters will focus on practical skills and useable resources needed for campus and young adult ministry. The forum will be held in the Bashir Auditorium on the campus of St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Schedule
7:00–7:30: Jennifer Nahas speaks generally about OCF on the national level and its history and programs
7:30–8:00: Fr. John Diamantis shares his extensive on–campus experience, and "do's and dont's" of starting an OCF
8:00–8:30: Andrew Boyd speak on OCA specific resources, and offers strategies for parish-based campus outreach
8:30 Questions and discussion, with Compline in the seminary chapel following
For more information, contact Andrew Boyd: aboyd@oca.org.
Download, save, and print a PDF or JPG of this event and other "Upcoming Events" at SVOTS: here
Beginning January 15, 2013, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary will offer an extension course for the public: “The Music and Faith of Arvo Pärt,” taught by Peter C. Bouteneff, associate professor of Systematic Theology. Arvo Pärt, whose works rank him as the 3rd-most performed living composer globally, is an Orthodox Christian of Estonian nationality, and the course will combine the study of music with the spirituality and teachings of the Orthodox Christian faith.
“Arvo Pärt draws on his Orthodox Christian roots to compose music that seizes people of all faiths and of none,” observed Dr. Bouteneff. “Through an in-depth study of his music and the sources that directly influence it, this course seeks to deepen appreciation of Pärt’s oeuvre as well as give insight into seminal questions about Orthodox tradition and contemporary culture.”
The course is part of the seminary’s Arvo Pärt Project, an extensive collaboration between the school and the composer that focuses on discerning the Orthodox Christian underpinnings of his work. In his classroom, Dr. Bouteneff will be drawing on two decades of personal study of Pärt’s compositions and his recent intimate conversations with the composer himself.
“This ten-week journey will uncover the composer’s personal history, his musical influences, and his compositions,” continued Dr. Bouteneff. “His works will be studied in terms of his signature technique of tintinnabuli, a system that Pärt himself describes in terms of “suffering and consolation, sins and their forgiveness, the human voice and the divine.”
Arvo Pärt’s body of work has resulted in hundreds of CDs, set the mood for major motion pictures, and filled concert halls across the globe. Even non-believing listeners revere his unique compositions, sensing their innate transcendence. Though spiritually rooted in the Orthodox Christian tradition, Pärt’s creations have a universal reach, as music critic Arthur Lubow noted: “His compositions resonate profoundly for the unconverted as well as the faithful” (The New York Times).
The one-credit course, formally titled Liturgical Music 360, will meet on Tuesday evenings (7:30 p.m.–8:45 p.m.), beginning January 15, 2013, and it will run for ten sessions. Students have the option of taking the course for credit ($438) or audit ($219).
All non-degree students (i.e., individuals not currently enrolled at St. Vladimir’s) interested in taking the course are asked to contact Pdn. Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions and Alumni Relations, via email:jmatusiak@svots.edu; or telephone: 914-961-8313 x328.
The general public will have the option of registering for the course until a January 22, 2013 deadline. Currently enrolled students at SVOTS must follow normal seminary procedures and deadlines when registering.
Listen to Dr. Bouteneff's recent podcast about the Arvo Pärt Project and its relationship to the Music Program at SVOTS on Ancient Faith Radio.
Download a PDF of this course and other public offerings at SVOTS: here
Download a JPG of this course and other public offerings at SVOTS: here
Nashotah House Theological Seminary recently hosted His Eminence, The Most Rev. Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, and The Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, for a weekend that witnessed to the relationship between the Episcopal and Orthodox communions—past and present, and nationally and internationally. The schedule of activities highlighted especially the common commitment of participants to traditionalism and conservatism within their respective faith traditions.
On Thursday, October 25, Metropolitan Hilarion met with Nashotah House’s Dean and President, The Right Rev. Edward K. Salmon, Jr. Interestingly, Bishop Edward is one of the three bishops of the Episcopal Church in the USA to whom the former Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia), once sent a letter of support; the letter emphasized the willingness of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to contact and cooperate with members of the Episcopal Church in the USA who were remaining faithful to the Church's traditional moral teaching.
His Eminence and Fr. Chad also met with representatives of a dialogue with the Anglican Church in North America. The church body's website reported that "Metropolitan Hilarion presented a substantial paper summarizing the history of Orthodox/Anglican dialogue. At the end, he stated three areas for ecumenical discussion, the theological, the ecclesiological, and moral theology. Most significantly his Eminence expressed his desire to route ecumenical dialogue with North American Anglicanism through the Anglican Church in North America."
In the evening of October 25, Nashotah House and St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (SVS Press) co-sponsored a book signing by Metropolitan Hilarion, featuring his newly released Orthodox Christianity, Volume II: Doctrine and Teaching of the Orthodox Church. In his first volume, Orthodox Christianity, Volume I: The History and Canonical Structure of the Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion explored the Church's milestones through time. In his newly released volume, he examines the sources of Orthodox doctrine in Scripture and tradition, and then discusses the Church's teaching on several topics: God’s essence and energies; the world and man; Jesus Christ, the incarnate God; the Church as the body of Christ; the Theotokos (Virgin Mary); and eschatology (the last things).
That same evening, Nashotah alumnus Fr. Chad Hatfield preached in the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin on the Feast of St. James of Jerusalem. It was “homecoming week” for Father Chad, who spoke in the same chapel he had frequented as a seminarian, years earlier. Fr. Chad has received three degrees from Nashotah House—Master of Divinity (1978), Master of Sacred Theology (1988), and Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa (2008).
Academic Convocation, at which he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree. In his address Metropolitan Hilarion emphasized the mission of theological schools.
"Theological schools have a special duty to preserve and further the church tradition and to educate the younger generation in a spirit of faithfulness to the teaching of Christ and the apostles,” he said. “In the era when moral principles of society have been shaken under the influence of secular and liberal ideology, Christian conservatism and traditionalism are especially needed. “Under the circumstances, the responsibilities of theological seminaries increase greatly,” he continued. “I have accepted the invitation to deliver a lecture at Nashotah House with great pleasure, bearing in mind that the seminary has always played a remarkable part in educating young people in the best traditions of Anglo-Catholicism, and that it has a special status in the structure of the Episcopal Church and shows particular interest in Orthodoxy.”
In keeping with the Convocation's theme, "J.S. Bach as Religious Phenomenon," Metropolitan Hilarion also spoke about the great composer's legacy, and his faithfulness to Christian themes in his music. Bach believed "his music to be a single voice within the great choir of the universal Church, the one which transcends doctrinal boundaries," noted His Eminence.
Afterwards, Father Chad reflected, "This was the first honorary degree awarded to a Russian Orthodox bishop by Nashotah House since St. Tikhon was honored thusly, in 1905.”
Continuing in the spirit of mutual respect and ongoing dialogue, Metropolitan Hilarion suggested a joint pilgrimage to Russia with seminarians from both Nashotah House and St. Vladimir's Seminary. St. Vladimir’s Seminary and Nashotah House signed a Concordat in 2009, pledging to a "mutual fellowship of prayer and learning in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit." Inspiration for that Concordat arose out of a conference hosted at St. Vladimir’s in 2008, titled “The Primacy of Mother Churches: Rome, Constantinople, and Canterbury.”
An exhibit entitled "Icon: The Way to the Kingdom," will run until December 16 at the Villanova University Art Gallery, housed in the Connelly Center, Villanova, PA. Choirs from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) in South Canaan, PA, jointly sang a molieben, to launch the exhibit.
"This is the first time the SVOTS Octet and the STOTS Mission Choir have performed together as one combined choir away from the campus of either institution," noted Octet Director Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak), lecturer in Liturgical Music and Chapel Choir Director at SVOTS. "The music director at St. Tikhon's, Benedict Sheehan, and I, have had many occasions to work closely with each other on joint projects, and we see in such events as this, the fruit of our co-operation. Plans are already underway for future collaboration."
Both choirs have very similar make-up, explained Hdn. Herman: each consists of between 8–10 male seminarians who excel musically, and both groups travel regularly to raise awareness of their respective seminaries.
The Very Rev. John Perich, rector of St. Herman of Alaska Church, Gradyville, PA, and administrator of St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Washington, D.C., gathered and organized the icons for the exhibit, in collaboration with Fr. Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, director and curator of the Villanova University Art Gallery. The display showcases many of the treasures housed in the St. Tikhon's Museum and Icon Repository, as well as pieces from other private collections. Icons in "The Way to the Kingdom" exhibit come from the Russian, Romanian, Cretan, Syrian, Coptic, Greek, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Carpathian-Rusyn traditions, and the exhibit also includes vestments, Gospel books, chalices, and miters. Some of the artifacts have never before been publicly displayed.
His Eminence The Most Rev. Tikhon, archbishop of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and Igumen Sergius, abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery, presided over the opening, along with other clergy and hierarchs.
In the wake of "Frankenstorm Sandy," which knocked out power to the campus of St. Vladimir's Seminary this past Monday evening, seminary administrators have decided to close the campus and cancel all classes until November 10–11. The reason: temperatures in Yonkers are rapidly dipping and predictions of total power restoration in the Crestwood section of Yonkers are being prolonged until at least November 9, according to conEdison, the power supplier to Westchester County.
For further communication with the Seminary, and to be alerted when classes and normal seminary life will resume, please follow St. Vladimir’s on Twitter: St Vlads Seminary@stvlads.
When tropical storm Sandy struck the seminary campus Monday evening, lights flickered and then quickly faded altogether as wind and water took down power lines and caused electrical substations to blow up like Roman candles. Now, the Seminary is expected to be without power for 7–10 days, and effective today through Monday, November 5th, administrators are calling for suspension of classes, cancellation of chapel services, and a shutdown of the campus, including SVS Press and Bookstore customer service. Also cancelled are two events scheduled for this week: a Board of Trustees meeting and the annual basketball rivalry between St. Vladimir’s and its sister seminary, St. Tikhon’s in South Canaan, PA.
“We’re asking campus residents to treat this period of time as a sort of ‘semester break,’ and we’re encouraging them to leave campus if they wish, to stay with family and friends,” said The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor and CEO, who met with top administrators this morning. Today, at 3 p.m., Fr. Hatfield will meet with all campus residents to discuss further the plan forward.
Seminary administrators will re-evaluate the situation at a meeting scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd, and if power is restored by Monday, November 5th, classes will be held, stated Fr. Hatfield.
Although the campus suffered only minor damage—two downed trees on the property—residents are without electricity and heat, and therefore are without essential services (like refrigeration and, in some cases, working stoves) and important needs (like Internet and phone service). Public water service has not been disrupted. Residents still remaining on campus have scheduled a community meal for Thursday, November 1st at 1 p.m., in order to use and share rapidly defrosting and perishing food sources.
For any communication with the Seminary, and to be alerted when classes and normal seminary life will resume, please follow St. Vladimir’s on Twitter: St Vlads Seminary@stvlads.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press)— the publishing arm of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY — has garnered a gold medal for its storybook, Saint George & the Dragon,written by Jim Forest and illustrated in iconographic style by Vladislav Andrejev. SVS Press & Bookstore Marketing Manager Dn. Gregory Hatrak was recently notified that the children’s book had received a 2012 Moonbeam Spirit Award.
Moonbeam Spirit Awards are given “for dedication to children’s books and literacy and for inspired writing, illustrating and publishing,” according to Jenkins Group, Inc., which bestows the awards. This year, five books in five different areas were chosen, all gold-medal winners:
Mentoring: Your Stories, Volume 1, selected and edited by Taylor S. Joseph (Four Star Publishing)
Peacemaking: The Sky of Afghanistan, by Ana A. de Eulate; illustrated by Sonja Wimmer (Cuento de Luz)
Imagination: Pirate & Hoopoe, by Diarmid Cammell; illustrated by Karima Cammell (Dromedary Press)
Preservation: Saint George & the Dragon, by Jim Forest; illustrated by Vladislav Andrejev (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press)
Compassion: Operation Marriage, by Cynthia Chin-Lee; illustrated by Lea Lyon (Reach and Teach)
“St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press is honored that the Moonbeam Spirit Award has been bestowed upon our children’s book St. George and the Dragon,” said Theodore C. Bazil, senior advisor at SVS Press. “Many countries have appropriated this universal story, tying it to their particular culture and belief system.
“The ‘wedding’ of words by Jim Forest, incredible images by Vladislav Andrejev, and beautiful design by Amber Schley Iragui,” he continued, “represents an effort to communicate Judeo-Christian moral and ethical teaching to children and youth. This book project—conceived of and led by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press—required the identification and blending of an appropriate author, artist, and designer to publish a unique book that would stir children’s imaginations and touch their hearts.”
The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are presented by the publishing services company Jenkins Group, Inc., of Traverse City, Michigan. Jenkins Group has been involved in book packaging, marketing and distribution since 1988. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, November 10, 2012, in conjunction with the Traverse City Children's Book Festival. The festival is open to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the awards ceremony will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
According to Jim Barnes, awards director at Jenkins Group, Inc.: “The MoonbeamChildren’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. The awards recognize and reward the best of these books and bring them to the attention of parents, booksellers, librarians—and to children themselves."
Awards are given in 39 categories covering the full range of subjects, styles, and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today. Each year's entries are judged by expert panels of youth educators, librarians, booksellers, and book reviewers of all ages. Award recipients receive gold, silver and bronze medals and stickers, depicting a mother and child reading and silhouetted by a full moon.
Because of the impending storm, Hurricane Sandy, St. Vladimir's Seminary is canceling Monday afternoon classes and evening services and all Tuesday services and classes. Matins was held in Three Hierarchs Chapel this morning.
Prayers are requested for the members of the St. Vladimir's community and for those millions who are being impacted by this storm, which has been labeled "exceptionally large and extremely dangerous" by weather.com's Hurricane Central.
