As part of the Jubilee Celebration marking the 70th birthday of His Holiness Kirill, patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press) released a collection of his writings, titled, Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words, on Friday, November 18, 2016. The new volume is laid out in an engaging “daily reading” format, and includes short excerpts from Patriarch Kirill’s homilies, media interviews, articles, and formal speeches, among other published talks and writings.
The book is Volume 7 of the Press’s Profile Series, edited by Archpriest Chad Hatfield, CEO of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, who was present in Russia for the occasion. SVS Press’s English-language version of the work was released simultaneously with a Russian-language version published by Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate Studies, as a joint publication venture.
The introduction to the book, written by His Eminence Hilarion, metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, states, in part: “This book allows the living voice of Patriarch Kirill to be heard in English for all American readers who want to listen…the Patriarch [conveys] the eternal gospel truths, the divine truth that remains unchanged, regardless of the external circumstances of the world.”
Within the body of his new work, Patriarch Kirill explains his vision for the Orthodox Church’s mission and public life, including an explication of the relationship between church and state, and his thoughts on the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America. He also offers counsel on internal spiritual warfare, that is, how to battle sinful passions and acquire Christian virtues amidst the temptations and distractions of twenty-first century life.
“I know this book will be an inspiring surprise to North American readers,” said Fr. Chad, “as Patriarch Kirill’s words were to me, when I first encountered them. It’s my joy to share his vision with the English-speaking world.”
At its Annual Meeting on November 10–11, 2016, our Seminary’s Board of Trustees welcomed three new members: Sharon Andrzejewski-Rubis, Jeffrey D. Hoff, and Carla Ann Newbern Thomas, M.D. Trustees also bid farewell to long-time board member Anthony Kasmer and bestowed on him the honorary title of “Trustee Emeritus.”
Mr. Kasmer served as board Treasurer for three years, and headed the Audit Committee for four years. His most “memorable moment” as a trustee, he noted, was co-chairing the Seminary’s 75th Anniversary gala with Executive Chair of the Board, Alex Machaskee.
“The 12 years of service by Tony Kasmer have been punctuated by his clear business incisiveness,” said Mr. Machaskee.
“His charismatic and sometimes humorous ways to make a point have helped create a pathway for the Seminary to proceed with a new business plan that will substantially set it on solid footing within the next three years,” he continued, “and his generosity of time, financial suggestions, and treasure are very much appreciated.”
Mrs. Andrzejewski-Rubis has worked professionally in the fields of Media Communications, Sales, and Broadcast News Operations and Engineering. Currently she resides in NJ and is employed at Dignity Memorial® network, in sales operations. She is a member of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America under Right Reverend Bishop Ilia Katre, and is a clergy wife, Prifteresha, in ministry with her husband, the Reverend Father Gregory Rubis.
Mr. Hoff is Vice President and Head of Global Execution Services at Two Sigma, a consulting firm that applies principles of technology within the financial services industry. He is Trustee for St. Andrew’s Camp in Jewell, NY, and a member of Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Jersey City, NJ, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
Dr. Thomas practices family medicine in Anniston, AL. She is a board member of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry under the auspices of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. She also is a long-standing member of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black, and is the Parish Council Warden at St. Luke Orthodox Church (OCA), also in Anniston.
“The Trusteeship Committee, chaired by Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, did an outstanding job in recommending our three new board members of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary,” Mr. Machaskee added. “The communication skills, compassionate care, and financial acumen represented by the new trustees will benefit the Board’s actions on behalf of the Seminary in an outstanding way.”
Have you experienced awkward or painful moments when visiting an ill friend in the hospital or caring for someone nearing the end of life? A new podcast series on Ancient Faith Radio, “The “Wounded Healer,” can help you reflect on suffering, visitation of the sick, and the healing process from an Orthodox Christian perspective.
The series was co-created in September 2016 by Fr. Adrian Budica and Sarah Byrne-Martelli, two hospital chaplains who wanted to share their personal experiences in caring for others. Father Adrian is the Director of Field Education and Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as well as CPE Supervisor and Coordinator of Clinical Pastoral Education at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT; Chaplain Sarah is Staff Chaplain at Mass General Hospital and at Beacon Hospice, Beverly, MA, and a Board Certified Chaplain (Association of Professional Chaplains) since 2004. She also serves on the national certification committee for chaplains. Currently, she is a Doctor of Ministry student at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Thus far, the pair have created seven episodes of their podcast; three episodes have been published and are titled, “Introduction,” “Loss of Control and Powerlessness,” and “Forgiveness.” Their podcasts not only impart to listeners their experiences in visiting those wounded in body and soul, but also invite listeners to “visit” their own wounds, whether physical or spiritual.
“When we visit and care for others,” explain Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah on their podcast web page, “our Lord Jesus is present simultaneously as the One suffering, the One visiting, and the One healing. Through His Cross, He alone has the power to heal us and to transform our powerless wounds into powerful ministry tools.”
Father Adrian also commented that the podcasts in some measure are an outgrowth of his work with St. Vladimir’s seminarians who are pursuing chaplaincy work after completing their CPE requirement. Since 2012, every seminarian in the Master Divinity program at the Seminary has been required to complete one Unit of CPE, which demands a minimum of 300 hours of hospital visitation and a minimum of 100 hours of clinical supervision (group and individual) with a certified ACPE Supervisor. These hours include verbatim case studies, group process (IPR), reflection and theology papers, research, and didactics from physicians, nurses, social workers and psychologists, among other requirements.
“I have witnessed the value of CPE training in my own ministry and in the ministry of our students,” Fr. Adrian noted, “and I wanted to share more about the blessed ministry of chaplains (in general) and about the benefits of CPE (in particular) with the broader Church, especially from an Orthodox Christian standpoint; thus, my collaboration with Chaplain Sarah sprouted.
“She has been board certified as a chaplain for more than 12 years,” he added, “and, she also brings diverse perspectives to show a more complete image of Orthodox chaplaincy, which includes lay ministry and hospice care.”
Thus far, more than 60 SVOTS seminarians and alumni have completed one unit of CPE; more than 15 of those have continued into full-time CPE Residencies after graduating, in prestigious programs from Washington State to Colorado to MSKCC and Mount Sinai Health in NYC. Additionally, six SVOTS alumni are now Board Certified Chaplains or in process, and are working as full-time or part time chaplains. Board Certified Chaplaincy requires a minimum of 4 Units of CPE, plus 2,000 hours of experience after CPE, plus preparing documents and meeting with a certification committee to demonstrate 29 competencies.
“In 2016 alone, 13 seminarians completed their CPE units,” said Fr. Adrian. “Their supervised hospital experience added up to an impressive 5,200 hours of training and supervised clinical ministry, which served more than 10,000 patients in hospitals and nursing homes—not to mention ministry offered in their own parishes and faith communities.
“My students are spreading the word about the value of Clinical Pastoral Education and chaplaincy, and so are we, through our podcast series,” Fr. Adrian concluded. “We plan to interview some of them in our podcast series, which will allow them to share some of their rich experiences in CPE.”
Hundreds of guests filled the historic St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis on Friday, November 4, 2016, for a concert of liturgical music honoring the legacy and supporting the on-going mission of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The concert was presented by the 32-member Men’s Chorale, featuring men from the Cathedral’s choir and alumni and friends of the Seminary.
“St. Mary’s community has a long history of supporting theological education in North America, beginning with the first Orthodox seminary in North America which was located next door in the late nineteenth century,” said Archpriest Chad Hatfield, greeting those at the concert. “The Seminary is extremely grateful for your continued support of our work to prepare clergy, musicians, and lay leaders for serving the Church around the world.”
Dozens of seminary graduates were in attendance for the concert, including 12 graduates who sang with the Chorale, led by Deacon Gregory Ealy, a 2007 graduate of St. Vladimir’s. “St. Vladimir’s played a vital role in my personal formation as a church musician,” said Deacon Gregory, the founder and director of the Chorale. “The knowledge I learned in the Seminary’s classroom and applied in the chapel has guided my directing and pastoral role in my vocation and service for the Church.”
The Chorale presented a selection of hymns that could be described as the ‘greatest hits’ of the Seminary. “Many of these settings are near and dear to the hearts of anyone who attended St. Vladimir’s,” said Deacon Gregory. “We began with the Greek chant setting of Psalm 103, arranged by Nikolai Kedrov, Sr., and concluded with the well-loved ‘The Angel Cried’ by Mily Balakirev.”
Other selections included Rachmaninoff’s “Rejoice, O Virgin,” the Bulgarian chant setting of “The Noble Joseph,” and the Optina Hermitage melody of stichera for the feast of the Elevation of the Cross.
“Surrounded by the newly renovated and expanded iconography of St. Mary's Cathedral, I felt the well-blended, four-part male chorus provided a spiritually enriching experience,” said Kathy Jurichko, a 1996 graduate and member of St. Mary’s. “The concert repertoire touched the hearts of us in attendance.”
Following the concert was a reception during which those in attendance had the opportunity to chat with Father Chad and learn more about the Seminary and its work. “Our goal is to let the faithful know what we’re doing and how their support is vital to providing the best theological education for the twenty-first century,” said Father Chad. The concert was the first in a new series of events planned to bring seminary leaders into local Orthodox communities to raise awareness of and create interest in the educational programs of St. Vladimir’s.
The concert also featured selections edited or composed by seminary graduates, including an arrangement of the Polyeleos psalms by Archpriest John Matusiak, class of ’75; a setting of the post-Gospel sticheron for Christmas by David Drillock, class of ’63; a setting of the Trisagion by Michael Breck, class of ’96; a setting of “O Champion Leader,” by Simeon Frøyshov, class of ’93; and two settings by Archpriest Paul Jannakos, class of ’83 who sang with the Chorale: a harmonization of a Carpatho-Russian setting of the Saturday evening prokeimenon, and his composition of the exapostilarion for the feast of the Annunciation.
“One of the beautiful aspects of Orthodoxy is the richness of our liturgical music tradition,” Deacon Gregory noted. “And thanks to the labors and efforts of our professors and teachers at St. Vladimir’s, we are the recipients of that tradition, and able to sing ancient and new settings in English to bear witness to Jesus Christ and the Orthodox Faith.”
For more information about future St. Vladimir’s events, please visit the Seminary’s website.
On October 30, 2016, Alexandru M Popovici, a St. Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus (M.A. ’16) and currently the school’s Director of Web Services, represented the Seminary at the elevation of His Eminence Nicolae (Condrea) to the rank of Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas, at a ceremony in Bucharest, Romania. Mr. Popovici carried a Letter of Congratulations to Metropolitan-elect Nicolae, signed by Archpriest Chad Hatfield, CEO of St. Vladimir’s.
Metropolitan Nicolae, who for the past 14 years served as Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas, will now rule over the newly established Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas. The Metropolia, which was established October 28, 2016, by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Daniel, will consist of two dioceses: the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States of America, and the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. The Holy Synod, during those same proceedings, elected His Grace Ioan Cassian as bishop for the new Canadian diocese.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary currently counts eight alumni from the Church of Romania under Patriarch Daniel, including Mr. Popovici and another recent graduate, Bogdan Neacsiu (M.Th. ’16). In 2013, at the invitation of then Archbishop Nicolae, and with the blessing of His Beatitude Daniel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary signed a formal agreement with the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Bucharest, which allowed for the exchange of students and ongoing dialogue between the two schools.
“I am grateful,” said Mr. Popovici, “that this rich exchange between St. Vladimir’s and the University in Bucharest—which included my own seminary education on two sides of the world—will continue to benefit U.S. and Romanian Orthodox Christian seminarians, for we have much to share with each other.
“I was especially honored to attend Metropolitan-elect Nicolae’s elevation ceremony, representing St. Vladimir’s,” he continued, “since I have heartfelt respect for the Church in my homeland, and Orthodox Christians here in the U.S.”
The enthronement ceremony of Metropolitan-elect Nicolae will take place in Chicago, at a date yet to be determined.
Church of the Dormition (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese),111 St Andrews Rd,11968,Southampton,NY,US
A St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s select choir—made up of students, alumni, student spouses, and community members and led by Robin Freeman, director of Music at SVOTS—will be singing Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Dormition (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese) in Southampton, NY on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at 10 a.m.
The Very Reverend Dr. Alexander Rentel, the John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology at the Seminary, will be accompanying the choir and concelebrating with Protopresbyter Alexander Kartloutsos, rector of the parish.
When “Mama Maggie” Gobran spoke Friday evening, October 22, on our seminary campus, she not only shared the wisdom of the gospel—she embodied it. Through the extraordinary witness of her own life, which is lived among destitute people in Cairo, Egypt’s teeming slums, she humbly but liberally shared the spiritual treasures she has discovered in her service to Jesus Christ.
“When I was young, I had a dream of what life was all about: I thought that the purpose of life was to be happy,” she began, “but when I grew up, I found out that life is giving, the art of giving.”
In 1997 Mama Maggie gave up her career as a professor of Computer Science at the American University in Cairo to found Stephen’s Children, a charity named after the first Christian martyr. The organization uses a holistic approach to meet the physical, spiritual, and practical needs of the poor by opening schools and camps for children, holding literacy classes for women, providing medical services, and offering job training for the unemployed.
In recognition of her work, Mama Maggie, who is a Coptic Christian and who has been called the “Mother Teresa of Cairo,” was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. Most recently, in 2015, her work again received international acclaim when major media reported that 7 out of the 21 Coptic Christians beheaded by ISIS were former students of Mama Maggie, once children, whom she had known by name and taught.
In spite of the terror, danger, and daily challenges associated with her ministry, Mama Maggie encouraged her audience to remain close to Jesus Christ and to remember his transformative power, by saying, “Don’t allow the world to shape your life; let your life shape the world around you.”
St. Vladimir's Seminary,575 Scarsdale Rd.,10707,Yonkers,NY,US
A business woman and college professor, a wife, mother and grandmother, and a Coptic Orthodox Christian, Maggie Gobran has devoted herself to rescuing Christians—children above all–who are forced to live in the garbage slums of Cairo, Egypt.
Known as “Mama Maggie” by the numberless people she has helped, she epitomizes Christian witness in a Muslim culture and country. Although Maggie Gobran has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, she is virtually unknown in America.
Now is your chance to meet her! Join us Friday, October 21, 2016, 7:30 pm in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building on our campus.
His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej (Dobrijevic), a graduate of both St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’82) and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, was enthroned as bishop of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Saturday, October 1, 2016, at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Pittsburgh. Formerly, His Grace was bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, a diocese that, like the diocese to which he is newly elected, is under the authority of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate.
During his Enthronement homily, His Grace encouraged his new flock to “consciously strive together for a life in Christ,” adding:
"For He first loved us, creating us as an extension of Himself—His Love—in this world and in this age. But this world, the holy ground on which we stand, which the Lord has created and sealed with His love and beauty (cf. Gen. 1:31), requires us to cooperate fully with the Triumphant God-Man so that we can joyfully enter the abode of God and be His people and that He would be with us and we would live according to the will of our Heavenly Father."
On Sunday, October 2, Archpriest John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and Archpriest Alexander Rentel, the Seminary’s John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology, celebrated with His Grace, as he presided at his first Divine Liturgy in New York City in his new capacity.
After the Liturgy, which was held in Madison Square Park, His Grace, celebrating clergy, and accompanying congregants walked in procession to the site of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, where Bishop Irinej presided at a Molieben and blessed the four corners of the cathedral. A devastating fire gutted the cathedral in June 2016, and therefore necessitated His Grace’s Enthronement in Pittsburgh on Saturday, instead of in his home cathedral in New York.
