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When His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), made his inaugural visit to St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) as its new President and ruling bishop on November 29th, he sampled the rich diversity of campus life. First, His Beatitude attended Vespers, along with His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and a special guest of the seminary for the evening. Second, he sat down to a community fish dinner, prepared by the school's chef and his wife, Nat and Teresa Fasciani, served up by faculty and staff. And third, His Beatitude blessed the school's new exercise/gym facility. In four short hours, Metropolitan Tikhon experienced the mundane and the sublime, the ordinary and extraordinary, the earthy and the heavenly that characterizes daily life at SVOTS. 

His Beatitude assumed the offices of President of the Seminary and Chair of its Board of Trustees upon his election as Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the 17th All-American Council of the OCA, November 13, 2012. The Very Rev. John Behr, dean, welcomed Metropolitan Tikhon by saying, “This is the first chance we’ve had to welcome you to our school—I should say ‘your school’!—as our President, since your election to the office of Metropolitan. Truly, it is a joy to have you with us.”

In response, Metropolitan Tikhon said, “It is a blessing to make my first pastoral visit to join the community here for Vespers and a meal. It was truly a great honor to meet Cardinal Dolan and his delegation, and I am looking forward to returning to SVOTS soon to visit and pray with you, as we work together in this sacred task of spiritual education and formation.” His Beatitude will return to campus January 17–18, 2013, for the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees.

In acknowledging Cardinal Dolan, Fr. John continued, “Truly, you also honor us with your presence this evening. The last time we had a Cardinal of the Roman Church here was Cardinal Ratzinger!” [Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, made a brief visit to the seminary in 1998, attending Vespers with the community].

“You’ve inspired us with all the work you done in leading the advance with the gospel message, especially in your work in education: in uniting three seminaries from different dioceses; in your new program for pastoral education; and in your continuing education for clergy and laity alike,” concluded Fr. John.

With his typical good humor, Cardinal Dolan responded, “The honor of being with you is all mine.” Then he quipped, “I am especially happy to be here on the Feast of St. Andrew, as I’ve always identified with St. Andrew, having an impetuous and irascible brother of my own!”

The Cardinal then enumerated the various cooperative projects over the recent years between the Seminary and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, including concerts of sacred music hosted in some of the most famous Roman Catholic churches in Manhattan; and smaller scale projects with the Crestwood neighborhood’s Annunciation Church and nearby St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers.

Metropolitan Tikhon then presented His Eminence with a gift from the Seminary: an ornately carved pectoral cross, gilded with gold on the edge. His Beatitude noted, “As you know, the yoke of a bishop can be heavy to bear; here is a gift from us to make it lighter.”

Cardinal Dolan, who came to campus for the occasion at the invitation of The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean, and The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, acknowledged the gift, with joy, saying, “It’s beautiful; I will cherish this.”

Father Chad noted, “It’s highly symbolic that the Metropolitan of the OCA had his first meeting with Cardinal Dolan on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, as this feast has come to symbolize the desire of unity between East and West.” 

“The Cardinal’s visit represents the ever-strengthening ties between our seminary and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York,” said Fr. Chad.

Other visiting dignitaries and guests included: The Rev. Monsignor Peter Vaccari, rector, St. Joseph's Seminary, with administrators and faculty from St. Joseph’s, The Rev. Matthew Ernest, director of Liturgical Formation, The Rev. Nicholas Zientarski, dean of Students and professor of Sacramental Theology;
The Rev. James Massa, director of Accreditation and professor of Dogmatic Theology; The Rev. Monsignor Dennis Keane, rector, Church of the Annunciation, Crestwood; The Rev. Richard Baker, rector, St. Malachy's Church (“The Actors' Chapel”), Manhattan; The Very Rev. Yaroslav Sudick, retired rector, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Yonkers; and The Very Rev. Eric Tosi, secretary, OCA.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), recently appointed Fr. Mardiros Chevian (SVOTS Class of '76) to serve as the new Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York. Father Mardiros will be returning to the institution in which he worked in 1981 as the Director of Recruitment and Programs, and then later, as the Seminary's Rector.  "Although I have enjoyed immensely being the Dean of St. Vartan Cathedral for the past nineteen years, I am excited to return to St. Nersess and direct the expanded mission of the seminary at its new campus," said Fr. Mardiros. 

The St. Nersess November 15 announcement noted that as the new Dean, Fr. Mardiros will oversee plans to expand the Seminary's mission by moving the community to a new campus location in Armonk, NY, in 2014. The new five–and–a–half–acre Armonk campus is about sixteen miles north of the existing seminary location, and will allow for St. Nersess to continue its historic and close relationship with St. Vladimir's.

The SVOTS Academic Catalog explains that for years, "students at St. Nersess Seminary have taken their M.Div. degree at St. Vladimir's Seminary. With the revision of St. Vladimir's M.Div. curriculum beginning in 2007, a further step towards greater collaboration was taken, whereby the courses offered by the faculty of St. Nersess count for credit at St. Vladimir's. In this way, students of St. Vladimir's can benefit greatly from the remarkable range of courses offered by the distinguished faculty of St Nersess."

The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir's Seminary, expressed enthusiasm about the new St. Nersess Dean. "We have long valued our special relationship with St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, working together to enrich all of our students and their educational pursuits. We are very pleased with the appointment of Fr. Mardiros, an SVOTS alumnus, and look forward to many positive developments during his tenure."

The St. Nersess website outlined the goals of Fr. Mardiros and his administration as they move forward:

• Continuing education of current priests, through planned educational and training workshops
• Offering support & training for Armenian priests from abroad who need assistance with acclimation and acculturation and are destined to serve in the North American dioceses
• Transforming St. Nersess into a center for theological research for exchange faculty and students from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
• Strengthening the Armenian education of our American born seminarians through longer study in our seminaries in Armenia and Jerusalem
• Introducing an undergraduate program that would combine local college study and courses, worship, and residence at St. Nersess Seminary
• Continuing and expanding the fifty year tradition of summer youth programs, retreats, and altar server programs 

"I want to challenge and inspire students who want to pursue the Armenian priesthood," noted Fr. Mardiros. "Even if a young American–born Armenian does not have a good command of the Armenian language, he will learn it....he must be confident and comfortable in his ministry as an Armenian priest. In addition to academics, it is important for a priest to be able to transmit what he knows and demonstrate strong leadership skills."

On the Saturday over Thanksgiving weekend, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of patristics at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), headlined as the featured guest speaker at the second annual ONE Conference. The conference, held at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, NJ, brings together youth from the Oriental Orthodox traditions (Coptic, Malankara, Syrian, Armenian, and Ethiopian) for fellowship and teaching, with the overarching goal of fostering unity.

Father John's topic, "Becoming Human," echoed the themes present in his upcoming SVS Press book of the same title. "It's an amazing event," explained Fr. John, "filled with the energy and zeal of youth."

The ONE Conference began when a core committee of young adults brainstormed around a kitchen table and came up with the idea for a gathering that would inspire and connect the youth of their faith communities. This group included SVOTS alumni John Malek ('00), Fr. Vijay Thomas ('09), and his former classmate Dn. Ryan Tellalian ('09), the Seminary's systems support specialist. In its first year, 2010, the conference was only open to people within the organizing committee, but subsequently, the founding group decided to open up the conference to include all young people ages 16 and older from Oriental Orthodox churches. As a result, in its second year, 1,400 youth from all over the East Coast attended. In 2012, the conference was further expanded to include youth from all Eastern Christian traditions, whether they hail from an Oriental, Byzantine Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox background.

Taking advantage of the holiday break, the ONE Conference is always held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, nearly 1,000 Youth from 10 churches (6 Oriental and 4 Eastern) gathered. The Coptic hierarch, His Grace David, general bishop and patriarchal exarch of the Coptic Orthodox Patriachate of the Archdiocese of North America, in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, presided and also spoke in the afternoon session.

Deacon Gregory Hatrak, marketing and operations manager for SVS Press and Bookstore, also attended, in order to bring the traveling bookstore to conference attendees. "This gathering was a huge success," he enthused. "Where, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, can you find nearly 1,000 Christian youth gathered?" Additionally, Dn. Gregory noted that "SVS Press was well received. It is our hope to cooperate more in the future with the Coptic and Indian churches."

View more photos of the event here.

In July of 2012, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), received a letter from T. Alan Russell, Chairman of the Board for the Liberty Fund of Indianapolis, IN, informing him that Liberty's Board of Trustees had selected St. Vladimir's for a Book Placement. This award allowed SVOTS to select any of the books from the Liberty Fund's catalog, facilitating a sizable donation to the Father Georges Florovsky Library at the Seminary.

"I met Alan Russell at the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala during the Seminary's June missions trip," explained Fr. Chad. "We had several discussions about the developing missiological emphasis here at SVOTS, and he resonated with my statement that 'Christian mission today should be entrepreneurial in nature'. From that conversation forward, he became an advocate to expand our library collection with Liberty Fund publications."

According to the Liberty Fund website, the Fund was "established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals...(and) to foster thought and encourage discourse on enduring issues pertaining to liberty." Librarian Eleana Silk explained that the twenty–six boxes of books given to the Florovsky Library from the Book Placement cover both ancient political philosophy and American historical topics, such as the Constitution of the United States, and the collected works of several American presidents. "These works give us an expanded offering of philosophers and economics that are most welcome," noted Chancellor Hatfield. 

In his letter of acknowledgement to the Liberty Fund, Fr. Chad wrote:

Dear Alan and Friends at the Liberty Fund,

Greetings from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary! The Liberty Fund Collection has safely arrived at our library and I want to thank you all for your efforts and confidence in bringing this splendid collection into the sphere of our Orthodox seminarians. They will be much used and are much appreciated!

Wishing you and your families a most blessed American Thanksgiving.

Sincerely

Archpriest Chad Hatfield,
Chancellor/CEO 

The Father Georges Florovsky Library, now holding over 180,000 volumes and in receipt of over 330 periodicals each year, is considered one of the richest resources available in the North American continent for research in Eastern Christianity. "Not only do we accept donations of books in good physical condition with appropriate subject matter," said Ms. Silk, "but we also act as a clearing house for Orthodox books nationwide. Titles we can't use, we send to other places, either to seminaries like St. Tikhon's, St. Herman, and St. Nersess, or to other organizations in need of good books."

On Saturday, November 10, a group of students, staff and spouses from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) responded to a call from the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for volunteers, in order to bring relief to those affected by Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island, one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. In a sign of the physical labor which awaited them, volunteers were asked to bring rubber boots, gloves, shovels, and masks to the job site, along with the virtues of patience and compassion.

Early in the morning, a group from St. Vladimir's set out in order to meet at 9 a.m. at the sponsoring parish, Holy Trinity/St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Staten Island. All the gathered volunteers then spread out for the busy day, where they engaged in a variety of clean up tasks which included sorting donations in the parish hall, creating care packages of food and/or clothing, delivering food and clothes to homes, collection centers and recovery centers, and cleaning up outside and inside homes.

The St. Vladimir's delegation was despatched to a local neighborhood, where they donned their protective masks and went to work, spending the subsequent hours ripping out drywall and insulation, breaking down walls, and hauling away trash.

For those who couldn't come, SVOTS students set up a collection center in the Lakeside Apartments to gather needed items for distribution. During the preceding week, people in the community stopped by to donate diapers, wipes, baby toys, dry goods and canned foods in a green container designated for the purpose. Others also organized a babysitting to enable parents to freely participate in the work day. 

Read about the IOCC's ongoing Sandy relief effort.

On a sunny autumn Saturday, students and staff at St. Vladimir's Seminary participated in a campus clean–up event, sponsored by the student–run Ecology Group. Open to anyone on campus who wanted to pitch in, the environmental effort was focused on the shores and water of Crestwood Lake, where debris had accumulated prior to Hurricane Sandy. While the lake affords the seminary's community with scenic views, and is home to local geese, ducks, and other water fowl, the area around the water's edge is heavily populated, and trash had blown across the lake, landing on the seminary's shoreline. The entire area was in desperate need of rehabilitation.

Third–year student and Ecology Group President Jesse Brandow organized the day, which commenced in chapel at 9:00 in the morning with the "Molieben Before Beginning Any Good Work," served by The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, chief Chapel Ecclesiarch. Over a dozen students then grabbed buckets, boots, and other assorted tools, and went to work. They were joined by some of the community's children who assisted their parents in the effort, as well as The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, and erstwhile environmentalist and farmer. 

"We worked until around 12:30 p.m.," noted Brandow. "The ground was covered in trash, and the water was full of it too. There was so much debris that we weren't able to clean the whole shoreline, but we made a lot of great progress and thoroughly cleaned the most visible area. We found mainly lots of bottles, plastic bags, balls, and some odd things like an animal skull, and a whole bunch of whole coconuts!"

The group finished off the event by enjoying homemade apple cobbler and apple cider, provided by a member of the Ecology Group.

Afterwards, Brandow reflected that "it was great to begin the morning in the chapel because it helped me to see our efforts in the right light. Even something as small and uninspiring as cleaning up a mess is part of God's continual renewal of creation. We could all smell the stench of rotting trash, an odor that could  make a skunk blush. But as we worked through the trash together, I could also sense the fragrance of friendship and joy among us, the fragrance that burns in this world whenever we come together in Christ's name."

St. Vladimir's Alumnus The Very Rev. Aaron Archer ('97) fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday morning, November 15, 2012. Funeral services and the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Transfiguration Church, Pearl River, NY, on Sunday evening and Monday morning, November 18 and 19. Visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, November 18; the Burial Service for a Priest will begin at 6:00 p.m. His Grace The Rt. Rev. Michael, bishop of New York and New York and New Jersey, will preside at the Divine Liturgy, Monday, November 19, at 9:30 a.m.

Born in Decatur, AL on December 23, 1943, Father Aaron was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood by His Eminence The Most Rev. Dmitri (Royster) in May 1995 and June 1996 respectively. Father Aaron graduated with his Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir's in 1997 and went on to serve in many parishes of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, including St. John the Baptist Church, Spring Valley, NY, and St. Ireney Chapel at Saints Cosmas and Damian Adult Home, Staten Island, NY. In July 2001, he was attached to Three Hierarchs Chapel at St. Vladimir's Seminary while pursuing theological studies. 

The 40th March for Life, an annual event in the nation's capital marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, is scheduled for January 25, 2013. Accordingly, the St. Ambrose Society, St. Vladimir's Seminary's Pro Life group, has reserved a 47–passenger bus with restroom facilities, which will leave from the SVOTS campus at about 5 a.m. on January 25, to travel to Washington D.C. for the March; the bus will return at about midnight. The rally in Washington D.C. will begin at noon at the National Mall, with the March immediately following the rally.

About 30 people have already signed up for a seat on the bus, but slots are still available to students, faculty, or those from the community. Seating is limited, and is available on a first–come, first–served basis; those interested may contact Dn. Andre Paez at apaez@svots.edu. Noted Seminarian Dn. Andre: "Help us spread the word to members of our local communities, so that we can have a full delegation on the bus!"

Reserve a seat on the bus. Bus fare is free, but contributions may be made to "St. Vladimir's Seminary" by check, with a memo line "St. Ambrose March for Life 2013," and sent to: Mat. Robin Freeman, St. Vladimir's Seminary, 575 Scarsdale Rd., Yonkers, NY 10707.

• Learn more about the March for Life.
• Read Seminarian Dn. David Wooten's report about SVOTS's presence at the 2012 March.
• Download a flier about this event, and other Upcoming Events at SVOTS

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."

Read the new Metropolitan's biography

View the photo gallery, "Frankenstorm Sandy"

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." 

Read the full text of the letter from Archbishop Nathaniel.