View a sermon delivered by senior seminarian Deacon David (Chandler) Poling, here.

Beginning fall semester 2012, Scripture and Homiletics courses offered at St. Vladimir’s will be augmented in accordance with planned curriculum revisions begun by the Dean and faculty in 2007. The reinforced curriculum, according to Dr. John Barnet, associate dean for Academic Affairs, is being implemented to strengthen even further the preaching and exegetical skills of our seminary graduates.

"It goes without saying that good pastors and preachers need to know the Bible well,” notes Dr. Barnet. “They need to know what it says, of course, but they also need to know what it doesn't say.

“Correct understanding of Scripture begins with the recognition that each book of the New Testament is a distinctive witness to the gospel of the crucified and risen Lord,” he explains. “Good pastors and preachers must convey this understanding in effective preaching. The goal of the Scripture-Homiletics program at St. Vladimir's Seminary is to train our students to become effective preachers."

The Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen, currently assistant professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at the seminary, further explained the newly developed curriculum, saying, “This past year, we began teaching our students the theological and rhetorical skills necessary to craft a homily based on a biblical text from the lectionary. We paid particular attention to the difference between written language (e.g. writing an essay) and oral language that is spoken and heard in a homily. We also focused on homiletical structure: strategies to clearly and persuasively convey the gospel of Jesus Christ in a form that is meaningful and engaging for all the hearers. In the first semester students focus primarily on 'basic' sermons, the kind that would be expected at a morning matins service in Three Hierarchs Chapel, or at a Sunday Divine Liturgy.”

“This coming fall,” Fr. Sergius continued, “We will add some more advanced rhetorical techniques, and we will focus on preaching at baptisms, weddings, and funerals. We'll also focus on preaching the gospel in other challenging contexts and situations, such as during times of crisis or in communities that are struggling with serious pastoral issues. 

“Homiletics,” he explained, “is an interesting discipline inasmuch as it combines theological knowledge with liturgical art. Just like the icons in the Church, effective preaching creates an image of the biblical text, the living Word, in the mind and heart of the hearer. The effective preacher must know Scripture, and doctrine, and be steeped in the wisdom of the Fathers. However, merely possessing that knowledge is not enough. The preacher must craft language that is appropriate for the particular community, and then, like a skilled liturgical musician, deliver that message in a way that is beautiful, compelling, and inspiring. So, in both semesters of homiletics, we place a great emphasis on actually crafting and delivering homilies.”

“The coordination of assignments between the homiletics courses that I teach and the New Testament courses that are taught by Dr. Barnet is important because Scripture is the foundation of all Orthodox preaching," Fr. Sergius concluded. "Effective preachers must have the ability to read the Bible (including basic analysis in the original language) and understand how that particular text not only spoke to an ancient community, but how that text also speaks to us today. Great preachers are not only able to exegete faithfully the Scripture, but they also allow the Scripture to correct, shape and form them. These are the skills and the kind of pastoral formation that Dr. Barnet's Scripture courses provide.”

This coming academic year, a second course in homiletics will be added to the program, and student assignments between the homiletics and the New Testament courses will be coordinated so that seminarians may learn how to ground their preaching even more firmly within a biblical context. Also, seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr will teach a new introductory Old Testament course, “Introduction to Scripture, which will provide a foundation for seminarians developing homilies from the texts of the Old Testament (as seminarians are required to do during the season of Great Lent).

"I am really excited about teaching the new introductory course to Scripture this coming fall," commented Fr. John Behr. "After working, teaching, and writing for the last twenty years and more, on the Fathers of the first centuries, concentrating especially on their interpretation of Scripture, hermeneutics, and the Scriptural texture of all theology, as well as reading more broadly in contemporary scriptural scholarship and modern philosophy and hermeneutics, it will be a wonderful opportunity to teach the Scriptures themselves. My goal will be to familiarize students with the Scriptures, to introduce them to the Scriptural world of early Christianity, and to help them understand and respond to contemporary problematics."

The new courses scheduled (OT= Old Testament, NT= New Testament, and HO=Homiletics) are:

• Junior year (fall)

OT 100 "Introduction to Scripture” (replacing OT 101 “Survey of Old Testament Literature”)

• Junior year (fall)

NT 100 "Introduction to the New Testament: Text, Translation, Interpretation"

• Junior year (spring)

NT 202 "St. Paul and His Epistles"

• Junior year (fall)

NT 203 "The Gospels and Acts of the Apostles"

• Middler year (spring)

HO 204 "Introduction to Homiletics: From Scripture to Spoken Word"

• Senior year (fall)

HO 205 "Advanced Topics in Homiletics: Challenging Contexts and Special Occasions”

“These new courses represent just a few of the curriculum changes we’re now implementing to keep pace with our 2007 plan,” concluded Dr. Barnet. “We’ve also bolstered our fieldwork programs—in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and prison ministry—and our iconology and missiology programs. Additionally, we’re working on a D.Min. Hybrid Program, which is foremost on our minds right now. By continuing to strengthen our programs, we believe that we are better preparing our graduates for their ministries."

View all courses offered by the seminary in our 2011–2012 Academic Catalog, here. New courses will appear in the 2012–2013 Academic Catalog, which will be available in July 2012. 

Interested in attending the seminary? Please contact Dr. David Wagschal, director of Admissions and Financial Aid: admissions@svots.edu or 914-961-8313 x328.

More than thirty-five St. Vladimir's Seminary alumni, representing twelve graduating classes, as well as friends and prospective seminarians, gathered at St. Joseph Church, Wheaton, Illinois for a Bright Friday dinner sponsored by the SVOTS Alumni Association. Archpriest Alexander Rentel, assistant professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies at the seminary, together with Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Alumni Relations, joined the group for an evening of prayer, fellowship, and good food. 

Father Alexander gave a short presentation on the current state of the seminary and spoke about exciting programs and projects planned for the future. Protodeacon Joseph spoke briefly about the plans of the Alumni Association for the upcoming 75th Anniversary Year commemorating the founding St. Vladimir's (2013). Protodeacon Joseph also thanked the alumni for their good work in supporting the seminary, especially in terms of identifying young men and women interested in a seminary education, and he reported an increase in inquiries and applications to the seminary for the coming academic year over last year. 

The dinner was facilitated by the rector of St. Joseph Church, Archpriest John Matusiak, with help and support from the parishoners of the parish.

Read more Alumni News in the "Voices" section of our Website, here.

A mission team from the seminary community, led by Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield, will be in Guatemala May 31–June 7 to lend much-needed hands to Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage. The team will assist  in moving the orphanage from "Zone 1," a crime-ridden and dangerous area of Guatemala City, to Hogar San Miquel, a new orphanage in the mountains outside of Guatemala City.

"This is the first ever mission team organized from St. Vladimir's Seminary," noted Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield, "and our team members consist of Claudia Bazil, Mary Roth, Ian Jones, Seminarian Scott Miller, Dn. Andre Paez, Fr. David Wooten, and myself.

"I do hope the campus, chapel, and local communities support our team's efforts to aid the Hogar at this critical time," he continued. "Their support will help children move from a place of danger to a safe, serene place in which to grow."

If you would like to support the St. Vladimir's Hogar Mission Team, please push the "DONATE NOW" button at the top of our Home Page and fill in the required information under "One Time Gift"; under "Donation Information" on the 2nd page of the on-line form choose "2012 SVOTS Mission Trip to Guatemala" as the designation for the funds. Or you may send a check payable to "St. Vladimir's Seminary" at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707, and note "HOGAR SVOTS Team" in the memo line.

MUCHAS GRACIAS & DIOS LOS BENDIGA!

On Bright Thursday, April 19, 2012, St. Vladimir's Seminary community served up a Fiesta Dinner with an authentic Hispanic flair to benefit the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala. The dinner included main courses of "arroz con pollo" (chicken) and "pernil" (pork) cooked up by our own Rafael Rivera, a native of the Dominican Republic and the ever smiling and effervescent Plant Manager at the seminary. Fiesta-goers also enjoyed guitar music, a piñata game, and some salsa and mirimba dancing, demonstrated by Ramon Contreras, a member of our campus maintenance crew. Here are some fun photos:

Truly the "Cherubim" and the "Seraphim" sang on our seminary campus on the Feast of the Holy and Righteous Lazarus, when the St. Vladimir's Seminary's Children's Choirs presented their Spring Concert, with His Grace The Right Rev. Michael, bishop of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, Orthodox Church in America, in attendance. The choirs, which are made up of two groups—the Cherubim (singers ages 5–7) and the Seraphim (ages 7–14)—had separate weekly rehearsals for the academic year and put together their combined literature during their last three rehearsals. The children sang in four languages for their concert: German, French, English, and Swahili, and they were able to execute a 4-part treble piece as a combined choir (see a PDF of the concert program, here).

"We were incredibly honored to have Bishop Michael in attendance at this concert for the second year in a row," said Danielle Miller, director of both choirs. Mrs. Miller is a veteran music teacher, choral conductor, and church musician. She has served in churches nearly continuously since her teens, and has 18 years teaching experience in public and private schools. She currently teaches not only the Children's Choirs at the seminary, but also K–8 music at Blue Rock School in West Nyack, and the choirs for the summer program of Hoff-Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale. She also sings in the Boston Byzantine Choir and the St. Vladimir's Seminary Chorale. She is the wife of seminarian Scott Miller and mother of two budding musicians.

Recently this year, the Children's Choirs received a wondrous gift: a vespers setting specifically arranged for them, by renowned classical composer, Priest Ivan Moody.

"We will now turn our attention to this beautiful work for 3-part treble voices," noted Mrs. Miller. "Starting April 28th, the children will meet in Kunett auditorium (under the seminary chapel) and rehearse this work at 5:45 p.m. before going upstairs and singing in the weekly Saturday vespers service. The children can now apply their singing and musicianship learned as a concert choir towards the service of the worship of God.

"As we saw on Lazarus Saturday under the capable direction of Seminarian Ashley Lear," she continued, "when children help lead worship, it is a formative experience for the singers and for all who hear them." (Seminarian Lear is the director of the campus Church School program, and she regularly leads the church school children in chapel singing.)

Parents interested in having their children join the Children's Choirs may contact Mrs. Miller for a vespers rehearsal CD and to arrange to join the choir on Saturday evenings at the seminary chapel. Returning children's choir members, as well as all children ages 6 and up, boys and girls, are welcome and encouraged to sing! Contact: danielletmiller@aol.com, or call 914-319-0153.

Watch a video of the Spring Concert 2012 by the Children's Choirs of St. Vladimir's Seminary—directed by Danielle Miller, with accompanist Jnanayoga Gross—here!

On Bright Thursday, April 19, 2012, St. Vladimir's Seminary community will be serving up a Fiesta Dinner with an authentic Hispanic flair to benefit the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala. The dinner will include main courses of "arroz con pollo" (chicken) and "pernil" (pork) cooked up by our own Rafael Rivera, a native of the Dominican Republic and the ever smiling and effervescent Plant Manager at the seminary.

Proceeds from the dinner will help meet the travel expenses of a mission team from the seminary community, which will be in Guatemala May 31–June 7. The St. Vladimir's Mission Team will lend much-needed hands in moving the orphanage from "Zone 1," a crime-ridden and dangerous area of Guatemala City, to Hogar San Miquel, a new orphanage in the mountains outside of Guatemala City.

"This is the first ever mission team organized from St. Vladimir's Seminary," noted Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield, "and our team members consist of Claudia Bazil, Mary Roth, Ian Jones, Seminarian Scott Miller, Dn. Andre Paez, Fr. David Wooten, and myself.

"I do hope the campus, chapel, and local communities support our team's efforts to aid the Hogar at this critical time," he continued. "So if folks have had their fill of ham, lamb, and kielbasa after the Paschal feast, I invite them to come join us for some Hispanic fare, and lots of fun, including guitar music and a taking a whack at a piñata; and, I want them to realize how greatly their eating dinner with us is helping children move from a place of danger to a safe, serene place in which to grow."

The cost of the Fiesta Dinner, which includes not only the main course but plenty of side dishes and dessert, is $30 for adults and $10 for children. The Fiesta Dinner will be held in the Boich Courtyard, near the chapel, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

You may sign up and pay for the Fiesta Dinner online here.

Or you may send a check payable to "St. Vladimir's Seminary" at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707, and note "HOGAR DINNER" in the memo line to indicate you are coming to the dinner.

If you cannot be at the Fiesta Dinner but would like to support the St. Vladimir's Mission Team, please push the "DONATE NOW" button at the top of our Home Page and fill in the required information under "One Time Gift"; under "Donation Information" on the 2nd page of the on-line form choose "2012 SVOTS Mission Trip to Guatemala" as the designation for the funds. Or you may send a check payable to "St. Vladimir's Seminary" at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707, and note "HOGAR SVOTS Team" in the memo line.

Download a PDF flier here, and please share it with your friends.

Download a JPG flier here, and please share it with your friends.

MUCHAS GRACIAS & DIOS LOS BENDIGA!

On the Feast of the Holy and Righteous Lazarus, seminarian Deacon Seraphim (William) Joa was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace The Right Rev. Michael, bishop of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, Orthodox Church in America. Father Seraphim is in his third year of the Master of Divinity program here at St. Vladimir’s. He and his wife, Matushka Julie, came to the seminary in 2009, from Long Island, New York, where their home parish of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church is located, in the town of East Meadow.

Father Seraphim holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Idaho and a Professional Engineers License; he was a Career Naval Officer in his prior professional life. During his senior year at the seminary, his parish placement has been at Christ the Savior Church, Southbury, Connecticut, where he is being mentored by Archpriest Vladimir Aleandro, rector.

Father Seraphim and his wife, Matushka Julie, are blessed with "one married son, a wonderful daughter-in-law, a granddaughter attending Auburn University, and a grandson who is a high school junior in Alabama."

The entire seminary community wishes Fr. Seraphim and Matushka Julie many blessed years!

See a gallery of photos of Fr. Seraphim's ordination, and the Lazarus Saturday procession with children, taken by Tatiana Hoff, here.

See a gallery of photos of Fr. Seraphim's ordination, and the Lazarus Saturday procession with children, taken by David Lucs, here.

See a gallery of photos of Palm Sunday Vigil, with Fr. Seraphim serving, taken by Tatiana Hoff, here.

Watch videos of Fr. Seraphim's ordination, taken by Marie Rentel: "encircling the altar," here; "the grace of the Holy Spirit," here; and "Axios," here.

This spring our community was blessed by a campus visit from His Grace Nicholas (Ozone), auxiliary bishop for Brooklyn, and assistant to His Eminence Philip, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of All North America, of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), headquartered in Englewood, New Jersey. It was Bishop Nicholas's first time here, and he was visiting in his capacity as the hierarch responsible for overseeing the education of students enrolled in seminaries, and in particular, for overseeing the Ordination Review Board of the Archdiocese.

"We had a wonderful and positive discussion," remarked seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr, "on all sorts of aspects regarding the seminarians and their education, and we look forward to working ever more closely with the Archdiocese."

Likewise, seminary Chancellor and CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield noted, "I was impressed with his theological insights and great interest in what he saw as the 'unique SVOTS approach to theological education'."

Bishop Nicholas was ordained to the episcopacy in December 2011 by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV. Read a full biography of Bishop Nicholas here.

RELATED STORY

Two Alumni Ordained to Episcopal Rank in Antiochian Orthodox Church December 11th

The Popular Patristics Series (PPS) published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press), has gained the attention of Logos Research Systems, Inc., the largest developer of Bible software in the world. It is a surprising but highly welcome overture for the seminary’s academic press.

PPS provides accurate and annotated translations of the church fathers and other early Christian writings, and Logos typically partners with publishers to produce electronic Bible study resources. In its venture with SVS Press, Logos has decided to link biblical and patristic writings for the benefit of pastors, students, and lay readers. This month the software company introduced a PPS pre-publication package that will allow readers not only to search the digitized texts of early Christian writings but also will allow readers to cross-reference between biblical passages and the sayings of the Fathers.

On its Website, Logos describes this exciting venture: “With the Logos Bible Software edition, you can reap the maximum benefit from the Popular Patristics Series (10 vols.) by getting easier access to the contents of the collection—helping you use these volumes more effectively for scholarly pursuits, sermon preparation, or personal study. Every word from every book is indexed and catalogued to help you search the entire series for a particular verse or topic. For example, you can search the letters written by St. Cyprian for every instance of the word ‘baptism.’”

Priest Benedict Churchill, director of SVS Press,  noted, “This is an exciting undertaking by Logos, but we need the help of our PPS readers—especially our alumni—to bring it to fruition. I’m asking our loyal SVS Press fans to ‘nudge’ Logos into the publication phase by pre-ordering a package, thus indicating their interest in this venture.

“If Logos receives indication of high interest in the project, they will proceed to full publication status, which will be a boon not only to our press but also to the thousands of readers who regularly use our PPS titles,” he concluded.

The package, which may be viewed fully here, includes 10 PPS titles: On Social Justice by St. Basil the Great; On the Human Condition by St. Basil the Great; On the Church: Select Treatises by St. Cyprian of Carthage; On the Church: Select Letters by St. Cyprian of Carthage; On the Apostolic Tradition by Hippolytus; On the Christian Sacraments by St. Cyril of Jerusalem; On the Soul and the Resurrection by St. Gregory of Nyssa; On Wealth and Poverty by St. John Chrysostom; On the Lord’s Prayer by Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen; and On Pascha: with the Fragments of Melito and Material Related to the Quartodecimans by Melito of Sardis. The pre-publication package is selling for $89.95, a savings of 44% off the normal list price.

You can help bring this venture between SVS Press and Logos to fruition! Indicate your interest in the project by ordering a pre-publication package, here.

Orders on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent. Presiding at the Divine Liturgy in our campus chapel of the Three Holy Hierarchs, Bishop Matthias ordained Deacon David Bozeman to the Holy Priesthood, and seminarian Jason Ketz to the Holy Diaconate. Both Fr. David and Dn. Jason are third-year students in the M.Div. program at the seminary, and they are slated to graduate this May.

Father David has held careers in teaching high school English, freelance editing, sales, mortgage banking, and in the music industry as part of the band, "Luxury." He and his wife, Amy, have two children. He and his family are most recently from Kansas City, Missouri, and his pastor, Archpriest Timothy Sawchak of Holy Trinity Church, Gardner, Kansas, was on hand to concelebrate the liturgy and to witness his ordination. During his third year at the seminary, to fulfill his parish placement requirement, Fr. David has been under the mentorship of Archpriest David Vernak, rector of Christ the Savior Church, Paramus, New Jersey.

Deacon Jason grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and remembers vividly serving as an altar boy in St. Mary's Cathedral, his home parish. Before entering the seminary, he actively ministered at the cathedral as a subdeacon, sacristan, and church school teacher. His professional experience includes being a Clinical Lab Specialist and a Quality Manager for a mid-size printing company. This year, he is under the tutelage of Archpriest Alexis Vinogradov at his parish placement at St. Gregory the Theologian Church, Wappingers Falls, New York. With the blessing of Bishop Matthias, he hopes to return to St. Mary's Cathedral and serve as a deacon under Cathedral Dean Archpriest Andrew Morbey. Deacon Jason and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children.

View photos of the ordination, taken by Tatiana Hoff, here.

View photos of the ordinations, taken by Seminarian Michael Soroka, here.

View a video of the ordination of Seminarian Jason Ketz to the Holy Diaconate (PART I), taken by Maria Rentel, here.

 View a video of the ordination of Seminarian Jason Ketz to the Holy Diaconate (PART II), taken by Maria Rentel, here.

View a video of the ordination of Deacon David Bozeman to the Holy Priesthood (PART I), taken by Maria Rentel, here.

View a video of the ordination of Deacon David Bozeman to the Holy Priesthood (PART II), taken by Maria Rentel, here.

RELATED STORIES
 
Seminarian Jason Ketz Delivers Sermon at National Festival of Young Preachers
 
Video of Deacon David Bozeman discussing his experience at St. Vladimir's

Brothers, Seminarian David Bozeman and Dn. James Bozeman with Chancellor Archpriest Chad Hatfield at St. Herman's Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska
 
Photos of Archpriest Chad and the Bozemans at St. Herman's Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska

On April 1, 2012, St. Vladimir's Seminary lost a dear alumnus, great friend, and tremendous supporter, when Deacon John Zarras fell asleep in the Lord. Deacon John, who served most recently as deacon at Christ the Savior Church, Southbury, Connecticut, was a 2006 graduate of our school, having earned his Master of Divinity degree over a several-year period as a late-vocations student. Whenever he visited our campus, his positive attitude and reassuring smile consistently uplifted the spirits of the seminary community.

Besides attending the seminary as a student, Dn. John served our community in several capacities: Board of Trustee member and Corporate Secretary of the Board; Chair of the Advancement Committee of the Board; President of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Foundation; and committee member for the SVS 2010 Strategic Plan. Deacon John also served in numerous capacities for the Orthodox Church in America, including most recently as a member of the Metropolitan Council, representing the Diocese of New England, and as a member of the newly formed Strategic Planning Committee.

Visitation will be held at Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Rd., Southbury, CT, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 5. The Panikhida will be celebrated at 7:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at the church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 6, followed by internment at Saint John Cemetery, Monroe.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Christ the Savior Orthodox Church, or to the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation at www.bit.ly/cfcf-zarras.

The entire seminary community is in prayer for Deacon John upon his repose, and for his wife, Evangeline, and their family. Memory Eternal!