(M.Div.'94) was ordained Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) by His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the OCA, on Saturday, December 27, 2014. Clergy and faithful from parishes across the Midwest gathered at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago for the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the episcopal consecration.
At Friday evening's Vespers, Bishop-Elect Paul addressed hierarchs, clergy and faithful, saying, "People need to see in their bishop someone who is truly humble, where his yes means yes and his no means no. The ministry of the bishop is not his ministry, but it is the ministry of Christ Incarnate!"
"From my heart I wish you inexhaustible energy, peace, and joy, as you undertake this awesome ministry as a bishop of Christ's Church."
Raised in a Greek Orthodox family, Bishop Paul became a member of the OCA in the mid-1980s. He holds a Master of Social Work degree from Wayne State University and a Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir's. After his ordination to the priesthood, he served as rector of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Kokomo, IN for 11 years and as rector of Archangel Michael Church, St. Louis, MO, for an additional seven months. In 2007, he was transferred to the OCA's Bulgarian Diocese and assigned Dean of St. George Cathedral, Rossford [Toledo], OH. On Tuesday, October 7, 2014, clergy and lay delegates representing parishes throughout the Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest gathered at Archangel Michael Church in Broadview Heights, OH, for a special Assembly at which Bishop Paul was nominated to fill the vacant see. (Photos c/o oca.org)
At invitation of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a delegation representing Saint Vladimir’s Seminary visited the historic Holy Theological School of Halki here December 16–19, 2014.
In his capacity as President of Saint Vladimir's Seminary, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon headed the delegation, which included Archpriest Dr. John Behr, Dean; Archpriest Dr. John Jillions, Seminary Trustee, member of the Doctor of Ministry faculty, and OCA Chancellor; and Archpriest Dr. Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law, Byzantine Studies and Practical Theology.
Established in 1844, the Theological School of Halki educated generations of Orthodox clergy, including 300 bishops and 12 Patriarchs. [The current Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is among its graduates.] It was closed to new admissions by the Turkish government in 1971. While efforts to reopen the school have been unsuccessful in recent years, there is hope that its situation will change in the near future.
The delegation was met by Grand Archimandrite Vissarion at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. After meeting His Eminence, Metropolitan Elpidophoros, Abbot of Halki’s Holy Trinity Monastery, they embarked on the hour-long ferry ride to Halki Island. Upon landing, they were taken by horse-drawn carriage—cars are not permitted on the island—to the theological school complex.
Metropolitan Elpidophoros explained the school's history and legacy, took the delegation to its chapel, and hosted the delegation at a dinner with the monastery brotherhood. He further extended hospitality in his office, where conversations on the importance of the school were held. The delegation also attended Matins, celebrated by Metropolitan Elpidophoros, in the Halki Monastery Chapel.
Deacon Kaisarios Chronis, Halki Library Director, offered the delegation an extensive tour of the school's library, which contains a rich collection of ancient books. He also explained ongoing efforts to catalogue and digitize the library’s holdings.
Returning to Istanbul, the delegation visited the historic Hagia Sophia. Built by Emperor Justinian in the sixth century and boasting the largest free-standing dome in the world, the cathedral became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. In 1931, Hagia Sophia was taken over by the Turkish state, which has used it as a museum since 1935.
On Thursday, December 18, the Feast of Saint Sebastian, the delegation attended Matins and the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Demetrios, at which Patriarch Bartholomew presided from the throne. The church is widely known for its spring, dedicated to Saint Sebastian. Patriarch Bartholomew greeted Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation members as he entered the church.
After the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Bartholomew offered a warm welcome to Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation, to which the latter reciprocated. At the Phanar, they met with Patriarch Bartholomew in his office for over one hour, where they engaged in a fruitful conversation about the work of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, the Orthodox Church in America, the Assembly of Bishops, and the situation of Orthodox Christianity throughout the world. After exchanging gifts, Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation were hosted at a formal lunch in the Patriarchal dining room.
After lunch, Deacon Theodoros Meimaris accompanied Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation on visits to two important sites. At the 11th century Church in Chora, a museum since 1948, they viewed the spectacular interior frescoes and mosaics that date back to the early 14th century. At the Women’s Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring, where a number of recent Patriarchs of Constantinople are laid to rest, they sang "Memory Eternal" and met with two of the nuns.
In collaboration with The Axion Estin Foundation, St. Vladimir's Seminary is offering another exceptional continuing education extension course on Byzantine Chant spring semester, under the expert instruction of Eleftherios Eleftheriadis. Mr. Eleftheriadis is Axion Estin Foundation's inaugural Artist in Residence, and is highly regarded as the Protopsaltis of St. Nicholas Shrine Church in Flushing, NY. He previously served on the faculty of the Music School of Thessaloniki, Greece.
The course is open to seminarians and the general public, and will be held Tuesday evenings, beginning February 3, 2015, on the seminary campus. Beginners Class will meet from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Advanced Class will meet from 8:10 p.m. to 9:25 p.m.
Classes will be conducted in Greek, with translation, and course materials include original music texts in Byzantine notation and the Greek language. A certificate will be awarded upon course completion.
For queries, or to register for the Byzantine Music Continuing Education course this spring semester, contact Dr. Nicholas Reeves, assistant professor of Liturgical Music at the seminary, at 914–961–8313 x353, or email byzantine@svots.edu.
Acknowledgment: We gratefully acknowledge distinguished members of the Hellenic community of Westchester Costas T. Los, Nicholas A. Lyras, Nikolaos J. Skubas, and John Daskos, for making four semesters of instruction possible.
A "Byzantine Holiday Pop-Up" concert, directed by Eleftherios Eleftheriadis, who teaches a continuing education extension course in Byzantine music at St. Vladimir's, will be held at The Metropolitan Museum's Medieval Sculpture Hall, Friday, December 19, 2014, at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. The concert is free with museum admission and is a presentation by The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Concerts and Lectures in cooperation with The Axion Estin Foundation of New Rochelle, NY.
The pop-up concert was recently noted in The New Yorker, in an article titled "The Art of the Voice," by reviewer Russell Platt, who called it "a commendable effort to bring holiday music back to the magnificent space," referring to the space in the Sculpture Hall just below the large meticulously painted replica of a thirteenth-century mosaic of Christ found in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey.
Mr. Eleftheriadis will be teaching a spring semester course in traditional Byzantine Music on the seminary campus, which is open to the public as well as seminarians. Read more and register here.
"Parishes, dioceses, autocephalous churches, church organizations, and even individual clergy and hierarchs have stepped up to help us keep our seminarians debt free," said The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, as he explained the "explosion" in tuition aid during the past two years, available through the seminary's "Tuition Matching Grant Program."
"In 2012, our seminary inaugurated its 'Fully-Paid Tuition Plan,' " he recalled, "and at that time, St. Vladimir's made a commitment to pay 50% of tuition for students who meet the need-based criteria set by the seminary, plus up to 25% more of a qualifying student's tuition if that student could find matching funds from a church-related entity to cover another 25%, possibly making their education 100% tuition free.
"I'm thrilled to report that from 2012 to 2013, the 25% matching support from outside sources nearly doubled, from $56,779 in FY2013 to $104,576 in FY2014," Father Chad stated. "And this academic year, if spring semester support continues like fall semester support, which already stands at $55,539, these sources will contribute over $110,000 in cash to our seminarians—$5,000 more in matching funds than the last academic year!
"All of this support has made it possible for many of our students—women and men—to attend seminary 100% tuition free, or nearly tuition free," he concluded. "Church bodies are supplying 25% of a student's tuition, and we must remember that our regular donors faithfully continue to help the seminary supply the other 75%, which represents the real cost of tuition the seminary needs to cover. These funds are critical to meet the real costs to educate our students."
Overall, the "Tuition Matching Grant Program" has helped 24 men and 3 women in FY2013, 31 men and 6 women in FY2014, and 26 men and 3 women in FY2015, reported the Associate Chancellor for Finance at St. Vladimir's, Melanie Ringa. "I admire the commitment from so many church bodies and church people to aid our seminarians," she said, "and, I admire the seminary's commitment, as well, and our donors on the other side of this equation."
"In FY2012, prior to the start of the 'Fully Paid Tuition Plan' supported by the 'Tuition Matching Grant Program,' our school offered $180,245 in scholarship awards; the next year, after the start of the new plan and program, that figure went up to $296,769, and it just keeps rising," she continued.
"Moreover, outside sources, which include a variety of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and churches, as well as the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), have taken a deep interest in providing for our students," she noted. "In FY2014, student financial aid from all sources, including the seminary, totaled $505,921, and that's significant."
Students agree. Olga Kirilchenko, a second-year seminarian in the Master of Arts program who receives her matching funds from Holy Noble-Born Prince Alexander Nevsky Church (near MGIMO University) in Moscow, reminisced, "When I first heard about St. Vladimir's grants, I literally couldn't believe my ears. I even had to ask the Director of Admissions, Pdn. Joseph Matusiak (with whom I was on the phone), to repeat what he had just said, and he probably attributed it to my being a non-native English-speaker!
"In reality, I was simply dumbfounded," admitted Olga. "First he told me that I was entitled to a 50% tuition discount simply for not being a millionaire...and while I was still trying to wrap my brain around that, he said that if my parish or diocese would pay 25% for me, then St. Vlad's would cover another 25% of my tuition.
"Of course, I wanted to study in St. Vlad's," she continued. "Yet quitting my job, flying transatlantic, and spending all my savings (that I initially considered to be insufficient) seemed to be a huge, bold, and somewhat crazy step.
"For weeks I had been browsing the svots.edu website, gathering courage and clarifying questions to make that one very important phone call," she said. "And the unexpected grant opportunity was one of the factors that helped turn my indecisive dream into reality.
"I am exceedingly grateful to the seminary for making my hazy dream to study here accomplishable," she concluded, "and to my parish and my father-confessor in Moscow, who supported me all the way—via a recommendation letter, words of encouragement, and being so open to the matching grant opportunity."
Closer to home, Tristan Gall, senior student in the Master of Divinity program, expressed his gratitude to Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Edinboro, PA, and to the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western PA (OCA), saying, "If it weren't for the Tuition Matching Program, the support from my diocese, and my home parish, it would be nearly impossible for me to attend seminary.
"I remember when I first heard about the plan," he recalled. "I had been wondering how I would make ends meet. I was at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Elwood City, Pennsylvania, contemplating seminary, and Mother Magdalena came into the refectory and threw down a printout of the initiative taken by St. Vladimir's. She said, 'Here's your answer.'
"I was struck with joy and almost immediately visited the seminary with my dad," he said.
"I'm overwhelmingly thankful to be here, and my heart overflows with gratitude to everyone who helps our cause at St. Vladimir's," Tristan continued. "The encouragement and support from benefactors uplifts all of us spiritually. It's comforting just knowing that there are people out there who care for Christ's ministry."
To find out more about the seminary's Tuition Matching Grant Program, or about studying at St. Vladimir's Seminary, please contact Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak via email, or call 914.961.8313, ext. 328.
His Eminence Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, was enthroned on the feast of St. Nicholas at the Archdiocese's mother cathedral, by The Most Blessed John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Metropolitan Joseph was recently elected as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's, and our Dean, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, and our Chancellor/CEO, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, were among the dignitaries attending the services and festivities.
Cathedral Dean The Very Rev. Thomas Zain, who lectures in Liturgics at the seminary, coordinated many of the weekend's events, which included Vespers on December 5 and two Patriarchal Liturgies on December 6 and 7. As well, numerous seminarians, both past and present, participated liturgically and as members of the media team.
On December 4, Fr. Chad Hatfield and Fr. John were received by Patriarch John at the archdiocesan headquarters in Englewood, NJ, to present him with a check for $8,000, the tithe on the $80,000 raised during the seminary's successful #GivingTuesday campaign. The gift is intended to aid suffering Orthodox Christians in Syria.
Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir's has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Antiochian Archdiocese. About 16% of all SVOTS alumni have gone on to serve in the Archdiocese and most of the current Antiochian bishops are seminary alumns.
elected four new members, among them His Eminence Joseph, who was recently enthroned as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA). His Eminence will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board, and in recognition of his new position, he was recently presented with an icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir by the seminary's Dean, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, and Chancellor/CEO, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield.
Other new Trustees include Dn. Michael Hyatt, Theodore Jadick, and James T. Perry. Deacon Michael, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, is now a best-selling author and leadership consultant, and Chairman of the Board of Ancient Faith Ministries. He is a parishioner at St. Ignatius Church, Franklin, TN (AOCANA). Mr. Jadick is Vice Chairman at Heidrick & Struggles, New York City, and Board Director of Calvary Hospital Fund, Bronx, NY. He is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, Yonkers, NY (Orthodox Church in America). Mr. Perry is an attorney in private practice, and also a parishioner at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Yonkers. The term for each new Trustee will be three years, with the possibility of serving four consecutive terms, according to the new By-laws adopted by the Board at their November meeting.
Additionally at its meeting, the Board honored retiring Trustees Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Eric Namee, and Leon J. Lysaght, Jr., by presenting them each with a gramota and icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir. Mr. Rudolph-Shabinsky, who served on the Board from 2000 to 2014, is a Portfolio Manager at AllianceBernstein, New York City. Mr. Namee is an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC, Wichita, KS, and he had served on the Board since 1994. Professor Lysaght is Associate Professor of Law at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, MI, and his Board membership was from 1997 to 2014.
Father John Behr acknowledged the enormous sacrifice and deep commitment of the retiring Trustees, saying, "Those departing from the Board have, over their many decades of service, given so much to the Seminary, guiding us and helping us grow in many ways, especially with the development of our statutes and administrative structures. We are where we are today only through their self-sacrificial leadership."
In commenting on the Board's history, Fr. Chad Hatfield said, "St. Vladimir's took an early lead in board development and continuing education when in the '80s the Lilly Endowment, Inc., awarded our school a generous grant of $30,000 to begin an ambitious program of board self-study and renewal, with our Trustees attending six seminars on diverse aspects of trusteeship.
"In the '90s, Lilly continued its support, underwriting continuing education programs for board members and extending the benefit of trustee development and institutional advancement to nine other North American Orthodox Christian seminaries, using St. Vladimir's as a model and designating it as a 'Lilly Trustee Partnership Institution.'
"We are ever grateful to our committed and highly qualified board members, who make certain our school's stability and define and ensure its mission."
22 November–12 December 2014 • Off-Campus • San Francisco, London, Moscow
St. Vladimir's Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr has been on the road, offering retreats and lectures to the faithful both in the United States and overseas. During the second week of December, he'll conclude his busy fall schedule with a trip to Moscow, Russia, where a select group of eminent scholars have been invited to present papers in The Second International Theological Patristic Conference, themed "St. Simeon the New Theologian and his Spiritual Heritage."
The Conference is being sponsored by the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and the National Research Nuclear University MEPhi (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute). A cooperative agreement between St. Vladimir's and Ss. Cyril and Methodius was signed in 2013, allowing for the exchange of teachers, students, and resources between the two institutions.
Over the weekend of November 22 and 23, Fr. John presented a retreat to the faithful of San Francisco's Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of the West episcopal see, presided over by The Most Rev. Benjamin, archbishop of San Francisco and the West. The Dean's topic, "Becoming Human," was the theme of his 2013 SVS Press book of the same title.
Father John scarcely had time to unpack his suitcase in New York before heading in the opposite direction, to London, England, where he delivered the Annual Constantinople Lecture on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. Sponsored by The Anglican and Eastern Churches Association and The Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, his talk centered on one of his recently explored themes, the paradox of life through death so central to the Christian message. "Christ has set us free from the fear of death," noted Fr. John. "He has turned death inside out....This reversal is located in the heart of the Gospel."
The lecture was "a wonderful opportunity to meet old friends and meet new ones," Fr. John reflected afterwards.
The next day, Fr. John journeyed to The Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Crawley Down, West Sussex, to lead a retreat for the Anglican religious group, the "Community of the Servants of the Will of God." Formed in the 1950s, the community consists of men and women who follow the Rule of St. Benedict while endeavoring to unite the traditions of East and West through their liturgies and prayer practices.
"I've benefitted from their fellowship at other conferences," explained Fr. John. "It was a joy to finally be able to visit with them in their community, to be present at their worship, and to share my work on the formation of Christian theology and spirituality."
SVOTS Communications/Yonkers, NY • Deborah (Malacky) Belonick, Photos by Dn. G. Hatrak
In an expression of love and solidarity with the suffering Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, St. Vladimir's Seminary has presented a gift of $8,000 to The Most Blessed John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. His Beatitude, whose patriarchal throne is in Damascus, Syria, will personally oversee distribution of the monies to alleviate the dire conditions of Orthodox Christians in that country.
The gift represents a tithe (i.e., one-tenth) of the total $80,000 donated to the seminary during its highly successful #GivingTuesday campaign conducted on December 2. Seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield and Dean Archpriest John Behr were received by Patriarch John at the headquarters of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) in Englewood, NJ, on Thursday, December 4, at which time they presented him with the $8,000 check. They also gave him a palitza, beautifully embroidered with an icon of the Three Hierarchs, Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, patrons of the seminary chapel.
Patriarch John is in the U.S. in anticipation of the enthronement of His Eminence The Most Reverend Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui) as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America for the Antiochian Archdiocese, which will take place on December 6, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to presenting gifts to His Beatitude, the Chancellor and Dean presented an icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir to Metropolitan Joseph in honor of his upcoming enthronement and in recognition of his being the newly elected Vice President of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Seminary.
"After weeks of anticipation and publicity, the seminary received an overwhelmingly generous response when it launched its very first #GivingTuesday campaign," reported Fr. Chad.
"We are humbled by this gift, which will allow our students to continue to learn about and preach the true faith," he said, "and we are grateful that we can offer a tithe—as we promised our donors—to the Orthodox believers in Syria, who daily bravely witness to that faith."
See a gallery of photos by Haitham Fakhouri of the Dean and Chancellor's meeting with Patriarch John and Metropolitan Joseph.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2014, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, will deliver the annual Kuehner Seminar Lecture at St. Paul's Reformed Episcopal Church, 800 Church Road, Oreland, PA, 19075.
The Seminar will begin with Morning Prayer at 10:00 o'clock. Father Chad will speak on: "The One-Hundred Year Cycles in Anglican/Orthodox Relations: From Hooker to the Present Day." He will give two presentations, one before and one after lunch.
The cost for the seminar including lunch is $25 per person. To register, or for more information, e-mail the Reformed Episcopal Seminary: seminaryoffice@reseminary.edu or registrar@RESeminary.edu, or call: 610–292–9852. Please register by Thursday, December 4.
