When Patriarch John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visits the United States this fall, he will receive not only warm wishes but also a charitable gift from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. The gift, intended to aid suffering Orthodox Christians in Syria, will be presented to His Beatitude in December and will represent a tithe (one-tenth) of the Seminary’s #GivingTuesday appeal.

“Life has a deeper meaning than fighting crowds on Black Friday or scouring the web for the best deals on Cyber Monday,” said seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. “That’s why St. Vladimir’s is participating in #GivingTuesday, a national day of charitable giving.

“Four generous donors are heavily supporting this effort, in matching five-to-one any charitable donation given that day, so a $10 gift will transform into a $50 gift, and a $100 gift will transform into $500 gift,” explained Fr. Chad, “and these donations will provide not only for our seminarians but also for our suffering brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

“Our seminary community felt impelled to share whatever is given to us with the Orthodox Christians in Syria, in light of their horrific plight,” he continued. “So, on December 2nd, whatever monies come in, we’re going give a full tithe to His Beatitude John X, who realistically will know how to distribute this funds ‘at ground zero’ so to speak. With each of our four generous supporters matching up to $5,000, it would be within reason to expect that we could potentially take in $25,000 on that day, with $2,500 going to our brothers and sisters in Syria.

“Right now, we’re asking Orthodox Christians in the U.S. to get help us get the word out on their social media networks, through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,” Fr. Chad concluded, “and to stay in the loop about this venture by signing up for #GivingTuesday emails.”

Patriarch John X will visit the U.S. to preside at the enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, who was elected as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) on July 3, 2014, by the Holy Synod of Antioch, meeting in Balamand, Lebanon. Events related to the enthronement will take place during the weekend of December 5 through 7, 2014, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. The actual enthronement will take place in conjunction with a Service of Thanksgiving on Saturday, December 6.

• Read Patriarch John X’s recent interview on the state of the Church in Syria.
• Donate directly to SVOTS #GivingTuesday here (all monies will be totaled December 2, 2014).

In January 2015, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary will be offering four public courses, comprising an online and a residential component. Offerings include three pastoral theology courses and one liturgical music course, taught by experts in their fields: "The Therapeutic Encounter," by Dr. Daniel Hinshaw; "The Parish and Prison Ministry," by The Very Rev. Dr. Nicholas Solak and The Rev. Stephen Powley, executive director, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM); "Stewardship in American Orthodoxy," by The Very Rev. Dr. Robert Holet; and "The Music and Faith of Arvo Pärt," with Dr. Peter Bouteneff.

"Each course uniquely and practically addresses pastoral and mission-minded concerns," Dr. Barnet continued. "Students will have opportunity to learn, for example, with Dr. Hinshaw, a holistic approach to healing rooted in Orthodox Christian spirituality, and how to apply that approach within an actual healing encounter; or they can learn with Fathers Solak and Powley how to prepare a parish to accept a recently released prisoner into its fold, or how to begin a parish-run Bible study at a local prison.

"Likewise, with Fr. Holet, students can learn how to create a functional parish stewardship program as modeled by the sacrificial High Priesthood of Christ; and with Dr. Bouteneff, they will be able to explore how the sacred arts engage the surrounding culture, becoming a witness to the Orthodox faith.

"I'm elated that we are able to offer these exciting opportunities to both our current students, so that they may augment their education, and to our alumni and the general public, so that they may continue their education," concluded Dr. Barnet.

Course participants will be able to earn one Masters-level credit for each of the courses, and there are no pre-requisites for enrollment. Courses will begin with 10 hours of online instruction (starting Monday, January 12), followed by the residential component (either January 18–23 or January 19–24), which includes 2.5 hours of instruction and 2 hours of homework per day for five days, and will conclude with a 10-hour writing assignment, due Saturday, January 31.

Students who are already enrolled at the seminary may begin the registration process by contacting Dr. John Barnet: jbarnet@svots.edu. Students not currently enrolled currently should begin registration by first contacting Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions: jmatusiak@svots.edu. Deadline for registration is November 6.

To view course details and to download a registration form, click here. The cost of each 1-credit course is $438.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00; the cost of each course for auditors is $219.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00.

Important Note: On-campus housing for the required residential component of the courses is not available; participants who are not enrolled students are welcome to commute if they live nearby, or to take advantage of local accommodations in the area.

The St. Ambrose Society, St. Vladimir's student-run Pro Life group, is sponsoring a daylong course titled "Pastoral Counseling following abortion and other crises," to be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, on Friday, October 24, from 9–5.  Specifically designed for pastors and trained counselors, the seminary will also be useful for parish lay ministers engaged with those suffering from post-abortion distress and other trauma. Dr. Theresa Karminski Burke, founder of Rachel's Vineyard, the largest ministry in the world dealing with post-abortion healing, will lead four sessions: "The Need for Post-Abortion Counseling," "Pregnancy Loss and Suicide," "Crash Course in Trauma (PTSD)," and "Brain Science: How Emotional Trauma Impacts the Brain."

Dr. Burke, who holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University, has lectured and trained professionals nationally on the subject of Post-Abortion Healing, and her programs offer a unique sensory-based treatment that integrates emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. She is a Nationally Certified Psychologist, Certified Diplomat of the American Psychotherapy Association, Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Clinical Psychotherapist, and Diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Counselors.

St. Ambrose Society, a pro-life student run group at St. Vladimir's, is sponsoring the seminar. The Society's President, Seminarian Ignatius Green, said the group is especially pleased to present the opportunity because "nearly every priest will meet women who are suffering with the consequences of abortion, and this workshop will show how clergy and others engaged in healing ministries can more effectively minister to women who are seeking emotional and spiritual healing."

Pastors, counselors, lay ministers, and seminarians of all faith communities are welcome to the seminar, which will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, top floor of the Rangos Building. 

To register, email SAS@svots.edu by October 23. The registration fee is $30.00 and includes lunch. Please send check payable to St. Vladimir's Seminary (memo: SAS),  St. Ambrose Society, 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY  10707.

• Directions to St. Vladimir's Seminary
• Download the flyer (PDF)
• Download the flyer (JPG)

The Paradosis Center’s Director, Dr. Charles Raith II, is also assistant professor of Religion and Philosophy at John Brown. “This conference was deliberate in its efforts to focus on the Gospel of John,” he explained, "but in doing so our similarities and differences naturally surfaced as well. The Center wasn't trying to start a dialogue in this Conference since one is already in place. We did want to direct the conversation in a way that best serves the Christian faith.” In addition to a sizeable number of John Brown students, clergy from the general region also attended.

Listen to Fr. John’s talk 
Learn more about the Paradosis Center

Asking the question "Do Books Still Matter?" during its annual fall open house, St. Vladimir's Seminary paid tribute to Orthodox Christian authors, illustrators, and publishing houses on Orthodox Education Day, in a "Celebration of Orthodox Christian Publications." Display tables lined the hallways of the John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, showcasing the books and wares of nine publishers; among those, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press received special mention for having reached its 50th Anniversary Year. 

"Clearly, this year's theme resonated with large numbers of Orthodox Christians who appreciate the educative value and pure joy in reading great books about spirituality, church history, lives of saints, sacred arts, and so on," said seminary Chancellor/CEO, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. "Despite the gloomy skies, the faces of our visitors beamed with the pleasure that only a book lover can have, when he or she has a great book in hand!" 

In the day's highlight, Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, author of academic, popular, and spiritual works, presented the Keynote Address, “From Scroll to Book to Net: The Web of Knowledge.”  Father John highlighted the symbiotic relationship between Christianity and books, and described how the development of the internet has changed the way people read. (Listen to Fr. John's talk on Ancient Faith Radio.)  A discussion followed, with panelists John Maddex, Ancient Faith Ministries CEO; His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, former member of the Publishing Council for the Moscow Patriarchate; Fr. John Behr; and SVOTS Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Peter Bouteneff.

In other venues, children enjoyed the workshop set up in the Germack Solarium, and guests feasted on delicious food truck cuisine or desserts created by the St. Vladimir's community. Dancers from neighboring Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle provided entertainment, and two afternoon workshops—"Writing About Theology," with Dr. Bouteneff, and a young adult discussion on The Maze Runner with Sessional Professor of Literature Dr. Kate Behr, provided food for thought. 

The celebration of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Three Hierarchs Chapel at 9:00 a.m.  started the day. The Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada, Orthodox Church in America (OCA), concelebrated with His Grace Bishop John, His Grace Bishop Saba of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church in North America, and seminary clergy. Archbishop Melchisedek of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania also attended. During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Tikhon awarded a Nabedrennik to SVS Press Editor-in-Chief The Rev. Dr. Benedict Churchill for his years of dedicated service.

Former longtime St. Vladimir's Seminary's Old Testament professor, The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, pastor emeritus at St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, New York, reposed in the Lord on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at age 98.

Father Paul came to St. Vladimir’s as a student in the early 1940s, when the campus was still located in New York City. He was ordained a priest in 1943 and served Antiochian Orthodox parishes in Iron Mountain, MI and Allentown, PA before moving to New York to serve at St. Mary’s in Brooklyn, from 1951 until his retirement in August 2002.

Former St. Vladimir’s Dean and Peter N. Gramowich Professor of Church History, Emeritus, The Very Rev. Dr. John Erickson, remembers him as “urbane, witty, and well-read.”

“Father Paul's familiarity with all aspects of twentieth-century Orthodoxy was legendary,” Fr. John recalled, “but conversations with him were not limited to ecclesiastical matters.They could include anything from the gold fields of Alaska (where he was born) to Pharaonic Egypt.

“Father Paul's pastoral ministry also deserves special mention,” he continued. “It extended beyond the usual church contexts. He seemed to sense when a parishioner or friend was in need of a cheery phone call.”  

Librarian Eleana Silk remembered, “Fr. Paul's favorite phrase, when asked how he was, was always ‘never better, never better.’

“He often came to use the library after he retired from teaching at St. Vladimir’s,” added Ms. Silk. “We were in the old building then, and the light was not very good in the (library) stacks, so he brought his own flashlight!”

As a priest within the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America for 71 years, Fr. Paul served as the first chairman of its Department of Christian Education, as dean of the Atlantic Deanery, and as the first editor of The WORD magazine. A tireless advocate for Orthodox unity in America, Fr. Paul worked under the direction of hierarchs Metropolitan Antony Bashir (+1966) and Metropolitan Philip Saliba (+2014), as the Archdiocese’s Ecumenical Officer.  

A charter member of the Orthodox-Anglican, Orthodox-Roman Catholic, and Orthodox-Polish Catholic ecumenical dialogues, Fr. Paul had been a member of the General Board of the National Council of Churches (NCCC) since the 1940s and was the last surviving member of the original founders of The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). In 2007 SCOBA, the predecessor to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, recognized Fr. Paul in a December 10 resolution that cited his “lengthy and extraordinary” support for inter-Orthodox development and communication.

As a young man, Fr. Paul had converted to Orthodox Christianity from a Protestant background. Years after his priestly ordination, his interest in the Western Rite was rekindled by a visit to a parish of that Rite within the Romanian Orthodox jurisdiction in Paris, France. Subsequently, he wrote and lectured extensively on the topic and encouraged Metropolitan Antony Bashir to allow its practice and development within suitable congregations. He also served as the Antiochian Archdiocese’s Western Rite Vicar General for many years.

Father Paul was married for 70 years to Khouria Shirley, who reposed in 2012. The couple were parents of three children:  Dorothy Downie Orrill and Peter Christian Schneirla, and the late William Sutfin Schneirla, Jr.

The website of St. Mary’s Church notes that “In keeping with Fr. Paul’s express wishes, his children, Dorothy Orrill and Peter C. Schneirla, have arranged for private services on Wednesday, September 24. Burial will occur at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY, where his beloved wife, Shirley, and their son William are interred. His Grace John, Auxiliary Bishop of Worcester and New England and the Episcopal Overseer of the Western Rite, will preside at his services, along with Fr. Michael Ellias, Fr. Thomas Zain, and Fr. Robert Stephanopoulos.”

Read an interview with Fr. Paul about the Western Rite on the Occidentalis blog.

(Special thanks to SVOTS Librarian/Archivist Matthew Garklavs for the historic photos.)

Alumna Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze was recently appointed as the new Georgian Ambassador to the Vatican. The following report is posted with the permission of the World Council of Churches.

Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze, an Orthodox theologian and former staff member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), has been received as the nation of Georgia's new ambassador to the Holy See, presenting her credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican this September.

From January 2001 through December 2013, Grdzelidze served in Geneva, Switzerland, as a programme executive for the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, which coordinates dialogue among Christian leaders on matters related to theology, doctrine and the nature of the church.

Among the gifts she presented to Pope Francis was a copy of the book A Cloud of Witnesses: Opportunities for Ecumenical Commemoration, a WCC publication which she co-edited in 2009 with Brother Guido Dotti of the Roman Catholic Church.

Grdzelidze is a graduate of Tbilisi University in Georgia, St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary in the United States, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. She describes her experience of inter-church and inter-cultural dialogue while at the WCC as "a school of international relations" in itself.

Her ambassadorial appointment was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Grdzelidze explains, "The main task of the embassy is to represent the state in its fullness, especially regarding Georgia's unique Christian heritage and culture. Georgia's most ambitious task is to become a full member of the European family to which it belongs culturally and in many ways historically."

Fifty years after the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Grdzelidze continues to harbour a belief in "real possibilities for more visible unity among Christians," she says, despite evidence all around that ours has become a "less enthusiastic and hopeful world."

Pondering today's challenges to peace among nations and visible unity within the Christian church, Grdzelidze concludes that "what we know for sure is that the gospel message of Jesus Christ, teaching us to love God and our neighbour, is still with us, and we are to interpret the message to the best of our ability."

St. Vladimir’s Seminary has hired two new faculty members to teach Biblical studies—Dr. George L. Parsenios, Professor of New Testament, and Archpriest Dr. Eugen J. Pentiuc, Professor of Scripture and Semitic Languages. Highly regarded in their fields of study, both are published authors and sought-after lecturers. 

“I am thrilled that Professors Parsenios and Pentiuc have joined our faculty,” said Archpriest Dr. John Behr, Dean of the Seminary.  “They are amongst the most eminent scriptural scholars working today, have published widely in their fields, with the most respected presses, and bring a great amount of talent and passion to the teaching of this fundamental discipline, which will benefit our students greatly."
 
Dr. Parsenios is an associate professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary.  He earned his M.A. (Classics) from Duke University; his M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA; and his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Yale University.  His teaching and research explore the interaction of early Christianity with classical literature, as well as the interpretation of the New Testament in the early church.  He is the author of two books and several articles, and regularly teaches courses on the Gospel of John, First Corinthians, and Paul the Pastor.
 
Father Eugen is a tenured Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and holds Ph.D.s from Harvard University and Bucharest University.  He is currently engaged in research on the ways the Eastern Orthodox tradition received and interpreted the Old Testament.  In 2013, he was invited to work at École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem on an international project, "The Bible in Its Traditions,” for which his major contribution was producing a new translation and authoring notes on the Book of Hosea.  He is also one of the editors-in-chief of The Orthodox Study Bible: The Old Testament, published by Thomas Nelson in 2008.  His most recent book, The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition, was published by Oxford University Press in January 2014.

• View Dr. Parsenios’s homily on St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews on YouTube.
• View Fr. Eugen’s interview on “The Bible in the Orthodox Church: The New Testament” on YouTube.

The 2014 Father John Meyendorff Lecture featured The Rt. Rev. Alexander (Golitzin), alumnus of the Class of 1973. His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the OCA, attended the Sunday evening talk, after presiding over the feast day’s Vigil and Divine Liturgy.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Bishop Alexander said in his opening remarks, after St. Vladimir's Dean, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, introduced him. “The 'other Fr. John' whom we honor tonight, was such a seminal figure for me. I cherish his memory and continue to profit from his works.”

In his presentation, Bishop Alexander described the development of the Orthodox Christian hesychast tradition and highlighted its affinities with Jewish Merkavah Mysticism. The Hebrew word "merkavah” meaning “chariot,” was the name assigned to a type of prayerful meditation practiced by early Jewish mystics as they contemplated the prophet Ezekiel's vision of heavenly beings.

According to His Grace, common threads between the Christian and Jewish meditation practices include: invocation of the Divine name as means of entry into the heavenly realm; emphasis on self denial and purification; and similar temple traditions. These two “concurrent and parallel streams,” said His Grace, might provide a basis for productive inter-faith dialogue.

His Grace had served in academic settings for several decades. At Oxford University, he studied under His Eminence the Right Reverend Kallistos (Ware), metropolitan of Diokleia, and wrote his dissertation on Dionysius the Areopagite. He also spent a year at the Simonos Petras Monastery on Mt. Athos. In 1989, Bishop Alexander assumed a teaching position with the Theology Department at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, where he supported a dozen Orthodox Christian students in theological doctoral work.

Bishop Alexander is the translator and editor of On the Mystical Life, a three-volume series published by SVS Press. The lecture will be posted on Ancient Faith Radio's podcast, Voices from St. Vladimir's Seminary, as soon as it is available.

• Join us for Coffee with Sister Vassa!
• October 2, 2014, Thursday evening, 8:15 p.m.
• Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, The John G. Rangos Family Building

Sister Vassa (Larin), ryassofor nun, author of many scholarly articles and a monograph on Byzantine liturgy and theology, popular video podcaster for Ancient Faith Radio and Facebook, and outspoken public intellectual on current issues of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), will be our guest at St. Vladimir's Seminary, where she will hold one of her “Coffee with Sister Vassa” conversations. Sister's talk will focus on the Church calendar, and she will share information about the process of creating her YouTube videos. A time of fellowship and discussion will follow her brief presentation.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet with Sister—"Coffee-with-Sister-Vassa" mugs will be available!

Download a flyer (JPG)

Download a flyer (PDF)

Download "Mind and Spirit Moments," the flyer listing all Fall 2014 SVOTS events