The week began on Sunday evening with a presentation by St. Vladimir's Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, who spoke on the process of critically analyzing contemporary challenges in ministry, and developing robust and meaningful theological responses. The first full day of meetings began with a celebration of the Divine Liturgy in Three Hierarchs Chapel at which alumnus The Rev. Theophan Whitfield presided, and Assistant Professor of Homiletics and D.Min. Program Director The Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen preached.
One of the highlights of the week was a meeting with several teens from neighboring Virgin Mary Church (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America) in Yonkers, where SVOTS alumnus The Rev. Charles Baz is pastor, and Christian Sayegh is Youth Director. The session was guided by Fr. Joseph, who for many years has served as the Antiochian Archdiocese's Chairman of the Department of Youth and Parish Ministries.
By the end of the week, the D.Min. students felt a combined sense of exhaustion and inspiration. Many commented on how powerfully they had been affected by their experience with the other members of the cohort. Speaking to the students, Fr. Joseph said, "Seeing you come together as a cohort during this week has revealed the profound beauty of your hearts."
Students also commented on how a program like the D.Min. gives them a rare opportunity to critically reflect on difficult questions, in an environment of spiritual support and academic rigor. Dr. Woloschak summarized the experience in this way: "I come away from this experience feeling truly enriched, and joyous. For a diverse group to come together like this, and have this kind of honest interaction about really important and difficult topics is a miracle. We should give thanks to God." Fellow instructor Fr. Joseph added, "I was deeply moved by the wealth of expertise and experience that the students have brought to these classes."
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. John Barnet noted, "This signals the full implementation of a degree program that was conceived, developed, accredited by the ATS, approved by New York State, funded by Protodeacon Peter Danilchick and his wife Tanya, and implemented—all in less than three years!"
With three weeks remaining in the D.Min. Winter Term, the students now return home to complete their semester projects. Following an academic calendar that is sensitive to the pastoral demands of the Orthodox liturgical year, the students will resume coursework in the Summer Term after Pascha.
Archpriest John Garvey, St. Vladimir's alumnus and author of the SVS Press title Seeds of the Word, fell asleep in the Lord in Tacoma, WA, where he was attached to Holy Resurrection Church, Orthodox Church in America (OCA). He was seventy years old.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Peter Bouteneff remembers Fr. John as someone who "was able to explain the Orthodox Church to an audience that knew nothing about it, in ways that they could understand and relate to. He did this without branding it as exotic or esoteric but as a real and vital faith, as a life that made complete sense not only in far-off lands but right here in North America. Such voices are all too rare, and as needed as ever.”
Born in Decatur, IL on May 8, 1944, Fr. John was the eldest in a large and distinguished Roman Catholic family; his father and brother were journalists and publishers. He earned his B.A. from Notre Dame University in 1967, and following Commencement, married Maria Regina Carbonell on June 10.
Father John was received into the Orthodox Church at Archangel Michael Church, St. Louis, MO in 1984, while his wife was received at St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church, Springfield, IL, in 1990. Former OCA Chancellor Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, rector of Holy Trinity Church in Parma, OH, notes that “he was a pastor with modern sensibilities and traditional values. His journey to Orthodoxy was a process of deep introspection and discernment, but becoming an Orthodox priest was a privilege which he treasured with humble honor. "
After his conversion to Orthodoxy, Fr. John was ordained in 1992 and completed his Master of Divinity degree at St. Vladimir’s in 1993. He served first at St. Nicholas Church in Jamaica, Queens, NY, and then as Assistant Pastor at Holy Trinity Church in East Meadow, NY. During these years, he returned to his alma mater several times, notably for Orthodox Education Day in 2005, and to be a speaker at the 2006 Summer Institute. In recent years, he and Matushka Regina relocated to Washington State in retirement, where he continued to serve and preach at Holy Resurrection Church in Tacoma.
Father John was an accomplished and well-regarded writer and a long-time columnist for Commonweal. His publications included Seeds of the Word: Orthodox Thinking on Other Religions (SVS Press, April 5, 2006); Death and the Rest of Our Life (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, June 20, 2005); Orthodoxy for the Non-Orthodox: A Brief Introduction to Orthodox Christianity (Templegate Publishing, November 30, 2002); and Saints for Confused Times (Thomas More Press, 1976). He also served as a member of and consultant to several OCA committees.
In addition to Matushka Regina, Fr. John is survived by two children, Hugh and Maria, both married; four grandchildren, Andrew, Timothy, Violet and Desmond; and six brothers and sisters.
On Thursday, January 22, Father John will lie in state at Holy Resurrection Church, 8710 28th Ave. E., Tacoma, where a Panikhida will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, January 23, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service for a Priest at 10:15 a.m. A meal will follow services. Interment will be at the Wilkeson Town Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. Memorial gifts may be made to Holy Resurrection Memorial Fund, PO Box 1332, Puyallup, WA, 98371.
His Eminence Metropolitan Elia, now bishop of the Diocese of Oulu of the Orthodox Church of Finland and formerly known as Priest Matti Veli Juhani Wallgren, graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 2003. Father Matti was ordained to the priesthood in 2003, in Jyvaskyla, Finland. He served as second priest for two and a half years in central Finland, and for eight and a half years as Dean of the Cathedral in Vaasa, western Finland.
Father Matti was tonsured and elevated to the rank of archimandrite on December 16–17, 2014, in the Valamo Monastery of Transfiguration and given his new monastic name, Elia. Archimandrite Elia was ordained to the episcopacy and enthroned on January 11, 2015, at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Oulu, by the hand of His Eminence Leo (Makkonen), archbishop of Karelia and All Finland and primate of the Church of Finland, along with the entire Synod of Bishops of the Finnish Church: Metropolitan Ambrosius of Helsinki, Metropolitan Panteleimon, and Bishop Arsenius of Joensuu. The new metropolitan is the first alumnus of St. Vladimir's to serve as head of a European diocese.
Following Metropolitan Elia’s consecration and installation, Fr. Chad invited the newly ordained hierarch back to his alma mater as the main speaker for Commencement ceremonies in May 2015. While in Finland, Fr. Chad also met with several other St. Vladimir’s alumni.
Ecumenical Patriarchate for the Archdiocese of the Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe. Many of Fr. Theodor’s friends and family as well as St. Vladimir’s alumni living in France attended the ordination service. Father Theodor now becomes one of several priests who are serving the small but growing Orthodox Christian community in Norway.
“Whenever I’m in a setting such as these two recent events, I am awestruck by the respect St. Vladimir’s Seminary enjoys in the international Orthodox community,” reflected Fr. Chad. “It reminds me of the great responsibility that we all have to preserve and promote those qualities that have given St. Vladimir’s such high standing.”
Over the Christmas recess, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric The Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen and third-year M.Div. seminarian Tristan Gall traveled to Dallas, TX, to participate in the National Festival of Young Preachers. Sponsored by the Academy of Preachers, the National Festival attracted more than one hundred young preachers along with their mentors and evaluators. This is the fifth year faculty and seminarians from St. Vladimir's have attended the festival. (Read about 2012, 2013, and 2014.)
During the three-day event held on the campus of Southern Methodist University at the Perkins School of Theology, each young preacher delivered a sermon on one of several biblical texts that followed the festival theme "Tell me a Story." In addition to delivering their sermons, young preachers also received valuable feedback from evaluators, who often hailed from a Christian tradition different from that of the preacher.
Father Sergius, who served as a mentor, commented, "As a teacher of homiletics, I find it extremely helpful to interact with preachers who come from different Christian traditions. It enables me to understand how people from various backgrounds hear preaching, what they look for, and what they expect. This enriches my work at St. Vladimir's tremendously, as we seek to engage the world with Orthodox Christianity."
his participation in the festival was prominently featured in the program book. Catherine Golitzin, a senior at Pepperdine University and prospective student of St. Vladimir's, also participated.
"It never ceases to amaze me how much interest there is in the Orthodox Church among the participants," reflected Fr. Sergius. "There is hardly a moment that we were not speaking with someone who has questions about the Orthodox Church. Our participation in these events is a wonderful opportunity for our students, and I'm deeply grateful to the Academy for their ongoing support."
On Sunday morning after the festival had concluded, Fr. Sergius served and preached at the St. Seraphim Cathedral. "We were received with warm and enthusiastic hospitality," he said.
Intense liturgical training is the focus of this 4–day program to be held from Sunday, July 12–Wednesday, July 15, 2015 on the campus of St. Vladimir's Seminary. Participants are asked to arrive after 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 12; the last day of the practicum, July 15, includes morning Divine Liturgy, a closing discussion, and brunch. Participants may leave campus at noon for 3:00 p.m. and later flights from area airports.
Practical liturgical training for deacons and lay diaconal candidates will be supported by celebration of the Divine Liturgy and other services. Intensive workshops aim to provide participants with the skills needed to serve effectively in the Orthodox Church as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. Attention will be given to the liturgical patterns of movement that inform the entire rite of the Church. Participants will also receive guidance on concelebrations and hierarchical celebrations so that they can effectively prepare for such occasions. In addition to practicums, focused presentations by faculty will augment the deacon's understanding of his place in the liturgical life of the Church and the deacon's broader vocation as a symbol to the faithful of the diakonia of Christ our Lord. Instruction in public speaking and vocal technique will also be offered.
This practicum is held in conjunction with the Orthodox Church in America's Diaconal Vocations Program (DVP) and is highly recommended for participants in the Church's program by the Holy Synod. Liturgical workshops led by Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov, director of the Diaconal Vocations Program for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), will aim to provide participants with the skills needed to serve effectively in the Orthodox Church as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. Particular focus will be given to the typical celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom by one priest and one deacon.
The Very Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen will lead sessions on public speaking, teaching, and preaching, as well as church reading and vocal technique. Fr. Sergius holds an M.Div. from St. Vladimir's Seminary and a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University. He is the Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
On-campus housing is in non-smoking, non-air conditioned, dormitory rooms with shared bathrooms. Because there are a limited number of single rooms, they will be given to the first registrants. Staying on-campus includes meals at the refectory, which are catered, without individual meal options. The seminary staff will provide sheets and towels. Please bring your own personal items (such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and small fans.) Wireless access to the Internet for personal laptops will be available in the Library when the Reading Room is open, but wireless access in dormitory rooms cannot be guaranteed.
(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.
