With an insightful, prophetic, and entertaining keynote, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), bishop of Diokleia and renowned churchman, inaugurated the North American Conference of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius, an Orthodox-Anglican gathering which is meeting on our campus September 8–10. In his talk, titled "The Present and Future of Orthodoxy," he reviewed major trends in twentieth-century Orthodox Christian thought and proposed a "shift in focus" for twenty-first century theological study. 

Mainly, His Eminence suggested that Orthodox theologians move from the study of ecclesiology, which preoccupied scholars of the last century—"What is the Church?"—to the study of anthropology—"What is the human person, and what does it mean to be a person in relationship?".  He stressed the reasons for this proposed shift: an ever-growing duty for Orthodox Christians to address bioethical concerns; the "disastrous" ecological state of the cosmos and the relationship of humanity to the Earth; and the dearth of Orthodox Christian studies concerning personhood. Especially, he advocated a creative approach to this theological venture, encouraging scholars to "acquire the mind of the fathers" in light of God's word in Scripture, "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev 21:5).

Metropolitan Kallistos delivered his keynote on the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Thursday evening. The conference continued all day Friday, beginning with a welcome to participants from seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield. Father Chad acts as Co-Chair of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)-Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) dialogue, along with his counterpart, Bishop Ray Sutton, chair of the Anglican Church in North America's Ecumenical Relations Task Force.

Listen to podcasts of Metropolitan Kallistos's keynote and all the speakers of the conference (listed below) on Ancient Faith Radio, by clicking  here.

Father Stephen Platt, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius, introduced by Fr. Chad Hatfield:  "A Historical Record of Dialogue and Exchange"

Bishop Keith Ackerman, 8th Bishop of Quincy in Anglican Church of North America, retired; currently serving as President of Forward in Faith North America, a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic movement: "The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Anglican-Orthodox Witness"

Father John Parker, SVOTS alumnus and current rector of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: "The Filioque"

Professor Moheb A. Ghali, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Western Washington University: "Early Orthodox-Anglican Contacts"

The Reverend Canon Robert S. Munday, Ph.D., Research Professor of Theology and Missions, Nashotah House Theological Seminary: "Charles Chapman Grafton: Reflections on the Reunion of the Oriental and Anglican Churches"

Dr. Michael Howell, Executive Director of Forward in Faith, a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic movement, and former Associate Professor at the University of South Florida: "John Mason Neale and His Legacy"

(from left) Fr. Stephen Platt, general secretary of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius; Metropolitan Kallistos, Co-chair of Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue from  2008 to the present;  Bishop Keith Ackerman, president of Forward in Faith North America; Bishop Ray Sutton, chair of the Anglican Church in North America's Ecumenical Relations Task Force; and Moderator, seminary Chancellor/CEO Fr. Chad Hatfield: "Open Forum and Panel."

Recognizing the many gifts that Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), bishop of Diokleia, has offered to the Orthodox Church and to Christians worldwide, the seminary Board of Trustees and faculty bestowed upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, during an academic convocation held on the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. The convocation was but one of many scheduled activities related to the visit of His Eminence to our campus, who came mainly to deliver the keynote at the North American Conference of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius, being hosted by the seminary September 8–10.

Metropolitan Kallistos, a renowned author, teacher, and speaker, held the esteemed position of Spalding Lecturer at the University in Oxford in Eastern Orthodox studies for 35 years, prior to his retirement in 2001. Among his students was our seminary Dean, Archpriest John Behr, who had the privilege of introducing Metropolitan Kallistos to the crowd that had gathered to hear his keynote. Noting His Eminence's extraordinary contributions to the classroom and to the Church, Fr. John remembered fondly his former professor's nickname—"Super K"—apropos to the scholarly instruction and pastoral care that Metropolitan Kallistos had generously given to generations of students.

Upon his reception of the honorary degree, Metropolitan Kallistos thanked the seminary for the distinction, saying, "I have the joy to be speaking today at St. Vladimir's Seminary, and the honor to have been granted a doctorate by this institution. I have long held St. Vladimir's Seminary in high admiration; it is a remarkable powerhouse of Orthodox theology and witness, not only in the West but also throughout the Orthodox world."

Also lauded at the convocation were two seminarians, Dn. David Wooten, 3rd-year M.Div. student, and Harrison Russin, 2nd-year M.Div. student, both of whom received the school's "St. Basil the Great Award" for high academic achievement. Fr. John noted that historically St. Basil is remembered as a “harp of the Spirit,” a “trumpet of truth,” a “flowing river of wisdom,” a “teacher of the universe,” and a “pillar of the Church," and that the award bearing his name encourages recipients toward "intellectual pursuit and vigor in pastoral life." Fr. John Behr congratulated both seminarians, and wished them further excellence in "academic achievement, wisdom, and virtue."

View the citation read at the bestowal of the Doctor of Divinity honoris causa upon Metropolitan Kallistos  here.

Listen to podcasts of Metropolitan Kallistos's keynote, and other presentations at the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius conference on Ancient Faith Radio here.

Following the Divine Liturgy in celebration of Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America and president of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Seminary, was publicly honored by a committee of Orthodox Christians based in Russia. His Beatitude, who concelebrated the liturgy with visiting hierarchs His Eminence The Most Rev. Justinian, archbishop of Naro-Fominsk and administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the U.S.A., and His Eminence The Most Rev. Kallistos, bishop of Diokleia, was presented the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" award in the seminary chapel, directly after the service.

The award was given by the "National Awards Committee,"a group of Orthodox Christians blessed to do their work by the hierarchs of the Patriarchal Church in Russia. Valerii Sergeivich Balakirev, who represented the committee, bestowed a medal upon Metropolitan Jonah, "in recognition of His Beatitude's efforts in promoting unity and friendship among Orthodox Christians the world over."

"This is neither a church nor a government award," said Mr. Balakirev, "but rather an honor given by Orthodox Christians, as representing the hearts of the faithful, and therefore, knowing no bounds." His Beatitude Jonah responded to the reception of the award by saying he was "humbled" by the committee's decision.

Mr. Balakirev said the committee made its decision to choose Metropolitan Jonah as the award recipient on July 20th of this year. Patriarch Alexei II was the recipient of the first award given by the committee in 2002, for his role in resurrecting spiritual life in Russia. Patriarch Pavle of Serbia also received the award in 2003.

After the award ceremony, Metropolitan Jonah greeted the new and returning students, and admonished them to pay attention to their prayer life while enrolled at the seminary, stating "prayer will illumine your studies." Besides serving Divine Liturgy in the morning, His Beatitude met with the student body in the afternoon, in scheduled sessions.

See a gallery of photos of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, and the award ceremony, here.

At the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, our seminary community was honored to have three hierarchs serving: His Beatitude The Most Blessed Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America, presiding; and His Eminence The Most Rev. Justinian, archbishop of Naro-Fominsk and administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the U.S.A., and His Eminence The Most Rev. Kallistos, bishop of Diokleia, concelebrating. Especially, we were privileged to hear the homily by Metropolitan Kallistos, widely renowned author, teacher, and churchman, who is visiting the campus as part of his participation in the North American Conference of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius being hosted here this week.

Reflecting on the hymns of the feast day, related to the life of the Virgin Mary, Metropolitan Kallistos centered his preaching on the unique and personal vocation of each human being.

"The Theotokos was 'preordained' to be the Mother of God," he began. "Her vocation was accepted freely; nevertheless God had picked her out and chosen her before the creation of the world. And, what is true of her is true of each one of us: we have been chosen to fulfill a particular vocation. Human beings are not stereotypes; everyone is different, as the Book of Revelation emphasizes: each person shall be given a new name written on a white stone; that name is known only to God and the person who receives it.

"In each person is a hidden treasure, not to be found in someone else," he stressed. "The world has need of every single person. Each one has a unique vocation and special task not given to another. Through prayer and ascetic struggle we discover our vocation and become what we are."

Metropolitan Kallistos, who was born "Timothy Ware" in Bath, England, embraced the Orthodox Christian faith at the age of 24 (having been raised an Anglican). He has served as Co-chair of Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue from  2008 to the present, and thus, appropriately, will deliver the keynote to commence this week's conference of Orthodox Christian and Anglican participants. His most well known writings are The Orthodox Church, published when he was a layman in 1963; in 1979 he produced a companion volume, The Orthodox Way, published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

To view a photo gallery of the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos in our seminary chapel, click here.

At 7:30 p.m., St. Vladimir's Seminary will bestow an honorary doctoral degree upon Metropolitan Kallistos, after which His Eminence will deliver his presentation. The event will take place in Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building, and a public reception will follow.

Metropolitan Kallistos, who was born "Timothy Ware" in Bath, England, embraced the Orthodox Christian faith at the age of 24 (having been raised an Anglican). He has served as Co-chair of Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue from  2008 to the present. His most well known writings are The Orthodox Church, published when he was a layman in 1963 and subsequently revised several times. In 1979 he produced a companion volume, The Orthodox Way, published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

His Eminence began his visit to St. Vladimir's Seminary by concelebrating the Vigil for the Feast of the Theotokos in our campus chapel. Presiding was His Beatitude, The Most Blessed Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and several chapel clergy served.

To read more about the Ss. Alban & Sergius Conference and to view a schedule, click here.

A $50,000 endowed scholarship fund was recently established at St. Vladimir's Seminary in honor of Peter A. Herbut, M.D., and Margaret Fetsko Herbut, R.N., by their daughter, Paula Herbut. The fund is intended to assist students at St. Vladimir's who are studying to be priests in the Orthodox Church in the United States or Canada and have financial need. Additional criteria for the scholarships are intellectual curiosity, academic achievement, and compassion for others. 

Dr. Herbut (+ 1976) was

He was appointed a trustee of St. Vladimir's in 1974, and planned to use his organizational skills for the church after his retirement. In a telegram to Mrs. Herbut following his death, Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann (Dean of St. Vladimir's from 1962 to 1983) wrote: "He inspired all of us with the seriousness of his concern for theological education, his commitment to the church, the depth of his vision...His death is a great loss for the whole church, and for our school."

Mrs. Herbut (+ 2003) was a leader in volunteer fund raising for Jefferson Hospital and for medical and nursing scholarships for many years until her death, and was known for her common sense and kindness to people. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, she met her future husband when she was a nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after earning her R.N. from its School of Nursing and he was an intern at the hospital after earning his M.D. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. 

A native of Canada, Dr. Herbut was born on a pioneer farm in Edson, Alberta, to parents of Russian descent and language who immigrated first to Pennsylvania and then to Alberta from Galicia (now Poland); his father, Andrew Herbut, was instrumental in establishing four Orthodox churches in Pennsylvania and Alberta. Dr. Herbut's presidential papers are housed at Jefferson; throughout are themes of optimism, compassion, and hard work.        

View a complete listing of all SVOTS scholarships here.

St. Vladimir’s has a long-standing history of supplying its northern sister school with faculty and library books. More recently, our Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield, who also acted as Dean of St. Herman’s from 2003 to 2007, has begun conducting retreats and seminars within the Alaskan Diocese and at St. Herman’s.
 
In FY11, Fr. Chad, accompanied by SVOTS seminarians Dn. James Bozeman and his brother, David (now also a deacon), presented seminars on missiology, evangelism, and the intersection between Orthodoxy and culture to the students at St. Herman’s. During that visit, Archpriest John Dunlop, dean of St. Herman’s noted: "The historical link between the two schools is paving the way to closer cooperation, particularly in the fields of missions and evangelism. We trust that God will give more opportunities for our seminaries to cooperate in our common vision to serve the Church."
 
Apparently, Fr. John’s prayer has been answered. We thank our generous anonymous donor for this gift, which will indeed make “more opportunities” possible.

Khouria Frederica Mathewes-G Vocation," which was presented at our "Women Disciples of the Lord" conference held on our campus June 17–19, 2011, is now available as a podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. Kh. Frederica speaks and writes on a wide range of topics—movie reviews, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the pro-life cause, marriage, family, and the culture.

To listen to Kh. Frederica's talk, click here.

Hear many other "Voices from St. Vladimir's"—including faculty and guest speakers to our campus—on Ancient Faith Radio. Listen in to spiritual meditations, scriptural exegesis, and more by clicking here.

On Thursday, October 6, 2011, His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America, presided at a memorial service in Three Hierarchs Chapel, during which time our community remembered His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri on the 40th day of his repose in the Lord. 

Our orginal article about Vladyka Dmitri's falling asleep, posted at the time of his repose, is below. Memory Eternal!

In Memoriam • His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri (Royster), 1923–2011

His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri, 87, fell asleep in the Lord today, at 2 a.m. at his home in Dallas, Texas. The entire seminary community is offering prayers for his repose, as we mourn the loss of his presence as a well-respected churchman, and alumnus and long-time friend of our school.

His relationship with the Seminary began in 1966, the year he attended Saint Vladimir's, while he simultaneously taught a course in Spanish at nearby Fordham University. During that period of time, he attended classes on our campus with renowned teachers such as Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Fr. John Meyendorff, and Professor Serge Verhovskoy. “Their great wisdom and experience was completed by a genuine Orthodox Christian friendliness and I could not have been more ‘at home’,” he once recalled during an interview for a seminary publication.

Archbishop Dmitri himself contributed significantly to St. Vladimir’s Seminary, in two important ways: by sending us seminarians from his former diocese, and by publishing several volumes with our seminary press: The Kingdom of God: The Sermon on the Mount; The Parables; The Miracles of Christ; St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: A Pastoral Commentary; and The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary. His last work with our academic press, The Epistle of St. James: A Commentary, was published in 2011. Another work, a commentary on the Gospel of St. John, is pending publication. His Eminence was in the midst of writing a commentary on the Gospel according to St. Mark, just prior to his death.

His Eminence had a captivating background. He was born “Robert Royster” to Protestant parents in a small Texas town on November 2, 1923. In 1941, at the age of eighteen, after intense study culminating in an interview with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop (later Ecumenical Patriarch) Athenagoras, he was received into the Orthodox Christian faith at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Dallas, Texas, whereupon he received the name “Dmitri.”

His college studies at North Texas State University were interrupted when he entered the United States Army in 1943. After special training at the University of Michigan, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served as a Japanese language interpreter on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines and Japan. Following military service, he completed his university education and became an instructor of Spanish language at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, where in 1949 he received a Master of Arts degree in Spanish and was named Professor of Spanish Literature. He was ordained to the diaconate and holy priesthood in November of 1954 by Bishop Bohdan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese, after which he organized St. Seraphim Orthodox Church, the first English-language parish in Dallas. He and his parish were received into the Metropolia, as the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was known at that time, in 1958.

He continued to serve as a pastor of St. Seraphim Church until June 22, 1969, when he was consecrated to the episcopacy. Initially, he served as auxiliary to Archbishop John [Shahovskoy] of San Francisco and the West (1969–70) and as auxiliary to Metropolitan Ireney (1971–72). In 1972, he was named ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Hartford and New England. In 1978, he was named ruling Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Dallas and the South, which consisted of fourteen states in the southern United States. He was charged with the development of the diocese, which at the time was made up of a few churches in Florida and Texas and several scattered missions. St. Seraphim Church was designated the diocese's cathedral church, which meant that he once again would serve as archpastor of the parish that he had founded more two decades earlier.

Under his leadership, the Diocese of the South grew to well over sixty parishes and missions. He also has served as editor of the Diocese of the South's monthly newspaper, The Dawn, throughout its twenty-five years of existence. In 1993 he was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA.

In addition to his duties as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of the South, Archbishop Dmitri functioned as Exarch for the Diocese of Mexico. He was well known for his missionary efforts among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, for whom he had translated Orthodox liturgical texts and theological works into Spanish. On September 4, 2008, upon the retirement of Metropolitan Herman, the Holy Synod of the OCA named Archbishop Dmitri Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See. In November of 2008, his role as locum tenens ended with the election of Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth as Metropolitan. On March 22, 2009 Archbishop Dmitri requested to be granted retirement from active duty as a diocesan bishop effective March 31, 2009.

Days and times for funeral services for Archbishop Dmitri will be posted on the Website of the Orthodox Church in America, here.

Following Great Vespers this evening for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the seminary community will be serving a lite for the respose of the soul of Archbishop Dmitri.

 Memory Eternal!

"Other than two downed trees next to the community garden, and some leaks in the windows of the Rangos Building and chapel," said Chancellor/CEO Fr. Chad Hatfield, "it doesn't appear that we suffered much damage. Especially, we are grateful that everyone is safe."

The storm, with winds up to 65 m.p.h. and rising rivers that flooded out roads and residences in other parts of 
Yonkers and Westchester County, hardly nicked the campus. Even Troublesome Brook, which usually meanders and babbles lazily through the seminary property, remained contained as it sped through its banks.

"The one person really adversely affected by the storm seems to be our Plant Manager, Rafael Rivera," noted Fr. Chad. "He's been up since 5 a.m. mopping up the Rangos foyer!"

Both Great Vespers, 6:30 p.m. tonight, and Divine Liturgy, 7 a.m. tomorrow, for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, remained scheduled. A litefor the repose of newly departed Archbishop Dmitri will be served following Great Vespers. 

Classes for the 2011–2012 Academic Year commence Monday, August 29th.