This week our seminary hosted the 80th meeting of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation—the oldest official dialogue between the two Churches in the modern era. The dialogue is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA).
Since its establishment in 1965, the Consultation has now issued more than 20 agreed statements on various topics. All these texts are now available on the USCCB Website and the SCOBA Website.
The Very Rev. John Erickson, former dean of St. Vladimir's, and Dr. Paul Meyendorff, professor of Liturgical Theology at the seminary, are members of the group and participated in the meeting. "During our discussions," said Professor Meyendorff, "we focused on the role of episcopal assemblies in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as on roles played by the laity."
Accurately chronicling bygone theological debates can be extraordinarily challenging, but our Dean, Archpriest John Behr, has proved himself worthy of the task. In May 2011, he published a landmark work, The Case Against Diodore and Theodore, which is being touted by its publisher, the prestigious Oxford University Press (OUP), as "ground-breaking" in its research. The new book is part of OUP's "Oxford Early Christian Texts" series.
Even more impressive, this is Fr. John's second book with OUP, his first being Asceticism and Anthropology in Irenaeus and Clement, published in 2000 as part of the "Oxford Early Christian Studies" series. The publication of both titles makes Fr. John one of only two people in the world to be published in both series.
In his newly published work, Fr. John provides a complete analysis of the teachings of Diodore of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia, two key figures at the center of the Christological controversy that raged from the fourth to the sixth centuries in the Church. Most importantly, he throws down an intellectual gauntlet, deftly confronting modern scholarship with solid historical inquiry that simultaneously accords with the Orthodox Christian tradition.
Diodore and Theodore, who were posthumously condemned for their teachings at the Second Council of Constantinople (AD 553), have often been depicted by modern scholars as sympathetic characters because of their concern for the "historical Jesus" and their aversion to scriptural allegory. In his work, Fr. John presents a historical and theological analysis that completely revises modern scholarship, showing Diodore and Theodore to be outside the tradition of the Church. He does this by presenting a complete collection of the extracts of their writings—in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Armenian—some newly edited from manuscripts, and all newly translated and accompanied with an explanation of the historical context in which they were written. Although the original works of the two figures were destroyed by the Church after their condemnation, passages quoted by their supporters and opponents remain, and Fr. John uses these to state his theological case.
When asked about work involved in producing this volume, Fr. John commented that although it required great painstaking work, this meant getting involved in a level of detail that was tremendously illuminating, and that the most exciting part of it was being able to handle manuscripts that date to the very years of the controversy itself. Although this volume is intended for an academic audience, he added, the work was necessary as background preparation for the next volume of his Formation of Christian Theology series.
SVOTS Board of Trustee member Dr. Leon Lysaght, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, lauded Fr. John's accomplishment, saying, "Once again Father John has demonstrated his pre-eminence as a patristics scholar and theologian. The writings of Diodore and Theodore have been understood to mark the fault lines that have separated Eastern Christianity. Father John’s comprehensive study provides a foundation for understanding the nature and context of the disputes arising out of scriptural interpretations that have been a source of contention within the Churches of the Orthodox East. His careful and comprehensive analysis will define the agenda for discussion among the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches for generations.
"This monumental work," he continued, "makes an important contribution to the tradition and role of St. Vladimir’s as a center for the study of Eastern Christianity. Father John’s distinctive and insightful scholarship is a remarkable demonstration and reminder of the important position that St. Vladimir’s occupies in the Orthodox Christian world. Those who support the work of St. Vladimir’s should feel enormous pride in the contribution Father John has made to Orthodox Theology and to the Seminary."
Not only is Fr. John the Dean of St. Vladimir's, but he also is Professor of Patristics at the seminary, as well as the Distinguished Lecturer in Patristics at Fordham University. His continual theological quest to answer Jesus' challenge to the Apostle Peter—"Who do men say that I am?" (Matt 16:16)—has led him to write his Formation of Christian Theology three-volume series, which catapulted him to the forefront of patristic scholarship.
Look out for his two new books coming out later this year from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press: a new translation of St. Athanasius’ work On the Incarnation; and The Glory of God: A Living Human Being, a work addressed to a general audience that presents Fr. John’s insights into what it is to be a human being, supported by patristic and scriptural explorations that mark Fr. John’s research.
The full description of The Case Against Diodore and Theodore may be found on the Website of Oxford University Press. Books in his scholarly Formation of Christian Theology series, including The Way to Nicaea and The Nicene Faith, as well as his more popularly written The Mystery of Christ, may be purchased through St. Vladimir's Seminary Press & Bookstore.
In an effort to reach two indigenous and rapidly growing North American populations with the message of Orthodox Christianity, our two-day workshop on missiology and evangelism will focus on outreach to people of African heritage and Spanish-speaking cultures in the U.S. and Canada. Workshop leaders will be Fr. Moses Berry of St. Louis, Missouri, and Fr. Antonio Perdomo of Pharr, Texas, two experienced "evangelists."
Fr. Moses is the President of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black, a non-profit organization which has as its mission to "minister to Americans the gift of Orthodoxy." Through an annual conference, the organization targets those who have little exposure to Orthodoxy as well as the African roots of Orthodoxy.
Fr. Moses also is pastor of the Theotokos "Unexpected Joy" Orthodox Church in Ashgrove, Missouri. On the parish's website, Fr. Moses notes: "It has fallen to me to speak wherever I can about the universality of our Church, of the necessity to bring Her good news to all people, especially to those who’ve been neglected in our evangelical efforts. African Americans from all over the country call me for information and counsel and their numbers are growing. It is likely, and hopeful, that I will have increasing work to do in the coming years."
Fr. Antonio Perdomo pastors St. George's Orthodox Church in Hidalgo County on the South Texas border, which bridges the lower Rio Grande Valley and Mexico. A diversity of people from various ethnic and national backgrounds, including many who speak Spanish, make up the parish. Because of St. George's strategic location, parishioners have the honor, opportunity, and responsibility to serve Christ by reaching out to their neighbors—both in South Texas and across the border in Mexico.
In particular, the parish began helping its neighbors by creating St. George's Food Pantry in early 2004. Other outreach ministries have long been part of the parish as well, including deliveries and assistance offered to the Casa Amparo Orphanage for girls in Reynosa, Mexico. Many new ones are in early stages of development. For a number of years, Fr. Antonio has hosted a Spanish-language internet forum called Hisporto. The parish is working on encouraging and making easily accessible and available translations of Spanish- language Orthodox Liturgical Translations, Educational Materials, and developing a list of Spanish-speaking Clergy and monastics for others to use as helpful resources.
Download the attached flyer of the Missiology and Evangelism Workshop, and share it on your social networks with your family, parish family, and friends.
Download the attached postcard describing all of our Summer Programs 2011 and share it with your family, parish family, and friends.
This year’s SVOTS summer conference, scheduled for June 17–19, is on women in the Orthodox Church—entitled “Women Disciples of the Lord.”
Having helped to organize this gathering, I want to first express some enthusiasm about it: It is shaping up to be a remarkable, inspiring event, bringing together a wide array of speakers and workshop leaders. It is a unique opportunity to reflect, listen, speak, network, and enjoy fellowship.
Please download the schedule of events, and register on our website! (Note that alumnae of Orthodox Christian theological seminaries receive a substantial discount on registration.)
This is the first conference on this theme to be organized by an Orthodox seminary in North America in over thirty years. Several excellent conferences, meetings, and talks, held here and internationally, have brought people together to discuss related themes from different perspectives. The fact that we are doing it here at St. Vladimir’s Seminary this year is notable in several ways. For one, it gives the issue a certain kind of visibility. It also means that we will be devoting at least part of the conference to theological reflection. But finally, its main organizers, as well as many of its speakers and workshop leaders, are graduates of Orthodox seminaries.
To us at St. Vladimir’s—which has had women students since the early 1960s—it has always seemed strange that a seminary could be without them. If a seminary sees itself as—among other things—a place to come closer to the life of the Church through studying and living it in community, it no longer makes any sense to exclude women from its student body.
The question has followed: what jobs or vocations can women fulfill after leaving seminary? That question runs parallel to the challenge that laymen alumni experience. Many graduates of our theological schools end up with church-based jobs; but some do not, and are seeking to contribute their gifts.
It is partly to address such concerns that one of the main focuses of the upcoming conference is vocations for women. There are sixteen workshop sessions planned (several of them running simultaneously) that will bring together women involved in church-based vocations, such as International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), as well as in vocations that have a clear bearing on their Christian identity and training, such as hospital and prison chaplaincy, education ministry, and many others. Aside from an opportunity to network among people working in these fields, we are looking to this conference as a source of inspiration and ideas for women and men in the Church who seek to build up and participate in such ministries. Our seminary, as well as clergy, hierarchs, parish officers, and others, stand to learn a lot from this meeting too.
I know that I have been learning a lot already. This has been a challenging conference to organize, and that is partly because there are several strongly held and often opposing opinions on this subject. We’ve gotten messages and calls from women who say, in no uncertain terms (and with a touch of resentment) that “there is no problem” surrounding women in the Church, that “nothing needs validating.” Others see things very differently indeed. Many have been deeply hurt by the Church’s inability to find a place for women (including young women and girls) in the Church’s life. They also believe that the Church itself has been functioning at a reduced capacity, not engaging more fully this huge constituency of its membership.
One presumes that there are also people who are just interested in seeing “what’s out there” and what the issues of interest are. I’m sure many such people will be at the conference, but they aren’t the ones writing us. In fact, almost nobody who has contacted us is neutral or vague about this issue in the slightest. The intensity of the various and sometimes contrasting signals we are getting also goes to show how very important it is to bring all these issues into a forum for discussion. That too is what this conference is about. Bringing women from Holy Cross, St. Vladimir’s, St. Tikhon’s seminaries together. Bringing under one roof single, married, monastic women, theologians, professionals, academics. People who are stung by this issue and people that aren’t—bearing in mind that if one member of the body suffers, all suffer together (cf. 1 Cor. 12:26).
This is one thing we do here at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, by vocation: bring multiple voices together into conversation—voices that matter—from different perspectives, different passionately held positions and backgrounds. Not only is this a part of our mandate as a theological school; it is something that, by God’s grace, could play a role in bringing more people closer to the Church, and therefore closer to Christ.
So come and be a part of it! Go to our website and register. We would be delighted to see you at this gathering, whether you’re a woman, man, priest, professional, student, parent, single person: Come!
Read more Faculty Footnotes, as well as Seminarians Speak and Alumni News in the Voices section of our Website.
This past Friday, May 20, amidst the preparations for our yearly Commencement, a true friend of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Zoran Milkovich, fell asleep in the Lord. A graduate of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Mr. Milkovich served as President of the Saint Vladimir's Theological Foundation from its inception in 1968 until 1984. The Foundation played an essential role in the advancement of the seminary; members devoted thousands of "man and woman hours," and millions of dollars, to support the training of seminarians during its existence.
Zoran was also a member of the seminary's Board of Trustees for many years, and Vice President of Personal Trusts and Estates for Chase Manhattan Bank for more than 35 years. His wife of 60 years, Annette, fell asleep in the Lord one month ago, on April 10. He is survived by one daughter, Lisa Madara, and is grandfather to Nicholas, Daniel, Anthony, and Erika.
Funeral services for Zoran will be held at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 20 West 26 Street, New York City on Wednesday, May 25, at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will be held at the Volk-Leber Funeral Home, 789 Teaneck Rd., Teaneck, New Jersey on Tuesday, May 24 from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Tikhon's Monastery Cemetery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania.
Commencement crowned the week's celebrations, during which one student was ordained to the priesthood, four were ordained to the diaconate, three were elevated as sub-deacons, and two were tonsured as readers (see that story here); the Dean, Archpriest John Behr, received the honor of wearing the jeweled cross; the Chapel Ecclesiarch, Priest Alexander Rentel, was elevated to the rank of Archpriest; and the Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations, Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, was awarded a kamilavka.
Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America and president of the seminary’s Board of Trustees, opened the Commencement Exercises. Class Valedictorian this year was Michael John Soroka, and the newly ordained Deacon David Wooten was Salutatorian; both demonstrated not only scholarly acumen but also exceptional service to the community. The “Saint Basil Award for Academic Achievement” was presented to both Andrew Smith and Monk Kilian (Sprecher).
Another highlight of the Commencement program was the conferral of the honorary degree of Doctor of Sacred Music upon David Drillock, who served as Commencement Speaker this year. Dr. Drillock is Professor of Music, emeritus, from St. Vladimir’s, and is well known in Orthodox Christian circles for his extensive influence on liturgical music in North America. Editions of his books continue to provide foundational and sound liturgical music adaptations in the English language for parish choirs. The citation honoring Professor Drilock was read by Dr. John Barnet, associate dean for Academic Affairs.
The entire campus community wishes the Class of 2011 many years!
[Photos in this article are by Robert Lisak]
View the entire Commencement Program booklet. Listen to the Commencement Program and Professor David Drillock's address. Read Professor Drillock's address: "Heaven on Earth: Singing with the Angels." See a photo gallery of the day, by Robert Lisak.
“I thank God that so many people have been called to the diaconate and priesthood, and especially, that so many have responded to that call,” said His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of Orthodox Church in America (OCA), who ordained five seminarians to Holy Orders of the Priesthood and Diaconate during Commencement week here at St. Vladimir’s, as well as elevating three students to the Sub-diaconate and tonsuring two more to the rank of Reader.
“Our ministry is not ‘our ministry,’ ” commented His Beatitude after one of the ordinations, “it is Christ’s diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy, of which we become partakers by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Our whole spiritual life is one of surrender, giving up our own will in order to do the will of God.”
Four seminarians were ordained to the diaconate, and one was ordained to the priesthood. A summary of their varied life experiences but common calling to ministry, below, illustrates the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit...” (Jn 15:15-17).
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. English Education/Spanish from Oral Roberts University • 7 years experience teaching high school Spanish
Student status: 2nd-year student, M.Div. program
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Diaconate: 14May 2011, St. Sergius Chapel, OCA Chancery, Syosset, New York, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Priesthood: Currently a deacon
Current church service: Student service assignment is cleaning Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, where he also is attached as a deacon
Biographical note: Deacon David is married with three children and hails from Fort Worth, Texas. In the summers after his first and second years at St. Vladimir’s, he was blessed to be able to return to a familiar activity: teaching reading development in the New York area. The Wooten family members—Dn. David, Mat. Audra, Hope Elizabeth, Katherine Ruth, and Laura Louise—are looking forward to a third year spent with their dear friends at St. Vlad's. Upon graduation, the Wootens plan to return to the Diocese of the South and are particularly interested in establishing Orthodox communities in Spanish-speaking areas.
Educational and Professional Background: B.S. Biology, Harding University 1993; M.A.R. Missions, Harding Graduate School of Religion 1997 • Teacher, Brentwood Christian School in Austin, TX 1997–2001 • Office Manager, Sooner Construction Equipment 2001–2009.
Student status: 2nd-year student, M.Div. program
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Diaconate: 18 May 2011, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Yonkers, New York, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Priesthood: Currently a deacon
Current church service: Residential Adviser for married-student apartments on campus, and Clinical Pastoral Education intern at St. John's Hospital, Yonkers, NY
Biographical note: Deacon Timothy and his wife, Tamara, moved to St. Vladimir's in 2009 from Oklahoma, with their children Walker, Madalene, and Michael. At the end of their first year of studies, they were blessed with another little girl, Xenia. This summer Dn. Timothy is participating in a 3-week intensive study of the Church's mission efforts in Albania, which will provide a living case study of Orthodox mission principles, and is a welcome complement to the training at St Vladimir's. After visiting family and their home parish during the rest of the summer, the Yates family will begin the last year of training at St. Vladimir's, and will make final preparations to enter parish ministry in 2012.
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. History, Asbury University Musician • Public Relations Representative at the Knoxville Museum of Art • Property Manager at Quiet Reflections Retreat
Student status: 3rd-year student, M.Div. program, Class of 2011
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Diaconate: 13 March 2010, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, New York, by His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada, Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Priesthood: 21 May 2011, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, New York, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Current church service: Seminarian parish placement at Holy Trinity Church, East Meadow, New York, The Rev. Martin Kraus, Rector
Biographical note: Deacon John is married with two children. In the summer between his second and third years at St. Vladimir’s he was blessed with the opportunity to serve an internship with Fr. Marcus Burch and the wonderful people at St. John of the Ladder in Greenville, South Carolina, in order to gain parish experience in his home diocese. The Cox family members—Fr. John, Mat. Sunny, John Basil, and Nicholas—are being assigned to Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Norfolk, Virginia following graduation and look forward to serving the Church in their home Diocese of the South.
Educational and Professional Background: BA in Religion, History/Political Science from Rutgers University (Rutgers College) • Served in Operation Enduring Freedom from 2004–2005 with the New Jersey Army National Guard
Student status: 3rd-year student, M.Div. program, Class of 2011
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Diaconate: 21May 2011, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Yonkers, New York, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Priesthood: Currently a deacon
Current church service: Student parish placement at Holy Transfiguration Church in New Haven, Connecticut, The Very Rev. Michael Westerberg, Rector; after graduation, attached to St. Paul the Apostle Church in Las Vegas, Nevada in the Diocese of the West.
Biographical note: Dn. Aaron served as Student Council President and an ISD (Inter-Seminary Dialogue) Coordinator while at the seminary. He is a Chaplain Candidate, 1st Lieutenant in the Nevada Army National Guard, and plans to continue his service both in the Church and in the armed forces.
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. English from Piedmont College (Demorest, Georgia) • Teacher, Access Control Sales, Musician, Mortgage Loan Officer
Student status: 2nd-yearstudent, M.Div. program
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Diaconate: 22 May 2011, Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Yonkers, New York, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ordination Holy Priesthood: Currently a deacon
Current church service: Assistant Sacristan at Three Hierarchs Chapel
Biographical note: Lee Bozeman has been married to Amy for 17 years; the couple has two children. The Bozemans, most recently of Kansas City, Missouri before coming to St. Vladimir's, have resided in a number of states throughout the eastern United States. Apart from the variety of careers, Lee is also a musician, having released records on a myriad of labels, both with the band “Luxury,” as well as solo material. His wife, Amy, a labor and delivery nurse in Greenwich, Connecticut, teaches childbirth education classes and is a freelance writer. The Bozemans are looking forward to their third year at St. Vladimir's Seminary and their future opportunities in service to the Church.
SVOTS alumnus Fr. Rodney Torbic ('01 D.Min.) started out simply collecting notes for his adult education classes at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. He ended up publishing a book. His recently released title, Reflections on the Major Feasts, was deemed worthy of publication by the Clergy Brotherhood of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America in December 2010.
Wednesday evening Fr. Rodney publically presented the new title at a gathering on our campus. The President of the Clergy Brotherhood, Protopresbyter Djokan Majstrorovic, who also is the rector of St. Sava Cathedral in New York City, introduced the book and acknowledged its value for "students, clergy, and the faithful."
Fr. Rastko Trbuhovich, also a seminary alum ('73 M.Div.) and one of the editors of the book, accompanied Fr. Rodney to the presentation. Fr. Rastko briefly summed up the contents of the work—introductions to each major Orthodox feast with verse-by-verse reflections on scripture—and praised its ability "to reach different levels, from the spiritually basic to the spiritually challenging." Fr. Rastko is pastor of St. Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church in Lackawanna, New York.
Since 1986 Fr. Rodney has been the Director of Christian Education for the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, and he is known among his flock for his prolific writing and tireless teaching. Comments from his "fans," some of whom traveled from as far as Pittsburgh to be at the presentation, attested: "Father will hold a class even if only one person is present." "Father's teaching is always 'simple,' but not 'simplistic.' "
Father Rodney's writings and radio broadcasts may be sampled at his parish's website. His book is available through SVS Press & Bookstore.
If you walk into Three Hierarchs Chapel just as the bell that calls oing on course, like water through a riverbed.
"They are the backbone of liturgical life here at the seminary," says the chief Chapel Ecclesiarch, Fr. Alexander Rentel, who also is Assistant Professor of Canon Law at St. Vladimir's. "They are ones that show up a good half hour before each service, never complaining. They're faithful, loyal liturgical leaders who love the church services.
"They are also the first line of defense if ever there's a problem in chapel," he continues, "they are often the first to make corrections, when corrections need to be made. I refuse to say that they 'work for me,' because they 'work with me.' They teach me as well. They are a fine, fine group of people...everyone of them that I've worked with."
And, he's worked with several. Among his alumni ecclesiarchs he names: Andrew Smith (current), Dn. Evan Freeman, Gregory Abdalah, Dn. Nicholas Belcher, Daniel Belonick, Peter Drobac, and Dn. Kevin Smith; among his alumni sacristans are: Lee Bozeman and Dn. Dunstan Lyon (both current), Dn. Evan Freeman, Dn. Nicholas Hubbard, Fr. Barnabas Powell, Fr. Nathan Preston, and Jacob Hatch. "Next year," he says, "our seminarian, Harrison Russin," will resume the tradition of a 'double-duty' ecclesiarch, both serving in that capacity and directing the choir from time-to-time, as others did in the past."
This past Sunday several "alumni" sacristans and ecclesiarchs happened to be in our seminary chapel, and they joined current sacristans and ecclesiarchs and Fr. Alexander for a photo shoot. Some offered reminisces of their experiences as chapel overseers, sharing with us what goes on "behind the veil":
"The sacristan, in many ways, can really be called a master of ceremonies. It’s his job to make sure that everything needed for a specific service is set out and ready to go, to make sure all the candles are lit, and, in short, to make the clergy look good and that the services flow smoothly without a hitch. While things may be going well in front of the iconostasis, it can often be just a bit less than smooth sailing behind the iconostasis. Though this is one of the more demanding community service assignments on campus, I feel blessed to have been chosen to serve in this position the past two years. In fact, there's no other community service assignment I'd rather have!
"Perhaps the greatest joy of being a sacristan is getting to work with all sorts of people. Not only am I able to help train all the students on campus, but I've also gotten to serve with bishops from all over the country, and the world. Perhaps my favorite people to work with in the sacristy are the young children of the professors and students. They always have a story that makes me smile, and they bring a prayerful energy to the altar that can't be matched. Even if they can never remember to button the top button of their shirt when vested, I can always depend on them to make the entrances without any mistakes. I'll never forget the several times a seminarian was lost in the service and the young altar boy would grab him by the cassock and lead him to where he's supposed to be. Though the seminarian's face may be red with embarrassment, my face has a proud grin on it."—Dn. Dunstan Lyon
"One of my favorite memories of being an Assistant Sacristan here at SVOTS during my first year was ringing the festal bells before Vigils and on Sundays and feastdays— including one time when Nick Hubbard (then the Head Sacristan, now Fr. Nicholas Hubbard) and I were ringing the bells (both of us were wearing headphones) and Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov (wearing no headphones and with a big smile) joined in, ringing the bells with us. It was the best I had ever heard those bells, and it was a particularly joyous moment."—Fr. Maximus Cabey
"As the student Ecclesiarch, I remember fondly the regular conversations I had with Fr. Paul Lazor concerning the order of our chapel services. His expansive knowledge of liturgics, seasoned with pastoral discernment, had a great impact on me. In addition, working with the texts of our hymnographic tradition, especially under the guidance of Fr. Alex Rentel, made me appreciate the beauty and brilliance of Orthodox worship in a way I never before appreciated."—Daniel Belonick
"One of my favorite memories is when Nick Hubbard, Brock Johns, and I were serving as sacristans for the Paschal services in 2008. We had gathered as many different kinds of incense as we could, both from the chapel, and also from the seminarians around campus, to use for the Paschal services. You can imagine the dramatic contrast when, after using only Frankincense for all of Lent, we put around 15 different kinds of festal incense into the censers during Paschal Matins and the Divine Liturgy!"—Dn. Evan Freeman
"Each Saturday at Vigil, I really enjoy the 1st Hour. All of the lights are off at that moment and the priest is standing at the altar with a candle. It is, for the most part, very quiet. The servers and deacons have all un-vested and they stand in their places in the altar in the darkness and in silence. There is something about that moment that is really pleasant. And then we begin to sing 'O, Champion Leader' and the sound swells, especially when I am able to stand near Fr. Alexander, who sings it with great gusto. That is a favorite moment of mine."—David Lee Bozeman
Current Sacristan Dn. Dunstan Lyon gives some wise, final counsel to any future sacristans and ecclesiarchs, "From the secret book, which is handed down sacristan to sacristan":
“You have been blessed with an important and difficult task. …I had considered also writing about the ‘way of the sacristan,’ but much of the value in the service you are about to undertake lies in the discovery of all this ministry entails. Though there are there are many common threads, each experience is unique. …One, hopefully enduring piece of advice is this: try to pray when you can…”
Learn more about our Chapel Community and view a listing of our services in our Chapel Calendar. Watch a video of Dean Emeritus Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko presenting a tour of Three Hierarchs Chapel.
When our campus guest, Fr. Pavlos, a monk of the famed St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai, spoke last evening, his words evoked the collective wisdom of dozens of spiritual fathers across the ages. Radiantly humorous and joyfully somber, Fr. Pavlos—a graduate of the School of Theology of the University of Athens, and a Sinai ascetic for four decades—began his address to the community with an illuminating talk about the "grave" vice of being judgmental. He ended it with a Q&A session with the audience that covered everything from child rearing to the practice of the Jesus Prayer.
Peppered throughout his talk were the sayings of the fathers (apophthegmata patrum)— pithy stories and phrases by spiritual sages within the centuries-old Orthodox Christian tradition, which proffer ethical, moral, and religious advice. For example, said Fr. Pavlos:
"St. Isaac the Syrian said, 'On the day that you judge your brother, consider that a "lost day," even if you've done many other good deeds.' "
"St. John of the Ladder told the story of a monk who visited an unkempt cell of a brother monk, and he said to himself, 'My brother prays and fasts so much, he has no time to tidy his cell.' Then the same monk visited the spotless cell of another brother monk, and he said to himself, 'Just as my brother's soul is clean inside, so is his cell.' You see, in neither situation did the monk judge his brother."
Fr. Pavlos also adition of revered ascetics such as St. Gregory of Sinai and St. John of the Ladder, who, said Fr. Pavlos, "wrote the 'Gospel for monks,' that is, his work The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
The vibrant monk also described the liturgical rhythm of life at the monastery, the peaceful and mutually respectful relationship between the monks and their Bedouin neighbors—"Who are not Christians"—and the daily duties of the monks. "My favorite place to work is the garden," he mused. "Trees are 'man's best friend'!"
Our Dean, Fr. John Behr, in welcoming Fr. Pavlos, remarked, "In the midst of this very busy time on campus, as we near final exams and Commencement, in the midst of all this 'chaos,' we are deeply blessed to have with us someone from a monastery that has cultivated the 'heartbeat' of hesychastic spirituality—someone who can teach us how to encounter God in the midst of silence."
If you were unable to be with us and Fr. Pavlos during his visit, you can listen to his talk here. Note: Fr. Pavlos' remarks, in the Greek language, are being translated by Fr. Nathanael Symeonides of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in New York City.
