O who loves Nicholas the Saintly,
O who serves Nicholas the Saintly.
Him will Nicholas receive,
and give help in time of need.
Holy Father Nicholas!
With the singing of this traditional St. Nicholas hymn, the children of the Three Hierarchs Chapel's Sunday community welcomed special guest St. Nicholas for his annual visit to St. Vladimir's Seminary. As is customary, the identity of the good saint was camouflagedby his abundant white beard, but astute children perceived he bore a striking resemblance to The Rev. Dr. David Mezynski, associate dean for Student Affairs. During the celebration, grown ups and kids alike also enjoyed a potluck meal and a time of carol singing.
His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas, the former metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, fell asleep in the Lord at four in the afternoon on Saturday, December 8, 2012 (EST) in the Pushpagiri Hospital in Kerala, India. Since 1993, Metropolitan Mar Barnabas has been the spiritual guide and shepherd for over 10,000 Indian Orthodox Christians in the United States, including many students.
"His Grace was very influential in the growth of the Malankara Orthodox Church in America, and in the lives of many Malankara Orthodox seminarians and alumni of St. Vladimir's Seminary," noted Mariam Ceena Varghese, SVOTS lecturer in Malayalam.
On January 18, 2008, His Grace visited the seminary campus as a participant in the SVOTS "Hierarch in Residence" program: each semester, one bishop is invited to the seminary to spend a day with the students and faculty, enabling him to interact with the students and pass on the lessons he has learned as a hierarch.
"Only in God, do we find unconditional love, in its fullness and reality," His Grace told the students in his address. "God wants every one of us to grow to perfection in unconditional love, as we men and women are created in the image and likeness of God."
"Many of us remember with great fondness the lecture that Metropolitan Barnabas gave to the community," recalled The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO. "Titled 'Unconditional Love,' this was clearly his pastoral model, and part of the legacy that he leaves to all of us."
His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas was born as a twin on August 9, 1924, and acquired the childhood nickname "Mathukutty." While still a young boy, Mathukutty decided become a monk; under the guidance of his grandfather and uncle, who were both priests, he began to visit monasteries during school vacations. Additionally, His Grace's mother, a pious woman who loved the poor, made a deep impression on her son.
While His Grace first studied science, earning an undergraduate degree in biology at Madras Christian College and a Master of Science in botany at Osmania University, he later studied theology with the guidance of his uncle, The Rev. Fr. K. P. Paulose. In 1949 he joined the Orthodox Theological Seminary as a special student, studying Syriac for two years, and eventually earned his B. D. degree from the Serampore University in Calcutta.
His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese II ordained him as a deacon in 1943 at his home parish, St. Thomas Cheriapally, Thuruthipaly, Vengola. In 1951 Metropolitan Augen Mar Thimotheos (His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Augen I), ordained His Grace to the holy priesthood. Twenty-seven years later, on May 15, 1978, H.H. (His Holiness) Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I consecrated him as bishop at Pazhanji Church, with the ecclesiastical title Mathews Mar Barnabas, appointing him as an assistant bishop of the Ankamali and Kottayam Dioceses. In 1982 he was appointed as the metropolitan of the newly formed Idikki Diocese.
In 1992, His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas was appointed to be the Metropolitan of the American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. His Grace served in this capacity for about 18 years, then continued as the Metropolitan of the Northeast Diocese of America when the growing diocese was divided into the Northeast and Southwest American dioceses for the convenience of administration in 2009. His Grace continued to serve until his retirement on January 18, 2011, and in May of the same year, he returned to India to spent the rest of his earthly life in his home country.
His Grace loved to teach. As a deacon, he was a teacher at Kurppumpady M.G. M. High School in 1947, and at the MD Seminary High School, Kottayam, until his ordination to the priesthood. He also lectured in the Orthodox Theological Seminary at Kottayam for five years. During this period (1967-1972) he was the resident faculty member at the seminary and full-time warden. He also cherished the years when he served as a chaplain in the Kolenchery Medical Mission Hospital from 1972-1978.
"Dearly beloved," wrote Metropolitan His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, "we mourn a great loss for the Church....May his example of love, prayer, and charity forever be practiced in our Christian lives." (Read the official diocese announcement of His Grace's repose.)
Thursday, December 13, 2012, the Feast of St. Herman of Alaska, marks the 29th anniversary of the repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, dean of Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) from 1962 until his death in 1983. On Monday evening the community at SVOTS will observe the milestone with a panikhida, as they remember his remarkable life and contributions, both to the Seminary and to the development of Orthodoxy in America.
"This evening," noted The Very Rev. John Behr, the current dean of SVOTS, "we will serve a panikhida for Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, who more than almost anyone else in the past century helped shaped Orthodoxy in America. This week, in a very particular way, as the weather turns colder and life around us begins to die, with these two figures—St. Herman and Fr. Alexander—we celebrate our own 'Winter Pascha,' knowing that through their work and prayers, Orthodoxy will continue to flourish in these lands."
Born in 1921 in Estonia to a family of Russian emigres, Fr. Schmemann spent his youth in France, completing theological studies at the Orthodox Theological Institute of St. Sergius in Paris, the center of Russian Orthodox scholarship during the period of upheaval caused by the Russian Revolution of 1917. Ordained to the priesthood in 1946, the young clergyman first taught Church History at St. Sergius Institute until 1951, when he was invited to join the faculty of St. Vladimir's Seminary. On July 5, 1959, Fr. Schmemann completed his doctoral studies, earning his degree from the Orthodox Theological Institute of St. Sergius with the dissertation "Tserkovny Ustav: Opyt Vvedeniia v Liturgicheskoe Bogoslovie" (The Church's Ordo: Introduction to Liturgical Theology). Subsequently, other institutions awarded him honorary degrees: Butler University, General Theological Seminary, Lafayette College, Iona College, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
In addition to teaching at St. Vladimir's, Fr. Alexander served as adjunct professor at Columbia University, New York University, Union Seminary, and General Theological Seminary in New York, and traveled as a popular guest lecturer throughout the U.S. and Europe. He also represented the Orthodox Church in the ecumenical movement, holding positions in the Youth Department, and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. Always cognizant of his roots, he ministered to Russians behind the "Iron Curtain" by broadcasting sermons in Russian through Radio Liberty, which gained him an audience across the Soviet Union.
Father Alexander published over a dozen books, most of which are still in print. For the Life of the World, one of his most widely read titles, has been translated into numerous languages and remains one of the most lucid explanations in print, of how the liturgical experience of the Orthodox Church informs the whole of human existence. Father Schmemann loved the liturgy and the worship of the Church, completing a major study on the Eucharist only weeks before his death.
The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS chancellor/CEO, recalled Fr. Alexander's pithy sayings. "He is often quoted by others," noted Fr. Chad. "One of my personal favorites attributed to Fr. Alexander is his comment that 'at St. Vladimir's, we change in order to remain the same.' This is especially important to remember, as the current administration makes changes demanded of us today, in order to keep SVOTS a premier Orthodox seminary."
On October 21, 2012, during his recent visit to the United States, the Patriarch presided over Matins and Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. Several Antiochian seminarians from St. Vladimir's Seminary participated in the service with His Beatitude. Wrote third-year student Richard Ajalat after the event, "It was a blessing to sense how our spiritual 'father of fathers' loves and cares for his children in North America." On the evening of December 5, the community of St. Vladimir's Seminary gathered in Three Hierarchs Chapel and prayed a panikhida service for His Beatitude.
Patriarch Ignatius began life in the village of Mhardey near Hama in Syria in 1920. His family nurtured him in the Orthodox faith, and after finishing school in Hama, the young Mr. Hazim moved to Beirut in 1936 to study literature. While in Beirut, he started his journey of service to the Church by serving as an acolyte. In 1945, His Beatitude graduated from the American University of Beirut, and from 1949 to 1953 he studied at the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris. Returning to Lebanon, he was ordained hieromonk, and also became one of the founders of the influential Orthodox Youth Movement in Lebanon and Syria. During this chapter of his life, His Beatitude also collaborated with other Orthodox clergy and laity to organize "Syndesmos," a worldwide community of Orthodox youth.
In 1961, His Beatitude became the Bishop of Palmyra and Patriarchal Vicar, and in the following year, he moved to the monastery of Balamand, where he served as superior and as dean of the Balamand Orthodox Theological Seminary. In 1970, the future Patriarch was appointed Metropolitan of Latakia (Laodicea). Later in that same decade on July 2, 1979, he was elected primate of the Church of Antioch, and was enthroned as world Orthodoxy's third-ranking hierarch (after Constantinople and Alexandria) the following week, on July 8.
As a scholar, Patriarch Ignatius published a series of theological books as well as numerous articles. In 1985, he published a book with SVS Press titled The Resurrection and Modern Man, on the centrality and promise of the Resurrection. He wrote, "It is up to us whether the New Creation remains hidden and meaningless, or whether it deifies man and transfigures the world. Such is our responsibility in the quest for authentic renewal." At St. Vladimir's Commencement Exercises in May of that same year, the Seminary's Board of Trustees conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on His Beatitude. Other degrees were awarded by the Sorbonne and Saint-Petersburg (1981) and Minsk (2003) Theological Academies.
Anne Glynn Mackoul, former executive chair of the seminary's board of trustees and a representative of His Beatitude and the patriarchate of Antioch to the World Council of Churches, recalled Patriarch Ignatius. "His Beatitude was a religious leader whose steadfast loving faith and humility inspired generations of Christians. His faith was formed in the rich soil of the east where the continuous presence of Christians from the time of Christ provides a compelling image to Christians worldwide. He worked urgently to maintain the presence of Christians in Syria and Lebanon, throughout the Middle East and in Palestine integrated peacefully in their diverse communities. He was committed to ecumenical and inter–faith dialogue, reflecting the particular witness of the patriarchate of Antioch living for centuries as neighbors face to face with Islam, and side by side with other Christian churches. Such a presence, as His Beatitude has written, is informed by the witness of a church that 'is sharing fully the suffering of our peoples, in patience but also in courage, a church that does not maintain itself in a survivalist conservatism and in an ethnic and linguistic particularism, a church dispersed like salt, seeking its identity in its vocation'."
"His Beatitude inspired and encouraged humanitarian outreach from the patriarchate to all in need. His passing is a tremendous loss for the Church and for the world," she concluded. Concurred Seminary Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, "We are deeply saddened by this immense loss, and are praying for His Beatitude and the church of Antioch."
Added The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, "His Patriarchal 'watch' has been on some of the most tumultuous times both ecclesiastically and in the civil realm of the Middle East. He will be remembered as one who kept things stable through these difficult times and his voice will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace and rise in glory."
Listen to Ancient Faith Radio's interview about the Patriarch's life and repose, featuring The Very Rev. Thomas Zain, lecturer of Liturgics at St. Vladimir's Seminary, and dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.
The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) and the Orthodox Church in America's (OCA) Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry, co–sponsored a free and public forum in the Bashir Auditorium at St. Vladimir's Seminary, on Tuesday, November 27. Titled "Campus Ministry Night," the evening featured presentations by OCF Executive Director Jennifer Nahas, Regional OCF chaplain for New York and New Jersey The Rev. John Diamantis, and the Chair of the Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry, Andrew Boyd (Class of '12).
Presenters focused on practical skills and useable resources needed for campus and young adult ministry. Jennifer Nahas of OCF outlined the challenges for this generation of youth: college kids will not have what their parents had economically, today's college degree does not equal job security, it is now taking an average of six years to obtain a college degree, and the current moral climate makes it very difficult for Orthodox Christian young people to survive spiritually.
Father John Diamantis then shared ideas for establishing OCF chapters and campus–based ministries. "We are now identifying Orthodox students by soliciting names from parishes of who their college students are, and are developing a data base for that," he explained.
Finally, Andrew Boyd presented several specific resources available from the OCA, and shared strategies for incorporating young adults into the parish community. The evening concluded with a time of discussion and fellowship.
The public is invited to view "It's a Girl," a chilling and sobering film about the plight of female babies and children, as societies throughout the world make a determination of their "worth," based solely on their gender. The movie will be hosted by the Seminary's St. Ambrose Society, a pro-life, student-led group, and will be shown in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building, 7 p.m. on Friday, December 7th. The event is free.
Attorney Ian Jones, SVOTS alumnus and doctoral candidate at Fordham University, will give a presentation following the film. His talk will explore potential connections between gendercide in Asia and the cultural situation in the United States, in terms of both similarities and differences. Attention will be given to gender, economics, and differing conceptions of human dignity and personhood, and in particular, how these factors influence cultural attitudes toward abortion and infanticide.
With members of the seminary community gathered in eager anticipation, His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), took the opportunity during his first official visit to St. Vladimir's as its President and ruling bishop to bless the new gym facility. Concurrent with his blessing, the gym was officially opened, and immediately made available for use on Friday, November 29.
"This gym has been a dream of generations of students who have passed through SVOTS," noted Theodore Bazil, associate chancellor for Advancement. "Finally by the grace of God, and the generosity of many, we are ready to accept this gift provided for the health and benefit of the SVOTS community."
"I especially want to thank the members of the Board of Trustees who contributed $1000 each in support of this long awaited on campus exercise area," noted The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO. "The physical side of a healthy and balanced life has been difficult for many here to maintain, because of high cost and distance to convenient exercise facilities. Now we have our own first class gym."
On Friday morning, November 30, Joseph Namee (cousin of SVOTS Board of Trustees member Eric Namee), accompanied by his family, traveled to campus from Austin, TX, to view the state–of–the–art exercise equipment. The Joseph Namee family generously donated the workout machines and arranged for their shipping and assembly in the Annex Building; the area formerly housed the Women's Dorm and is 1600 square feet. The comprehensive collection includes: 2 four–tiered cable pulley systems, 1 Iso–Lateral bench press, 1 Iso–Lateral rowing system with separate Iso–Lateral high row, 1 Iso–Leg press, interlocking rubber flooring, a full complement of graduated dumbbells, a stationary aerobic bike, 2 high performance aerobic stationary running treadmills, and other equipment.
The gym, which is available for all students, faculty, and staff and their spouses, will remain open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday, except during divine services or during other officially scheduled campus activities.
When His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), made his inaugural visit to St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) as its new President and ruling bishop on November 29th, he sampled the rich diversity of campus life. First, His Beatitude attended Vespers, along with His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and a special guest of the seminary for the evening. Second, he sat down to a community fish dinner, prepared by the school's chef and his wife, Nat and Teresa Fasciani, served up by faculty and staff. And third, His Beatitude blessed the school's new exercise/gym facility. In four short hours, Metropolitan Tikhon experienced the mundane and the sublime, the ordinary and extraordinary, the earthy and the heavenly that characterizes daily life at SVOTS.
His Beatitude assumed the offices of President of the Seminary and Chair of its Board of Trustees upon his election as Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the 17th All-American Council of the OCA, November 13, 2012. The Very Rev. John Behr, dean, welcomed Metropolitan Tikhon by saying, “This is the first chance we’ve had to welcome you to our school—I should say ‘your school’!—as our President, since your election to the office of Metropolitan. Truly, it is a joy to have you with us.”
In response, Metropolitan Tikhon said, “It is a blessing to make my first pastoral visit to join the community here for Vespers and a meal. It was truly a great honor to meet Cardinal Dolan and his delegation, and I am looking forward to returning to SVOTS soon to visit and pray with you, as we work together in this sacred task of spiritual education and formation.” His Beatitude will return to campus January 17–18, 2013, for the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees.
In acknowledging Cardinal Dolan, Fr. John continued, “Truly, you also honor us with your presence this evening. The last time we had a Cardinal of the Roman Church here was Cardinal Ratzinger!” [Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, made a brief visit to the seminary in 1998, attending Vespers with the community].
“You’ve inspired us with all the work you done in leading the advance with the gospel message, especially in your work in education: in uniting three seminaries from different dioceses; in your new program for pastoral education; and in your continuing education for clergy and laity alike,” concluded Fr. John.
With his typical good humor, Cardinal Dolan responded, “The honor of being with you is all mine.” Then he quipped, “I am especially happy to be here on the Feast of St. Andrew, as I’ve always identified with St. Andrew, having an impetuous and irascible brother of my own!”
The Cardinal then enumerated the various cooperative projects over the recent years between the Seminary and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, including concerts of sacred music hosted in some of the most famous Roman Catholic churches in Manhattan; and smaller scale projects with the Crestwood neighborhood’s Annunciation Church and nearby St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers.
Metropolitan Tikhon then presented His Eminence with a gift from the Seminary: an ornately carved pectoral cross, gilded with gold on the edge. His Beatitude noted, “As you know, the yoke of a bishop can be heavy to bear; here is a gift from us to make it lighter.”
Cardinal Dolan, who came to campus for the occasion at the invitation of The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean, and The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, acknowledged the gift, with joy, saying, “It’s beautiful; I will cherish this.”
Father Chad noted, “It’s highly symbolic that the Metropolitan of the OCA had his first meeting with Cardinal Dolan on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, as this feast has come to symbolize the desire of unity between East and West.”
“The Cardinal’s visit represents the ever-strengthening ties between our seminary and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York,” said Fr. Chad.
Other visiting dignitaries and guests included: The Rev. Monsignor Peter Vaccari, rector, St. Joseph's Seminary, with administrators and faculty from St. Joseph’s, The Rev. Matthew Ernest, director of Liturgical Formation, The Rev. Nicholas Zientarski, dean of Students and professor of Sacramental Theology; The Rev. James Massa, director of Accreditation and professor of Dogmatic Theology; The Rev. Monsignor Dennis Keane, rector, Church of the Annunciation, Crestwood; The Rev. Richard Baker, rector, St. Malachy's Church (“The Actors' Chapel”), Manhattan; The Very Rev. Yaroslav Sudick, retired rector, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Yonkers; and The Very Rev. Eric Tosi, secretary, OCA.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), recently appointed Fr. Mardiros Chevian (SVOTS Class of '76) to serve as the new Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York. Father Mardiros will be returning to the institution in which he worked in 1981 as the Director of Recruitment and Programs, and then later, as the Seminary's Rector. "Although I have enjoyed immensely being the Dean of St. Vartan Cathedral for the past nineteen years, I am excited to return to St. Nersess and direct the expanded mission of the seminary at its new campus," said Fr. Mardiros.
The St. Nersess November 15 announcement noted that as the new Dean, Fr. Mardiros will oversee plans to expand the Seminary's mission by moving the community to a new campus location in Armonk, NY, in 2014. The new five–and–a–half–acre Armonk campus is about sixteen miles north of the existing seminary location, and will allow for St. Nersess to continue its historic and close relationship with St. Vladimir's.
The SVOTS Academic Catalog explains that for years, "students at St. Nersess Seminary have taken their M.Div. degree at St. Vladimir's Seminary. With the revision of St. Vladimir's M.Div. curriculum beginning in 2007, a further step towards greater collaboration was taken, whereby the courses offered by the faculty of St. Nersess count for credit at St. Vladimir's. In this way, students of St. Vladimir's can benefit greatly from the remarkable range of courses offered by the distinguished faculty of St Nersess."
The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir's Seminary, expressed enthusiasm about the new St. Nersess Dean. "We have long valued our special relationship with St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, working together to enrich all of our students and their educational pursuits. We are very pleased with the appointment of Fr. Mardiros, an SVOTS alumnus, and look forward to many positive developments during his tenure."
Continuing education of current priests, through planned educational and training workshops
Offering support & training for Armenian priests from abroad who need assistance with acclimation and acculturation and are destined to serve in the North American dioceses
Transforming St. Nersess into a center for theological research for exchange faculty and students from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Strengthening the Armenian education of our American born seminarians through longer study in our seminaries in Armenia and Jerusalem
Introducing an undergraduate program that would combine local college study and courses, worship, and residence at St. Nersess Seminary
Continuing and expanding the fifty year tradition of summer youth programs, retreats, and altar server programs
"I want to challenge and inspire students who want to pursue the Armenian priesthood," noted Fr. Mardiros. "Even if a young American–born Armenian does not have a good command of the Armenian language, he will learn it....he must be confident and comfortable in his ministry as an Armenian priest. In addition to academics, it is important for a priest to be able to transmit what he knows and demonstrate strong leadership skills."
On the Saturday over Thanksgiving weekend, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of patristics at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), headlined as the featured guest speaker at the second annual ONE Conference. The conference, held at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, NJ, brings together youth from the Oriental Orthodox traditions (Coptic, Malankara, Syrian, Armenian, and Ethiopian) for fellowship and teaching, with the overarching goal of fostering unity.
Father John's topic, "Becoming Human," echoed the themes present in his upcoming SVS Press book of the same title. "It's an amazing event," explained Fr. John, "filled with the energy and zeal of youth."
The ONE Conference began when a core committee of young adults brainstormed around a kitchen table and came up with the idea for a gathering that would inspire and connect the youth of their faith communities. This group included SVOTS alumni John Malek ('00), Fr. Vijay Thomas ('09), and his former classmate Dn. Ryan Tellalian ('09), the Seminary's systems support specialist. In its first year, 2010, the conference was only open to people within the organizing committee, but subsequently, the founding group decided to open up the conference to include all young people ages 16 and older from Oriental Orthodox churches. As a result, in its second year, 1,400 youth from all over the East Coast attended. In 2012, the conference was further expanded to include youth from all Eastern Christian traditions, whether they hail from an Oriental, Byzantine Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox background.
Taking advantage of the holiday break, the ONE Conference is always held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, nearly 1,000 Youth from 10 churches (6 Oriental and 4 Eastern) gathered. The Coptic hierarch, His Grace David, general bishop and patriarchal exarch of the Coptic Orthodox Patriachate of the Archdiocese of North America, in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, presided and also spoke in the afternoon session.
Deacon Gregory Hatrak, marketing and operations manager for SVS Press and Bookstore, also attended, in order to bring the traveling bookstore to conference attendees. "This gathering was a huge success," he enthused. "Where, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, can you find nearly 1,000 Christian youth gathered?" Additionally, Dn. Gregory noted that "SVS Press was well received. It is our hope to cooperate more in the future with the Coptic and Indian churches."
