With the waning autumn light as a backdrop, nearly thirty seminarians from an evangelism class at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York), joined our seminary community for the service of Vespers. The neighboring seminarians, who are studying under the guidance of St. Joseph's Rector, the Reverend Monsignor Peter Vaccari, filled the our campus refectory afterwards and joined the "regulars" for a delicious meal prepared by Chef Nat Fasciani.

A diverse group who hailed from locations as distant as Uganda, China, and the Philippines, the St. Joseph's seminarians commented on how much they enjoyed the Vespers service. For most of them, it was their first visit to St. Vladimir's. The event came about because Msgr. Peter had invited The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, SVOTS chancellor/CEO, to teach one of the sessions for his New Evangelization class, and so Fr. Chad extended an invitation to the class for Vespers and dinner as well.

After dinner, the guests convened in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium to hear Fr. Chad's address. He spoke about the Gospel mandate to evangelize and encouraged all of the gathered seminarians—both Roman Catholic and Orthodox—to remember that divisions "are a luxury we can no longer afford." The class resonated with Fr. Chad's description of the culture, which, he explained, is moving from a post–Christian era to an aggressively anti–Christian era, not only in the United States but also around the world.

In addition, Fr. Chad discussed the error of syncretism, and how important it is to preserve the Orthodox Christian faith in its entirety. He cited several examples of positive Catholic and Orthodox mission approaches, such as the one employed by Alaskan missionaries of earlier centuries. Students also expressed great interest in the discussion of one of this century's developing challenges, the competing goals of Christian and Islamic evangelization throughout the world.

St. Joseph's Seminary was founded in 1891 to serve the needs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for clergy. Its forty-acre campus is just minutes from St. Vladimir's, and over the years the two institutions have enjoyed a warm and cordial relationship. Recently, several greater New York Catholic seminaries merged to create one larger seminary, and St. Joseph's is currently educating over 100 candidates for Roman Catholic orders.

Monsignor Peter wrote, in a letter of thanks, afterwards, "I'd like to express my gratitude for your reception of my class on Wednesday evening at St. Vladimir's. Thank you for inviting us to join your community for Vespers and dinner, for your very thoughtful and thought-provoking lecture, and the time in your great bookstore." The Monsignor added that he plans to send a reciprocal invitation for the St. Vladimir's faculty to join the community at St. Joseph's for dinner and a program, in December. 

View the photo gallery of the St. Joseph's Seminary visit

In a joyous celebration of faith and culture, St. Vladimir's Seminary pulled out all the stops for Orthodox Education Day 2012. Approximately 1,000 people traveled from distances as far as Great Britain, and in groups—priests from Eastern PA, cadets from Annapolis, MD, and collegians participating in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) retreat. The theme this year was "Inklings of Glory: Godward Journeys with Lewis and Tolkien."

"I think this year, we struck a perfect balance between education and festival," noted The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO. "It was such a blessing to see the Chapel bursting at the seams for the services, especially for the Akathist to St. Anna in the late morning. We are so thankful to St. Tikhon's Monastery for making the miraculous icon available to our community."

The packed schedule commenced with Divine Liturgy in the Three Hierarchs Chapel, with His Eminence The Most Rev. Tikhon, archbishop of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania of the Orthodox Church in America, presiding. Other visiting hierarchs and clergy included The Rt. Rev. Michael, bishop of New York and New York and New Jersey,  The Right Rev. Mark, bishop of Baltimore, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, and thirteen other members of the clergy.

A Hunger Games workshop for young adults, led by Dr. Kate Behr, adjunct professor of Literature at Concordia College; and a book study with The Rev. Dr. Andrew Cuneo, SVOTS alumnus (valedictorian 2010) and professor of Literature at St. Katherine College, San Diego, CA, featuring C.S. Lewis's work, The Abolition of Man, completed the morning offerings.

An Akathist dedicated to St. Anna, served in front of the weeping icon of St. Anna from St. Tikhon's Monastery, South Canaan, PA, inspired all who attended. (Listen to a talk by the icon's caretaker, Fr. Athanasy, HERE and HERE.)

Throughout the morning, workers under the tents busily prepared a smorgasbord of international food, featuring the cuisine of India, Greece, the Middle East, the United States, Serbia, and Russia. While dining at lunch, visitors could watch the Irish dancing performed by the Inishfree School of Irish Dance, featuring Zachary Barnet, son of Dr. John Barnet, associate dean for Academic Affairs at St. Vladimir's.

After lunch, Librarian Eleana Silk hosted an Open House in the Father Georges Florovsky Library. Throughout the day, an exhibit in the library of saints of the British Isles, displayed alongside a special icon collection by Sr. Joanna [Reitlinger], instructor of Leonid Ouspensky and Fr. Gregory Krug, intrigued and delighted visitors.

In the early afternoon, Dr. Christopher W. Mitchell, distinguished Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, delivered the first keynote, "Lewis and Tolkien: Scholars and Friends," to a standing room only crowd in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. The second keynote, by C.S. Lewis Oxford scholar, The Rev. Dr. Andrew Cuneo, addressed "Christian Themes in C. S. Lewis." Rounding out the Popular Literature." A sacred music concert by the SVOTS Seminary Octet, as well as a Memorial Service (Panikhida) that especially recalled two departed members of the seminary community—Professor Veselin Kesich and Ann Holod Zinzel—preceded the Vespers at 5 p.m. 

View the photo gallery of Orthodox Education Day

 Listen to the Ancient Faith Radio audio of the keynote addresses:

   "Lewis and Tolkien: Scholars and Friends" with Dr. Christopher W. Mitchell

   "Christian Themes in C.S. Lewis" with The Rev. Dr. Andrew Cuneo

Read Fr. Alexander Rentel's morning homily, "'Ministering to God': A Reflection on the Life of St. Innocent of Alaska"

Two priests with connections to St. Vladimir's Seminary recently received 2013 Church Planting Grants from the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Former Annual Gifts Officer The Rev. Jason Foster, priest of Holy Nativity of the Lord Mission, Shreveport, LA, Diocese of the South, received a second-year grant for his mission parish, as did alumnus The Rev. Dr. Joshua Lollar, priest of St. Nicholas Orthodox Christian Church, Lawrence, KS, Diocese of the Midwest.

Father Jason's parish is currently meeting at a community center for Divine Liturgy, and on Wednesday evenings Fr. Jason and Mtka. Ashley host the faithful in their home, for Vespers, Bible study, and dinner.

Founded in September 2002, Fr. Joshua's parish has a current attendance of some 50 faithful, who meet on the second floor of the Ecumenical Campus Ministries Building at the University of Kansas. Father Joshua also serves on the faculty of the Midwest Diocese Catechist & Diaconal Vocation Program, where he teaches Church History, Dogmatic Theology, and Spirituality.

"Each of these missions received a substantial grant—$20,000 for the second year—matched by the missions, in order to support the full-time ministry and missionary work of their priests," said Alumnus Fr. John Parker, who chairs the Department of Evangelization of the OCA.

"Because of limited funding, the grants were more highly competitive than usual," Fr. John added. The OCA received applications from missions across the U.S. and Canada, from the South, the Midwest, Alaska, Washington, and New York. 

The annual basketball game between St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) in South Canaan, PA, rescheduled due to Hurricane Sandy, will take place on Friday, February 22, at 4:00 p.m. The game will be held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church gymnasium, a few miles from the Seminary on 10 Mill Road, New Rochelle, NY. Following the game, St. Vladimir's will host the players afterwards for a post–game pizza fest.

Both teams are practicing hard and anticipating the spirit of friendly competition that characterizes the event. SVOTS alumni are invited to come and support the team, for what promises to be an exciting match–up. 

Editor's Note: On Friday, September 28, 2012, a van load of third–year students from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) traveled to the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, to participate in the annual Orthodox Interseminary Retreat. This year's speaker, The Very Rev. Dr. Irenaeus (Matthew C.) Steenberg, is the founder of Saints Cyril & Athanasius of Alexandria Institute for Orthodox Studies in San Francisco, CA.

The motivation behind the retreat, which is planned by Holy Cross Dean of Students Dn. Nicholas V. Belcher (SVOTS '05), is to bring seniors from the region's Orthodox seminaries together, including St. Vladimir’s and Holy Cross, as well as St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, and Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY.

"It's a chance to begin to build relationships," explained SVOTS Director of Field Education, The Rev. Dr. David Mezynski. Deacon James Parnell, president of the SVOTS Student Council, reflected upon his participation in the retreat and its significance.

"Formation" is a big part of our life at seminary. We're bombarded with this idea from day one at St. Vladimir's, but that's often seen as "growing, and changing, becoming, or being molded," and those sorts of transitional ideas. It obviously assumes a certain degree of growing self-knowledge and honesty as part of a serious self–reflection. Yet, at the same time, the stresses of seminary life can mean that there is very little time for reflection, that is, time set aside for reflection on what we've done, who we are, and where we'll be going. To be honest, I was not initially excited about spending a weekend at a "retreat." It sounded like just "one more thing," when I had a ton of assignments due and a deep desire to spend some time with my family after a busy couple of weeks.

Yet having participated in it, I am so grateful that I attended the retreat at Holy Cross. Far from congratulating us and giving us applause, Fr. Irinei (Steenberg) gave us, through his talks, a real honest look at how our life would change next year. It gave us a lot to reflect on, and the best part: we were given the chance—the time—to reflect on our journeys at seminary and our future lives as pastors outside of seminary, which will come in just a few short months.

We also had the opportunity share our stories, fears, joys and tears with other seminarians from Holy Cross, St. Tikhon's, and Holy Trinity, and begin to develop some real friendships that will hopefully continue throughout our pastoral ministry all over the United States. I sincerely hope that events like these will continue, and I can't thank the seminary enough for making it mandatory!

At the heart of the St. Vladimir's Seminary campus stands Three Hierarchs Chapel. While most of the congregants of the Chapel are seminary students, faculty, and staff, others from the surrounding community of Crestwood and beyond also call Three Hierarchs their spiritual home.

Long-time member Bettye Malone is one such person. For over thirty years she has participated in the life of the Chapel, contributing her soaring, professional soprano voice to the choir throughout many of those years. Ms. Malone brought her children to church school and eventually, her grandson Skye Andrew Malone, an altar server at the Chapel since the age of eight, and also an avid Boy Scout. Currently, Skye is member of Yonkers Troop 4 (Westchester Putnam Boy Scout Council).

On Sunday, September 30, 2012, friends and family gathered in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium at 2:30 p.m. for Skye's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Only two percent of Boy Scouts reach the Eagle Scout level, and along the way they must accumulate twenty–one merit badges and complete a major service project, all by the time they are eighteen years old.

"Skye Andrew Malone has spent his entire life as part of our chapel community and it was pure joy to see him honored by his spiritual family and the Boy Scouts at an event that is really rather rare. We are all very proud of him," said The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, seminary Chancellor/CEO.

The Eagle Scout ceremony included the Scout Presentation of Colors, the flag pledge and the Scout Oath, presentation of the Eagle Scout medals, and a charge given by fellow Eagle Scout Dn. Evan Freeman, SVOTS Class of '09. Mr. Sean M.A. Hatfield, Esq., journeyed from Wichita, Kansas to deliver the keynote address.

"This will become increasingly meaningful for you in the years ahead," said fellow Eagle Scout Hatfield. "It's a long road to become an Eagle Scout, but in earning that rank, you have demonstrated to your troop, your friends, and family, and to your community, outstanding qualities of leadership and dedication."

Attorney Hatfield pointed out that 2012 is the 100th year anniversary of Eagle Scouts in America, and thus a propitious time for Skye to achieve the honor. "It is a very special time to be called into this rather exclusive group," he noted. "For 100 years Eagle Scouts have been the gold standard of youth and community leadership. Recently The Wall Street Journal compared earning an Eagle Scout rank to that of earning a 'doctorate in boyhood.'"

The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project requires each scout to lead a team in a collaborative effort demanding hours of labor and organization. Skye and his seven other workers corrected a flooding problem on the Seminary's front campus, completing the project in two phases. First, he and his crew installed a drainage pipe, and then, they constructed two new benches to replace a fast-decaying marble bench. The team logged over one hundred hours on the beautification effort, the results of which will be enjoyed for many years.

Read more about Skye's project in Synaxis, the Seminary's blog

View the photo gallery of the Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony

On Monday, October 1, 2012, His Grace The Rt. Rev. Michael, bishop of New York, and New York and New Jersey, celebrated a special Service of Thanksgiving (Molebien) marking the 60th Anniversary of the priestly ordination of The Very Rev. Daniel Hubiak, St. Vladimir's Seminary Class of '51. The service took place at 1:00 p.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Jersey City, NJ.

A reception in the church hall followed and was attended by a delegation from the Seminary, which included Associate Chancellor for Advancement Theodore Bazil, Associate Chancellor for Finance Melanie Ringa, SVS Press and Bookstore Marketing and Operations Manager Dn. Gregory Hatrak, and Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations Pdn. Joseph Matusiak.

On behalf of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Mr. Bazil congratulated Fr. Daniel for his 60 years of priestly ministry, and presented him with a gramata [certificate of recognition] honoring him for his years of unselfish support. Father Dan has been Director of the Alumni Association, a member of the St. Vladimir's Theological Foundation, and a long-time member of the Board of Trustees, including membership on the Executive Committee.

Mr. Bazil remarked that "Father Dan is a man of integrity, optimism, and good cheer, and both he and his wife Dunia always brighten one's day by their infectious smiles and joy in life. Their guidance and wise counsel have been deeply appreciated."

Father Daniel and his wife, Matushka Evdokya—affectionately known as "Dunia"—have served the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in several parishes: Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord, Brooklyn, NY; Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, East Meadow, LI; Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel, Oyster Bay Cove, NY; and Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Jersey City, NJ. Currently, he is serving as Temporary Rector of the Church of the Mother of God, in Mays Landing, NJ.

Father Daniel also served as Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) for fifteen years. In 1970, he was a member of the official delegation sent to Russia to receive the Tomos of Autocephaly from Patriarch Alexis. For several years in the 1990s, he served as the OCA's Representative to the Moscow Patriarchate, and as the first rector of the OCA's Representation Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr, in Moscow. 

Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, associate professor of Systematic Theology and editor of the SVS Press Foundations Series, will be the keynote speaker at the Orthodox Institute, an educational conference hosted at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA, November 1–4. The theme of the institute is "Culture. Morality. Spirituality." Participants and speakers will survey current cultural views and how they conflict with the teachings of the Church. In breakout sessions, attendees will discuss the challenges facing today's youth.

Dr. Bouteneff, who has chosen to speak on the topic, "Contemporary Culture and Religion," has explored similar issues in his SVS Press book, Sweeter than Honey: Orthodox Thinking on Dogma and Truth, which examines the nature of truth in the face of today's challenging cultural landscape. Noted Dr. Bouteneff in an interview with September's The Word magazine: "...if you're talking with high school or college-aged kids about it (relativism and tolerance), especially if they're in kind of pluralistic settings or diversely populated schools (like my kids are), you have to be genuinely receptive and affirmative to their inquisitiveness about other people, other faiths, what people believe and stand for. You have to agree with them that we're against religious violence and extremism. But then you have to show them why and how tolerance doesn't mean giving up your own truth claims. You can actually believe that the other person's faith gets it wrong in some key areas and still coexist in genuine mutual esteem. If you can convey to people the difference between 'tolerance' and 'relativism,' as well as the difference between 'faith conviction' and 'violence,' that's a huge step!"

Alumnus The Very Rev. Joseph Purpura, D.Min. (SVOTS '79), director of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America's Department of Youth and Parish Ministries, is also leading a session at the Institute, titled "Youth Ministry Programs, Substance Abuse." Under Fr. Joseph's leadership, the Orthodox Christian Coalition for Healthy Youth (OCCHY), a national alliance established to combat substance abuse in youth, was awarded a five–year government grant to fund a Chicago–based coalition of organizations and churches.

Read The Word magazine's interview with Dr. Bouteneff and a review of his book Sweeter than Honey

Download the conference registration form 

The Department of Youth, Young, Adult, and Campus Ministries of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) recently announced its 2012 YouTube Challenge for high school and college students. "A new program of the department, the YouTube Challenge invites high school and college students to respond to scriptural questions with a short video," said Department Chair Andrew Boyd, SVOTS Class of '12. "Videos may be submitted either by individuals or by groups, such as an OCF chapter or parish youth group."

Individual and team videos will be evaluated by a panel of four judges led by The Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen, assistant professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's Seminary and Class of '96. Two other Seminary alumni will serve on the panel: Fr. Theophan Whitfield (SVOTS '10) and Dn. Jason Ketz (SVOTS '12).

Fr. Sergius explained, "The YouTube Challenge carries the venerable tradition of Orthodox oratorical festivals into the digital age.  High School and collegiate participants will post videos to YouTube reflecting their experience of Christian life in the twenty–first century. Orthodox Christian youth from all Orthodox jurisdictions have been invited to respond to one of two questions, and to be as creative as possible."

Added Fr. Sergius, "Young people today are fluent in online media in ways that were inconceivable ten or twenty years ago, and YouTube is a powerful influence in their lives. Why not teach our young people to use this remarkable resource as means for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ? God willing, the YouTube Challenge will help youth and young adults to discover their God–given voices as Christian witnesses." 

Participation is welcome for the high school division (ages 14–18) and the college division (ages 18–28) by all Orthodox Christians in North America.

"The highest scoring individual submission will be offered a trip to the 2013 Festival of Young Preachers in Atlanta, GA from January 2–5, 2013," Department Chair Boyd noted. "We hope this challenge will encourage our youth and young adults to think seriously about their faith and how to articulate it in the online environment."

Those wishing to participate should contact the Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries at yyacm@oca.org by October 20, 2012. All video entries are due by midnight on November 10. Additional information, including rules, guidelines, judging criteria, and challenge questions can be found here.

The Orthodox Theological Society of America (OTSA) held its annual meeting at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary between September 20 and 22, 2012. The presenters addressed various aspects of the theme, "Orthodoxy and the Political." Among other topics, the participants discussed a holistic approach to morality, outlining an Orthodox perspective that goes beyond the existing tendency towards division in today's public discourse. While emphasizing the need for a prophetic attitude, the speakers also cautioned against a unilateral association with politics. The diversity of participants' opinions enriched their fellowship and collaboration.

On Friday evening, September 21, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics of St. Vladimir's Seminary, delivered the annual Father Georges Florovsky Lecture in the Metropolitan Philip auditorium. The Florovsky Lecture, held in different locations each year, honors The Very Rev. Dr. Georges Florovsky, eminent Orthodox theologian, historian, and Slavic scholar, who served as the dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1949–1955.

Speaking to a full house of distinguished Orthodox academics, Fr. John discussed the changing ways in which the Fathers have been read over the last half century, in his talk "Reading the Fathers Today."

"In my lecture, I looked at the breakdown in the discipline of theology into fragmented fields," explained Fr. John. "I wanted to lay the foundation for understanding today's context and challenge, which is this: we need to be able to read the Fathers again from a clean theological perspective, and to understand what makes theology, theology."

In another conference feature, St. Vladimir's faculty members The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, The Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen, and Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tony Kireopoulos. The panelists discussed the Seminary's public "face," and how the Seminary presents itself within the Orthodox world and the wider society.

Dr. Bouteneff explained, "As a faculty, we're constantly reflecting on what our role ought to be—as a church institution and an academic institution—in the Church and in the world. When it comes to divisive issues, whether in the Church or in the political world, we do have a role to play: not in making public pronouncements, but by fostering a genuine and constructive dialogue, by insuring that the right voices are at the table, but also by informing that dialogue with voices from the Church's tradition." 

"OTSA is deeply grateful to St. Vladimir's Seminary for their hospitality and participation in the works of the Society," said The Rev. Dr. Radu Bordeianu, OTSA's president and associate professor of Theology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. "We were received with great warmth. Our special thanks go to the faculty who addressed our theme in a panel, to Fr. John Behr, who gave the Georges Florovsky Lecture, and to the students and staff who hosted the public reception following the lecture."

Listen to the lecture on Ancient Faith Radio