“Peace,” “unity,” “togetherness.” This past weekend these recurrent themes permeated the extraordinary visit of the relics of our seminary’s patron saint, the Holy Great Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, to our campus chapel. Orthodox Christians from near and far, and from various ecclesi and ethnic backgrounds, came to bow before the ornate enameled reliquary that held a portion of the skull of the 10th-century saint and to honor the memory of the man credited for bringing Christianity to the nation of Kievan Rus’.

With great reverence, scores of people gathered to view the relics and to sing praises in honor of the former pagan prince who, upon his marriage to a Byzantine princess and conversion to faith in Jesus Christ, dedicated himself to the precepts of the gospel and the furtherance of Christianity. Many were the progeny of the people that St. Vladimir himself had had under his reign.

Though hagiographers have noted St. Vladimir’s blameworthy actions—both as a pagan warrior and also as a Christian prince—they have as well emphasized his love and compassion for his subjects and acknowledged his attempts to provide unity and peace within his kingdom. Certainly, these marks of his personality imbue his relics, and he continues, in his saintly death, to influence believers and parish communities in awe-inspiring ways.

Ever since the relics were transported from Ukraine to Canada on September 6, 2010, their display in churches from Halifax to Vancouver, and, finally, at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in the United States, has evoked remarkably similar sentiments. Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko, who hand carried the relics from Ukraine to North America and who is the episcopal secretary of the Archdiocese of Canada, Orthodox Church in America (OCA), noted the “amazing” effect the relics have had, saying, “People have been brought together by St. Vladimir, in a way that, on a human level, I did not expect. Inner peace and strength have been given to many; and the visits have been peaceful, prayerful.”

Igumen Alexander Pihach, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canada and guest homilist Sunday in the seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, similarly observe d, “It’s been a miracle. St. Vladimir brought peace and unity to our communities, building bridges and bringing the faithful together, as his relics traveled from temple to temple.”

Notably, during the weekend hierarchs, clergy, and laity from the OCA were joined in our chapel by bishops, priests, and lay people from the jurisdictions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) and the Moscow Patriarchate (MP). In particular, His Eminence Justinian, archbishop of Naro-Fominsk and ad ministrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA (MP), presided at the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning; His Eminence Hilarion, metropolitan of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR), presided at the mid-day Akathist on Saturday; and His Grace Tikhon, bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA), presided at Vigil on Saturday evening. The choirs of St. Vladimir’s and St. Tikhon’s seminaries sang the responses to the services in antiphonal form, demonstrating in an exceptional manner, unity. 

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, chancellor of St. Vladimir’s, offered a heartfelt observation, saying, “For me, two things were notable. First, it was such a blessing to see three churches with Slavic ancestry—the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA, and ROCOR—all come together around this relic. And second, it was a joy to see our choir joined by the choir from St. Tikhon’s.”

Seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr concurred, stating, “It was wonderful to see happen what we sang in the Akathist to St. Vladimir, that ‘as a father  with his children he led all to sing alleluia!’.”

The relics will be returned shortly to Ukraine. Protodeacon Nazari, a native of Chernivtsi, Ukraine, will again hand carry them to their home, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Kiev.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and a St. Vladimir's alumnus (MDiv '85, MTh '88), was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Nashotah House, a seminary of the Episcopal Church, during the school's fall convocation. The academic convocation exhibited, in many respects, the recent cooperative efforts between Nashotah House and St. Vladimir's Seminary.

In 2009, the two seminaries signed a concordat, pledging themselves to prayer and mutual fellowship and cooperation. Both seminaries also have been working in recent years to revive the work of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, an organization founded in 1928 by members of Eastern Orthodox and Western Christians churches, with the explicit purpose of deepening the understanding between the two faith traditions. Archpriest Chad Hatfield, a Nashotah House graduate and Chancellor (CEO) of St. Vladimir's, delivered the convocation address this fall.

The honor bestowed upon Metropolitan Jonah came 105 years after St. Tikhon of Moscow, during his tenure as bishop and archbishop in North America, also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Nashotah House. The citation honoring Metropolitan Jonah pointed to his commitment to the revival of Orthodox and Anglican relations.

Our campus turned into a film set this week, as a Russian TV crew produced a documentary about the history of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). The crew, led by Archpriest Alexey Uminskiy, host of the popular Russian TV program "Orthodox Encyclopedia,"  shot extensive footage around our campus, especially in the library, bookstore, and chapel. Fr. Uminskiy is also rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Khokhlovsky Lane in Moscow, where SVOTS alumnus Dr. Alexander Dvorkin is a faithful parishioner and the parish’s reader.

On hand to speak to the camera were Professors Paul Meyendorff and Peter C. Bouteneff, both fluent in the Russian language. "The crew was interested in the mission of St. Vladimir's Seminary, and, particularly, in the roles played by Frs. Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff in its history. These two men are now extremely popular and well known in Russia," said Professor Meyendorff, who is the son of Fr. John.

"Orthodox Encyclopedia" is the major nationally broadcast Orthodox TV program in Russia. As its name indicates, it is an arm of the "Orthodox Encyclopedia Ecclesiastical Scholarly Research Center of the Russian Orthodox Church," which is publishing the huge multi-volume Orthodox Encyclopedia, an endeavor that has been ongoing for a decade and still continues.

The current episode being filmed was conceived to mark the 40th anniversary of the OCA's autocephaly, and to pay tribute to the late Fr. Dmitry Grigorieff, SVOTS alumnus and former faculty member. The film crew's short visit to the United States is limited to Washington D.C., mainly St. Nicholas Cathedral; St. Vladimir's Seminary; interviews with Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and with Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Sea Cliff, NY; and St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City.

The TV program will be broadcast in Russia in January or February 2011. Soon after broadcast, the transcript and video will be posted on the Website of "Orthodox Encyclopedia" and the YouTube channel of the Russian Orthodox Church.

SVOTS students are sharing their faith and seminary experience with students from several theological schools—both Orthodox Christians and also adherers of other faiths. This fall, our students renewed their participation in the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement (OISM) and the Inter-Seminary Dialogue (ISD), two organizations that enrich and sharpen their theological perspective and witness.

OISM—initially organized in the 1960s to foster closer relationships between students of canonical Orthodox seminaries in the United States and Canada—was revived in 2003. The New York metro area ISD began in the 1950s and includes students from about eight Christian and Jewish seminaries.

OISM

Monk Kilian (Sprecher), third-year student at St. Vladimir’s, has adapted the Pauline phrase, “There is neither Jew nor Greek…” (Gal 3:28) to his new role as President of OISM. “There is neither ‘Slav nor Greek,’ ” he reflects. “This is what we seminarians learn as we interact with each other and learn about each other’s liturgical and cultural traditions.”

Having participated in the group for the past three, years, Fr. Kilian was elected president at the Spring 2010 meeting of the society. “Being president means that I will interface with student representatives from all member seminaries: Holy Cross School of Theology in Boston; Holy Trinity in Jordanville, New York; St. Tikhon’s in South Canaan, Pennsylvania; St. Herman’s in Kodiak, Alaska; Christ the Saviour in Johnston, Pennsylvania; St. Sophia Seminary in South Bound Brook, St. Andrew College in Winnipeg, Canada; and our own St. Vladimir’s.

“I also will oversee and arrange things for our meeting each semester. Each member school of OISM takes a turn hosting the other seminaries, providing an opportunity for fellowship and for learning about each other’s traditions and histories.”

In Fall 2010, Christ the Saviour Seminary hosted the OISM gathering, September 24–26. In addition to students from the host school and St. Vladimir’s, seminarians from Holy Cross, Holy Trinity, St. Sophia, and St. Tikhon's seminaries gathered to reflect on the theme, "Living Out Our Theology." Metropolitan Nicholas, primate of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of the U.S.A., who could not be present at the meeting, sent a message of welcome to the seminarians, which was read by Fr. Nicholas Ferencz.

St. Vladimir’s Seminary will host the next OISM meeting on February 25–27, 2011, and Fr. Kilian is looking forward to holding it on our campus. “ ‘OISM’ is for everyone,” he said. “I am encouraging married students and female students to attend our meetings.”

ISD

Second-year seminarians, Basil (Kevin) Fritts and Sarah Johnson planned the first ISD session of the fall semester, hosted on our campus October 21. Seminarian Basil launched the evening with a Power Point presentation, posing questions meant to spark a discussion about the relationship between faith and science, within the students’ respective faith traditions. The topic was part of the more general theme for this year, “Religious Traditions Encounter Modernity.”

“What is ISD?,” rhetorically asks Seminarian Basil. “It is an opportunity for St. Vladimir's seminarians to learn how other Christians and various bodies of Jews live their faith. Students at seminaries all over New York City come together to discuss topics of interest for the purpose of learning and sharing our unique perspectives with each other.

“Who should come?,” he continues. “Everyone is welcome, obviously! Learning about the perspectives and practices of other faiths is particularly helpful for military chaplains, hospital chaplains, and parish priests in mixed faith communities—and where in America doesn’t that exist? So, ISD is for all of us, really.”

During the current economic downturn, many faithful Christians may be wondering how to keep their contributions flowing to parishes, favorite charities, church agencies, monastic communities, and so on, as they watch the balance in their checkbooks drop steadily. They also may be wondering if they will be able to pass on any wealth to their children or grandchildren. Certainly, the words of Scripture, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7) present a challenge to most believers nowadays, as they wrestle with the Scriptural admonitions "to give generously" (Ps 37:21, Rom 12:8), while facing job losses, pay cuts, and even home foreclosures.

To address this dilemma, on Thursday, November 4, from 2 p.m.–5 p.m., the seminary will host a free public seminar titled "How to Fulfill Your Financial and Philanthropic Interests to Your Greatest Benefit." James E. Gillespie, President and CEO of CommonWealth, and faculy member at The Fund Raising School, a unit of Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, will lead the seminar. Mr. Gillespie has more than 25 years in the field of fund raising, with an expertise in design and implementation of planned giving, that is, leaving a legacy to one's favorite charities and descendants.

"Almost every time we think of making charitable gifts, we think in terms of giving away our cash," stated Mr. Gillespie, in anticipation of his trip to St. Vladimir's. "My seminar will engage people with ideas and applications for how to make philanthropic gifts while at the same time, in some cases, increasing cash flow and gaining the ability to transfer wealth to the next generation."

Mr. Gillespie also will be meeting with the seminary's Board of Trustees and administrative personnel during the board's annual meeting, scheduled for November 4–6.

If you would like to participate in this event, RSVP Fr. Jason Foster by Tuesday, November 2: 914-961-8313 EXT 317 or jfoster@svots.edu. The seminar will take place in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building. Find us on Google Maps.

St. Vladimir's Seminary is seeking to hire an Assistant Librarian for its campus library, located in the state-of-the-art John G. Rangos Family Building. The seminary library currently holds more than 142,000 volumes and receives over 350 periodicals and serves the needs of faculty, students, and visiting scholars.

The Assistant Librarian will report to the Head Librarian, Ms. Eleana Silk, and will be responsible for managing the seminary's inter-library loan program and teaching information literacy. Applicants will be considered for part-time or possibly full-time appointment, depending upon qualifications.

Duties of the Assistant Librarian include helping the Head Librarian with:

• Managing the circulation desk
• Answering reference questions
• Cataloging materials as assigned
• Other tasks as assigned

Qualifications for the position include:

• MLIS or MLS degree
• Experience in inter-library loan (+2 years)
• Recent cataloging experience in an academic setting, with knowledge of OCLC (+2 years)
• Knowledge of Koha software
• Knowledge of European and Eastern Europe languages

Under brilliant blue skies Sunday, October 17, several members of our SVOTS community "Bridged the Gap" between rich and poor by participating in a walk-a-thon across the Brooklyn Bridge. The fundraiser will benefit the Youth Equipped to Serve (YES) Program, an Orthodox Christian ministry that trains youth as service leaders and promotes outreach to their communities. More than $2,500 was raised by the walk.

"Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge aimed to demonstrate the importance of 'Bridging the Gap' between the rich and the poor," said Katrina Bitar, SVOTS alumna ('09) and program director for YES. "The YES approach begins with breaking down stereotypes and poverty awareness, and ends with engaging our youth in situations where they see Christ in everyone and choose to be Christ for every person they encounter, ultimately creating a oneness with all people through serving each other. The ultimate goal of the YES Program is to equip a generation of youth to be service leaders who will lead others in meeting the needs of the neighbors in their communities."

Maggie Downham, 2nd-year student at SVOTS and YES leader, helped Ms. Bitar organize the walk, which included participants not only from St. Vladimir's Seminary but also YES students from local parishes in the Greek and Antiochian Archdioeses and the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Our Chancellor, Fr. Chad Hatfield, led the SVOTS contingent.

First-year seminarian Jesse Brandow explained why he wanted to participate, saying, "I wanted to walk in support of YES because the kind of work they do with teens has the power to transform them, to wake them up to the gospel. It was also just a beautiful day to walk with a bunch of friends!"

YES is a program under the umbrella of FOCUS North America, an Orthodox Christian agency that expresses Christ's love by following the dictates of the gospel to feed and clothe the hungry, to minister to the imprisoned and sick, and to create loving bonds among peoples in all strata of society. The Rev. Justin Mathews, also  a SVOTS alumnus, is the Executive Director and CEO of FOCUS.

On Tuesday, October 19, 2010, His Grace Tikhon (Stepanov), bishop of Archangelsk and Kholmogory, reposed in the Lord, at age 47.

Archbishop Tikhon (Stepanov) was born March 2, 1963, in Kostroma. His Eminence studied at the Leningrad Theological Seminary from 1984–1986, at the Leningrad Theological Academy from 1986–1990, and at St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1990–1991. On August 28, 1991, Archbishop Tikhon took monastic vows and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood on August 29 and September 1, respectively. On June 16, 1992, Archbishop Tikhon was elevated to the rank of igumen.

His Eminence was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite on January 1, 1996, and consecrated to the Holy Episcopacy as Bishop of Arkangelsk and Kholmogory on February 4, 1996, by the late Patriarch Alexy II in Moscow's Holy Epiphany Cathedral.

The entire seminary community is praying for the soul of Archbishop Tikhon.
 

In late September, Professor Paul Meyendorff, SVOTS faculty member, traveled to the Orthodox seminary in Joensuu, Finland, to discuss the future of Orthodox theological education in Europe in light of the Bologna Process. The Bologna Process is a recent initiative within the European Union to reform and standardize higher education. The meeting in Joensuu was called to discuss the implications of this process for Orthodox seminaries in Europe. The meeting concluded with a proposal to develop a pan-Orthodox agency to monitor the quality of Orthodox theological education.

At the meeting, Dr. Meyendorff described the accreditation process for North American seminaries through the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), as well as the SVS Strategic Plan and the New Curriculum. He also spoke to seminary students about the history and life of St. Vladimir’s.

Also attending the meeting were Fr. Rauno Pietarinen, a SVOTS alumnus and rector of the Orthodox Seminary in Finland; Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, vice-chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Dr. Konstantinos Kenanidis, director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete; and several other representatives from the Orthodox Church of Finland.

A follow-up workshop is scheduled for April 2011 at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, with observers and representatives from the major theological schools and observers from the ATS, the EU Bologna Process, and Roman Catholic theological institutions. Participants in the Joensuu meeting agreed that this new initiative would make possible the mutual recognition of degrees and foster a closer partnership between theological institutions, as well as foster greater unity among all Orthodox.

Our November 2010 Open House for prospective students will provide those contemplating ministry or a deeper study of the Orthodox faith with first-hand experience of seminary life. Participants will attend classes, worship in the chapel, tour the campus and its resources, and meet faculty members and seminarians. Detailed information on the Seminary's various degree programs, financial aid, and admissions process also will be provided.

A special feature of this year's Open House will be the extraordinary opportunity for participants to venerate the relics of our patron saint, the Holy Great Prince Vladimir, on November 12th, with our seminary community, prior to public veneration the following two days. Additionally, prospective students will have the pleasure of sharing our Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Day meal.

There is no cost to participants, other than their transportation costs. Prospective students may explore their transportation options on our Website. Participants needing help in navigating their way from the New York Metropolitan Airports or Railway/Bus Stations, however, may contact Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, Director of Alumni and Recruitment, at the Seminary's Recruitment Office: 914-961-8313, EXT 342 or email jmatusiak@svots.edu. Please also contact PDn. Joseph to obtain more information, a schedule of activities, or an Open House registration form.

Saint Vladimir Seminary, a graduate school of theology, offers Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and Master of Theology degrees.

Find us on Google Maps.