Orientation Week 2010 concluded with a special visit from His Beatitude Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and president of the SVOTS Board of Trustees. Metropolitan Jonah presided at the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and his sermon centered on lessons that incoming seminarians might glean from the gospel reading for the feast day.

"You are embarking not just on an academic journey," His Beatitude stated, "but also upon a spiritual one—a 'podvig' as the Russians would say—an ascetic effort. The words of St. John the Baptist, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,' must be taken as a theme for the whole of our lives; for, authentic repentence leads to joy and healing and away from the slavery of our passions and egos."

Also concelebrating at the Divine Liturgy was Archpriest Seraphim Gan, rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Sea Cliff, NY, a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). Fr. Seraphim was warmly welcomed by our Dean, Fr. John Behr, who expressed his hope for a deepening fellowship within the brotherhood of Christ.

Metropolitan Hilarion [Alfeyev] of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow, was scheduled to concelebrate on the feast, but was not present due to illness. Metropolitan Hilarion traveled to the OCA Chancery on Monday, August 30, to contribute to the reflections within the OCA regarding its participation in the Episcopal Assembly process. Joining Metropolitan Jonah and Metropolitan Hilarion at that meeting, from our Seminary, were Archpriests John Behr and Chad Hatfield, and Fr. Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law.

View a photo gallery of Divine Liturgy and fellowship hour.

Ever since our Dean, Fr. John Behr, made his extensive tour through the churches and seminaries of India in the Fall of 2009, St. Vladimir's has been strengthening its friendship with the  Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in a series of cordial exchanges. Most recently, in August 2010, Fr. John welcomed His Grace Dr. Yuhanon Mar Demetrios, Assistant Metropolitan of the Delhi Diocese, to our campus, and in turn attended and spoke at a reception for His Grace at St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Bronx, NY.

Mar Demetrios is the Professor of New Testment at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, India, and also is Secretary of the Inter-Church Relations Committee of the Orthodox Church in India. As well, he is a member of the WCC Committee on Education and Ecumenical Formation. He has authored several books and articles, including the volume, Gospel of Mark: An Interpretation, and many articles about the Virgin Mary. Formerly, Bishop Demetrios served St. Mary's Church as a layman and a deacon, in the position of Sunday School Headmaster and Youth Leader.

By Deborah (Malacky) Belonick

Our Dean, Fr. John Behr, warmly welcomed new seminarians to the campus for Orientation Week 2010 by conducting a prayer service and by centering his welcoming remarks around a line from the Gospel of John: "Father, the hour has come" (Jn 17:1). Reminding the freshman class that the gospel passage referred to the hour of Christ's Passion, he noted that the "hour had come" for each of them to share in the Cross of Christ as they begin their theological studies. Fr. John also reminded the incoming class that they had taken a "further step out of the world" by enrolling at St. Vladimir's, with the intention of more deeply dedicating their lives to God.

Fr. John also gave two lengthy presentions—"Introduction to Seminary Life" and "The Crucible of Formation"—through which he introduced the new students to the history of the Seminary, the rigors of Seminary training, and the true meaning of "traditional" theological study.

"Theological study thus demands sweat and blood," emphasized Fr. John. "It is an ascetic endeavor that brings us face to face with our own weakness, brokeness and falleness, but also to an experience of the transforming grace of God, so that we can become ministers of this grace to others. What makes theological study traditional at St. Vladimir's is our fidelity to the gospel message of the One who died and rose form the dead, as proclaimed in the Scriptures and as handed down—literally traditioned—by the apostles. Our fidelity to Him who is the 'same yesterday, today, and forever' (Heb 13.8) allows us to think as the Fathers of the Church thought; engaging, challenging, and leavening the surrounding world until the end of the age."

The incoming class includes 16 full-time and 3 part-time students, from five Orthodox Christian and three Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions. Six students are enrolled in the M.A. program, 12 are in the M.Div. program, and two have non-degree status.

Both new and returning students are entering the rhythm of seminary life in preparation for Fall semester by attending Orientation Week, which runs from August 21–29. Students may view a complete Orientation Week schedule, which also includes details about the first few days of classes and chapel services.

We look forward to greeting old friends and new faces as we begin our academic year, and we look forward to worshipping together on the first major feast day, The Nativity of the Theotokos.

View our photo gallery of Orientation Week. We will add images as the week progresses, so look for your friends and relatives who have become students at SVOTS.

On Saturday August 7th, seminarians, children, spouses, faculty and staff worked together on a campus clean up. The clean-up part of a very hot day began at 9 a.m. outside the North Dorm where a crowd gathered to collect tools and receive instructions.

The first task was laying new mulch in the playground. Everyone was involved. Some hauled mulch in wheelbarrows. Children used their wagons. Others attacked “mulch mountains” with rakes and hoes. David Wagschal, who is joining the seminary faculty to teach Church History, showed his skills on the SVOTS tractor.

While most were working in the playground, Fr. Chad Hatfield, our Chancellor and a keen gardener, was working to tidy the flowerbeds and trees in the front of the Rangos Building. Once the playground flooring was in place, the crew moved on to tidy the shoreline alongside the Lakeside married-student apartments, collecting bags full of debris.

Some enthusiastic seminarians took garbage bags down to the base of the waterfall and collected the litter that had swept down from Central Ave. through Crestwood Lake. Our Dean, Fr. John Behr, and his family collected glass, bottles, and assorted other refuse from the Seminary’s border with Scarsdale Road.

Many filled refuse bags and blistered hands later, the community happily ate vegetarian pizza together on the veranda of the Germack Building.

“I was really impressed by the commitment to the Seminary that the community showed today,” said Fr. Chad. “Just about everyone on campus showed up cheerfully and worked extremely hard.”

Job well done!

Read more about our campus activities and see more photos of our campus family on Our Community page.

Memory Eternal!

Metropolitan Christopher, Long-time SVOTS Trustee, Reposes

On Wednesday, August 18, 2010, His Eminence Christopher [Kovacevich], metropolitan of the Midwestern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada, reposed in the Lord, at age 82. Metropolitan Christopher had been undergoing treatment for brain and bone cancer.

A native of Galveston, TX, Metropolitan Christopher was one of 12 children born to Serbian immigrant parents. He attended Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, WI and graduated from Saint Sava Seminary, Libertyville, IL. After marriage, he was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood. He subsequently earned a B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh and an M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA. He also completed courses and examinations for a doctorate at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Widowed, he is the father of four and the grandfather of nine. A complete biography of His Eminence is available on the Website of the Orthodox Church in America, http://www.oca.org.

Metropolitan Christopher was a member of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees from 1986–2007. The entire seminary community is praying for the soul of Metropolitan Christopher, and we remember with gratitude his service to St. Vladimir’s and to Orthodoxy in America.

Since the end of our Spring 2010 semester, four of our seminarians have been ordained in the Holy Orders. We congratulate Deacon Dunstan Lyon and Frs. Jason Foster, Lucas Rice, and Ignatius Warren as they broaden and deepen their service to the Church.

Our seminarians come to us from diverse professional and educational backgrounds. Their intriguing spiritual odysseys continue as they pursue their education here at St. Vladimir’s.

Dn. Dunstan was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. After high school he decided to attend the University of Minnesota, during which time he participated in two archaeological excavations in Messene, Greece. These excavations exposed him to Eastern Orthodoxy and led him to join the Minnesota Orthodox Christian Fellowship, where he met his wife, Nicki. After receiving his Masters degree in Art History and Archaeology (emphasis, Classical and Byzantine Archaeology), he felt led to the ministry and enrolled in the M.Div. program at St. Vladimir's, where he is currently in his third year. Dn. Dunstan was ordained to the diaconate on May 22, 2010 in Three Hierarchs Chapel at the seminary by His Beatitude Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Fr. Jason has been married to his wife, Ashley, for 13 years, and the gracious and hospitable couple has six daughters: Addison, Savannah, Camille, Gabrielle, Saxony, and Mary Katherine. Fr. Jason is fond of saying: “You can follow my spiritual progression from a Baptist minister to a ‘high’ Anglo-Catholic to an Orthodox priest by noting the names of my daughters!” Fr. Jason was ordained to the priesthood on July 21, 2010, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Atlanta, Georgia, by His Beatitude Jonah. He is the Annual Giving Officer in the Advancement Office at the seminary and is pursuing doctoral studies in theology under the supervision of Fr. Andrew Louth at Durham University in England.

Fr. Lucas is active in children's education, both on campus with the church school and at his parish assignment. In the seminary chapel, he is active in the Men's, Mixed, and Byzantine choirs and is a member of the Seminary Octet. He also conducted a homiletics course at St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska during Spring semester 2010. He and his wife, Nicole, begin their third year at St. Vladimir’s this fall. Fr. Lucas was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 2010, at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, New York, by His Grace Basil, bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (AOCANA).

At the seminary, Fr. Ignatius assists in directing the Men’s, Mixed, and Byzantine Choirs during daily services and is a member of the Seminary Octet. He also conducted a pastoral theology course at St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska during Spring semester 2010. Fr. Ignatius’s wife, Misha (née Jacob), a lifelong member of St. George Cathedral in Wichita, has completed her studies at Seton Hall Law School. Fr. Ignatius was ordained to the priesthood on June 27, 2010 at St. George Cathedral, Wichita, Kansas, by His Grace Basil, bishop of Wichita and Mid-America (AOCANA), and is in his third year of studies at SVOTS.

We invite you to view the photo gallery of all our summer ordinations.

This autumn, we will welcome new faces—and old faces in new positions—as we begin our Fall semester.

We greet our new employees:

• David Wagschal, an SVOTS alumnus (’02), joins us as an Instructor in Church History and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.
• Fr. Benedict Churchill, another SVOTS alumnus (’10), will assume his duties as Associate Director of SVS Press.
• Gregory Hatrak, former Bookstore Manager at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, comes on board as our new Bookstore Operations Manager.
• Matushka Thekla Hatfield, as a seasoned clergy wife, will coordinate our campus Wives’ Group.

We also wish our current employees well in their new positions:

• Fr. Alexander Rentel, former Instructor in Liturgics and current chapel Ecclesiarch, has been appointed as Assistant Professor in Canon Law and the “John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology,” an Academic Chair founded by our beloved Trustee Emerita, Elsie Skvir Nierle.
• Dr. Peter Bouteneff, in addition to being Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at SVOTS, will take on the role of Director of Personal Formation for all M.Div. students.
• Dr. Kate Behr, Professor of English at Concordia College, will be an Adjunct Professor of Literature at SVOTS, as well as the “Our Community” section writer for our Web site and our institutional Facebook page writer.
• Fr. Steven J. Belonick will step down from his former position as Associate Dean for Student Affairs and, because of his long-time pastoral and parish experience, become our Campus Chaplain.
• Fr. David Meyzynski, former Dean of Students at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, will act as Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
• Hdn. Philip Majkrzak, former Director of Music at St. Herman’s Seminary, will conduct our liturgical services as Chapel Choir Director.
• George Kokonas, our steadfast Systems Support Specialist, has moved up as Director of IT.
• Deborah Belonick, in addition to her duties as Advancement Officer, will assume the position of Managing Editor and News and Events section writer for our Website.

View our faculty and staff directories for more information.

The "Hellenism & Orthodoxy" symposium, held on the seminary campus June 10–12, 2010, generated frank and lively discussion concerning the unity of, and relations between, Orthodox churches in North America. Conference speakers and participants respectfully wrestled with a variety of difficult issues related to the ecclesial structure of Orthodoxy in North America: the interpretation of Canon 28 of the Council of Chalcedon, the definition of "diaspora," ethnic identity, and especially, the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Presenters at the symposium first explored the historical roots of Hellenism and then noted its lasting and profound effects on the cultural, linguistic, and canonical history of the Orthodox Church. Most intriguing were the keynote addresses given by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, titled "Hellenism and Orthodoxy: A Linguistic and Spiritual Journey," and by Archimandrite Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, chief secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, titled "Greek Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarachate, and the Church in the USA." 

Many of the lectures are archived as podcasts on Orthodox Christian Network (OCN).

View a photo gallery of the symposim.

From June 3–6, 2010, SVS Dean Fr. John Behr and faculty member Dr. Peter Bouteneff participated in an international patristics conference at the Volos Academy for Theological Studies in Greece. The conference was organized in collaboration with the Orthodox Christian Studies Program of Fordham University, the Chair of Orthodox Theology of Münster University, and the Romanian Institute for Inter-Orthodox, Inter–Confessional, and Inter-Religious Studies (INTER) Cluj-Napoca. The conference, titled "Neo-Patristic Synthesis or Post-Patristic Theology: Can Orthodox Theology Be Contextual?" included an impressive list of European and U.S. patristics scholars.

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2010, St. Vladimir’s Seminary will bestow the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa on Professor Christos Yannaras, a leading Greek Orthodox ethicist. Professor Yannaras has authored more than a dozen books on ethics, theology, and modern religious philosophy, including one by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press titled The Freedom of Morality.

At the academic convocation, during which the honorary degree will be bestowed, Professor Yannaras will present a free and public lecture, “The Trinity and Freedom,” and an open reception will follow. Please join us for this event, beginning with Vespers in Three Hierarchs Chapel at 6 p.m. The convocation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building.

Those wishing to worship with us at the 9 a.m. Divine Liturgy and to enjoy a brunch following are welcome. The Choir of the School of Orthodox Theology at the University of Belgrade will sing the responses at the liturgical services and will present a short concert at the academic ceremony. His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and His Grace Maxim, bishop of the Diocese of Western America of the Serbian Orthodox Church, will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy. For further information, contact events@svots.edu.