Do you feel called to serve the Church, either in ordained ministry, academia, or another vocation? Explore that calling at the St Vladimir’s Seminary Open House, held on-site on March 11-12, 2023!
Prospective seminarians are invited to take a closer look at the spiritual, academic, and residential life at St Vladimir’s Seminary. Pray in the chapel, speak with seminarians and seminary professors, and enjoy our beautiful campus.
Prospective students will be responsible for their transportation to and from the seminary and lodging expenses. Lenten meals will be provided on campus.
For two days, seminarians, faculty, and staff at St Vladimir’s Seminary met at Three Hierarchs Chapel to pray together and listen to a series of talks for meditation.
This year, Dr Peter Bouteneff presented a four-part series titled “The Social Self and the Inner Life: Reflections on Communion, Introversion, Extraversion, and Compassion.”
St Vladimir’s Seminary offers you the opportunity to watch all four meditations. Hear how to cultivate compassion and prayer in a community and how to balance your inner life and communion with others.
We pray each talk will help strengthen your relationship with God, with each other, and with yourself.
The concert program, entitledThe Byzantine Choral Inheritance, guided the listener through the historical traditions of Byzantine chant to contemporary choral works inspired by traditional motifs. The concert opened with works in Greek from medieval Constantinople, followed by liturgical works by twentieth-century Greek American composers such as Tikey Zes, Theodore Bogdanos, and Frank Desby. The second half featured Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation, a setting of Psalm 103, in which six composers: Tikey Zes, +Richard Toensing, GRAMMY-nominee Kurt Sander, Alexander Khalil, John Michael Boyer, and Matthew Arndt, each set a portion of the Psalm, creating a seamless tapestry.
Dr Alexander Lingas, founder and Musical Director of Cappella Romana and Artist in Residence at The Institute of Sacred Arts for the Spring 2023 semester, directed a portion of the concert, with John Michael Boyer directing selected pieces. SVOTS seminarian Fr Nicholas Fine (M.Div. ‘23) joined the choir; he also performed as a soloist and consort singer.
Describing The Byzantine Choral Inheritance, Director of the Institute of Sacred Arts, Dr Peter Bouteneff applauded the work of Cappella Romana, saying, “This event brought a world-class choral ensemble to perform a creative repertoire spanning the old and the new. This was not only a concert of stunning beauty, but it also inspired us to think on themes of tradition and creativity that are central to our work at the Institute of Sacred Arts.”
Following the concert, a reception was held for sponsors of the event, Cappella Romana choir members, and SVOTS faculty, students, and staff.
On behalf of the Institute of Sacred Arts, Dr Peter Bouteneff expressed his gratitude for the generosity of The Henry Luce Foundation and the following sponsors of this concert:
Angelic Sponsors
Archpriest Chad and Matushka Thekla Hatfield
The Bishop Basil Endowment for Byzantine Music at SVOTS
Joan Strashinsky Shell
Melodic Sponsor
The Hoff Family
Dr Bouteneff also imparted his thanks to John Paterakis, Costa Tsourakis, and Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome for contributing their facilities and for their collaboration in hosting Cappella Romana and The Byzantine Inheritance.
The Institute of Sacred Arts at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome will host a concert performance by the world-renowned ensemble, Cappella Romana, on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York (337 E 74th St, New York, NY 10021).
The concert program, entitled The Byzantine Choral Inheritance, guides the listener through the historic traditions of Byzantine music to new works that draw inspiration from them. The concert will begin with works in Greek from medieval Constantinople, followed by liturgical works by twentieth-century Greek American composers such as Tikey Zes, Theodore Bogdanos, and Frank Desby. The second half will feature Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation, a setting of Psalm 103, in which six composers: Tikey Zes, +Richard Toensing, GRAMMY-nominee Kurt Sander, Alexander Khalil, John Michael Boyer, and Matthew Arndt, each set a portion of the Psalm, creating a seamless tapestry.
Describing The Byzantine Choral Inheritance, Director of the Institute of Sacred Arts, Dr Peter Bouteneff, expressed his appreciation for the work of Cappella Romana, saying, “This event brings a world-class choral ensemble to perform a creative repertoire spanning the old and the new. This will not only be a concert of stunning beauty, it will help make us think on themes of tradition and creativity that are so central to our work at the Institute of Sacred Arts.”
Following the concert, there will be a private reception for sponsors and Cappella Romana choir members. To learn more about our sponsorship opportunities, please visit our sponsorship page via the link below.
Cappella Romana is a professional vocal ensemble that performs early and contemporary sacred classical music in the Christian traditions of East and West. The ensemble is known especially for its presentations and recordings of medieval Byzantine chant (the Eastern sibling of Gregorian chant), Greek and Russian Orthodox choral works, and other sacred music that expresses the historic traditions of a unified Christian inheritance.
Cappella Romana brings to life music that meets a deep human need, not only to belong and to have a shared creative experience, but to feel the full range of ethical, emotional, and spiritual effect as expressed through music. We strive to give an experience that allows you, our audience, to feel a sheer joy that cannot be contained by mere words, but through the ineffable sounds of the human voice in song.
The Synaxis of the Three Great Hierarchs, Sts Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom on Monday, January 30, 2023 was celebrated at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) with a hierarchical Divine Liturgy, officiated by His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel, Archbishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest. The patronal feast of the seminary Three Hierarchs Chapel was augmented by the ordination of seminarian Dr Mark Therrien (Th.M. ‘23) to the Holy Diaconate.
The 40th Annual Fr Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture was held in the evening of the feast day, with the Rev. Dr Hans Boersma, Professor of Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House, speaking on the topic “God as Embodied: Christology and Participation in Maximus the Confessor.” SVOTS President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, welcomed Dr Boersma and expressed appreciation for “yet another thread in a long line of historical exchanges and cooperation that runs through the history of both St Vladimir's Seminary and Nashotah House.”
Honored guests in attendance at the lecture included His Eminence Archbishop Daniel and His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios, Patriarchal Vicar of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The talk was also attended by the student body, many faculty, staff, and community members, and almost 500 registrants signed up for the online live stream of the event. For those unable to attend the lecture live, the recording has been uploaded to the SVOTS Youtube channel.
Following Dr Boersma’s presentation, the 2022-2023 Mid-Year Convocation took place. Mr William Rusk was awarded the Master of Arts (M.A.) diploma, having completed his M.A. thesis entitled Clarity of Vision: A Close Examination of the 16th Century Icon, the Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel on the Banks of the Chebar River. The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree was awarded to the Rev. Elias Dorham, who presented his remarks on his experience as a D.Min. student at St Vladimir’s Seminary and the research he conducted for his final project, The Good Wine: A Parish-Based Brief Marriage Intervention.
The event was concluded with closing remarks given by His Eminence, Archbishop Daniel, and a festive reception for all in attendance.
Apply to become a seminarian at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary! We are now accepting applications for the following degree programs for Academic Year 2023-2024: Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Arts (M.A.), and Master of Theology (Th.M.). The M.A. program encapsulates four available concentrations: General Theological Studies, Sacred Arts, Theological Scholarship and Orthodox Christian Leadership (a hybrid program for those who desire distance learning and are interested in the intersection of Orthodox theology and leadership).
Prospective students are able to complete the entire application process online, including interviews. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2023.
The degree programs at St Vladimir's Seminary prepare dedicated Orthodox Christians for both ordained and lay ministry and a variety of vocations. The Orthodox Church has a great need not only for priests but academics and teachers, church musicians, missionaries, writers, chaplains, and other ministries. Visit theDegree Programs section of the seminary website to explore the different offerings at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Academic Convocation and Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture 7 p.m. EST
In celebration of the Feast of Three Hierarchs, St Vladimir’s Seminary will celebrate the Divine Liturgy Monday, January 30, at 9 a.m. from Three Hierarch's Chapel, presided by His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest.
On Monday at 7 p.m., in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, St Vladimir’s Seminary will hold an Academic Convocation for all mid-year graduates. Following the convocation, the 40th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture will begin. This year, Dr Hans Boersmawill deliver the presentation entitled: God as Embodied.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
You are invited to attend the Liturgy and the lecture in person or watch live online. We will send you one link to watch both after you register.
Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary has received a grant of $1M from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish a new program to strengthen preaching and homiletics in Orthodox Christian parishes.
This effort to provide ongoing training to established Orthodox parish clergy is being funded through the Compelling Preaching Initiative of Lilly Endowment Inc. St Vladimir’s Seminary received the funding in an invitational round of grants for the initiative, which is designed to help Christian pastors strengthen their abilities to proclaim the gospel in more engaging and effective ways.
This grant will seed the development of training, learning, and peer support for Orthodox preachers and their hearers, make a variety of resources available to preachers nationwide, and will develop programs and resources based on the findings from an earlier Lilly Endowment planning grant, with opportunities for mutual sharing with others working in homiletics, rhetoric, and corresponding fields.
The three objectives for the new preaching program at St Vladimir's Seminary can be summarized as Renew, Research, and Resource. Through continuing education, peer learning, and engagement with local parish communities, we will help renew the preaching ministries of Orthodox clergy; and help good preachers be great preachers. Our research efforts will include surveys and interviews of hearers to better understand what compelling preaching looks like in local parish contexts, and we will also host an interdisciplinary academic conference on preaching in the Orthodox Church. Finally, we will develop a curated online preaching resource to inspire preachers in their ongoing work.
St Vladimir’s Seminary president, The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield expressed gratitude for the grant, saying, “We are confident that this program will be successful and will garner support from a broad cross-section of individuals, judicatories, and parishes during the first five years, and beyond.”
Fr Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St Vladimir’s Seminary, will direct the new program. Fr Sergius takes on this project with enthusiasm, noting, “Being part of this inspiring initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc. is truly an answer to prayer. More than two decades ago I began my doctoral studies with the dream of helping to improve preaching in the Orthodox Church. With this grant, and with our world-class team at St. Vladimir's, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen preaching and build up the Body of Christ."
Sharing in the administration of the program at St Vladimir’s Seminary are Fr Lucas Christensen and Arpi Nakashian. Fr Lucas will serve as the Assistant Director for this program. He is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and is currently working on his Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame.
Arpi Nakashian, the recently appointed Director of Online Education, will assist in developing online tools and programs to support preachers.
“We are excited about the work that these organizations will do to foster and support preaching that better inspires, encourages, and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Their programs will serve a significant number of aspiring and current preachers who are working to reach and engage increasingly diverse audiences both within and beyond congregations.”
The Compelling Preaching Initiative is part of the Endowment’s longstanding interest in supporting projects that help to nurture the religious lives of individuals and families and foster the growth and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States.
ABOUT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate, and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.
Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) faculty members and students participated in the 2023 International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) mega-conference (Jan 12-14) in Volos, Greece, alongside over 400 other lay scholars, clergy, and hierarchs hailing from 45 different countries. “Mission and the Orthodox Church” was the overarching theme of the three-day conference; 350 academic presentations were given on the topic of missions and other important contemporary topics related to the work of the Orthodox Church.
The Metropolis of Demetrias and the Volos Academy for Theological Studies cohosted the conference, bringing together scholars from every corner of the Orthodox Christian global community. IOTA President, Prof. Paul Gavrilyuk gave voice to the mission of IOTA, saying, “IOTA is about the worldwide exchange of knowledge within the context of the Orthodox tradition; it is about tearing down the jurisdictional walls that we erected in our collective imagination in order to encounter each other in the freedom of Christian discipleship; it is about breaking out of the silos of specific academic disciplines in order to reflect on the most difficult questions of today with a view of the transformation of culture by the power of the Gospel; finally, it is a place where all Orthodox Christians and our ecumenical friends can have a taste of ‘conciliarity from below.’”
SVOTS faculty members, many of whom also serve in leadership positions for IOTA administration and committees, as well as two students, gave presentations in their respective areas of research and participated in panel discussions.
SVOTS President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield serves on the Advisory Council of IOTA, and was a panel member for a roundtable discussion on Theological Education in the 21st Century, which centered on the discussion of Christ’s instruction to “make disciples” (Mt 28.19). Fr Chad also spoke regarding the recent efforts and achievements of St Vladimir’s Seminary in a session entitled “Co-laborers.”
Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie serves as co-chair of the group, Romanian Orthodoxy, with the Rev. Dr Radu Bordeianu, and participated as a panelist in a book review session held by the group, on Marco Guglielmi’s The Romanian Orthodox Diaspora in Italy: Eastern Orthodoxy in a Western European Country. He also chaired the group’s session entitled “Romanian Orthodox Perspectives on Mission.” This session featured a presentation by Associate Professor of Patristics, the Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur, on the topic, “Re-Learning Christianity with Fr Nicolae Steinhardt: Insights from The Journal of Joy.”
Dr Peter Bouteneff, Professor of Systematic Theology, was featured in the filming of IOTA Talks, short videos in which Orthodox scholars share their work to engage non-academic audiences in the exploration of theological topics. He was also a panelist in a roundtable discussion for the Science and Orthodoxy around the World (SOW) project on environment and evolution, and presented a paper entitled “Rethinking Ontotheology: Towards a Constructive Dogmatic Theology” at the session moderated by the Dogmatic Theology Group, of which he is co-chair with Rev. Prof. Nikolaos Loudovikos.
Assistant Professor of Canon Law, the Very Rev. Dr Alexander Rentel serves as the Interim Chair for the Canon Law and Pastoral Theology group, and presented his paper, “Words of Primacy in the Canons,” in the group’s session entitled “The Role of Canon Law in the Life and Mission of the Orthodox Church.” He also chaired another session hosted by the group, on the topic “The Challenges of Pastoral Theology in the Contemporary World.”
The Very Rev. Dr Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric, presented as one of three speakers in a session entitled “Academic and Ecclesiastical Freedom: When to Speak the Truth in Love”; Fr Sergius spoke on the topic “An Orthodox Christian Rhetoric of Humility.” He also gave a paper titled "The Liturgical Homily as Sacred Art" at the Orthodox Theological Society in America (OTSA) annual meeting, held on Tuesday, January 10, prior to the beginning of the IOTA conference.
Professor of Philosophy and SVOTS Trustee Dr Ana Iltis presented her research on the topic “Innovation and Translation in the Biomedical Sciences through an Orthodox Lens,” at the Science and Theology Group’s session entitled “Biomedical Issues and Christian Anthropology. She was also featured on IOTA Talks, recording a video entitled “Responding to Suffering by Causing Death: Medical Aid in Dying.”
The Liturgical Studies Group was chaired by Dr Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music at St Vladimir’s Seminary; he moderated the session, “The Liturgy in History”. At the session entitled “Contemporary Themes and Challenges of Liturgical Studies”, he presented the paper “Orthodox Liturgy and Liturgical Music in the Concert Hall”, exploring questions of mission and spiritual formation beyond the boundaries of the institutional church.
Dr Michael Legaspi, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, took part in a panel entitled “The Mission of God and the Mission of Humanity at the Intersection of Scripture”, hosted by the Biblical Studies Group. He presented his findings in a paper entitled “The Exegetical Significance of Mission in the Gospel of Matthew with Reference to the Prophet Jeremiah.”
Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov was also in attendance, and participated in sessions held by the Liturgical Studies Group.
SVOTS students Fr Anthony Gilbert (M.Div.’23) and Fr Alexander Earl (M.Div.’23) each presented their own research during the conference. Fr Anthony presented his paper, “Come and See: Orthodox Mission, Literature, and Metanoia” in a session given by the Orthodoxy and Literature Group, entitled “Orthodox Literature as Mission”. Fr Alexander spoke on “Platonic Relationality and Trinitarian Hypostases in St. Gregory of Nyssa: Revitalizing an Ontology of Communion” during a session entitled “Dogmatic Theology for Today”, held by the Dogmatic Theology Group.
Conference participants came away expressing gratitude for the opportunity to discuss current issues facing the Church from an Orthodox scholarly perspective. Dr Legaspi had the following comments: “The time in Volos was exceedingly valuable. Conferences like this one provide opportunities not only to discuss scholarly topics but also to learn about the many challenges facing our churches around the world. I came away with a much broader perspective on Orthodoxy in our current moment and new inspiration to serve God faithfully in our scholarship.”
Future conferences being planned by IOTA include “The Faith of Nicaea,” in commemoration of the 1700-year anniversary of the first ecumenical council held at Nicaea in AD 325, to be held in 2025, and IOTA’s third mega-conference, projected to take place in the Republic of Georgia, in 2027.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of His Grace Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald), former Bishop of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the West of the Orthodox Church in America.
Stephen Fitzgerald was born on November 14, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan. On December 18 of the same year, he was baptized in the Lutheran Church. He attended St. Olaf College from 1952 to 1954 and graduated from Wayne State University, Detroit, in 1958. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957. He was received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation in September 1960, at the Lackland Air Force Base Chapel by Fr. Peter Zolnerovich. He re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a commissioned officer from 1960 to 1965, and again from 1966 to 1971. In the academic year 1965-1966, he studied at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Bishop Dmitri ordained him to the Holy Diaconate in December 1971 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Washington, D.C., after which he was transferred to Los Angeles in 1972, where he served at the Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral as Deacon, and then Protodeacon, until 1978. Bishop Gregory of Alaska ordained him to the Holy Priesthood in 1978 to continue serving the Cathedral as second priest; and he became the Rector of the Cathedral in December of 1979, maintaining that responsibility until his election as Bishop of San Francisco. The Holy Synod elevated him to the rank of Archpriest in 1982.
On the diocesan level, he was a long-time member of the Diocesan Council, an alternate Diocesan delegate to the Metropolitan Council, and a member of the Diocesan Court of the Diocese of the West. He served as Dean of the Pacific Southwest Deanery from 1981 to 1984, following which he became the Diocesan Chancellor for two years.
After nomination as Bishop of San Francisco at the Extraordinary Diocesan Assembly held in San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral on March 12, 1987, Fr. Stephen was elected Bishop of San Francisco by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America on March 17, 1987. On the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Tikhon at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania, and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite on Lazarus Saturday at Christ the Savior Church in San Francisco by Bishop Job, the Temporary Administrator of the Diocese of the West.
His Grace served as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of the West for nearly two decades from 1987 to 2006. In retirement, Bishop Tikhon lived quietly at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles, where he had resided since his assignment there as a deacon in 1972. While his health permitted, His Grace prayerfully and unassumingly attended the divine services at the cathedral, where he was beloved and esteemed.
May the memory of His Grace Bishop Tikhon be eternal!
