In this Student Spotlight Interview, we get to know Seminarian Andrew Prather. Andrew and his wife, Amber, are both M.Div. students going into their final year at St Vladimir’s Seminary. They met as first-year classmates in Fall 2020, married the following year, and welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth, in August 2022. 

Andrew has distinguished himself on campus through his community service assignment as the student photographer; for the past three years, he has documented campus events and feast days with stunning, carefully composed images. In this conversation, Andrew describes his background, his thoughts on the importance of quality photography in Orthodox parish and community life, and his commitment to pursuing the academic study of theology at St Vladimir’s Seminary.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself, Andrew.

I'm from Pella, Iowa. I attended St Nicholas Orthodox Christian Church of the OCA Diocese of the Midwest in my hometown. At Central College, I double majored in religion and computer science. Then for nine years after college, I worked in a hospital IT department, specializing in PACS medical imaging. I was unhappy with my job and started thinking about what to do next. One day, the thought popped into my head: “I could go to seminary”. And so I looked into that, and here I am.

What is your degree program and year of study, and what has been particularly impactful for you during your time at seminary?

I’m an M.Div. student in my final year here at St Vladimir’s Seminary. Of course, one of the most impactful things about my time at seminary was meeting my wife Amber and having my daughter, but also the professors have been very impactful for me, both inside the classroom and out. They really care for the students. Some of the memorable classes I took were The Psalter by Fr Silviu Bunta, Hebrew by Dr Legaspi, Church History by Dr Tudorie, and Old Testament and Patristics by Fr Bogdan. 

What has your community service been during your time at seminary, and what have you learned from this experience?

In my first year, I was on the meal team in the refectory, but throughout that year I started getting more and more requests to photograph services and that became my primary community service assignment at the start of my second year. I had photographed some liturgies and ceremonies before seminary, but I was mostly a landscape photographer. Now, I mostly photograph people, liturgies, ceremonies, and events. So my focus has completely shifted, and I've learned quite a bit about photography here.

Looking forward, I've been trying to gain experience so that I can continue to work in photography after seminary. Throughout my time here, I’ve taken on more and more work, including photographing fellow seminarian families, for family photos or for their special occasions, such as baptisms and ordinations. So I’ve started my own small photography business and hope to continue it after seminary, if possible.

Is there a special need to take photos of these moments at seminary? How is it meaningful?

Yes, not just here at seminary, but in parishes in general. Basically, I think every parish should have a photographer, or at least on occasion, pay a photographer to come in and take photos. And the reason for that is to build our presence on the web, particularly on our websites. At one point, I started looking through parish websites and found that while there are some beautiful parish homepages, the majority of websites out there are not very well done. They might have images, but most of the time, they're low quality, they're blurry, they’re not contributing to the website, or they're very old. And it just brings down the quality of the website. So I think that's one area in which photography can be impactful within Orthodoxy; it can be a missionary tool.

Andrew serving as photographer at a seminarian ordination in 2021

The photo taken from Andrew’s perch on the ladder in the vestry

What are some ways you hope to grow during your last year at seminary?

We can always grow spiritually and personally and so that is a priority, but I think one thing that I need to work on is academics, especially areas like language and knowledge of many different theological topics. Sometimes there can be a sense that the students who are choosing to take the academic classes over the pastoral classes might be “doing seminary wrong”, or striving to do what they excel in, rather than pursuing spiritual or pastoral improvement. However, for me, I never came in pursuing ordination–I came in originally as an MA student. And after my first semester, I switched to the M.Div. So in the past few semesters, I've been embracing the academic side of seminary, as I aim to determine if that's my future. I feel I should give that my focus and see where it goes.

We’re not all called to pastoral ministry, and I don't exactly know what my call is. I go back and forth on whether I want to pursue ordination every other week, which for right now means it's not something I'm pursuing. So for the last few months, I've kind of embraced that. I don't have to worry that I'm taking the wrong classes. I've loved all the elective classes that I've taken. And I don't regret any of the choices that I made to take those classes–they've been a formative part of my journey here. 

It seems you’re making the important point that Seminary is not only for those who will become priests, they are also for those who seek to grow spiritually and serve the Church in lay ministry or academic research. 

Yes, for example, one of our classmates who just graduated, Mitchell Sophia Matias (M.Div.’23), she's a chaplain educator. My wife Amber will receive her M.Div. next year along with me; she won’t become a priest, but she hopes to use her degree in future ministry within our parish life, or possibly in a missionary capacity. With the MDiv program, we get a well-rounded, multidisciplinary academic experience. It’s useful for priests, but also for those who aren’t seeking the priesthood. So there are many different things you can do to serve the Church as someone who was blessed to complete a seminary education. 

Andrew and Amber Prather after their engagement, March 2021. Photo credit: Sarah Werner

How can St Vladimir's Seminary community members pray for you and your family?

We do still have to get through this last year at seminary–my wife's a full-time M.Div. student and we have our one-year-old daughter. Childcare can be a tricky business here, especially as it's so expensive. There are times when we have classes and commitments at the same time. We have a plan right now for this semester. Last semester, at this time, we also had a plan, but it fell through in the third or fourth week, so I'm not holding my breath. I'm also going to be doing Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) throughout the school year, in addition to weekly assignments, reflections, and papers. So I might just ask for prayers that we navigate this busy seminary schedule well this year.

What would you say to those who choose to support the Seminary with their donations?

I just say thank you to those who donate to the seminary. Especially for the student scholarships, those really help students. As someone in a family with two M.Div. students, the scholarships have really helped us and allowed us to be here. We couldn't do it without the scholarships.

Even if you're not donating to the scholarship fund, donating to the seminary does help out in many different ways. As you've probably heard many times, we live in a very expensive area and so it’s very expensive for the seminary to keep operating and to give all these opportunities for the students, but also to have an impact on the Church. It requires the donations of supporters.

So thank you for your donations and your generosity. We students really appreciate all that you guys do for us.

Andrew Prather’s photography can be found at andrewpratherphotography.com. Here are a few of his favorite shots from the past two years at seminary.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Fr Daniel Simon, who fell asleep in the Lord at age 86 on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. He lived a selfless and joyful life, in sacramental commitment to priestly service.

At age 6, when he survived polio, Fr Daniel's parents dedicated his life to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ordained as a subdeacon at the age of 15, he began his ministry to those afflicted and in need.

A native of Grand Rapids, MI, Fr Daniel graduated from Central High School and enlisted in the Army in 1958, where he served as a helicopter mechanic. After leaving the military, Fr Daniel attended Ferris State University, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in June of 1963.

He married Eileen Hoffer in September of 1964, and she accompanied him to St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) in New York. He was ordained to the holy priesthood at Holy Protection Cathedral (OCA) in New York City on Dec. 11, 1966, by His Beatitude Metropolitan Ireney of thrice-blessed memory, of what is now the Orthodox Church in America. Father Daniel graduated seminary in June 1967 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.

Subsequently, he served Antiochian parishes such as St George Church in S. Glens Falls, N.Y. in 1967. In 1968, Fr Daniel was reassigned to St George Church in St. Paul, MN. There, he was instrumental in finding and negotiating the purchase of the current church property in West St Paul. Fr Daniel also worked for the State of Minnesota as an auditor from 1968 to the mid-1970s.

After his time in West St Paul, Fr Daniel served multiple communities from Italy to Hawaii to the Upper Midwest, in several Orthodox Christian jurisdictions.

Fr Daniel is survived by his wife of 59 years, Kh. Eileen; children Anna, Daniel (Nojelyn Kato), John (Rafif), and Alexander (Elizabeth); grandchildren James (Alta), Matthew, AnnaMaria, Luke, John, Mark, Sho Kato, Julia, Lila, Aiden; sister Frances (James) Sears; niece Mary Simon, and cousins Christine and Alexis Elias.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his brother George and sister-in-law Kareemeh Simon; sister Margaret Simon; and brother Matthew Simon.

The family gives special thanks to Mergitu Tibesso and the family who warmly cared for and looked after Fr Daniel in their loving adopted adult care home.

Services will be held at St George Church of West St Paul, MN, scheduled as follows:

Sunday, October 15

4:00 p.m. – Visitation

6:00 p.m. – Funeral service for a priest

Monday, October 16

9:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

10:30 a.m. – Funeral service

11:30 a.m. – Meal of mercy in the parish hall

1:30 p.m. – Interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St George Church building fund (write "Fr Daniel Memorial" in the check's memo line) at 1250 Oakdale Ave., West St Paul, MN 55118.

May Fr Daniel Simon’s memory be eternal!

Adapted from antiochian.org.

In his first visit to St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) since graduating in 2019, Fr Simon Menya gave a presentation on the Orthodox mission he shepherds in Gulu, Uganda. Over 20 seminarians, faculty, and staff attended Fr Simon’s talk, which was hosted by the St Innocent Mission Society.

In his 40-minute presentation, Fr Simon described the many facets of his ministry in Uganda as an Orthodox priest and as founder of the Northern Uganda Self-Sufficiency Project (NUSSP). Fr Simon conducts church services daily; translates Orthodox service books and other texts from English into the local language, Luo; and travels to many small towns and villages in his region to visit the sick, celebrate the sacraments, and catechize new inquirers. Last month, he oversaw the completion of a new church building dedicated to St Catherine and baptized 33 catechumens into the Orthodox Faith. In addition to this prodigious work, he works with NUSSP to organize medical treatment and the building of new clinics; improve local water infrastructure; offer secondary schooling for children; and facilitate opportunities for adults to practice animal husbandry and farming, among other professional skills.

Many of the community members in Fr Simon’s pastoral care experienced long periods of time living in refugee camps due to a 24-year civil war that raged in Uganda until 2008. As a result, says Fr Simon, there is a need to focus on skill-building: when people learn to grow their own food and manage their own livestock, they can live self-sufficiently and build thriving communities, rather than relying on humanitarian aid to survive.

Seminary President and faculty advisor for the St Innocent Mission Society, the  Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield recounted stories from his own 2017 visit to Uganda with Fr Simon and praised him for his tireless efforts to build and grow the Orthodox mission in Uganda, and for his focus on developing self-sufficiency in his community. Referring to his many years teaching missiology classes to seminarians, Fr Chad remarked, “I have always encouraged would-be missionaries to foster entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency in their mission community. Of all the students I have ever taught, Fr Simon has embodied this lesson most successfully.”

Fr Simon's compatriot and current seminarian Richard Okello (M.Div. '25) added a few words at the end of Fr Simon's talk, speaking about his experience as a teacher at the Archangel Michael’s Orthodox Secondary School in Lapainate village, which saw its enrollment skyrocket from 105 students to 586 students in two years. Richard testified to the joy and fulfillment in Christ to be experienced by working with the Orthodox mission in Uganda and encouraged his classmates to visit Uganda in the future.

The St Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Grace, Bishop Andrei of Cleveland (Romanian Episcopate, OCA), for the weekend of October 7-8. His Grace presided over Vigil on Saturday evening and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy the following day in Three Hierarchs Chapel. 

During the Liturgy, His Grace ordained seminarian Fr Spyridon Ickes (M.Div. ‘24) to the priesthood, joyfully proclaiming Axios in Greek, English, and Romanian. His Grace commented after the Liturgy on his great joy at seeing new priests being ordained at Seminary, and expressed his hopes to return for many more ordinations in the future.

Congratulations and many years to Fr Spyridon and Preoteasa Sarah! Vrednic este!

On Thursday, September 28, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel on the campus of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS).

His Eminence made his first official visit to SVOTS at the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Welcoming him at the seminary were SVOTS President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, the faculty, and the seminarians, especially the Antiochian students and recent graduates who served alongside Metropolitan Saba and sang with the Byzantine Choir. The Byzantine Choir was led by the Rev. Nicholas Fine (M.Div.’23), newly appointed Lecturer in Liturgical Music.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence elevated Fr Bogdan Bucur to the dignity of archpriest. The Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur is Associate Professor of Patristics at SVOTS and an archpriest of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The day also marked the commemoration of St Isaac the Syrian. His Eminence included commemorative prayers for His Eminence Metropolitan Isaac of Germany and Central Europe, and all those who keep St Isaac as their patron. In his homily, Met. Saba highlighted the great emphasis St Isaac placed on humility in his writings, and encouraged the faithful in attendance to strive to attain humility first in their pursuit of the virtues.

Listen to His Eminence’s homily

Following the liturgy, His Eminence met with the Antiochian seminarians and the faculty, stressing the importance of priestly formation and ministry. Expressing gratitude for His Eminence’s visit, Fr Chad Hatfield remarked, “We look forward to building upon our 70-year-long relationship with the Antiochian Archdiocese now under the pastoral care of His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba.”

Article adapted from antiochian.org.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of St Vladimir’s Seminary alumnus James Loxley Compton (M.A.’10), who fell asleep in the Lord on September 22, 2023 at the age of 40, in his home in Monroeville, AL.

James was born on May 2, 1983. He attended St Vladimir’s Seminary from 2008-2010. In May 2010, he received a Master of Arts Cum Laude and was recognized for his thesis, Oikonomiae Sacramentum: The Mystery of the Economy in Tertullian’s Against Praxeas. After his graduation from seminary, James went on to teach philosophy as a lecturer at Auburn University and attained a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham in AL.

An Orthodox funeral for James Compton will be held on Tuesday, October 3, at 11 a.m. at St Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Auburn, AL. Fr Paul Lundberg, administrator of the Greek Orthodox mission in Auburn will be officiating.

May the memory of James Loxley Compton be eternal! 

Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding over the weekend of September 15-17, 2023. On Saturday, Sept. 16, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov presented a talk at the public program “The Orthodox Christian Seminary in the 21st Century,” hosted by Holy Trinity Seminary. 

The goal for the program was to “encourage broad knowledge of everything that prepared the way for today’s Orthodox Seminary program, and how this may be interpreted for the benefit of contemporary pastoral objectives.” Dn Vitaly’s presentation, “The Orthodox Seminary Endeavor in the West,” covered a detailed history of institutional seminary education in North America, focusing especially on the formational period in the 1930s-1950s, when perceived differences in vision led to the “emergence of several theological schools serving the Orthodox people in North America–it divided the efforts but providentially served to emphasize different strengths.” Dn Vitaly stressed that “now that communion between the churches has been restored, we are called to closer cooperation in view of our common goal, which is serious theological preparation of future clergy for America.”

Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, and Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie were also in attendance at the lectures and Q&A sessions, enjoying warm hospitality from the faculty and staff of Holy Trinity Seminary. “We were very glad to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of our sister seminary,” Fr Chad remarked. “The presentations given about the importance of seminary education in the 21st century spoke directly to the real, dire need for the expansion of quality Orthodox education in this country and the world today.”

On Sunday, Sept. 17, Fr Chad and Dn Vitaly concelebrated at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Jordanville monastery, presided by His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas (Olhovsky) of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR), with 8 other hierarchs and numerous clergy. 

From left: The Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov; His Grace Luke, Bishop of Syracuse Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR); The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield; Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie

Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered in person and online on Sep. 12, 2023, to hear scholar and SVS Press author, Dr Paul Gavrilyuk, give a special talk on the contrasting leadership styles of two formational leaders of St Vladimir’s Seminary, Fr Georges Florovsky and Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. In his presentation, Dr Gavrilyuk gave many examples from the post-war correspondence between the two past seminary deans to illustrate their sense of calling, their courage in the face of great challenges, and lessons for modern-day Christian leaders. 

Dr Gavrilyuk also highlighted the differences in the leadership styles of Fr Schmemann and Fr Florovsky, describing the latter as a brilliant scholar who upheld unyielding academic standards with his students, and the former as a pastoral figure who prioritized the spiritual and personal formation of his students. This divergence in their leadership styles, said Dr Gavrilyuk, inevitably led Fr Schmemann and Fr Florovsky toward their well-publicized rift in 1955, when Fr Florovsky left St Vladimir’s Seminary. 

In this presentation, Dr Gavrilyuk took care to provide a compassionate and balanced picture of both Fr Florovsky and Fr Schmemann, asking the audience to consider their historical contexts, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each of their distinct approaches to leadership. He concluded the presentation on a heartening note, highlighting a letter written by Fr Schmemann in 1968 and reminiscences recorded by a secretary of Fr Florovsky which indicate the two men ended their lives at peace with one another.

Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, and Professor of Systematic Theology, Dr Peter Bouteneff each gave their own reflections on the two early leaders of St Vladimir’s Seminary. In addition, Fr Chad read a moving reflection from senior staff member, Ted Bazil (M.Div. ‘73), in which Ted described Fr Schmemann’s leadership style as he experienced it, both as a student and as a Seminary employee for the last ten years of Fr Schmemann’s tenure.

Dr Gavrilyuk’s lecture, Christian Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Lessons from Florovsky & Schmemann, was recorded and is available for viewing on the Seminary YouTube channel; click on the link below to access the full presentation.

Watch lecture recording here

The St Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA), for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. His Eminence arrived on Wednesday, September 13, and presided over the Festal Vigil that evening and the Divine Liturgy on the following day. 

During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence gave the homily and ordained third-year seminarian Peter (Jared) Ries (M.Div. ‘24) to the Holy Diaconate. In his homily, Archbishop Daniel emphasized the centrality of the Cross in the Christian life; each Christian must recognize that we belong to Christ; “we belong to Him, and His Cross is engraved on our hearts.” He pointed out the ubiquity of its significance in the sacraments of the Church, including the moment during Ordination to the Holy Diaconate when the person being ordained kisses the cross on the orarion as a sign of his commitment to Christ, our crucified Lord. 

Deacon Peter expressed his gratitude and joy at the occasion of his ordination to the Holy Diaconate, saying, “It is a humbling obedience, and it was such a blessing to take on this responsibility while standing alongside my colleagues, mentors, and friends.”

May God grant the newly ordained Dn Peter and Matushka Sophie many blessed years!

Join us for a lecture led by scholar and SVS Press author, Dr Paul Gavrilyuk, on Tuesday, September 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. In this special talk, Dr Gavrilyuk asks the question, what qualities are required of Christian leaders, especially in a time of crisis? Dr Gavrilyuk's presentation will address this question by focusing on the post-war correspondence between the two past deans of St Vladimir's: Fr Georges Florovsky and Fr Alexander Schmemann. The epistolary exchange between them took place when Schmemann taught at St Sergius in Paris, and Florovsky was a newly appointed dean of St Vladimir's Seminary in New York. Today's Christian leaders can learn much from their example, their sense of calling, and their courage in the face of great challenges.

The presentation is open to the public and free of cost for both in-person and online attendance. It will be held on the St Vladimir’s Seminary campus in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, John G. Rangos building, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The event will also be live-streamed as a Zoom webinar for those who are unable to attend in person. 

Registration is closed.

About Dr Paul Gavrilyuk

Dr Paul Gavrilyuk is the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the University of St Thomas, St Paul, Minnesota. He is an internationally respected Orthodox theologian and historian, specializing in the patristic doctrine of God and Russian religious thought. Translated into ten languages, his monographs include The Suffering of the Impassible God (Oxford, 2004) and Georges Florovsky and the Russian Religious Renaissance (Oxford, 2013). Among his edited works are On Christian Leadership: The Letters of Alexander Schmemann and Georges Florovsky (1947-1955) (SVS Press, 2019), Perceiving Things Divine (with Fred Aquino, Oxford, 2022), and Oxford Handbook of Deification (forthcoming). He is the founding president of the International Orthodox Theological Association and of Rebuild Ukraine.