“Keep a regular spiritual canon while in seminary. There’s value in studying theology, but without daily prayer and sitting with God, God will be less of a Father and more of a textbook.” Someone shared this advice with me before I arrived at seminary, and I’ve tried to remember these...
Two presentations hosted by the St. Juliana Society (SJS) in the fall 2015 term provided the future clergy wives at St. Vladimir's with much food for thought and discussion. On Monday evening, October 26, a large group of women turned out to join in a mini-workshop offered by Matushka Amy...
Alex Mackoul “Alex, lets skip Dr. Al Rossi’s session and go to the library so we can go on the computers.” It was Orthodox Education Day, 2005, and I was about 15 years old, and trying to decide whether or not to follow my friend to the library instead of...
lan Pell Crawford The O'Keefe family An extensive profile of first-year St. Vladimir's seminarian Seraphim O'Keefe was published in Richmondmag.com on December 22, 2015. In the article, reporter Alan Pell Crawford tells the story of Seraphim's conversion to Orthodox Christianity, his subsequent journeys and studies in Alaska, the Republic of...
On September 21, the Women's Group at St. Vladimir's began the 2015–2016 year with a casual wine and cheese gathering in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. The event started at 7 pm, and included introductions to both the St. Juliana Society—a support group for future clergy wives—and the all-inclusive Women's Group...
Thomas Totonchy It was Easter morning during my first year at St. Vladimir's Seminary, and I stood at the altar of St. Mark's Cathedral in Teaneck, New Jersey, wearing subdeacon vestments, listening to our bishop read the gospel of St. Mark. In the traditional Syriac Orthodox melody, he chanted: And...
Simon Menya Greetings in the name of our Lord! I thank the Almighty Father for the blessing and opportunity for me to attend St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and I thank the entire administration for supporting my education. Over the Christmas holiday, it was my privilege to go home and check in...
On Monday, May 4, the St. Vladimir's Women's Group sorted donated clothes and cleaned the facilities at Emmaus House in New York City , a hospitality home in Harlem with a mission of serving the poor in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We learned about the history and mission of the house...
"Life is pain, highness" the Dread Pirate Roberts/Westley tells Buttercup in the classic film The Princess Bride. "Anyone who says differently is selling something." Like many, I grew up loving this movie. Our family returned often to Blockbuster to rent it, until my parents decided it would save us both...
Christopher Moore Saying goodbye to Mongolia last summer was tough. After years of preparation, we had only been in Ulaanbaatar for nine months out of an expected two years, when suddenly it was time to make a change. We had to back out of teaching roles that we had committed...