Alumni E-News from St Vladimir's Seminary
August 2004
Volume 4, No. 8

Dear Friends,

It is good to update you again on the activities at the seminary.  Already, preparations are underway to receive students for the fall.  New students are calling with numerous questions about housing and arrival times.  The chapel has been freshly painted in time for the new semester.   We expect over fifty new students, and thank God for them. 

Even though there is excitement regarding the new semester, there is a sadness that two pillars of the seminary community are leaving – Dave and Barbara Drillock.  Dave will retire officially August 1.  We keep them in our prayers and ask for God’s continued blessing upon them.  Dave is already working on a music project.  We are grateful.  

Let me brief you on some other items.

UPDATE ON FR PAUL LAZOR

Last month we told you of our joy that Fr Paul had returned home from a month’s stay in the hospital.  Although at home, Fr Paul still has gone through many difficult weeks.  For most of the month, the pain in his knee has been excruciating.  Physicians determined that the pain is a result of blood leaking into the joint, producing a swelling.  Gratefully, we can report to you that the porta-cath has been removed from his arm, the antibiotic has been discontinued, and an anti-inflammatory medication has been prescribed.  At the present time, Fr Paul has indicated that the pain has lessened and is now bearable.  Please keep him and his wife, Natasha, in your prayers.

SVS HIRES NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

The seminary welcomes Peter Pruzinsky to the seminary community.  Peter will assume the responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer, a position held by Professor David Drillock for many years and until his retirement on August 1.  Peter began work on July 1.  The seminary hosted a special lunch on the seminary campus to welcome Peter officially.  For further information, please visit: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0714-new-cfo/index.html

SVS ALUMNA RETURNS TO FILL “EVENTS” POSITION

Randa Aoun (MA‘01) has returned to the seminary to fill the position of Food Services and Events Manager at the seminary.  After graduation, Randa worked for Raphael House in San Francisco, CA.  Beginning August 1, Randa will assume responsibilities formerly filled by Barbara Drillock in the area of refectory operations and food services and will be responsible for coordinating and preparing events on the seminary campus.  The new Rangos Building has enabled the seminary to host numerous events since its dedication in 2001.  This summer, alone, the seminary has hosted three major conferences.

SVS FILLS BARBARA DRILLOCK’S POSITION

The seminary has hired Lori Thompson to replace Barbara Drillock in Accounts Receivable.  Lori was previously employed at St Nersess Armenian Orthodox Seminary, New Rochelle.  We welcome Lori to the seminary staff.

SVS HOSTS OCA CONFERENCE

The seminary hosted the Parish Ministry Conference of the Orthodox Church in America held July 28-31.  Over 70 people heard keynote addresses by SVS alumni Very Rev Sergei Glagolev and Very Rev George Gray.  Workshop leaders included numerous SVS alumni.  Faculty member, Dr Albert Rossi, also led two workshops.  To read the press release, visit: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0730-faith-in-action/index.html.

FACULTY AND STAFF OFFER DIACONAL PRACTICUM

Fr Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies, Deacon Kevin Smith, Instructor in Liturgical Music, and Deacon Kirill Sokolov, Director of Systems, traveled to Columbus from June 11-13, 2004 for the purpose of leading a Diaconal Practicum for participants in the Late Vocations Program of the Orthodox Church in America. The retreat was sponsored by the Columbus Deanery (OCA) and hosted by the parish of St Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Campus Church.  For more information, visit: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0712-diaconal-practicum/index.html  Another such program will be held August 20-22 in Minneapolis, MN where Deacons Kevin Smith and Kirill Sokolov will lead the practicum.

SVS STAFF ATTEND GREEK ORTHODOX CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS

Members of the faculty and staff attended the Greek Orthodox Clergy-Laity Congress held in New York City the week of July 26.  Fr Stephen Hryciniak, Marketing Director for the Press, Deborah Belonick, Associate Editor of the Press, Julia Wickes, Communication Officer of the seminary, and Toru Takei, bookstore representative, represented the seminary.  Additionally, Deacon Jesse Greendyk and Michael Kaufman from the Office of Advancement attended workshops at the congress along with Fr John Behr.  Dean Erickson, Fr John Behr, and Deacon Jesse Greendyk attended the concluding banquet.

CLASS REUNION SET

The seminary’s first Class Reunion will be held October 10-12 on the campus.  An invitation and information packet will be mailed the first week in August.  We encourage as many of our alumni, especially those members of classes that will be honored, to attend the event.  Brian Gerich, a member of the SVS Board of Trustees and benefactor of alumni activities, will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.  In addition, Professor Veselin Kesich has accepted an invitation to attend the event and to address the alumni.  If you have any questions, please contact Fr Steven Belonick at extension 328.

ALUMNI NEWS

Andrei Psarev(MTh ’04) and his wife Maria announce the birth of a daughter, Ksenia Andreevna, born May 10, 2004.  Congratulations!

Very Rev Anthony Scott (‘75) spoke on the subject of stewardship to the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church Diocesan Clergy Assembly (Eastern Diocese) on April 27, 2004; conducted a Bible Study for the Diocesan Council of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church Diocese on July 21, 2004; accompanied IOCC CEO Dean Triantafilou to a international gathering of Orthodox charities in Finland from April 30-May 3, 2004; and together with Ron Nicola, the Stewardship Chairperson of the Antiochian Archdiocese, gave an interview on Stewardship and Philanthropy on the Come Receive the Light national Orthodox radio program.  In addition, he began work on his second book, Orthodox Philanthropists and Stewards – Their Own Stories.

IN MEMORIUM

John Joseph Ferrainolo (’83) fell asleep in the Lord on July 10, 2004.  His wife, Irene, and son, Philip, survive him.  At the time of his death, John worked at NASA Langley Research Facility in Hampton, VA.  May his memory be eternal!

ALUMNI GATHERINGS

Fr Steven (’77), Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations, and Deborah Belonick (’79), Associate Editor of the SVS Press traveled to Dallas, TX from July 16-18 to host an alumni gathering in the area.  SVS alumnus Archbishop Dmitri (OCA) along with Very Rev Bogdan Djurdjulov (’75) and his wife Peggy, Very Rev Basil Zebrun (‘83) and his wife Christine (‘80), and Fr Justin Frederick (’03) accepted the invitation to lunch, where the Belonicks updated them on the seminary’s progress.  Fr Steven and Deborah also made seminary presentations at St Barbara’s parish in Ft Worth, TX, where Fr Basil is the pastor, and at St Seraphim Cathedral, Dallas, TX.

Deacon Kevin Smith (’02), Instructor in Liturgical Music, represented the seminary at the Canadian Diocesan Assembly held July 20-23 in Saskatoon, SK. Deacon Kevin made a presentation about the seminary at a wine and cheese reception hosted by SVS. While at the assembly, Deacon Kevin also directed the assembly choir at liturgical services and presented a workshop on “Effective Music Ministry in the Orthodox Church.”

FACULTY/STAFF NEWS

John H. Erickson, Dean, Peter N Gramowich Professor of Church History, will sit on a panel at the Fr Alexander Men Conference being organized by His Grace, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) at the Manhattan branch of College of Nyack, Friday, August 20. Meanwhile, he is recuperating from a broken arm (three places!) suffered in a bicycle accident.

Dr Albert Rossi, Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Theology, gave a retreat comprised of four talks on the Jesus Prayer at the Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, CA July 9-11, 2004.  He also gave an evening presentation on July 1, 2004 on Prayer and Purity to the CrossRoad youth group headed by SVS alumna Ann (Mitsakos) Bezzerides (’00) at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA.  In addition, Dr Rossi spoke on “Discerning the Will of God” to youth groups at St Nersess on two evenings, July 19 and July 29, 2004.  Further, he will deliver a morning presentation to a college group at St Nersess on August 14, 2004.

Eleana Silk, Head Librarian, was at St. Herman's Seminary on Kodiak, July 4-9, helping in library development there.  Mark Harrison (‘93), who worked with Eleana in the library as his work assignment and during two summers while a student at SVS, is now the librarian at St Herman's.  Brian Barber, a current SVS student, is on an internship working at St Herman's until the end of July.  Together they worked to prepare the library to be cataloged on a new computer system. Funding for their work came from Ilassi, the

Fellowship at St Herman's.  Eleana will continue to help the St Herman's Library through email correspondence and sending books and magazines.  In addition, Eleana attended the Canadian Archdiocesan Assembly of the OCA in Saskatoon, SK, July 20-24 and was available to answer questions about the seminary. 

Deacon Kevin Smith has been appointed Instructor in Liturgical Music at the seminary.  Deacon Kevin has assumed responsibility of Choir Director in the seminary chapel and will begin teaching some courses in the fall semester.  He will continue his studies towards a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Mannes College of Music in New York City.

Deacon Kirill Sokolov, Director of Systems, will represent the seminary at an educational technology workshop of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), Chicago, held August 12-13.  Further, he will lead a workshop for servers and concelebrate with His Grace, Bishop Benjamin at St Nicholas Church in Portland, OR from August 27-29.

Very Rev Paul Tarazi, Professor of Old Testament, will travel to Syria and Lebanon in August to deliver a number of talks:  August 1-4, he will travel to the Archdiocese of Homs, Syria to provide an exposition of the Book of Genesis; from August 6-9, he will travel to the Archdiocese of Damascus, Syria to provide an exposition of Isaiah and Romans; and from August 10-13, he will travel to the Archdiocese of Tripoli and Koura, Lebanon to provide an exposition of the Book of Revelation.

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