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Alumni E-News from St Vladimir's Seminary
February 2004
Volume 4, No. 2 Dear Friends, I trust that your Feast of Theophany was filled with light and joy. Many of you remember the wonderful campus tradition of the blessing of Troublesome Brook after the Theophany Liturgy. That tradition took a new turn this year. Troublesome Brook was bone-dry due to the action of the City of Yonkers, which closed down its source for fear of flooding. As a result, a newly-built fountain on campus became the location for this blessing. The fountain is located in a courtyard between the Chapel and the Rangos Building. Named after seminary benefactors, the Boich Family, the courtyard is a beautiful and tranquil place for reading, study, and fellowship. In its center rests a bubbling fountain that flows year-round. Please visit our website for photos: http://www.svots.edu/Three-Hierarchs-Chapel/2004-theophany/index.html . Everyone agreed that the new location for the blessing of water was an appropriate one. The spring semester is well underway as I write this issue. Students arrived rested from the last semester and are looking forward to the new one. Let me share with you some news from the campus. DEAN AND RECRUITMENT OFFICER TRAVEL TO INDIANAPOLIS During the break, the seminary faculty and staff were active. Dean Erickson and Very Rev Steven Belonick flew to Indianapolis, IN to attend a conference on Youth Ministry hosted and sponsored by The Fund for Theological Education, Inc. Over two hundred people from various seminaries belonging to the Association of Theological Schools gathered to share their experience and gleanings about the youth programs they have held annually over the past ten years with funding by Lilly Endowment. Although St Vladimir's does not receive any funds from Lilly for its Youth Institute for High School Juniors, we were invited to participate in the worthwhile discussions on the basis of its involvement in other Lilly initiatives in ministry. SEMINARY INSTRUCTOR COMPLETES DOCTORAL PROGRAM Rev Alexander Rentel ('95), Instructor in Church History and Canon Law, traveled to Rome in early January to defend his doctoral thesis at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. His thesis was entitled A Critical Edition of the 14th Century Patriarchal Diataxis of Dimitrios Gemistos. Included with those who examined Fr Rentel's defense was Fr Robert Taft, SJ, one of the foremost scholars in liturgy. Fr Alexander was accompanied by his wife, Nancy, a SVS alumna (‘95), their two children, Dimitrios and Maria, and Fr Alexander's mother, Matushka Elaine Rentel. Fr Alexander was awarded the degree of Doctor of Eastern Ecclesiastical Sciences (SEOD) with the highest honors, summa cum laude . THREE HIERARCHS FEAST CELEBRATED BY METROPOLITAN HERMAN His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman (OCA) celebrated the Liturgy for the feast of the Three Hierarchs on Friday, January 30. Concelebrating with him and preaching the sermon was His Grace, Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Brussels (Russian Orthodox Church). Bishop Hilarion, along with classmates Peter Bouteneff and Fr John Behr, studied under His Grace, Bishop Kallistos at Oxford in the early 1990s. At the Liturgy, third-year student, Kirill Sokolov, son of Very Rev Victor Sokolov ('85), was ordained to the diaconate. Besides being enrolled in the MDiv program, Deacon Kirill is the Director of Systems at the seminary.
http://www.svots.edu/Three-Hierarchs-Chapel/2004-0130-ordination/index.html FR ALEXANDER SCHMEMANN MEMORIAL LECTURE Despite snowstorms, the 21 st Annual Fr Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture attracted a capacity crowd on Friday, January 30. Dr Alexander Lingas, a professional church musician and seasoned scholar in the areas of Byzantine and historical musicology, addressed the participants with a lively talk entitled “Culture, History, and the Future of Orthodox Liturgical Music in America.” For more information, please visit our website:
http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0130-lingas-schmemann/index.html FACULTY NOTES: Dean John H. Erickson (MTh '84) presented the first lecture in a series of five at a Pre-Lenten Lecture Series at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, NYC on January 28, 2004. The series is entitled “Psychotherapy: Priest or Doctor or Both.” He and his wife, Helen, also participated in a workshop for new seminary deans/presidents, organized by the Association of Theological Schools, in New Orleans, January 15-18. Eleana Silk ('86, MA '88) , seminary librarian, spoke on January 10, 2004 on the topic “Oral History and Parish History: A Workshop” at St Mark Orthodox Church, Bethesda, MD where SVS alumnus, Fr Gregory Safchuk is the pastor. Dr John Barnet ('89) , Assistant Professor of New Testament, who is on sabbatical during the spring semester, spoke at a Seminar on Vocation at Hellenic College, Brookline, MA on January 13, 2004. His topic was “Seek First His kingdom: An Invitation to Christian Vocation.” Rev Alexander Rentel ('95) , Instructor in Church History and Canon Law, will speak at Holy Trinity Seminary, Jordanville, NY on February 5, 2004 on the topic “How the Patriarch Served the Divine Liturgy in 14 th Century Constantinople.” Dr Paul Meyendorff ('75) , Fr Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, will speak at St Luke Church (AOCA), Garden Grove, CA on February 6 on the topic “The Origin and Development of Great Lent.” On February 7, he will deliver two talks on the topic of “Penance and Confession.” In addition, on February 14, Dr Meyendorff will deliver two talks at St George Church (AOCA), Little Falls, NJ entitled “The Eucharist in the New Testament” and “The Development of the Byzantine Liturgy.” Dr Peter Bouteneff ('90) , Assistant Professor of Dogmatic Theology, will speak at the New Jersey District of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America (FOCA) in Bayonne, NJ on March 23, 2004. His topic will be “The Orthodox Church and Other Christians: ‘The Heresy of Ecumenism?” ALUMNI NEWS: Very Rev Irinej Dobrijevic (‘82), was appointed to the Secretariat of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. His Holiness, Patriarch Pavel, has directed him to assume his new responsibilities at the end of January. Fr Irinej will be stationed at the Patriarchate in Belgrade. Very Rev George Johnson (‘76 ) , was honored on November 2, 2003 by His Eminence, Archbishop Kirill of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh (OCA) at the 95 th anniversary of the founding of St John the Baptist Church, Conemaugh, PA where Fr George has ministered for twenty-five years. Archbishop Kirill presented Fr George with a jeweled cross at the Liturgy. For a full article, please visit:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/news/s_172927.html Rev Basil Koory (‘03) and his wife Annmarie are new parents with the birth of their son, Alexander Anthony, on January 13, 2004. Congratulations and God's blessings! Rev Aby Kurian (MTh ‘03) was consecrated Archbishop and Patriarchal Vicar of the Malandara Archdiocese in North America on January 4, 2004 at Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Monastery of St Aphrem the Syrian, at Ma'arrat Seydnaya, Damascus, Syria. The new Metropolitan was entrusted with the title “TITHOS” during the consecration ceremony and will be known by the name “Mor Tithos Yeldho.” For more information:
http://www.geocities.com/malankarav6/20040104Yeldo.htm Fred Bittle ('03) was ordained to the holy diaconate at St Ignatius Orthodox Church, Franklin, TN on January 11th, 2004 by Bishop Basil Essey and was given the name, Deacon Joseph. He is assigned to St John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN. Gary Geha ('78) fell asleep in the Lord on January 28. He was 51 years old. May his memory be eternal! ALUMNI GATHERINGS: Dates: February 13-14
Location: Houston, Texas Clergy Retreat Alumni Meeting
Alumni Host: Fr George Dahdou
Faculty: Fr Thomas Hopko UPCOMING EVENTS: February 23-24
Seminary Lenten Retreat with four meditations provided by Fr Thomas Hopko. March 16
Eastern-Oriental Orthodox Symposium March 18-20
Open House for Prospective Students March 27
Lenten Retreat. Fr Paul Lazor will lead the retreat and take as his theme “Repentance in the Christian Life.” YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED: We want to keep you informed about life at seminary and abreast of news about our alumni. To accomplish this task, we need your help with address changes, email address changes, and any news from the field. Please inform us any births, ordinations, honors, appointments, deaths, etc. We are happy to share this information with our fellow alumni/ae. -END-
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