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Alumni E-News from St Vladimir’s Seminary
January 2005
Volume 5, No. 1 Dear Friends, After a flurry of activity during December, things have quieted down on campus. The fall semester ended on the 15th of December, and then preparations began for the annual Christmas retreat for high school and college students. The Christmas Retreat was entitled “The Passion of the Christ,” a theme based on the movie by Mel Gibson. Three speakers developed the theme from an Orthodox perspective – Dr Peter Bouteneff, Rev Dr John Behr, and Dr Albert Rossi. We had hoped to feature His Grace, Bishop Savas of Troas, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Church, as one of our speakers, but he was called to serve at the funeral of Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco (GOA). We thank Dr Al Rossi for his willingness to take this responsibility at the last moment. Although the number of participants was small, about 27, this retreat bore much spiritual fruit. Please keep our SVS Chorale in your prayers. This group of eleven students departed on Friday, January 7 for a two-week tour of the Orthodox parishes in the state of Florida. This is the first singing group sent out from the seminary in a number of years. It is unique in that the group is comprised of men and women, and can sing both mixed and male harmony. From all reports, they are doing a wonderful job. We have received comments that each of the participants is an excellent ambassador for the seminary. They will be visiting churches from the OCA, Greek Orthodox, and Antiochian Orthodox archdioceses. Let me brief you on other news. PROGRESS REPORT ON THE LAKESIDE APARTMENTS Thanks to a mild winter, work on the Lakeside Apartments for married students is progressing extremely well. Two buildings are being erected on the west side of campus, bordering Crestwood Lake. These structures will provide eighteen married students apartments in addition to the seventeen apartments already on campus. The new buildings will provide enough on-campus residence for all of our married students. Already the second floors of the three-floor buildings have gone up, and soon the structures will be enclosed. Hopes are for habitation by July 2005. MUSIC SYMPOSIUM Twenty-nine leaders in the field of Orthodox liturgical music were invited to St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary from December 10 through December 12, for a special music symposium. The purpose of the symposium was twofold: 1) to bring together liturgical music leaders from multiple jurisdictions so that they might meet one another and discuss their work, and; 2) to give participants the opportunity to hear scholarly presentations on the theme of the Octoechos. For further information, please visit: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-1217-music-symposium/index.html. ST NICHOLAS DAY CELEBRATION The annual St Nicholas Day celebration took place on December 5 for the church school children at the seminary. Parents provided a Lenten meal to a packed Kunett Auditorium. Fr Paul Lazor, rector of the chapel, gathered the children for the singing of Christmas hymns and the troparion of St Nicholas. St Nicholas distributed gifts to all the children and teachers. DR JAROSLAV PELIKAN AWARDED PRETIGIOUS HONOR On December 8, the Library of Congress awarded Dr Jaroslav Pelikan the John W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement. The Kluge Prize is awarded in areas of achievement that the Nobel Prize does not recognize, namely, the humanities and social sciences. Now in his eighties, Dr Pelikan’s extensive record of publication and remarkable academic career have inspired many to call him a living legend. St Vladimir’s Seminary has for many years been honored to know Dr Pelikan not only as a member of its Board of Trustees but also as a close friend and pillar of the chapel community. Upon his receipt of this prestigious award, the seminary wishes Dr Pelikan many, many years! Library of Congress Press Release: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2004/04-200.html. SEMINARY STUDENT CHOSEN TO LEAD YOUTH INSTITUTE Second-year student, Joshua Lollar, has been selected to lead this year’s Youth Institute to be held June 18–24. The Youth Institute is an intense one-week program for those who have completed their junior year in high school. The program runs concurrently with the seminary’s Liturgical Institute. This year’s theme is “Church and World I: Church and Culture.” Joshua Lollar will not only lead the group during the entire week of the program but will also begin contacting deaneries, youth leaders, and church school coordinators to advertise the program. The program has been in existence for six years and has been extremely effective in strengthening the faith of young people. PASSION SYMPOSIUM On the Sunday of the Cross this Lent and the following Monday (April 3-4), the seminary will hold a symposium on the Passion of Christ. Given the intense interest created in this subject by the film of Mel Gibson, the symposium will provide a space for theological reflection and discussion of the many issues concerning the Passion. The event will begin with a keynote address by Bishop Kallistos (Ware) on Sunday evening. On Monday, members of the faculty will address different aspects of the topic. The symposium is open to all. Further details will be announced on the seminary website. ALUMNI NEWS Fr Vladimir Misijuk (MTh ’91) and his wife Tania are parents of a newly born infant girl, Nina, born December 29. Fr Vladimir and Tania live in Bialystok, Poland where he is the assistant priest at the Church of the Elevation of the Cross and has an extensive ministry to college students as well as being a prolific translator of Orthodox texts in the Polish language. Tania has a PhD in architecture and is a professor at the University of Bialystok. Congratulations! Please keep in your prayers our alumni who are infirm: Fr Victor Sokolov (’85) who is Dean of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco, CA, and member of the seminary Alumni Board. An Unction Service was held on Sunday, January 9 at Holy Trinity where SVS alumnus, His Grace, Bishop Benjamin (OCA) presided. Seminary alumni co-celebrating at the service included Fr Basil Rhodes, Fr Michael Margitich, Fr Alexei Karlgut, Fr John Pierce, and Fr Alexander Rentel;
Fr John Platko (’73) who is rector of Holy Trinity Church in Overland Park, KS; and
Fr Ernesto Rios (attended ’78–’79) who is rector of St James Mission Church in Port St Lucie, FL. MEMORY ETERNAL Fr Nicholas Fedetz (’53) fell asleep in the Lord on January 1, 2005 at the age of 81. He was pastor emeritus of Ss Peter and Paul Church, Bayonne, NJ. Fr Paul Lazor and Ted Bazil, both of whom grew up under his tutelage in Canonsburg, PA and Detroit, MI, respectively, represented the seminary at the funeral service. Memory Eternal! FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS Fr Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus, traveled December 27–29 to the Orthodox Campus Fellowship retreat at St Nicholas Ranch, Dunlop, CA, where he was the keynote speaker. He delivered three talks entitled: “Faith, Knowledge and Love”; “Faith and Works”; and “Faith and Prayer.” Fr Paul Lazor, the John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology, will conduct three retreats combined in one ten-day trip to the West. FromFebruary 19–20, 2005, he will be at Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church (OCA), Phoenix, AZ where he will speak on the topic, “You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:48); from February 21–23, 2005, he will make three presentations to clergy of the Mission Deanery, Diocese of the West at their retreat in Boulder City, NV on the topic, “The Heart of Confession.” Finally, from February 26–27, 2005, Fr Paul will be at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (OCA), San Francisco, CA, where he will lead a retreat entitled “Return to the Father: A Return to Our True Selves.” Dr Paul Meyendorff, Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate from January 7–11, 2005, where His All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew, warmly received him. In a long private meeting with the Patriarch, he discussed issues relating to Orthodox unity and the exercise of primacy within the Orthodox Church, as well as ways in which the Patriarchate can more effectively further the cause of Orthodox unity throughout the world.On February 17–21, he will travel to the Los Angeles area, where he will lead a retreat on the Divine Liturgy at St Luke Church (AOCA) in Garden Grove, as well as meet with alumni. On March 17–21, he will travel to the Orthodox Academy in Volos, Greece, to present a paper on "The Priesthood of the Laity." On April 12–17, he will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, for a meeting of the WCC Faith and Order Drafting Group preparing a study on Christian anthropology. Fr Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies, traveled to the Orthodox Campus Fellowship retreat held at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA after Christmas to lead four workshops on the topic: “When The Mountain Does Not Move.” He also attended the Unction Service for Fr Victor Sokolov held Sunday, January 9 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, CA. Dr Albert Rossi, Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Theology, will lead a winter retreat for about one hundred people at Antiochian Village the weekend of January 15 and 16, 2005. He also continues to record short segments for Come Receive the Light and is one of the regular monthly commentators for the radio program. Fr Paul Tarazi, Professor of Old Testament, delivered a lecture on “The Importance of the Bible in our Christian Life” in Beirut, Lebanon on December 13. Fr Paul will speak on the Prophet Amos at St George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Akron, OH, on January 14 and 15, 2005. In addition, he will travel south to North and South Carolina in March 2005. He is scheduled to speak at the following parishes: Thursday, March 4 at St John of the Ladder Orthodox Church, Greenville, SC on the topic – "Apocalypse Now: The Final Judgment According to the Book of Revelation”; Friday, March 5 at the Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, Columbia, SC on the topic – "Apocalypse Now: The Final Judgment According to the Book of Revelation"; and Saturday, March 6 at the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church, Charlotte, NC where he will present two talks – "Jesus: The Alpha and the Omega" and "Apocalypse Now: The Final Judgment According to the Book of Revelation." Further, Fr Paul will provide an “Exposition of the Book of Daniel” on three consecutive Mondays, February 21, 28, and March 7, at the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs, Bayside, NY. He will also be at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, CA where he will speak on the Book of Psalms the evening of April 8 and the entire day of April 9. Deacon Kirill Sokolov, Director of Systems, will be a co-presenter at a workshop for deacons and subdeacons in the Diocese of the West (OCA) February 18–20 at the Life-Giving Spring Retreat Center, Boulder City, NV. ALUMNI GATHERING Dr Paul Meyendorff will be the guest speaker at an Alumni Gathering at St Luke Church, Garden Grove, CA on February 18, 2005 from noon to 3pm. Fr Michael Lewis (’88) is the host pastor. UPCOMING EVENTS January 24
Spring semester begins. January 30
SVS alumnus, Fr Leonid Kishkovsky, will deliver the Annual Fr Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture. See: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-1209-schmemann-lecture/index.html. March 14 & 15
Fr Vladimir Berzonsky (‘65) will provide the meditations at Annual seminary retreat held the first two days of Lent. April 3 & 4
Passion Symposium featuring Bishop Kallistos (Ware) and seminary faculty. April 16
Fr Steven Belonick, Director of Recruitment, Alumni Liaison, Outreach, will speak at the Annual Lenten Retreat. His topic is entitled “Growth in Life and Faith.” -END-
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