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Alumni E-News from St Vladimir's Seminary
May 2004
Volume 4, No. 5 Dear Friends, On behalf of Dean Erickson, the faculty, students, and staff, I extend to each of you paschal greetings. We pray that the Risen Lord fill your hearts with the joy and power of this Feast. As we wind down the semester, students are completing papers and putting the final touches on their theses. Some seniors are preparing to move on for further study at such prestigious schools as Catholic University and Notre Dame while others are waiting for pastoral assignments. As you may remember, it is a bittersweet time for those completing their studies. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue their journey. HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA The month of April was dominated by the celebration of Holy Week, Pascha, and Bright Week. These weeks in the seminary chapel were as glorious as ever. The seminary was blessed to have dean emeritus, Fr Thomas Hopko, and his wife Anne from Holy Week to the first two days of Bright Week. Fr Tom provided the Holy Friday Vespers meditation before the Tomb. PROFESSOR DAVID DRILLOCK HONORED Professor David Drillock will retire from the seminary at the end of July after a 48-year relationship with the seminary. To honor his service, members of the seminary administration organized a surprise gathering for him on Bright Saturday. More than 100 invitees, besides faculty, students, and staff, descended on the seminary campus for the event. Believing that he was about to leave for the baptism of his new granddaughter on Long Island, (which would actually take place one week later), Dave wondered what all the traffic was about on campus. Scouting out the new Boich Courtyard, he was shocked to hear everyone shout “Surprise!” Great food and refreshments were served as an accordion player serenaded the attendees. After Dean Erickson made a short presentation to Dave, the group moved to the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium where funny anecdotes and touching stories were shared and where new musical pieces composed in honor of Dave were distributed and sung. Fr Serge Glagolev composed a new and beautiful rendition of “Many Years.” Dave was overwhelmed with gratitude at the outpouring of love and respect of so many for his contribution to liturgical music in the Orthodox Church and to St Vladimir’s Seminary. He and Barbara will be truly missed.
http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0423-drillockfest/index.html ARCHBISHOP JOB VISITS CAMPUS The seminary community was delighted to receive His Eminence, Archbishop Job to the seminary campus on Tuesday, April 28. His Eminence was here to visit seminarians from his diocese. After attending Daily Vespers in the seminary chapel, the Archbishop took his diocesan seminarians out to dinner. We extend our joyous “Axios” to His Eminence who was recently elevated to the rank of Archbishop at the Spring meeting of Holy Synod (OCA). ALUMNI REUNION PLANNED The Alumni Board convened their semi-annual meeting via a teleconference call on April 20th. A number of important topics were discussed including future implementation of password protection for the alumni website, alumni training in recruiting, the seminary scholarship fund, a future alumni retreat at Antiochian Village, and future geographical alumni gatherings. The main agenda item, however, focused on the upcoming Alumni Class Reunion, the first of its kind, to be held October 10-12 on the seminary campus. Although all classes are invited, the 50th anniversary class (1954) and the 25th anniversary class (1979) will be honored specifically, along with the classes from 2003, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1974, 1964, 1944. The reunion will provide alumni an opportunity to attend some classes, participate in an educational component on “Forgiveness and Healing”, and attend chapel services, a general assembly, and a banquet. An information packet will be sent out at the beginning of August to all of our alumni. It is the Board’s hope that the reunion will be an annual event that will bring people back to the campus. VACANCIES ON THE ALUMNI BOARD The Alumni Board, usually comprised of twelve members, presently has only ten members. If you are interested in serving, please contact Alumni Board president, Fr Anthony Yazge. He can be reached by email at
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. Annual elections for the Board will be held in October. YOUTH INSTITUTE SET Annually, St Vladimir’s hosts a Youth Institute for high school juniors on the seminary campus. A competitive program for six motivated students, the Youth Institute runs concurrently with the Liturgical Institute and provides the students the opportunity to attend lectures, chapel services, and discussion groups. The program also entails visiting the OCA Chancery, a tour of local churches, and an excursion to New York City. Students have ample opportunity to research a topic of interest to them in the seminary library and to write a brief paper. If you know of any students completing their junior year in high school, please inform them of this event or call the seminary for additional information. Information and application forms are available online at: http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-0128-youth-institute.html ALUMNI NEWS His Grace, Bishop Basil (Essey) (‘73), Auxiliary to Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, will deliver the commencement address at graduation exercises on Saturday, May 15. Very Rev George DeTrana (’73) fell asleep in the Lord on Pascha, April 11. His wife, MaryAnn, and his three sons Paul, Alexander, and John survive him. Fr George was the founding pastor of St Cyprian of Carthage Church, Richmond, VA. Memory Eternal! Archimandrite Benjamin (Peterson) (‘81), was consecrated to the episcopacy on May 1 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, CA. His Grace will be Bishop of Berkeley and auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of the West (OCA). AXIOS! Dee Dee Karosatos (’82) lost her husband, Clint, in a car accident on Bright Saturday. They lived in Houston, TX. Memory Eternal! Rev William Mills (MDiv 1997, MTh. 2000) defended his doctoral dissertation, "In the Church, Of the World, For the Kingdom: A Study of Alexander Schmemann’s Pastoral Theology” on February 28, 2004. Fr Daniel Findykian (‘89), Dean of St Nersess Armenian Seminary, served on Fr Mill's doctoral committee and traveled to Charlotte, NC for the defense. Fr Mills will receive his PhD in Pastoral Theology in May from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, OH. He also was selected as a fellow in the Pastor-Theologian Program at the Center of Theological Inquiry at Princeton University for 2004-5. The Pastor-Theologian Program seeks to address the crisis of faith in the contemporary Church by focusing attention on the ordained ministry as a theological vocation and on the Church as a theological community. Andrew Goidich’s (‘58) son, Christopher, will be deployed aboard the USS Stennis in May. He spent time on the USS Abraham Lincoln during the current Iraq War and served in the 82nd Airborne (Army) during the first Iraq War in 1991. FACULTY/ STAFF NEWS John H Erickson, Dean, Peter N Gramowich Professor of Church History, participated in a Clergy Education Conference organized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Palo Alto, CA, April 21-22. Very Rev Paul Lazor, John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology, will undergo knee replacement surgery on Tuesday, May 18. Fr Paul has been in a great deal of physical pain for much of the year and is thankful to God that he was able to make it through Great Lent, Pascha, and to complete the school year. We ask you to keep him in your prayers. Cards and notes can be sent to his home at 26 Maria Lane, Yonkers, NY 10710. Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus, spoke on the “Holy Spirit” in Torrance, CA from April 23-24. Fr Simeon Corona was the host pastor. Rev John Behr, Associate Professor of Patristics, attended the first meeting, a brainstorming planning meeting, of the Pappas Patristics Institute at Holy Cross, Brookline, MA on April 16-17. Fr John also traveled to Archangels Michael and Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church, Montreal, PQ on May 1 to speak on the topic “Mary as a Type of the Church.” He also will speak on the topic “Scripture and Tradition” at Holy Trinity Church in Springfield, VT on May 16. Fr Peter Carmichael is the host. Dr Albert Rossi, Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Theology, will speak at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA on the topic “Christian Faith for Real Families” on May 26-31. Fr Michael Nasser is the host pastor. Paul Meyendorff, Fr Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, traveled to Vienna, Austria from April 19-26 to attend the Faith and Order Consultation of the World Council of Churches on the topic of Hermeneutics. Peter Bouteneff, Assistant Professor of Dogmatic Theology, attended a Faith and Order meeting, April 19-21, on the question "What Makes the Church One?" at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ. Michael Kaufmann, Advancement Officer, was married to Kristin Sabbag on Saturday, May 1, 2004 at St John of Damascus Antiochian Orthodox Church in Dedham, MA. Fr Elias Bitar, Fr John Teebagy, and Fr Michael Nasser (all SVS alumni) concelebrated at the service. Many Years to Michael and Kristin. UPCOMING EVENTS May 15, 2004
Commencement Exercises. June 20-25, 2004
Liturgical Institute of Music and Pastoral Practice.
Theme: “Does Christian Marriage Have A Future?” June 19-25, 2004
Youth Institute for high school juniors. -END-
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