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Alumni E-News from St Vladimir's Seminary
January 2006
Volume 6, No.1
Dear Friends,
Let me begin this issue of E-News by reporting to you a most auspicious event in the life of the seminary. Seminary dean, John H Erickson, was ordained to the diaconate on January 31 by Metropolitan Herman. Details of this significant occasion are provided below with a link to our website. Beside this, I wish to fill you in on a number of other important events, both past and in the near future.
DEAN ERICKSON ORDAINED TO DIACONATE
On the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, the Patronal feast of the seminary chapel, Dean John Erickson was ordained to the diaconate by Metropolitan Herman, President of the seminary. Concelebrants with the Metropolitan included the seminary clergy staff – Fr Paul Lazor, Rector, Fr Steven Belonick, Fr Alexander Rentel, and Fr John Behr. Visiting clergy included Fr Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus, Fr Robert Kondratick, member of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of the OCA, along with Fr David Brum, Secretary to the Metropolitan, Fr Alexis Vinogradov (‘78), Fr Vitaly Dutkin (’98-‘00), Fr Stavros Strikis (‘81), and third-year student Fr Christopher Foley. Metropolitan Herman commented that the beauty of the singing and the joy of the occasion made it seem “like Pascha.” Many guests and visitors were in attendance. A reception was held after the Liturgy. The seminary community expresses their “AXIOS.” For further information and photo gallery, visit: http://www.svots.edu/News/Recent/2006-0130-ordinationjhe/
ARCHBISHOP KYRILL VISITS SEMINARY CAMPUS
The seminary was pleased to welcome The Most Reverend Kyrill, Archbishop of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and the Bulgarian Diocese on Sunday, January 22 where he served the Liturgy and ordained third- year students Dn Christopher Foley to the priesthood and Nikolay Miletkov to the diaconate. Archbishop Kyrill has been a member of the seminary’s Board of Trustees for many years and is a strong supporter and benefactor of the school. Visit: http://www.svots.edu/News/Recent/2006-0122-abpkyrill/
ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX BISHOP RETURNS TO HIS ALMA MATER
Bishop Mark (‘91) visited the seminary campus for the first time since his graduation. He was consecrated to the episcopacy in August 2005. He presided at the Liturgy for the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, preached the sermon, and ordained Dn Peter Gillquist to the priesthood. AXIOS! Visiting clergy who celebrated the Liturgy with him included Fr Peter Gillquist, father of Dn Peter, Fr George Alberts (‘74), and Fr Thomas Zain (’90-‘92). Bishop Mark had the opportunity to meet with students from the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, to tour the campus, and meet with Dean Erickson and members of the seminary faculty. For more information, please visit: http://www.svots.edu/News/Recent/2006-0202-mark/
BISHOP THOMAS (AOCA) ORDAINS SECOND-YEAR STUDENT
Bishop Thomas ordained Dn David Bleam to the priesthood on Monday, February 13 at St Philip Church, Souderton, PA. The ordination had to be rescheduled from the day before due to the storm that blanketed the Northeast with record amounts of snow and stranded the ordinand and visitors in local hotels. AXIOS!
THEME SET FOR SUMMER INSTITUTE AND YOUTH INSTITUTE
“A Christian Ending to Our Life: the Mystery of Death” will be the theme of this year’s Summer Institute held June 25-30. You can find information about the content of the week by visiting our website. Unique this year, Dr Al Rossi, Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology who teaches a class on thanatology at the seminary, will give a twelve-hour intensive course on Christian counseling in relation to death and dying. Other Institute faculty members include Fr John Garvey, Dr Lila Kalinich, Dr David Bentley Hart, and Fr Sergius Glagolev.
http://www.svots.edu/Events/Summer-Institute/2006/index.html
In addition, the Youth Institute for those completing their junior year in high school will also be held concurrently. Six full scholarships are available to students who wish to study their faith in a challenging academic setting. The program will include participation in the main Institute talks, small group discussions, several off-campus field trips, and liturgical worship. For an application, please contact Fr Steven Belonick at
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or at 914-961-8313, ext. 328, or visit our website.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DIOCESE OF THE WEST (OCA) VISIT CAMPUS
Fr Matthew Tate, Dean of the Missionary Diocese of West and Fr Joseph Hirsch, Dean of the Rocky Mountain Deanery, visited the seminary campus on February 8. Their annual visit is a opportunity to meet with students from the diocese and to brief them on activities in the diocese.
SCHMEMANN LECTURE
Avery Cardinal Dulles, an internationally known author and lecturer, was scheduled to be the featured speaker at the twenty-third annual Fr Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, January 29, 2006. Unfortunately, the Cardinal unexpectedly took ill with pneumonia and was hospitalized on the day of his presentation. His talk, “The Imperative of Orthodoxy,” was delivered to a filled auditorium by Rev Joseph T Lienhard, SJ, professor of theology at Fordham University.
BISHOP BENJAMIN (’81) TO LEAD SVS LENTEN RETREAT
The annual SVS Lenten Retreat for supporters, benefactors, and visitors to the seminary will be held on April 8, 2006. SVS alumnus The Right Reverend Benjamin, Bishop of Berkeley, will deliver a talk entitled “Perfection and Imperfection.” If you are in the area, make plans to attend.
SVS REPRESENTED AT PAN-ORTHODOX CONFERENCE ON LITURGICAL MUSIC PSALM
A pan-Orthodox, non-profit organization promoting networking between Orthodox liturgical musicians, has announced its first national conference on Orthodox Liturgical music to be held August 2-5, 2006 in the Metropolitan Chicago area. SVS presenters include Professor David Drillock, Professor of Liturgical Music Emeritus; Mark Bailey, Lecturer in Liturgical Music; and Fr Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus. Fr Thomas will deliver the keynote address entitled, “Asceticism and Creativity.” For more information about the conference, go to www.orthodoxpsalm.org, or email
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CHORALE TO SING AT UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
The seminary Chorale will visit the campus of the University of Connecticut on Friday, February 24 to perform a concert for university students. The event is hosted by the OCF on campus and is being used as a fund-raiser to help finance a trip to Project Mexico.
STAY LINKED TO SVS
Does your parish have a website? Do you have links to www.svots.edu and/or to www.svspress.com? We’re asking all alumni to help make our online source of information about the seminary and our bookstore more accessible by adding these as links. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our Communications Director, Sofia Lopoukhine at
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and 914.961.8313, x 363. Thanks to all of you who already do link to these websites.
SEMINARY TO OPEN DOORS TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Inquirers to seminary study and life will have an opportunity to attend a three-day open house on the seminary campus from March 30-April 1. They will attend classes, worship services, information sessions, tour the campus, and meet with current students and faculty members. If you know of someone who might be interested and might benefit from such a visit, please contact the Office of Recruitment at
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or visit our website: http://www.svots.edu/News/Upcoming/2006-0330-openhouse/.
FR HOPKO’S VOCATIONS PAMPHLET AVAILABLE TO ALUMNI AND PARISHES
Fr Thomas Hopko’s pamphlet entitled “Finding One’s Calling in Life” is now available for sale to alumni and parishes. The pamphlet provides guidance to discover the divine plan in one’s life. It is a good addition to parish bookstores, libraries, and pamphlet racks. The fee schedule is as follows:
1 copy - $3.00
10-100 copies - $2.50 each
100-200 copies - $2.00 each
Over 200 copies - $1.75 each
Postage is the responsibility of those who order. Income from the sale of these pamphlets will help advance the seminary’s ministry to our alumni. To order copies or for additional information, please contact Fr Steven Belonick at
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or 914-961-8313, ext 328.
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Fr John Behr, Professor of Patristics, was the keynote speaker at the St Photius the Great Faith and Learning Symposium hosted by Hellenic College on February 3-4, 2006. His topic was entitled, “Plundering the Egyptians: the Use of Classical Paideia in the Early Church.” He will preach at the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN.
Fr Paul Lazor, John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology, conducted a one-day retreat at the Pre-Lenten Clergy Gathering of the Diocese of Washington and New York held at Holy Resurrection Church, Wayne, NJ on Thursday, February 9. His topic was “Until Christ be formed in you” (Gal.4:19). In addition, he will conduct a retreat on March 10-11 for the Deacon Candidates (and their wives) of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitanate of Pittsburgh and hosted by Ss Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh. Finally, he will deliver the homily at the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers March 12 held by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania at St John the Baptist Church, Canonsburg, PA. His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill will preside at the Vespers.
Dr Meyendorff, Fr Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, will attend the WCC Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil from February 15-23, 2006. He will lecture on the Liturgy at Holy Trinity Church in Stroudsburg, PA where SVS alumnus Fr Nicholas Solak (‘02) is pastor.
Fr Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies, will attend the WCC Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil from February 15-23, 2006. Upon returning from Brazil, he will travel to Pawtucket, RI on February 25 to speak at St Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church as part of the Fellowship of St John the Divine Footlamps 2005-2006 Monthly Workshop Series. His topic will be “Divorce, Mixed-Marriage, and Cohabitation: The Sacrament of Marriage Under Siege.”
Fr Paul Tarazi, Professor of Old Testament, will be at St John of the Ladder Church, Greenville, SC to speak on “The Book of Amos” and “Pauline Pastoralia” from March 9-10. On March 11, he will speak at the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Church, Charlotte, NC on the topic “Thus Says the Lord: Understanding the Book of Isaiah.” On April 1, Fr Paul will be at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, CA to speak on “The Epistle to the Romans.” In addition, he will be a featured speaker at The President’s and Dean’s Symposium at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA and will speak on the topic “What is the Bible?”
Deacon Kirill Sokolov, Director of Systems, along with Bishop Benjamin will lead a workshop for deacons in the Diocese of the West (OCA) from February 17-19.
ALUMNI NEWS
Rev Joseph Bittle (’03) and Kh. Johanna are glad to announce the birth of their first child, Michael Augustine Bittle. He was born 2 months premature on January 15th, weighing 4 lb. 6 oz. He is doing well, but, as of this writing, he remains in the Neonatal ICU at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. Please keep him in your prayers.
Rev. Dn. Paul Cherian (’02) has been selected as the delegate to represent the Malankara Orthodox Church at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil from February 13-24, 2006.
Fr Eugene Wozniak (‘95) will be deployed to Iraq for chaplaincy duties soon. He was recently featured in a US Marines newsletter: http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/716477A79CA8B20E8525710800022674?opendocument
Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic (‘82) was recently appointed by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle presiding, as consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops for international and inter-church affairs and member of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Council for Kosovo.
Fr Stavros Strikis (’81) celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Many Years!
PLEASE REMEMBER IN PRAYER
The Most Reverend Metropolitan PHILIP (’66), Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese.
Very Rev Dennis Pavichevich (’75)
Very Rev Victor Sokolov (‘85)
Jaroslav Pelikan
IN MEMORIUM
John Stuart McEachen, brother of SVS alumnus Fr Joel McEachen (‘68) fell asleep in the Lord on February 3, 2006. We extend our sympathies to Fr Joel and his family.
David Erickson, brother of Dean John Erickson, fell asleep in the Lord on January 25. We extend our condolences to Deacon John and his family.
Anthony Ishido (’74) fell asleep in the Lord on February 8, 2006. We extend our sympathies to his wife Marina
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