St Vladimir's Seminary celebrated the beginning of a new era with a myriad of events on September 14 and 15, 2007. The celebration included two Hierarchical Divine Liturgies, a formal installation ceremony, an academic symposium, two community-wide brunches, a reception, two vesper services, and a banquet.

At the center was the installation of the seminary's new leadership, The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield as Chancellor and The Rev. Dr John Behr as Dean. Both of the new leaders addressed the community: Fr John on Friday at the formal academic installation; Fr Chad, on Saturday at the banquet. The text of the Dean's Address and Chancellor's Address can be read at the seminary's web site (www.svots.edu).

Installation

The formal academic installation and convocation began with a Molieben (Prayer of Thanksgiving) in the seminary chapel afternoon after the community enjoyed a lenten brunch. Both the Chancellor and Dean were vested with the crosses of their respective offices by His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America, President of the seminary and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Mayor of Yonkers, Mr. Philip A. Amicone, attended this event with several other city officials. The mayor commented on the beauty of the Orthodox service and the chapel.

Other hierarchs present for the installation included His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada, His Grace Hilarion, Bishop of Vienna and Austria of the Russian Orthodox Church and head of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions; His Grace Maxim, Bishop of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Professor of the Theology Faculty in the University of Belgrade; His Grace Bishop Savas, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and classmate of Fr John Behr's at Oxford; and His Grace Tikhon, Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania and Rector of St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

The Molieben was immediately followed by the installation ceremony in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the Rangos Building. The Very Reverend Yaroslav Sudick, Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Yonkers, member of the Board of Education for the City of Yonkers, and member of the Middle States Accrediting Association as well as a distinguished professor of chemistry, served as Master of Ceremonies.

During the convocation, Fr John Behr delivered his inaugural address, which was full of vision and substance, challenge and hope. At the end of Fr John's speech, the room erupted in applause, and the new dean stood three times in acknowledgement of the approval he received. A reception throughout the Rangos Building and in the adjacent Boich Courtyard followed, and the day concluded with Great Vespers.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross provided a focused context for the installation of new leadership and theological reflection

Liturgical Celebrations

Both days began with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Three Hierarchs Chapel. On Friday to celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman presided with Archbishop Seraphim, Bishop Hilarion and Bishop Maxim concelebrating. At Saturday's Liturgy, Archbishop Seraphim, Bishop Hilarion, and Bishop Maxim concelebrated.

During Friday's Liturgy, the President of the SVS Alumni Association, Fr David Barr, preached on the Cross as "the weapon of peace."  Dn Paul Brian Rivers was ordained to the Holy Priesthood, and seminarian Gregory Wassen was ordained to the Holy Diaconate. The St Basil Award for academic excellence and achievement was presented to third-year student Dn Paul Coats and to second-year student Evan Freeman.

Academic Symposium

The Challenges for Orthodox Theology and Theological Education in the 21st Century was the theme for a significant symposium held Saturday afternoon. The symposium featured four distinguished and world-renown scholars: Bishop Hilarion; Bishop Maxim; Fr Andrew Louth, Professor of Patristics and Byzantine Studies, Durham University UK; and Fr John McGuckin, Professor of Late Antique & Byzantine Christian History at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Byzantine Christianity at Columbia University. A visiting theology professor from Canada commented that the symposium's international panel reinforced St Vladimir's important role in the world's Orthodox theological community.

Banquet

Following Great Vespers on Saturday evening, a festive banquet in the great hall of Christ the Saviour Greek Orthodox Church in Rye concluded the two-day celebration of this new era in the life of St Vladimir's Seminary. The banquet was generously underwritten by many members of the Board of Trustees and other benefactors, allowing all students, spouses, staff, faculty, and friends of the seminary to attend free of charge. Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

At the banquet, Executive Chair Anne Glynn Mackoul spoke expressing the board's confidence in the seminary's new leadership. The Chancellor and Dean presented her with a cross in recognition of the new role she has taken on for the good of St Vladimir's Seminary. Fr Chad Hatfield gave the keynote address where he repeated the phrase, "Think of the possibilities!" With this rallying cry, Fr Chad challenged the audience to think of the possibilities of what the seminary can yet accomplish, not being limited by the past while building on its illustrious legacy.  Fr Chad concluded by drawing attention to the donation envelopes on the tables and announcing that all the evening's gifts would be for the Fr Thomas Hopko Alumni Scholarship Fund.  Final thanks and applause were given to the immediate past dean and his wife, Fr John and Helen Erickson, for their effort and contributions.

Looking back over the event, Anne Glynn Mackoul remarked, "Every element of this weekend was marked by the profound sense that St Vladimir's Seminary has embarked upon a significant new chapter in its history."

Photographs from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and installation of the seminary's new leadership.

Audio downloads from the theological symposium will be made available at this web site.