Mr. Theodore Bazil, SVS Associate Chancellor for Advancement, welcomes His Beatitude Jonah, metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America and alumnus of SVS, to the seminary chapel with the traditional gift of bread and salt. Metropolitan Jonah participated in several campus events from November 21–22, 2008, including the dedication of the recently constructed Lakeside Student Apartments for married seminarians, and the fall semi-annual meeting of the Board of Trustees.

From November 21–22, St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) warmly welcomed back to its campus an alumnus, James Paffhausen—but this time as His Beatitude Jonah, Metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and new president of the seminary.

His Beatitude, who had received two degrees from SVS (’85 M.Div. and ’88 M.Th.),  was elected as metropolitan at the 15th All-American Council of the OCA on November 12, 2008. According to the statutes of the seminary, the metropolitan of the OCA also concurrently assumes the position as the seminary’s president. Prior to his election, Metropolitan Jonah served as auxiliary bishop of Fort Worth in the Diocese of the South (11 days) and as abbot of a monastery under the patronage of St. John of Shanghai, in California (12 years).

On his first visit to his alma mater since his election, Metropolitan Jonah participated in several coinciding campus events. He was the main celebrant and homilist at the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple; he blessed the recently constructed Lakeside Student Apartments and spoke at the dedication celebration; he attended all sessions of the Board of Trustees, who were on campus for their fall annual meeting; and, he greeted not only SVS seminarians and their families but also visiting students who had gathered on campus for a meeting of the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement (OISM).

Although he spoke in several different venues, Metropolitan Jonah delivered one consistent message: he continually noted the enormous influence of his seminary training on his personal ministry and advocated a “unified, clear vision” for theological education in America.

“All leaders of the Church, who take up the yoke of Christ,” he urged, “must have a clear vision of theological education, which consists in four things: first, we must present the gospel of Jesus Christ; second, we have a mission to evangelize all people, regardless of color, ethnicity, or socio-economic status; third, we must bring integrity to the gospel message; and fourth, we must take up the task of bearing the presence of Jesus Christ to those around us.” 

On the last point, he particularly reiterated the need to imitate the sacrificial path of Christ and his mother, the Virgin Mary. “To become the living presence of God, the living temple of God, requires us to crush our ego and shatter our will,” he said, “so that we might conceive God within us and become his presence in this world.

“Seminarians,” he noted, “do not come to theological schools to become ‘professionals’ and to be ‘respected,’ but rather to be crucified and thereby shine forth the light of Christ.” His Beatitude reminded the seminarians that his own title of “episkopos” means not “master of the house,” but “slave of slaves.” Finally, Metropolitan Jonah emphasized the need for the Church in America to support all theological institutions with prayer and love.

Seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr graciously thanked Metropolitan Jonah for his participation in the weekend events, and expressed his hope that His Beatitude would be a frequent visitor to the SVS campus. Also on campus for the meeting of the Board of Trustees were His Grace the Rt. Rev. Maxim (Vasiljevic), bishop of the Western Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America (SOC) and The Very Rev. Chor-Episcopos P.S. Samuel, representing Metropolitan Mar Barnabas of the American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

The message of the metropolitan was strengthened by concurrent campus events. The dedication and blessing of the recently constructed Lakeside Student Apartments demonstrated the seminary’s commitment to provide housing for married student families. The two 9-unit apartment buildings have brought the total of married student housing accommodations on the SVS campus up to 35 units and three suites.

At the dedication ceremonies, Trustees Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky and Anne van den Berg, co-chairs for the 2010 Capital Campaign Committee, congratulated the seminary administration and trustees for taking the “bold step” in 2002 to develop a plan to build the apartments, which were completed in 2005. They reported that both Lakeside buildings have been continuously and fully occupied since their completion, and that the current challenge is to pay off the $3.5M debt incurred by their construction.

They further noted that changing student demographics over the years since St. Vladimir’s establishment in 1938 had necessitated making room for late vocations candidates and seminarians with families. “Over the last three years,” said Mrs. van den Berg, "eighteen additional students have had the opportunity to live on campus while they attended the seminary. Many have now graduated, received ordination, and taken parishes.

“This evening we wish to thank everyone who participated in making this married student housing available. Through your sacrificial gifts, you are expanding the number of students St. Vladimir’s can serve and are strengthening the Church,” she concluded.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow seminarians, married SVS student Dn. Peter Robichau delivered a visual presentation titled “Life at Lakeside,” expressing gratitude for the new apartments and making a plea for the continued support and care of seminarian families, so that they, as alumni, may in turn give back to their alma mater. Yonkers Mayor Philip A. Amicone also was on hand to congratulate the seminary community on the new construction and to assure continued cooperation between the city government and SVS.

The OISM gathering likewise complemented the message of His Beatitude. Thirty students—from SVS, St. Herman's Seminary of Kodiak, AK; Holy Cross Seminary/Hellenic College of Brookline, MA; Holy Trinity Seminary of Jordanville, NY; and St. Tikhon's Seminary of South Canaan, PA—focused their fellowship around the study of the life of St. John of Kronstadt. The students celebrated an Akathist to the saint in the seminary chapel, and attended a related lecture delivered by Hierodeacon Ioaseph of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville.

Hierodeacon Ioaseph (formerly known as Dr. Joseph McLellan) had served as a professor in the Slavic and Russian studies departments at the University of Missouri (Columbia), Brown University, and Princeton University. In an engaging lecture, he conveyed the life of St. John of Kronstadt to the seminarians—warning them not to imitate the unique aspects in the saint’s life, while encouraging them to emulate the general principles of the gospel manifested by St. John’s actions.

Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, SVS faculty liaison for OISM, summed up the common “trust” of the seminaries represented, despite their diverse backgrounds. “Each and every one of our seminaries is founded on a zeal for our Savior Jesus Christ, a missionary vocation, and the preaching of the apostolic faith,” he said. “I want to express my gratitude to you all for coming together in this way.”

Click here to see photograph galleries from His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah's visit to St. Vladimir's Seminary.