St. Vladimir's Seminary graduation exercises are scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2009, and Mother Raphaela, Abbess of the Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery in Otego, New York, will deliver the commencement address: "As God Wills."
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Mother Raphaela was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church. She later moved to New Jersey, graduated from Princeton High School, and attended Barnard College in the Borough of Manhattan, New York.
In 1964, she entered monastic life and was life-professed as an Episcopal nun in 1972. During that time, she taught classes on the high school level in Old and New Testament, and organ and choral music; as well, she served for five years as director of novices within her community.
She was received into the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in 1977, and since that time, with the foundation of Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery in Otego, she has worked to establish Orthodox monastic life for women in the United States.
Her daily life follows the monastery rhythm, and her spiritual experience is gained within the monastery setting, but she does give occasional outside quiet days, retreats, and talks. Her writings have been published in numerous church publications, including the monastery's own Essays and Notes, a journal. She is also the author of Living in Christ: Essays on the Christian Life and Growing in Christ: Shaped in His Image (SVS Press, Crestwood, New York), both of which are compilations of her essays.
The St. Vladimir's Seminary community warmly welcomes her to their campus.
Click here to view the schedule for Commencement Week 2009.
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