With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Trustee Emeritus Mitchell Zunich. Zunich, 93, died on the Feast of Holy Pascha, Sunday, April 19, at his home at St. Mary of the Woods Assisted Living in Avon, OH.

Zunich was born May 10, 1926 in Lorain, OH. He served with the US Army during World War II in the 357th Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division. During his service, he participated in the battles of Rhineland and Central Europe and received the European-African-Middle-Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, a WWII Victory Medal and an Occupation Medal for Germany. His division was awarded the Bronze Star and participated in the liberation of Flossenburg Concentration Camp. Zunich attended the Ohio State University where he earned a bachelor of science in accounting. He founded Mitchell Zunich & Co. Certified Public Accountants, retiring in 2001. He was active in the community, having served as an officer, president, and board member of many organizations including the Lorain Rotary Club, Lorain Salvation Army, Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority, the City Bank Co., Lorain Family YMCA, Clearview School Board, and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. In the 1990s, Mitchell and his wife, Violet, helped establish a scholarship for Serbian Orthodox seminarians at St. Vladimir’s so that no young Serbian Orthodox men would be turned away from becoming priests. Zunich was a member of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Lorain, the Serbian National Federation, the Ohio Society of CPAs, and the AICPA.

"Mitch was honored to be on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees," said fellow St. Vladimir's Trustee Emeritus Brian Gerich. "He served many years as one of the four Serbian trustees along with [Trustee Emeritus] Alex Machaskee, Leon Lysaght, and myself.

"During our 1990’s Capital Campaign, I asked Mitch to join with me in establishing endowments for scholarships for Serbian Orthodox students studying to become priests. He immediately accepted, and he and his beloved wife Violet added to their endowment regularly. Mitch was pleased to know that as students graduated they were debt free as they prepared for a lifetime of serving our Lord."

"I remember Mitch as a quiet, decisive, compassionate gentleman who was a staunch supporter of our Orthodox Christian faith and a great contributor of time, talent, and treasure to St. Vladimir's Seminary," added Alex Machaskee. "He was a founding contributor to Monastery Marcha in Richfield Ohio, a decorated veteran of World War II, and a highly esteemed civic leader."

Mitchell Zunich is survived by his sons, Mitch Zunich of Cleveland and Rob (Eva) Zunich of Avon Lake; grandchildren, Neven, Dane, Rada, and Mila Zunich; and sister, Sophie Tyrin of Chicago. Zunich was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Violet M. Zunich (née Kobac) on Sept 7, 2014; infant son, Nick Zunich, in 1959; parents, Nikola & Stanka Zunich (née Kunic); brothers, Demeter, George, Nick, and Mike Zunich; and sisters, Mildred Stamatis, Dorothy Kovan, Nellie Raynovich, and Mary Zunich.

Due to restrictions on social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, private family funeral services will be held. Hieromonk Nektarije Tesanovic of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church will preside with burial to follow in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain. Memorial contributions may be made to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 3355 Grove Ave, Lorain, OH, 44055 or St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 575 Scarsdale Rd, Yonkers, NY, 10707. Arrangements are under the direction of Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel, 3224 Broadway Ave, Lorain. Online condolences may be made at www.gluvna.net. 

May the memory of Mitchell Zunich be eternal!

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(The photo and some information in this article have been reprinted from The Morning Journal.)

"I Saw the Lord" (Isa 6.1): Entangled Jewish and Christian Perspectives on the Encounter with God

Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) will hold its Third Annual Academic Symposium on November 13-15, 2024. 

This year’s symposium, titled “I Saw the Lord (Isa 6.1): Entangled Jewish and Christian Perspectives on the Encounter with God,” gathers leading Orthodox Christian and Jewish scholars from around the world, who will reflect on the manner in which theophanic texts—biblical accounts of Divine Revelation to the patriarchs and prophets—have always been and remain foundational to their respective doctrinal and spiritual traditions. For more details, see the Vision Statement.

The symposium will commence on Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m. (EST), in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, with two keynote addresses.

• His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander Golitzin (Emeritus Professor, Marquette University): 
  • “THEOPHANEIA: Studying Orthodox Theology with an Eye to Judaism?”
• Rabbi Reuven R. Kimelman (Professor of Classical Judaica, Brandeis University):
  • “Who takes the cue from whom in the Qedushah / Sanctus, angels or humans?”

The keynote addresses are open to the public and will be published on the SVOTS YouTube channel after the conclusion of the event.

Please register to attend the keynote addresses (in person or online) by clicking the button below.

Register for Keynotes

For more information on the remainder of the symposium, please visit our expanded event page here.

More info

Click here to download flyer

The 2024 Fall Open House at St Vladimir’s Seminary spanned three days, offering a comprehensive look at seminary life. Eleven visitors from Canada, Switzerland, and all across the US gathered on campus for the event, held on October 13-14. Beginning with Divine Liturgy on Sunday, Oct. 13, the prospective students spent their time on campus participating in a variety of scheduled activities, including in-depth Q&A sessions with faculty, a campus and library tour, meals in the refectory with current students, class observations, and an admissions discussion covering programs, tuition, and housing. On Sunday evening, the prospective students joined current students for an excursion to downtown Scarsdale.

The event provided an immersive look into the academic, community, and spiritual life at St Vladimir’s Seminary. This was the first Open House for Director of Admissions, Zach Mandell, since joining St Vladimir’s Seminary as an employee this summer. “First and foremost, I wanted to ensure that the prospective students and their families were warmly welcomed, and to give them a chance to immerse themselves fully into campus life during their stay,” said Zach. “Seminary, of course, is more than just school. It’s community, it’s social life, it’s serving one another, it’s worshipping together, it’s striving towards a common cause - to serve the Church of Christ. And of course, for so many it is a huge sacrifice. I hope that this Open House gave an honest impression of what it is to attend St Vladimir’s Seminary, and that it helped in their journey of discernment. It was a great group of prospective students. They asked fantastic questions, brought so many different experiences to the table, and even after only two or so days, there was sorrow in their parting. I certainly hope to see them here as students sooner than later!”

Admissions season for the 2025-2026 academic year will begin on February 1, 2025. The next open house will be during the Spring 2025 semester (tentatively scheduled for President’s Day weekend). All are welcome to attend; to express interest or to inquire further about applying to study at St Vladimir’s Seminary, please contact Zach Mandell at zmandell@svots.edu.

Fr Philip and Kh. Kathryn Rogers both come from clergy and convert families. Fr Philip's family became Orthodox in 1987, with the rest of the EOC (Evangelical Orthodox Church), and Kathryn's family became Orthodox in 1998 from the Episcopal Church. The two met while they were students at the University of South Carolina. Following Fr Philip's graduation, they were married and moved to St Vladimir's Seminary. After completing seminary with a Master of Divinity in 2007, the Rogers were asked to move to Lafayette, Louisiana, where Fr Philip became the pastor of Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese). In addition to his duties there, he served as the Camp Director for Camp St Thekla from 2007–2016. In Louisiana, Kathryn finished her nursing degree and worked as an RN in the ER and ICU. In 2015 Fr Philip was assigned to serve at St John Orthodox Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Kathryn now works as a nurse in a pediatric endocrinology clinic. In September 2018 they met their daughter Margaret Elizabeth; she was officially adopted on June 17, 2019.

I was born in northwest Indiana in Gary. When we became Orthodox I was 5 years old, so I don’t have any memories of other versions of Christianity. My father was part of the group that came into the Church with Fr Peter Gillquist and the other Evangelical Orthodox; he was the youngest of the bunch. He is a historian by hobby and has recorded a lot of the history of the first people who were coming into the Faith.

Our family eventually moved to Aiken, South Carolina. I attended the University of South Carolina and met my wife there, earning degrees in Religious Studies and History. My wife is the second daughter of Fr Stephen Freeman, so we were both clergy kids and grew up knowing all the ins and out of that!

I have worn lots of random hats! But thank God they are all great and they all flow together in beautiful ways.

Fr Philip, Kh. Kathryn, and their daughter, Margaret Elizabeth

About my parish

It’s providential and serendipitous that the parish I ended up in has the same background as my father, and so is connected in a way with my boyhood parish. Founded by the well-known Orthodox evangelist Fr Peter Gillquist of blessed memory, St John started as a small community where people lived near each other in the neighborhood for extended community life. After its beginnings, the parish eventually bought and moved into an old Presbyterian church in midtown Memphis. The building is 100 years old, and when the parishioners took out the pipe organ at the back of the church, it opened up into a beautiful apse, almost like it was created to be an Orthodox church originally!

Now the whole space is filled with iconography. Every inch of wall space has been covered with icons so it’s a beautiful place to pray. The parish started with 30 people and now our average attendance is 200+!

The St Matthias Merit Essay Scholarship has been offered annually at St Vladimir’s Seminary since 2018, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors select the topic of the essay contest each year and develop thorough and thoughtful criteria to determine the winner. For this year's 7th Annual Contest, second-year seminarian Dn Jonathan Reavis (M.Div. ‘26) was chosen to receive the $3,500 scholarship for his essay, “Faith Amidst Uncertainty: Parenthood as a ‘Yes’ to God’s Earth.”

This year's essay topic was as follows:

After carefully reviewing their child's first year of public education, the child's parents adjusted their budget and started teaching their son at home.  (Refer to the 2023 St Matthias Essay prompt for background.) As a decade passed, it became evident that homeschooling had definitely led to positive outcomes for their child and family.

In this decade, homeschooling is harder on the family budget. Yet, homeschool enrollment is rising rapidly as more and more parents hope for and work towards successful outcomes for their children and families. However, increasingly more couples are no longer wanting to have children. 

Essay Question:  What comfort is there in hoping and laboring for the best outcome of one's children when one can choose an easier lifestyle by avoiding them? In answering the question, include Proverbs 16: 2-3 and limit your essay to 750 words.

Dn Jonathan’s essay made a compelling case for faith in God through family. In his opening he referenced the letters of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor imprisoned by the pre-WWII Nazi regime, writing, “For Bonhoeffer, marriage is not only a means of sanctification, but also a commitment to work with God in the world — to labor in faith against hopelessness.  ...  How he described marriage, however-- as a 'token of confidence in the future'-- rang true to my experience, and I applied this understanding to parenthood." He expanded his thesis by pointing to the Annunciation and the Garden of Gethsemane and concluded with Proverb 16:1-3.

The scholarship committee thanked all of the contestants for their effort in submitting high-quality essays, saying, “Thank you again for allowing us to provide this essay scholarship.  Every year it is a bounty of thoughtful insights that we welcome and hope it is of benefit to all who participate and assist in its fruition.”

Read Dn Jonathan’s Essay

Dn Jonathan Reavis and his family came to St Vladimir’s Seminary in Fall 2023 from Kansas City, MO. He is a member of the Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of the South.

The St Matthias Merit Essay Scholarship is one of many offerings by the Seminary to help its seminarians graduate tuition debt-free as they go forth to serve the Church. SVOTS also administers need-based tuition grants, need-based scholarships, merit scholarships, continuing education grants, and matching grant opportunities for seminarians. These are made possible thanks to many benefactors who have graciously given funds to St Vladimir’s.

Support Seminarians Today

Previous winners: 

• 2018, Sophia Theodoratos: An Amazing Race
• 2019, Andrew Kayaian: “Follow me”: Religious Reality over Facebook Phantasm
• 2020, Alexander Earl: Thou Hast Prepared a Table Before Me ...
• 2021, Theodore Mantzikos: Argus the Watcher
• 2022, Dn Silouan Parchert: God is Greater than Our Hearts
• 2023, Emil Prisquilas Peter: Girded by the Sword of Trust

[SVOTS Communications / YONKERS, NY] — St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is seeking applications for its next president, aiming to have the new leader in place by the summer of 2025. Academic Dean Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie will continue to serve as Interim President throughout the search process. 

The Rt Rev. Archimandrite Jeremy Davis, Executive Chair of the Board of Trustees, said, “We are so grateful to Dr Tudorie for his humble leadership during this time of transition and his exemplary care and concern for students and employees at St Vladimir's. We trust that the seminary's Christ-centered, student-focused, and education-driven work will continue to be carried forward carefully and prayerfully under his stewardship.”

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon chairs the president search committee, whose distinguished members each contribute unique expertise to the process:

• Archimandrite Jeremy Davis, Trustee
• Very Rev. Dr Philip LeMasters, Trustee
• Dr Ana Iltis, Trustee
• Dr Carla Thomas, Trustee
• Dr Peter Bouteneff, Faculty
• Rev. Dr Vitaly Permiakov, Faculty

St Vladimir’s Seminary serves as a pan-Orthodox graduate institution under the canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America dedicated to preparing future priests and church leaders. The seminary's programs hold accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada and are registered with the New York State Education Department.

The president must be an Eastern Orthodox clergyman and will be expected to provide visionary leadership and collaborate closely with the Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff to advance the seminary’s educational mission. As its chief executive officer, the new president will oversee all administrative functions, ensure effective financial management, and promote the seminary's mission within the broader Orthodox community and beyond. Key responsibilities will also include fostering a vibrant Orthodox Christian culture on campus, supporting the pastoral care of students and staff, and enhancing the seminary's visibility through advocacy and relationship-building with donors and partners.

Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest for this significant position can be sent to presidential.search@svots.edu. Applications received by November 30 will receive priority consideration; applications received after that date will be considered until the position has been filled. Candidates should submit a letter of interest highlighting their qualifications, along with a current curriculum vitae and the contact information of at least four references. All communications will be held in strict confidence.

For more information about St Vladimir’s Seminary, please visit our website at www.svots.edu.

Close to fifty St Vladimir’s Seminary faculty members, staff, students, and their family members were in attendance on Sunday, September 29, for a performance by the renowned choral ensemble, Cappella Romana, directed by Associate Director of the Institute of Sacred Arts and Professor of Music Dr Alexander Lingas.  The program, “Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia,”  featured medieval Byzantine chant from choristers at the Byzantine emperor’s cathedral. The concert took place at the majestic Church of St Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan, as part of their “Concerts at St. Ignatius” series. According to the St Ignatius Loyola website, “For a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was the largest domed interior in the world. Its stunning reverberation—of over 11 seconds—informs how this music is performed in the live acoustics of St Ignatius, which is, perhaps, only slightly less reverberant than Hagia Sophia!”

More than simply a musical performance, the evening was both an evocation of a sacred space and an experience that recalled the sonic and visual grandeur of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Constructed during the reign of Justinian I (527-65), Hagia Sophia famously had 60 priests, 100 deacons, over 100 readers, and 25 cantors in the 6th and 7th centuries. Dr Alexander Lingas drew on his extensive research of medieval Byzantine music to reconstruct a soundscape that facilitated the audience’s encounter with the ancient chants of Hagia Sophia.

Dr Peter Bouteneff, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Kulik Professor of Sacred Arts, and Director of the Institute of Sacred Arts at St Vladimir’s Seminary, spoke of his admiration for the work of Cappella Romana, saying, “Cappella Romana is a very special ensemble, owing not only to their full, pristine sound but also to their unique repertoire. Nobody in the world does quite what they do. They bring together the brilliant vision of their artistic director and the profound skill of their singers.”

Thanks to the generosity of the SVOTS Board of Trustees, all seminarians, seminarian families, faculty, staff, and employees who attended the performance were given complimentary tickets.

As a follow-up to this landmark event, Director of Publications for Cappella Romana, Richard Barrett, visited St Vladimir’s Seminary later in the week to give a two-part workshop on Byzantine music, presenting his composition of the text and music for hymns for his patron saint, St Richard of Wessex. This presentation was open to the entire seminary community and was of special interest to seminarians studying Byzantine chant and those involved in the composition of sacred music. Seminarian Fr Josef Candelario (M.A. ‘24) took part in the workshops and remarked, “Everyone who attended was so engaged, and they had so many great questions for Richard. You could really tell that what he presented really set the creative ‘gears in motion.’ And I hope that it will come to fruition in the production of new liturgical compositions unto the glory of God!”

The workshops were part of a yearlong project at St Vladimir’s Seminary led by Dr Lingas aiming to encourage reflection and renewal relating to Eastern Orthodox liturgical singing in the Seminary Chapel of the Three Hierarchs. This program is made possible by a $25,000 Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

During his time on campus, Richard helped chant the Small Paraklesis with the St Ambrose Society, praying for unborn children and abortion victims and their relatives. Richard, who also serves as Director of Music at Dormition Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, MA, extended an invitation to the SVOTS Seminary Chorale to send a contingent to his parish on February 6–7, 2025 to help chant the All-night Vigil to St Richard. 

Portions of this article were adapted from goarch.org and ignatius.nyc

About the Institute of Sacred Arts

The Institute of Sacred Arts at St Vladimir’s Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness.

Since its founding in 1938, St Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the immersive study of the Liturgy, and of the visual, musical, and rhetorical arts. The Institute of Sacred Arts serves to extend the seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts by:

• Contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts;
• Engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox Christian artistic tradition;
• Inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts.

The Institute finds its expression in a curriculum infused with the arts; academic symposia and conferences; publications and cultural events.

St Vladimir’s Seminary is now offering an M.A. degree with a concentration in Sacred Arts. The concentration features coursework in both theoretical and applied theology and the arts, with opportunities to specialize in a particular discipline: music, iconology, art history, liturgy, architecture, et al. Numerous opportunities for in-depth study and creative collaboration with sacred arts scholars from a range of disciplines include subsidized internships and an annual artist-in-residence program.

Throughout its history, St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary has served, and continues to serve, as a training ground for Orthodox men and women, preparing them to serve the Church in its many ministries. The Church needs bishops, priests, and deacons, as well as scholars, teachers, catechists, choir directors, and educated leaders of many kinds. If you feel called to ministry in the Church, are interested in broadening your understanding and experience of the Orthodox Christian Faith, and are curious about what seminary life is like, then please join us on campus at the St Vladimir’s Seminary Fall Open House on October 13-14, 2024.

At this Open House, prospective seminarians are invited to experience “life at St Vladimir’s” in its many facets. Worship with the seminary community in the chapel, attend classes, and speak with seminarians and professors about the spiritual, academic, and residential life at the Seminary. Come and see if St Vladimir’s Seminary is the place for you!

Open House attendees will be responsible for their transportation to and from the seminary. 

Meals will be provided on campus. 

Attendees are welcome to arrive as early as Friday, October 11 and to stay through Tuesday, October 15. 

Pending available space, attendees may elect to be housed on-campus on a first-come, first-served basis for free, at the invitation of St Vladimir’s Seminary. After space fills up, rooms may be booked at the Hampton Inn & Suites Yonkers-Westchester; a block rate is available until October 3, 2024.

Register Here

2024 Fall Open House Schedule

Sunday, October 13

9:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel

10:30 a.m. — Coffee hour & fellowship

11:30 a.m. — Registration & Official Welcome

12:00 p.m. — Tour of campus 

1:00 p.m. — Refreshments/Lunch

2:00 p.m. — Presentation by the Director of Admissions

• Why Seminary?
• Degree Programs 
• Tuition & Financial Aid
• Housing
• Admissions Process
• Discussion

4:00 p.m. — Q&A with current seminarians

5:00 p.m. — Dinner 

6:00 p.m. — Spend time on campus - informal activities

Monday, October 14 - A Day at Seminary

7:30 a.m. — Daily Matins (3 Hierarchs Chapel)

8:15 a.m. — Breakfast in the refectory

9:15 a.m. — Welcome from Academic Dean & Faculty Roundtable

11:15 a.m. — Library tour

12:15 p.m. — Lunch

1:00 p.m. — Mid-day meeting time

2:00 p.m. — Attend classes

5:00 p.m. — Daily Vespers

5:45 p.m. — Dinner with Admissions Director, Q&A, & closing remarks

*This is the official end of the Open House; if you would like to stay through the morning of Tuesday, October 15, you are more than welcome—please let us know, especially if you would like to attend one of the morning classes, schedule a meeting with the Director of Admissions, and/or have lunch in the refectory on Tuesday.

Tuesday, October 15 (Optional)

7:30 a.m. - Daily Matins

8:15 a.m - Breakfast in the refectory

9:15 a.m. - Attend class OR individual meetings

12:15 p.m. - Lunch in the refectory

The St Vladimir’s Online School of Theology is pleased to announce its latest learning opportunity: asynchronous courses! Beginning in June 2023, the Online School has offered six public courses with our distinguished faculty. These world-class courses had only been accessible during the period when they were offered live, but now, anyone can register to access the recorded lectures, the reading list, and the faculty powerpoint slides. 

St Vladimir's Online School of Theology asynchronous online courses offer a comprehensive learning experience designed for flexibility and depth. Each course offering is available for 60 days upon registration, providing ample time for thorough exploration. With a modest course fee of $125, students gain access to four engaging video lectures led by esteemed professors, supplemented by four informative PowerPoint presentations. The in-depth reading recommendations further enrich the learning journey, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience tailored to individual interests and schedules. Join us in discovering the richness of theological education from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace.

Explore Asynchronous Online Courses Today!