YONKERS, NY—The month of July marked the start of Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie’s tenure as Dean of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS). The beginning of his Deanship, which took effect July 1, follows his election in February to a five-year term by SVOTS’ Board of Trustees.
“I am confident that Dr. Tudorie will bring his many talents to bear in fulfillment of the Seminary’s mission of training priests, lay leaders, and scholars for the Church here in North America,” said His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
“My appointment carries enormous responsibility, not just for the Seminary as an institution, but because the Seminary’s mission is in service of the Church,” remarked Dr. Tudorie. “I undertake my duties with profound gratitude to God. I am also very appreciative of the leadership of Fr. Chad Hatfield and all those before me, and for all of the support and prayers I have been receiving. Together with our beloved faculty, staff, and students, I will need those prayers and support at all times in order to fulfill the Seminary’s mission and purpose.”
The transition notably brings with it a shift in governance model at the Seminary. Since Dr. Tudorie's election as President last February, the Board of Trustees resolved during the May 2025 meeting to restore the Seminary’s historic titles and model of governance, according Dr. Tudorie’s position the title of Dean and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, as Primate of the OCA, the title of President of the Seminary (ex officio).
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (President) at the Seminary’s 2025 Commencement Exercises with Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie (Dean).
Restoring the title of President to the office of the Metropolitan (Primate) of the Orthodox Church in America represents the Church’s recognition of bishop as “proistamenos” (the one who presides).
The position of Dean at St. Vladimir’s was held in the past by illustrious and dignified priests, scholars, and leaders, including Frs. Georges Florovsky, Alexander Schmemann, John Meyendorff, Thomas Hopko, and John Erickson. The Dean model was temporarily changed beginning in 2006, when both Frs. John Behr and Chad Hatfield served in a dual leadership model (the former as Dean and the latter as Chancellor), and then in 2017, with Fr. Chad as President (CEO) and an Academic Dean reporting to the President.
During a visit to the campus during Paschaltide 2025, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Serge Schmemann, the son of former dean and renowned theologian Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann (1921–1983), presented Dr. Tudorie with the three original handwritten pages of Fr. Alexander’s well-loved Thanksgiving homily, the last homily Fr. Alexander delivered at the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel.
“The Seminary has been blessed with highly capable leaders, with close relationships with the Primate of the OCA and other bishops, both within and outside of the OCA,” noted the Rev. Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, Trustee Emeritus of SVOTS. “Historical and practical circumstances dictated a change to a Dean-Chancellor arrangement [in 2007], then to a CEO/President some years ago, again a blessing for this school. The latest change … both restores the historical arrangement at SVOTS and strengthens the relationship with the Church hierarchy.”
The transition in the governance model is the fruit of collective reflection on how best to address the administrative, academic, and practical needs of the Seminary and its students, as well as how the spiritual dimension of the school is embodied and fulfilled. The President serves as the spiritual father of the Seminary. The Dean undertakes, and is responsible for, the operational, financial, and administrative health of the Seminary, the daily care for the people, the theological education and spiritual formation of students, and the offering of the Seminary’s labors, fruits, and gifts to the world. The Board Chair (previously titled “Executive Chair” from 2006–2025), presently held by SVOTS Alumnus The Right Reverend Archimandrite Jeremy Davis, is a liaison and facilitator for Board and Board-administration matters in support of the mission.
Trustees in session for the November 2024 meeting on campus. Pictured from left, facing the camera: His Grace Nikodhim (OCA), Dr. Tudorie, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, and the Rt. Reverend Archimandrite Jeremy Davis (AOCANA).
The Dean also empowers and develops the faculty and staff in their leadership and stewardship of the school's mission. Rounding out the Seminary’s administrative and academic leadership are the following academic appointments made by Dr. Tudorie, which also took effect July 1, 2025:
“I've never been more excited for our St. Vladimir's Seminary and the future of our Church,” said His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah, SVOTS M.Div. class of ’78 ) of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), who sits on the Board of Trustees as one of its appointed hierarchs. “I have confidence in the Board; great respect and love for the Dean, faculty, and staff; hope in the students; and trust in the alumni and benefactors. May God continue to bless and guide Metropolitan Tikhon and our St. Vladimir’s community.”
With the new governance model in place and a renewed commitment to remain at and invest in the Seminary’s campus in Yonkers, NY, SVOTS administration, trustees, faculty, and staff are preparing for the coming academic year and another large incoming class, as well as for a process of Strategic Planning to define the Seminary’s future.
“The significant growth of the Orthodox Church in North America in recent years requires that priests and other Church leaders are equipped to respond to the needs of growing parishes and communities,” Dr. Tudorie stressed. “Our task is to ensure the SVOTS curriculum and spiritual formation prepare our graduates to convey the Gospel of Christ effectively, with deep pastoral care and attentiveness for established faithful and new inquirers alike.
“Alongside my colleagues, I embrace this important charge as Dean of St. Vladimir’s, and thank His Beatitude, the Board, and our students for their trust. May it be for God's glory!”
About Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie
Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie was born and raised in Romania. He studied at the University of Bucharest where he earned a B.S., two M.A.s, and two Ph.D.s. (one in Orthodox Theology and one in Byzantine History). In addition to his duties as Dean and Professor of Church History at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, he is also affiliated with the University of Bucharest, Romania, where he serves as Doctoral Advisor in the field of Cultural Studies at the Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies (ISDS). His areas of academic specialization include Church History, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine History, and the Theological Dialogue between Christian Confessions.
Dr. Tudorie served St. Vladimir’s Seminary with distinction as Academic Dean and Professor of Church History starting in 2018. Following the retirement of The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, Tudorie served as Interim President and Academic Dean from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. He was elected President in February 2025 as the result of a comprehensive international search process led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon as chair of the President Search Committee. After Tudorie’s election, the Seminary’s Board of Trustees implemented a governance model with the Dean (no longer the President) as the CEO of the institution, restoring the title of President to the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
Dr. Tudorie with his wife Denisa and their two daughters, Sofia and Theodora, outside the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, Pascha 2025.
Dr. Tudorie has been married since 2004 to Dr. Denisa-Mihaela Tudorie (née Alexandru). They have two children, Sofia (b. 2011) and Theodora (b. 2016).
The Tudories have been integrally involved in seminary life since their arrival to the U.S. in 2018. The Drs. Tudorie regularly extend gracious hospitality in their home to members of the seminary community as well as to visitors. Denisa has also taken an active role in the St. Juliana Society (the on-campus fellowship group for women), hosting gatherings, baby showers for expectant mothers, and festivities for children of the chapel community. She likewise has lovingly assumed the ministry of adorning festal icons for Three Hierarchs Chapel.
As a family, the Tudories support and assure students as they make their transition to seminary life, cultivating a warm and welcoming place for those who call the seminary their home. As a leader, Dr. Tudorie has infused compassionate, magnanimous pastoral leadership combined with an assiduous and diligent attention to fulfilling the seminary’s mission with excellence at all levels of the institution.
View Dr. Tudorie’s faculty page and CV to learn more about his scholarship and teaching interests.
About St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is a higher education institution that embraces the challenge of serving the Church and the needs of Orthodox Christians in the twenty-first century. SVOTS trains priests, lay leaders, and scholars to be active apologists of the Orthodox Christian Faith, focusing on academic rigor and spiritual formation within a residential Orthodox community. The Seminary is chartered by the University of the State of New York and accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) to offer the following program degrees: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theology, and Doctor of Ministry. Learn more at www.svots.edu.
Top Photo: Seminary leadership, trustees, faculty, and graduates at SVOTS’ 2025 Commencement.
