Giving thanks to God, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) hosted its 87th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Divine Liturgy

The celebration began that morning with Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel, presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. Joining His Beatitude were His Grace Bishop John, Auxiliary Bishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and SVOTS Assistant Professor for Pastoral Theology; His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese; His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and the Diocese of New England; and His Grace Bishop Vasily of San Francisco and the Diocese of the West. Two other noted alumni of the Seminary also served at the Liturgy: the Very Rev. Alessandro Margheritino, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America; and the Very Rev. John Parker III, Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. They were joined by Seminary clergy among the faculty and student body, both those graduating and the seminarians concluding their studies for the academic year. Following the Divine Liturgy, Chapel Rector the Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel welcomed the bishops, visiting clergy, and guests to Three Hierarchs Chapel.

Commencement

In the afternoon, the community returned to the Chapel for a Service of Thanksgiving. At its conclusion the clergy, faculty, and graduates processed into the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium in the John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building for the Commencement Exercises. Distinguished guests, in addition to the clergy previously mentioned, included His Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church’s Northeast American Diocese; His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan of the Armenian Church’s Eastern Diocese of America; the Rev. Mardiros Chevian, Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary; this year’s Commencement speaker Charles Ajalat JD and his wife Marilee; their son Richard, a SVOTS alumnus, former Alumni Association President, and Trustee, and Richard’s wife Kayla; and many returning alumni, family members, and friends. Members of SVOTS’ Board of Trustees, who had just concluded their semi-annual on-campus meetings, were also in attendance for the Commencement celebrations.

“On this God-given day, we gather to celebrate the work and achievements of our students, who have been formed through scholarship and community life in preparation for service to the Church,” said Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie as he opened the ceremony. “We rejoice in this and we thank you all, the Church and the extended St. Vladimir’s community of bishops, donors, supporters, administrators, and families for all you do to enable this essential work of ours in service to the Church, as an institution of the Church.”

The Class of 2026

Eighteen graduates comprised the class of 2026: fourteen graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, one with a Master of Arts (M.A.), and three with a Master of Theology (Th.M.). The graduates hailed from various dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church both in North America as well as India.

View the List of Graduates in the 2026 Commencement Program

“If [we have learned] anything,” said class salutatorian the Rev. John Reavis during his thoughtful address, “it's that to have the mind of Christ, which is hopefully what we're trying to do here, is to undergo kenosis, self-emptying, descent, if there is ever to be any ascent. … So although at this precipice we may feel tired and empty, it is in our emptiness that Christ has met us and emptied Himself. And here at St. Vladimir's, we have not only been taught about Christ's kenosis, it has been modeled for us.”

Class valedictorian the Rev. Nathan Jekel offered a beautiful reflection drawing from the psalms and the gospels.

“Ready is my heart, O God. Ready is my heart, for magnified even unto the heavens is Thy mercy,” read Fr. Nathan. “We know that to meet a ready and merciful heart is to see the truth, that no search light we shine into the cave can outshine the light that radiates from it. And so we proclaim, ‘Christ is risen!’”

Hear both addresses in their fullness and watch the entirety of the 2026 Commencement Exercises below, or on the Seminary’s YouTube channel.

Commencement Address

Charles Ajalat, J.D., Hon. J.C.D., one of the most prominent Orthodox Christian lay leaders and philanthropists in North America, delivered this year’s commencement address. A former trustee of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Ajalat also served as the Chancellor of the Antiochian Archdiocese and has founded multiple Orthodox organizations and initiatives.

“We are at a period where tens of thousands of people are finding the Orthodox Church, and the flow will not stop but increase,” Ajalat remarked, as he encouraged the graduates to make use of the talents and faithfulness of others around them as they go forth in their ministries. “The church has underutilized its faithful lay talent. And you all, you graduates as future leaders, can change that, laying the foundation, finding the royal priesthood that you can trust and can help in your ministry.”

At the conclusion of the commencement address, Dr. Tudorie presented Ajalat with an icon of St. Vladimir on behalf of the Seminary community, in recognition of the tremendous support and generosity Ajalat has shown the Seminary going back many years.

Watch the commencement address below, or on the Seminary’s YouTube Page.

Honors

During commencement exercises, St. Vladimir’s seminarians also honored Zachariah Mandell, an instructor in Liturgical Music, with the 2026 St. Macrina Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award is selected each year by student vote. 

Subdn. Emil Peter, a graduate and outgoing President of the Student Council, announced the award and presented an icon of St. Macrina to Mandell. The beautiful icon was painted by a member of the graduating class, the Rev. Daniel Werner.

The graduates then presented two gifts to the Seminary: a new cutting board for the Prothesis table at Three Hierarchs Chapel and a cross for the St. Thomas Malankara Chapel.

“This is a token of appreciation for the Seminary, a token of our love for all the things that Seminary has done for us … and for the role that you have played in [our] formation,” said Subdn. Emil.

At the conclusion of the ceremony His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the President of the Seminary, offered closing remarks, reminding the graduates of the unique moment facing their ministries.

Orthodoxy in America is growing genuinely visibly in ways that were not predictable even a decade ago. … Priests who are serving are stretched, doing the work of two and sometimes three men available at all hours to all manner of need. …

The founders of this Seminary could not have imagined the church you are graduating into. They planted in soil they could not see. Every priest who has gone before you would say the same. The weight is real. The weight is worth carrying and you will not carry it alone. …

Go down with humility so that you may be lifted up by Christ and receive the gifts that he bestows on all of us.

May the Lord God grant many blessed and fruitful years of service in His vineyard to the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Class of 2026!

This May St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary  hosted master practitioners from the Syriac and Armenian traditions as part of the two-day event, Exploring the Orient: Syriac & Armenian Liturgical Chant.

Exploring the Orient was made possible through a generous grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), Grand Rapids, MI, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. The workshops and discussions were hosted at both St. Vladimir's Seminary (Yonkers, NY) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary (Armonk, NY), on May 1 and 2. The event served as a sequel to a 2024 SVOTS initiative, also funded by CICW, which highlighted Eastern Orthodox liturgical singing. Exploring the Orient provided participants the opportunity to delve into commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship.

“Scholars are used to examining common issues and themes … across Eastern and Oriental Orthodox [liturgical] traditions, but this is something that has barely been touched in the field of music,” said Dr. Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music and Associate Director of SVOTS’ Institute of Sacred Arts. Dr. Lingas helped organize the events and oversaw the workshops and discussions. 

On the first day of Exploring the Orient at St. Vladimir's Seminary, Dr. Gabriel Aydin  presented a two-part workshop, entitled: “The Structure, Theology, and Liturgical Function of Syriac Chant.” The day culminated with a wonderful lecture-recital by both Dr. Aydin and Dr. Haig Utidjian singing select hymns from the Syriac and Armenian liturgical music traditions, respectively. 

During the evening portion, the visiting scholars also graciously gifted St. Vladimir’s Seminary with tokens of gratitude and well wishes: Dr. Utidjian presented two volumes containing some of his works and research, and Dr. Aydin gifted the school with a copy of his work, the Syriac Hymnal.

Watch a recording of the first day’s program below or on SVOTS’ YouTube channel.

The second day of Exploring the Orient was hosted at St. Nersess Seminary. Dr. Utidjian delivered his presentation “Armenian Liturgical Chant: History and Theology.” Vespers were held following the talks according to the Armenian rite.

Watch a recording of the second day of Exploring the Orient below or on the St. Nersess Seminary YouTube channel.

“The workshop provided a rare and enriching opportunity to experience Armenian and Syriac liturgical music at a high scholarly and artistic level, under the guidance of two internationally recognized experts whose work spans conducting, composing, musicology, and the study of early Christian traditions,” noted Dr. Ani Shahinian, Assistant Professor in Armenian Christian Art and Theology at St. Nersess Seminary, who helped organize Exploring the Orient along with Dr. Lingas. “As participants in this program, we gained a clearer comparative understanding of the two traditions and their approaches to sung worship, while a deepened appreciation for their historical complexity, theological meaning, and enduring vitality.” 

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF SACRED ARTS

The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness. With a theology that is holistic, and a liturgy that unites multiple artistic disciplines and all the human senses, the Orthodox Christian tradition is ripe for the exploration and celebration of the sacred arts. Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the study of icons, music, and liturgy. The ISA 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 artistic tradition; inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts. Learn more at www.instituteofsacredarts.com.

 

ABOUT THE CALVIN INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), located at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an interdisciplinary study and ministry center that promotes the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshipping communities across North America and beyond.

 

ABOUT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate, and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.

Scenes from Exploring the Orient

By the grace of God, St. Vladimir’s Seminary faculty member and alumnus Fr. Nicholas Belcher was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on Saturday, May 9. The elevation took place at St. George Orthodox Church in Little Falls, NJ, by the hand of His Eminence Saba, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

Several members of the Seminary community attended the elevation, including His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah), Fr. Bogdan Bucur, Fr. Michael Nasser, Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie, and other alumni and seminarians. Among the seminarians were several of Fr. Nicholas’ students from the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The Right Rev. Archimandrite Nicholas is an instructor in Antiochian Liturgics at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and directs field education for the seminarians of the Antiochian Archdiocese. Fr. Nicholas serves as pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Little Falls, NJ. He also chairs the Antiochian Archdiocese’s Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries. Fr. Nicholas served as the first president of Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries (OYM) and remains with OYM as a board member and spiritual advisor. He has also served as hierarchical assistant to the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese and worked for twelve years at Hellenic College Holy Cross—nine years as the Dean of Students and three years as the Assistant Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry and Director of CrossRoad Institute.

Archimandrite Nicholas completed his M.Div. degree at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 2005 and holds a B.A. and B.S. from The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina.

Fr. Nicholas and his beloved wife Sonia, who reposed in the Lord in 2008, have one son, Andrew. May her memory be eternal!

May God grant Archimandrite Nicholas many years! AXIOS!

Giving thanks to God, the trustees, faculty, and students of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) invite the public to the Commencement of the Class of 2026, to be held on Saturday, May 16. Ceremonies will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT, with a “Prayer of Thanksgiving” in Three Hierarchs Chapel, followed by Commencement Exercises at 2:30 p.m. EDT in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium in the John G. Rangos Family Building.

The Commencement Ceremony of the Class of 2026 will be livestreamed for all who cannot attend in person. Please register below to receive the link to watch the ceremony.

Register to Watch Online

ABOUT THE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

CHARLES AJALAT, J.D., Hon. J.C.D., is among the most prominent Orthodox Christian lay leaders and philanthropists in North America. A former trustee of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Dr. Ajalat also served as the Chancellor of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He is the founder of multiple Orthodox organizations and initiatives, including International Orthodox Christian Charities; the Ligonier First Conference of all North American Orthodox Bishops; the transition to the multi-jurisdictional Orthodox Christian Mission Center; and the Orthodox Vision Foundation, one of the nation’s largest church foundations, which he co-founded with his wife Marilee. He served as Consultant to the Russian Parliament on Laws of Church and State and as a speaker in their Conference on Freedom of Religion in the Modern World, Vice-Moderator of the Secretariat for the World Council of Churches Central Committee, and as a member of the Orthodox Study Bible Oversight Committee.

An attorney by background, Dr. Ajalat graduated with a B.A. from Harvard magna cum laude, and received his J.D. from the law school at the University of California at Berkeley. He also holds an honorary doctorate in Canon Law granted from St. Vladimir's Seminary. Dr. Ajalat was given the honor of being a law clerk to Chief Justice Donald Wright of the California Supreme Court and has represented a sitting President of the United States and many of the world's largest corporations. He has been involved in a number of historic cases in the Courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Ajalat was a professor at USC Business and Law Schools for many years in addition to practicing in a law firm he formed. He was also a visiting lecturer at the law schools of Harvard, Berkely, Stanford, and UCLA.

He has received numerous secular and church honors, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the highest honor of both the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese and the Orthodox Church in America.

Over the years Charles, his wife Marilee, and their children and grandchildren have raised and donated significant sums and helpful ideas to Orthodox causes. Their generosity has extended to St. Vladimir's Seminary, where they supported initiatives including the initial Seminary capital campaign up to current efforts to aid the Seminary in the challenges it faces with respect to Church growth. Charles and Marilee's son Richard is an alumnus of the school (’13) and also served on the Board of Trustees as the President of the Alumni Association. Among other endeavors, he financially initiated the successful audio-book program for St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.

Feeling a call to renew and enhance your ministry? Are you looking to better equip yourself to address today’s challenges in parish life and beyond? 

Join us at our free virtual open house and explore whether the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at St. Vladimir’s Seminary is right for you. On Wednesday, May 6, take part in a discussion with Program Director Fr. Sergius Halvorsen, Director of Admissions Zachariah Mandell, and D.Min. graduates Dn. Gregory Abdalah and Dr. Sarah Byrne-Martelli.

Register to Attend

If you have any questions about what you’ll learn, tuition and financial aid, what intensive weeks look like, and more, don’t miss this opportunity to chat with us.

The D.Min. program provides clergy, chaplains, and other pastoral professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those God has called you to serve.

The D.Min. program is hybrid—so you won't have to leave your current ministry as you complete your degree. The program uses online learning and five-day onsite intensives at St. Vladimir's Seminary in New York, which allows students to integrate their current ministry with doctoral level theological research.

To learn more about applying to the D.Min. program, click here.

Join master practitioners from the ancient Syriac and Armenian traditions this May at St. Vladimir’s and St. Nersess seminaries, as we explore commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship.

Workshops and discussions will take place Friday, May 1, at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY, and Saturday, May 2, at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, NY. Dr. Gabriel Aydin and Dr. Haig Utidjian will present, respectively, on “Syriac Liturgical Chant: History, Theology, and Tonal Tradition” and “Armenian Liturgical Chant: History and Theology.” A full schedule is included below.

The sessions are free and open to the public. Join in person or online.

Register to Attend

This event is made possible through a generous grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), Grand Rapids, MI, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Dr. Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music and Associate Director of the Institute, is overseeing the workshops and discussions.
 

Event Schedule

Friday, May 1 | St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

1:30 PM — Welcome and Opening Remarks

1:40 PM — Dr. Gabriel Aydin, Session 1: “The Structure, Theology, and Liturgical Function of Syriac Chant”

3:00 PM — Break

3:20–4:50 PM — Dr. Gabriel Aydin, Session 2

5:00 PM — Dinner Break

7:00–8:00 PM — Lecture-Recital: Drs. Gabriel Aydin & Haig Utidjian

Dr. Aydin will present selected hymns from the Syriac liturgical tradition drawn from the chant repertory of the Nativity, Holy Week, and Resurrection. The performance of hymns from various liturgical occasions will demonstrate the richness of Syriac modal structures (Qinotho/Qole), the interplay between text and melody, and the predominantly syllabic character of Syriac chant, one of its essential musical features.

Dr. Haig Utidjian will sing excerpts of some of the most poignant hymns drawn from the Offices for Good Friday, demonstrating the considerable modal variety and degree of melismatic elaboration that characterizes some particularly well-loved hymns.

Saturday, May 2 | St. Nersess Armenian Seminary

1:30 PM—Welcome and Opening Remarks

1:35 PM—Dr. Haig Utidjian, Session 3: “Armenian Liturgical Chant: History and Theology”

3:00 PM—Break

3:20–4:50—Dr. Haig Utidjian, Session 4

5:30 PM—Vespers

ABOUT THE LECTURERS

Haig Utidjian, Ph.D., is an orchestral conductor, chorus master, musicologist, and patristics scholar. He has published extensively on the musicology and theology of the Armenian Hymnal and on the works of St. Gregory of Narek. He is a Senior Deacon of the Armenian Orthodox Church, and has been decorated with the Komitas medal by the Armenian state, the Yakob Mełapart medal of the National Library of Armenia, and the Medal of Merit of the Pan-Armenian Cultural Union. His publications include the volumes They Who Imbibed the Effusions of the Spirit: The Art of the Armenian Book through the Ages (2016), Treasures of the Earliest Christian Nation: Spirituality, Art, and Music in Mediaeval Armenian Manuscripts (2018), Tntesean and the Music of the Armenian Hymnal (2018), and a critical edition of Dvořák’s Mass in D (2020). He has been invited to deliver the 2026 Zernov Lecture at Oxford.

Gabriel Aydin, Ph.D., is a musicologist, author, and composer specializing in ancient Syriac liturgical chant and the musical traditions of the Christian Middle East. Born and raised in Tur Abdin (southeastern Turkey), he received early formation in the chant and liturgical tradition of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He holds a doctorate in Musicology from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon, and an M.A. in Art and Religion from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School. Dr. Aydin is the founder and director of the Syriac Music Institute in the United States, and he is the author of Syriac Hymnal According to the Rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch (2018), Syriac Sacred Music: The Catalog of Chants According to the Edessan School of Music and Demonstration of Arabic Music Scales Recorded by Ivar Schmutz-Schwaller (2008), and Syriac Music for Syriac Elementary and Middle Schools (2003). 

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Sergei Nemtsov, an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Sergei fell asleep in the Lord on April 21, 2026, in Moscow, Russia.

Sergei was born in Soviet Russia on September 12, 1951, into a family of geologists. At 16 he was accepted into Moscow State University, but withdrew in protest after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. This event spurred his lifelong search for truth over propaganda, which he recorded over the decades in a series of poems. After a lengthy spiritual search exploring Eastern religions, yoga, and meditation, he encountered Christ in the Gospels and was baptized into the Orthodox Church at 27.

In 1982 Sergei escaped the Soviet Union and found his way to Europe, where he was blessed to meet with Metropolitan Anthony Bloom. Shortly after this encounter he had the opportunity to travel to New York and visit St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Thanks to a scholarship from the Tolstoy Foundation, Sergei was able to enroll as a seminarian at St. Vladimir’s, where he studied from 1984–1987.

Sergei raised two children with his wife Cathy, Ksenia (a beloved member of staff at St. Vladimir’s Seminary) and Andrei, and has one grandson, Alexander. Sergei lived as a faithful Orthodox layman, returning to Russia in 2009 to spend his last years in his homeland.

May the memory of the servant of God Sergei be eternal!

In recent weeks a priest and two deacons were ordained from the ranks of seminarians at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Additionally, two Malankara Orthodox seminarians were tonsured as subdeacons. Glory be to God!

The latest round of seminarian ordinations began on campus, at the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation. The community celebrated a truly joyous feast, as His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA) presided over the Vesperal Divine Liturgy and the ordinations of Dn. Daniel Werner to the Holy Priesthood and Benjamin Franks to the Holy Diaconate. 

The newly ordained Fr. Daniel Werner is a third-year seminarian (M.Div. Program) from the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)’s Diocese of the South. Dn. Benjamin, also from the Diocese of the South, is in his second year of studies in the M.Div. Program.

During his homily, Bishop Andrei spoke of the mystery of the Annunciation to the Theotokos in words also befitting the mystery of holy ordination.

“As St. John Chrysostom teaches, God does not compel but draws by love. And here, on Annunciation, with this good news we see this divine gentleness. God awaits the free response of a human heart.”

Bishop Andrei continued, “And so the question for us today is simple. When we respond as the Holy Mother Mary did, will we allow God to enter into the hidden places of our lives, not with fear, but with trust? For her simple and eternal yes—”Behold, the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to Your word”—this simple “yes” becomes the doorway of salvation.”

Along with His Grace, the Seminary warmly welcomed several distinguished guests who attended the festal services, among them Archpriest Marcus Burch (Class of ’97), Chancellor of the Diocese of the South; Archpriest Justin Patterson (’05), Project Manager of the Departments of the Orthodox Church in America and rector of St. Athanasius Church, Nicholasville, KY; Archpriest Volodymyr Zablotskyy, rector of Holy Trinity Parish, Yonkers, NY; and Archpriest Eric Tosi (’96), rector of St. Gregory the Theologian Church, Wappinger Falls, NY.

The Seminary celebrated the ordination of another new deacon on Holy Thursday, April 9. His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, ordained second-year seminarian (M.Div. Program) Darius Sabau, with the name Moses. The ordination of Dn. Moses took place at St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, NJ.

On March 27 two seminarians from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC), Mathew Jacob and Joseph (Akin) Sunny, were tonsured as subdeacons together at St. Stephen's Orthodox Church in Franklin Square, NY. Both Subdeacons Mathew and Joseph are third-year seminarians in the M.Div. program, and are from the MOSC’s Northeast American Diocese. His Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, a trustee of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, presided over the ordinations.

May God grant all the newly ordained and their families many years!

More Recent Ordination Announcements:

• March Begins with Another Round of Ordinations
• Two Seminarians, Alumnus Ordained in February
• Ordinations Ring in the New Year
• Two Malankara Orthodox Alumni Ordained
• Five Seminarians Ordained During Nativity Fast

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is pleased to announce forthcoming public events highlighting the sacred music of Oriental Orthodox traditions. The events are supported by a Worshipping Communities Grant of $24,990 from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW).

The purpose of this grant, one of seventy-nine that commenced on January 1, 2026, is to support a year-long project to explore commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship in the context of theological education. The project’s primary aim is to cultivate mutual understanding at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, where members of Oriental Orthodox churches form an integral part of SVOTS’ educational community. 

Grants for Worshiping Communities are part of CICW’s Vital Worship, Vital Preaching program, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. 

Serving as project lead is Dr. Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music and Associate Director of the Institute of Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. An Implementation Team of Seminary faculty supported by advisory committee of Seminary students will implement a program of events that will include:

• Spring and fall workshops on Oriental Orthodox liturgical chant led by master practitioners of their sacred traditions. The first workshop will be co-sponsored by St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and held on May 1–2, 2026, with Dr. Gabriel Aydin and Dr. Haig Utidjian presenting, respectively, on Syriac and Armenian chant. A detailed announcement of this event is forthcoming.
• Hosting an international colloquium on “Liturgical Music in Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Theological Education,” on October 29–30, 2026. The keynote address will be given by Bishop Daniel Findikyan. 

Dr. Lingas commented on the project, saying, “Having led an earlier initiative sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at St. Vladimir’s Seminary devoted only to Eastern Orthodox traditions, I am thrilled at this opportunity to learn more about the ancient chant traditions of our Oriental Orthodox brothers and sisters.”

Institute of Sacred Arts Director Dr. Peter Bouteneff added, “The Calvin Institute grants have been about sharing our experience of liturgical music across ethnic and jurisdictional lines. It’s a special joy to expand this now to Oriental Orthodox traditions, with whom St. Vladimir’s Seminary has partnered for decades.”

ABOUT THE CALVIN INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), located at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an interdisciplinary study and ministry center that promotes the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshipping communities across North America and beyond.

Photo: St. Nersess Armenian Seminary

Over the past year, St. Vladimir’s Seminary went the extra mile—miles, to be more accurate—to commemorate several luminaries in the Seminary’s history.

On or near the anniversaries of repose, members of the Seminary community have traveled to conduct memorial prayers at the gravesites of Archpriest Georges Florovsky (September 9, 1893–August 11, 1979), Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann (September 13, 1921–December 13, 1983), Protopresbyter John Meyendorff (February 17, 1926–July 22, 1992), and Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko (March 28, 1939–March 18, 2015).

Most recently, this past weekend, a group led by Archpriest Alexander Rentel and Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie visited the grave of Fr. Thomas Hopko at the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA.

“It is not possible to do every year, but by God’s grace we have been able to pray for these beloved deans and teachers in this blessed and wonderful manner,” said Fr. Alexander, the Rector of the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel.

These former deans are all buried within a reasonable driving distance from the Seminary’s campus: Fr. Thomas Hopko at the cemetery of the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Elwood City, PA; Fr. Georges Florovsky at St. Vladimir’s Russian Orthodox Cemetery near Trenton, NJ; Fr. Alexander Schmemann at the cemetery of St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, PA; and Fr. John Meyendorff at Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers, NY.

May the memories of the Priests of God Georges, Alexander, John, and Thomas be eternal!