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.)
Dr. Byrne-Martelli began her two-year fellowship in July in the Department of Supportive Oncology at the Institute, located in Boston, MA. She is conducting research on the role of spirituality in medical decision-making, on existential distress, and on the integration of chaplaincy within palliative care teams.
Research Fellowships such as hers are typically reserved for medical doctors and established Ph.D. researchers, but Byrne-Martelli is the first D.Min. to be awarded such an honor by Dana-Farber.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the research I have been conducting in these areas,” said Dr. Byrne-Martelli. “In fact, I began conducting qualitative research while studying at St. Vladimir’s. I enjoy creating bridges between the worlds of medicine and religious practice and belief.
The way I approach my research is: What keeps me up at night? This Fellowship is an opportunity to study the topics I have wrestled with over twenty-five years of clinical practice. I have worked at three major academic hospitals and three Hospice programs, and I have always been one of very few chaplains within huge medical systems. The availability of professional spiritual care and the integration of chaplaincy into interprofessional teams is highly uneven across the US. Perceptions of chaplaincy vary widely, and sometimes with good reason. So I will explore: What are the barriers that are negatively impacting the provision of spiritual care? How might our faith better help us navigate serious illness? How does religiosity affect the way we make medical decisions? And so forth. I am thankful for the opportunity to explore this new non-clinical role and to bring my experience caring for seriously ill patients into dialogue with my research.”
Dr. Sarah Byrne-Martelli is a board-certified chaplain and bereavement counselor, endorsed by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA). She serves as Board Secretary of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR). Her book, Memory Eternal: Living with Grief as Orthodox Christians, was published by Ancient Faith Publishing in 2022 and includes an Orthodox Christian bereavement group curriculum. At St. Vladimir’s Seminary, she is Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care for the D.Min. program.
May God grant her many years and bless her ministry!
Dr. Byrne-Martelli on campus to teach the D.Min. students in July.
In July, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Board of Directors announced the selection of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus Dr. Nathan Hoppe (’20) as OCMC’s new Executive Director. Dr. Hoppe will succeed Fr. Martin Ritsi and assume the helm in January 2026, following Fr. Martin’s retirement after more than twenty-six years of dedicated service.
“We have been exceedingly blessed to have Fr. Martin chart the course of the organization all these years, and we couldn’t be more confident in Dr. Hoppe’s ability to build on the legacy that Fr. Martin will leave,” stated Board Chair Dr. Gayle Woloschak.
Under Fr. Martin’s leadership, the Mission Center significantly expanded its global missionary presence, strengthened pan-Orthodox collaboration, and played a pivotal role in growing the Orthodox Church—supporting more than 3,000 missionaries and volunteers and distributing millions of dollars in grants around the world.
“It is exciting to see a person who has been raised in the mission field and then dedicated decades of his life to missionary service, now taking on the key leadership role of the Mission Center,” said Fr. Martin. “I look forward to transitioning leadership to Nathan in these months ahead.”
Dr. Hoppe will succeed Fr. Martin Ritsi (left) as OCMC’s Executive Director.
A graduate of Wheaton College (B.A., M.A.), Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (M.T.S.), and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (D.Min.), Dr. Nathan Hoppe is a respected author and international church leader. The Mission Center’s longest-serving missionary, he brings more than twenty-five years of experience to his new role. Working in close collaboration with the late Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and other local hierarchs, Dr. Hoppe has helped establish vibrant Orthodox communities and has led numerous ministries focused on theological education, family and youth development, and parish life.
In Albania, he taught for many years at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy (now Logos University College), where he helped shape a generation of church leaders. He also led the Church’s Children’s Office for over twenty-one years, initiated a national summer family camp program, helped develop and lead a university ministry, and oversaw the creation of Sunday School curricula for Orthodox parishes.
Throughout his career, Dr. Hoppe has represented the Orthodox Church of Albania in ecumenical dialogues on five continents and served on multiple international theological commissions with the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. With decades of missionary experience and a proven dedication to Orthodox Christian witness, Dr. Hoppe brings the vision, leadership, and global perspective needed to guide the Mission Center into its next chapter.
“I am profoundly honored to be called to this new position of service and look forward to working with Fr. Martin and the Board throughout the transition process and beyond,” said Dr. Hoppe. “I am grateful for the strong foundation the Mission Center has established and am excited to see how God will lead us in the future.”
May God grant Dr. Hoppe many years and bless his ministry with OCMC!
This July, will you be at the 57th Biennial Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese Convention? Or will you be in the Chicago area around that time? Meet us there for a gathering of alumni and friends, and enjoy food and fellowship!
This sermon by Archpriest Sergius Halvorsen was delivered on the Feast of the Holy, Glorious Prophet Elijah, July 20, 2025, following the reading of the Holy Gospel at Divine Liturgy (Luke 4:22–30).
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When Moses went up Mount Sinai, God gave the people ten commandments. And the first of these commandments is “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.”
The very first commandment that God gives commands the people to have no other gods except for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who brought them out of slavery in Egypt. In other words, God was saying, “Do not create idols, and do not practice idolatry.”
These days when the ancient pagan religions have almost faded to nothing, it is tempting to think that God’s command forbidding idolatry only refers to the proper forms of worship. I’m not bowing down before a golden calf, and I’m not offering incense in a pagan temple, so I don’t have to worry about this commandment, right?
But maybe the temptation to idolatry is more insidious than that.
Today we hear about people worshipping in the Synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath day. They were hearing the word of God in Scripture, praying the Sabbath day prayers, assembled with members in good standing of the Synagogue. They weren’t worried about the temptation of idolatry. God’s first commandment was probably the last thing on their minds.
But that’s the problem. Because the underlying temptation of idolatry is not the golden calf or the pagan temple. Those come much later, once the idolatrous temptation has fully wound its way around the soul. The underlying temptation of idolatry is transactional spirituality. It is the temptation to look at life as one big business proposition: How do I get what I want for the best deal possible?
It is a kind of vending machine spirituality: if you do just the right thing in just the right way, then you’ll get exactly what you want. Say you’re hungry and you come to a vending machine that dispenses food. You figure out what you want, put in the right amount of money, push the right buttons, and you get what you want. This idolatrous vending machine spirituality looks at God and other people as a way to get what I want, exactly how I want it.
This is one of the reasons that pagan religions usually have multiple deities. Each one has a different area of influence: the pagan god of war, the pagan god of love, the pagan god of commerce and communication. Depending on what you want, you go to the temple of that particular pagan god, and then perform the specific ritual for that request, and then hope you get what you want. Just like a cosmic vending machine.
But this idolatrous spirituality can also affect those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Think of the people in the Synagogue on that Sabbath day in Nazareth, they had all the externals right: the Scripture, the prayers, the building. But in spirit they were looking to do business. On that Sabbath day Jesus had returned to Nazareth, His home town, and He was in the Synagogue. The people listen to Jesus teach and they ask, “Wait, is this not Joseph's son? If you’re really a prophet, then work some miracle here, so that we can see for ourselves.” Our Lord sees into their hearts, He knows what they’re looking for. They’re looking for proof: “We knew you as a child and a young man. Do you have special power? Can you get us what we want, just the way we want it?” They’re looking for some kind of transaction.
But Jesus is not a pagan idol, and He refuses to be used in that kind of way, He refuses to perform any miracle for them. And the people become enraged, they chase Him out of town in anger, and even try to hurl Him off of a cliff.
Because, when a transaction fails, people get angry. Like if you put money into a vending machine, and you think you push the right combination of buttons, but you get nothing. That is SO frustrating, it can make you so angry.
The people in Nazareth looked at Jesus with a spirit of idolatry, asking “What can you do for us? Can you get us what we want, just the way we want it? Can you get us a good deal?” And when Jesus did not give them what they wanted, they reacted with anger and rage. This is why idolatry is so dangerous, because even pious people who have all the externals right can look at God and their neighbors as mere opportunities for profit.
And of course, the temptation to idolatry is just as strong today as it has ever been. Here I am, an Orthodox Christian priest, wearing all the right vestments, saying all the right prayers, in this beautiful building adorned with stunning traditional icons. But how easy is it for me to think that if I do everything just right, then God will give me what I want, just the way I want it. And of course, if I pray and pray and pray for something, and don’t get it, the idolatrous temptation in my heart leads me to ask, “What didn’t I do right? Why isn’t this working?” As if God were some kind of cosmic vending machine who will do whatever I want as long as I push just the right buttons.
This is not faith, this is not a relationship, this is a transaction, it is idolatry.
This pagan, idolatrous approach also tempts me to look at other people in terms of what they can get me, in terms of how useful they are to my goals and objectives. Hey, this person is wealthy, I should be extra nice to him in case I want to ask a big favor. Or, this person over here is extremely popular, I better go out of my way to cultivate this relationship. When people see that we’re friends, my reputation will surely improve, and that will help my business prospects. But what about the people that aren’t wealthy, or influential, or powerful? Well, that person is just scraping by financially, I don’t want to get too close to him, he might ask me to borrow money. And, those people are such losers, if I hang out with them, I’ll get a bad reputation. It’s terrifying how easy it is to relate to other people in this pagan, idolatrous transactional way.
But the more that I look at God and other people in this way, the more I start to look at myself in the same way. What have I done, what have I accomplished, what have I achieved or mastered or conquered? What am I actually worth, what is my value in the big transaction of life? And that last question is the worst, because as soon as I ask what I am worth, the Evil One says, “Nothing. You’re worthless. Your entire life is one long string of failures.” Of course, this is a lie, but the more I view God and my neighbor transactionally, the more susceptible I am to that lie.
So the temptation to idolatry and a transactional view of life can lead to a very dark place of shame, regret, and despair. And this is why God’s first command is, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” Because God’s ultimate objective was not just to liberate the people from hard labor under Pharoah. God’s ultimate objective is to free us from the tyranny of the transactional, to liberate us from the subjugation of shame, and to release us from the repression of regret. This is why the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sends His Only Begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, into this world: To deliver us from the dark destruction, and the crushing burden of idolatry.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is not a pagan idol, he is not a false god, He is the Son of the Living God. And the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has never dealt with His people transactionally. During his earthly ministry, Christ did not cozy up to the people who were wealthy and powerful and influential, the leaders and influencers who could support His ministry and promote His interests. Jesus did not limit himself to only the righteous, and the pious and the holy who walked the straight and narrow path of virtue. Instead, our Lord comes into this world, not to call the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. He ministers to the poor and the sick and the outcast. He travels across the sea of Galilee to a gentile city, to cast demons out of men who lived among the tombs and had no hope of salvation. He allows the woman with many sins to anoint His feet with her tears of repentance. He calls fishermen to be his disciples yet they were confused about His ministry, and they struggled every step along the way, even to the point of publicly denying Him. And when people are nailing Jesus to the cross, He prays that God would forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. This is not the ministry of transactional idolatry, this is the saving work of the Living God.
As St. Paul teaches us, “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).
This is not a transaction, this is love. God did not send His Only Begotten Son into this world to make a transaction, Christ came into this world to love and to heal and to save.
When Jesus was confronted in the Synagogue in Nazareth, He reminded the people of the ministry of the Prophet Elijah, whom we celebrate today. In Elijah’s day, God’s people had fallen deeply into idolatry. And God sent Elijah to call the people to repentance, to put aside their idolatrous ways and to have no other gods than the one true God who had brought their fathers out of bondage in Egypt. But Jesus also reminds us about miracles that God worked through Elijah. There was a widow in Zarephath, and God sent Elijah to this woman saying, “This woman will give you food and drink.” But when Elijah meets the woman, she is in a very bad situation. She tells Elijah that she’s gathering a few sticks of firewood so that she can use her last tiny bit of flour and oil to bake one last tiny loaf of bread for her and her son before they die. But Elijah asks her to bake him some bread, and he tells her that God will not allow her to perish. And through her faithful act of generosity to Elijah, God miraculously provides sustenance for the woman and her son. Then, shortly after this, the widow’s only son became deathly ill. But Elijah prays for the boy and he is restored to health.
Jesus reminds us that there were many widows at this time, but God sent Elijah to this one widow of Zarephath, a city outside of Israel. This woman was not an insider, she was not well-connected, she was not powerful, she had nothing. Now remember, at this point in his ministry Elijah could have really used some support from powerful people. From a transactional perspective, it would have made a lot more sense for Elijah to work a miracle for a wealthy widow whose relatives were powerful leaders in the community. But, no. When Elijah is most vulnerable, and at his weakest, God sends him out of his own country, to a widow who has nothing.
And this is how God sends us. When we are weak, when we are completely broken, when it feels like we have nothing left to give, this is when God sends us to the lonely, the abandoned, the hopeless. Because, in that moment when we have nothing of ourselves to offer, then it is God who provides the grace, the love, and the life. Just like He provided for Elijah and the widow and her son.
For God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. This is how God manifests his power and his glory. This is how God shatters the lie of idolatry, by showering love and mercy upon the outsider, the sinner, the people who live in the shadows. And this great mystery of the Living God that was seen in Elijah the prophet is perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who takes on the form of a servant, and ministers to the weak and the broken in love and mercy.
This is God’s Messiah, this is the Lord whom we worship.
Today we come before the Living God and offer true worship saying, “Lord, I come before You today, broken, empty, and sinful, not seeking any transaction, just asking for Your love and mercy. Merciful Lord, just as You provided for the widow of Zarepath, give us that small portion of life-giving bread, even Your very Body and Blood that we might minister and serve those in the shadows who are alone, hurting, abandoned.”
For this is true worship, this is true joy, this is everlasting life in Christ.
We invite all our beloved graduates of St. Vladimir’s Seminary to join us this July for an alumni reception at the 21st All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, inPhoenix, Arizona. Join Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie and other Seminary faculty members and staff for an evening of fellowship, drinks, and food with other alumni, and learn about the exciting things happening at St. Vladimir’s Seminary!
This free alumni event will take place on Tuesday, July 15 from 8pm–10pm at the Arizona Grand Resort, 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85044.
On June 23 The Very Rev. Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios (Nikiforos), an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) and the Director of the Private Office of the Ecumenical Patriarch, passed his viva examination and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Cardiff University in Wales.
Fr. Aetios submitted his dissertation, “The Creation of a System of Orthodox Canon Law: The Case of the Pedalion (1800),” within the school of Law and Politics at Cardiff. The examiners accepted his dissertation without the need for corrections, which is extremely rare and a sign of the excellent quality of the thesis.
The Seminary’s Assistant Professor of Canon Law The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel served as external reviewer and traveled to Cardiff for the doctoral defense. The internal reviewer was Professor Russell Sandberg of the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University. Fr. Aetios wrote his dissertation under the direction of Prof. Normon Doe, the Director of the Centre for Law and Religion at the same university.
Fr. Aetios and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at a luncheon June 23, 2025, held in Cardiff by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in honor of Fr. Aetios. (Photo: Archons.org)
Trained as an attorney, Fr. Aetios was initially drawn to SVOTS due to its strength in canon law and historical disciplines. He graduated from the Seminary summa cum laude with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2018. He was also selected as the class valedictorian. Hailing from Greece, he called Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY, home during his time at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Top Photo (from left): Fr. Alexander Rentel, Dr. Richard Caddell (convener of the viva), Fr. Aetios, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Prof. Norman Doe, and Prof. Russell Sandberg.
What makes art sacred? Can an object be inherently holy—or does sacredness lie in its use?
Saint Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press’s new book,Rethinking Sacred Arts, brings together leading scholars and artists to explore these and other questions across visual art, architecture, music, poetry, and liturgy. This first installment in SVS Press’s new Sacred Arts series is ideal for practitioners and scholars alike. It offers a vital resource for anyone probing the spiritual dimensions of art within an academic or liturgical context.
“With all of the fascinating ideas it presents, this book is also a bridge between the worlds of art history and theology—fields that haven’t always wanted to be in conversation. It demonstrates that we have so much to learn from each other, that our interaction can raise new questions and yield fresh and unexpected insights,” said Peter Bouteneff, who directs the Seminary’s Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) and co-edited the book with Christina Maranci of Harvard University.
The new publication has been praised by scholars as engaging, enlightening, and deeply thought-provoking.
“This book is remarkable for examining sacred art from an impressive range of perspectives …” said Henry Maguire, Professor Emeritus of Johns Hopkins University. “The result is a volume which by turns engages, enlightens, and challenges the reader, and which will inspire many fruitful discussions of this complex and important field in the future.”
“The Institute of Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s has become a much-needed wellspring of wisdom when it comes to the interface between human creativity and the divine,” added Jeremy Begbie, Professor of Theology at Duke University. “This multidisciplinary book will expand that reputation. A rich and accessible collection that deserves attention from any with interests in the field.”
Rethinking Sacred Arts features 27 black-and-white plates and 14 color plates. The book is available in paperback (6×9, 300 pp.) at SVSPress.com.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Archpriest Paul Kucynda, an alumnus of St Vladimir’s Seminary. Fr. Paul fell asleep in the Lord Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
The Very Rev. Paul Kucynda, an archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), was a long-time Rector of Holy Resurrection Church, Wayne, NJ. In his retirement he was attached to the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, in Brick, NJ.
Fr. Paul attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary in the 1960s, and was a member of the first Seminary Octet. In the summer of 1962, Fr. Paul and the other members of the Octet toured some 80 parishes throughout the United States in order to raise awareness, fundraise, and recruit for the Seminary. His dedication and love for the Church were evident throughout his time as a student. A letter to Fr. Paul dated August 27, 1965, from his fellow seminarian and Octet member, David Drillock—who went on to serve for many years as Professor of Liturgical Music at the Seminary—notes:
The Faculty of St. Vladimir's Seminary takes special note of the extra curricular work of Mr. Paul Kucynda, during the 1964–1965 academic year. Mr. Kucynda directed the Chapel Choir on weekdays during both the winter and spring semesters. In addition he rendered invaluable assistance in helping to prepare and to direct a special group for the Holy Week Services. All this he did with devotion and sincere love and at all times showed deep responsibility in performing the duties of a Chapel Choir Director.
Fr. Paul also received appreciation from the Seminary for directing the 1965 summer Octet. On June 11, 1967, he married Barbara Anne (née Kuntzevich) at Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, Matushka Barbara’s home parish. Mka. Barbara worked as a substitute teacher while Fr. Paul completed his seminary studies. He was ordained to the holy priesthood on January 7, 1968, and received a Bachelor of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary that same year.
Following ordination and graduation, the Kucyndas were assigned to Holy Resurrection Church. They were blessed with a son, Timothy, in 1969. Fr. Paul and Mka. Barbara served at Holy Resurrection for five decades, celebrating fifty years of ministry there together in 2018.
Fr. Paul was preceded in death by his beloved Mka. Barbara (+February 16, 2018). They are survived by their son Timothy.
Information regarding Fr. Paul’s funeral will be announced on the OCA website, here.
May the memory of Archpriest Paul be eternal!
Some information for this article was adapted from OCA.org.
“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:
Dr. John Barnet is appointed as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs;
Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff is appointed as Associate Dean for Institutional Mission and Engagement; and
The Rev. Dn. Dr. Harrison Basil Russin is re-appointed as Associate Dean for Residential Life (following his first appointment at the beginning of the 2024–25 academic year).
“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!”
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.
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