In Memoriam: Mitchell Zunich

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.)

Summer Music Institute

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Attend the 2026 Summer Music Institute

We are excited to announce the return of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Summer Music Institute, to be held on campus from June 23–27, 2026, with pre-institute intensive June 22–23.

This year’s Institute will celebrate and explore the planting, cultivation, and flourishing of Orthodox musical traditions in North America, and the musicians who laid the groundwork for the English language liturgical singing of today. Teachers and experts including Alexander LingasVladimir MorosanPhotini Downie RobinsonJuliana Woodill, and Alice Hughes will lead courses of study on vocal technique and choral conducting, as well as advanced seminars on Orthodox music. Come worship, build skills, and enjoy fellowship together!

 

Learn More & Register to Attend

 

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.

Commencement of the Class of 2026

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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.

Virtual Open House: Doctor of Ministry Program

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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.

Exploring the Orient: Syriac & Armenian Liturgical Chant

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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). 

In Memoriam: Sergei Nemtsov

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 Nemtsov (middle) serving at Three Hierarchs Chapel as a seminarian.

 

 

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!

More Seminarians Ordained Leading up to Pascha

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 Rev. Daniel Werner

 

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.

The Rev. Dn. Benjamin Franks

 

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.

The Rev. Dn. Moses (Darius) Sabau is a seminarian of the Antiochian Archdiocese. Pictured here with fellow seminarian the Rev. Dn. John Whiteside (left).

 

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 DioceseHis Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, a trustee of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, presided over the ordinations.

Subdeacons Joseph (front, left of center) and Mathew (front, right of center) were tonsured together with Subdn. Joel Kurian (front, center) of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Pictured with them are seminarians and alumni from St. Vladimir’s and St. Tikhon’s seminaries

 

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

More Recent Ordination Announcements:

SVOTS Awarded Nearly $25K to Promote Understanding of Oriental Orthodox Liturgical Singing

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

Memory Eternal: Praying at the Graves of Orthodox Luminaries

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!
 

Dn Chad Cordero: Why I Joined the St Vladimir’s Society

The Rev. Dn. Chad Cordero, a deacon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), is attached to the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthodox Church in Charlotte, NC. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in 2022. Dn. Chad and his wife Jaime are faithful members of the St. Vladimir’s Society, comprised of generous donors who give monthly to St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Dn. Chad graciously shared with us why he supports the Seminary.

Dn. Chad, how long have you been serving at Nativity of the Holy Theotokos?

This has been the first and only parish that we’ve attended since my wife and I moved here from California in 2006. We were catechized and chrismated at this parish. This is our home. We have four children that we are raising here. We have been truly blessed by such an amazing parish community and all the opportunities that God provided us since we have been here, the last twenty years.

 

How did you first connect with St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS)?

I had heard of SVOTS before, but it wasn’t until 2019 when I began my educational journey to the diaconate that I became intimately involved in what it had to offer and how special it really was. SVOTS had the roadmap, through the OCA Diaconal Vocations Program [frequently hosted on SVOTS’ campus in previous years] that I was able to participate in and follow until my ordination to the diaconate in 2022. During that time I was exposed to all that SVOTS really provides for the Church, and it was very humbling to see. I was beside myself as I witnessed the sacrifice that so many people give to be a part of the SVOTS community and ultimately commit their lives and their families’ lives to serving our Lord Jesus Christ. Since my time in the DVP I have met so many great priests and dedicated families who came from the Seminary. I am excited to see how the Church grows through the amazing work that the Seminary is doing. 

And since then, you have become a generous supporter of SVOTS and a member of the St. Vladimir’s Society of monthly givers! Why did you decide to join?

I felt convicted to join the St. Vladimir’s Society as I thought about all the people who have sacrificed so much to serve our Lord. At first I felt guilty that I could not give in the same way that the students (and families) are giving. There is story after story of the students who quit their jobs and moved their families to the campus to follow God’s calling in their life. However, after much prayer and discernment, I realized that I have to follow my calling, and I can still participate even if it looks different. It was about that time that I heard about the St. Vladimir’s Society. I decided to join. I have always been told, “to whom much has been given, much is expected.” Well, I have been given so much, I must take every opportunity to give back, no matter how big or small it is. The Society is one of the ways that I can give back.

 

Members of the St. Vladimir’s Society such as your family are so important in providing stability for the Seminary each month. How would you describe the importance of monthly giving from your perspective as a donor?

The bonus is that through the Society my family and I can also participate in the work of the Church. Through the many donors that give, we have so many resources that I, and so many others, use on a daily and weekly basis. Resources like liturgical texts and music for organizing the divine services, or daily lives of the Saints and Scripture readings for our spiritual enrichment, and even beyond that to Orthodox educational material for inquirers and the baby Orthodox who just want to know a little more, such as through The Orthodox Faith series (Thank you also, Fr. Tom!). I am so grateful for the small yet meaningful connection I have with this wonderful establishment through the St. Vladimir’s Society.

Learn More & Join the St. Vladimir’s Society

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