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.)

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 Lingas, Vladimir Morosan, Photini Downie Robinson, Juliana 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.

“The Council of Crete (2016) after Ten Years”

Ten years removed from what had been called “The Holy and Great Council”—the large, pan-Orthodox council convened by the Ecumenical Patriarch and held in 2016 on the island of Crete—the significance of the council is still being examined and debated.

The Council of Crete’s legacy is the subject of the Orthodox Theological Society of America (OTSA)’s Florovsky Lecture for 2026, which will be hosted on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary on Friday, June 12. The evening will feature a panel of speakers who were present at the council in 2016: His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević), Very Rev. Protopresbyter Dr. Nicolas Kazarian, Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, and Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou.

The Florovsky Lecture is open to the public and free to attend in person or online. A reception will follow.

Register to Attend

The Lecture is part of OTSA’s 2026 Annual Meeting being held at St. Vladimir’s Seminary from June 11–13. The sessions of the annual meeting are generally open to the public, unless the meeting planners decide to close a particular session. The business meeting of the society is for members only. For more information, please visit the OTSA website.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević) of Los Angeles and Western America earned his doctorate in dogmatics and patristics from the University of Athens in 1999. He completed post-doctoral work in Byzantine History and Theology at the Sorbonne in Paris and enrolled in painting classes at the French Academy of Fine Arts. He teaches at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston. He is also an accomplished painter with exhibitions and iconography classes worldwide. His notable works include, among others, History, Truth, Holiness (2011), Theology as a Surprise (2018), Wonder as the Beginning of Faith (2022), Saved by Beauty: Dostoevsky and America (2022), Illumination and Surprise (2024), and Nicaea 325: A Council for History and Eternity—Conciliarity from Nicaea to the Modern Church (2025).

Protopresbyter Nicolas Kazarian, Ph.D., serves as the Ecumenical Officer and Director of the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He also teaches Ecumenical Relations at Hellenic College-Holy Cross. He is a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches as well as co-moderator of Religions for Peace USA, and he serves as the parish priest of St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan.

Elizabeth H. Prodromou, Ph.D., is Professor of the Practice in the International Studies Program at Boston College and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. A current member of the Global Academic Council of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat, she served on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and as a member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group. Her academic and policy research concentrates on the intersection of geopolitics, religion, and human rights, with particular focus on the linkages between religious pluralism and democracy. An internationally recognized expert on global Orthodox Christianity and on the geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean; she was a delegate consultant of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Holy and Great Council at Crete in 2016.

Archpriest Alexander Rentel, S.E.O.D., is Fr. Alexander Schmemann Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology and Canon Law at St. Vladimir's Seminary and rector of the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel. He has taught at St. Vladimir's Seminary since 2002. From 2019 until 2025 he also served as Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America. He was an External Correspondent for the Press Team of the Ecumenical Patriarch at the Holy and Great Council in Chania, Crete, June 2016.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: June 4–6 

We are pleased to be partnering with St. Nersess Armenian Seminary for “Sitting as a Stranger”: Evagrius in the Desert and Beyond, June 4–6, 2026.

This international conference at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, in collaboration with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, seeks to explore Evagrius’ enduring significance — his thought in its late antique context, his influence on subsequent spiritual traditions, and his resonance with modern approaches to theology, philosophy, and the life of the mind. A particularly rich manuscript tradition, translations, and commentarial literature have preserved and reinterpreted his legacy in Armenia, among many other places.  The conference will bring together the Armenian, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Arabic and Chinese receptions of Evagrius, fostering a comparative and cross-cultural conversation on his theological, philosophical, and ascetical vision.

Attend the Event Online

 View the Program Schedule & Speakers

For in-person attendance, please email ashahinian@stnersess.edu.

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.

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).