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.)
The Commencement of the Class of 2025 of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) will occur on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The ceremony will begin with a prayer of thanksgiving in Three Hierarchs Chapel at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, after which all guests of the graduating class will be asked to take their seats in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium in the John G. Rangos building. At approximately 2:30 p.m. Eastern, the visiting hierarchs, guests of honor, faculty, and graduating students will proceed to the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium for the ceremony. The ceremony will be live-streamed starting at approximately 2:30 p.m. EST.
SVOTS Professor Emeritus, the Very Rev. Dr Paul Tarazi, will give his remarks as the 2025 Commencement Speaker. Fr Paul served as a professor at St Vladimir’s Seminary almost forty years before his retirement in 2014. He taught courses in Old and New Testament, Biblical Hebrew and Greek, and Academic Arabic. Fr Paul also taught at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA and at St John of Damascus Institute in Balamand, Lebanon. A well-known scholar and speaker, Fr Paul’s many publications include the three-volume Old Testament Introduction (SVS Press), four-volume New TestamentIntroduction (SVS Press/ OCABS Press), fourteen commentaries on both the Old Testament and the New Testament books (SVS Press and OCABS Press), and numerous scholarly articles. Most recently, he authored The Rise of Scripture (2017, OCABS Press) and Decoding Genesis 1 - 11 (2020, OCABS Press).
The Commencement Ceremony of the Class of 2025 will be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person. Please register below to indicate your plans for attendance and to receive the Zoom link to participate via live stream.
Fr Alexander Nelson (M.Div. ‘25) is a native-born New Yorker who came to Orthodoxy as an adult. He and his wife, Alexandra, had comfortable careers in Manhattan and Brooklyn before deciding to offer their lives in service to the Church. We sat down with Fr Alexander to hear more about his life leading up to entering the Orthodox Church, his time at seminary, and the lessons he will take with him in his upcoming ministry as a parish priest.
Please tell us a bit about your educational and professional background and your life before seminary.
I’m Fr Alexander Nelson. I’m from the OCA, Diocese of New York and New Jersey. I lived throughout New York City—most recently in Brooklyn—for 21 years before coming to seminary. Before that, I worked as a union handyman, and for about a year, I was a superintendent at a nice building on Park Avenue, a residential co-op on the Upper East Side. I spent around 11 years in the union, and part of the goal was to make sure I had at least a partial pension, so I aimed to get 10 years in before moving on to St Vlad’s.
I originally started my undergrad at the New School for Social Research, at Eugene Lang College, their liberal arts school. I studied the history of religion and a bit of comparative religion, though that field was fading at the time and shifting more toward historical and sociological studies of faith. It wasn’t faith-based, but it was about belief systems and the world around them. After a few years, I dropped out—I wasn’t sure what I’d do with that degree, and I needed to earn a living.
Later on, after becoming Orthodox, getting engaged, and then married, both my wife and my spiritual father encouraged me to go back to school. They said, “You’ve got a monkey on your back—this is something you’d also enjoy.” So I went back, transferred as many credits as I could to Fordham—they took about 75—and there I studied theology. From Fordham, I applied to seminary.
Serving as a deacon alongside Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Vasily (then the Rev. Dr Vitaly Permiakov), Fall 2024
What called you into the Orthodox Church? What was the process of becoming Orthodox like for you?
I grew up Roman Catholic—my parents were more nominal, but we went to church every Sunday. My grandmother, who raised me, was very devout. To me, she’s a saint; she had a profound impact on my life. So I was a believer from the start.
When I was about 17, living in Boston, the Catholic Church abuse scandals broke. My parents were really frustrated, and I started questioning things too. I used to walk to church—it was easy—but I began exploring other ideas. A high school teacher gave me a book comparing Living Buddha, Living Christ, and that got me thinking. I still loved Jesus, but I didn’t know where I stood on organized religion. Over time, I drifted into more of a spiritual-but-not-religious mindset.
Later, after struggling with alcoholism and getting sober, I started to think a bit more clearly, and I started asking myself what I really believed. I had seen 9/11 happen in real time. I was only a few miles away when I saw the towers come down—I had family working downtown—and I didn't realize how traumatic that was for me until I was sober. I had a lot of self-realizations, and now I was trying to figure out, “What about my faith? I believe in Christ as Lord and God, I’m seeking community. What do I do with this?”
For a while, I attended an Episcopalian “high” church. Through Archbishop Rowan Williams, I got into Dostoyevsky and icons. Eventually, I met Fr John McGuckin, who introduced me to the Jesus Prayer. I started to realize that the spirituality I was drawn to, silence and interior prayer, wasn’t divorced from Christianity—it was deeply connected.
Eventually, I found an English-speaking Orthodox church, Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Manhattan. I was received there. Fr Nilus of blessed memory, a former Jesuit and former dean of Students at St Tikhon’s, was there; he really connected with me and became my godfather and confessor. I also really connected with Archimandrite Fr Christopher, and Archdeacon Michael—they were deeply spiritual, deeply liturgical, but really down to earth and I looked up to them because they affected, and really served, so many different kinds of people, young, old, cradle, convert, ethnic, liberal, conservative etc. That’s how I came into the Orthodox Church.
I met my wife, Alexandra, at the cathedral. I was in my early 30s, and you know how people are like, "You want to meet a good woman, go to church!" But that is totally not why I went to Church! We actually both were considering monastic vocations… But anyway, it actually happened to work out like that for us. We got married there, our kids were baptized there—I have a lot of love for that place.
Fr Alexander with his wife Matushka Alexandra and their two children
How did your calling evolve for you to come to St Vladimir's Seminary?
Growing up, I wanted to help people. I thought I was going to be a doctor, but I was never good at math or science. After sobriety, I realized I needed to help others. I realized the Church was what gave me life, healed me, and kept me on track. Coming to seminary and pursuing this calling is about giving back what I have received, true life.
Archbishop Michael works tirelessly, and I was impressed by that. He put it out to the parishes, "If you have young men who seem sane, see if they have a calling." Fr Christopher and my spiritual father, Fr Nilus, were also talking to me about it. My wife also. A big part of me really didn’t want to; I wanted a quiet and low-key life, but it felt like the right thing to do. It really seemed like God’s plan. Everything in my life had led up to that point. It was a fulfillment of things in a way I never expected. It’s a sacrifice, but it’s a privilege and a blessing.
St Vladimir’s Seminary was a practical choice for my family. My parents are in Manhattan, I have a lot of extended family in New York and New Jersey, and I didn’t want to be too far from them. I also had a lot of respect for St Vladimir’s history and connection to very articulate, thoughtful Orthodox thinkers. I was interested in St Vladimir’s because I was reading a lot of works from the professors here. I was also intellectually interested in the engagement and the connection to the Jewish-Christian tradition and the Old Testament, which was a huge part of my growth.
Moving was tough, especially for my wife. I think it was mainly the logistics of it. She had a good life in Brooklyn, and we had a rent-stabilized apartment. She’s a painter as well, so leaving the city and going up to Westchester was a huge change. I also wanted to make sure her life would be better by moving, and it was rough at first, but we found her a studio on the other side of Yonkers, and there’s a good community there. The hardest part was leaving Brooklyn, but we supported each other. It’s also really good for our kids, lots of grass, other kids, nature, all things we couldn’t provide them where we were.
Coming to seminary is certainly a sacrifice; it’s not just taking a few classes, it changes your whole life.
Yeah, your whole life. Time and energy, but much of that stems from the chapel life. St Vladimir’s Seminary is deeply liturgical. It's rigorous, it's demanding, but that’s one of the most beneficial parts of it. It helps you integrate into the rhythm of the Church, and that’s a huge thing. That’s transformative. If you’re plugged into it, it really helps ground you. It reminds you of why you're here, and reinforces that sacrifice, that it's worth it, that the sacrifice is actually a privilege.
Fr Alexander at his ordination to the priesthood, December 25, 2024
Tell us about your experience in the M.Div. program.
I mean, honestly, I’ve loved everyone here. Every professor has taught me something meaningful, and often it’s the ones you don’t expect who end up making the deepest impact. Take Dr Barnet, for example—or any of the professors who aren’t ordained. Sometimes they seem even more pastoral in their way, and you don’t realize it at first. It's not just about learning from them in class, either. You might get a pastoral gem from a conversation outside the refectory. Or just seeing them in chapel every day—the devotion, the consistency—that’s part of the formation, too.
Academically, and in terms of personal development, studying with Fr Bogdan was huge for me. The whole Theophaneia school that His Eminence Archbishop Alexander (OCA) and Andrei Orlov have helped shape—it’s recalibrating how we understand the Orthodox tradition. It brings in this Jewish-Christian matrix that’s deeply connected to our ascetic and spiritual life. I was really affected by his Visio Dei class, on the different concepts of seeing God. That one really stuck with me.
It was technically a Patristics class, but Fr Bogdan tied in so much—from 2 Enoch to a whole range of apocryphal texts that were massively influential on the Church Fathers but aren’t often talked about. That includes Old Testament apocrypha, and it opened my eyes to how important that background is for Orthodox theology. It’s a major development—bringing more context to how the Fathers were thinking and writing, and showing just how much continuity there really is.
I tend to think more in terms of systematic or dogmatic theology, and I remember Fr Bogdan saying once that in Florovsky’s massive works, there’s only a tiny bit on the Old Testament. Not to take anything away from Florovsky—who’s untouchable—but it shows there’s been a blind spot. Thankfully, people like His Eminence and Fr Bogdan have been doing work to bridge that gap, and that’s been really meaningful to me.
We also had Fr Demetrios Harper one semester, and that was a great experience. Fr Demetrios taught us Systematic theology, but it was really more about modern theology—20th-century figures, post-communist thinkers, diaspora voices. That class had a big impact, too. We had a lot of good discussions, which oriented us where we are now as a church in terms of theology.
Dr Schroeder’s class was another standout. I got to really dive into a topic I was fascinated with, and it just so happened that her dissertation intersected with my research—it felt almost providential. I also had great experiences in liturgical theology and liturgics with Fr Vasily. He is so thorough, and we learned not only the how but the why and when of liturgics.
Honestly, I never had a bad class at St Vlad’s. There wasn’t a single one where I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.” It’s been amazing. I’d like to say I just have good taste and chose the right ones—but really, every class and professor brought something meaningful. Fr Alexander Rentel and Dr Legaspi have so much love, so much knowledge in their fields, which comes out in the way they teach. Really excellent pedagogues.
Now that you're about to graduate and become a priest, how do you feel?
Thankfully, in the third year of the M.Div. program, we have pastoral theology classes both semesters, which are 100% necessary. Fr Eric has incredible experience and brings lots of guest teachers who are specialists in their field. By the time you’re a senior, you're ready to start applying what you've learned and figuring out how it all works in real life. Every Sunday, we’re at parish assignments—teaching classes, doing hospital visits, seeing baptisms, etc. You’re experiencing what ministry looks like on the ground.
And then there’s this other side of seminary life that’s almost monastic—especially at St Vlad’s. It’s idealistic in the best way. We have 10 or more services every week to attend, all done with incredibly capable choirs. I mean, there are only a handful of choirs in the country that can sound like the St Vladimir’s choir—it’s not something most of us will replicate in our parishes. But it’s important to be exposed to that ideal. In the third year, you start bouncing back and forth between that ideal and the practical. You go to a weekday liturgy at your assignment parish, and it’s maybe just a handful of people—how do you adapt? How does it sound? What do you do?
It’s also incredibly practical in other ways. I’m literally taking home tons of PDFs and resources we’ve been given that I’ll be able to refer to when things come up. And the relationships with professors—that’s a big deal. Many of them will say, “Call me if something comes up.” I’ve heard stories from priests who graduated and who often still call for advice—liturgics, pastoral issues, whatever. That support doesn’t end when you leave.
The network—that might be one of the most lasting things. The relationships you build with fellow students and professors become a support system. When something’s going on in your parish, you’ll know exactly who to call. I’ve already experienced that sense of camaraderie —“Oh, we went to seminary together,” or “He was a third-year when I was in my first year.” Even with the former alums, you have a bond.
And it’s not like this place is a bubble. Life happens here, too—real things, hard things. People here have serious struggles and pastoral needs, and you start realizing that this is “on the ground” ministry, too. The beauty of St Vlad’s is that it gives you a vision of the ideal, but it’s rooted in real life.
Is there anything else about your experience that you'd like to share?
You know, I’ve always loved to sing, but before seminary, I was always serving in the altar, so I never had any experience in the choir. I had no formal training at all. But coming here, Dn Harrison really brought that out of me. He’s an incredible teacher. Now I just love singing in the choir. It’s something I’ve especially tried to appreciate this last year, because let’s be honest, it may never sound this good again. So I’m soaking it in while I can. Watching people pray with their voices, with melody—that’s been a profound experience for me here.
Community life has also been powerful, and in some ways complicated. I’m from New York, so my family’s close. I see them every week. And I’ve had a lot of guilt about that—seeing other guys who sold everything, drove across the country in a Camry, and are really here with nothing. Meanwhile, I’ve got help—my mom can come watch the kids. And even with that support, it’s still hard. There are only so many hours in the day, and you’re trying to be a good dad, a good husband, and a serious student. You might never have access to a library like this again, or the chance to study like this again, so you want to make the most of it. For me, that just means—I don’t sleep a lot.
For the married guys, especially those with multiple kids, the biggest challenge is balancing everything and supporting your spouse. Thank God there’s a network here. Mondays are set aside so the women, community members, and students can meet and spend time with each other—it’s not “seminary stuff,” it’s community. Honestly, this place would not function without the wives. They’re the backbone of the married student life here. St Vlad’s tries to make sure they’re heard and included—they can audit classes, sing in choir, organize events, even lead student groups, and really be part of the community. But it’s still an ongoing challenge, no question. There are incredible female students here, perhaps our best students, married, single, and monastic, who we need to hear, much of the future of our church depends on them. At the same time, all these struggles can bring out the best in people. Everyone’s suffering a little together, and that creates real bonds. It’s a beautiful kind of suffering—it’s what makes the community what it is.
Fr Alexander with his family
Also, I would mention, it can be overwhelming. I thought maybe I’d pursue a doctorate after this, but over time, I realized—I just can’t put my family through that. This is already a lot. It’s real. And you start to feel things like jealousy. You look around and think, “Wow, those single guys have free afternoons. They’re going to the gym. That would be nice.” And that’s where the devil creeps in—not in some big dramatic way, but in those small comparisons, the envy. But then you invite people over, you share a meal, and you realize—it’s not easy for them either. Everyone’s going through something. That shared struggle actually pulls the community closer. And then we celebrate Pascha together, and you remember why you’re doing this in the first place—the joy of the Resurrection, of Christ’s love, and our calling to reflect that however we can. It’s wild. But it’s beautiful.
What would you like to say to those in the wider St Vladimir’s Seminary community who offer their prayers and support?
I want to say something about the people who make this possible. The donors, the churches, the dioceses—my own parish helps out with a monthly collection. The diocese supports me. The scholarships and grants from St Vlad’s—this experience wouldn’t be possible without them. That adds weight to what we’re doing. You realize people have invested their time, money, and love into this place, and that makes you want to do it justice.
But that’s how the Church works. It’s synergy. It’s all of us working together, like the royal priesthood Scripture talks about. Just because I wear a cross doesn’t mean I’m the only one with a calling. We’re all part of this. Agape isn’t just love—it’s charity. It’s action. That’s what makes this work. It’s a powerful witness to Christ.
Everyone at St Vladimir’s—faculty, staff, development people, admin—they’re all sacrificing in some way. No one’s getting rich here, but everyone is giving their heart. And that’s what’s so beautiful about this place: it’s a community built on love, sacrifice, and the shared desire to glorify God. It’s a sight to behold. Truly.
For the past two years, Ana Legaspi has enjoyed the unique blessing of studying alongside her mother, a fellow M.A. student in her cohort, while taking classes with her father, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Dr Michael Legaspi. We sat down with Ana to learn about her decision to receive a theological education, her experience at seminary, and her new role as Director of Summer Programs for CrossRoad. Ana is slated to graduate from St Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Arts degree in May 2025.
Please tell us a bit about your background in the Church and your life before seminary.
My family has moved around a lot, but I'd say that I feel most at home in State College, Pennsylvania, and I would also say my home parish is there–St George Antiochian Church in Altoona, PA. I studied at Haverford College as a general music major, then I transferred to Eastern University, where I specialized in Classical Vocal Performance. After college, I worked in hospitality until coming to seminary.
The Legaspis, Pascha 2024. From left: Cato, Ana, Dr Michael Legaspi, Abby, Sister Glykeria, and Josiah
As for my background in the Church, we converted as a family when I was four. I've seen the pictures, and so I feel like I remember it, but maybe that's just me projecting the pictures onto my memory. I started singing in the choir at a very young age, which is actually what sparked my interest in pursuing music in the first place.
Having moved around a lot, I have been able to experience a lot of different jurisdictions. We were chrismated in an Antiochian church, but we went to GOA and ROCOR parishes, as well, and now, of course, we are in the OCA at seminary.
What first stirred your calling to serve in a more intentional capacity in the Orthodox Church, and why did that calling lead you to St Vladimir's Seminary?
I was moving towards a leadership role with the choir at my home parish in Altoona, PA, and my priest was encouraging me to take on more responsibility there. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I also felt intimidated and unqualified in a lot of ways. I had studied music in college, but just thinking about the theological implications of the hymnography and the words we sing, I started to realize how much I had taken for granted growing up Orthodox. I thought I knew a lot since I had been in the Church for years, but then when it came down to it, I really didn't. I wanted to know more. I felt almost irresponsible stepping into a role like that without a firm theological foundation.
At that point, my dad was in his first year teaching at St Vladimir’s Seminary as the Old Testament professor. It was funny–I was planning to go home and visit my parents for a weekend, and have a conversation with them, like, “Hey, I think I might want to come here. I think this is the right step for me.” Turns out they were planning a conversation with me, saying, “Hey, we think you should come here.” Things kind of fell into place after that. I wasn't fulfilled at my hotel job, and I wanted some grounding in my faith, to be a part of a community like this.
Tell us about your choice to enroll in the M.A. program at St Vladimir’s Seminary.
As I mentioned before, my background is in music, so I was initially drawn to the liturgical music aspect of the M.A. concentration in sacred arts. I also have a love for painting and drawing, though I’ve never pursued it professionally or seriously. Learning about iconography and the other arts and architecture of the church was incredibly fascinating to me. These are obviously beautiful aspects of our tradition, and the opportunity to study them more deeply was exciting. That’s what first drew me to the M.A. program and the sacred arts concentration. But, as I got into it, I found that the study of theology, which I hadn’t expected to love as much as I did, really took hold of me.
How did your study of music evolve at the seminary?
There are a lot of opportunities here. The choir is wonderful, and with so many services, you get the chance to dive into things like new arrangements, ensembles, and directing. The class schedule is packed with courses like Church History and Dogmatic Theology, but the really cool thing about seminary is that even without many extra arts classes, being immersed in the services lets you experience the fruit of hymnography, iconography, and architecture firsthand. Everything is so immediately present and applicable. So for me, the most compelling part of seminary has been the real-life application. You learn something, and 20 minutes later, you’re practicing it in the services.
Ana directs a trio during a hierarchical visit, joined by her mother, Abby Legaspi (M.A. ‘25), and Laura Ionescu (M.Div. ‘25)
How soon did you dive into directing–was it right away? Or did you take some time to get used to the music?
I took some time to get used to the music. I started with smaller groups, like leading a women's trio for special hymns, but leading the whole choir took more time. I also needed to get comfortable with things like pitching, since I was more used to Byzantine chant, so I wanted to take my time with that.
I've had a very busy schedule this year, so I actually haven't been part of the campus Byzantine choir this past semester, but I participated in it throughout my first year, and that was a wonderful opportunity as well. There's a Byzantine notation class, taught by Fr Nicholas Fine (M.Div. ‘23), that people are taking. There's a lot of desire to learn about Byzantine chant, and many seminarians really immerse themselves in that side of Church music.
Tell us more about your new position with CrossRoad. How has your M.A. program prepared you for this service?
So I've already started in a part-time capacity, and I will, God willing, continue in a full-time capacity as the Crossroad Summer Program Director. Crossroad runs Summer Institutes for high school juniors and seniors. It's an immersive 10-day program where they take classes on Scripture and theology, learning about and practicing the Faith. Many of them are heading off to college, so it helps them ground themselves in a community of other Christians their age. I’ll be overseeing and organizing those sessions. Youth ministry has always interested me, so this is a great opportunity to keep working in that area. I learned about this role through an information session here, which helped shape my understanding of the job. I also participated as a staff member last summer.
Along with taking theology classes and discussing pastoral topics with my classmates, being immersed in this community of people striving to find God has been invaluable in preparing me for this position with CrossRoad. It’s more than just academic instruction. I feel like I can now answer the basic questions high schoolers might have, and, more importantly, I know when I don’t have the answer. When that happens, I now know where to look and how to approach texts from the Church Fathers. I’ve gained practical knowledge, but it’s also been humbling to realize how much I don’t know—and that’s okay.
The CrossRoad Program will hold one of its summer sessions on the St Vladimir’s Seminary campus this year, for the first time ever. Why is it significant that CrossRoad is coming to St Vladimir’s, and what will it look like?
We are so excited for this. Dr Anne Bezzerides (M.Div. ‘00), who started CrossRoad, is an alum of St Vlad’s, and she’s been wanting to bring the program here for decades. We just celebrated CrossRoad’s 20th anniversary last year, so it’s really exciting that it’s finally happening.
The participants will be staying in the dorms, praying in the chapel, eating in the refectory—they’ll really get a feel for life on campus. We’ll also be using the classrooms for sessions, so it’s a real immersion.
CrossRoad started through the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA) and was primarily based at Hellenic College Holy Cross for a while, with wonderful support. But now that it’s grown, we want to make sure it’s available to as many people as possible. Having a program like this at St Vladimir’s is a great way to show what the seminary has to offer and to extend the reach of CrossRoad at the same time. It’s felt like a very natural partnership, and it's come together really smoothly, especially since St Vladimir’s faculty have been involved from the beginning. Dr Rossi has been giving sessions for decades, Fr Thomas Hopko was involved for a long time, my dad’s been teaching there for about ten years, and now Dr Bouteneff and Fr Bogdan, too. So yes, St Vladimir’s faculty will be the professors for the session, and they can literally just walk over from their homes to teach—it’s wonderful.
Dr Michael Legaspi teaches at a CrossRoad session
You were a participant in a new elective course at St Vladimir’s last spring, focused on creating faith-based narratives (supported by the Compelling Preaching Initiative). How will that experience inform your work with CrossRoad?
I’ve thought a lot about that. The Faith-Based Narratives course was focused on learning to tell a story, specifically how God works in our lives and shows strength through our weaknesses. What struck me was the range of stories, all of which centered on how God works through our weaknesses and is present in unexpected ways. On an intellectual level, I knew that everybody faces different challenges, but hearing those stories really reinforced that for me in a new way. In ministry, you meet so many different people, and you can't generalize. Every person has their own path, but they can always trace it back to God. This experience has shaped how I approach training the staff at Crossroad, helping them recognize the unique stories of others while reflecting on their own. Writing those stories down and formulating them is a very valuable experience.
One aspect of your experience at seminary is certainly quite unique–your dad, Dr Michael Legaspi, teaches here, and your mom, Abby Legaspi, is also completing her Master's degree side by side with you.
It is definitely a unique circumstance, and on the whole, I’m just really grateful for it. You don’t expect to have this much time with your parents after college, so it feels like a bonus. Time with them has been a blessing. It’s nice—lots of home-cooked meals, and on long, hard days, it’s easier to take a step back and rest. That’s definitely a benefit.
There are challenges, though. I’m not in the dorms, so I’m not as immersed in community life, and I do miss out on some of that. But I still feel very welcome. I am with my classmates for services, classes, extracurriculars, and there’s always something happening—people hanging out, music on the porch. So while there are a few things I don’t experience, I’d say it’s like anything else: you get out what you put in. Sometimes I have to go a little more out of my way to engage with the community, but if I do, it’s there for me.
Ana takes a bow with the cast of “Patriarch Abraham,” a play performed by members of the student body in April 2024, raising funds for a new well in seminarian Dn Richard Okello’s hometown in Uganda
How has it been being in class with your dad? Were you in class with your mom, too?
Yes, I sat next to my mom, and my dad was the one teaching. He’d pretend to forget our names—it became a bit of a running joke. I thought it would feel weirder than it did, but he’s the same whether he’s teaching or at home, so it actually felt really natural. It was funny—and definitely something we all loved.
Did being in class together lead to any new conversations at home?
Definitely at dinner. Honestly, growing up, he’d already give us prompts to talk about, so it wasn’t totally new—it was kind of just how our family always worked. But it was really exciting to carry something from class into conversation and dive deeper. I didn’t want it to feel like he was always on the clock, but he was genuinely excited to talk about this stuff, and so was I. So, yes, this situation led to a lot of good conversations.
Ana and her mother, Abby, listen to Dr Michael Legaspi give a presentation at the New Student Orientation, August 2023
Would you say that coming to seminary is worthwhile for people who are not on the path to the priesthood?
Absolutely. The priesthood has, of course, never been on the table for me, but that’s never lessened my desire to learn or my conviction that those of us not pursuing ordination can still benefit deeply from this kind of study. Even if you're not going into ministry or working directly in the Church, it makes a difference—whether it’s speaking with catechumens at your parish or just being more immersed in the services for your own spiritual growth.
I’ve gleaned so much from this experience. Even if I weren’t going into ministry after this, I wouldn’t regret my time here at all. It’s definitely changed the trajectory of my life, even if not in a concrete way like ordination.
What would you like to say to those who choose to give of themselves to support seminarians and the seminary itself?
Being here—and now preparing to go into ministry, especially in a nonprofit context—it has really hit home for me that none of this is possible without people’s generosity.
I think before, I saw donations more as material gifts, which are of course deeply appreciated. But now I understand them differently—it feels like donors are truly entering into the ministry with us. It’s not just writing a check and walking away. There’s real involvement. Board members and donors visit often, and I’ve had wonderful, personal conversations with people who support the seminary.
So, whereas before I didn’t fully grasp what that support meant, now it feels like a shared web of ministry that we’re all part of. I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunities made possible by the generosity of the wider community.
The services of Holy Week and Pascha were celebrated with reverence and joy at Three Hierarchs Chapel, with the special blessing of the presence of His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej (Dobrijevic), bishop of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. His Grace presided over services on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.
Here is a photo gallery featuring some highlights of this year’s Holy Week and Great and Holy Pascha at St Vladimir’s Seminary.
Holy Thursday
Old Testament Readings during the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Thursday
His Grace Bishop Irinej blesses the congregation
His Grace Bishop Irinej says a word at the conclusion of the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Thursday
The weeping cherry tree in front of the Germack Building in full bloom
His Grace Bishop Irinej blesses the fellowship meal in the refectory after the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Thursday
Holy Friday
Newly ordained Dn John Rexford (M.Div. ‘26) serves in Three Hierarchs Chapel on Holy Friday
Newly ordained Dn Joseph Winsler (M.Div. ‘24; Th.M. ‘25) reading the Gospel during Vespers on Great and Holy Friday
The Noble Joseph, when he had taken down Your most pure Body from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen, and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb.
Instructor of Liturgical Music Zachariah Mandell directing the mixed choir
Per longstanding tradition, light refreshments are served on the Three Hierarchs Chapel steps at the end of Liturgy on Holy Saturday
Great and Holy Pascha
Thy Resurrection, O Christ our Savior, the angels in heaven sing! Enable us on earth to glorify Thee in purity of heart! The Rev. Dr Alexander Rentel begins the procession at midnight on Holy Pascha.
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Christ is Risen!
The entire roster of ordained clergy (faculty and seminarians) serving together at the midnight Divine Liturgy for Great and Holy Pascha
Third-year seminarian, Dn Richard Okello, traveled back to Uganda for Pascha this year! Though physically far away, he remained near in spirit, sharing beautiful photos of the festal Liturgy. Here he distributes blessed eggs to children and families.
Dn Richard Okello (M.Div. ‘25) serves in his home parish in Gulu, Uganda, St Basil the Great Orthodox Church, presided by His Grace Nektarios of the Holy Diocese of Gulu and Northern Uganda, the Greek Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa
Dn Richard Okello has a beautiful story you can read here.
A view of Three Hierarchs Chapel before Agape Vespers on Pascha
By the grace of God, four current seminarians from three different Orthodox jurisdictions were ordained to holy orders over the first weekend of April 2025.
On Saturday, April 5, Dn Argey George (M.Div. ‘25) was raised to the Holy Diaconate by the hand of His Grace Dr Thomas Mar Ivanios, Metropolitan of the Diocese of South-West America (MOSC) at St Mary’s Malankara Orthodox Church in Farmers Branch, TX. SVOTS alumnus Toby John (M.Div. ‘21) was also ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the same service. Incoming Seminary President Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie traveled to Texas to attend Dn Argey’s ordination. “Dn Argey is a valued member of our seminary community, service-oriented and supportive of his fellow students, particularly his fellow Malankara Orthodox Syrian seminarians. I was honored to attend his ordination in his home parish,” related Dr Tudorie.
On Sunday, April 6, a group of ten students attended the diaconal ordination of their brother seminarian, Dn Matthew (Galen) Wiley (M.Div. ‘25), at St Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, NJ. Dn Matthew was ordained by the hand of His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba of the Archdiocese of New York and All North America (AOCANA). Fr Nicholas Fine (M.Div. ‘23), pastor of St Anthony Orthodox Church and instructor of Byzantine chant at St Vladimir’s Seminary, concelebrated at the Divine Liturgy, witnessing the ordination of Dn Matthew, who had been a first-year seminarian during his last year at seminary. “It was such a blessing to be present at the ordination of my brother-in-Christ, Dn Matthew,” said Fr Nicholas. “May God grant him and Shamassy Christina many blessed years and strengthen them in this new ministry.”
Back on campus, the St Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth, Auxiliary for the Diocese of the South (OCA), for the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt. His Grace arrived on Saturday, April 5, and presided over the Great Vigil that evening and the Divine Liturgy on the following day.
His Grace gave the homily during the Divine Liturgy, expounding the connections between the writings of St John of the Ladder and Saint Mary of Egypt. Bishop Gerasim reminded the congregation that true spiritual growth means surrendering pride and embracing the way of the Cross—radical humility, repentance, and service. Following this exhortation, His Grace ordained seminarian Sergio Hector Lopez (M.Div. ‘26) to the Holy Diaconate and seminarian Dn John Reavis (M.Div. ‘26) to the Holy Priesthood.
Aside from his liturgical engagements, His Grace, accompanied by Fr Marcus Burch (M.Div. ‘97), Chancellor of the Diocese of the South, Fr Justin Patterson (M.Div. ‘05), and Fr Giorgi Lomsadze (M.Div. ‘24) sat down with seminarians from the OCA Diocese of the South over lunch on Saturday. Bishop Gerasim took time to connect with the students as a group and individually through private meetings with students and their families. His Grace also met with seminary children in Three Hierarchs Chapel before Vigil to talk about the sacrament of Confession in anticipation of Holy Week.
Fr John Reavis expressed his gratitude and joy at the occasion of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood, saying, “I am humbled by receiving the grace of ordination and the love and generosity of God, expressed through His Bishop, but also through the Body of Christ, my friends and family. I receive this gift and great responsibility with humility and pray to be made worthy to serve God and His Church faithfully. Thank God, I do not receive this responsibility alone, but have the prayer, support, and accountability of others, most especially my wife, Matushka Christina, for whom I am grateful to have as a partner in this ministry.”
May God grant the newly ordained Fr John and Mka Christina Reavis, Dn Argey and Kochamma Riya George, Dn Matthew and Shamassy Christina Wiley, and Dn Sergio and Mka Ruth Lopez many blessed years!
Peter Kopcha joined the staff at St Vladimir’s Seminary in late January 2025, capping a distinguished career in public and corporate finance. In this interview, we learn about his upbringing in an Orthodox community in Connecticut, his goals for finance at St Vladimir’s Seminary, and his thoughts on how we as Orthodox Christians can approach giving back to the Church.
Please share a bit about your family and faith background; what has been your journey in the Church?
I grew up in the Russian Orthodox Church before the Metropolia received its autocephaly (1970), at Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church in Terryville, CT. I literally grew up singing in the choir, as my dad was the choir director. I would sing soprano next to my mom, and my three older sisters would sing soprano and alto. As I got a little older, when all my friends moved to the bass section, my dad said, “No, we have to stay in the tenor section.” So, from then on, I sang tenor.
Back then, the Terryville parish was very ethnic-oriented, like many active parishes at the time. After 1970, when autocephaly occurred, the church started using more English and less Church Slavonic, which created some tension. I credit Fr Michael Koblosh (SVOTS ‘68) of blessed memory for helping the parish understand that the Orthodox Faith is not Russian or American but simply Orthodox. There were mixed reactions to this shakeup; some embraced it, and some did not like it, but I know it was the right decision. Fr Michael knew Fr Alexander Schmemann, and his influence was clear in the way Fr Koblosh approached the parish.
I went to UConn and got a B.S. in Accounting, and got married just after college to my wife Pattie. The way we met is kind of an interesting story. Pattie’s aunt was married to my mother’s cousin, so we were distantly related by marriage, but we had never met until we ran into each other at an anniversary party for those mutual relatives.
After Pattie and I got married, we stayed in Terryville for quite a while. We have two kids, William and Rachel, and now three granddaughters: Thea, Natalie, and Samara.
In the late 1990s, I changed jobs and moved to Vermont, where we attended the Montpelier parish with Fr Mark Sherman. It was stressful for the whole family to move—my daughter was in grammar school, my son was in middle school, and my wife was home with the kids there in Vermont, having left all of our friends and family back in Terryville. Fr Mark Sherman was the right priest at the right time. He really knew how to guide the family in the three years that we were there, and we made friends in the Montpelier parish. Once that job ended, we moved back to Connecticut and ended up in Southbury.
We ended up buying a house in Southbury; unbeknownst at the time to us, the house was about a half a mile away from some property that was just donated to the Southbury parish for the building that we now have. So I can now walk to church if I wanted to (but I never want to). (laughter)
I’ve been the choir director at the Southbury parish since I started attending. I have no formal education for this except for back in ‘83 when David Drillock and Helen Erickson came from St Vladimir’s Seminary to New Haven to give some choir directing classes. They really opened my eyes to what directing is all about.
Our current parish is vibrant, with an explosion of growth, particularly among young people and families. What's striking is that there’s nothing ethnic about our church in Southbury, and that shift is largely due to the influence of Fr Michael Koblosh and then Fr Vladimir Aleandro (M.Div. ‘95), who recently retired. I would say that Fr Schmemann’s ideas played a significant role in shaping that broader, more inclusive vision of Orthodoxy.
How did you come to accept the position as CFO at St Vladimir’s Seminary?
Since moving to Southbury in 2000, I’ve had multiple jobs, and I had planned to retire in April of this year. About a year ago, I was talking with our now-retired parish priest, Fr Vladimir Aleandro, and mentioned my plans to retire in the following year so my wife Pattie and I could travel, I could learn Russian, and do other fun stuff. However, late last year when Dr Alex Tudorie was asking people if they knew any accountants who could take the CFO position at St Vladimir’s, Fr Aleandro recommended me for the job. I guess Dr Alex also heard about me from Fr Sergius Halverson, who used to be attached to my parish, and then when he asked our trustee Jeffrey Hoff if he knew of a Peter Kopcha, he said, “No, but I know a Will Kopcha!” My son was a part of Jeffrey’s home parish in New Jersey while he was going to school at Rutgers University.
I view all these connections as God guiding me on this path. Over my career, I've had different jobs: controller, CFO, and Vice President of Finance. I spent a number of years in public accounting before I went to corporate accounting. But when Dr Alex called me late last year and told me about this CFO position, I said, “Oh, that's not what I expected to do with my life at this stage of my career. Let me think about it. I’ll pray about it and get back to you.”
Of course, I talked about it with my wife first. She said, “You know, I know you can't say ‘No’ since this is the Church.” And she was right. I talked with Dr Alex and said yes, I will take the job. When I gave my notice to my old employer, they said, “Well, why don't you stay? You don't have to retire,” and I said, “No, I’m going to work for the Church–it's a calling.” I feel I have a skill set, and there's a need to be filled here.
I happen to be very good friends with Melanie Ringa, who retired as CFO of St Vladimir’s in January 2022 after 15 years on the job. She was my best alto in Southbury. So I called Melanie and she gave me the history about some turnover since she had retired, and I was fully aware of the challenges that would be facing somebody in this position.
Tell us about your first two months on the job.
There's a lot that needs to be cleaned up, but it’s not about judgment. Using the skills I've gained from all these different jobs, I know what needs to be done—I’ve done this before. The goal is to focus on what we need to do moving forward. I've been collaborating with Dr Alex, Dr John Barnet, and Fr Alexander Rentel to make sure we have solid policies and procedures in place, especially from a financial perspective. Once they're set in motion, it's not that hard to stick to them. It’s about working consistently with them on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Honestly, that part of the job is the easy part. The real challenge is what Dr Alex has started to tackle—making those hard decisions to get the finances back on track.
When people asked me if I was nervous about this job, I could honestly say the accounting aspect doesn't intimidate me—accounting is accounting. My background is in manufacturing, retail, and wholesale enterprises, so nonprofit accounting with endowments and grants isn’t extremely complicated. However, what does intimidate me is the seminary’s rich history. There are so many people who have been part of the seminary—graduates, instructors, theologians—who have profoundly impacted Orthodoxy, not just in America but globally. To be able to contribute to ensuring that the seminary remains strong for future generations, continuing that legacy, is truly awesome.
It’s a big responsibility. Working with Dr Alex has been great, and everyone I’ve met here shares the same vision for the seminary’s success. Dr Alex’s efforts in the months leading up to my hire were extraordinary. While he’s not a finance person, he was certainly on the ball, demonstrating a strong grasp of what needed to be done. He was under immense pressure from two fronts: the ATS focused team visit, which was coming in January to review the finances, and the audit for FY24, which had been started but not completed. There were errors in the transition from older systems, and much of the work hadn’t been done.
The small team we have here in finance put in a huge effort to keep things afloat and move things close to the finish line. By the time I came on board in January, the groundwork had been laid, and I was able to complete the audit. Dr Alex’s determination, despite lacking a finance background, was phenomenal. He really went above and beyond to ensure things were in order.
When I left my last job and told my boss I was moving to the seminary, he asked me why. In my previous role, my motivation was simple: I wanted a paycheck. We were a publicly traded company, and our job was to ensure the shareholders received their dividends. But that wasn't a good motivation for me. Coming to the seminary is a completely different motivation—working for the Church, working for future generations. It’s a big responsibility, and I just pray to God that I can meet the challenge.
You mentioned your goals for your time at St Vladimir’s: ensuring financial stability and consistency. What other concrete goals do you have?
From the outset, one thing that was made clear was the goal of keeping things in the black and making that process a little easier. To achieve this, I need to work closely with people like Ginny Nieuwsma, Ted Bazil, and Jeff Brown to generate funds for the endowments and grants. Another part of the goal is ensuring that the funds we have are sufficient to cover scholarships. Right now, due to the history of the endowments, it’s a bit challenging to maintain financial stability. It’s not just about breaking even or making a small profit; we need to re-energize those endowments. If they are inadequate, it will negatively impact the amount we can contribute to scholarships. The goal is for students to attend with zero out-of-pocket costs, relying on their parish, diocese, endowments, and grants from the seminary. To make this possible, we need to ensure our investments are strong.
Another key part of the goal is managing costs—not just through large cuts but also by making small, mindful adjustments. We need to be cautious and ask, "Why are we spending this? Can we do it more efficiently or cost-effectively?" Ultimately, the focus is on ensuring we have sufficient funding to support our students now and in the future.
You have spoken eloquently about your upbringing in the Orthodox Faith and about your commitment to serving the Church. As a finance professional and faithful Orthodox Christian, how do you view the role of financial stewardship in the Orthodox Church?
Thinking back to my younger days, I remember the concept of church dues—how, if you were behind on your dues, you couldn’t be buried in the church cemetery. To me, that always seemed like a strange concept.
As I reflect on it now, I see how the concept of tithing—giving your time, talent, and money—became more meaningful to me. It’s about getting your priorities straight in life. Tithing is important because you’re giving back to the Church and to God what you can. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea of a set 10% as the "right" amount. As a finance person, I typically focus on numbers, but I don’t think tithing should be limited to a hard and fast percentage. For me, tithing means giving because you love the Church, Orthodoxy, and God. Setting a specific percentage like 10% feels too much like paying dues, like $50 a month.
For me, it starts here—in the heart, in the soul. If your priorities are straight, you’ll have no trouble giving what you can. The important thing is that God comes first. Once you get your priorities right, everything else will fall into place. I remember speaking with some fellow parishioners recently—a wonderful young woman, her husband, and their energetic toddler. She’s five months pregnant and just got laid off from her job at the IRS. I can relate to that feeling because, in my own career, I’ve been through transitions where my job was eliminated or my employer moved. You never know where it will lead, but I believe God will guide you to where you need to go. You may not like it, and you may not understand it, but everything that happens is part of God’s plan. If you have faith and place your trust in God, knowing that He will take care of you, then you’ll be okay. It starts here—from the soul.
Beautifully said! In our final question, we would like you to speak a bit more on your work here at the seminary, which relies on donor support. What would you say to those who support the seminary?
First of all, I want to thank our donors. Without them, the seminary wouldn’t be here. To those who support us, I would say that we have to think about the future of the Church as a whole. One thing that frustrates me as an Orthodox Christian is the jurisdictional divisions within the Church. There are squabbles, even when it comes to funding. Some might say, "I’m only going to fund students from my jurisdiction," but that’s maddening to me. We are one Orthodox Church, and we must think about finances from the perspective of unity. There is one God and one Orthodox Church, and we need to ensure the Church as a whole can prosper and grow.
I’ve seen the fruits of this vision in Southbury, where we’ve witnessed tremendous growth, especially among young families. There’s a thirst for Truth in this country, and young people are doing their research, testing the waters. Not everyone will choose this path, but there’s a real desire for Orthodoxy, and we need to nurture that. For that to happen, the seminary must have the funds to support both laypeople and clergy in their education. We need to broaden our perspective and think beyond our own jurisdictions to ensure the growth of the Orthodox Church as a unified body.
This spring, as we celebrate the first anniversary of the St Vladimir’s Society, we would like to honor a few of our dedicated members and faithful supporters. SVOTS Trustee and one of the Society’s inaugural members, Dn Philip (Carston “Rick”) Wagner, has made giving to St Vladimir’s Seminary a consistent priority in his personal almsgiving efforts for many years. In his honor, we are resharing an interview he gave Chief Advancement Officer, Ginny Nieuwsma, in 2018, including some recent updates and reflections.
Dn Philip and Jean Wagner hail from St Paul, Minnesota. Dn Philip completed his undergraduate education in chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill and then earned a Ph.D. at Duke University. Jean attended Duke University in Biomedical Engineering, obtaining both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. After Dn Philip finished a NIH post-doctoral Fellowship at Pennsylvania State University, the Wagners moved to Minneapolis, MN, where Dn Philip joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota and Jean went on to become an Information Technology project leader and manager for several companies. The Wagners attend St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis. Dn Philip was ordained to the Diaconate in August 2019.
Dn Philip (Carston "Rick") Wagner has enjoyed a distinguished career as Professor and Endowed Chair in Medicinal Chemistry, and now Department Head, at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. As director of the Wagner Research Lab at the University, Dn Philip (who also goes by his nickname Rick) enjoys his work with bright young graduate students.
In the field of medicinal chemistry, Dn Philip and his team of graduate students study drug design and development. Over the years, their work has evolved so that it now focuses on anti-cancer and anti-viral research, and they’ve been discovering new ways to treat pain and to use the immune system to target and kill cancer cells. He also teaches pharmacy and graduate student classes at the University.
As a mentor and an academic, Dn Philip respects the formation of lives that takes place at St Vladimir’s Seminary.
“The Seminary is the preeminent scholarly center for modern Orthodox theological scholarship, education and theology in the world,” Dn Philip says, “and recent years, they’ve expanded the boundaries of pastoral training by providing opportunities for seminarian education outside of the Yonkers campus in parishes and hospitals, through the CPE program.
“St Vladimir’s continues to strengthen their leadership, the faculty, and the financial and operational foundations of the school,” adds Dn Philip. “With these positive moves, it’s a critical time for those of us who love the Seminary to step up and push the fulfillment of the Seminary’s mission to new heights.”
Dn Philip and his wife Jean have been supporting St Vladimir’s Seminary for 20 years, most recently as members of our community of committed monthly donors, the St Vladimir’s Society. The Wagners converted to the Orthodox faith as students at Duke University, and are active members in their home parish of St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis (OCA). Dn Philip has been a volunteer and founding member of the advisory board of FOCUS-MN since 2010, and an Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry of Minnesota volunteer since 2007 and Director since 2009. In 2024, Dn Philip was elected to the St Vladimir’s Seminary Board of Trustees.
As lifelong learners, Dn Philip and Jean appreciate the resources of the Seminary that benefit laypeople. Describing his first visit to St Vladimir’s Seminary in 1988, soon after converting to Orthodox Christianity, Dn Philip recalled, “I have a vivid memory of walking through the Germack building on campus and bumping into Fr John Meyendorff outside his office, arms full of papers. During that visit, I spent a long time perusing the SVS Press Bookstore. People nowadays tend to forget how difficult it used to be to find such a large assortment of Orthodox literature in one place that you could purchase. At that time, it was truly a rare blessing–under normal circumstances, you would have to place a mail order through a catalog, or rely on the resources your parish might have provided.”
“SVS Press publications have been such an invaluable source of Orthodox education for Christians in America, and around the world,” continued Dn Philip. “My faith has been formed by many of its authors, including Fr Alexander Schmemann, Fr John Meyendorff, Fr Thomas Hopko, Fr John Behr, and many more.”
In addition to reading SVS Press books, Dn Philip has attended several Summer Institutes at St Vladimir’s Seminary and has benefitted from the liturgical instruction in the OCA Diaconal Vocations Program that meets on the Seminary campus almost every summer.
“St Vladimir’s is a leader in the U.S. and internationally—other organizations look to the Seminary for theological and scholarly leadership,” notes Dn Philip. “A world without St Vladimir’s Seminary would be a world without the great writers and professors who have shaped the Church over the last 50 to 60 years.”
"And the impact of the Seminary reverberates far beyond the Yonkers, New York campus," adds Dn Philip. "Worldwide Orthodoxy has been greatly impacted by St Vladimir’s. The Seminary is continuously pointing the Church around the world towards the vision of a united, engaged communion. This is the reason I continue to support the Seminary. Its contribution to the growth and flourishing of the Orthodox Faith in our contemporary world is impossible to overstate.”
About the St Vladimir’s Society
When you give to St Vladimir’s Seminary each month through the St Vladimir’s Society program, you ensure the future of Orthodox theological education for generations to come.
St Vladimir’s Seminary focuses on rigorous education and deep spiritual formation within a residential community. Your monthly generosity supports the continual training of priests, lay leaders, missionaries, musicians, and teachers, and provides a stable foundation for our ministry.
With your partnership, we can continue to send priests and missionaries to shepherd and strengthen individuals, parishes, and communities across the country and around the world.
With faith in Christ and hope in the Resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Archpriest Daniel Skvir (SVOTS ‘69), a respected senior clergyman of the Orthodox Church in America, who fell asleep in the Lord at his home on Sunday, March 23, 2025, after a battle with cancer. Fr Daniel had just retired as Chaplain of the Holy Transfiguration Chapel in Princeton, NJ, at the end of 2024, a position he had held for 36 years. In retirement, he continued to be attached there as Chaplain-Emeritus.
Daniel Skvir was born on April 25, 1945, in Martins Ferry, Ohio, the son of Fr John and Matushka Barbara Skvir. The young Priest John Skvir was then the pastor of Sts Cyril and Methodius Church in Bellaire, Ohio. Fr John served the Church exemplarily in many capacities over many decades. Notably, he is remembered as the only member of both the task force that negotiated the terms ofautocephaly for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in 1970, as well as the OCA delegation that traveled to Moscow to receive the Tomos of Autocephaly.
Daniel Skvir grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, serving as an altar boy at Sts Peter and Paul Church (now Cathedral), where his father had been assigned in 1952. After high school, he was admitted to Princeton University, where he was instrumental in establishing an Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) chapter and where he wrote his AB thesis on St Philaret of Moscow, under the mentorship of Fr Georges Florovsky. After graduating from Princeton in 1966, he pursued further yearlong studies as a Rockefeller Scholar at General Theological Seminary in New York City before enrolling at St Vladimir’s Seminary in Yonkers (Crestwood), New York.
Fr Daniel and Matushka Tamara at the OCA Chancery in 2012
On June 4, 1967, Daniel Skvir married Tamara Grot Turkevich, the granddaughter ofMetropolitan Leonty and the daughter of the Rev. Dr John Turkevich and Dr Ludmilla Buketoff Turkevich. Tamara’s father was a noted chemistry professor at Princeton and also a priest, who would be a member of the OCA delegation receiving the Tomos of Autocephaly in Moscow in 1970. Tamara’s mother was the first woman ever to teach at Princeton. Additionally, she was an energetic advocate and organizer of programs for church-wide ministry to seniors in the Orthodox Church in America. Daniel and Tamara would be blessed with the birth of two daughters, Nika Alexandra and Kyra Elizabeth, in the 1970s.
On December 8, 1968, Daniel Skvir was ordained to the holy diaconate byMetropolitan Ireney at his father’s parish in Jersey City. At St Vladimir’s Seminary, Dn Daniel served as President of the Student Council and was the valedictorian of the class of 1969 when he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree Magna cum Laude.
While a seminarian, Daniel Skvir served as choir director at Holy Trinity Church in East Meadow, NY. He continued in this position even after his diaconal ordination until his assignment in November 1969 to Jersey City to minister under his father and, at his own request, with Metropolitan Ireney’s blessing, to serve on alternate Sundays at Holy Transfiguration Chapel at Princeton University. After nearly two decades of service as deacon and choir director, upon his father’s repose, Protodeacon Daniel was ordained to the priesthood on September 20, 1987 byArchbishop Peter of New York and New Jersey at Sts Peter and Paul Church in Jersey City, where he would be attached until he was assigned as Chaplain of Holy Transfiguration Chapel in Princeton, effective January 1, 1989.
In addition to his various church ministries, he was a teacher and administrator at Princeton Day School for 41 years. Known as Fr Dan and the spiritual father of the school, he served in a variety of ways over the years (Director of Admissions; teacher of Russian, History and Religion; College Counselor and much more). With his wife, Matushka Tamara –affectionately known as Tassie–he took students to the Soviet Union for years, introducing many to Russian culture firsthand. He always supported his students and his own daughters in the classroom, on sports fields, and in life’s endeavors.
A music enthusiast, Fr Daniel enjoyed choir directing and was an avid arranger of music for choral singing. He was awarded the Order of Saint Romanos by the Holy Synod of Bishops in 2022 for his work as director, arranger, and collector of liturgical music. He, together with Matushka Tamara, prepared the English libretto of Rachmaninoff’s unfinished and only opera, Monna Vanna, that was orchestrated by Igor Buketoff, Matushka Tamara’s uncle. Fr Daniel and Matushka Tamara also preserved a manuscript of Russian composer Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week, passed on to them by Igor Buketoff–a composition that had never been performed due to religious persecution in the Soviet Union. The Skvirs made the manuscript available and were instrumental in facilitating the world premiere of this work 90 years after it was composed. They also donated a unique and valuable composite collection of diverse musical scores amassed by Igor Buketoff, Fr Constantine Buketoff (Matushka Tamara’s maternal grandfather), and Fr John Skvir (Fr Daniel’s father) to the Fr Georges Florovsky Library at St Vladimir’s Seminary.
Most of all, Fr Daniel was known for his calm, wise presence that impacted the lives of hundreds of students, parishioners, friends, and family. In recognition of his long pastoral ministry, the Holy Synod awarded Fr Daniel the privilege of wearing a miter.
Fr Daniel is survived by his beloved wife, Matushka Tamara of Pennington, NJ; daughters Nika Skvir-Maliakal (Sanjiv) of Stamford, CT and Kyra Frankel (Joshua) of Brooklyn; his sister Natalea Skvir of Edmonds, WA and brother John Skvir of Westwood, MA; as well as grandchildren Sadie and Wylie Frankel of Brooklyn, NY and Katherine and Madeline Maliakal of Stamford, Connecticut.
Thursday, March 27 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Viewing 7:00 p.m. Funeral Service
Friday, March 28 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Viewing 10:00 AM Panikhida followed by burial atSt Vladimir’s (Rova Farms) Cemetery 316 Cassville Road, Jackson, NJ 08527.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Fr Daniel may be sent to: Princeton OCF/ Transfiguration Chapel Endowment Fund PO Box 74 Pennington, NJ 08534
On Wednesday, March 19, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) visited St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), leading the seminary community in the celebration of the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts in Three Hierarchs Chapel. The service was celebrated according to the rubrics of the Antiochian Archdiocese, with the chanting entrusted to the Seminary’s Byzantine Choir, led by alumnus and Byzantine chant instructor, the Rev. Nicholas Fine (M.Div. ‘23).
The celebration of the Presanctified Liturgy ended with a Trisagion for Metropolitan Philip of thrice-blessed memory (departed on March 19, 2014). After a Lenten meal with the community, Sayidna Saba gathered with seminarians and seminarian spouses in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, where he offered a pastoral talk and a time of fellowship and spiritual encouragement.
In his word of welcome, Interim President and Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie noted that, according to his recent autobiographical book, A Life Testimony, His Eminence had intended, as a young monastic, to study at St Vladimir’s Seminary. The Lord’s providence worked in different ways, however, returning Sayidna Saba to America as head of the Antiochian Archdiocese, to continue the fruitful ministry of Metropolitans Anthony Bashir and Philip Saliba, who were also friends and close collaborators of the Seminary.
His Eminence’s talk focused on the importance of humility, community, spiritual growth, and staying true to the Orthodox faith, without succumbing to fear and resisting the temptation of ideologization in the face of modern challenges. He urged the seminarians to remain realistic and humble in their approach to ministry, stressing that sanctity is not about achieving perfection, but about performing small tasks with great love and devotion.
Antiochian seminarian Nathan Jekel (M.Div. ‘26) expressed his gratitude for Metropolitan Saba’s visit, reflecting, “We were very thankful for Sayidna Saba’s visit on Wednesday, to have the chance to celebrate the Presanctified Liturgy with him and hear his wisdom. The service was beautiful and prayerful, really a sacred moment. His Eminence inquired about the students’ experience of living in community at St Vladimir’s. He shared his belief that fostering a true Christian community ‘is one of our most important responsibilities and that such communities of love are an antidote to many of the problems that threaten the Church and society at large.’”
The visit was a blessed occasion, enriching the seminarians' spiritual lives and strengthening the traditional ties between St Vladimir’s Seminary and the Antiochian Archdiocese.
