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!
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.
Ten years removed from “The Holy and Great Council,” how should the large pan-Orthodox council, convened by the Ecumenical Patriarch and held in 2016 on the island of Crete, be remembered? What lessons have we learned? What can we see more clearly now, in retrospect?
The Council of Crete’s legacy was the subject of the Orthodox Theological Society of America (OTSA)’s Annual Meeting (June 11-13) and the Florovsky Lecture for 2026, hosted on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević), who was present at the council in 2016, delivered a magnificent lecture.
“I can tell you that from the very first session, the experience was unlike anything I had anticipated. …” His Grace remarked.
He went on to express what he believed the council was and was not, but emphasized any evaluation of its significance must be measured against a proper understanding of conciliarity.
“Synodality in the deepest patristic sense is a theological reality before it is an institutional one. It relates to Pentecost, to the Eucharist, to the gathering of the dispersed children of God into one body. From this perspective, the Council of Crete was not diminished by the absence of four Churches or by procedural imperfections,” said Bishop Maxim. “What made it a council was the daily Eucharist, the genuine theological encounter, the charismatic atmosphere which I can testify to personally. The grace of the Holy Spirit was palpably present in the hall, and bishops who had never met once one another discovered that they shared not merely an administrative communion but a living faith.”
Bishop Maxim was originally one of four panelists, all of whom were present at the council, set to present at this year’s Florovsky Lecture. Due to unforeseen circumstances, however, the other speakers, Very Rev. Protopresbyter Dr. Nicolas Kazarian, Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, and Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, were unable to participate as planned. OTSA organizers hope to bring them all back for a virtual event in the coming months to continue the discussion.
“[OTSA] was originally an association that put together the two faculties of two seminaries in North America: Holy Cross from Boston and St. Vladimir’s from New York. …” Dr. Tudorie noted. He pointed to the 2026 gathering at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as an opportunity to renew and strengthen those ties. “I am very happy that this was possible and I'm looking forward to more,” he added.
For more information about OTSA, visit the organization’s website at otsamerica.net.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Hieromonk Alexis (Lisenko), an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Fr. Alexis, who is remembered as a kind, gentle, and gifted priest, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, June 12.
Hieromonk Alexis was born in Paris, France, on March 31, 1947, to a Russian mother and a Ukrainian Father. At the age of four his parents immigrated to the US, first to San Francisco, CA, and then to Berkeley, CA. After graduating from high school in 1964 he went on to study at the University of California-Berkeley, receiving a degree in Sociology in 1968. He then studied and taught Russian at the US Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. He graduated from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1978.
He was ordained at Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco, CA, in 1979 and was assigned as a priest in Santa Rosa, CA. In 1980 Fr. Alexis was assigned to Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles, CA, where he served for the next fifteen years. From 1995 on, he served parishes in Desloge, MO; Wheaton, IL; and San Diego, CA. Eventually he was tonsured as a priest-monk in Manton, CA, at St. John of Shanghai Orthodox Monastery. In 2019 he moved back to the Chicago area to be closer to family and to receive much needed medical care.
Fr. Alexis was widely read. He loved history, literature, and poetry. He was an accomplished pianist. He spoke Russian, Ukrainian, French, and English fluently. He was an excellent translator and worked for many years with St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press, translating works from Russian into English. He assisted the OCA’s Department of History and Archives on many projects. His most famous work was the 2014 monumental two-volume translation from Russian into English of My Life’s Journey: The Memoirs of Metropolitan Evlogy(SVS Press). This was the fruit of many years of work. At the time of his death, Fr. Alexis was working on translating into English the diary of His Beatitude Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich).
Fr. Alexis was humble, gentle, soft spoken, and loved the liturgical cycle of the Church, serving all the services up until the last week of his death with the Archpriest Paul Jannakos at Saint Luke Orthodox Church in Palos Hill, IL.
He is survived by his family, two sons Daniel and Timothy, a daughter-in-law Remy, grandchildren Christian, Isabella, and Sofia.
Funeral services for Fr. Alexis will be held at St. Luke Church, Palos Hill, IL.
Thursday, June 18 6pm: Funeral for a Monastic
Friday, June 19 9:30am: Divine Liturgy
May the memory of Hieromonk Alexis be eternal!
Article and photo adapted and republished from OCA.org.
*UPDATE: Due to a funeral on campus June 12, the Florovsky Lecture has been moved to Saturday, June 13, at 11am. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
“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 Saturday, June 13. The lecture will be delivered by His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević), who was present at the council in 2016.
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.
Since the beginning of the spring semester through the end of the academic year, nine new priests and five new deacons have been added to St Vladimir’s Seminary’s student body and alumni fellowship. Another four were elevated in rank.
Together with ordinations from the fall and summer, 28 seminarians and alumni have been ordained to holy orders since the end of the previous academic year.
We keep them all in prayer as they continue in their ministries!
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Priest Richard Okello (M.Div. ’25)
Jurisdiction: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (Holy Diocese of Gulu and Northern Uganda) Holy Priesthood: Ordained 28 December 2025 at the Holy Temple of St. Nicholas, Akonyibedo, Gulu City, Uganda. Current Ministry: Missionary Priest in Uganda
(Photo courtesy of Fr. Justin Mathews)
Priest Jarrod Huffman, M.Div. ’26
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 6 Jan 2026 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, Chicago, IL Current Ministry: Assigned to St. Andrew Orthodox Church, Maple Heights, OH
Priest Habib (Caleb) McGee, (M.Div. ’24)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 2 Feb 2026 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Houston, TX Current Ministry: Assists His Eminence Metropolitan Saba at the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, NJ
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 5 February 2026 atHoly Cross Orthodox Churchin Kernersville, NC Current Ministry: Assistant Priest at Holy Cross Orthodox Church, Kernersville, NC
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 7 March 2026 at St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church, Austin, TX Current Ministry: Assistant Priest at Saint Anthony the Great Antiochian Church, Spring, TX
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate Holy Priesthood: Ordained 8 March 2026at at the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste Orthodox Church in Aurora, Ontario, Canada Current Ministry: Assigned to Saint Anne Orthodox Church, Pomona, CA
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America, Bulgarian Diocese Holy Priesthood: Ordained 8 March 2026at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY Current Ministry: Priest-in-Charge at St. John the Baptist Church, Los Angeles, CA
Priest Daniel Werner (M.Div. ’26)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 25 March 2026 at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY Current Ministry: Assistant Priest at St. Anne Orthodox Church, Oak Ridge, TN.
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Holy Priesthood: Ordained 31 May 2026 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ Current Ministry: Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, SVOTS D.Min. program; Pastor of St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham, MA
Jurisdiction: Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America Holy Diaconate: Ordained 3 January 2026 at St. Peter's Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA
Deacon Ibrahim Aldaiob, (M.A. ’27)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Holy Diaconate: Ordained 15 Feb 2026 at Virgin Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, Yonkers, NY Current Ministry: Continuing studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Deacon Benjamin Franks (M.Div. ’27)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America Holy Diaconate: Ordained 25 March 2026 at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY Current Ministry: Continuing studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Deacon Moses (Darius) Sabau, (M.A. ’27)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Holy Diaconate: Ordained 9 April 2026 at St. Anthony Orthodox Church, Bergenfield, NJ Current Ministry: Continuing studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Deacon Thomas (Ryan) Thomas (M.Div. ’24)
Jurisdiction: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Northeast American Diocese Holy Diaconate: Ordained 23 May 2026 at St. Ephrem Chapel, Stafford, TX Current Ministry: Youth Minister for MOSC parishes in the Atlanta, GA, area
ELEVATIONS
Archimandrite Nicholas Belcher (M.Div. ‘05)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Elevation: Elevated to the dignity of archimandrite 9 May 2026 at St. George Orthodox Church, Little Falls, NJ Current Ministry: Instructor in Antiochian Liturgics at St. Vladimir’s Seminary; Pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Little Falls, NJ; Chair of Antiochian Archdiocese’s Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Elevation: Elevated to the dignity of archpriest 4 January 2026 at St. Michael Orthodox Church, Louisville, KY Current Ministry: Pastor of St. Michael Orthodox Church, Louisville, KY
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Elevation: Elevated to the dignity of archpriest 4 January 2026 at St. James Antiochian Orthodox Church, Loveland, OH Current Ministry: Pastor of St. James Orthodox Church, Loveland, OH
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Elevation: Elevated to the dignity of archpriest 17 January 2026 at St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Christian Church, Spring, TX Current Ministry: Pastor of Holy Transfiguration Mission, Houston, TX
If you know of an alumnus who received Holy Orders, an elevation, or monastic tonsure since January 1, 2026, and isn’t listed here, please let us know by sending details and a photo to media@svots.edu.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Barbara Drillock. Barbara fell asleep in the Lord in the early morning of June 9, 2026, at the age of 86.
Barbara was a beloved member of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community. She faithfully served the Seminary for decades as a staff member, alongside her husband David Drillock, Emeritus Professor of Liturgical Music at the Seminary and longtime Chair of the OCA’s Department of Liturgical Music and Translations.
Barbara (Gorodovich) Drillock was born October 15, 1939, in Flushing, NY, to Rita (Timoshuk) and Anthony Gorodovich. A proud New Yorker through and through, Barbara loved growing up in Queens and working in the city, and those roots stayed with her all her life. As a young woman, she worked in the payroll department at Equitable Life supporting senior leadership. After Barbara married her husband David in 1962, she was asked by Prof. Sergius Verhovskoy, the Provost at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, to leave her job in Manhattan and come work alongside David at the Seminary. Without hesitation she agreed, never looked back, and devoted the rest of her career to serving the Church. For forty-two years she served as receptionist, in accounts receivable, as kitchen manager, and as organizer of special events.
Her devotion to the Seminary was exemplified in small ways every day, often unnoticed and unrecognized—whether it was multiple trips every week to Costco to save the Seminary money on groceries, cleaning areas as if they were her own home, or quietly making sure every student, guest, and visiting clergyman left the Seminary’s table well fed. She never hesitated to help, and she watched over the community with fierce devotion, care, and love.
“Barbara was a much loved, modest, energetic, and important member of the Seminary staff for decades,” recalled her longtime colleague on staff Ted Bazil. “She shared with her beloved husband Dave and her wonderful children total commitment to the operation and growth of the school. Barbara's unselfish, often unseen, dedication to all facets of work at St. Vladimir's Seminary serves as a profound example of Christian humility and sacrifice to generations of trustees, faculty, staff, students, and community members. We pray that God will reward this remarkable woman with the gift of peace in His Kingdom.”
In grateful recognition of many years of dedicated service to the ministry of theological education at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and with gratitude for their untiring commitment to the life and mission of the Orthodox Church in America, Barbara and David received archpastoral gratitude and invoking of God’s Blessings from the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America on March 17, 2004.
In retirement Barbara and David relocated to Virginia and were faithful members of the Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Norfolk for more than twenty years. They recently returned to New York to be closer to family.
Guided always by her deep faith, Barbara loved God, the Church, and her family. She cherished every moment with her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She was so proud of the many “olive shoots around their table,” and she thanked God for the blessing of seeing all her children’s children.
Together, she and David treasured their small extended family in Queens, Pennsylvania, and Virginia Beach, and over the years their hearts embraced a wider one—the countless classmates, students, professors, staff, and their families who studied and worked at the Seminary, and who are a second family to them and their children.
Barbara is survived by her husband of sixty-three years, David Drillock; her son Gregory (Laurie); her daughter Daria Loposky (Fr. Stephen); her daughter Kyra Kirtyan (Steve); and her son Andrew (Victoria). She also leaves behind sixteen grandchildren: Gregory, Jack, Samuel, Ryan, Joshua, Lauren, Stephen, Nicholas, Megan, Anna, Erin, Preston, Alexander, Carter, Lincoln, and Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents, her granddaughter Kathryn, and her brother-in-law Serge.
Barbara’s visitation and funeral will be held at St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel, followed by her interment at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, PA. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, June 12
3pm–6:30pm: Visitation in the Seminary Chapel
7pm: Funeral Service
*At 6pm, there will be a choir rehearsal for the funeral.
Saturday, June 13
9am: Memorial Divine Liturgy followed immediately by the Litê of the Panikhida
Following the liturgy, the body will be taken to St. Tikhon's Monastery for interment.
On the Feast of Holy Pentecost, May 31, alumnus and St. Vladimir’s Seminary faculty member the Rev. Dn. Dr. Gregory Abdalah was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by the hand of a fellow alumnus and faculty member, his own father His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah).
What was a rare and uniquely blessed ordination involving father and son was followed by a beautifully fitting first action as priest: Fr. Gregory churched his wife Khouria Diana and their newborn son Alexander.
The newly ordained Fr. Gregory, a native of the Pittsburgh area, is a two-time graduate of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, holding an M.Div. (’08) and a D.Min. (’18). He also studied Music Education at Duquesne University, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance (’04). In 2020, Fr. Gregory was appointed to the Doctor of Ministry faculty at St. Vladimir's Seminary as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, where he focuses on youth ministry.
Fr. Gregory, Kh. Diana, and their three children will soon begin a new chapter in their ministry, as he has been assigned by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba as pastor of St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham, MA, starting August 1.
May God grant the newly ordained Fr. Gregory, Kh. Diana, and their children Eleanor, Jonathan, and Alexander many years! AXIOS!
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.
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 ofSt. 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.
“If [we have learned] anything,” said class salutatorian the Rev. John Reavis during his thoughtful address, “it's that to have the mind of Christ, which is hopefully what we're trying to do here, is to undergo kenosis, self-emptying, descent, if there is ever to be any ascent. … So although at this precipice we may feel tired and empty, it is in our emptiness that Christ has met us and emptied Himself. And here at St. Vladimir's, we have not only been taught about Christ's kenosis, it has been modeled for us.”
Class valedictorian the Rev. Nathan Jekel offered a beautiful reflection drawing from the psalms and the gospels.
“Ready is my heart, O God. Ready is my heart, for magnified even unto the heavens is Thy mercy,” read Fr. Nathan. “We know that to meet a ready and merciful heart is to see the truth, that no search light we shine into the cave can outshine the light that radiates from it. And so we proclaim, ‘Christ is risen!’”
Hear both addresses in their fullness and watch the entirety of the 2026 Commencement Exercises below, or on the Seminary’s YouTube channel.
Commencement Address
Charles Ajalat, J.D., Hon. J.C.D., one of the most prominent Orthodox Christian lay leaders and philanthropists in North America, delivered this year’s commencement address. A former trustee of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Ajalat also served as the Chancellor of the Antiochian Archdiocese and has founded multiple Orthodox organizations and initiatives.
“We are at a period where tens of thousands of people are finding the Orthodox Church, and the flow will not stop but increase,” Ajalat remarked, as he encouraged the graduates to make use of the talents and faithfulness of others around them as they go forth in their ministries. “The church has underutilized its faithful lay talent. And you all, you graduates as future leaders, can change that, laying the foundation, finding the royal priesthood that you can trust and can help in your ministry.”
At the conclusion of the commencement address, Dr. Tudorie presented Ajalat with an icon of St. Vladimir on behalf of the Seminary community, in recognition of the tremendous support and generosity Ajalat has shown the Seminary going back many years.
Watch the commencement address below, or on the Seminary’s YouTube Page.
Honors
During commencement exercises, St. Vladimir’s seminarians also honored Zachariah Mandell, an instructor in Liturgical Music, with the 2026 St. Macrina Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award is selected each year by student vote.
Subdn. Emil Peter, a graduate and outgoing President of the Student Council, announced the award and presented an icon of St. Macrina to Mandell. The beautiful icon was painted by a member of the graduating class, the Rev. Daniel Werner.
The graduates then presented two gifts to the Seminary: a new cutting board for the Prothesis table at Three Hierarchs Chapel and a cross for the St. Thomas Malankara Chapel.
“This is a token of appreciation for the Seminary, a token of our love for all the things that Seminary has done for us … and for the role that you have played in [our] formation,” said Subdn. Emil.
At the conclusion of the ceremony His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the President of the Seminary, offered closing remarks, reminding the graduates of the unique moment facing their ministries.
Orthodoxy in America is growing genuinely visibly in ways that were not predictable even a decade ago. … Priests who are serving are stretched, doing the work of two and sometimes three men available at all hours to all manner of need. …
The founders of this Seminary could not have imagined the church you are graduating into. They planted in soil they could not see. Every priest who has gone before you would say the same. The weight is real. The weight is worth carrying and you will not carry it alone. …
Go down with humility so that you may be lifted up by Christ and receive the gifts that he bestows on all of us.
May the Lord God grant many blessed and fruitful years of service in His vineyard to the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Class of 2026!
This May St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary hosted master practitioners from the Syriac and Armenian traditions as part of the two-day event, Exploring the Orient: Syriac & Armenian Liturgical Chant.
Dr. Gabriel Aydin spoke to “The Structure, Theology, and Liturgical Function of Syriac Chant.”
“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.
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.
Dr. Haig Utidjian’s two-part talk was entitled, “Armenian Liturgical Chant: History and Theology.”
“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.
