More than eighty people took part as the Orthodox Advanced Leadership Conference returned to St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS). The conference, titled, “Faith and Business Synergy,” began Thursday, September 28 and ended after Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel Sunday, September 30.

This was the second Leadership Conference hosted by the Orthodox Vision Foundation (OVF) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The inaugural conference, called “historic” and “groundbreaking” by many attendees, was held in 2017.

“I was a part of it last year, and it was terrific,” said Hank Hanegraaff, also known as the “Bible Answer Man,” who also participated in this year’s conference. “The people who are speaking at this conference come from a wide range of leadership capacities; the spiritual input, the leadership principles, and the way that these principles are being disseminated I think is just top notch.”

In addition to Hanegraaff, the pre-selected attendees included bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and lay leaders from several Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and across North America. Notably, speakers included His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America); His Eminence and Geron Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America; and His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of all North America (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese). His Grace Bishop John of the Diocese of Worcester and New England (Antiochian Archdiocese) was also a participant. Other distinguished participants and speakers included Chick-fil-A President Tim Tassopoulos, well known authors Fr. Josiah Trenham, Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, and Rod Dreher, former Exxon Mobile executive and SVOTS Trustee Emeritus Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, and several faculty and alumni of SVOTS.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon welcomed his brother hierarchs to the conference and addressed all of the conference participants.

“I am encouraged by the fact that the initiative and unbounded energy of [OVF Founder] Mr. Charles Ajalat has allowed us to meet again this year for this most excellent and important gathering of leaders of the Orthodox world in North America,” said His Beatitude.

“The lands of North America are the desert in which labor and strive to serve Christ and are perhaps not so far removed from the desert into which the Holy Apostles journeyed after the resurrection and ascension….,” Metropolitan Tikhon added. “If there is a plan for us in North America, it should be this: to make this place a special place by our special care for it. This is not a new plan, but something that we, as Orthodox Christians, have been doing already.”

The Orthodox Vision Foundation was founded by Charles and Marilee Ajalat, whose son, Richard Ajalat, is an alumnus of SVOTS (’13). The organization funds a broad range of issues and organizations that tackle everything from feeding and equipping the homeless and working poor, to spreading the Orthodox Church’s worldview, to church governance and policy issues, to ongoing education for our clergy and lay leaders, and launching new ministries.

With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, Archpriest Dragan Filipovic, who graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1971. Fr. Dragan, of Pittsburgh, died unexpectedly Tuesday, September 18, 2018. He was 73.

Fr. Dragan was born December 30, 1944, in Belgrade, Serbia. He was ordained to the diaconate August of 1971 and to the priesthood September of 1971. During his 47 years of priesthood, he faithfully served Orthodox parishes in Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Cumberland, Rhode Island; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and North Canton, Ohio. Upon retirement, Fr. Dragan served as second priest at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, Canonsburg. He also served as the chaplain for the Stark County Sheriff's Department in Ohio and the Washington County Sheriff's Department in Pennsylvania.

In addition to his ministry, Fr. Dragan was a dedicated husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Popadija Mirjana Zivanovic Filipovic; his son, Matthew Filipovic, and his wife Brittany; his daughter, Elizabeth Fuellhart, and her husband Jack; his sister, Jelena Djurovic, and her husband Blagota; his grandchildren, Aleksandra and Jacqueline Fuellhart; nieces, Natasha Duric, and Gordana Bozovic; nephew, Bosko Djurovic, and his wife Nancy; 4 great nieces, 3 great nephews; and many godchildren.

Visitation will be held Sunday, September 23, from 3 to 8 p.m., at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, 601 W. McMurray Road, Canonsburg, PA, 15317. A service will begin at 7 p.m. Divine Liturgy will begin at 9 a.m. the following day, Monday, with funeral services scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh will be assisted by Father George L. Livanos. Burial services will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ellwood City, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests memorial contributions be made to Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 321 Monastery Ln., Ellwood City, Pa, 16117, or to All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, 601 W. McMurray Rd. Canonsburg, PA, 15317.

May Fr. Dragan’s memory be eternal!

Sections of this article have been reprinted from Sollon Funeral and Cremations Services.

Eleven scholars came together on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary to explore the theme of "Byzantine Materiality.” The scholars convened for a three-day workshop held September 14 to 16.

The gathering was the latest in the Seminary’s Sacred Arts Initiative (SAI), which is funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. September’s workshop is the first part of a two-part interdisciplinary event exploring matter, materials, and materiality in Byzantine art and culture. Part two will be a public conference May 8 to 12, 2019.

“Popular descriptions of Byzantium often emphasize the mystical and immaterial while overlooking the mediating role of matter implied by the Christian belief in the incarnation,” said Dn. Evan Freeman, seminary alumnus and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of the History of Art at Yale University. “At the same time, scholars have historically prioritized questions of form, iconography, and meaning in their study of Byzantine art and architecture. But as technology makes the human experience ever more digital and effectively immaterial, scholars across numerous disciplines—including Byzantine studies—have begun reconsidering the significance of matter and materiality.”

Dn. Evan is one of the primary coordinators for the SAI along with Professors Richard Schneider, Tracy Gustilo, and Peter Bouteneff, the director.

The September workshops were closed to the public in order to give the eleven invited scholars who will be the main speakers at the May conference a chance to discuss drafts of their conference papers and to develop the conference theme as a group. Topics of discussion included Byzantine and ancient theories of matter and form; the use and significance of materials such as wood, stone, gold, and glass in ecclesiastical and other contexts; the roles of matter and materials in the Eucharist, icons, relics, and reliquaries; the rite for consecrating a church; sensory experiences of liturgy; and the neuroscience of viewing icons. At the May event, the scholars will present their papers to the public. The SAI will also announce a call for shorter papers later this fall, which will enable additional scholars as well as graduate students the opportunity to participate in the upcoming conference.

To learn more about the Byzantine Materiality Conference, visit the SAI website.

Related Stories:

• Renowned scholars and artists return to campus for seminal work on Sacred Arts
• Henry Luce Foundation Awards Seminary $250,000 for Sacred Arts Study
• “Sounding the Sacred” Breaks New Ground
• The Value of “Spiritual Genius”
• Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s – Visiting Scholars Weigh In

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,US

Do you ever read the Epistle, or read the Psalms or other Old Testament readings at Vespers? Or, have you ever chanted the Hours? Or, have you ever wondered why Orthodox Christians chant when they read, instead of using a speaking voice? Then the “Workshop for Readers and Musicians,” sponsored by the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (Orthodox Church in America) and hosted on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, is for you. Whether or not you are a tonsured reader, if you have ever read during liturgical services or simply want to know more about reading during liturgical services, we welcome you to be a participant in this workshop.

The workshop will address liturgical reading as a vital ministry. Participants will review the Church’s theology that guides and informs this ministry. They will also review rubrics and melodic patterns for reading, as well as methods for chanting the “Prokeimenon” and “Alleluia” in synergy with the choir. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to receive vocal coaching and practice. Workshop activities will be taught within the framework of a supportive community of fellow readers and liturgical musicians. Participants are also welcome to participate in the singing of Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. in the seminary chapel.

This year’s workshop will be led by The Very Reverend J. Sergius Halvorsen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at the Seminary, and Professor Robin Freeman, the Seminary’s director of music.

To pre-register, please download and fill out the Registration Form here, and send the form to: SVS Workshop, c/o 38 Pearl Street, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 by September 4, 2017. The suggested donation for the workshop is $20. Checks should be made out to Diocese of New York & New Jersey, and sent with the Registration Form. Please call (516) 437-5760 with questions. Or, pre-register on the Facebook Page of the “Commission on Liturgical Music—NYNJ OCA.”

Note to clergy: This class is approved for six (6) Continuing Clergy Education credits from the Orthodox Church in America.

Alumnus Archpriest John Harvey, 73, fell asleep in the Lord Tuesday, September 11, 2018. Fr. John had served as rector of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Youngstown, OH for the past eleven years.

Fr. Harvey was born January 21, 1945, in Hollywood, California and was the son of the late Harold and Dorothy Johnson Harvey. He was a 1968 graduate of Duquesne University and of Sts. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh, and he earned a degree in theology from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1970, graduating at the top of his class. Fr. John was ordained a priest September 27, 1974, at St. Andrew Cathedral in Jamaica, NY.

Fr. John taught theology and served many Orthodox parishes throughout America and in Canada before being appointed pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2007. He also served in a number of other capacities. He was dean of the Penn-Ohio Deanery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America, spiritual advisor and director of the Teenage Conference at the All-Saints Camp in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, and member and past-president of the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Association of the Mahoning Valley. Additionally, Fr. John was adjunct instructor of Canon Law and Spiritual Theology at St. Sophia’s Seminary. He served on the Board of Trustees of Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), as rector of St. Sophia’s Seminary, and as a spiritual advisor to the Ukrainian Orthodox League.

Fr. John is survived by his wife of 44 years, Panimatka Deborah R. Johnson Harvey, whom he married September 8, 1974, and his daughter, Irena A. Harvey.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, September 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1025 North Belle Vista Avenue in Youngstown, OH. A service will then begin at 7 p.m. followed by light refreshments. On Monday, September 17, the funeral service at the church will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial luncheon. Interment will follow at The Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home, 477 North Meridian Road, Youngstown. In lieu of flowers, Fr. John’s family suggests that donations be made in care of the funeral home to help with final expenses.

May Fr. John’s memory be eternal!

Sections of this article have been reprinted from MyValleyTributes.

Church of St. Ignatius Loyola ,980 Park Avenue,100,New York,NY,US

The Arvo Pärt Project at St. Vladimir’s Seminary is helping to present another beautiful concert featuring the music of the great Estonian composer. In partnership with Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, we are pleased to present Arvo Pärt: The Sound of the Sacred Monday, November 12 at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City.

The concert will feature some of the leading performers of Arvo Pärt's music in the world, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste. The all-Pärt program will include two major compositions inspired by St. Silouan of Mount Athos, as well as a new setting of the Prayer from the Kanon of Repentance that will be performed for the first time in the United States.

As part of the evening, in view of the musical tribute to St. Silouan’s legacy, the Arvo Pärt Project has invited Elder Zacharias of Essex—one of the living elders of the Orthodox Church—to take part in a pre-concert lecture on St. Silouan and repentance in the music of Arvo Pärt. Fr. Zacharias is a disciple of St. Silouan’s own disciple Elder Sophrony, and is a monk in the community founded by Elder Sophrony, the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England. The pre-concert lecture will begin at 6:45 p.m. in Wallace Hall, below the main level of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola.

To purchase tickets to Arvo Pärt: The Sound of the Sacred, click here.

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Alumnus Archpriest Michael Oleksa (’73) delivered a powerful, enlightening, and heart-felt message on the campus of St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVOTS) Saturday as part of the Seminary's celebration of the Ecclesiastical New Year.

 The New Year festivities were organized by the St. Herman’s Society for Orthodox Ecology, one of several student-led interest groups on campus, in keeping with the day’s traditional association with thankfulness for God’s providence and care for His creation. The day began with an Akathist and Supplication Service, followed by a walking tour, Fr. Michael’s keynote address, and the blessing of a replanted tree on campus, and concluded with Great Vespers.

 During his address, Fr. Michael beautifully weaved the history of the Alaskan Mission and the work of St. Herman of Alaska and others into the present, as the Orthodox Church continues to defend the native peoples of Alaska and uphold the sanctity of the created world. Fr. Michael passionately implored Orthodox Christians everywhere to draw upon the past and modern-day experience of Orthodoxy in Alaska in witnessing Christ to all nations.

 “This was our Church standing up for what we believe,” Fr. Michael said, as he wrapped up his narration of an environmental struggle taken up by the Orthodox in Alaska in recent years. “It’s not an economic issue. It’s not a political issue. It’s a moral issue involving our theological and spiritual concern for the natural world which God so loved.”

 Listen to Fr. Michael’s full address, “The Legacy of St. Herman and the Alaskan Mission Today.”

 Fr. Michael, now retired, has served as village priest, university professor, and consultant on intercultural relations and communications in Alaska. He has authored several books on Alaskan native cultures and history, including Alaskan Missionary Spirituality (SVS Press) and Orthodox Alaska(SVS Press). A 1969 graduate of Georgetown University, he earned his M.Div. at St. Vladimir’s in 1973, and went on to complete his doctoral degree at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Presov, Slovakia, with an emphasis in Alaska Native History during the Alaska-Russian period (1741–1867). He is recognized as an “Elder” by the Alaska Federation of Natives, a “Distinguished Public Servant” by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska, and has been honored by the Alaska State Legislature and the National Governors Association.

Surf Club on the Sound & St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary,280 Davenport Avenue,10805,New Rochelle,NY,US

This November, we invite you to join us in worship, celebration, service, and dialogue at St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Fall Benefit and Theological Convocation.

The two-day event is multi-faceted: it is a celebration of the local feast of the reception of St. Vladimir’s relics to the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel five years ago; it is a fundraising benefit to help SVOTS seminarians graduate without tuition debt as they go forth to serve the church; it is a celebration of forty years of ordained ministry for The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, president of SVOTS; it is a theological convocation setting the vision for SVOTS, titled, “Theological Education in the Twenty-First Century.”

All events are free, with the exception of the Gala Dinner – the benefit to help boost SVOTS’ scholarship funds and the celebration of a milestone in Fr. Chad Hatfield’s priestly ministry – at Surf Club on the Sound Thursday evening, November 1. Tickets for the Gala are available through this page (see below). The price of admission helps us cover costs for the Gala, but a number of sponsorship packages are available as well. So, even if you cannot attend the gala, you can still help seminarians receive the education and formation they need as they work to become your next priest, deacon, missionary, iconographer, scholar, musician or lay leader or teacher. 

Purchase Tickets and Sponsorship Packages

Thursday, November 1

The day begins with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. A gala dinner in the evening at Surf Club on the Sound is a special fundraiser to support our free-tuition initiative—which allows seminarians to graduate without tuition debt—and the gala celebrates forty years of ordained ministry for The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, President of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.

• 9 a.m. - Hierarchical Divine Liturgy Three Hierarchs Chapel (celebrating our reception of the relics of St. Vladimir)
• Following Liturgy - Reception Metropolitan Philip Auditorium (located in the John G. Rangos Family Building)
• 6 p.m. - Gala Dinner Surf Club on the Sound (black tie optional)

GALA SPECIAL GUESTS 

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Tikhon, D.D.
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America)
Chairman of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa (2015)

Very Rev. Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel)
Dean of St. Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral, Dallas, TX
Administrator, Diocese of Dallas and the South (Orthodox Church in America)
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus (’12)

Rev. Fr. Vasily Fisher
Rector of St. James Orthodox Church, Napaskiak
Diocese of Alaska

Master of Ceremonies
Mr. Sean Hatfield, Esq.

Friday, November 2

On Friday, St. Vladimir’s Seminary hosts the Theological Convocation, “Theological Education in the Twenty-First Century,” featuring distinguished Orthodox speakers and and a panel discussion.

• 1 p.m. - Dr. Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie (Church History)
• 2 p.m. - Rev. Dr. George L. Parsenios (Scripture)
• 3 p.m. - Coffee & Snack Break
• 3:20 p.m. -  Dr. Vigen Guroian (Dogmatics & Ethics)
• 4:30 p.m. - The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield (Concluding Reflections)

Arrive early Wednesday, October 31, and join us for Great Vespers at 5pm as we begin celebrations for our local feast.

This November, worship with us, celebrate with us, and engage with us at this very special Fall Benefit and Theological Convocation.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Crowne Plaza
66 Hale Ave.
White Plains, New York 10601
914.682.0050 or 877.834.3613
cpwestchester.com
GROUP CODE: VL1
RATE: $149.00 plus tax
RESERVATION DEADLINE: October 22, 2018

Hampton Inn & Suites YONKERS/WESTCHESTER
559 Tuckahoe Rd.
Yonkers, New York 10710
914.963.3200
GROUP CODE: K or Q
RATE: $139.00 plus tax

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St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s 2018-2019 Academic Year has begun!

Thirty-three seminarians comprise the incoming class. Thirty-one of them are new students, including 8 in the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Cohort of 2021, 9 in the Master of Arts (M.A.) program, and 14 in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program. Two returning graduates from the Class of 2018 are beginning the Master of Theology (Th.M.) program.

Those 33 seminarians represent an incredibly diverse group. They range in age from 22 to 55 years and hail from 17 jurisdictions and non-Orthodox churches, 15 states, and six countries—which means SVOTS’ student body (of full-time students) is now made up of seminarians from a total of 16 different countries. Five of the first-year seminarians are women (16 percent of the group).

“I love the inter-Orthodox focus of St. Vlad’s—that’s really near and dear to my heart,”said first-year M.Div. seminarian Philip McClanahan (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America). “I had been wanting to go to seminary for years…and it just all came together.”

“I was really interested by the academic name [SVOTS] has,” said incoming seminarian Catherine Alexandres (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America), who transferred into the M.A. program from another theological school.

Catherine and Philip are among the 22 incoming seminarians from Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions. Another 8 new students represent Oriental Orthodox churches and 3 are from other Christian churches.

Here is a breakdown of the incoming class by jurisdiction:

• Orthodox Church in America = 22%
• Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America = 18%
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Patriarchate of Serbia, Patriarchate of Romania, Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Malankara Churches, Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, and Free Methodist Church together = 60%

With the incoming seminarians included, SVOTS’ current student body is 82 (96 including continuing, and non-degree students).

Orientation for the new seminarians began Friday, August 24, and continued into the weekend and following week.

“Where you are right now is the center of everything we do,” Professor Archpriest Alexander Rentel, the Seminary’s ecclesiarch, told the incoming class Saturday as they gathered inside Three Hierarch’s Chapel for one of the day’s orientation sessions.

Fr. Alexander also spoke to the seminarians about the blessings and challenges they would encounter during their time at SVOTS in their community, spiritual, and academic life. During orientation, the seminarians met with Fr. Alexander and other members of SVOTS faculty and staff, including President Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Interim Academic Dean Professor John Barnet, and Director of Admissions and Residential life Priest David Mezynski.

Members of the incoming class and returning seminarians gathered in the chapel the following day for Sunday Divine Liturgy, presided over by Fr. David along with Fr. Chad and incoming seminarian Fr. Giorgi Tskitishvili. The priests were assisted by another incoming seminarian, Dn. Peter Runyon, and third-year seminarian Dn. Larry Soper.

Monday, August 27, marked the first day of Fall 2018 Semester courses.

May this new academic year—the first as Vision 2020 unfolds—be blessed for all seminarians, faculty, staff, and their families!

Fr. Michael Oleksa
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,NY,US

We have a very special event planned for the Ecclesiastical New Year. On Saturday, September 1, our student-led St. Herman’s Society is bringing SVOTS Alumnus and SVS Press author Archpriest Michael Oleksa to campus to headline a full day of events!

Fr. Michael, who has ministered and worked for decades in Alaska, will speak to "The Legacy of St. Herman and the Alaskan Mission Today." The special day will also include an Akathist and Supplication service for the New Year, a walking tour, and the planting and blessing of new trees. Here is the full schedule:

• 11 a.m. – Akathist & Supplication Service for the New Year
• Following Service – Lunch, Walking Tour
• 2-4 p.m. – Fr. Michael Oleksa Keynote (Bashir Auditorium)
• 4:15 p.m. – Planting & Blessings of New Trees
• 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

*The St. Vladimir's Seminary Bookstore will be open from 1 to 4 p.m.

Fr. Michael, now retired, has served as village priest, university professor, and consultant on intercultural relations and communications in Alaska. He has authored several books on Alaskan native cultures and history, including Alaskan Missionary Spirituality (SVS Press) and Orthodox Alaska(SVS Press). A 1969 graduate of Georgetown University, he earned his M.Div. at St. Vladimir’s in 1973, and went on to complete his doctoral degree at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Presov, Slovakia, with an emphasis in Alaska Native History during the Alaska-Russian period (1741–1867). He is recognized as an “Elder” by the Alaska Federation of Natives, a “Distinguished Public Servant” by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska, and has been honored by the Alaska State Legislature and the National Governors Association.

 The New Year event is free and open to the public.