Two trustees from St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Board Chair Anne Glynn-Mackoul and  The Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, recently attended an international conference titled “Christian Presence and Witness in the Middle East Today: Theological and Political Challenges." The conference was held June 20–23, 2011 in Volos, Greece at the invitation of the World Council of Churches and the Volos Theological Academy and was hosted by Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias. The thirty participants included theological scholars, social scientists, politicians, and church representatives.

At the Volos conference, participants first examined the relevance and the different aspects of the “Kairos document” issued in December 2009 by Palestinian Christians from all church traditions. Second, they analyzed the socio-political challenges facing the Christians in the Middle East against the background of the recent uprisings in the Arab World. And finally, they listened to Christian witnesses from different parts of the region.

During his presentation, Fr. Philip, priest of the Orthodox Antiochian Archdiocese of North America and dean of Faculty of Social Sciences at McMurry University, spoke on "Orthodox Approaches to Non-violent Resistance." After first reviewing the roots of the conception in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, he turned to the martyrs and confessors who, with their non-violent resistance, confronted and refused to obey the secular powers’ demands that they abandon their faith.

“Though I had the honor of presenting a paper on non-violent resistance,” commented Fr. Philip, “my main function at the conference was to learn by hearing firsthand accounts of the struggles and opportunities faced by our brothers and sisters in Christ in the land of our Lord’s birth. I came away from Volos with a heightened interest in the complex political and religious dynamics of the region and a number of new insights to share with my students and parishioners.”

Mrs. Mackoul, who moderated a session at the conference, noted, “It was an interesting and important gathering, with broad significance particularly in its timing, as it took place so immediately following the public remarks of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the BBC about the Christians of the East, which remarks received such strong negative reaction from among Christians living in the area.

“Conference attendees,” she continued, “were reminded that Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel—rooted in those areas since the time of Christ—are constantly and forcefully confronted with the importance of defining the relationship between communal loyalty and national identity, not only in the realm of ideas but in their daily lives. It is important to remember that religious identity and communal identity are not one and the same. Meaningful identities are multiple.

“Support in prayer and understanding from the Christians of the West of the actual situations in those communities and the aspirations of the Christians in the East as members of pluralistic societies is critical for maintaining this traditional Christian presence,” she concluded. “Alarmism and resignation about migration of Christians from the area will have the tendency to accelerate the very result that is feared.”

The conference was followed worldwide through an Internet live stream, intv.gr. The meeting comes in advance of a second meeting with religious leaders to take place in the Middle East in November 2012.

Read more about the conference and view more photos on the Website of the Volos Theological Academy here.

Three of our seminarians recently traveled to Albania, both to observe the phenomenal "resurrection" of the Orthodox Church since the fall of communism in that country and also to study missiology. Their extraordinary journey included an audience with His Beatitude Anastasios, archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania; meetings, bible studies, and social time with university students; tours of churches, church agencies, seminaries, and monasteries; and a visit with Metropolitan John of Korça.

Fr. Ignatius Warren (Class of 2011, and now assigned to St. Elias Church in Sylvania, Ohio), Dn. Timothy Yates (3rd-year student), and Richard Ajalat (2nd-year student) witnessed firsthand the incredible rebirth of the Orthodox Church in Albania since December 1990, when student protestors began to overthrow the religiously repressive government. All three seminarians were there as participants in a 3-credit summer course titled "The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) and Practical Evangelism." Students in the course analyzed the foundation and calling of missions, studied the resurrection of the Church of Albania over the past 20 years, and examined how well the Church has lived out the missiology of Archbishop Anastasios.

The course and trip were under the supervision of course leader, Fr. Luke Veronis, adjunct professor of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. The endeavor was partly subsidized by The Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and was among the Mission Team 2011 programs offered by the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). This was the second year in a row that seminarians from St. Vladimir's have participated in a mission trip to Albania.

"It was truly a blessing to witness firsthand the rebirth of faith among the Albanian people," noted Fr. Ignatius. "Archbishop Anastasios is a modern-day Apostle, Evangelist, and Missionary par excellence. The Missions Institute under Fr. Luke Veronis provides a much-needed link between the academic study of missiology and the firsthand witness of mission in the church. In addition, it was a great blessing to be with students from our sister schools, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School, and St. Tikhon's Seminary."

View a photo gallery of the trip, by Dn. Marty Watt,  in a related story on the Website of the Orthodox Church in America.

Teens participating in Hellenic College's CrossRoad program this summer got a golden opportunity to rub shoulders with three of St. Vladimir's finest: Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus and former professor of Dogmatic Theology; Dr. John Barnet, associate professor of New Testament; and Dr. Al Rossi, adjunct professor of Pastoral Theology. This year's Boston-based program offered high school students the opportunity to absorb the wisdom of the scholarly triad—and to share some of their own "Generation Z" sagacity.

"An extraordinary program!," commented Dr. Barnet. "What more can I say about an institute that brings together thirty bright, committed high school students, a half dozen smart, enthusiastic counselors, and three seminary professors for a week of study, prayer, reflection, outreach, and fun in the suburbs of Boston? Kudos to Ann Bezzerides and her CrossRoad staff."

During this year's gathering, Dr. Barnet spoke on the topic, "Through the Cross, Joy," while Dr. Rossi presented two 2-hour sessions on "Chastity Today," and Fr. Thomas addressed the subject, "Love: The Christian Understanding." Together, they comprised the academic component of the program, designed to help high school students study theology in a serious way; other equally beneficial elements of the program included experiencing a full liturgical life, serving one's neighbor, and just "hanging out" as a group for fun and fellowship.

"CrossRoad provides a wonderful experience for high school students to get closer to Christ, to their Orthodox faith, to the Church, and to each other in engaging ways," noted Dr. Rossi. "For me, a 'quotable quote' came from a student who was sent out on a 'group mission' to buy breakfast for a homeless person. When he couldn't find anyone to offer to buy breakfast for, the student—putting into practice some of the CrossRoad learning—said, 'Well then, let's pick up litter.' CrossRoad teaches youth to care for others in the most practical and loving ways possible."

View a photo gallery of fun and fellowship at CrossRoad 2011 here (click on Day 1, Day 2, and so forth to view photos).

Are you a high school student reading this? Do you want to be part of CrossRoad next year? Contact someone from the program here.

Three seminary alumnae—Susan Arida, Stefanie Yova Yazge, and Valerie Zahirsky—are contributing authors to Encountering Women of Faith, volume II, a book that tells the stories of ten women saints within the Orthodox Christian tradition. Inside the book, readers will find the lives of Ss. Christina of Tyre, Juliana, Perpetua, Felicitas, Anna, Paula, Populia, Mother Maria Skobtsova, and Mary of Egypt, among others.

Each chapter of the volume contains a three-part format: a history of the saint and her service to community; a candid meditation by each author as to how the saint has touched her own life; and "Reflection and Discussion Questions" suitable to personal or group study. Appropriately, the title's "Happy Birthday" launch recently occurred at the "Women Disciples of the Lord" conference held on our campus from June 17–19, at which contemporary women serving the Lord in areas such as theological studies, education, chaplaincy, prison ministry, hospice, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, philanthropy, publications, and missions made presentations.

The book's authors are all members of "St. Catherine's Vision," a group founded by and open to women graduates from all Orthodox Christian theological schools, with the mission to "study and support the many ways in which the people of God are called to contribute toward the building up of the body of Christ through education, spiritual renewal, and Orthodox unity." The newly released title is published by Holy Cross Orthodox Press and edited by Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald. The book is part of a the Saint Catherine's Vision Collection. The title will be available through our SVS Press & Bookstore in the near future.

Read more about our Alumni and Alumnae in the Alumni News/Profiles section of our Website, including the recent news of Brent Gilbert's Fulbright Fellowship! Add your news to the page by contacting PDn. Joseph Matusiak, Director of Alumni and Recruitment.

Designer Andrew Gould spellbound participants of the Church Architecture seminar held last weekend on our campus, through an image-rich slideshow presentation that depicted the historical development of Christian church structures. Using images ranging from the ancient Roman basilica to the Great Church of Constantinople (Hagia Sophia) to Russian onion domes and beyond, Mr. Gould demo

Mr. Gould, who works in partnership with George Holt at the firm New World Byzantine, in Charleston, South Carolina, is becoming known nationwide as a designer of traditional Orthodox churches. His goal, he says, is to keep intact the "consistent and invariable” elements of early Christian architecture while accommodating the locale of present-day churches and the creature comforts (heating and air conditioning) expected by present-day church-goers.

“It would be disturbing to me to see an out-of-context church building in the United States, which might look as if it had been dropped by helicopter from ancient Byzantium,” he muses. “I believe that Orthodox churches today can be simple, inexpensive, beautiful, and comfortable, if they are well built out of ‘honest’ materials and if they include basic aspects of traditional Orthodox architecture.”

Some of those basic traditional aspects, he notes, include thick walls, lighting that lends an air of mystery to the space, arches, high ceilings, and handmade furnishings (including lamps, tables, metalwork, and painted icons and frescoes) that appropriately “vest” the inside of the temple. All of these elements together, he observes, are evocative of the New Jerusalem, where heaven and earth meet. Moreover, he asserts, present-day church buildings, though based on ancient models, can nevertheless be built simply and relatively inexpensively—and can even be intrinsically “green,” if constructed from local, “honest” materials.

In particular, Mr. Gould warns against “bowing to the god of ‘modernism’,” that is, the movement that started in the 1930s that rejected traditional forms and pushed toward “new forms.” He instead advises the adaptation of traditional forms to modern needs, and during the presentation he gave several drawing-board renderings and photographs of his completed churches, like the stunning church near Charleston, South Carolina, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, where SVOTS alumnus Fr. John Parker is rector, and Ss. Joseph and Andrew Eastern Orthodox Church,  near Ashville, North Carolina, as examples.

To view more of Mr. Gould’s work, visit his firm’s Website, New World Byzantine.

Participants in our recent Iconography Workshop expressed high praise when asked about their experiences in creating an icon under Master Icongrapher Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko. For five days, both novice and prteps needed to compose a traditional egg-tempera, Russo-Byzantine-style icon. By week's end, the group posed for a photograph, looking peacefully content while holding their creations, and summarizing the class with words of awe, wonder, and gratitude:

• Bess Chavkravarty: "medicine for the soul"
• Antonia Daily: "a thousand Thank-Yous for this opportunity"
• Fr. Hal Dudash: "a unique opportunity"
• Rev. T. Michael McDowell: "creative community experience"
• Janet Massad: "passionate restraint"
• Kelly Miller: "glowing success"
• Tanya Penkrat: "grateful for God's grace"
• Kathryn Pritchett: "wonderful experience!"
• Anne Therese: "Supremo!—like falling H20"
• Leigh Wackerman: "window to heaven"

Protodeacon Nazari, who along with his wife establlshed the Ss. Alipi and Andrei Rublev Icon Studio in Ottawa, Canada, has been "writing" iconsfor 15 years. For the past three years he has conducted a summer workshop on our campus. During his workshop, Protodeacon Nazari not only attempts to teach proper iconographic technique to his students but also tries to instill in them the concept that the icon is integral to the Orthodox Christian faith.

"By its roots, the icon goes deep into the Eucharistic experience of the Catholic (that is, 'universal') Church," he notes. "Iconographers have to be an integral part of Christ's Body, the Holy Church. We try to reintroduce the importance of the traditional iconographic process to the wider Christian community, and by this means, to bring the Light of Christ's Truth to this world; so the world is enlightened by the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church through the art of iconography."

View of a photo gallery of the Iconography Workshop.

From Thursday, September 8, through Saturday, September 10, our seminary will host the North American Conference of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius. On the evening of September 8th, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware)—Co-chair of Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue from  2008 to the present—will commence the proceedings by delivering a free and public keynote. Prior to the keynote, at 7:30 p.m., the seminary will bestow an honorary doctoral degree upon His Eminence.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and Fr. Stephen Platt, general-secretary of the Fellowship from the United Kingdom, will also be in attendance. Metropolitan Jonah will serve on a discussion panel on Saturday.

Throughout the conference, members of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)–Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) Dialogue will present various papers addressing the history of Orthodox–Anglican relations, including: Dr. Michael Howell, "John Mason Neal"; Bishop Keith Ackerman, "Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and Anglican-Orthodox Connections"; Father Arnold Klukas, "The Sarum Rite"; Dr. Moheb A. Ghali, "Irish and Egyptian Monasticism."

There is a choice of registration rates for participants:

• Registration for all sessions, with all meals, excluding room & board:   $ 65
• Registration for Friday only, with 3 meals, excluding room & board:     $ 50
• Registration for Saturday only, with 2 meals, excluding room & board: $ 40
• Registration for all sessions, excluding meals, room, & board                   $ 35
• Registration for Friday only, excluding meals, room, & board                   $ 25
• Registration for Saturday only, excluding meals, room, & board               $ 15
• Registration for entire conference, with on campus room & board:         $160

For those wishing to stay off-campus, a  block of rooms at the Royal Regency Hotel located at 165 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, NY 10710, tel 914-476-6200, for the nights of September  7–10, 2011 have been reserved. The rates are $99 per night for King and $109 per night for Double.  The Group Code is STVA and the deadline to reserve is August 24, 2011. 

Register by clicking here.

View a Conference schedule here.

Download and print the attached Conference Schedule.

Note: Watch a wonderful YouTube interview with Metropolitan Kallistos by David Neff, created for Christianity Today Magazine and titled "Five More Minutes with Archbishop [sic] Kallistos," in which His Eminence speaks of "On Being Charismatic," "On Becoming Orthodox," and ""On Church and State."  View it here.

On August 14th, the Eve of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the new and stunning mosaic icon gracing the entrance to Three Hierarchs Chapel will be blessed. The mosaic was donated by Ernest and Denice Collazo, friends of St. Vladimir's Seminary; it depicts the patrons of the seminary chapel, Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

The blessing will follow Great Vespers, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. All are welcome to worship with us and to celebrate the dedication and blessing of this icon.

Thirteen participants from nearly every diocese of the Orthodox Church in America traveled to our campus last week to attend the 5th Annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum, held by the Diaconal Vocations Program (DVP) of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and St. Vladimir's Seminary. The practicum purposefully expanded the vision of the Holy Diaconate for deacons and candidates, and focused on intense liturgical training.

Practical liturgical training began with daily celebration of the Divine Liturgy and other services by participants with seminary clergy. Intensive workshops led by Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov, director of Diaconal and Late Vocations for the OCA, aimed to provide participants with the skills needed to serve effectively in the Orthodox Church as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. Focus was given to the typical celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom by one priest and one deacon. Participants also received guidance on concelebrations and hierarchical services so that they could effectively prepare for such occasions.

One participant noted, "The opportunity to serve the Divine Liturgy and to learn from this faculty and a 'class' of brothers from all over strengthens and balances my study for the diaconate throughout the year." In addition to this longer practicum held annually, shorter weekend practicums are held regionally throughout the year.

Priest Sergius Halvorsen, recently appointed Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's, led sessions on voice, chanting, and preaching, which sought to empower future deacons to proclaim the Word of God beautifully and compellingly with their voices. Archpriest John Behr, seminary Dea
Archdeacon Kirill addressed the nature of the Diaconate and the connection between the liturgical center of the deacon's ministry—being the symbol of Christ's diakonia in the life of the Church—and diaconal service to the neighbor. The conversation continued in action as the participants traveled to New York City to learn from and participate in ministry to the homeless with the "Christian Kitchen"—a ministry of Priest Martin Kraus, former coordinator of the Diaconal Vocations Program, and the parishioners of Holy Trinity Church, East Meadow, NY. The moving experience highlighted the way in which outreach to the poor is indeed possible for our communities throughout the country.

The practicum culminated with the arrival of His Grace, Bishop Tikhon, who oversees the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. His Grace also serves as Rector of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary and is Chairman of the Holy Synod's Board of Theological Education. The Board of Theological Education oversees the work of the seminaries and the Diaconal Vocations Program and reviews the applications for admission and ordination in the Church's late vocations programs. His Grace led the participants in the celebration of Great Vespers and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. His Grace addressed the participants on the diaconal ministry and questions posed by participants.

Photographs of the four-day event are available on our Website here.  Further information on the Diaconal Vocations Program is available on the OCA Website here.

Our recent "Women Disciples of the Lord" conference provided a lively forum for exploration and reflection, as more than 50 women met on campus to discuss the ministry of women within the Orthodox Church. Plenary speakers, drawing from ancient sources and making contemporary applications, sparked discussions on topics ranging from human anthropology to Christian vocation, from motherhood to prison chaplaincy to campus fellowship and spiritual direction.

Carrie Frederick Frost, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Virginia with Dr. Vigen Guroian (who delivered a terrific workshop on motherhood, and is the mother of five children, including a set of triplets, and is also studying theological anthropology), summed up her weekend experience, in an e-mail dashed off to conference organizers Tanya Penkrat and Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff:

"Peter and Tanya,

I am freshly home in Virginia but before I unpack and get settled, I had to write and thank you for the incredible experience of the conference. Wow: what an amazing weekend. It exceeding my expectations in a myriad of ways. I met women who were some of the most inspiring people I have ever met. I met women scholars whose work I will want to always follow, and with whom I hope to correspond all of my days. I met females doing Orthodox theology—even though I had known of some of these women and corresponded with them by email, this was literally the first time I'd met other women doing theology 'in the flesh.' I am gushing on here, but truly, I am overwhelmed by just how meaningful the conference was to me.

One thing that really struck me, was just how many times women said 'not many women have done this  before' about their ministry or 'this topic is really understudied' about their scholarship (even Fr. John Behr said this about work on human anthropology). There was a real sense of sitting with fellow female pioneers in the Church, and that was humbling and completely inspiring. With gratitude, Carrie"

Alumnae and professors from Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology, St. Vladimir's Seminary, and St. Tikhon's Seminary contributed much to the gathering, acting as both plenary speakers and workshop leaders. Additionally, SVOTS alumnae met in a special session with seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr and seminary Chancellor Archpriest Chad Hatfield, exchanging concerns and ideas, especially related to "curriculum and programs at the seminary that will be more attentive to the needs and aspirations of women students."

We're sorry if you could not be with us for this past weekend for the wonderful workshops and awesome networking opportunities. But, you can share in the conference by listening to podcasts of the plenary session speakers, which will be broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio in bi-weekly segments:

• Opening Address: "The Joy to Serve" • Matushka Juliana Schmemann (via video)
• Keynote Address: "Mal e and Female He Created Them" • The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, Dean of St. Vladimir's
• "Eve, Mary, and Us" • Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes Fitzgerald
• "Light from the Past on Vocations Today" • Dr. Mary Ford
• "Confessions of a Free-lance Writer: Discerning God's Will in an Unpredictable Vocation" • Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green

Add a comment about your experience at the Women's Conference on our SVOTS Facebook page. Not yet a fan of SVOTS? Please join!

Listen to the podcasts of the conference on Ancient Faith Radio, to be posted bi-weekly in the "Voices from St. Vladimir's" section. Fr. John Behr's Keynote, "Male and Female He Created Them" is now available, and you may follow his presentation, using the scriptural and patristic quotations he provided when he delivered his talk.

Relive the weekend by viewing a dozens of pics in a  photo gallery of the conference, by Dn. Gregory Hatrak.