Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) at Divine Liturgy November 15, 2020, the fortieth anniversary of his  episcopal consecration (Photo: OCA.org)

Scholarships are one of the ways St. Vladimir’s Seminary supports seminarians who are preparing to serve the Church through a variety of callings—whether ordained ministry, chaplaincy, scholarship, teaching, sacred arts, or a variety of other vocations. Last year alone, the Seminary awarded $400,000 in scholarships from its endowments to aid seminarians. Additionally, the Seminary’s Tuition-Free Initiative allows future Church leaders to attend St. Vladimir’s free of tuition expenses. Saint Vladimir’s strongly believes servants of the Church should not be saddled with tuition debt from their theological education as they go forth to serve Christ.

Hollie and Rich Benton with dauthters Nellie and Kalista

Hollie Benton (SVOTS’ class of 1999) has served as executive director of the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative (OCLI) since September of 2019. From its inception, the extensive collaboration between OCLI and St. Vladimir’s Seminary has been of benefit to both. The two organizations have partnered to co-host four groundbreaking national conferences on leadership; the fifth annual conference this September will be a hybrid option, available both online and in-person featuring the theme, “Generously Investing in Emerging Leaders.”

Saint Vladimir’s President The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield is on the advisory board of OCLI, and he and SVOTS professor  The Very Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen were involved in developing the Doulos and Servant Leadership programs. OCLI is also helping the Seminary develop a leadership emphasis within the Master of Arts hybrid program. "SVOTS and OCLI are a natural pairing,” explains Fr. Chad, “as both are centered on servant leadership and our Orthodox Christian need for both a theological understanding of what this is, and the application to our needs in Orthodoxy today. I am proud that one of our own alumna is the driving force behind OCLI."

Hollie’s background is a diverse and unique blend that includes service in Orthodox Christian ministries, professional IT roles, and music-making. In her tenure at Ecolab, she held multiple titles: project manager, product owner, and Operations Manager of a large team in the Commercial Solutions division.

Hollie studied music theory and piano in college, and she directs the choir at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church in St. Paul, MN, where she is a member. Her musical background includes a year teaching abroad in Bucharest, Romania. Hollie and her husband, Richard Benton, PhD (also from SVOTS’ class of 1999), served with Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) for ten years in regional capacities and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Washington-Seattle, and University of Minnesota, -Twin Cities. Her family has hosted international exchange students from Spain, Serbia, Georgia, and Bosnia, and daughters Nellie and Kalista have studied or will study abroad in Bosnia, Macedonia, Spain and the Netherlands.

Hollie, can you give us a snapshot of your background?
The first thing that comes to mind is that I was baptized at the Seminary! I might have been one of the first adults baptized there. A student had to secure a painted horse trough in preparation, Fr. Thomas Hopko and Fr. Paul Lazor performed the sacrament, and Matushka Anne Hopko made my baptism garment. She was so sweet to me; after Rich and I were engaged at the Seminary, she helped me with my wedding dress.

Religiously, I grew up as a Nazarene and attended Northwest Nazarene College. After graduation I went to Romania for missions work, teaching in an international school and helping with other ministries. It was there that I learned about the theologian Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae and began to develop an interest in Orthodox Christianity. I was in Romania for Pascha in Bucharest and of course, that left a lasting impression.

Returning to Idaho, I couldn’t find an Orthodox Church near me. I was also interested in studying theology, so I called St. Vladimir’s and they told me to consult with Fr. George Gray a wonderful OCA priest serving in Portland. My visit to his parish, St. Nicholas, was my first Orthodox service; in fact, I walked to the back of the church when the priest announced, “Catechumens, depart!” I thought I was supposed to leave!

Father George at St. Nicholas was really kind and helpful. He interviewed me and was my referral for St. Vladimir’s. I packed up my car and drove across the United States to New York to attend seminary. I was 24 years old!. Father Paul Lazor catechized me and I learned so much in my classes, especially from Fr. Paul Tarazi.

While all this was going on, I also started dating a fellow seminarian, Rich Benton. Longtime employee Ann Sanchez would let the single guys know who the female students were. That year she said to them, “The crop is thin, fellas.” Despite this, Rich was clued in that I was there. By accident, he got me on the phone in the women’s dorm the day I arrived and that’s how we first connected.

I was a catechumen for about a year. My family felt very threatened by my conversion, so Fr. Paul advised me to respect my family and give them time to adjust to my interest in Orthodoxy. After a year, on the Feast of the Entrance, I was baptized and chrismated. I took part in the history of St. Vladimir’s that day, since this was also the day they broke ground for the Rangos Building!

I completed a two-year degree while Rich finished a three-year degree. Before we decided to marry, however, Rich had met a monk from Mt. Athos who invited him to his monastery so he went there for a time to seek out his next steps. When he came back, he asked me to marry him.

After Commencement 1999, Fr. Paul Lazor married us in Idaho. Only a handful of Orthodox people attended our wedding, so in a sense we “missionized” our wedding guests at the reception, explaining why it was that the rings had been placed on our right hands, and what the symbolism in the sacrament conveyed. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our Orthodox Christian faith with people.

What did you take away from your time at SVOTS?
I experienced this paradigm shift: while I had freedom to choose or reject Christianity, the rite of baptism shows that my choice is insignificant compared to the Lord who chooses to show great mercy and the forgiveness of sins.  I can only submit to His will found in His commandments.  Everything was reframed for me so that I saw myself as under that authority. What we hear from the world right now is “You be YOU, find YOUR voice, dig down deep into what you want and who you are.” But God provides all that we need through His life-giving Word if we’d only submit. Everyone is a slave to something. If you can name what you are afraid of, what you are angry at, what you desire, or what keeps you up at night, those are your masters. By contrast, Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light. So why not serve him rather than be enslaved by our fears and our own egos? At St. Vladimir’s, I began to learn what it means to function as a servant in God’s household laid out clearly in Fr. Paul Tarazi’s classes.

Why do you and Rich give to SVOTS?
We feel it’s our responsibility. We need to raise up men and women who are educated, who take scripture seriously, and who take their ministry seriously. It’s important to support those who are giving of their time and energy to be educated. Why not support that work and carry the burden together?

What happened post-seminary?
My husband started his Ph.D. program in Biblical Hebrew in Madison, Wisconsin and we got very involved in OCF. I poured a lot of energy into having students over, including many international students. I taught piano, and we had two daughters.

Then Rich’s post-doctoral studies were in Seattle—he taught and studied around the topics of Jewish history and culture. In 2012 a lot of the Old Testament teaching positions were shutting down at universities, so we decided to move to the Twin Cities area because a lot of our friends were living there. Through the help of a seminary colleague, Fr. Marc Boulos, we both wound up working for Ecolab in IT.

What drew you to your current leadership position with OCLI?
Dr. Ann Bezzerides [director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry, Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology] and I were classmates at SVOTS and we’d kept in contact. She was in touch with those who were creating the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative, and they liked my combination of corporate experience and seminary training. I had done a lot of leadership development at the corporate level and had run a mentoring program on a local level for OCF.

Incidentally, I credit my dad with the “get it done” attitude. When you grow up on a farm, you imbibe this strong sense that nothing is impossible with a little resourcefulness and stubborn persistence.

From your perspective, what is most needed in the Church today, and what part does SVOTS play in that?
At St. Vladimir’s, there is a lot of emphasis on forming leadership. We are all called to be servants of God—not just the priest who is our “stand-in servant.” We have a duty to the greatest commandments—loving God and neighbor. Christian leadership is not about developing personal influence and authority; it’s about submitting to the ONE Leader. God the Father is the only true authority and His Word has the only lasting influence. The only kind of Christian leader is one who serves to carry out His Father’s will just as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, demonstrates.

And by loving God, we learn what it means to submit to one another in love.. Quite intentionally we called our program DOULOS, which means “slave” or “servant” in Greek. Every time we receive communion, we are reminded that the doulos tou theou, or “the servant of God receives the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”  In order to submit to God’s instruction we need to turn our ears towards it; people need to be encouraged to pay attention to scripture proclaimed in liturgical services. You go to scripture so that it can search you and form you. It’s back to basics, isn’t it? We hear “leadership” and we think of hip motivational speakers and innovation, but really it’s all laid out for us already: submission to Him and to one another in love. When we allow the scriptures to search us and form us, it’s so powerful. Imperfections bubble up and if we have the humility to acknowledge and confess them we can function properly as the Body of Christ.

The DOULOS program for parishes is built on these same principles. The idea around this is that parish leadership hearkens to the Lord’s vision and then commits to implementing it together as the Body of Christ in its local context, lay and clergy alike. OCLI doesn’t just dump the content and run, either: there’s a built-in accountability structure. As the parish plan emerges from the initial workshop, the parish health coach checks in regularly to support the implementation of that plan.

Can you say a word for the value of seminary for those who aren’t on the ordination track?
I can speak for myself, since my undergrad was in philosophy and music and as a woman I wasn’t preparing for ordination. For me St. Vladimir’s was all about the academic rigor, working through difficult texts, learning how to lay out the arguments, and seeking the Lord’s instruction. And because of the hectic schedule, it’s also a time when you learn how to keep your priorities straight and stay balanced.

When you are formed within the St. Vladimir’s community you learn to understand people a lot. Somewhat paradoxically, I did well at my corporate job due to my seminary education and I succeeded in corporate management because of my seminary experience. In our years at St. Vladimir’s, we didn’t have the luxury of asking, “what do I feel like doing right now? Who do I feel like loving?” The people skills I picked up at seminary have been invaluable in both my corporate and ministry work.

At St. Vladimir’s I gained a deep sense of what’s important: focus, compassion, worship, scripture, and love in service to God and neighbor.

Learn more about the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative and its programs, events, and initiatives at orthodoxservantleaders.com.

Around 120 participants and fourteen instructors and speakers came together this June for “Unity in the Church through Song,” St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Summer Music Institute. The online event, hosted by the Seminary’s Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA), was held June 2 through June 5, 2021.

The Summer Music Institute—building on the legacy of the Seminary’s Summer Liturgical Institutes of years past—was designed for experienced musicians and beginners alike. It featured master classes and “boot camp” sessions for conducting, composing, and singing; panel discussions; presentations; and keynote lectures. Following the theme of “Unity in the Church through Song,” the conference highlighted Slavic, Byzantine, Coptic, and Georgian liturgical musical traditions.

“It was very inspiring,” said participant Anya Sievers. “I think I enjoyed feeling as a part of the community of other Orthodox Christians around America the most. I enjoyed learning how other Orthodox Christian choirs function and learning about the pitches at the boot camp. I realized how much more I need to learn! I appreciate the resources for further learning that were shared by some presenters.”

The distinguished and diverse lineup of instructors for the event included Anthony J. Maglione, Tynan Davis, Benedict Sheehan, Talia Maria Sheehan, John A. Graham, Dr. Vladimir Morosan, John Michael Boyer, Daniel Girgis (SVOTS Class of 2021), Dr. Nicholas Reeves, and Juliana Woodill.

“I was honored to be able to work with this faculty. Each instructor brought an incredible enthusiasm for Orthodox liturgical music, and that enthusiasm was present in every session,” said Dr. Harrison Russin, St. Vladimir’s assistant professor of liturgical music and one of the Music Institute organizers. “One participant told me it was a ‘fantastic Zoom conference,’ and I think that was because of the high level of professionalism and fun that our faculty brought.”

Keynote lectures—which will be made available to the public at a later date—were delivered by David Drillock, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Tim Patitsas, and Mother Christophora.

"Hearing each of the four keynote addresses, and watching listeners’ reactions, we were nothing less than overwhelmed with their theological depth and their practical wisdom,” said ISA Director Dr. Peter Bouteneff.

“It was also gratifying to have among faculty and organizers representatives from four major Orthodox seminaries: St. Vladimir’s, St. Tikhon’s, St. Nersess, and Holy Cross.”

Among them, Talia Maria Sheehan, who lives and works with husband Benedict Sheehan at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, played an enormous role in organizing the Summer Music Institute.

“It was incredibly inspiring to watch so diverse a group of faculty and speakers, each of whom had such unique and profound expertise, come together and find so much in common,” she said. “And that coming together was a mirror of the coming together of our diverse participants, as well! We were so grateful to be given that time to be with others who love the beauty of God’s House.” 

Details regarding the next Summer Music Institute will be announced early next year.

Sisters of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA perform during the St. Vladimir's Seminary Summer Music Institute, held online June 2–5, 2021.

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.

In recent weeks two alumni of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Dns. Timothy Aznavourian and Michael Sabounjian, were ordained to the priesthood for the Armenian Church’s Eastern Diocese of America.

Deacon Timothy, now Priest Nigoghos (Nicolas), was ordained May 28 and 29, 2021 through the hand of His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan at St. Mark Armenian Church, Springfield, MA. The occasion was a historic one, marking the first time an American-born deacon has been ordained to the Armenian priesthood by an American-born bishop.

Bishop Daniel also presided over the ordination of Dn. Michael, who was ordained to the priesthood June 4 and 5, 2021 at Holy Resurrection Church in New Britain, CT. Father Michael had been serving there as deacon-in-charge. His father, Fr. Krikor Sabounjian, served as sponsoring priest during the ceremonies.

After their ordinations, both new priests began the traditional forty days of seclusion and prayer that follows on the heels of a priestly ordination in the Armenian Church. Upon completion of the days of seclusion and prayer, the priests will serve as pastors at the parishes where they were ordained—Fr. Nigoghos at St. Mark and Fr. Michael at Holy Resurrection.

Father Nigoghos Aznavourian was born in Boston to parents David and Patricia Aznavourian. Baptized as Timothy, he grew up in Malden, MA, later moving to Rhode Island as a young adult. He is a 2020 graduate of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He also received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Rhode Island College.

Father Michael Sabounjian, a native of the Holy Translators parish in Framingham, MA, is a graduate of Boston College, St. Nersess Seminary, and St. Vladimir’s (’18). Following graduation he served a pastoral internship at the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI, under the tutelage of Fr. Shnork Souin.

The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary wishes the newly ordained Priests Nigoghos and Michael and their families many years!

Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus Dn. Anthony (Angelo) Niqula was ordained to the holy priesthood May 17, 2021, at his home parish, St. Mary Orthodox Church, Palos Heights, IL. His Grace, Bishop Anthony, a fellow St. Vladimir's alumnus, presided over the ordination.

Father Anthony graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2019, with a commendation for service to the community. He served as student council president at the Seminary and sang frequently with the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Octet and Chorale; he is one of the voices featured on Arise! Music of the Psalms, an album released earlier this year by SVS Press. He is also a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 2016.

As a deacon, Fr. Anthony had been serving as pastoral assistant at St. George Orthodox Church of Boston while Byzantine music at Hellenic College Holy Cross, Brookline, MA. He, Khouria Evangelia, and daughter Rafaela will return to serve at St. George following the ordination at St. Mary.

The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary wishes them all many years! 

During and shortly after St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s 2021 Spring Semester, six new priests and five new deacons were added to the ranks of our student body and alumni fellowship. Additionally, one alumnus was elevated in rank and another has been elected to the Holy Episcopacy.

We keep them all in prayer as they continue in their ministries. Axios!

Seminary graduate and current Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) student Priest Alessandro Margheritino has been appointed secretary of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). The Holy Synod confirmed the appointment Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

The confirmation followed His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tihkon’s nomination and the Metropolitan Council's endorsement. Father Alessandro’s appointment takes effect immediately.

The Rev. Alessandro has been serving as executive assistant at the OCA Chancery and rector of  St. Innocent Church in Olmstead Falls, OH, under the omophorion of fellow St. Vladimir’s Alumnus His Eminence, Archbishop Paul (’94) and the OCA’s Diocese of the Midwest.

Father Alessandro was born and raised in Palermo, Italy. Raised in a Roman Catholic family, Fr. Alessandro was chrismated in the Orthodox Church at the age of 17. In Italy, he attended a linguistic lyceum where he studied Italian, English, and French literature for five years. He later studied at the University of Palermo where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science. Prior to enrolling at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY in 2011, he and his wife, Matushka Anna—who is currently the Seminary’s graphic designer—were members of St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church in Columbus, OH. Father Alessandro was an active student during his time at St. Vladimir’s, serving as student council president and graduating with a commendation for service to the community when he completed his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2014. He was ordained to the priesthood by His Beatitude on the Feast of Ascension on May 29, 2014 at the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel. He was assigned to St. Innocent Church the same year. In recent years, Fr. Alessandro has also served as president of the Greater Cleveland Council of Orthodox Clergy and spiritual advisor for ZOE for Life!

Father Alessandro and Mat. Anna have two sons, Luca and Nicolas.

The community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary wishes Fr. Alessandro, Mat. Anna, Luca, and Nicolas many years!

Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Alumnus Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel) is being raised to the episcopacy. On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, during their regular Spring Session under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) canonically elected Fr. Gerasim bishop of Fort Worth and auxiliary to His Eminence Archbishop Alexander and the Diocese of the South.

Archimandrite Gerasim has been serving as rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral in Dallas, TX, administrator of the Diocese of the South Diocesan Council, and dean of the Diocese’s Southcentral Deanery.

Father Gerasim graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 2012. He was the class valedictorian and also received commendations for contribution to community life and for his thesis, Russian Icons in a Native Church: Conflict in Culture in Western Alaska.

Details regarding Fr. Gerasim’s consecration as bishop will be announced at a later date.

May God grant the newly elected Archimandrite Gerasim many years! AXIOS!

Giving thanks to God, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary hosted Commencement Exercises for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021. The ceremony was held outdoors in front of Three Hierarchs Chapel on a beautiful, sunny afternoon Saturday, May 15, 2021.

The Seminary hosted commencement for both classes this year, as last spring’s commencement exercises had to be postponed due to pandemic-related restrictions. The two classes were made up of fifty-one men and women from a multitude of Orthodox jurisdictions and other churches—thirty-three from the class of 2020, and twenty-two from the class of 2021 (four graduates obtained two degrees, one from each year).

The celebration of the graduating classes and the close of academic year 2020-2021 began with Divine Liturgy Saturday morning. His Beatitude Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, metropolitan of all America and Canada, and chairman of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, presided over the Liturgy. The community gathered at chapel again for a Moleben before the start of the commencement ceremony.

Words of Thanksgiving & Wisdom

Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield began the ceremony by noting several highlights from St. Vladimir’s academic year.

“By the Grace of God, we were able to welcome this incoming class and our returning seminarians for in-person learning. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone at the Seminary who worked hard to ensure we were able to remain open to offer residential theological education and spiritual formation—which is, of course, the ideal in training future priests and leaders of the Church,” said Fr. Chad. “It was not an easy year, but we did it,” he continued, as he and the crowd applauded.

Along with Seminary graduates, guests, faculty, and staff, the Commencement Exercises were especially blessed by the presence of Metropolitan Tikhon; His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, archbishop of New York and metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho, archbishop of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America; His Eminence Mor Silvanus Ayub, archbishop of the America, Canada, and Europe region of the Knanaya Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church; His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church; His Grace Bishop Daniel Findikyan, primate of the Eastern Diocese of America of the Armenian Church; Archpriest John Parker, dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary; Priest Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary; and Priest M.P. George, professor of liturgics and liturgical music at Old Theological Seminary in Kottayam, Kerala, India.

Metropolitan Joseph offered words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduating classes.

“On behalf of our Antiochian Archdiocese, I congratulate all of you, as your years of study now come to a successful conclusion,” wrote His Eminence.

He also reminded graduates of the challenges they will face in service of the Church, including dealing with a variety of personalities and being aware of the devil’s attacks.

“When St. Anthony saw all the snares of the devil laid bare, he cried out, ‘How can anyone get through such snares?’ And a voice from heaven said one word: ‘humility.’ This our greatest need in ministry. Just as pride can rob our good deeds of any benefit, so humility has the power to make our weakest efforts bear much fruit.”

Words from the Graduating Classes

During the ceremony St. Vladimir’s Academic Dean Dr Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie invited Natalie Freeborg and Hieromonk Michel Mikhail to deliver the Salutatory and Valedictory Addresses, respectively.

Freeborg noted that, while unique and challenged by unprecedented circumstances, the seminary experiences of the classes of 2020 and 2021 were in no way defined by the pandemic. Instead, thanking the tireless efforts of the Seminary administration, faculty, and staff, Freeborg remarked that her and her colleagues’ theological education was “business as usual.”

“For us, this ‘business as usual’ has meant forging connections, building up a truly Christian community; it has meant pursuing academic excellence, reading the works of our forbearers, and writing papers of our own in response; most importantly, this business as usual is best defined by the liturgical prayers and traditions that have trained us to direct our minds, bodies, and hearts more fully towards Christ.”

Bringing to mind God’s call to the prophet Jeremiah, Fr. Michel offered insightful words of encouragement to his fellow graduates.

“God called Jeremiah to remind the people of their first love, when they first discovered God and their faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned us that the love of many will grow cold,” he said. “So we are the ministers of God, sent out into the world to be burning coals. We are called to rekindle the fire in the hearts of the faithful.”   

The St Macrina Award

Another member of the graduating class of 2021, Student Council President Patrick Russell, presented this year’s St. Macrina Award for Excellence in Teaching, selected each year by student vote, to Professor Rev. Dr. Bogdan Bucur.

“I cannot count the number of times I have heard people in the refectory excited to go to class to learn from Fr. Bogdan, or comment that three hours [in class with him] seemed like a class that had only started,” said Russell.

Closing Remarks from His Beatitude

Following a performance of the Exapostilarion of Pascha by the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale, Metropolitan Tikhon offered a final reflection to close the Commencement Exercises.

“I would encourage you to take a lesson from your experience of seminary life, the blessed experience you have had of living in a Christ-centered community, and take it with you, wherever you go,” said His Beatitude. “It will help you to build new Christ-centered communities and to graft new branches onto the one Vine. It will help you to bear fruit, so that others may bear even greater fruit….

“The world will offer you images of virtual community and fake friendship. But it is better to devote your energy to creating genuine community and true friendship through sacrifice, kindness, and selflessness. For this, you have the example of Christ Himself. May He inspire you in this manner and bless all of you, and keep you in all that you do for the Glory of God.”

May God grant the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 many years!

Like many of our committed longtime St. Vladimir’s donors, Dr. Asimoula Julia Alissandratos of Charleston, SC has led an interesting life. A two-time Fulbright scholar and graduate of Swarthmore College and University of Chicago (with a B.A. in Russian and an M.A. in Russian Literature, respectively), Asimoula is a published author on the topic of medieval Slavic and Patristic eulogies and has traveled widely in Eastern Europe.

“If you studied Russian when I did,” Dr. Alissandratos notes, “you had a narrow range of options. So instead of joining the CIA,” she laughs, “I taught at MIT for seven years!”

During the Cold War, scholars of Soviet medieval texts were forbidden to deal with them as “religious literature,” so they welcomed Western scholars who could. Eventually, Asimoula moved from academia at MIT to finance in New York while obtaining an M.B.A. degree from New York University. She worked as a bond analyst and trader, portfolio and risk manager, for over twenty years.

“It was during those New York years that I first became acquainted with St. Vladimir’s Seminary,” Asimoula says. “The Seminary reached out in many ways to the laity. I knew the professors during those years, more than the students—they were world-renowned scholars. Father John Meyendorff even wrote a letter of recommendation for me,” she remembers.

In this, The Year of Schmemann, Asimoula recalls that even during the years of the blackout of information from the West to the USSR, Fr. Alexander Schmemann was known and respected in Russia as “Father Alexander.” (A Voice for Our Time, Vol. 1 features English translations of Fr. Alexander’s Radio Liberty broadcasts into the Soviet Union, and is now available from SVS Press here.)

“Over the years, I enjoyed attending outstanding lectures and retreats at St. Vladimir’s, and of course browsing through the wonderful campus bookstore, where you find SVS Press publications respected by scholars in the United States and throughout the world. 

"As a former academic I’ve appreciated the high level of the content St. Vladimir’s produces through seminars, lectures, podcasts, recordings, and books," explains Asimoula. "And as a financial person I have great respect for the fact that they are self-supporting. Yet while the Seminary excels in these things, their greatest ‘product,’ to put it that way, is their graduates, and I have come to appreciate this more over the years. It’s not that the Seminary is unique in its mission of educating students—other schools are doing this—but at St. Vladimir’s they do it so well.” 

Asimoula reflects on the qualities of a good priest. “What makes for a great priest? He’s humble, gentle, sensitive, kind, loving, and pastoral—and he doesn’t confine himself to just visiting the Orthodox person in the hospital. I have been a part of communities who have been traumatized by priests and have seen firsthand the difference made by a good pastor. My current priest, just by his loving presence in our midst, has steadied the parish. As a result, all of a sudden non-Orthodox spouses are converting, we are growing, and we are in the process of building a new church center.

“Saint Vladimir’s turns out great graduates,” concludes Asimoula, reflecting on her many years of support for the Seminary. “They are well-trained and well-grounded, yes, but the Seminary knows that priests don’t always have to be scholars. The priest just needs to have his sense of calling nurtured, and then lead by example. More than anything, people need his loving presence. This kind of priest is one of the best gifts St. Vladimir’s gives to parishes.”