Father Giorgi Tskitishvili is a 34-year-old priest of the Orthodox Church of Georgia and a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree candidate at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS). Before becoming a priest, Fr. Giorgi was a successful pharmaceutical salesman who often traveled between Georgia and Turkey. When he became a...
Alexander Earl is a 28-year-old Master of Divinity student in his first year at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS). A graduate of Yale Divinity School, he had been on his way to becoming an Anglican priest when he discovered Orthodoxy reading St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press books for his...
Is beauty within the Church optional or essential? What are the origins of Orthodox Christian liturgical vestments, and what is their significance? Khouria Krista West explores the fascinating and colorful world of liturgical vesture in the first comprehensive book on this topic in the English language, the SVS Press book...
Amber Bennett is a 27-year-old first-year student in the Master of Divinity program at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS). Bennett has wanted to be a missionary ever since she was a child. She and her family converted to Orthodoxy from a nondenominational background when she was 18 years old...
Saint Vladimir’s Seminarian Deacon Andrew Eskandar was born and raised in Egypt until the age of thirteen, when his parents decided to move with Dn. Andrew and his two sisters to America to offer their children a more stable future. Since then, Dn. Andrew has lived in Staten Island, NY...
Philip McClanahan is a third-year M.Div. student from the Antiochian Archdiocese. Philip and his wife, Kristiana, have a daughter, Irene, and a son, Simon. How has your seminary experience been since the pandemic started? When COVID really kicked in at the beginning of March [2020], it was obviously challenging for...
Donna Karabin, the Chairperson for the Orthodox Church in America's Department of Christian Service and Humanitarian Aid, came and spoke to the St. Juliana's Society on the evening of October 13, 2014. She introduced us to several resources (such as oca.org/resource-handbook) and elucidated the plans the OCA has for promoting...
By Robyn Bishop, wife of 2nd-year seminarian Ryan On Monday night the St. Vladimir's Women's Group got together to cook for the HOPE soup kitchen, a service of HOPE Community Services located in neighboring New Rochelle, NY. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, also in New Rochelle, graciously let us use...
By Jillian Rettig, wife of 2nd-year seminarian Will "I am married too, to Christ," began Madre (Mother) Ivonne of the Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage in Guatamala. Madre was visiting the seminary for a week in September, and on the evening of September 29, she presented her life and work to...
On September 22, the Women's Group at St. Vladimir's kicked off the 2014–2015 year with a campfire and s'mores. The casual and cozy event started at 7 pm with ladies coming and going over the course of the evening. Hosted on the lawn of Dn. Gregory and Mat. Robyn Hatrak's...