Saint Tikhon’s Seminary here will host its annual Clergy Continuing Education Symposium June 16-18, 2015. The seminary is pleased to provide the symposium to assist priests and deacons of the Orthodox Church in America fulfill the 20 hours of continuing education studies mandated each year by the Holy Synod of Bishops.
This year’s program will focus extensively on the theological foundations for and the practice of pastoral care by parish clergy. The list of this year’s speakers and topics includes the following.
“Practical Issues in the Life of an Orthodox Priest with Guidance from the Holy Fathers” by His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, Rector of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary and Professor of Scripture, will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. Specific aspects of the Holy Priesthood, with direction gleaned from the writings of Saints Ambrose of Milan, Gregory the Great and John Chrysostom, will be explored.
“The Concept of Healing as Found in the Dynamic of the Treatment Team Model” by Archpriest John Kowalczyk, Director of Field Education at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary and Chaplain at SCI Waymart, will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. How various disciplines work together in a harmonious way to bring care for the total person will be examined. Also to be reviewed will be ways this treatment model can bring healing to the priest in his personal life and pastoral work.
“Palliative Care” by Dr. George Giokas, a Schenectady, NY physician who specializes in Geriatric, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, will be presented at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17. Palliative Care is a specialty of medicine caring for seriously ill people using an interdisciplinary team approach. Medical perspectives on current challenges to caring for adults with life-threatening illnesses will be discussed, as will issues related to advance care planning, including advanced directives.
“Pastoral Care in the Lives of the Saints” by Archpriest Joseph Frawley, Saint Martin Chapel at West Point Academy, will be presented at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17. Pastoral Care will be examined from two perspectives—as reflected in the Lives of the saints (i.e. the various categories of saints) and as exemplified in the lives of more contemporary God-pleasers.
“Caring for the Elderly and Disadvantaged” by Matushka Marion Swencki, Director of Long Term Care, Wayne Woodlands Manor, Waymart, PA, will be offered at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 18. Topics to be discussed include Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; simple solutions to major problems; person centered care and the corresponding right to dignity and respect; multi-pharmacy and effects on well being; Medicare, Medicaid, Private insurance, Managed Care, and Supplemental Insurance; and elder abuse identification, prevention, and reporting.
“Pastoral Counseling in the Parish” by Archpriest Steven Voytovich, Dean, Associate Professor of Pastoral Arts and Praxis, Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, will be presented at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 18. Among the topics to be considered are grief and loss, marriage, addictions, family system orientation helpful in family counseling, and other related topics.
All courses are available for Clergy Continuing Education credit, as approved by Archpriest Ian Pac-Urar. The cost, which includes lecture registration, room and board (in the Metropolitan Leonty Dormitory), is $100.00 per person. For an additional charge, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Pioneer Plaza Hotel, Carbondale, PA. Please contact the seminary directly at 570-561-1818 or by writing to teresa.vauxmichel@stots.edu for questions and/or to make reservations.
In the coming weeks, schools will wind down for the academic year, signaling the opening of the Orthodox Church in America’s network of “coast-to-coast” summer camps!
A comprehensive directory of over a dozen summer camping programs, compiled by OCA Youth Director Andrew Boyd, is now available.
His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Alaska presided at the 42nd Commencement Ceremony of Saint Herman’s Seminary here on May 10, 2015.
Graduates included Deacon John Kudrin and Subdeacon Sergius Chocknok. Subdeacon Herman Madsen and Elena Levi were awarded Readers’ Certificates.
Alumni joined guests, students’ families and friends at the ceremony, during which Priest David Rucker delivered the Commencement Address. Graduates also were presented with gifts on behalf of Mary Ann Koury and “Outreach Alaska.”
Due to the unexpected number of registrants for the Orthodox Church in America’s 18th All-American Council here July 20-24, 2015, the Hilton Atlanta Hotel is fully booked and an additional hotel—the Hyatt Regency—is now accepting reservations for council participants, according to Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary.
“While a June 26 deadline for room reservations at the Hilton had been announced, the entire block of reserved rooms had already been booked by June 4,” Father Eric said. “Initially, the number of rooms booked was based on attendance at two previous councils in 2011 and 2008. We did not anticipate the surprising, sharp increase in the number of faithful planning to attend this year’s AAC.”
The Hyatt Regency, located at 265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, is conveniently connected to the Hilton via Skybridge through Peachtree Center Mall.
The Hyatt Regency’s special council rate—$124.00 per standard guestroom, per night, plus applicable taxes and fees—is available from July 17 through 24. Deadline for registration is June 26, 2015.
“Those who have yet to book rooms for the council must make their reservations by June 26 to receive the quoted special rates,” Father Eric added. “All requests received after this date will be subject to availability.”
Reservations may be made on-line or by phone at 1-888-421-1442. Request the “Orthodox Church in America” Group Rate.
In related news, the deadline for submitting ads and greetings for the commemorative book to be published in conjunction with the AAC and the 89th annual Convention of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America is June 15. Detailed information and ad forms may be accessed here.
The Ganister Orthodox Foundation is now accepting applications for grants for organizations and parishes with innovative approaches to advancing the mission of Orthodox Christianity in the US. The deadline for submitting grant applications is July 31, 2015. Recipients will be announced in the fall.
Founded in 2001, the Ganister Orthodox Foundation is a component of the Williamsport, PA-based First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania. The foundation takes its name from the village of Ganister in Central Pennsylvania, where immigrants drawn there by employment opportunities in the limestone quarry established Saint Mary’s Holy Assumption parish in 1916.
Favor will be given to proposals that address priority needs of the Orthodox Church in America, especially those that do so in catalytic ways. The selection process also weighs leadership experience, clarity of goals, the presence of a stable funding base, and faithfulness to the teachings and ministry of the OCA. Applicants must articulate how their undertaking will have a positive impact on a specific priority need, without duplicating other programs or projects already serving the Church.
Grants are modest in size, generally ranging from $250 to $2,500. But, properly used, they have the potential to jump-start valuable initiatives that otherwise might not get off the ground. Examples of grants given over the years include
funding a guest speaker program to help seminarians develop their pastoral skills.
providing tutoring materials and sports equipment for a church-run after-school program for inner-city Latino children.
translating invaluable music textbooks from Russian to English.
purchasing digital recorders to distribute Orthodox radio broadcasts world-wide.
developing a “mission starter” kit.
printing materials regarding human services for aging Orthodox Christians.
supporting continuing education opportunities for clergy.
underwriting the Profiles of Ministry program to assess and counsel seminarians on their strengths and weaknesses.
Applicants must be qualifying 501c(3) entities as described under IRS Section 509(a)(1). Grants will not be considered for endowments, ongoing operational support, annual campaigns or event sponsorships, debt reduction, research grants, or support of individuals.
To receive an application, contact the First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania, 330 Pine Street, Suite 401, Williamsport, PA 17701, or visit the Foundation’s website. Applications will be reviewed and recommendations made by the Advisory Board of the Ganister Orthodox Foundation, a donor-advised component of the First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania.
Members of the Holy Synod with Mother Gabriella, Abbess of Holy Dormition Monastery.
The members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America began their annual retreat at Holy Dormition Monastery here on Tuesday, June 9, 2015.
Within the context of the celebration of the daily liturgical cycle of Vespers, Matins and the Hours, the Holy Synod is considering a variety of matters, including the theme of the forthcoming 18th All-American Council [AAC], “How to Expand the Mission,” in light of current issues affecting the Church in North America and beyond. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon offered an opening reflection on progress and concerns experienced during the past three years, to which the hierarchs freely responded. Related matters under review include proposed revisions to the OCA Statute and the Financial Resolution slated to be presented at the AAC; the vision for theological education; and matters regarding external affairs.
The members of the Holy Synod are deeply grateful to Mother Gabriella, Abbess, and the monastic sisterhood for their traditional hospitality during the three-day gathering. The hierarchs also will visit the Vatra—the headquarters of the Romanian Episcopate—where they will be hosted by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel.
The retreat will conclude on Thursday evening, June 11.
The “Pastoral Changes” for April and May 2015—the official announcements of ordinations, assignments, releases, etc. affecting the clergy of the Orthodox Church in America, as issued by the Office of the Chancellor, Archpriest John Jillions — are now available in PDF format.
At 8:19 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Archpriest Innocent Dresdow was startled to receive a call from Kodiak Police Dispatch. Asked to meet police officers at Holy Resurrection Cathedral, he was told not to go into or near the church, as it was “an active crime scene.”
“I arrived on scene at 8:25 p.m. and met up with responding officers across the street from the cathedral,” Father Innocent said in the initial report he sent to His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka. “The lead officer related to me that the cathedral had been broken into and that a suspect had been apprehended in the church yard. He called the damage to the interior of the church ‘severe.’”
Father Innocent did not recognize the suspect’s name, but he was told that he “was fairly new to town.”
“Once detectives allowed me to enter the cathedral, I was able to view the damage first-hand and answer any contextual questions,” Father Innocent continued. “There was broken glass everywhere. Curiously, a cruise ship had been in Kodiak earlier on Wednesday and hundreds of tourists had visited the cathedral. At the candle stand was a money plate with cash donations, but it was untouched. It appears that the suspect targeted only the most sacred things—the windows were the only ‘non-holy’ items damaged.”
While the relics of Saint Herman of Alaska, which are enshrined in the cathedral, were not disturbed, Father Innocent noted that seeing the reliquary brought him “to tears.” Saint Herman’s skufia and wrought iron cross and chains were in disarray and displayed no visible damage; his monastic cross clearly had been vandalized.
“Prayer requests that pilgrims had left at the reliquary were scattered on the floor, but there was no visible damage to the carved reliquary,” Father Innocent added. “Fortunately, the locks on the interior coffin were undisturbed.”
The greatest damage occurred in the cathedral’s altar.
“While the Table of Oblation remained untouched, there was a great deal of damage to the Holy Altar Table and High Place,” said Father Innocent. “The Gospel Book sustained substantial damage and was open, while the primary antimension was found on the floor, wrinkled but otherwise undisturbed. The Holy Chrism bottle was broken, but the altar crosses—gifts from His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian—had been bent. Since the Reserved Mysteries had been strewn on the floor—apparently the tabernacle and its plexiglas dust cover had hit the floor when the altar cover was ripped away—I meticulously cleaned the floor of every particle I could locate and placed them in a chalice with a little wine and warm water, knowing that there was certainly some glass and other contaminates, and consumed them.”
Other items—additional antimensia, liturgical fans, icons, censers, vestments, etc.—were strewn about but did not sustain permanent damage. A bloodied garden shovel, apparently used in the initial break-in, was found at the front door and taken by detectives as evidence.
“By midnight all the windows were boarded up and as much glass as possible had been picked up, swept and vacuumed by not only cathedral faithful, but also others from the community at large,” said Father Innocent.”
“Fortunately, nothing was lost, but there is much that is damaged,” said Bishop David. “I ask your prayers for Father Innocent and the cathedral family, the investigators and the perpetrator.”
The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry is encouraging all clergy, parents and lay leaders to help connect graduating high school students with campus ministry efforts in their prospective colleges and universities, according to Andrew Boyd, OCA Youth Director.
“Through Orthodox Christian Fellowship’s ‘First Forty Days’ program, clergy, lay leaders, parents, and students may submit contact information for rising college freshmen,” said Mr. Boyd. “OCF will connect these contacts to existing, local OCF chapters and parishes near their campuses and provide resources for navigating the transition into campus life.
According to OCF, “Research has shown that many college students form the habits and social groups that they will maintain for the entirety of their college career in the first six weeks of their freshman year. OCF knows it is critical to personally contact every first-year Orthodox college student so that they know that an Orthodox family awaits them on campus during these crucial formative weeks.”
“Personal connections at this critical point of transition for our youth are imperative in terms of securing them in the life of the Church and empowering them to witness to Christ’s saving Gospel in their new environments,” Mr. Boyd added. “As we take the time to assist OCF in this work, we are also assisting in the much-needed preaching of the Good News on these campuses.”
Contact information must be submitted to OCF by July 15, 2015.
Fr. Innocent blesses cathedral interior before services on Thursday, June 11.
A 21-year-old man apprehended leaving Holy Resurrection Cathedral here on the evening of Wednesday, June 10, 2015, has been charged with felony charges of Burglary II and three counts of Criminal Mischief III.
The suspect allegedly broke a dozen windows and desecrated the altar and numerous interior appointments—including the skufia, wrought iron cross and chains of Saint Herman of Alaska, whose relics are enshrined in the cathedral—in what has been described as a “spree of destruction.” As reported earlier, the relics of Saint Herman remained untouched. [See related story.]
On-line donations to assist in the cathedral’s restoration and repairs may be made on-line via the web site of the Diocese of Alaska, or the cathedral’s Facebook page and web site. Donations also may be sent by mail to Holy Resurrection Cathedral, PO Box 55, Kodiak, AK 99615.
Established in 1794, the parish’s original church was erected two years later. The current church—the parish’s fourth—was built in the 1940s after a devastating fire destroyed the previous church. It was elevated to cathedral status in 2001.
According to Archpriest Innocent Dresdow, cathedral Dean, parish faithful and community members immediately undertook the massive effort to prepare and clean the cathedral for the celebration of the Akathistos Hymn in honor of Saint Herman, held every Thursday evening, on June 11. At its conclusion, a heartfelt message from His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Alaska was read.
Below, cathedral parishioner Suzanne Bobo describes clean-up efforts and the Akathistos service. Her account includes Bishop David’s words of thanks and encouragement.
“On Thursday evening, June 11, the faithful gathered at Holy Resurrection Cathedral to celebrate the weekly Akathistos to Saint Herman of Alaska and to pray for the 21-year-old suspect…. With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop David, the altar was re-chrismated after Father Innocent removed the blood that had stained the original white covering from the altar’s consecration in the 1940s and glass shards from the shattered top of the Chrism container. Earlier that afternoon, 12 parishioners and community members came together to continue the glass removal and prepare the church for divine services. A number of parish and community members came to the arraignment hearing and the judge asked Father Innocent to address the court about the impact and consequences to the parish faithful and community at-large….
“Before the Akathistos began, Father Innocent gave an emotional narrative of the damage, progress in the investigation and explanation of what was about to take place. He then invited the faithful to gather at the foot of the amvon to watch the altar be re-adorned. The Royal Doors and Deacon Doors were opened so the faithful could participate in the process as the clergy clothed the Holy Table with a replacement cover (the original green covers will have to be burned). Father Innocent brought each of the holy items out from the altar to show the damage before placing them on the Holy Table.
“Once the Holy Table was in order, prayers appointed for the desecration of sacred items by a heretic were prayed from the Book of Needs. Upon completion of these prayers, the clergy and faithful processed throughout the entire church and outside sprinkling Holy Water and singing the troparion to the Cross. In the midst of grieving, the faithful experienced the grace of Pascha.
“After the blessing we began the Akathistos triumphantly before the open reliquary. Saint Herman’s damaged monastic cross was placed at his head. His chains were placed upon his chest and his skufia at his feet. A copy of the Hawaiian weeping Iveron icon was placed below the Myrrh lines left in the lid of the coffin when the original icon was placed in the reliquary last July and streamed Myrrh up into the lid of his coffin.
“After the dismissal the following message from His Grace, Bishop David was read to the faithful.
“‘Few incidents in life will affect us as deeply as those that violate what we hold Sacred,’” Bishop David wrote. “‘To see the Sacred space where our prayers are offered together, where we have been baptized, married, and have brought our loved ones for their final visit, in any form of disarray and brokenness is hard to look at or speak of. So when this horrible act was discovered, you all came together, as a loving community of Christians and responded. You were not looking for notoriety or fame, or even reward; you were just looking to do whatever you could to help begin the healing process that needs to happen to restore your Sacred Space. It was an act of love for God and your home. I want you all to know how deeply grateful I am for you dedication and love for Holy Resurrection Cathedral and Kodiak. I offer my unworthy prayers on your behalf before our Loving God that He will guide you and send you comfort in the coming difficult days. I recall the words of Pascha for all of us to remember, ‘Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, let those who hate Him flee from before His face.’ May His love give you strength and hope, as Saint Paul encourages us, ‘So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal’ [2 Corinthians 4:16-18].’
“With the blessing of His Grace, at a date to be determined, desecrated items will be transported by boat accompanied by clergy, faithful and community members. The holy items will be burned in Monks Lagoon, on Spruce Island. By the grace of God, nothing of antiquity will have to be burned.
“The outpouring from the community of Kodiak has been overwhelming and now the outpouring of love, prayers and support are coming from all over the world. As we begin the process of healing and restoring we ask for your prayers. If you wish to donate financially to help the parish repair and upgrade the security of the reliquary and Cathedral we have set up ways to do so online. We will be posting regular progress updates of both the repairs and the upcoming criminal trial on the cathedral’s Facebook page and the Diocese of Alaska web site.”
Photo by Leanne Parrott PhotographyPhoto by Leanne Parrott PhotographyPhoto by Leanne Parrott Photography
Calgary, Alberta: Parish moves to new quarters
Parishioners of Holy Martyr Peter the Aleut Church, Calgary, AB, celebrated a special service on Saturday, June 6, 2015 to mark their move into the building of the Anglican parish of Saint Mark and Saint Philip, which they are leasing from the local Anglican diocese. For the near future, the communities will share the space, while operating independently.
Holy Martyr Peter’s Rector, Priest Phillip Eriksson, began the celebration of Great Vespers in the parish’s old building. The clergy and faithful then processed two blocks to its new location. Concelebrating Vespers with Father Phillip were Priest Kyle Parrott, assistant priest at Holy Martyr Peter; Priests George Dahdouh, Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Annunciation; Peter Rougas, Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church; and Deacon Kevin Wigglesworth.
After Vespers, the Rev. Brian Way of the Anglican parish welcomed the Orthodox faithful to their new home. Also present were several pastors from throughout the community of Marda Loop.
South Canaan, PA: Two new titles available from STM Press
Being Bread by Deacon Stephen Muse—originally published by the Orthodox Research Institute in 2013—is an inspiring book that will help many people break out of their customary way of viewing life. The stories and reflections in this volume are offered in celebration of the One Who, in surprising ways and unexpected circumstances, becomes the precious and pure gift of our being bread so that we may live the mystery of becoming bread for others.
Deacon Stephen Muse is Director responsible for the Pastoral Counselor Training Program and Clinical Services for the D.A. and Elizabeth Turner Ministry Resource Center of the Pastoral Institute, Inc. in Columbus, GA. He also is author of Beside Still Waters: Restoring the Souls of Shepherds in the Market Place (2000), Raising Lazarus: Integral Healing in Orthodox Christianity (2004), and When Hearts Become Flame.
In The Soul’s Longing: An Orthodox Perspective and on Biblical Interpretation, Dr. Mary Ford, Associate Professor of New Testament and Spirituality at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary and a scholar in the field of Biblical hermeneutics, demonstrates the essential connection between spiritual life and authoritative, inspiring biblical interpretation. The volume also explains the profound effect of one’s theology – especially Christology – on one’s hermeneutic. This is accomplished by looking at fundamental principles of traditional Christian theology, with an historical overview indicating the close connection between exegesis and spiritual life in the Church of the early centuries and describing what went wrong that led to the problems in much of today’s Biblical scholarship. Dr. Ford notes how the exegetical strengths of the early Church can and should be brought into the present while retaining what is of value from Bible scholarship of the recent past and offers examples of how this can be done.
Dr. Ford and her husband, Dr. David C. Ford, are coauthors of Marriage as a Path to Holiness, also published by Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Press.
Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Seminary announces publishing endeavor; new biography of St. Tikhon of Moscow now available
The publishing work of Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY is expanding into the academic field with the creation of a new imprint. Under the editorship of Dr. Vitaly Permiakov, Holy Trinity Seminary Press will publish studies relating to the theology, history, and liturgy of the Orthodox Church. Liturgical texts and guidance for the spiritual life will continue to be the mainstays of Holy Trinity Publications’ flagship imprint, the Printshop of Saint Job of Pochaev.
Archimandrite Luke, abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery and seminary Rector, commented on the new project, “Our mandate has always been to publish books for the spiritual edification of the faithful and for the conversion of the world around us. Now we seek to expand this mission to include works that elucidate the Church’s Tradition in a scholarly manner. These books will both support our task of educating the next generation of Orthodox priests and address the growing challenges of an increasingly secularized academia.”
Assistant to the Dean Priest Ephraim Willmarth sees a lack of traditional and patristic textbooks available for seminary courses in the English language. He hopes that the new seminary press “will have a significant impact on theological education in our seminary classrooms, in distance education, for those educating themselves, and in other seminaries.”
Towards this aim, HTSP will release Archbishop Averky’s The Four Gospels, the first volume in his series, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament. Writing in the tradition of biblical exegetes such as Saint John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Vladyka Averky allows the reader to see the life of Christ as an unfolding narrative in accessible, direct language. This translation will be an indispensable addition to the library of every student of the Gospels.
The first title released under the new imprint will be Chosen for His People: A Biography of Patriarch Tikhon by Jane Swan. Ninety years after Saint Tikhon’s repose, Dr Swan’s modest but carefully crafted monograph remains the only complete biography of this holy confessor available in English. This new edition has been updated and revised in light of newly discovered sources.
Moscow, Russia: Elena Dorman honored for translation of Fr. Schmemann’s writings
Elena Dorman recently was awarded the Alexander Piatigorsky Literary Prize for her dedicated translation of a collection of writings by the late Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, titled The Liturgy of Death in Contemporary Culture. The book made its debut at a December 2013 gathering in Moscow marking the 30th Anniversary of Father Alexander’s repose. [See related story.] The book was edited and translated into Russian from various unpublished lectures composed by Father Alexander in the 1970s.
For many years, during Soviet and post-Soviet times, Ms. Dorman has been involved in the translation, publication and distribution of Orthodox Christian theological literature, especially during her years as the representative in Russia of Religious Books for Russia.
The annual retreat of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America concluded on June 11, 2015. [See related story.]
In addition to participating in the daily cycle of services at Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, retreat site, and reflecting on a number of spiritual themes, including that of the forthcoming 18th All-American Council, the hierarchs engaged in sessions of a practical nature.
Highlights of these sessions include the following.
In his opening report, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, reflected on the positive role of the OCA in the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops and beyond. He noted that he would be visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Tuesday, June 16, with the members of the Assembly’s Executive Committee. [See related story.]
It was decided to issue a letter releasing the Former Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan Jonah, to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. His release becomes official with his receipt of said letter.
The hierarchs reaffirmed their full support for the Statute revision slated to be presented at the 18th All-American Council. Parishes are encouraged to share and review proposed revisions prior to the AAC. They also expressed support for the revised resolution on Finances.
The hierarchs decided that all monastics are to be formally enrolled in their respective monasteries with appropriate records to be kept by the monasteries and diocesan hierarchs. Monastics not in residence at a monastery are to be enrolled in the diocese in which they reside. Diocesan bishops will see to the spiritual care of monastics. Likewise, it was decided that all retired military chaplains, upon their release from military service, will be transferred from the omophorion of the Metropolitan to the omophorion of the bishop in whose diocese they reside.
The members of the Holy Synod heard a report from Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky on current events in world Orthodoxy.
During the meeting, which took place in a spirit of open exchange in the personal office of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the hierarchs reviewed with His All-Holiness the work of the Assembly of Bishops, especially as it relates to the overall work of its committees. Particular attention was given to the work of the Committees for Pastoral Practice and Canonical Regional Planning. The hierarchs also discussed a number of challenges and opportunities in the formulation of a proposed plan for the restructuring of the Orthodox Church in the United States.
Joining the Ecumenical Patriarch, Elder Metropolitan John of Pergamon discussed the mission of the Assemblies of Bishops as originally envisioned at their inception in Chambésy in 2009. Both the Ecumenical Patriarch and Metropolitan John commended the efforts of the US hierarchs, and acknowledged their work as a model for inter-Orthodox cooperation.
Present at the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch and Elder Metropolitan John of Pergamon were the following members of the Executive Committee: Archbishop Demetrios (Ecumenical Patriarchate, Assembly Chairman), Bishop John (Moscow Patriarchate, Second-Vice Chairman), Metropolitan Antony (Treasurer), Bishop Longin (Patriarchate of Serbia), Archbishop Nicolae (Patriarchate of Romania), Metropolitan Joseph (Patriarchate of Bulgaria), Bishop Saba (Patriarchate of Georgia). Also present were Bishop Maxim (Coordinator for Committees) and Metropolitan Tikhon (Orthodox Church in America).
At the conclusion of the meeting the hierarchs departed with a renewed spirit of love and unity, eagerly looking forward to the annual General Assembly Meeting, which will take place in Chicago from September 14-17, 2015.
At their regular session here on May 29, 2015, the members of the Holy Assembly of Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church announced the glorification of two clerics who served in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—Bishop Mardarije [Uskokovic] and Archimandrite Sebastian [Dabovich]. Both saints are being recognized as “preachers of the Gospel, God-pleasing servants of the holy life, and inspirers of many missionaries” for their pastoral labors in America and their homeland.
The glorification came in response to a recommendation by the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.
The annual commemorations of Saint Mardarije of Libertyville, Bishop of America-Canada, and Saint Sebastian of Jackson will be observed on November 29/December 12 and November 17/30 respectively.
Saint Sebastian was born Jovan Dabovich in San Francisco, CA in 1863—in the midst of the US Civil war. His parents were Serbian immigrants from Sassovae. From his early youth he was devoted to the Church and spent much of his time at the city’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he later served as a reader and teacher. In 1884, he was assigned to assist at Archangel Michael Cathedral, Sitka, AK. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to Russia for training and formation as a missionary priest. After completing three years of studies at the Saint Petersburg and Kyiv Theological Academies, he was tonsured to monastic rank and ordained to the diaconate in 1887.
Returning to San Francisco, he served as a deacon at the cathedral and taught in the newly established pastoral school. On August 16, 1892, he was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to pursue missionary work in California and Washington. The following year, he succeeded Father [now Saint] Alexis Toth as rector of Saint Mary Church, Minneapolis, MN and taught at the Missionary School.
In 1894, Father Sebastian returned to California, where he established the first Serbian Orthodox parish in the US in Jackson, CA. Two years later, he was reassigned to San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral while continuing his missionary efforts in Jackson. In recognition of his abilities, Archbishop Tikhon assigned him as part of the North American Mission’s Administration. During this time he wrote a book titled The Ritual, Services and Sacraments of the Holy Orthodox Church. In 1902, he was transferred to Alaska, where he served as Dean of the Sitka Deanery.
With the development of additional Serbian parishes in the US, Archbishop Tikhon reassigned Father Sebastian to head the Serbian Mission in America in 1905. The Mission was based in Chicago, where Archimandrite Sebastian had organized and served as rector of Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church. He continued to guide the Serbian Mission through July 1910, when at his own request he returned to missionary work. With the opening of Saint Platon Seminary, Tenafly, NJ in 1913, he served as a member of the faculty and also was involved in numerous conferences and discussions with non-Orthodox Christian confessions. In these meetings, he was sympathetic and understanding, yet firm in his desire to reveal Orthodox Christianity as the fullness of truth and the Church of Christ.
While Archimandrite Sebastian was obviously a candidate for the episcopacy is America, he likewise felt the calling to minister in his ancestral Serbia. He served as a chaplain to the Serbian Army during the Balkan War and World War I. In 1916, he requested a release from the North American Mission to serve in Serbia, where he ministered for the remainder of his life. He fell asleep in the Lord on November 30, 1940 and was interred in the Monastery of Zicha by his friend and Father Confessor, Bishop Nikolai [Velimirovic].
Saint Mardarije was born Ivan Uskokovic in Podgoritsa, Montenegro, in 1889. In 1907, he embraced monasticism at the Studenitsa Monastery and then relocated to Russia to study at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy. After graduation, he was ordained by the Russian Orthodox Church and sent as a missionary to America. In 1919, he was one of five Serbian Orthodox priests who participated in the Second All-American Sobor, held in Cleveland, OH in February 1919, at which time it was recommended that the Serbian Church in Belgrade advance him to the episcopacy to organize a Serbian Orthodox Diocese in America. Unfortunately, at this most chaotic time in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, it was impossible to secure the written blessing of Patriarch [now Saint] Tikhon of Moscow. Later in 1919, Archimandrite Mardarije returned to Belgrade, where he was assigned as head of the Rakovitsa Monastery and principal of its monastic school. Subsequently, Bishop [now Saint] Nikolai [Velimirovic] of Ohrid was sent by Patriarch Dimitriye to administer the fledgling diocese. Having likewise returned to America, Archimandrite Mardarije served as Saint Nikolai’s Deputy for two years, and continued to administer the diocese after the latter’s return to Belgrade.
On April 26, 1926, Archimandrite Mardarije was consecrated to the episcopacy in Belgrade. Prior to his episcopal consecration, he had carried out most of the actual work of organizing the Serbian diocese. He also served as parish priest in Chicago and purchased with his personal funds the land for Saint Sava Monastery in suburban Libertyville.
From the moment of his return to America, Bishop Mardarije undertook a wide range of ministries. He did not spare himself, nor did he fear work, although he knew that he was gravely ill with an advancing case of tuberculosis. In 1927, he convened the first National Church Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox American-Canadian Diocese to address a variety of organizational issues. At a clergy conference held in Youngstown, OH in 1931, he renewed his appeal for all to work for the unity and good of the diocese. His kindness, patience and reluctance to use punitive measures resulted in a great measure of unity within the diocese by the time of his repose on December 12, 1935 at the age of 46 years. He was interred at Libertyville’s Saint Sava Monastery.
In a statement issued Friday, June 19, 2015, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops request the faithful to pray for the victims, families and all affected by the shootings in South Carolina.
The text reads as follows.
“The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America calls upon the faithful to offer prayers for the victims and families of the tragic shootings at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina that left nine, including the pastor and associate pastor, dead.
“This senseless tragedy affects all of us who are bound together in the quest for peace in an increasingly violent world. We stand in solidarity with all people of Faith who reject such senseless violence. The violation of sacred space with violence is unacceptable and the tragedy that led to the death of these innocent people is beyond comprehension.
“May we continue to seek and promote peace in this world, standing firm in our rejection of hatred and violence.”
Printed copies of the reports will not be available at the AAC, slated to convene in Atlanta, GA July 20-24, 2015. Delegates may print out copies of the reports and place them in the three-ring binders they will receive at registration or bring them in electronic form to AAC sessions. Similarly, delegates are asked to print out copies of the Delegate Handbook, which also may be placed in the binder. Upon registration, delegates also will receive tote bags and delegate badges, which must be worn in order to gain entry into AAC plenary sessions.
The credentials and final registration process is being completed by the AAC staff. Please note that AAC registration will close on Friday, July 10. Registrations received after this date will have to be secured through special permission from the diocesan bishop.
In related news, the Atlanta Hilton is sold out, while the overflow hotel, the Hyatt Regency, is rapidly selling out. Delegates and participants are urged to make hotel reservations by June 26, 2015. The Hyatt Regency’s special AAC rate—$124.00 per standard guestroom, per night, plus applicable taxes and fees—is available from July 17 through 24. Reservations may be made on-line or by phone at 1-888-421-1442. Request the “Orthodox Church in America” Group Rate.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon presided, offered the Commencement Address, the text of which appears below. He also awarded Master of Divinity Degrees to 13 graduate, including those from India, Austria and the middle East.
Deacon Theophan received Honors in Church History for his thesis, “The Myster of Lawlessness: A Pastoral Examination of the Manifestation of Evil in Contemporary Society. Archpriest Daniel Donlick, who had just celebrated the 50th Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his decisive role in moving the seminary toward accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools and his decades of service as professor, academic dean, and confessor that continues to the present day. A scholarship also was named in honor of Father Daniel.
Participating in commencement exercises were two new board members: Nancy Kohudic, who is a member of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania and an ardent supporter of the seminary’s Married Student Housing Project, and His Grace, Bishop Thomas of the Antiochian Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, a long time supporter and friend of the Saint Tikhon Community.
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
May 23, 2015
Your Eminence, Archbishop Michael; Your Grace, Bishop Thomas; Very Reverend Fathers and Matushki; Distinguished Members of the Administration, Faculty, Staff, Board of Trustees and Alumni of our Seminary; Pilgrims to our Monastery and friends of our Seminary; Beloved Seminarians and families; and, especially today, Honored Graduates of the Class of 2015:
As we come to the conclusion of this academic year, I offer my congratulations and best wishes to the graduating seminarians of the class of 2015. My congratulations to you are not simply accolades for a job well done during your years at Seminary, although the many recognitions your class has received today is testimony to your accomplishments both individual and collective. Rather, my congratulations come to you in the form of a blessing: a blessing from your Rector and the Holy Synod of Bishops, a blessing from your Dean and the Administration, Faculty, Staff, Board of Trustees and Alumni of the Seminary, a blessing from the Church, to begin in earnest your apostolic ministry.
In the academic world, commencement addresses typically focus on the new beginning of the graduates, the horizons that are opening up, the challenges that they will face. The speaker will, often with humorous anecdotes or clever phrases, encourage the graduates to be true to themselves, to make an impact, to be daring and creative, to pick themselves up when they fall and above all, to be successful.
I will offer my own similar words of encouragement today, but I thought it might be helpful for us to reflect somewhat on the reality of our Orthodox Christian context for today’s ceremonies. We are here, in the year of the Lord 2015, fifty years after the repose of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Leonty, who is buried right behind us. We are here 100 years after the repose of the recently glorified Saint Raphael of Brooklyn. We are here 111 years after the founding of the Monastery by Saint Tikhon of Moscow and 221 years after the arrival of Saint Herman the monastic missionaries to Alaska.
Orthodoxy in North America is young, in some cases younger than some of the more venerable institutions of higher education in North America which are also holding commencement exercises. But while those institutions can perhaps place themselves within a longer history of the noble pursuit of knowledge and research, only you, as graduates this Theological School, as participants in these 74th Commencement exercises, can claim to be graduating within the bosom of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. As such, you are here as brothers in Christ, and all of us are here, as your brothers and sister in Christ, all with the possibility of participating in and experiencing eternity, here, where we are. This is no small blessing.
I myself recently returned from a trip to the ancient Church of Georgia, which traces its origins to the Apostle Andrew and to missionaries of the early centuries such as Saint Nino, the Equal to the Apostles. It is humbling for someone from North America to enter this ancient world and to behold the wealth of expressions of a real and solid Christian faith, with the witness of brave martyrs, ascetic monastics, saintly bishops and priests as well as faithful artists, teachers and scholars. The question arises: can such experience be incarnated in our lands and in our lifetime? And if so, how is this accomplished? This is what your task, as graduates of this theological seminary, whether you are ordained or not, will be for the rest of your lives: to seek to enter into the experience of the saints and to draw others to that experience through the life that you lead.
On my return flight from Georgia, I watched a 1997 movie called “Contact,” starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by the famous astronomer and scientific popularizer, Carl Sagan. I will not go into the details of the plot of this movie but will note that it centers on a scientist whose work is devoted to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. She is chosen to be the one to make contact an extra-terrestrial intelligence when strong evidence of its existence is discovered. This scientist, who does not believe in God, is sent in a special machine through various wormholes and other astronomical entities and somehow enters into contact with something “not of this world.” Upon her return to earth, she is, ironically, unable to convince the scientific community of the reality of her experience because there was no scientific record of it. Religious leaders in this movie are portrayed with the usual range of modern skepticism, from violent to unenlightened to simple people.
I mention this simply to note that, in our Orthodox understanding, the experience of the saints can very much be considered a scientific experience. Often, science and faith are opposed in our modern world, but if we look at the millennial witness of the Church, we see that, in fact, everything is empirical, that is to say, mystical. Mysticism is not something unreal or imaginary, or “dreamy or vague thinking in the clouds.” Rather, it is, in the words of Saint Nikolai (Velimirovich), “the science of the highest realities.” It is what Saint Paul is referring to when he says that we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Corinthians 3:6).
But when Saint Paul says this, it is not with a philosophical background of dualism but with the foundation of Jesus Christ, Who is the incarnate Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity and the Source of our salvation. The only way for us to enter into this reality is through our own experience, with the help of the experience of the Church and the Grace of God. So while our spiritual life should not be likened to a scientific experiment, it nevertheless is a way to train our soul to participate in higher realities.
As Saint Symeon the New Theologian writes, “The man who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Revealer of all things, acquires new eyes and new ears, and sees no more as a natural man, namely by his natural sight with natural sensation, but standing as it were beyond himself contemplates spiritually visible things and bodies as the symbols of the things invisible.”
Each of you, the graduates of the class of 2015, has had three or four years of learning about such things, and I am not prepared to summarize all that you have learned. However, I would just remind you that those years of learning were not simply the acquisition of knowledge but, in fact, part of your path to entering into the experience of the saints. Through the temptations that you have endured, through the struggles with your brothers, through your effort to stay awake in class, to pray with attention while distracted by your children, to care for you family while overwhelmed with classwork or field education, through your questioning whether you in fact, truly love your brothers or will perpetually be annoyed by them, through all of these ways, you have entered into the experience of the saints, that is, you have drawn closer to Christ your Master and Lord.
Jesus Christ is the fulness and foundation of everything, He is our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Church is not something in the past, nor something in our imagination, or something only in our mind. Rather she is an expression of His glory, the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. The Church is the witness of the reality of the victory of life over death, and the place where every human being can find salvation and healing. All of this is brought about by our Lord Jesus Christ, experienced by saints, martyrs and holy men and women throughout the ages and offered to us today, in our modern age and in our new world. He is why each of you came to seminary and it is for His sake that each of you is now sent forth as His Apostles.
Do not forget Christ. This is my first exhortation to you. It is precisely when we enter into this experience, even in a very small way, even imperfectly, that we come to understand what ancient Christianity is and what it can mean for us today.
Do not stop seeking your own healing. Our Church is founded on the premise that the ultimate goal of Christianity is deification: “God became man so that man might become god.” By uniting the Divine Nature with human nature, Christ brought man back to his primitive state and, beyond this, made it possible for man to become god by grace. You have not spent these years in seminary to learn to judge your brother or to condemn yourself. Rather you have started to learn, even if imperfectly, how to use the tools of our Christian asceticism in order to benefit from the salvation and healing wrought by Christ and to fulfill the potential given to you in baptism.
Do not forget the monastery. Monasticism is another “ancient” lifestyle that might feel anachronistic, not only in terms of relevance to our society but also in terms of community. In our age when we have access to unlimited information on the world wide web, unceasing contact with one another through email and text messages, boundless opportunities to express ourselves on blogs and comment threads, and near unlimited ability to share photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, it seems even more odd that a man or a woman might choose to enter the solitary life. But many continue to do so, and they do so, not to be alone, but rather to be united with all of mankind. As Archimandrite Vasileios writes, “A monk is one who is separated from all and united with all.”
As you leave here, you must support the monastic life, not only here at the monastery that helped to form you, but wherever it may be found and no matter how small its presence may appear. Make time in your busy schedules to make pilgrimage to a monastery, to remember the ceaselessly praying monastics in your own halting prayers, and to slowly strive for the inner peace and hesychia that the monastics offer to you as a gift and as an inspiration.
Be Creative. The Orthodox Church is often portrayed as static, reactionary, ultra-conservative, slow to change and archaic. All of these are inaccurate because they do not address the fundamental creativity of the Church, a Church which continues to be guided by the Holy Spirit. If you truly enter into the experience of the saints, you will become more, not less creative, in your work and in your ministries. Of course, this requires much discernment, but do not fear the true creativity that reveals not yourself, but the glory of Jesus Christ.
These are just some small exhortations to help you in your Apostolic Work. Just as asceticism is not the concern of monastics alone, so apostleship is a vocation for the entire Church. Archbishop Anastasios of Albania reminds us that “each one of us personally, bears his or her share of responsibility [for missions], as a living cell of this organic whole. Interest in apostleship, in mission, is not the specialty of particular groups or individuals, but a definitive characteristic of the Church herself. It is designated as the occupation of the Church. It is the sine qua non of its life.”
A contemporary ascetic of our own day, Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonos Petras monastery, write the following concerning Saint Herman: “[Saint Herman] knew that if he wanted to spread Orthodoxy, and if he wanted himself to become rich, that he would have to make himself small. If he wanted to become rich in the good things of God, then he himself would have to become poor. If he wanted to be first in the Kingdom of Heaven, he would be last here below. And thus, precisely for these reasons, he became a missionary and chose as his plan and method of missionary work not programs, not learned arguments, nor worldly standards, but instead silence and the desert, silence and prayer. He had learned this from the Apostle Paul who, when Christ called him to go bring the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles, disappeared for almost eleven years in the deserts and in seclusion in order there to absorb the Holy Spirit and so have something to give to people. His prayer was his mightiest weapon. Fellowship with God was its result.” This was echoed in all those who labored after St Herman.
In order to help in overcoming the division and brokenness of the world, Saint Tikhon of Moscow heeded the words of the Lord: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
Saint Tikhon was a true missionary and laborer with Christ in this mission of bringing the lost sheep into the fold. But he labored in a truly humble and deeply Christian manner. Contrasting the aggressive and self-aggrandizing ways of the non-Orthodox, Saint Tikhon pointed out that “Orthodox emissaries, on the other hand, act differently: they go to their holy task not in order that through it they might obtain glory among men, but in order they they themselves might reap mercy from God as well as salvation for others. They do not trumpet their success before the whole world, and, indeed, do not ascribe success to themselves but to the power of God.” In another place he would add, “But most importantly, the Orthodox Church accomplishes her [missionary] task in silence, with humility and godliness, with an understanding of human frailty and divine power.”
This is the hallmark of all true apostolic work. It was revealed by Saint Herman and by Saint Tikhon. It was lived by Saint Raphael and Saint Nikolai of Zhicha. And it was revealed by Metropolitan Leonty, whom we remember during this year, the 50th year of his repose. His vision for the Orthodox Church in America was not a national vision but a vision which he shared with Saint Paul, Saint Nino and all the saints down to our own time. It is a vision that is born out of humility and expressed through the actions of love.
Of course, all of our human efforts to attain these gifts will be for nothing if they are not blessed by the grace of God. And yet, we know that we are also called to exercise our free will in helping God to accomplish His divine will. An elder on Mount Athos told me once, in reference to my question about what advice to give to young men who were torn between following the path of monasticism and the path of marriage. His words were, “Sometimes its not so much a question of us doing God’s will but God doing our will.” Once again, this is a paradoxical statement, counter-intuitive to all that we have, perhaps, been taught about obedience to God, but founded on the reality that sometimes we, as human beings, must make a decision in our life, and then our obedience to God’s will lies in persevering in that decision.
May our loving and merciful Lord, whose glorious Ascension we celebrate, strengthen all of you to take the path that is laid out before you with boldness but with trust in God. May you express the ancient tradition of the faith in creative ways. May you always strive to enter into the experience of the Saints with humility but with perseverance. And may our merciful God fill you with His love and compassion for all of mankind. Amen.
Members of the Orthodox Church in America’s Pension Board held their quarterly meeting at the Chancery here on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
The Board finalized plans for the upcoming 18th All-American Council. The Board will host an Open House from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 20, 2015 . The informal session is open to all clergy, Church workers, members, nonmembers, and spouses to visit at any time during the session with questions or to learn more about the Plan. The Board will present a formal report to the entire Council during Plenary Session III on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21, 2015.
The independent auditors of the Plan, Saslow, Lufkin and Buggy, presented an unqualified audit report for the year ending December 31, 2014. Interested parties may contact Maureen Ahearn, Plan Administrator, at maureen@oca.org to receive a copy of the report in PDF format.
Finally, Board Chairman John Sedor was honored and appreciated for 20 years of dedicated service to the Pension Plan. Mr. Sedor’s term as a Board Member will expire at the upcoming All-American Council. To ensure a smooth transition, Priest Gleb McFatter was elected Interim Chairman.
The Orthodox Church in America Pension Plan serves over 325 active participants and more than 125 retirees, widows, and beneficiaries. The Plan is the only approved retirement vehicle for OCA parishes and clergy. Participation is expected of all clergy and is available for all full-time Church workers. Information and resources concerning the Plan are available here.
Pension Board Trustees include His Eminence, Archbishop Nikon; Archpriests Matthew Tate and John Zdinak; Priest Gleb McFatter; and Messrs. Theodore Bazil, Barry Gluntz, and John Sedor.
Participants in the 18th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, slated to convene July 20-24, 2015 in Atlanta, GA, are reminded that the registration deadline Is Friday, July 10.
“Registration must be completed by that date to ensure a place at the Council,” said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary. “Registrations that arrive after that date will require special approval by the Preconciliar Commission and the registrants’ diocesan bishops.”
The on-line registration procedure may be completed here.
In related news, the Atlanta Convention Bureau has created two special web sites through which AAC participants will find special discounts at Atlanta-area attractions and venues.
The “City Pass,” valid for discounts at the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, CNN Tours, Zoo Atlanta, the Civil Rights Museum, and a host of other venues, is available here.
The “Savings in the City Card,” customized for AAC participants and good for discounts at numerous attractions, restaurants and stores in the Atlanta area, also is available here.
Yonkers, NY: SVS Press to debut Gospel Commentary by Archbishop Dmitri at 18th AAC
Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press will formally debut The Holy Gospel According to Saint John: A Pastoral Commentary, by His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri [Royster], at the 18th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, to be held in Atlanta, GA July 20-24, 2015. The release of the volume, published posthumously—Archbishop Dmitri fell asleep in the Lord in 2013—was timed to coincide with the opening of the Council and to complement its overall theme, “How to Expand the Mission.” SVS Press will feature the new title in a special section of its display, along with Archbishop Dmitri’s other six publications through SVS Press.
“Archbishop Dmitri’s newest title concludes the Archbishop’s scriptural series, which has been popular for decades among pastors and parish Bible study groups,” noted Michael Soroka, Production Manager and Associate Editor at SVS Press. “This book attests to the author’s unflagging zeal in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Americas, and especially to those unfamiliar with either the Christian message or the Orthodox Church.
“We thought it appropriate to have this title ready for the AAC, not only to honor the memory of this prolific author and evangelizer, but also to offer a book that can ‘replenish the faith of Christians today,’ as William J. Abraham, professor at Perkins School of Theology and personal acquaintance of Archbishop Dmitri, writes in the Foreword,” Mr. Soroka concluded.
SVS Press planned the release of seven other new titles during the spring semester and summer of 2015, some of which already have made literary and scholarly news. In April, Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence was welcomed to launch at the “Arvo Pärt: Journeys in Silence” Live Ideas Festival, sponsored by New York Live Arts.
In May a major international doctoral and post-doctoral religion conference in Prague, “Ecumenical Reception and Critique of 20th Century Orthodox Theology in Exile and Diaspora,” featured the title The Ways of Orthodox Theology in the West. The book emerged from a larger overall project, “Symbolic Mediation of Wholeness in Western Orthodoxy,” which was financed by the Czech Republic and included prominent Protestant and Orthodox scholars who analyzed the interplay between Orthodox and Western Christians in the past century, including the Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Archpriest John Behr, who wrote the Foreword to the book.
In August, at the 17th International Conference on Patristic Studies at Oxford University, SVS Press will launch two new Popular Patristics Series titles: Two Hundred Chapters on Theology, by Maximus the Confessor (PPS53), and On the Apostolic Tradition, by Hippolytus (PPS54), the latter being a second edition of the work that employs a recently discovered Ethiopic manuscript. Later in the fall, the press will release A Layman in the Desert: Monastic Wisdom for a Life in the World, a fresh look at the desert fathers through the writings of Saint John Cassian.
“Besides attracting thousands of Orthodox Christian readers annually, our titles fall into some of the most unusual but grateful hands,” said Deacon Gregory Hatrak, Director of Marketing and Operations at SVS Press and Bookstore. “For example, last year, the Salvation Army in Australia called to place a large order for our Popular Patristics title On the Human Condition, by Saint Basil the Great, for a course they were offering!
“And, while most recently we have produced important scholarly volumes,” he went on, “we also published our other ‘staples,’ for example, the exquisitely illustrated and lively children’s book St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins, and the spiritual biography To Open One’s Heart: A Spiritual Path.
“Our newest eight titles represent the breadth and depth SVS Press typifies,” Deacon Gregory emphasized, “and we are so pleased to offer Archbishop Dmitri’s final pastoral commentary in this year’s wide-ranging mix of publications. Memory Eternal to a great evangelist!”
St. Petersburg, Russia: Midwest diocesan priest participates in anniversary of canonization of St. John of Kronstadt
Priest James Dank, Rector of Saint John of Kronstadt Church, Lincoln, NE, was among numerous international guests who participated in celebrations marking the 25th Anniversary of the canonization of Saint John of Kronstadt in St. Petersburg, Russia during the week of June 10, 2015. Invitations had been extended to representatives of churches, monasteries, schools orphanages, charitable foundations and other Orthodox Christian organizations worldwide named in honor of the saint—some 450 guests from 22 nations.
The celebrations began at St. Petersburg’s Saint John of Kronstadt Stavropeghial Convent, established in 1900 by Saint John, in which his relics are enshrined. His Eminence, Metropolitan Sergius of Barnaul and Altai presided at a Service of Thanksgiving, at which Father James and rectors of churches dedicated to Saint John from abroad concelebrated. Among other North Americans present at the celebration was His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Father James also was featured in a documentary film, “By the Name of John of Kronstadt,” which highlighted the work of clergy and founders of churches and organizations dedicated to Saint John in the USA, Pakistan, Chile, Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Russia.
Edmonton, AB, Canada: Rachmaninoff’s Vigil sung at St. Herman Church
In what was perhaps a “first” for Canada, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil Opus 37 was sung during the celebration of Vigil at Saint Herman of Alaska Sobor on Saturday, June 6, 2015.
A local Edmonton group, Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir, chose to sing this popular monumental work in honor of the choir’s fifth anniversary of organization and the centennial year of Rachmaninoff’s composition and premiere.
“Kappella Kyrie sang the parts of the Vigil service composed by Rachmaninoff, while Saint Herman’s Choir sang the propers for the Sunday after Pentecost, dedicated to All Saints,” said Priest Vincent Lehr, the parish’s Rector, who celebrated the Vigil. “The collaboration of both choirs in a solemn service for over two hours provided the 250 parishioners and guests who filled St. Herman’s church with a unique choral and spiritual experience.”
Concelebrating were Protodeacon Jesse Isaac and Deacon Sebastian Scratch, along with other OCA clergy and priests from Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The conductor of Kappella Kyrie Choir was Dr. Melanie Turgeon, while Saint Herman’s Choir was led by Mr. Greg Fedor.
Following the Vigil, parishioners hosted a luncheon in the parish hall in honor of the visiting and local choirs, parishioners, attending clergy and the many guests from the Edmonton community who were present for the historic service.
Ames, Iowa: Mission parish begins its mission to college students
Holy Transfiguration Mission, 621 Kellogg Ave., Ames, IA will host an open house for incoming Iowa State University students from 4:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 18 and 19, 2015—resident hall “move-in days.”
Priest Marty Watts and parishioners will be on hand to meet new students and their parents and to introduce them to the mission community’s plans for the coming school year.
“With an enrollment of over 35,000, Iowa State University of Science and Technology serves students from all 50 states, many Canadian provinces, and a variety of other foreign countries,” said Father Marty. “We’re hoping to reach every Orthodox Christian student and invite them to make our spiritual home their own during their college years. It is my hope that perhaps next year, every parish in a college town will host such an event, and that OCF will create a national registry of such events to distribute more widely, perhaps as part of its “First 40 Days” program. [See related story.]
Those who know of students in the Ames area are invited to submit their names to Father Marty at frmarty@amesorthodox.org.
