On his new podcast, St. Vladimir’s Seminary trustee and alumnus Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis) explores the powerful, personal, and often overlooked meaning behind sacrifice—from the burnt offerings of the Old Testament to the self-offering of Jesus Christ to the daily sacrifices of Christian life.
Fr. Jeremy and co-host Greg Walters launchedWelcoming Gifts this winter through Ancient Faith Ministries. Together, they delve into the history of sacrifice, the meaning of Christ's sacrifice, and what the concept should mean for Christians today: a way of expressing and cementing our relationship with God.
“The genesis of it goes back all the way to when I converted to Orthodoxy. I grew up as an evangelical Protestant, and in that tradition I learned about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as well as Old Testament sacrifices in a certain light,” Fr. Jeremy explained on the podcast’s first episode. “But when I became Orthodox, it really didn't mesh with what I was hearing from Orthodox teachers, from Orthodox priests and bishops and theologians. In fact, what I was hearing from them was radically different. It was a vision of transformation rather than a sort of transactional clearing of accounts.”
Archimandrite Jeremy graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program in 2004. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace Bishop Basil (Essey) on July 16, 2006, and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite (also by Bishop Basil) on March 19, 2017. Fr. Jeremy currently serves as Archiepiscopal Vicar for Toledo and the Midwest (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America), and is a tonsured monk belonging to the Monastic Brotherhood of St. Silouan the Athonite within the Diocese of Wichita. In addition to his responsibilities within the Antiochian Archdiocese, Fr. Jeremy faithfully serves on St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Board of Trustees.
If you are in the area, please join us at Christ the Savior for Presanctified Liturgy on March 13. The Liturgy will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT (the reading of the Typica will begin at 6:20 p.m.). The Chorale will lead the hymns and responses. The Liturgy will be further blessed by the presence of His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and New England, former editor of St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press and Seminary alumnus (M.Div. ’10).
If you are interested in hosting the SVS Chorale to help lead services, for a performance, or to lead workshops for your parish, please contact Zachariah Mandell at zmandell@svots.edu.
Please also consider a donation of any amount to support the ministry of the SVS Chorale on their travels.
Following the ordinations in February, more members of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community were ordained to holy orders in early March. Glory to God!
On Sunday, March 8, on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, His Eminence Archbishop Alexander of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese ordained seminarian Dn. Bogdan Popescu to the Holy Priesthood at Three Hierarchs Chapel. Fr. Bogdan is a seminarian of the OCA’s Bulgarian Diocese.
Fr. Bogdan Popescu being vested for the first time.
Fellow Seminary alumnus Dn. Christopher Abdelahad (M.A. ’24) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on Saturday, March 7, by the hands of His Eminence Saba, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The ordination took place at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Austin, TX. Fr. Christopher has been assigned to St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese) in Spring, TX, where he will serve as assistant priest.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Archpriest John Ealy, 90, who fell asleep in the Lord on March 5, 2026. Fr. John, an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary (’72), served in his retirement at St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church in Longwood (Orlando), FL.
Fr. John is survived by his wife Matushka Barbara Ealy (née Soroka), sister Kathleen Donmoyer, children Dr. Nicholas Ealy, Taisia Ealy, and Fr. Gregory Ealy (Miho), four much-loved granddaughters Hannah Mills, Emma Mills, Nino Ealy, and Mila Ealy, and many nephews, nieces, and cousins. Fr. Gregory is also a graduate of St. Vladimir’s (’07).
The Very Rev. John Ealy was born Watson Karl Ealy on May 1, 1935, in Lebanon, PA, to Watson Edward Ealy and Catherine Ealy (née Magyar). Fr. John (affectionately known as “Skip” by his close family and friends) was baptized and grew up at St. Gertrude’s Roman Catholic Church, where he served as an altar boy and attended parochial school. Since his elementary school days, he was always attracted to the Orthodox Church. Many of his childhood friends who lived in the same neighborhood attended the local Serbian Orthodox Church. The nuns at his school looked down on his friends’ church, and Fr. John could not accept this. Unintentionally, these nuns began Fr. John’s journey toward the Orthodox Church.
Fr. John graduated from Lebanon Catholic High School in 1953 and, after working a blue-collar job at a factory that summer, decided to enroll in college. He applied and was accepted to Millersville State Teacher’s College (now Millersville University) in Millersville, PA. In 1961, he received his master’s degree in science education from Western Maryland University and went on to teach for thirty-five years at private and public schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida.
Fr. John and Matushka Barbara with His Grace Bishop Gerasim at St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church in Longwood, FL, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Fr. John’s ordination to the Holy Priesthood.
In 1963 Fr. John enrolled in Sts. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. In his fourth year at seminary, Frs. John Meyendorff and Alexander Schememann from St. Vladimir’s Seminary were invited to lecture. Their lectures were very well received by the students, something that proved detrimental to the seminary when more than half the students, Fr. John included, left for the Orthodox Church. After taking a teaching job near Harrisburg, PA, he met Barbara Soroka, the love of his life, while singing in the choir at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church. They married in August 1971 and immediately moved to Crestwood, NY, where Fr. John studied at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
After completing his studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, the Ealys moved in 1973 to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where Fr. John served at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church. Two years later in 1975, Fr. John was reassigned to a small mission near Orlando. It is there, at St. Stephen’s, where he would serve the next twenty-seven years as rector. At the time of the Ealys’ move to Central Florida, St. Stephen’s was a small mission and could not pay Fr. John a living wage, so he took a teaching job at St. Peter’s Catholic School in DeLand, FL. While Fr. John served at St. Stephen’s, the parish grew and became a well-established church in the OCA Diocese of the South. Starting with only twelve people in 1975, parish membership grew to well over 150 by the time he retired.
Fr. John’s ministry can be summed up with the word love. He loved the Orthodox Church, the Divine Liturgy and liturgical services, and its people. He spent countless hours meeting with parishioners, teaching, traveling and visiting missions and churches throughout the Central Florida Deanery as its dean, holding Divine Liturgies and Presanctified Liturgies in homes and churches, and running summer church school programs and summer camps. He was instrumental in establishing St. Justin the Martyr Church in Jacksonville, FL.
After retiring in 2002, Fr. John continued to serve as a supply priest throughout the diocese, filling in at missions and parishes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. But, in retirement, he also found much time for reading, gardening, cooking, and baking, writing his memoir, spending time with his growing family, and traveling. He took pride in his Hungarian cultural roots, and his love for all things Hungarian—especially its cuisine—was a constant in his life. He was overjoyed to have visited Hungary twice during his retirement. It is quite possible that St. Stephen’s in Orlando is the only Orthodox church in North America where, every Pascha, parishioners would hear “Christ is risen” sung in Hungarian.
The number of lives Fr. John has touched throughout his life, both as a pastor and a teacher, is incalculable. From his early years as a schoolteacher until his retirement—and even during illness—Fr. John never stopped teaching. He firmly believed and taught that our encounter with the Word of God takes place at the liturgical gathering, as we partake of the Eucharist with our brothers and sisters.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios of Xanthos (James George Couchell). Metropolitan Dimitrios fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Metropolitan Dimitrios previously served as a member of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Board of Trustees and was a frequent visitor on campus. He was a gracious supporter of the Seminary’s mission and donor until the end of his life.
Metropolitan Dimitrios welcoming a delegation from St. Vladimir’s Seminary to the headquarters of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in St. Augustine, FL, in 2013. (Also pictured: then-Dean Fr. John Behr and former SVOTS staff member Tim Nieuwsma)
Additionally, in his decades of ministry to the Church, His Eminence played a major role in the founding and nurturing of several Orthodox ministries still active today including, but not limited to, being a founder of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), founding editor of the Orthodox Observer, founding Executive Director of the St. Photios National Shrine, and founding Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
Born February 17, 1938, in Greenville, SC, Metropolitan Dimitrios was the son of the late James John Couchell and Virginia Trakas Couchell. His Eminence graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1958, then attended Northwestern University for one year before transferring and graduating from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1963. After continuing studies at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT, he became a part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) staff under Archbishop Iakovos.
Following his retirement in 2007, His Eminence became a resident of St. Augustine, FL, and remained an active member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Dimitrios is survived by his son Nikita David Mesfin, whom he adopted in 1985 while visiting an orphanage in Ethiopia, David’s wife Maki, and their children Ezra and Emra. The Metropolitan is also survived by his brother Archon John Couchell and his wife Kiki, and his sister Fanya Couchell Paouris.
May the memory of Metropolitan Dimitrios be eternal!
As Orthodox Christians, we strive for that inner stillness, hesychia—but St. Vladimir’s Seminary alumna Amber Rose Prather wants to make sure kids and their parents alike know that it’s still okay to move.
Prather authored the new children’s book A Saint’s Guide to Praying with Your Feet from Ancient Faith Publishing. The book is inspired by the life of the sixth-century saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker.
“A lot of Christianity in our culture tends to be very disembodied in the way it approaches faith,” Prather explained in an interview about the book. “It’s very much an intellectual exercise. And Orthodoxy is not just that, it’s not just your mind. There’s holy movement in our faith.”
As the mother of an active toddler herself, Prather understands the struggles and emotions children and their parents go through as kids learn to control their energy and movement during church services.
“I know the moment where your kid is the one bolting across the church like, ‘Oh, please. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!’ So having a book like this—where you can talk to your kids about the holy ways to move in church and talk to your kids about how God can use what we have to make us holy—can also remind the parents that it’s okay. It’s okay that your kid struggles with something. It's okay that you struggle.”
Amber Rose Prather graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 2024 with an M.Div. degree, alongside her husband Andrew. Amber and Andrew met as seminarians at St. Vladimir’s and were married at the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel in 2021. Amber also holds bachelor’s degrees in Medieval and Byzantine Studies and Theology and Religious Studies from the Catholic University of America. She has a master's degree in Philosophy, also from Catholic University.
Andrew and Amber were married at the Seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel in 2021.
By the grace of God, Dn. Gregory Hanson was ordained to the Holy Priesthood this winter at Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco—marking a first for St. Vladimir’s Seminary and the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the West (DOW). Fr. Gregory is the first member to be ordained from the Priestly Formation Cohort, a pilot program developed by the Seminary and the DOW.
The Priestly Formation Cohort launched in January 2025 as a prototype program with the blessing of the Holy Synod of Bishops. It is a three-year course for carefully selected, theologically educated men from the Diocese. Candidates must be individually approved by the Holy Synod before being ordained to the Holy Priesthood. Fr. Gregory, a previous graduate of the OCA’s Diaconal Vocations Program, had been serving as a deacon when he entered the pilot program.
“His Grace Bishop Vasily and the Diocese of the West are firmly committed to residential formation at one of our Orthodox theological seminaries,” explained Archpriest Kirill Sokolov, Chancellor of the Diocese of the West and faculty member at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. “We currently have six seminarians each at St. Vladimir’s and St. Tikhon’s seminaries.
“This partnership in the Priestly Formation Cohort allows us to ‘tap’ potential priesthood candidates to fulfill pressing needs. The long-standing practice of the Orthodox Church in America invites those who have attended non-Orthodox seminaries to attend seminary for a special one-year program of study. In reality, this cohort model is intentionally not a short-cut but, truly, a longer experience of formation with the highest caliber of seminary instructors.”
Fr. Gregory Hanson is a California native. He was raised Evangelical Protestant, attended Fuller Seminary, and served in youth ministry with Youth For Christ. While at Fuller Seminary he was exposed to the writings of the Early Church Fathers and realized that what the Early Church taught and how it worshiped did not match the denomination he belonged to. So Fr. Gregory embarked on a journey to find the Church that Jesus Christ established, and was received into the Orthodox Church in 1998. He served as reader, then subdeacon, and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in December 2024. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on Zacchaeus Sunday, January 25, 2026, by the hands of His Grace Bishop Vasily (Permiakov). He is assigned to Holy Trinity Cathedral as an associate priest and will benefit from direct mentoring from His Grace and Fr. Kirill.
Fr. Gregory and his wife, Matushka Hope, are parents of five adult children and five grandchildren.
May God grant the newly ordained Priest Gregory many years!
Two institutions profoundly impacted by the life and legacy of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff (February 17, 1926–July 22, 1992) came together this February to celebrate 100 years since his birth.
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University hosted a joint, two-day tribute February 6 and 7 to honor Fr. John Meyendorff, one of the most influential Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century.
A scholar of extraordinary range, Fr. John Meyendorff shaped the study of Byzantine theology, Orthodox ecclesiology, and ecumenical dialogue for generations. His dual role as Professor (1959–1992) and Dean (1984–1992) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and Professor of Byzantine History at Fordham University (1967–1992) made him a unique bridge between Orthodox theological education and the broader academic world.
SVOTS Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie and Dr. George Demacopoulos, Fordham’s Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, served as chief organizers of the Centennial Tribute.
On the first day of the joint event, St. Vladimir’s Seminary welcomed distinguished former students of Fr. John: His Grace Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic), Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an alumnus of the Seminary (M.Div. ’82); and alumna Dr. Vera Shevzov (M.Div. ’86), Professor of Religion and Director of the Program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at Smith College. Two of Fr. John’s four children also delivered beautiful reflections and memories about their father: Dr. Paul Meyendorff, alumnus (M.Div. ’75) and the Seminary’s Fr. Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology Emeritus; and Dr. Anna Meyendorff, a former member of faculty at the University of Michigan.
Following a panikhida at Three Hierarchs Chapel, the Seminary community and guests moved to the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium for the talks and reflections.
“Fr. John’s classes were all inspiring in a most unique way, as they were quite exhilarating,” recalled His Grace Bishop Irinej, “replete with a vast array of intense knowledge, presenting both the broad spectrum and zeroing in at times on pertinent telling detail. … He presented with such piercing perception as though he had come to know the [historic] person of whom he spoke or was physically located at a particular historic event.”
“The last words he said [before his repose]. … his eyes opened, and he said, ‘The Eucharist,’ and what he was seeing was that icon that you may have seen in the back of the apse of [the Seminary Chapel], which he commissioned. … And I think that summarizes his vision … it’s more than eucharistic ecclesiology—it’s life, it’s the Church.”
The second day of the Centennial Tribute was the Academic Symposium, “Orthodoxy, Byzantium, and the Rise of Russia Revisited,” hosted at Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus.
Dr. Tudorie was one of several scholars who gave talks at the Symposium, along with Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou, Professor of Theology and Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture at Fordham University; Dr. Nadieszda Kizenko, Professor of History at the University at Albany; Dr. Dimiter Angelov, Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Byzantine History at Harvard University; and Dr. Tikhon Alexander Pino, Director of the Pappas Patristic Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross.
“When I think about Fr. John Meyendorff, there are two important topics that come to my mind. One is obviously his love and passion and great contribution to the study of St. Gregory Palamas. The other one … the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America,” said Dr. Tudorie, as he introduced his talk, entitled, “Rediscovering St. Gregory Palamas: The Contributions of Frs. Dumitru Stăniloae and John Meyendorff.”
“For me [Fr. John] was smart and witty and funny and enormously gracious, and I feel very honored and very blessed to have known and studied with him, and I'm eternally grateful for his support of my work,” Dr. Papanikolaou noted before his presentation, “Why Do We Need the Essence/Energies Distinction? Virtue as the Missing Link.”
“He inspired a whole new generation of Orthodox scholars, all of whom are in his debt,” added Dr. Papanikolaou, “and I’m happy to be included in that group.”
May God remember always in His Kingdom the Protopresbyter John Meyendorff!
Giving glory and thanksgiving to God, the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community celebrated the ordinations of two priests and one deacon in the month of February.
The first ordination took place on February 2, the Feast of the Meeting of our Lord in the Temple. Seminary alumnus Dn. Habib (Caleb) McGee (M.Div. ’24) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Houston, TX, by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba. Fr. Habib currently assists His Eminence at the Antiochian Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, NJ.
Metropolitan Saba with the newly ordained Fr. Habib McGee.
Archbishop Alexander ordained Dn. Sergio Lopez to the Holy Priesthood on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo: Holy Cross Orthodox Church
Then on February 15, the Sunday of the Last Judgment (Meatfare Sunday), Metropolitan Saba ordained seminarian Ibrahim Aldaiob to the Holy Diaconate at Virgin Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY. Dn. Ibrahim hails from Homs, Syria, and is in his first year of studies in the Seminary’s M.A. program. Prior to enrolling at St. Vladimir’s, Dn. Ibrahim studied at St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand in Lebanon.
Dn. Ibrahim was ordained at Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY.
May God grant the newly ordained Fr. Habib, Fr. Sergio, and Dn. Ibrahim and their families many years!
Throughout its history, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary has served, and continues to serve, as a training ground for Orthodox men and women, preparing them to serve the Church in its many ministries. The Church needs bishops, priests, and deacons, as well as scholars, teachers, catechists, choir directors, and educated leaders of many kinds.
If you feel called to ministry in the Church, are interested in broadening your understanding and experience of the Orthodox Christian Faith, are curious about what seminary life is like, or are planning to apply for the Fall 2026 Semester, then please join us on campus at the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Winter Admissions Open House on February 15-16, 2026.
At this Open House, prospective seminarians are invited to experience “life at St. Vladimir’s” in its many facets. Worship with the seminary community in the chapel, attend classes, speak with seminarians and professors about the spiritual, academic, and residential life at the seminary, and, if applying, schedule interviews. Come and see if St. Vladimir’s Seminary is the place for you!
Transportation: Open House attendees will be responsible for their transportation to and from the seminary.
Arrival & Meals: Attendees are welcome to arrive as early as Saturday, February 14 and to stay through Tuesday, February 17. Meals during the official Open House, February 15–16, will be provided free of charge. If your stay extends beyond these dates in either direction, meals will be available for purchase.
Housing: Pending available space, attendees may request to be housed on-campus on a first-come, first-served basis for free, at the invitation of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Alternatively, rooms may be booked at the Hampton Inn & Suites Yonkers-Westchester; a block rate is available until January 31, 2026.
Registration Deadline: The registration deadline is Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
9:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel
10:30 a.m. — Coffee hour & fellowship in the Chapel Basement
11:30 a.m. — Lunch provided in Germack Refectory
1:30 p.m. — Group Discussion with the Director of Admissions in Gerich Board Room (Rangos Building)
Why Seminary?
Degree Programs
Tuition & Financial Aid
Housing
Admissions Process
Discussion
3:00 p.m. — Tour of Campus
4:00 p.m. — Q&A with Current Seminarians in Germack Common Room
5:00 p.m. — Dinner in Germack Refectory
Evening — Informal Activities (TBD): socialize, explore the area, rest!
Monday, February 16 - A Day at Seminary
7:30 a.m. — Daily Matins at Three Hierarchs Chapel
8:15 a.m. — Breakfast in Germack Refectory
9:00 a.m. — Faculty Roundtable in the Gerich Boardroom (Rangos Building)
10:30 a.m. — Attend classes or schedule individual meetings
12:15 p.m. — Lunch in Germack Refectory
1:00 p.m. — Attend Choir Rehearsal (optional)
2:00 p.m. — Attend classes or schedule individual meetings
5:00 p.m. — Daily Vespers at Three Hierarchs Chapel
5:45 p.m. — Dinner in Germack Refectory
*This is the official end of the Open House; if you would like to stay through the the morning of Tuesday, February 17, please let us know, especially if you would like to attend one of the classes, schedule a meeting with the Director of Admissions, and/or have any meals in the refectory.
Tuesday, February 17
7:30 a.m. — Daily Matins at Three Hierarchs Chapel
8:15 a.m. — Breakfast in Germack Refectory
9:15 a.m. — Attend classes or schedule individual meetings
