In his first visit to St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) since graduating in 2019, Fr Simon Menya gave a presentation on the Orthodox mission he shepherds in Gulu, Uganda. Over 20 seminarians, faculty, and staff attended Fr Simon’s talk, which was hosted by the St Innocent Mission Society.

In his 40-minute presentation, Fr Simon described the many facets of his ministry in Uganda as an Orthodox priest and as founder of the Northern Uganda Self-Sufficiency Project (NUSSP). Fr Simon conducts church services daily; translates Orthodox service books and other texts from English into the local language, Luo; and travels to many small towns and villages in his region to visit the sick, celebrate the sacraments, and catechize new inquirers. Last month, he oversaw the completion of a new church building dedicated to St Catherine and baptized 33 catechumens into the Orthodox Faith. In addition to this prodigious work, he works with NUSSP to organize medical treatment and the building of new clinics; improve local water infrastructure; offer secondary schooling for children; and facilitate opportunities for adults to practice animal husbandry and farming, among other professional skills.

Many of the community members in Fr Simon’s pastoral care experienced long periods of time living in refugee camps due to a 24-year civil war that raged in Uganda until 2008. As a result, says Fr Simon, there is a need to focus on skill-building: when people learn to grow their own food and manage their own livestock, they can live self-sufficiently and build thriving communities, rather than relying on humanitarian aid to survive.

Seminary President and faculty advisor for the St Innocent Mission Society, the  Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield recounted stories from his own 2017 visit to Uganda with Fr Simon and praised him for his tireless efforts to build and grow the Orthodox mission in Uganda, and for his focus on developing self-sufficiency in his community. Referring to his many years teaching missiology classes to seminarians, Fr Chad remarked, “I have always encouraged would-be missionaries to foster entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency in their mission community. Of all the students I have ever taught, Fr Simon has embodied this lesson most successfully.”

Fr Simon's compatriot and current seminarian Richard Okello (M.Div. '25) added a few words at the end of Fr Simon's talk, speaking about his experience as a teacher at the Archangel Michael’s Orthodox Secondary School in Lapainate village, which saw its enrollment skyrocket from 105 students to 586 students in two years. Richard testified to the joy and fulfillment in Christ to be experienced by working with the Orthodox mission in Uganda and encouraged his classmates to visit Uganda in the future.

The St Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Grace, Bishop Andrei of Cleveland (Romanian Episcopate, OCA), for the weekend of October 7-8. His Grace presided over Vigil on Saturday evening and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy the following day in Three Hierarchs Chapel. 

During the Liturgy, His Grace ordained seminarian Fr Spyridon Ickes (M.Div. ‘24) to the priesthood, joyfully proclaiming Axios in Greek, English, and Romanian. His Grace commented after the Liturgy on his great joy at seeing new priests being ordained at Seminary, and expressed his hopes to return for many more ordinations in the future.

Congratulations and many years to Fr Spyridon and Preoteasa Sarah! Vrednic este!

On Thursday, September 28, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel on the campus of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS).

His Eminence made his first official visit to SVOTS at the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Welcoming him at the seminary were SVOTS President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, the faculty, and the seminarians, especially the Antiochian students and recent graduates who served alongside Metropolitan Saba and sang with the Byzantine Choir. The Byzantine Choir was led by the Rev. Nicholas Fine (M.Div.’23), newly appointed Lecturer in Liturgical Music.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence elevated Fr Bogdan Bucur to the dignity of archpriest. The Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur is Associate Professor of Patristics at SVOTS and an archpriest of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The day also marked the commemoration of St Isaac the Syrian. His Eminence included commemorative prayers for His Eminence Metropolitan Isaac of Germany and Central Europe, and all those who keep St Isaac as their patron. In his homily, Met. Saba highlighted the great emphasis St Isaac placed on humility in his writings, and encouraged the faithful in attendance to strive to attain humility first in their pursuit of the virtues.

Listen to His Eminence’s homily

Following the liturgy, His Eminence met with the Antiochian seminarians and the faculty, stressing the importance of priestly formation and ministry. Expressing gratitude for His Eminence’s visit, Fr Chad Hatfield remarked, “We look forward to building upon our 70-year-long relationship with the Antiochian Archdiocese now under the pastoral care of His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba.”

Article adapted from antiochian.org.

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of St Vladimir’s Seminary alumnus James Loxley Compton (M.A.’10), who fell asleep in the Lord on September 22, 2023 at the age of 40, in his home in Monroeville, AL.

James was born on May 2, 1983. He attended St Vladimir’s Seminary from 2008-2010. In May 2010, he received a Master of Arts Cum Laude and was recognized for his thesis, Oikonomiae Sacramentum: The Mystery of the Economy in Tertullian’s Against Praxeas. After his graduation from seminary, James went on to teach philosophy as a lecturer at Auburn University and attained a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham in AL.

An Orthodox funeral for James Compton will be held on Tuesday, October 3, at 11 a.m. at St Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Auburn, AL. Fr Paul Lundberg, administrator of the Greek Orthodox mission in Auburn will be officiating.

May the memory of James Loxley Compton be eternal! 

Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding over the weekend of September 15-17, 2023. On Saturday, Sept. 16, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov presented a talk at the public program “The Orthodox Christian Seminary in the 21st Century,” hosted by Holy Trinity Seminary. 

The goal for the program was to “encourage broad knowledge of everything that prepared the way for today’s Orthodox Seminary program, and how this may be interpreted for the benefit of contemporary pastoral objectives.” Dn Vitaly’s presentation, “The Orthodox Seminary Endeavor in the West,” covered a detailed history of institutional seminary education in North America, focusing especially on the formational period in the 1930s-1950s, when perceived differences in vision led to the “emergence of several theological schools serving the Orthodox people in North America–it divided the efforts but providentially served to emphasize different strengths.” Dn Vitaly stressed that “now that communion between the churches has been restored, we are called to closer cooperation in view of our common goal, which is serious theological preparation of future clergy for America.”

Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, and Academic Dean, Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie were also in attendance at the lectures and Q&A sessions, enjoying warm hospitality from the faculty and staff of Holy Trinity Seminary. “We were very glad to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of our sister seminary,” Fr Chad remarked. “The presentations given about the importance of seminary education in the 21st century spoke directly to the real, dire need for the expansion of quality Orthodox education in this country and the world today.”

On Sunday, Sept. 17, Fr Chad and Dn Vitaly concelebrated at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Jordanville monastery, presided by His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas (Olhovsky) of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR), with 8 other hierarchs and numerous clergy. 

From left: The Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov; His Grace Luke, Bishop of Syracuse Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR); The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield; Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie

Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered in person and online on Sep. 12, 2023, to hear scholar and SVS Press author, Dr Paul Gavrilyuk, give a special talk on the contrasting leadership styles of two formational leaders of St Vladimir’s Seminary, Fr Georges Florovsky and Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. In his presentation, Dr Gavrilyuk gave many examples from the post-war correspondence between the two past seminary deans to illustrate their sense of calling, their courage in the face of great challenges, and lessons for modern-day Christian leaders. 

Dr Gavrilyuk also highlighted the differences in the leadership styles of Fr Schmemann and Fr Florovsky, describing the latter as a brilliant scholar who upheld unyielding academic standards with his students, and the former as a pastoral figure who prioritized the spiritual and personal formation of his students. This divergence in their leadership styles, said Dr Gavrilyuk, inevitably led Fr Schmemann and Fr Florovsky toward their well-publicized rift in 1955, when Fr Florovsky left St Vladimir’s Seminary. 

In this presentation, Dr Gavrilyuk took care to provide a compassionate and balanced picture of both Fr Florovsky and Fr Schmemann, asking the audience to consider their historical contexts, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each of their distinct approaches to leadership. He concluded the presentation on a heartening note, highlighting a letter written by Fr Schmemann in 1968 and reminiscences recorded by a secretary of Fr Florovsky which indicate the two men ended their lives at peace with one another.

Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, and Professor of Systematic Theology, Dr Peter Bouteneff each gave their own reflections on the two early leaders of St Vladimir’s Seminary. In addition, Fr Chad read a moving reflection from senior staff member, Ted Bazil (M.Div. ‘73), in which Ted described Fr Schmemann’s leadership style as he experienced it, both as a student and as a Seminary employee for the last ten years of Fr Schmemann’s tenure.

Dr Gavrilyuk’s lecture, Christian Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Lessons from Florovsky & Schmemann, was recorded and is available for viewing on the Seminary YouTube channel; click on the link below to access the full presentation.

Watch lecture recording here

The St Vladimir’s Seminary community was blessed with a hierarchical visit from His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA), for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. His Eminence arrived on Wednesday, September 13, and presided over the Festal Vigil that evening and the Divine Liturgy on the following day. 

During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence gave the homily and ordained third-year seminarian Peter (Jared) Ries (M.Div. ‘24) to the Holy Diaconate. In his homily, Archbishop Daniel emphasized the centrality of the Cross in the Christian life; each Christian must recognize that we belong to Christ; “we belong to Him, and His Cross is engraved on our hearts.” He pointed out the ubiquity of its significance in the sacraments of the Church, including the moment during Ordination to the Holy Diaconate when the person being ordained kisses the cross on the orarion as a sign of his commitment to Christ, our crucified Lord. 

Deacon Peter expressed his gratitude and joy at the occasion of his ordination to the Holy Diaconate, saying, “It is a humbling obedience, and it was such a blessing to take on this responsibility while standing alongside my colleagues, mentors, and friends.”

May God grant the newly ordained Dn Peter and Matushka Sophie many blessed years!

Join us for a lecture led by scholar and SVS Press author, Dr Paul Gavrilyuk, on Tuesday, September 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. In this special talk, Dr Gavrilyuk asks the question, what qualities are required of Christian leaders, especially in a time of crisis? Dr Gavrilyuk's presentation will address this question by focusing on the post-war correspondence between the two past deans of St Vladimir's: Fr Georges Florovsky and Fr Alexander Schmemann. The epistolary exchange between them took place when Schmemann taught at St Sergius in Paris, and Florovsky was a newly appointed dean of St Vladimir's Seminary in New York. Today's Christian leaders can learn much from their example, their sense of calling, and their courage in the face of great challenges.

The presentation is open to the public and free of cost for both in-person and online attendance. It will be held on the St Vladimir’s Seminary campus in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, John G. Rangos building, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The event will also be live-streamed as a Zoom webinar for those who are unable to attend in person. 

Registration is closed.

About Dr Paul Gavrilyuk

Dr Paul Gavrilyuk is the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the University of St Thomas, St Paul, Minnesota. He is an internationally respected Orthodox theologian and historian, specializing in the patristic doctrine of God and Russian religious thought. Translated into ten languages, his monographs include The Suffering of the Impassible God (Oxford, 2004) and Georges Florovsky and the Russian Religious Renaissance (Oxford, 2013). Among his edited works are On Christian Leadership: The Letters of Alexander Schmemann and Georges Florovsky (1947-1955) (SVS Press, 2019), Perceiving Things Divine (with Fred Aquino, Oxford, 2022), and Oxford Handbook of Deification (forthcoming). He is the founding president of the International Orthodox Theological Association and of Rebuild Ukraine. 

In keeping with an annual tradition, the primate of the OCA His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon visited St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) last week to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos and to mark the beginning of the academic year with the seminary community.

On Thursday evening, prior to the Festal Vigil, His Beatitude served a Lity for the Departed for the child of God Sophia, daughter of alumnus Fr Silouan Cohen (M.Div. ’22), on the first anniversary of her falling asleep. His Beatitude concelebrated the Festal Vigil with Seminary President, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, the Very Rev. Dr Alexander Rentel, OCA Chancellor, and clergy of the seminary community. The antiphonal responses were sung by the seminary mixed and male choirs, under the direction of the Rev. Deacon Dr Harrison Russin, Dr Alexander Lingas, and third-year seminarian, Sam Loposky (M.Div. ‘24).

On Friday, His Beatitude presided at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Feast. The responses were sung by the mixed seminary choir led by second-year seminarian Naomi DeHaan (M.A. ‘24). His Beatitude delivered the homily where he encouraged the faithful to act as gardeners and “contribute to the upkeep of paradise… by making ourselves receptive to God, and this receptivity is exemplified by the practice of humility.”

Read the full text of His Beatitude’s homily

Hear the recording of His Beatitude’s homily

Following the liturgy, His Beatitude addressed the students for the opening of the academic year. In his address, His Beatitude called on students to follow the example of Christ’s Most Pure Mother, filling themselves “with the sacrifice of prayer, songs, and praise offered unto the God of all.”

Read the full address

Hear a recording of the full address

President of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield traveled to Sydney, Australia last month to teach in-person intensives for a hybrid summer course on missiology at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College (SAGOTC). He was also invited by Archbishop Makarios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia to give a keynote presentation at the College’s  4th Theology Symposium, held on August 18-19, 2023.

The theme of the Symposium was ‘For the Life of the World: the Church’s Missional Identity and Witness Today’. In addressing the participants, Fr Chad described missiology as a discipline worthy of its own niche in theological higher education. Fr Chad spoke on the need to recover the missional identity of the Orthodox Church, drawing on his own experience as a long-term member of the board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) and as a missionary in South Africa, Guatemala, and Alaska. Presenting his paper entitled ‘Three Foundations for Building Modern Era Missiology,’ he gave three examples of modern missionaries whose lives and practices can serve as models for contemporary Orthodox Christian missionary activity: St Herman of Alaska, the 20th century Anglican missiologist Roland Allen, and Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. 

The other keynote speaker at the Symposium was Bishop Dr Themistocles of Nicopolis, Head of the Orthodox Mission Centre in Sierra Leone. Fr Chad spoke highly of his work, noting Bishop Themistocles' own fascinating conversion journey; having been a famous rock musician in his youth, he later went on to attain a Master of Theology at Princeton and a doctorate at Brown University. Since the year 2000, “Brother Themi”, now Bishop Themistocles, has served under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa as a missionary to multiple communities in Kenya and Sierra Leone.

Fr Chad’s presentation at the St Andrew’s College Symposium was the latest in a series of collaborations between SVOTS and the Australian theological school, beginning with visits made by Dean Emeritus, Protopresbyter Dr Thomas Hopko (+2015) in the late 1990’s, and Dean Emeritus, The Very Rev. Dr John Behr in 2016. In a gesture symbolizing the growing partnership between St Vladimir’s Seminary and St Andrew’s College, Fr Chad gifted his Australian hosts with a handpainted icon of St Herman of Alaska, containing a small portion of the saint’s relics. 

Dr Philip Kariatlis, Sub-Dean and Associate Professor of Theology at St Andrew’s expressed his gratitude for the gift and for Fr Chad’s presentation as well as the course on missiology he taught this summer, saying, “We are all so grateful for leaving us enriched and edified. The students enjoyed your lectures very much and expressed their joy that our College was able to provide this introductory unit in missiology as part of their program of studies.”

In addition to his work at St Andrew’s College, Fr Chad conducted an adult education class at St Stylianos Orthodox Church in Sydney and gave two interviews for Orthodox podcasts based in Australia, including a podcast hosted at St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College. Fr Chad met with several Coptic Orthodox friends including SVS Press author, the Rev. Dr Daniel Fanous.