• • • • • • • • ✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀ COMMENCE ­- MENT • 2015 st vladimir’s orthodox theological seminary • • yonkers, new york ❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿ saturday, may 30, 2015, 2:30 pm • metropolitan philip auditorium • • • • • • • •

est 1938 ❀✿❀ COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES

Please silence all mobile phones and other electronic devices.

During the Procession: The Troparion of the Three Hierarchstone ( one) et us who love their words come together with hymns ** and honor the three great torch-bearers of the triune Godhead: * Basil the Great, Greg- ory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. * These men have enlight- Lened the world with the rays of their divine doctrines. ** They are flowing rivers of wisdom, * and have filled all creation with springs of heavenly knowl- edge. * They ceaselessly intercede for us *** before the holy Trinity.

Opening of the Commencement Exercises The Most Blessed Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, and President of the Seminary

Welcoming Remarks The Dean

Commencement Address The Most Reverend Elia, Metropolitan of , Orthodox Church of Finland

Conferral of Degrees on the Graduates of the Class of 2015

Valedictory Address Mr. Luke Perry Bullock

Introduction to the Alumni Association Mr. Gregory Abdalah THE CLASS OF 2015 Conferral of the St Macrina Award The Rev. Theodor Svane CANDIDATES FOR THE President of the Student Council MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE

Salutatory Address Mr. Luke Perry Bullock (summa cum laude) Mr. William Rettig Approaching the Unapproachable: The Mystery of John 20:17 Dr. John Barnet, advisor Concluding Remarks The Reverend Joshua Alexander Burnett The Chancellor Mr. Rami George Dahdal (commendation for service to the community) Closing Remarks Mr. Tristan Joseph Biondi Gall (commendation for service to the community) His Beatitude Mr. Ignatius Green (summa cum laude) Preparing to Read St Gregory of Nyssa’s Catechetical Oration Closing prayer: It Is Truly Meet The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr,advisor Recessional: The Troparion of St. Vladimir of Kiev The Reverend Stephen Charles Osburn, Jr. holy prince Vladimir, * you were like a merchant in search of The Very Reverend Timothy C. Perry fine pearls; * by sending servants to Constantinople for the Ortho- (Degree awarded in December 2014) dox Faith, * you found Christ, the priceless Pearl. * He anointed you The New Homiletic: An Examination of Contemporary Theory and Oto be another Paul, * washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual Practice for Orthodox Preachers blindness. * We celebrate your memory, * asking you to pray for all Orthodox The Reverend Dr. Sergius Halvorsen, advisor Christians of Russia, *** and for us, your spiritual children. The Reverend Theodor T. Vegard Svane The Reverend Gabriel Fayez Tannous A reception follows. The Reverend Joshua Stephen Trant The Reverend Mark Douglas Vair ❀✿❀ Mr. John Bradley Vien ❀❀❀ CANDIDATES FOR THE Ms. Lijin Hannah Raju MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE Pastoral Guidance for Mixed Marriages in the Malankara Mr. Nikita Andrejev (summa cum laude) Orthodox Church Dr. Albert Rossi, Energeiai or Operations in St Irenaeus of Lyons’ Against the Heresies advisor The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr,advisor Ms. Mirjana Ruzicic Mr. Joel Appelfeldt (cum laude; commendation for thesis) Creating Generous Hearts The Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield, Living Bread, Living Sacrifice, and Living People: The Structural Unity and advisor Sacramental Theology of Sarapion’s Anaphora in Light of Its Johannine Char- Mr. Botros Sadek (magna cum laude) acter and Apocalyptic Elements Dioscorus of Alexandria: Condemnation by Association The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr,advisor The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr,advisor Ms. Kathryn Ani Ashbarian Ms. Sara Amelia Staff (commendation for service to the community) An Orthodox Christian Understanding of Vocation “You Change the Sighs of Our Hearts into Laughter”: Justice and Mercy in the Dr. Albert Rossi, advisor Prayers of Gregory of Narek Mr. Alexander Robert Titus (magna cum laude; commendation for thesis) Dr. Roberta Ervine, advisor Cooperante Gratuito Diuinae Gratiae: Aspects of Eastern Patristic Thought Mr. John Awadalla in John Scottus Eriugena’s Treatise on Divine Predestination Pontius Pilate in the Orthodox Churches of Africa Dr. Peter Bouteneff,advisor Dr. Peter Bouteneff,advisor The Reverend Dn. B. John Edward CANDIDATES FOR THE MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE Orthodox Missions in Asia in the Light of Growing Religious Fundamentalism Ms. Megan Martha Carlisle (commendation for thesis) The Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield,advisor Signifying Autocephaly: A Semiotic Analysis of the Orthodox Church in Ms. Olga Kirilchenko America and Her Archive in the 20th Century Prof. Richard Schneider, Encounter and Transformation: Contemporary Narrative in advisor the Sayings of the Desert Fathers Ms. Katie Marie McCray The Reverend Dr. Sergius Halvorsen,advisor (Degree awarded in December 2014) Miss Arpina Nakashian (cum laude) A Prayer for the Dying: A Derridian Comparison and Analysis of Prayer Shepherds of Saints: An Analysis of Armenian Church in Pseudo-Dionysius Dr. Peter Bouteneff, Leadership in 1915 advisor Dr. Roberta Ervine, advisor The Reverend Kyle Glenn Parrott Mr. Bogdan Neacsiu Liturgical Narrative and the Nativity Vigil in the Constantinopolitan The Neo-Charismatic Movement in the Orthodox Church Cathedral Office: The Hermeneutics of Liturgical-Theology Prof. Richard Schneider, The Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield,advisor advisor Mr. Joshua Karl Schooping Irenaeus and Orthodox Apologetic Methodology in Light of THE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Contemporary Apologetic Discourse His Eminence Metropolitan Elia of Oulu was born in , Finland in Dr. Peter Bouteneff,advisor 1961 and given the name Matti. He studied Swedish and Czech at the Uni- Mr. Keith Andrew Temple versity in , and in 1986 he completed training at the Teachers’ College, also (Degree awarded in December 2014) in Stockholm, followed by further training in . For twenty years he taught The Old Testament Readings of the Paschal Vigil as a Summary of languages and Orthodox Christianity in Finnish schools. Meanwhile, he began for- the Divine Economy mal theological studies in 1996 at the University of Joensuu. In 2003 he received the The Very Reverend Dr. Alexander Rentel,advisor Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Mr. Zarko Zaric His Eminence was ordained to the priesthood on September 1, 2003, in Jyväskylä, Christ as Mediator in Origen and Gregory of Nyssa Finland. He served as second priest for two and a half years in central Finland, and for The Very Reverend Dr. John Behr,advisor eight and a half years as dean of the Cathedral in Vaasa, western Finland. Father Matti was tonsured and elevated to the rank of archimandrite on December 16–17, 2014, in the Valamo Monastery of the Transfiguration and given his new monastic name, Elia. ❀❀❀ Archimandrite Elia was ordained to the episcopate on January 11, 2015, by Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland, along with the entire Synod of of the Finnish Church.

Vladyka Elia notes that his “best and most challenging years” were when he studied at St. Vladimir’s. He credits the influence of three seminary Deans—Protopresbyter Al- exander Schmemann, Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, and Archpriest John Behr—as key in his formation as an Orthodox priest. •

THE VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN

The valedictorian, who is selected from among graduating M.Div. students, delivers the commencement address on behalf of the graduating class. The salutatorian, an M.Div. middler who is completing his or her second academic year at St Vladimir’s as a full-time student, offers words of congratulation to the graduating class on behalf of those who will be remaining at the seminary. The valedictorian and salutatorian are selected by the faculty on the basis of each student’s excellent performance in all aspects of seminary life, including academic work, participation in chapel services, and completion of community service assignments. • the faculty the board of trustees DEAN AND CHANCELLOR The Rev. Dr. David Mezynski The Board of Trustees is the governing body of St Vladimir’s Seminary. The Very Rev. Dr. Harry Pappas The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, Dean Dr. George Parsenios The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, The Very Rev. Dr. Eugen Pentiuc SEMINARY PRESIDENT AND The Most Reverend Zachariah Chancellor (ceo) The Very Rev. Dr. Joseph Purpura BOARD CHAIRMAN Mar Nicholovos, Metropolitan Dr. Nicholas Reeves of the Northeast American Dio- The Most Blessed Tikhon, The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel cese, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Archbishop of Washington, Metro- FACULTY Dr. Albert S. Rossi Church Mr. Richard Schneider politan of All America and Canada, Orthodox Church in America Dr. John A. Barnet The Rev. Dr. Nicholas Solak EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Kate Behr Mrs. Mariam Ceena Varghese Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff Dr. Grant S. White BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, Dean of the Seminary The Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards Dr. Gayle E. Woloschak The Most Reverend Joseph, Mr. Rassem El Massih The Very Rev. Thomas Zain Archbishop of New York and Met- The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Dr. Roberta R. Ervine ropolitan of all North America, An- Hatfield, Chancellor of the Semi- The Very Rev. Dr. Daniel tiochian Orthodox Christian Arch- nary (ceo) Findikyan EMERITUS FACULTY diocese of North America The Very Rev. Dr. John Jillions, Matushka Robin J. Freeman Chancellor of the Orthodox The Very Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Dr. David Drillock APPOINTED MEMBERS Church in America Halvorsen The Very Rev. John H. Erickson The Most Reverend Hilarion, Dr. Daniel B. Hinshaw Mr. Gregory Abdalah, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and The Very Rev. Dr. John Jillions Alumni Association President Chairman of the Moscow Patri- The Rev. Hierodeacon Herman LIBRARY archate Department for External (Majkrzak) Church Relations BOARD OFFICERS Dr. Paul Meyendorff Ms. Eleana S. Silk The Most Reverend Savas, Mr. Alex Machaskee, Metropolitan of Pittsburgh, Greek Executive Chairman Orthodox Archdiocese of America Mr. Anthony Kasmer, Treasurer The Right Reverend Maxim, The Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, of Western American Dio- Corporate Secretary cese, Serbian Orthodox Church BOARD MEMBERS TRUSTEES EMERITI Dr. Frank B. Cerra Mr. Michael Bress The Rev. Pdn. Peter Danilchick Dr. Brian Gerich Mr. Gregory Drillock Dr. Glenn R. Kubina Dr. Albert Foundos Mr. Alexander Popoff, Jr. Dr. Anne Glynn Mackoul The Very Rev. Paul Shafran Mrs. Tatiana Hoff Mrs. Elsie Skvir Nierle The Rev. Deacon Michael Hyatt Mr. Thomas S. Zedlovich Mr. Theodore Jadick Mr. Mitchell Zunich Dr. Nicholas Pandelidis Mr. James T. Perry Dr. Donald J. Tamulonis, Jr. Dr. Melody M. Thompson Mrs. Anne van den Berg

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