Which Came First?

ANNUAL REPORT Which came first? St. Vladimir’s ORTHODOX THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY The SVS Vine | VOLUME 9 | JULY 1, 2015-JUNE 30, 2016 Which came first? How can you have a parish without a Church? And how can you have a Church without a bishop? And how can you have a priest or bishop without a seminary? They’re all interconnected, thing a parishioner can tell you is St. Vladimir’s Seminary has aren’t they? It’s hard to imagine ‘good sermon, Father’,” and how always been about. In return, you one existing wit hout the other, and those words altered his Sunday continue to send back to us it’s even harder to discern where morning preaching. potential pastors and lay leaders each one’s influence upon the You’ll read about challenges faced to be trained, so that they too might other begins and ends. by newly ordained Father Aleksey go out and reap the fields ripe for That’s why we’ve chosen as this Paranyuk and long-time ordained harvest (Luke 10.2). year’s theme for our Annual Father Steven Belonick, and how “Which came first: the chicken or Report: “Which came first: the each resolved a puzzling parish the egg?” Well, as an old farmer, chicken or the egg?” The theme issue by recalling a word from one even I can’t say. But as a priest represents a metaphor for any their seminary professors. and President of the Seminary, “causality dilemma” and surely You’ll read about Father Daniel I’d say Christ comes first, uniting is appropriate when speaking Bethancourt and his wife Maria, us all into one Body, under one about St. Vladimir’s Seminary in and how their seminary training Head, and keeping us in a causal relationship to the wider Orthodox continues to offer them spiritual relationship in which we really Christian Church and the narrower wisdom as a clergy couple, which in depend upon one another. realm of parish life. turn benefits their faith community. Thanks for being my father, my The personal stories of our alumni You’ll read about Deacon Greg brother, my mother, my sister—and and students in this Annual Report our source of joy and sustenance at TABLE OF CONTENTS Ealy’s unique music training here, demonstrate how their seminary which combined both practical the Seminary. And please continue President’s message ...........................2 training formed their ministries, technique and pastoral sensitivity to support us, as we continue to Alumni Stories ...............................3–24 and how their ministries are and which now guides his approach minister to you. making an impact on parishes Honor Roll ...............................................24 to choral conducting. Faithfully in our Lord, like yours. Financials .....................................25–26 And, you’ll even read about how one You’ll read about Bishop Irinej’s of our first-year seminarians, Board of Trustees.......................27–28 poignant classroom lesson in Simon Menya, returned to his home Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President D.MIN., HON. D.D., CFRM Faculty & Program Directors......29 “personhood,” which heightened in Uganda during his winter break, his own insight into human SVS Press bringing a wealth of newly found Eden Endowment .....................29–30 relations and forever transformed liturgical knowledge that helped his the lives of the clergy, laity, and Donors ............................................... 31–38 parish celebrate a feast day for the monastics under his care. first time. Stewards Society ...............................39 You’ll read about the advice Training. ministry. sending out Father Alexander Schmemann Father Michael Sakran received in Legacy Society ....................................40 Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President graduates to make a difference [photo: Adrienne Soper] his homiletics class: “The worst in your parish—that’s what 1 2 31 of our 1,346 alumni ministering worldwide are among the episcopate Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic) with the children of his flock, breaking the Christmas bread. Bishop Irinej’s essay appears on the next page. [photo: Radivoj Mackovic] 3 4 Father Dustin Lyon, spreading bay leaves and rose petals Pastoring throughout the church during the first Resurrection service An indelible seal on Holy Saturday, in accordance administratively with Greek liturgical practice. The most enduring gift an educator can offer a student is that of self, I took a lot of different courses while at St. Vladimir’s— [photo: Presvytera Nicki Lyon] freely given through their life and lectures. This unique gift of an biblical studies, church history, theology, and courses in indelible seal, of interpersonal relations and self-offering, is one that chanting and liturgics. But, believe it or not, I learned the Father Alexander Schmemann—my seminary professor—readily most about pastoral ministry in a Parish Administration bestowed from the rich font of his life in Christ. Such was the profoundly course taught by Father Harry Pappas. inspired insight of this charismatic erudite that embraced the vast After seminary, I was eventually assigned to a parish in expanse of his unique liturgical witness to Orthodoxy. Dubuque, Iowa, my home state. This long-standing Experiencing liturgy as the iconic likeness of the kingdom of heaven community, however, hadn’t had a fulltime priest in years. in which the human person is essentially a liturgical being—homo I quickly got to work, using everything I had learned in my adorans, became the very foundation of my episcopate. Elected Bishop Parish Administration course. My Church Council and I of Australia and New created a “Mission and Vision Statement” to guide us. We Every human encounter, Zealand of the Serbian even brought in an outside expert to help us with strategic regardless of how long or brief, Orthodox Church in planning, to address growth and viability. 2006, I inherited a leaves its indelible mark post-schismatic But a year and half after I arrived, disaster struck! Our church on a person’s soul, which they situation as Diocesan building’s trusses collapsed, and the weakened walls barely held up the roof. Glory to God, though, the Mother of God had bear with them into eternity. Bishop of one diocese and Bishop- alerted us to the problem during a Paraklesis service, and — Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann Administrator to the angels had protected us from a total roof collapse. other diocese. Known We quickly brought in engineers, construction workers, and as the “American Schism” of 1963, it rapidly spread to Australia the architects, and we had to find temporary space for worship— following year. Through the efforts of Patriarch Pavle, liturgical unity all huge blows to our community. We felt lost. I felt lost. was established in 1992. There remained, however, the arduous task of Then I recalled one of Father Harry’s crucial definitions: the establishing full administrative unity through the instrument of a word “administration” typically brings to mind balance common, new constitution. sheets, financial reports, and charts, but in the original Latin, Conclusively, in 2011, following years of agony and failed compromises, it means, “with ministry.” How could I take this situation, the now united two dioceses were elevated to the dignity of a singular which would require a lot of administrative meetings to Metropolitanate. If questioned on the methodology I intuitively resolve, and turn it into an opportunity for ministry? incorporated, without a doubt, it would be the offering of liturgical This challenged my thinking for quite a while, and then it awareness, the very joy of life instead of mere legislative solutions. occurred to me: we were like the homeless Hebrews who This stems from the experience and reflective understanding of the had wandered in the desert after being freed from slavery indelible mark which seals all personal encounters within the in Egypt (Exodus 16). Through Bible studies, sermons, and community, i.e. common unity of the Church. newsletters we explored this biblical story, identified with it, This heightened insight into human relations forever transformed my and grew spiritually. life and thereby the lives of my clergy and monastics, and notably, the We learned that our church community was not merely a faithful. No longer are they a secularized community of individuals building of bricks and mortar, but of people who gathered in vying for power and position, rather a worshiping community united in the Divine Liturgy to give thanks to the Holy Trinity. And, faith—lex orandi, lex credendi!, as Father Alexander so often repeated. we had faith that, just as God had accompanied the Hebrews Integral to the legacy of St. Vladimir’s Seminary was the development 10% who sought the Promised Land, God would be with us as we of Christian Anthropology. In this theology of personhood a person of our clergy searched for a new home. is seen as an event of irreducible uniqueness and freedom. Only a alumni currently And, guess what? We’ve found one: a beautiful old person can live life as a self-offering being, whereas the individual serve in the Methodist Church building in a great location, near one of is not capable of sharing. The greatest good is not the happiness of Greek Orthodox the busiest intersections in town, just down the block from the individual, but a life of gratitude, joy and the offering of self, the university. our Promised Land. sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit! Archdiocese of America Priest Dustin M. Lyon M.DIV. ’11 M.DIV. ’82 Bishop Irinej of Eastern America Rector of St. Elias the Prophet Greek Orthodox Church 5 The Serbian Orthodox Church Dubuque, Iowa (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) 6 Tread carefully In my three years of seminary, I heard and learned However, I never delivered that speech. Something many things, including a consistent admonition: a kept holding me back, and the words of Father newly assigned parish priest, at least during his first Alexander Rentel, another seminary professor, kept year, should make no changes in his parish.

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