St. Tikhon's Seminary will be holding its Summer Clergy Continuing Education Program from June 18-20, 2019. This year's program is titled "Roots: A Pastoral and Patristic Return to the Old Testament," and features such speakers as Archbishop Michael of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, Fr. Victor Gorodenchuck, Fr. Alexis Trader, and Dr. Justin Gohl. Cost of Registration is $200, including food and accommodations. A flyer may be found here and the registration form here. For more information, contact Administrative Assistant to the Dean Marshall Goodge at mgoodge@stots.edu or by phone at (570) 561-1818 x101.
Students from St. Tikhon’s Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Seminary gathered together on the morning of February 23, 2019 at The Vineyard Center in Honesdale, PA to play an exhibition game of basketball. This fun tradition occurs every year between the sister seminaries, with each school taking its turn hosting. This year's game had to be relocated to a near-by gym, since the St. Tikhon's gymnasium is currently being renovated.
STOTS Dean Fr. John Parker was on hand to give the opening blessing and to cheer on the players. Several students and their families, as well as STOTS faculty, helped encourage our dedicated players to do their best. Professor Dr. David Ford was our jovial cheerleader and kept the crowd pumped up.
Although St. Tikhon’s lost, 47-32, we hope to come back strong and pull out a win next year. After the game, everyone enjoyed fellowship, with pizza and drinks provided by St. Tikhon’s Seminary. We wish to thank all those who came out from St. Vladimir's Seminary to make it an enjoyable day.
Article by Matushka Emilia Shepherd
On March 8-11, St. Tikhon’s Seminarians Subdeacon Peter Simko (‘21) and Isaac Lampart (‘19) gathered together with an endearing group of students and seminarians from Hellenic College-Holy Cross and St. Vladimir’s Seminary for the Spring 2019 Conference of the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement (OISM), hosted this semester by St. Vladimir’s.
Founded in the 1960s and revived in 2003, the OISM fosters fellowship and cooperation among Orthodox seminary and theology students. St. Vladimir’s seminarians chose to frame this Spring’s weekend around “Orthodox Unity.”
On Friday evening, the seminarians gathered together for informal fellowship and conversation in the SVOTS refectory. Many seminarians present also attended last semester’s OISM weekend at Hellenic College Holy Cross, and were happily introduced to new faces and first-comers to an OISM event.
On Saturday, Archpriest Edward Hughes, the Vicar General of the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate, spoke and led discussions at the conference regarding the Western Rite and Orthodox unity. SVOTS Professor Dr. John Barnet also delivered a lecture on Christian unity in the New Testament. In the evening, STOTS and HCHC seminarians participated in the mixed and male choirs during vigil (it was neat to see familiar names like Hieromonk Herman written on the scores at St. Vladimir’s). The conference concluded with Sunday’s Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel.
New leadership was also elected during this weekend’s gathering, in accordance with the OISM Constitution. Paul Murray (Holy Cross ‘21) is the National President, Catherine Holder (Hellenic College ‘21) is the National Secretary, and Subdeacon Peter Simko (STOTS ‘21) is the National Treasurer and STOTS Representative.
While OISM tends to meet every year at one of North America’s Orthodox theological seminaries, seminarians are hopeful to organize a retreat every semester to encourage long-lasting friendships and foster support in pan-Orthodox ministry.
“During my three years at STOTS, through OISM, I was given the opportunity to make connections with seminarians at Holy Trinity, HCHC, St. Vladimir’s, and Christ the Saviour in Johnstown, which I know will remain with me wherever the Church’s ministry brings me,” Isaac commented. “I feel I can relate in a little way to all the seminaries, and coming to know their students personally through OISM events, I can begin to understand what ministry might look like for each one of us, given our unique formational journeys and predispositions, that we might best relate and serve the Church together across all jurisdictions.”
Tentatively, the Fall 2019-2020 OISM Weekend will be hosted by St. Tikhon’s Seminary, which Subdeacon Peter will help organize.
“Our hope with the upcoming Saint Tikhon’s OISM retreat will be to convey the necessity of beauty in the Church and her ministries when facing a world whose, to be frank, ugliness is ever more apparent as the Lord is gradually forgotten by the wider culture,” Subdeacon Peter related. “Beauty is a sure foothold for Truth,” he continued, “so our retreat will portray how Orthodox Christianity makes Christ, Who is Truth Incarnate, present through the ministries of liturgical arts and beyond in a way that can be inspirational to all OISM participants, no matter what God is calling them to do.”
Article by Seminarian Isaac Lampart (‘19)
Photographs by St. Vladimir’s Seminarian Mitchell Morfas (‘21)
The Faculty, Staff, and Students of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary, along with the entire St. Tikhon's community would like to wish many blessed years to our Father in Christ, the Most Blessed Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, on the fifteenth anniversary of his Episcopal Consecration.
Eis polla eti, Despota!
On Thursday, January 24, the Saint Tikhon’s Seminary community celebrated the opening of the new kitchen in conjunction with the Annual Saint Tatiana's Day Luncheon. This event was graciously hosted by the Saint Tikhon's Century Association. Traditionally, Seminary Trustee and Century Association Spiritual Advisor, the Very Reverend Archpriest Joseph Martin, of blessed memory, cooked sausage and peppers for the yearly luncheon. This year, his wife Matushka Gloria, a member of the St. Tikhon’s Century Association Executive Board, and their daughters, Mrs. Cathryn Haber, Mrs. Juliana Good, and Miss Marina Martin, prepared the sausage and peppers, which were thoroughly enjoyed. The rest of the Executive Board of St. Tikhon’s Century Association baked an abundance of scrumptious desserts. Mrs. Zena Parker, St. Tikhon’s Seminary Chef, provided the soup and side dishes.
The event was opened by Father John Parker, St. Tikhon’s Seminary Dean. He welcomed the 100+ guests, seminarian families, and administration members. He showed those in attendance a plaque from the former kitchen which was dated 1962. It was fun to know we salvaged this jewel from “back in the day”! Thank you to Holy Ghost Church, Ambridge, PA, for the first kitchen. It certainly served us very well for many decades!
His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, blessed the people and delivered heartwarming thank-you’s for generous donations. He thanked Mrs. Nancy Kohudic, a member of the St. Tikhon’s Seminary Board of Trustees, for spearheading the construction of the new kitchen project with her donations. He thanked Mr. John Babiak, also, a member of the St. Tikhon’s Board of Trustees, for his donations toward the new kitchen. And, he thanked Matushka Gloria for carrying on the tradition of her husband. In remembrance of Father Joseph, Archbishop Michael delighted us with the story of the special way that Father Joe would express his love through preparing and serving food. Archbishop Michael thanked Zena for her patience with the old kitchen and for having to traverse the “dungeon” to get to the dining room. He wished her much success with the new facility.
Another benefactor of the new kitchen project, Matushka Dr. Christine Hoeplinger, was unfortunately unable to be with us that day, but was thanked for her generous donations. Matushka Christine’s donations were made in memory of her grandfather and grandmother, Riste and Dosta Stefanovich, who were restaurant owners. Out of Christian love, they always made sure that homeless and poor persons were fed from their kitchen.
The new seminary kitchen was proudly ready for this special luncheon. The recent – and enormous – upgrade has been eagerly anticipated for many years. The honor of cutting the ribbon at the new kitchen doors was given to Mrs. Kohudic. Zena was very grateful for the new facility! She and the seminary community quickly put the kitchen into full functionality and beautified it with icons and curtains. The seminary community joyfully joins her in taking good care of this great gift. We pray that the food that comes out of this kitchen will continue to nourish our seminarians and guests for many years!
We greatly thank Saint Tikhon's Century Association for hosting the luncheon and providing the delicious food! We also express gratitude to the Association for its gift of $6,500 to the Seminary General Fund that day; the check was presented to Father John by the organization’s vice-president, Mrs. Rosalie Luster.
The Seminary community continues to pray for Saint Tikhon’s Century Association, all of our contributors and benefactors, and the soul of the dearly beloved Father Joe. May his memory be eternal!
Article by Alexandra Zona
On Monday January 21, 2019 St. Tikhon’s Seminary and St. Tikhon’s Monastery played host to a group of visitors from Penn State University OCF, both Graduate and Undergraduate Students, for a pilgrimage/vocations visit. The group was led by Dn. Alex Cadman from Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in State College, which also sponsored the trip.
We welcome all OCF and young adult groups to similarly come and see! To schedule a visit to the seminary, please contact Administrative Assistant Marshall M. Goodge (mgoodge@stots.edu)
