IN THE NEWS: NY, St. Petersburg, Edmonton, Iowa
Yonkers, NY: SVS Press to debut Gospel Commentary by Archbishop Dmitri at 18th AAC
Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press will formally debut The Holy Gospel According to Saint John: A Pastoral Commentary, by His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri [Royster], at the 18th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, to be held in Atlanta, GA July 20-24, 2015. The release of the volume, published posthumously—Archbishop Dmitri fell asleep in the Lord in 2013—was timed to coincide with the opening of the Council and to complement its overall theme, “How to Expand the Mission.” SVS Press will feature the new title in a special section of its display, along with Archbishop Dmitri’s other six publications through SVS Press.
“Archbishop Dmitri’s newest title concludes the Archbishop’s scriptural series, which has been popular for decades among pastors and parish Bible study groups,” noted Michael Soroka, Production Manager and Associate Editor at SVS Press. “This book attests to the author’s unflagging zeal in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Americas, and especially to those unfamiliar with either the Christian message or the Orthodox Church.
“We thought it appropriate to have this title ready for the AAC, not only to honor the memory of this prolific author and evangelizer, but also to offer a book that can ‘replenish the faith of Christians today,’ as William J. Abraham, professor at Perkins School of Theology and personal acquaintance of Archbishop Dmitri, writes in the Foreword,” Mr. Soroka concluded.
SVS Press planned the release of seven other new titles during the spring semester and summer of 2015, some of which already have made literary and scholarly news. In April, Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence was welcomed to launch at the “Arvo Pärt: Journeys in Silence” Live Ideas Festival, sponsored by New York Live Arts.
In May a major international doctoral and post-doctoral religion conference in Prague, “Ecumenical Reception and Critique of 20th Century Orthodox Theology in Exile and Diaspora,” featured the title The Ways of Orthodox Theology in the West. The book emerged from a larger overall project, “Symbolic Mediation of Wholeness in Western Orthodoxy,” which was financed by the Czech Republic and included prominent Protestant and Orthodox scholars who analyzed the interplay between Orthodox and Western Christians in the past century, including the Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Archpriest John Behr, who wrote the Foreword to the book.
In August, at the 17th International Conference on Patristic Studies at Oxford University, SVS Press will launch two new Popular Patristics Series titles: Two Hundred Chapters on Theology, by Maximus the Confessor (PPS53), and On the Apostolic Tradition, by Hippolytus (PPS54), the latter being a second edition of the work that employs a recently discovered Ethiopic manuscript. Later in the fall, the press will release A Layman in the Desert: Monastic Wisdom for a Life in the World, a fresh look at the desert fathers through the writings of Saint John Cassian.
“Besides attracting thousands of Orthodox Christian readers annually, our titles fall into some of the most unusual but grateful hands,” said Deacon Gregory Hatrak, Director of Marketing and Operations at SVS Press and Bookstore. “For example, last year, the Salvation Army in Australia called to place a large order for our Popular Patristics title On the Human Condition, by Saint Basil the Great, for a course they were offering!
“And, while most recently we have produced important scholarly volumes,” he went on, “we also published our other ‘staples,’ for example, the exquisitely illustrated and lively children’s book St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins, and the spiritual biography To Open One’s Heart: A Spiritual Path.
“Our newest eight titles represent the breadth and depth SVS Press typifies,” Deacon Gregory emphasized, “and we are so pleased to offer Archbishop Dmitri’s final pastoral commentary in this year’s wide-ranging mix of publications. Memory Eternal to a great evangelist!”
St. Petersburg, Russia: Midwest diocesan priest participates in anniversary of canonization of St. John of Kronstadt
Priest James Dank, Rector of Saint John of Kronstadt Church, Lincoln, NE, was among numerous international guests who participated in celebrations marking the 25th Anniversary of the canonization of Saint John of Kronstadt in St. Petersburg, Russia during the week of June 10, 2015. Invitations had been extended to representatives of churches, monasteries, schools orphanages, charitable foundations and other Orthodox Christian organizations worldwide named in honor of the saint—some 450 guests from 22 nations.
The celebrations began at St. Petersburg’s Saint John of Rila Stavropeghial Convent, established in 1900 by Saint John, in which his relics are enshrined. His Eminence, Metropolitan Sergius of Barnaul and Altai presided at a Service of Thanksgiving, at which Father James and rectors of churches dedicated to Saint John from abroad concelebrated. Among other North Americans present at the celebration was His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Father James also was featured in a documentary film, “By the Name of John of Kronstadt,” which highlighted the work of clergy and founders of churches and organizations dedicated to Saint John in the USA, Pakistan, Chile, Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Russia.
Edmonton, AB, Canada: Rachmaninoff’s Vigil sung at St. Herman Church
In what was perhaps a “first” for Canada, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil Opus 37 was sung during the celebration of Vigil at Saint Herman of Alaska Sobor on Saturday, June 6, 2015.
A local Edmonton group, Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir, chose to sing this popular monumental work in honor of the choir’s fifth anniversary of organization and the centennial year of Rachmaninoff’s composition and premiere.
“Kappella Kyrie sang the parts of the Vigil service composed by Rachmaninoff, while Saint Herman’s Choir sang the propers for the Sunday after Pentecost, dedicated to All Saints,” said Priest Vincent Lehr, the parish’s Rector, who celebrated the Vigil. “The collaboration of both choirs in a solemn service for over two hours provided the 250 parishioners and guests who filled St. Herman’s church with a unique choral and spiritual experience.”
Concelebrating were Protodeacon Jesse Isaac and Deacon Sebastian Scratch, along with other OCA clergy and priests from Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The conductor of Kappella Kyrie Choir was Dr. Melanie Turgeon, while Saint Herman’s Choir was led by Mr. Greg Fedor.
Following the Vigil, parishioners hosted a luncheon in the parish hall in honor of the visiting and local choirs, parishioners, attending clergy and the many guests from the Edmonton community who were present for the historic service.
Ames, Iowa: Mission parish begins its mission to college students
Holy Transfiguration Mission, 621 Kellogg Ave., Ames, IA will host an open house for incoming Iowa State University students from 4:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 18 and 19, 2015—resident hall “move-in days.”
Priest Marty Watts and parishioners will be on hand to meet new students and their parents and to introduce them to the mission community’s plans for the coming school year.
“With an enrollment of over 35,000, Iowa State University of Science and Technology serves students from all 50 states, many Canadian provinces, and a variety of other foreign countries,” said Father Marty. “We’re hoping to reach every Orthodox Christian student and invite them to make our spiritual home their own during their college years. It is my hope that perhaps next year, every parish in a college town will host such an event, and that OCF will create a national registry of such events to distribute more widely, perhaps as part of its “First 40 Days” program. [See related story.]
Those who know of students in the Ames area are invited to submit their names to Father Marty at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).