SVS Dean John H. Erickson ordained to the Holy Diaconate

Deacon John Erickson, Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and his wife Helen, are pictured here with His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, and His Grace, Bishop Demetrios of Xanthos, following his ordination to the Holy Diaconate on January 30, 2006.

CRESTWOOD, NY [OCA Communications] — His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, ordained Prof. John H. Erickson, dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here, to the Holy Diaconate on Monday, January 30, during the Divine Liturgy marking the patronal feastday of the school’s Three Hierarchs Chapel.

Standing in the center of the church surrounded by his wife, Helen Breslich Erickson, alumni, friends, students, faculty, staff and trustees, Dean Erickson was led into the altar, where during the laying on of hands Metropolitan Herman read the ordination prayers.

Deacon John Erickson has served the Church as a layman for many years, most notably as seminary dean since 2002 and as a professor of Church history and canon law since 1976. He was the first layperson to serve as dean of the seminary and, as such, the first dean to be ordained in the presence of the seminary community. He has had a long-standing relationship with the seminary that began many years ago when, as a student at Harvard University, he met Serge Schmemann, son of the late Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, then dean of the seminary. His subsequent visits to the seminary eventually led to his reception into the Orthodox Church in the seminary’s chapel in 1964.

Concelebrating with Metropolitan Herman, who also serves as President of the seminary, were clergy from the seminary and the Orthodox Church in America chancery. Also in attendance were His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, retired Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, auxiliary to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Click here for pictures of Deacon John Erickson’s ordination.