May 9, 2006 - Metropolitan PHILIP Celebrates Ordination of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Dean to the Holy Priesthood

May 9, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sofia Lopoukhine, Communications Officer
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
575 Scarsdale Road, Crestwood, NY 10707
(914) 961-8313 x.363
fax (914) 961-4507
sofia@svots.edu
www.svots.edu

Crestwood, NY – On Sunday, May 7, 2006, the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community cried out “Axios” as their dean, Deacon John H. Erickson was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America.

Later that day, it was a special blessing to have His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese share words of appreciation for the achievements of St. Vladimir’s Seminary at a banquet. His Eminence began by saying, “I am delighted to share the joy of this evening and I bring greetings from so many clergy who have benefited from this seminary.” He concluded his speech by presenting Fr. John with a beautiful pectoral cross, and as he handed it to him proclaimed, “Axios, my friend.”

For Fr John this was a completion of a path that began many years ago, starting in 1964 when he was received into the Orthodox Church in the seminary chapel. This was followed by 33 years of teaching canon law and church history at the seminary where he also served as Academic Dean and now as Dean and CEO.

The newly ordained Fr. John expressed great gratitude for all those who helped him get to this point and for the spiritual encouragement he has received through out his life at the seminary. With great optimism Fr. John spoke about the future of the Church and the next generation who are looking for what Orthodoxy in America has to offer, “I see young people today carrying the spirit of St Vladimir’s, which is a devotion to truth that is never limited to parochialism or nationalism, into the world.”

Photos from event...

Antiochian students, alumni, staff, and wives