The Ninth Annual Conference of the Sophia Institute titled “The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church” will be held Friday, December 9, 2016 on the campus of Union Theological Seminary from 9:00am to 6:00pm.
The St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess is pleased to provide this brochure that explains how restoration of the ancient ordained role of the female deacon could help build up Christ’s Church and its people.
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Download the new St. Phoebe Center Brochure
Text of Sermon:
Who do we trust and why? Reflections on Thomas Sunday
When we are infants, we learn to trust those around us, especially our parents. They feed us, care for us, teach us to talk and walk, etc. We are introduced to the world through their eyes and learn to navigate this life through their guidance. As we grow older, we may test the boundaries they set for us and even though we have been told not to touch “that hot stove because it will burn us,” we have to try it out for ourselves. (Of course, in that instance, we may realize that we should have believed them ;-)) When we become teens, we often posit that our parents cannot be trusted, don’t know anything, and cannot possibly understand our experience; we begin to rely on our friends to know what is real. Still, we may not believe everything we hear and will have to check it out for ourselves. As we continue to grow and mature, we realize that, perhaps, our parents really do have some wisdom to impart to us. We filter their advice through our own life experience. At times, we believe them because our life experience confirms this. At other times, we may be more suspect. Sometimes there are things in this world that we may not be able to confirm fully by our experience; we must trust in the witness of those who have gone before us. For instance, I believe our planet is round, not because I have actually seen it from space, but I trust the experience of those who have seen this and the pictures that they have brought back to us. I cannot confirm this directly, but their witness resonates with what I know from my own experience on this planet and my observation of the skies around us.
The anxiety and confusion surrounding the question of who we trust and why is found in the different Biblical accounts immediately following the Resurrection of Jesus as well. In the Gospel of Mark (16:1–8) that is read at the Rush service on Pascha Night, the Myrrh-bearing women —Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Solome—go to the tomb of Jesus, see that the stone had been rolled away, meet a young man dressed in white who tells them that Jesus has risen. However, they do not know this man and are afraid. They do not trust him and flee. In the Gospel according to Luke (24: 1–12), the women, seeing the empty tomb, remember Jesus’ words that He would rise on the third day. They believe and go to tell the disciples, but the men do not believe them. The women trusted Jesus’ words, but the men do not trust their words. They do not believe the witness of the ones who have been with them, traveled with them, often supporting them from their means for the better part of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In the same story according to the Gospel of Matthew (28: 1–20) that is read at the Paschal Vigil that we now celebrate “in anticipation” on Saturday morning, the Myrrh-bearing women go to the tomb, meet what is described as an angel of the Lord who comes and rolls the stone away from the tomb and tells them that Jesus has risen. As in the account from Mark, they quickly run from the tomb with fear, but, in this case, also with “great joy” and go to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee as instructed. They trust the messenger implicitly because the angel is identified as from the Lord, from one in whom they believed. However, when the eleven disciples go to Galilee to the mountain that Jesus had directed them and see him, the biblical record says that some still did not believe. They did not trust their own eyes. Seeing is not always believing.
In the reading for today (John 20:19–31), the story of Thomas gives voice to this confusion and doubt surrounding the Resurrection. However, it also gives hope to those of us who live between the time of the historical Jesus and, what we believe will be, the ultimate reign of the Christ of Faith. When Jesus appears to his disciples, Thomas is not with them. He then refuses to trust the witness of his friends when they tell him that they have seen their friend, the risen Jesus. He wants direct proof—not only seeing, but also touching the wounds of Jesus. He declares, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn. 20:25b). When the risen Jesus does come to him, he recognizes him and exclaims, “My Lord and My God!” To this, Jesus replies, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed!”
So, why does Thomas, who had been a close friend and follower of Jesus, doubt the witness of his friends? The biblical record tells us very little. However, we can fill out the story from the hymnography of the church, drawing on the wisdom of those who have gone before us. If you recall, during Antiochian Women’s Month this past March we looked at some of the hymns of the Lenten and Paschal seasons and what they could tell us about the various feasts. I will use the kontakion—a long poetic meditation on the gospel originally used as a type of sermon on the text—to give us some insight into this question.
The Kontakion of Romanos (6th c) imagines the encounter between the risen Jesus and Thomas in ways to which we, even today, might be able to relate. It is built around the refrain, “You are our Lord and God,” the exclamation of Thomas when he recognizes the risen Jesus, albeit transposed into the second person. So, why does Thomas doubt? Romanos suggests that at first Thomas blames the other disciples for his unbelief. Thomas says that if they had really seen the Lord they should have cried out immediately exclaiming, “You are our Lord and our God.” Instead, they concealed it. Wouldn’t we want to tell and/or be told of something so amazing right away? In Romanos’ account, Thomas then questions the veracity of the story because the disciples had not proven trustworthy in the past. For instance, Peter had denied Jesus three times; they had all fled at the crucifixion. Do our friends sometimes disappoint us as well? Furthermore, Romanos proposes that Thomas wonders why he was not called immediately when the disciples met Jesus. He is jealous at their good fortune. He was part of the group, but wonders why he was not among them or asked to be among them at that time. Do we as well, sometimes question the veracity of something because we were not part of the inner circle to whom it was revealed? Romanos continues by saying that when the risen Jesus does appear to Thomas, he is embarrassed by his unbelief. He wonders what he is going to say to his friends now, after questioning their account. How do we recover from a similar lack of trust in our relationships? Thomas asks for forgiveness. Jesus consoles him saying that he “guards those living in me.” He then blesses his faith and continues, saying, “Still more do I bless those who come on merely hearing of me…”
So, how do we, who have not physically seen the risen Christ nor touched his wounds, believe in His Resurrection? How do we, who may empathize with many of Thomas’ doubts as imagined by Romanos, recognize the risen Christ? Unlike Thomas, we do not have the direct witness of our friends. However, we do have the collective witness of those who have gone before us embedded in the Tradition of the Church—a witness that has proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for almost 2000 years, especially at every Divine Liturgy. We continue to do so. It is in this celebration that we are invited to open ourselves up to the continued presence of the risen Christ through the power Holy Spirit. We can trust their witness when we hear the Word of the Lord and are edified by His teachings and marvel at His works. We can trust their witness when we exchange the Kiss of Peace with our neighbor and sense that all is forgiven in the Peace of Christ. We can trust in their witness when we receive His Body and Blood and feel, as we proclaim in the Anaphora of the Liturgy of Basil, a profound bond of unity with the risen Christ and one another. And we can trust their witness when we experience the joy of the Paschal agape meal—the liturgy after the Liturgy—and it continues to permeate the liturgy of our lives. Lives filled with the love of Christ in our midst in which the witness of the past resonates deeply with our own experience and allows us to say with trust and confidence, “Christ is Risen from the dead trampling death by death and upon those in the graves bestowing Life.”
Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!
Call for Academic Papers
NINTH Annual International Conference
“THE MYSTICAL THEOLOGY OF THE EASTERN CHURCH”
Friday, December, 2016
9.00 am to 6.00pm.
Sophia Institute
Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway
New York. NY 10027
Get more information here
Catherine Vrugitz, currently retired, spent the majority of her career in the medical insurance arena, first as a manager then as Vice President of Product Development. As manager she was recognized for her outstanding managerial skills, consistently leading the company in production and quality standards. Always putting her employees first, she developed a work-at-home plan for new mothers to keep their jobs while staying home with their babies. As Vice President of Product Development she assisted major companies in developing new service products (short term or long term disability for example) to offer to their customer base. Part of that development included writing a training curriculum to support product delivery. This training had to include not only the descriptions of the product, but the legal aspects on a local, state and federal level. A computer system that would adjudicate the claims had to be found and training written for that as well. Quality assurance programs, to insure consistent delivery, were written and put into place. Auditors were trained. Most importantly policy and procedures were needed and ultimately staffing. Designing a marketing strategy and performing sales training were also important aspects of product development. For one company her product development helped them realize a successful rollout which, within two years, gave them revenue income of over eight million dollars. Her job required extensive traveling, many presentations and ultimately a successful rollout of product. During the course of her career she hired and managed hundreds of people in multiple locations across the United States. Her success was measured in millions of dollars in revenue, multiple satisfied customers, and the lowest employee turnover ratios.
Cathy has a degree from Ohio Dominican University with a major in Psychology. She did graduate studies at the University of Pécs in Hungary, studying the Hungarian Language. Cathy has been active in the Orthodox faith for almost 50 years, participating in every aspect of the church from education to board president. She is the founder of the Myrrhbearer’s Orthodox Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. This effort, which took ten years to come to fruition, is now in place offering comfort to all Orthodox believers. Cathy raised over S14,000 to erect an Orthodox Cross which is the main feature of the cemetery. She is very active in the care of the cemetery and organizes an annual Memorial Service on Myrrhbearer’s Sunday for all the families. Currently she is an active member of St. Gregory of Nyssa in Columbus, Ohio, where one of her main interests is raising money for the Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships annually to Orthodox students. With her influence, a substantial matching fund donation was gratefully received, challenging the committee to be diligent in fund raising.
Cathy has a son, Charles, who lives in New Mexico. She resides in Powell, OH and is happy to be surrounded by many friends and many loving Godchildren.
Helen Creticos Theodoropoulos has been active in the Orthodox Church and in theological education in various ways for many years. She received a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, and both the Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Helen is currently adjunct professor at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox School of Theology in Libertyville, IL, teaching the study of the Church Fathers, and Christianity in America. She is also currently Lecturer at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, and is a founding and current board member of the St. Catherine Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies.
In her home parish, Helen taught the high school Church school class for many years, and currently teaches the weekly adult Bible Study group and a bi-monthly adult religious education program. In addition, she has lectured to Orthodox and ecumenical religious groups on the local, diocesan, and national levels, and has presented papers at multiple conferences. Helen and her husband Evan are the parents of three daughters.
Carrie Frederick Frost is a lifelong Orthodox Christian and a scholar of Orthodox theology. She was raised in a Carpatho-Russian parish, spent most of her adult life in a Ukrainian Orthodox church, and now attends a Greek church. Carrie received her doctorate in theology from the University of Virginia. Her dissertation, A Theology of Motherhood, offers a theological consideration of motherhood using Orthodox icons, hymns, and rites. Now she works on topics of motherhood, family, children, animals, theological anthropology, iconography, and theology in literature, and she will be teaching at Saint Sophia Orthodox Seminary in 2016. She resides in Bellingham, Washington with her husband and their five children.
AnnMarie Mecera, CHAIR
Caren Stayer,
SECRETARY
Gust Mecera, TREASURER
In a meeting held December 10, St. Phoebe board members elected AnnMarie Mecera as Chair; Dr. Caren Stayer as Secretary; and Gust Mecera as Treasurer. AnnMarie and Caren are both founding members of the St. Phoebe Center. Gust’s bio can be found here.
The election of officers comes with plans for the organization to become a non-profit with 501c3 status. Bylaws are currently being developed; in early 2016, the board hopes to submit its 501c3 application. This move will provide credibility and accountability to the organization and will also allow donations to be tax-deductible.
Read the article posted on Fr. Ted’s blog titled Holy Communion & Menstruation
Holy Communion and Menstruation (PDF)
Read the article written by Teva Regule titled Women & the Canons of the Church
One month after the St. Phoebe conference on women deacons in December, 2014, in New York City, a major international conference, “Deaconesses, Ordination of Women and Orthodox Theology”, was held in the Thessaloniki, Greece, in January, 2015, sponsored by the Centre for Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies (CEMES), the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston.
Papers were delivered by St. Phoebe Center board members Valerie Karras, Th.D., Ph.D and Teva Regule, PhD (candidate).
CONFERENCE RESOURCES
His Eminence Seraphim of Zimbabwe was born in Galatis, Cyprus. He felt his calling to serve at an early age and, at 12 years old, was accepted as a novice at the Monastery of Kykkos. In 1991, while still pursuing his education, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite on the same day. In 1997, His Eminence became the director of the seminary in Riruta and was enthroned as Archbishop of Kenya. In 2005, His Eminence consecrated the first monastery in South Africa, the Monastery of Saint Nectarios. In 2010, he became the Representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria at many international conferences, including the European Union and the United Nations. In this role, he also visited the United States to meet with Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington, discussing relations between the Church of America and the Patriarch of Alexandria.
Archbishop Seraphim considers himself an ecologist. He preaches that everything received from God must be returned, without corruption. He notes that the best ecologists are the saints who teach kindness and a loving way towards all things.
After a 2003 lecture by and conversations with Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, of blessed memory, Mardi began her journey in exploring the valued role of deaconesses in the Orthodox Church and its historic tradition. Having been raised by missionary parents and seeing firsthand the practical- and essential – role of women in the Church, she followed the model of her parents to become actively involved in Orthodox Christian ministries such as helping found an Orthodox Chaplaincy in NYC with Fr. Dr. John McGuckin where she served as Cantor and Reader, holding staff positions at Antiochian Village Orthodox Camp, and a variety of other ministries such as choir director, Sunday School teacher, and retreat lecturer. Mardi’s experience in the Orthodox Church has been greatly influenced by her travels to Syria, Ghana, Mexico, and India where she has interviewed Church leaders, monks, nuns, and laity about the relevance of Orthodox practice in the modern world. She has been employed as a teacher in both public and private schools for more than 20 years where she taught health, psychology, and theatre arts.
Mardi’s academic background is founded in the dramatic arts including a double major in Speech/Drama and Psychology and a Minor in Theology. After beginning her professional career in film and stage, Mardi earned a graduate degree in Theater Performance from Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC. She is an active member of Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Actors Equity Association. Mardi and her husband have 3 children and split their time between NYC and upstate NY.
Fr. Philip Zymaris obtained his Th.D. from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki
in the year 2000. He joined the faculty of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of
Theology in 2005. Since then, he has been teaching in the areas of Liturgics,
Sacramental Theology, Rubrics and Canon Law. His main interests center around
how liturgical practice, church architecture and iconography reflect a specific
liturgical vision. Most recently he has been concentrating on the anthropology
reflected in the long history of our liturgical texts, and how this concurs or not
with the official theology of the Church as expressed in the councils.
Jennifer Nahas has worked across many sectors – not for profit, private, and public – to strengthen programs and policies that foster resiliency in young people. She co-founded Brigham Nahas Research Associates (BNRA), a Massachusetts firm specializing in evaluation research and data-oriented strategic planning for organizations promoting success for young people in high school, college, and beyond. There she led local and national evaluation studies and worked with a variety of stakeholders to implement best practices. Across all her professional endeavors, Jennifer has worked with diverse teams to articulate guiding principles, understand data, and leverage outcomes to create lasting systematic change toward a more peaceful and just world.
More recently, Jennifer has been working directly with women and young people interested in outdoor exploration toward personal growth through mental, physical, and spiritual challenges She believes that it’s in the wild, untamed, and natural places that we not only find our best selves, but we experience an intimate relationship with God. A certified ski instructor and an outdoor mediative guide trained in spiritual facilitation and accompaniment, Jennifer strives to inspire others to awaken to a lifelong love of the outdoors as a means of experiencing the peace and love of God.
Jennifer is a founding member of Axia, a network by, for, and about Orthodox women. She has served on the Executive Board since the beginning and heads Axia’s efforts in renewal and retreat opportunities for Orthodox women. In her previous role as Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Fellowship, she brought her knowledge of outcome indicators and data analysis to overseeing 300 campus-based fellowships, organizing national student conferences, and implementing alternative spring break service trips in domestic/overseas locations. She developed the OCF servant leadership training program that is still used today. Prior to being a leader in campus ministry, Jennifer started her career at the City of Boston’s mayoral summer youth jobs program and honed her research and management skills at Brandeis University’s Heller School, where she earned a Master of Management in Human Services. She has developed workshops across a variety of subjects, most recently on Walking the Camino, and continues to write about women and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Jennifer splits her time between Telluride, Colorado, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a Antiochian Christian, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where she was an active member of St. Mary’s. She attends St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Outside of church-going, she participates in yearly pilgrimage walks.
Paul Meyendorff was the Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary from 1987 to 2016. He also served as academic dean, associate editor at St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, and editor of St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly.
Active in the ecumenical movement, Professor Meyendorff has participated in the Faith and Order Commission of both the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical work dovetails with his responsibilities as an advisor to the Department of External Affairs of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a position he has held since 2000. Representing the OCA, he was a delegate to the 8th General Assembly of the WCC in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1998; a consultant to the OCA delegation to the 9th General Assembly of the WCC, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006; and a delegate to the 10th General Assembly, in Busan, Korea, in 2013. He is also a long-time member of the St. Irenaeus Orthodox-Catholic Working Group.
He is author of several articles and books, including from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press):
St. Germanus of Constantinople, On the Divine Liturgy, translation, introduction and commentary (1984).
Russia, Ritual, and Reform: The Liturgical Reforms of Nikon in the 17th Century (1991).
The Anointing of the Sick, Orthodox Liturgy Series 1 (2009).
The Service of the Anointing of the Sick, editor and translator (2009).
Fr. Marc Dunaway is an archpriest in the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America and pastor of Saint John Orthodox Cathedral in Eagle River, Alaska. With his sons, Benjamin and John Marc, he also directs the Eagle River Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, held each summer August 1-5. He is on the Advisory Council of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University, and recently worked with the International Orthodox Theological Association in Volos, Greece to produce a new series of 23 IOTA Talks. He is married 40 years to his wife Betsy, and together they have four children and 9 grandchildren.
Dr. Lori Peterson Branch is associate professor of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century English Literature at the University of Iowa. She has published widely on literature, religion, and the postsecular, from the fourth-century Sayings of the Desert Fathers to seventeenth-century Dissent, contemporary Gothic novels, and Eastern Orthodoxy. With her collaborator Mark Knight she has co-taught two NEH Summer Seminars for faculty on religion, secularism, and the novel. Between 2012-2024 she solicited, selected, and edited 21 volumes for the monograph series Literature, Religion, and Postsecular Studies for Ohio State University Press. Beginning in 2024, she co-edits the Literature and Religion since 1500 Cambridge Elements series for Cambridge University Press. She is currently at work on a book project titled Beyond Secularism: Postsecular Reason, an interdisciplinary manifesto for moving the humanities and social sciences beyond the secular-religious binary birthed in modernity.
Dr. Branch also serves on the Board of Directors for IOTA, the International Orthodox Theological Association, and with Rev. Dr. Chrysostom Koutloumousianos she co-chairs its “Orthodoxy and Literature” group. She is a founding member of St. Raphael Antiochian Orthodox Church in Iowa City, Iowa, where she chants, directs the choir, leads a parish book group, directs the Sunday School program, and serves on the stewardship committee. In 2023, she was delighted to sing in the world premiere of the Jubilee Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, composed by Mother Katherine Weston, at the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black conference held in Houston, TX. She lives in Iowa City with her husband and twin daughters, who are also members of the St. Phoebe Center and enthusiastic supporters of its mission.
Helen has been active in the Orthodox Church and in theological education in various ways for many years. She received a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, and both the Master’s and PhD degrees in Theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Helen is currently adjunct professor at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox School of Theology in Libertyville, IL, teaching the study of the Church Fathers, and Christianity in America. She has also been a Lecturer at Loyola University Chicago and at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein. She is a board member and Secretary of the Orthodox Theological Association in America (OTSA).
In her home parish, Helen taught the high school Church school class for many years, and currently teaches the weekly adult Bible Study group and a bi-monthly adult religious education program. In addition, she has lectured to Orthodox and ecumenical religious groups on the local, diocesan, and national levels, and has presented papers at multiple conferences. Helen and her husband Evan are the parents of three daughters.
Fr. Radu Bordeianu is an Associate Professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh – USA. His research focuses on ecumenical ecclesiologies. He is the author of two monographs entitled, Dumitru Staniloae: An Ecumenical Ecclesiology (2011, Romanian translation 2022), and Icon of the Kingdom of God: An Orthodox Ecclesiology (2023). He is also the editor of It is the Spirit Who Gives Life: New Directions in Pneumatology (2022). He served as President of the Orthodox Theological Society of America, is a member of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation (the official dialogue of the two churches), and co-chair of the “Romanian Orthodoxy” group of the International Orthodox Theological Association. He is also involved in local intra-Christian and Christian-Jewish dialogues, and he serves as an Orthodox priest.
Dr. Elizabeth H. Prodromou is a lifelong Orthodox Christian who draws on her faith as the wellspring of her academic, policy, and practitioner work. Elizabeth is currently a Visiting Scholar in the International Studies Program at Boston College, where she will join the faculty beginning in the 2023 academic year. Her research interests and policy work focus on the intersections of geopolitics, religion, and human rights, with particular focus on the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Elizabeth served a diplomatic appointment on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2004-2012), and she was a member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Religion & Foreign Policy Working Group (2011-2015). She has published widely on Orthodox Christianity, as co-editor of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and American Higher Education: Theological, Historical, and Contemporary Reflections and Thinking through Faith: Perspectives from Orthodox Christian Scholars, and in multiple book chapters and academic journals such as Journal of World Christianity, Journal of Democracy, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Social Compass. She sits on the editorial board of The Review of Faith & International Affairs and The Journal of World Christianity and Co-Chairs the Orthodoxy, Politics, and International Relations Group of the International Orthodox Theological Association. Her policy and practitioner appointments include the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center (Non-Resident Senior Fellow), as well as Religions for Peace (Co-President), and the Freedom of Religion or Belief Women’s Alliance (Alliance Advisor).
Elizabeth is active in service to the Church in local and global contexts. She was a member of the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Holy and Great Council at Crete in 2016, and she is a member of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Task Force on Modern Slavery. She has designed leadership programs for Orthodox Christians in the United States and Europe. Elizabeth has done parish council service, contributes regularly as a speaker in the CrossRoad Summer Institute, and is a regular speaker to Orthodox clergy and lay group, as well as to ecumenical and inter-religious organizations. She grew up in the Greek Orthodox parish of Holy Trinity in Portland, ME, where she was an organist and choir member and where her parents and priests taught her that the Church is a place of love, freedom, and fullness for all, a message and experience that she brings to her commitment to St. Phoebe’s.
She holds a Ph.D. and an S.M. in political science from MIT, an M.A.L.D. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a B.A. in history and international relations from Tufts University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude.
Elizabeth and her husband, Dr. Alexandros K. Kyrou, live in Bedford, MA. They are happy parents to their daughter, Sophia Kyrou. As family, they try to serve the Church creatively and joyfully. Alexandros is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has served on local parish, and teaches on Byzantium and Eastern Europe; Sophia is a tonsured Byzantine chanter and reader in the Greek Orthodox Church and served on the CrossRoad Summer Institute Alumni Advisory Board.
Deacon Sal has been the Diaconate Program Director of Outreach for Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) in Brookline Massachusetts since February of 2017. He has been a guest speaker and organizer/supporter of diaconate retreats and events to strengthen diaconate fellowship throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Deacon Sal was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on December 20, 2009. He and his wife Diakonissa Angela have two sons Andreas and Elias. He is the owner of Electrical Systems Engineering Inc. Consulting firm, and is also a Master in several Martial Arts. He and Diaconissa, who is a Martial Arts instructor, personal trainer, and wellness educator, work together in their business Christian Martial Fitness. Their mission is to encourage others to “train hard, stay prayerful and live healthy.”
Sara graduated from Fordham University with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Orthodox Christian Studies and Medieval Studies. She was the president of Fordham University’s chapter of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF). She is passionate about advocating for issues that heavily affect women. Sara started a youth-led community organization in her hometown of Fort Lee, New Jersey that focused on providing mental health resources for teens, and help for those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. She was also a junior commissioner for Bergen County New Jersey’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Sara is currently working at AHRCNYC, a non-profit that supports people with disabilities to obtain employment. Her role covers a wide range of responsibilities, but they all contribute to the mission of AHRCNYC to advocate for people who are neurodiverse to lead full and equitable lives.
Carrie is a lifelong Orthodox Christian and a scholar of Orthodox theology. She received her doctorate in Theology, Ethics, and Culture from the University of Virginia. She works on motherhood, family, children, theological anthropology, iconography, theology in literature, and contemplative prayer. In her book Maternal Body: A Theology of Incarnation from the Christian East (Paulist Press) she reflects on motherhood and embodied theology for wide audience. She edited a volume of women writing about the Holy and Great Council of 2016, The Reception of the Holy and Great Council: Reflections of Orthodox Christian Women (GOARCH), and she has also written many articles on the topic of deaconesses, including “A Flourishing Diaconate Will Ground—Not Predetermine—Conversation about the Women in the Priesthood” published in Women and Ordination in the Orthodox Church – Explorations in Theology and Practice edited by Gabrielle Thomas and Elena Narinskaya.
In addition to her work with the St. Phoebe Center, she is on the Board of the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA). She teaches theology at Saint Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary and religious studies at Western Washington University. She is married with five children, and she resides in Bellingham, Washington.
Ann Marie became passionate about the woman’s role in Orthodoxy after research conducted for a paper she presented at the University of Leeds, and years of involvement in the Orthodox Church. She was convinced that the time was right to build awareness for the historical female diaconate and the potential that existed in restoration of this ordained role.
With a degree in journalism from Ohio University, Ann Marie has worked in the marketing field for 40 years. She has been an independent marketing strategist for over three decades. Ann Marie wrote the religious education manual for pre-schoolers titled “A Way of Life: Introducing Your Children to the Orthodox Faith”, which has been called ‘by far the best resource for introducing pre-schoolers and younger children to the faith.’ She served for nearly 20 years as her parish Lay Vice-Chair, was a member of various OCA task forces, a Pre-Conciliar Commission, the OCA Diocesan Council for the Midwest Diocese, and the OCA Pension Board. Ann Marie also assisted Project Mexico with its Public Relations for several years. She is a Member of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR). Ann Marie currently lives outside of Orlando, Florida, and attends St. Stephen the Protomartyr Church where she is a catechist and assists with the parish communications. She is also taking CPE (clinical pastoral education) classes and hopes to serve her parish in this capacity.
Dr. Cary J. Limberakis is the Archon Regional Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Greater Philadelphia Region. He is a steward of the St. Sophia, Saints Faith, Hope and Agape Greek Orthodox Church in Jeffersonville, PA, and the St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, PA. He has been a member of the Parish Council at both parishes, President at St. Luke, served on the Metropolis of New Jersey Metropolitan Council.
Dr. Limberakis received a B.A from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. from Villanova University, and a D.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He is a general dentist who works alongside his son at their practice in the Philadelphia area. Together, they have travelled to Mount Athos to render dental care to the monks at Vatopedi Monastery.
Throughout his dental career, Dr. Limberakis has been involved with the American Dental Association at the executive level at the local, state and national levels.
Dr. Limberakis and his wife Alexis have four children and three grandchildren. His daughter, Kyra, was a former member of the St. Phoebe Center board.
Susan has served the Orthodox Church in various ways. She is a wife and mother and has enjoyed a career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an economist, a policy analyst, and as a project, program, study, and quality manager. She is also a facilitator and an educator, having taught as a substitute teacher in the public school system for more than a decade. Her graduate degrees include a Diploma in Economics from Essex University, Colchester, U.K., while a Rotary International Scholar; and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago. She completed undergraduate studies in economics and public policy at Kalamazoo College, Michigan, which included study at University of Erlangen, Germany, and Syracuse University, New York.
Dr. Demetra (Dee) Velisarios Jaquet, D.Min., is retired from 25 years of professional life as a Pastoral Counselor, CPE Supervisor, Spiritual Director, and Adjunct Professor. She taught Religious Studies at Regis University, Denver and was a Pastoral Counselor/Spiritual Director at Pastoral Counseling for Denver (PCD). She was a Board Certified Chaplain in the Association of Pastoral Counselors (APC) and a Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in the College of Pastoral Supervision (CPSP) and in the Center for Spiritual Caregivers and Pastoral Formation (CSCPF). She was also a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC).
In 1988 she founded Orthodox People Together (OPT) which published the first directory of American Orthodox parishes in all (SCOBA) jurisdictions, and sponsored four conferences on Orthodox unity. She also founded the Women’s Orthodox Ministries and Education Network (WOMEN) in 1994, which publishes the St. Nina Quarterly, and she serves on its Editorial Board. WOMEN also sponsored several conferences throughout the U.S. about the ministries of women in the Orthodox Church, plus one international conference with Bishop KALLISTOS Ware in England.
For many years Dr. Jaquet was an Orthodox representative to the Colorado Council of Churches and the Women’s Interfaith Alliance in Denver. She was an Orthodox representative at three European World Council of Churches (WCC) conferences and at several interfaith conferences of women theologians in America. In 1993 she received a blessing from His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver for her ministry as a Pastoral Counselor and Interfaith Chaplain. She served as a Chaplain at Central Presbyterian Men’s Homeless Shelter, the Hospice of St. John, the Centura Health Hospice Facilities, Swedish Hospital, Porter Adventist Hospital, Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital, and North Suburban Hospital, all in Denver.
Dr. Jaquet is a past president of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion (OCAMPR), Boston. She began as a chanter and choir member when a teenager with her dad, John C. Velon, of blessed memory, who was a Byzantine Music scholar, Protopsaltis and choir master at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Rock Island, Ill. She continued in other parishes, finally at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Denver. She currently is a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Grand Junction, Colorado.
Dr. Jaquet holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. (Lutheran), an M.Div. from Iliff School of Theology, Denver (Methodist), a D.Min. from Pittsburgh Theological School (Presbyterian) and Antiochian House of Studies (Antiochian Orthodox), and a Certificate of Orthodox Studies from Holy Cross School of Theology (Greek Orthodox). She also holds a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from St. Thomas Roman Catholic Seminary in Denver. She has published numerous articles on Orthodoxy Christianity and women’s ministries.
In addition to serving on the St. Phoebe Advisory Board, Dr. Jaquet currently volunteers teaching Spiritual Direction classes and providing Supervision and Spiritual Direction for the Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program in Grand Junction, Colorado. She also serves on the Board of the Rocky Mountain Center for Spiritual Caregivers (RMCSC), Grand Junction, and on national committees for the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation (CSCPF), headquartered in California. She is active in the Orchard Mesa Centering Prayer Group, the God and Earth Women’s Study Group, and the Community-Building Coalition, all in Grand Junction.
She and her husband of 42 years, Neil Jaquet (also retired), own and operate Ambelos Vineyards in Grand Junction where they are commercial growers of wine grapes, peaches, apricots and hay. They bicycle, hike, and hunt for petroglyphs throughout the Southwest for fun. Their daughter Anastasia McCune, husband and three grandchildren live in the Denver area, and their son Christopher Jaquet, wife and two granddaughters live in Telluride, Colorado.
Valerie is an adjunct instructor of religion at Lindenwood University. From 2005 to 2012, she was assistant professor of church history at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. From 2003 to 2004, Valerie served as research associate at the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, an online digital Greek library based at the University of California, Irvine, and from 1998 to 2003 she was assistant professor of Greek Patristics in the Department of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. In 1993, Valerie came to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology as a fellow-in-residence, then continued as assistant professor at both Holy Cross and Hellenic College from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 1997, she served Hellenic College and Holy Cross as Assistant Director for Institutional Planning and Special Projects. She has also been an adjunct lecturer in the Departments of Classics and Religious Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.
Valerie has earned doctorates in patristic theology from the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki and in church history from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She also holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
Valerie’s areas of research interest include women in early and Byzantine Christianity, gender in early church theology; and Orthodox Christianity in ecumenical, interreligious, and feminist conversation. She has published articles, translations, and book reviews in scholarly journals such as Church History, the Journal of Early Christian Studies, Studia Patristica, and Theological Studies; and in books such as the Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology (Cambridge University Press), Holy Women of Byzantium (Dumbarton Oaks), Justification and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement (Liturgical Press), and Thinking through Faith (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press). Valerie is completing revisions to her first book, Women in the Byzantine Liturgy, which will be published by Oxford University Press; she is also co-editing a volume on Orthodox perspectives on war with Perry Hamalis.
Dr. Karras has been widely invited to lecture, also presenting papers at numerous academic conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad. She is a member of the editorial board of The St. Nina Quarterly, an international journal for Orthodox women, and has served on the boards of directors of the North American Academy of Ecumenists, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research at St. John’s University in Minnesota. Dr. Karras has also been a member of the steering committees of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Group and the History of Christianity Section for the American Academy of Religion. She is a member of several academic and professional organizations, and has been awarded fellowships, grants, and other recognition. Dr. Karras’ avocation is music: she plays piano, has sung in numerous symphonic and other choruses, and holds a diploma in Byzantine music from Greece. Her church music experience includes having served as chanter, choir director, and organist at various Orthodox parishes.
Rev. Dr. Perry Hamalis is Cecelia Schneller Mueller Professor of Religion at North Central College (Naperville, IL). In 2015-16, he was a Fulbright Senior Fellow and Underwood Visiting Professor at Yonsei University (Seoul). A deacon of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea, he teaches, writes, and lectures on Christian Ethics, and is the co-editor, with Valerie Karras, of the book, Orthodox Christian Perspectives on War (University of Notre Dame Press).
Fr. McGuckin has served as Professor of Byzantine Christianity at Union Theological Seminary (UTS), Department of Religion, Columbia University, New York since 2002, where he also holds the title of Endowed Senior Chair. Fr. McGuckin has also been the Nielsen Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Christian History, at UTS since 2006. Prior to coming to UTS, Fr. McGuckin was Senior Lecturer in New Testament & Early Christian Theology at the University of Leeds, Leeds, England, where he also served as Dean for Undergraduate Studies. Fr. McGuckin also held several positions at LSU College of Higher Education, in Southampton, England, including Principal Lecturer & Head of Department.
Fr. McGuckin completed Doctoral Studies in Patristics at Durham University, England. He holds a Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Newcastle University, where he was winner of the Armstrong Prize. He has served on numerous committees and in noted positions at the University of Leeds, UTS, and Columbia University, including Faculty Representative, Burke Library Fellows, Scholarship Committee at UTS ; and Presidential Search Committee. At Columbus University, Fr. McGuckin has been part of the Executive Committee of the Harriman Center (Eastern European Studies) since 2000; and a committee member for the Certificate in Medieval Studies since 2007.
Fr. McGuckin has been a Visiting Professor at The University of Kiev – Mohyla Academy; The Orthodox Theological Faculty of Sibiu, Romania; Baia Mare University, Theology Dept, Faculty of Humanities, Romania; The Royal Academy of Norway: Institute for Advanced Research. Oslo; Sergei Posad – Moscow Patriarchal Theological Academy; and Bucharest Faculty of Theology.
Teva was raised in the Orthodox Church and has been an active member for all of her life. For many years she was involved in the work of youth ministries in the Church, working on the national level of the American Romanian Orthodox Youth (AROY) and serving two years as the national president. During much of this time, she also worked in campus ministry, organizing and coordinating various Orthodox Christian Fellowships. For the past twenty years, her worked has focused on the ministry of women in the Church. For over fifteen years, she served as Managing Editor of the St. Nina Quarterly, a publication dedicated to exploring the ministry of women in the Orthodox Church and one which aims to cultivate a deeper understanding of ministry in the lives of all Orthodox Christian women and men. In addition, Teva served as an Orthodox consultant for a number of consultations on women and men in the church sponsored by the World Council of Churches.
A life-long student of theology, Teva completed her Master of Divinity degree at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2007, graduating with highest distinction. In addition to the ministry of young people and women, she is very interested in the Church’s liturgical life. For the past few years, she has focused her studies on liturgical theology and history. She received her PhD in liturgical theology from Boston College.
Metropolitan Kallistos (Timothy Ware) is widely known for his writings on the history and worship of the Orthodox Church, and for his work in inter-Christian dialogue. Born in 1934, he joined the Orthodox Church in 1958, and he was ordained priest in 1966 and bishop in 1982. He is a member of the monastic brotherhood of St John the Theologian on the island of Patmos, Greece. For thirty-five years (1966-2001) he taught Orthodox theology in the University of Oxford, and in 1966 he founded the Greek Parish of the Holy Trinity in Oxford. He is Orthodox Co-Chairman of the International Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue, and he is also a member of the International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. He holds six honorary doctorates, and is a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens. His best-known publications are The Orthodox Church (Penguin Books) and The Orthodox Way (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press). He is a co-translator of three volumes of material from the Orthodox service books, and of four volumes of The Philokalia.
Prior to entering semi-retirement in 2011, Fr. Daniel Rentel was rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church in Columbus, Ohio. He is most noted for two distinct contributions to 21st century Orthodoxy: Fr. Dan built his parish into a model of urban existence and outreach. Today, the parish experiences a unique relationship with its neighbors by providing hot meals several times a week, a food pantry, opportunities for learning basic work skills, and building self-confidence. In return, the neighbors have provided construction, landscaping, building, security, and cooking services to the parish. He also did away with the notion of an elected council served by a president and returned to the more historically authentic model of a council that was appointed, served by a lay vice-chair, and operating by consensus rather than voting.
Fr. Dan graduated from St. Tikhon’s Seminary, and earned a Masters in History from Penn State. He also received a fellowship to study Byzantine History at The Ohio State University (OSU), where he completed doctoral studies (ABD). He became certified in education and spent 25 years as a teacher in the Columbus Public School System.
While serving his first parish, St. John the Baptist Church in Philipsburg, PA, he became involved with the OCF at nearby Penn State University. His experience there helped him when he arrived in Columbus, Ohio, in 1983, to build an Orthodox presence for students attending OSU, as well as nearby private colleges. He also established a mission in Cincinnati before arriving in Columbus. His position as a teacher, however, enabled him to serve St. Gregory’s with little financial compensation for many years, an agreement he agreed to and endorsed. As a result, St. Gregory of Nyssa continues to serve as a example of true Christian love for its neighbors, a refuge for college students, and a place of worship for Orthodox Christians throughout Central Ohio.
Kristina is a board-certified art therapist and credentialed art therapy supervisor. She received her MPS in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute in 2011. She has worked in a variety of mental health settings providing therapy for adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, PTSD, addictions, and chronic mental illness. Kristina is dedicated to strengthening the field of art therapy by providing clinical supervision, leading community workshops and supporting her local and national art therapy associations.
Kristina has grown up in the Orthodox Church, as the daughter of a priest/army chaplain. From early childhood, she was encouraged to read, sing, and serve as an acolyte. As an adult, she has been inspired by the example set by her grandmothers, mother, and godmother. She has served on parish councils, taught church school, worked in the church office, and helped organize parish fundraisers and community events.
In 2015, Kristina cofounded the handmaiden ministry at the OCA Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection in NYC with Juliana (Mecera) Federoff so that the girls of their parish could actively participate in the divine services. Kristina has advised other OCA parishes on how to start this ministry for their girls.
In addition to working with the St. Phoebe Center, Kristina is a member of the Orthodox Association for Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR).
Prior to retirement, Gust was a construction manager with the McDonald’s Corporation for 30 years. In that position, he was responsible for capital improvements with budgets between $5 and $40 million dollars. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Gus was a civil engineer with Franklin County in Columbus, Ohio.
He served on Parish Council as Building Committee Chair at St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church in Columbus, Ohio for over 25 years. He oversaw the $325,000 conversion of a former office building into the current church building; the $70,000 fellowship hall renovation; the $50,000 sanctuary beautification project, and currently, a potential one million dollar expansion project.
Gust was a Church School teacher for the high school class at St. Gregory’s for eight years. He currently attends St. Stephen the Protomartyr Church in Orlando, Florida, where he serves as Treasurer on Parish Council. He and his wife Ann Marie have been married since 1979, and have two daughters and a grandchild.
Rachel is a Trinity Fellow at Marquette University, working on her master’s in theology with a specialization in theology and society. She is focusing on the role of women in the Orthodox Church both historically and today. She will finish her MA in 2021.
Before starting her master’s degree, Rachel managed private fundraising, and worked on advocacy at the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County, a nonprofit coalition working to end homelessness on the systemic level. She is passionate about the nonprofit sector and the role the Church can play in helping those struggling with poverty. Prior to that, in 2015 she earned her Bachelor of Religious Studies at Hellenic College.
A life-long Orthodox Christian, Rachel has struggled to understand her place in the Church. Through studying theology and getting to know the work of the St. Phoebe Center, however, she is eager to work towards the restoration of the deaconess, and hopes that in the future fewer women will struggle to find their footing in the Church.