Monday, June 19, 2017

Summer Semester Begins Today

Today marks the beginning of the Summer Semester. Late registration runs through July 2, but honestly, it is important to register early for summer classes. The courses are condensed by about ½, which means that the instructional cadence is about twice as fast as fall and spring classes. So register today if you have not already! Please contact me with questions.

Fr. Gregory

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Instructor in the Pastoral School Offers Subscription to this Lectures

Opportunity to Deepen Your Orthodox Education

Deacon Andrei Psarev offers a subscription to his lectures: History of the Russian Church Abroad, History of the Russian Church, Canon Law and History of the Byzantine Empire. Deacon Andrei has a Master in Theology degree and is a Ph. D. candidate at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is the founder and the editor of www.RocorStudies.org. Since 1995 he has been teaching at  Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, and since 2014 in the Pastoral School. You can subscribe to his courses here:

www.patreon.com/rocorstudies

Возможность для углубления православного образования

Диакон Андрей Псарев, предлагает подписку на свои лекции по истории Русской Зарубежной Церкви, истории Русской Церкви, церковному праву и истории Византийской империи. Диакон Андрей, имеет степень магистра богословия и является докторантом королевского университета в Северной Ирландии и редактором интрент-узла www.rocorstudies.org С 1995 г. он преподает в Свято-Троицкой Семинарии в Джорданвилле, и с 2014 г. в нашей Пастырской Училище. Подписаться на его курсы можно здесь:

www.patreon.com/rocorstudies

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Ideas for Future Theses

There are several manuscripts that have recently become available of the Liturgy of St. James, Brother of the Lord. An interesting senior thesis would be to compare and contrast these manuscripts and to then continue the work of Phillip von Gardner, who first prepared this service in Church Slavonic for use in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

The Western Rite movement within Orthodoxy Christianity has a very interesting history. It also has a complex and somewhat controversial liturgical expression. The Western Rite exists in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and in other canonical and non-canonical varieties. An interesting senior thesis would be to examine the history of the Western Rite, its liturgical claims, its contemporary liturgical expression, and whether it has been an efficacious vehicle in bringing those to Orthodoxy who otherwise would not have become Orthodox Christians.

If you are interested in either of these projects please contact me privately.

Priest Gregory Joyce
Dean

Friday, June 9, 2017

Graduation Symposium 2017 Speakers Announced

We are pleased to announce the speakers for our initial Pastoral School Graduation Symposium. The symposium is set for Sunday, June 25, at the Diocesan Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God, 1800 Lee St., Des Plaines, IL 60018 during the meal following the Divine Liturgy that day. The speakers and their topics of discussion are:

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and Mirgorod: “The Work of the Department of Religious Education, Catechism, and Missionary Endeavor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”

FACULTY SPEAKER: Archpriest Gregory Joyce: “Russian Orthodox Clergy Attitudes towards Practitioners of other Religions: Implications for Orthodox Clerical Formation in the 21st Century”

STUDENT GRADUATE SPEAKER: Deacon Daniel Franzen: “The Maladies of Modernity and Orthodox Praxis According to the Homilies of St. Gregory Palamas”

Please plan to join us in person if you are able. We intend to broadcast the symposium on Facebook Live, as well as record the proceedings – both audio and video. These recordings will be posted after editing on our Pastoral School blog, The Dean’s List.

Priest Gregory Joyce
Dean

Thursday, June 8, 2017

January Graduation Cycle Added

With the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Peter of Chicago & Mid-America, President of the Pastoral School, we are pleased to announce that in addition to our usual spring cycle of comprehensive examinations, thesis defense, and graduation, an addition cycle will be added to the school calendar beginning in January 2018 and each January thereafter. This cycle will be centered around the patronal feast day of our school, which falls on December 20/January 2 each year. More information will be forthcoming. Please contact me if you would like to learn more. We already have two graduates scheduled for January 2018!

Priest Gregory Joyce, Dean

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Pastoral School Instructor Ordained to the Priesthood

On the great feast of Pentecost our instructor in the Catechist Program and Homiletics, Deacon Joshua Genig, was ordained to the priesthood by His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk at the St. Nicholas cathedral in New York City. Please join me in congratulating Fr. Joshua with his ordination! Fr. Joshua asks the prayers of all as he undertakes his ministry as a servant of the holy altar.

Priest Gregory Joyce, Dean


Left to Right: Archpriest Roman Star, Bishop John, Priest Joshua Genig

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Independent Study this Summer - the Church and the Layworker

The Summer Semester begins on June 19, 2017. One of our seniors graduating next year will be conducting an independent study of the course “The Church and the Layworker”. This is the capstone course of the school for those pursuing the Orthodox Studies track. If others would like to join this independent study that would be welcome. Please contact me with questions or to sign up.

Priest Gregory Joyce, Dean