St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary - Press Releases Dedication of the Metropolitan Philip Saliba Auditorium May 16, 2003

Seminary honors Metropolitan PHILIP
Formally dedicates auditorium in his name

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On Friday, May 16, 2003 a distinguished gathering of hierarchs, friends, alumni, and supporters of the seminary gathered for a banquet in the Metropolitan Philip Saliba Auditorium, to formally dedicate the auditorium in the presence of its patron.

The auditorium, situated on the top floor of the newly-opened John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, was foreseen as the site of seminary events such as retreats, lectures, symposia, concerts, and presentations, and it has already become a much-used and much-admired space, of functional and physical beauty.

It was all the more joyous then, for His Beatitude, Metropolitan HERMAN, president of the seminary, to welcome the man after whom the auditorium has been named, Sayedna PHILIP, primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

Archbishop PETER of New York and New Jersey (a seminary faculty member), and Bishop ANTOUN, auxiliary to Metropolitan Philip, were also on hand, as were the V Rev Robert Kondratick, OCA Chancellor, and many dear friends close to the seminary, including Fr Thomas Hopko,Dean Emeritus, Matushka Julianna Schmemann, and Matushka Marie Meyendorff.

The trustees of St Vladimir's Seminary, meeting during these days, were present as well, together with the seminary's faculty and members of the administration.

Fr Michael Ellias served as Master of Ceremonies, and his introductions were full of a warm devotion to Metropolitan PHILIP, as well as memories from his years at St Vladimir's.

Trustees Brian Gerich and Al Foundos, who oversaw the seminary's capital campaign – each made touching remarks about all the donors for making the new building, and specifically the auditorium possible, and for naming it after this great visionary of the Church.

Seminary Dean John Erickson praised Sayedna PHILIP particularly for three qualities: his eloquence - his love of the written and spoken word; his magnanimity - his exceptional generosity; and his profound hospitality.

The Metropolitan is a man of word and spirit, so vital in a culture which often prefers words of pettiness to words of life, and a spirit of strife and division to the spirit which builds up the Body of Christ.

Metropolitan PHILIP himself delivered an address full of warmth, charm and humor. In the context of thanking the seminary and all of his devoted friends and supporters, he revisited many of his most cherished themes, especially the quest for Orthodox unity in America – "You can’t turn back the wheels of time. It’s going to happen. Sometime, in God’s time, because it’s God’s will that it happen." He spoke of the seminary as a prototype of what this unity will look like in the future.

The Antiochian Archdiocese was represented by several distinguished guests from the Board of Trustees of the Archdiocese: Dr George Farha from Wichita, KS, with his wife Brenda; V Rev Elias Bitar (seminary faculty member), with his wife Joanne; Robert and Diane Koory (parents of a seminary graduate, Fr Basil Koory), Dr John and Mrs Shamseh Dalack, Mr & Mrs Fawaz and Joellen El Koury, Dn Hans El Hayak (Archdeacon to Metropolitan Philip); Dr Elias and Mrs Barbara Hebeka, Anne Mackoul and her husband Sabry; Ruth Nimee; Dr Raymond and Mrs Georgianna Rishwain; and Ernest and Vivian Saykaly.

Metropolitan PHILIP was delighted to have with him also members of his family: his brother Najib Saliba from Shrewsbury MA (and his wife Elaine), as well has his nephew and niece, Philip and Leslie Saliba from New York.

A number of other guests were on hand, supporters and friends of the seminary and of Metropolitan PHILIP.