Today we remember the life and work of beloved Orthodox pastor, theologian, professor, Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, podcaster, author, and Protopresbyter, Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory. Fr. Thomas was born in Endicott, NY, on 28 March 1939, and grew up in the faith at St. Mary’s Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in Endicott.
Fr. Thomas graduated with a BA in Russian Studies from Fordham University in 1960, a theological degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1963, an MA in Philosophy from Duquesne University in 1969, and a Ph.D. in Theology from Fordham University in 1982. He was ordained to the holy priesthood (in the O.C.A.) in August 1963.
Ultimately, Fr. Thomas was a pastoral academic, who brought decades of pastoral experience into his work as professor, and eventually as dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Today is the fifth anniversary of Fr. Thomas’s repose (18 March 2015), and it seems an appropriate opportunity to remember his rich life and contribution to the Orthodox Church in America.
May the memory of this great man and servant of Christ’s Holy Church be eternal!
