The ROEA Florence Helen Sirb Scholarship

Scholarships

ABOUT FLORENCE HELEN SIRB SCHOLARSHIP

Florence Helen Sirb was born on July 13, 1918. She was the daughter of Flora and Pavel Sirb, active members of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) Holy Cross Parish in Farrell/Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Florence graduated from Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA. Miss Sirb was an executive at Sharon Steel Company in Farrell during World War II. She later became a high school teacher at Farrell High School.

After her retirement from teaching, Florence accepted the invitation of Bishop Nathaniel, Vicar Bishop, to work at the Vatra. At her own request, she worked “gratis”, but soon, at the insistence of Archbishop Valerian (Trifa), she accepted a small remuneration “for her gasoline”.
During the administration of Archbishop Valerian, Florence was Executive Assistant and also Finance Officer of the ROEA. She continued in her work until she fell asleep in the Lord on April 25, 1999. She is laid to rest along with her two brothers in the St. Mary Cemetery at Vatra Romaneasca in Grass Lake, Michigan.
Florence also held the office of financial controller and provided oversight for the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, during the time of the late Abbess, Mother Alexandra. Florence was also active in the ROEA National Women’s organization, ARFORA, and was always interested in the education of women.

The Florence Helen Sirb Scholarship is a scholarship with a $100,000 trust from which an annual scholarship of $5,000 may be awarded to wives of priests and deacons, and women monastics under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America. Preference will be given to applicants of the ROEA. This amount may be awarded to one woman or divided among several women. A recipient may apply for a renewal of the scholarship, but the total awarded to that recipient shall not exceed $5,000. Applications are to be made to the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate Chancery by email at preotese@roea.org .

QUALIFICATIONS

The applicant must show a desire to help her parish, monastery or family through pursuing an accredited course or courses of study. This is a universal scope scholarship and can be in any field of study helpful to the clergy family, parish or monastic community.

The applicant for this scholarship will submit the following documents in English. All documents not in English must be accompanied with an English translation:

  • Check list which can be found at the end of this scholarship application.
  • Full description with documentation and dates of the program to which she has applied or will apply.
  • A list of Program Costs and any other expenses (i.e. travel expenses and course materials).
  • A ½ to 1-page Personal Statement on how the course will benefit the parish and/or the clergy family or monastic community.
  • A statement of any financial need.
  • – Proof of enrollment at an accredited educational institution required prior to issuing the scholarship check.
  • – Two letters of recommendation.
  • – Woman monastic must provide the blessing of her Abbess.
  • – Transcripts must be provided to be considered for any following years.

Completed applications must be received by the ROEA Chancery via email no later than June 1, 2022. All required documents must be scanned or saved in .pdf format. All required documents must be compressed into one zip file and emailed to the ROEA at preotese@roea.org. Incomplete applications or documents in other formats, .doc; .jpeg; etc. will not be considered.

Instructions on how to create a .zip file may be found at the following link: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Zip-File

The decision for successful applicant(s) will be made no later than July 15.

The scholarship committee reserves the right to adjust the conditions of the scholarship in order to respond to the needs of the applicants.

Florence Sirb Scholarship Cover Letter and Checklist (click here for fillable form).

ADDENDUM

If no Preotese or women monastics are awarded the Florence Sirb scholarship in any given year, then the scholarship will be reopened for 30 days to any woman enrolled in an accredited program which will benefit the ROEA.
For 2024 only, any woman enrolled in a program which will benefit the ROEA must submit her application packet and required documentation for the Florence Sirb scholarship by August 30th, 2024. Applicants should include in their personal statement, how their program will benefit the ROEA. A decision will be made by Sept 20, 2024.
After 2024, the deadline for submitting the Florence Sirb application packet and required documentation will be May 30th for Preotese and/or women monastics. If no Preotese and/or women monastics are awarded the Florence Sirb scholarship, then women enrolled in an accredited program which will benefit the ROEA must submit their application packet and required documentation by July 30th.

ONLINE APPLICATION

**Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation.**

Recognizing the need for help in funding the education of our young people, the following scholarships are offered under the auspices of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America through the generosity of the families and organizations whose names they bear.  For more information on each, please click on the link provided or email your request to: scholarships@roea.org.

ABOUT FLORENCE HELEN SIRB SCHOLARSHIP

Florence Helen Sirb was born on July 13, 1918. She was the daughter of Flora and Pavel Sirb, active members of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) Holy Cross Parish in Farrell/Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Florence graduated from Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA. Miss Sirb was an executive at Sharon Steel Company in Farrell during World War II. She later became a high school teacher at Farrell High School.

After her retirement from teaching, Florence accepted the invitation of Bishop Nathaniel, Vicar Bishop, to work at the Vatra. At her own request, she worked “gratis”, but soon, at the insistence of Archbishop Valerian (Trifa), she accepted a small remuneration “for her gasoline”.
During the administration of Archbishop Valerian, Florence was Executive Assistant and also Finance Officer of the ROEA. She continued in her work until she fell asleep in the Lord on April 25, 1999. She is laid to rest along with her two brothers in the St. Mary Cemetery at Vatra Romaneasca in Grass Lake, Michigan.
Florence also held the office of financial controller and provided oversight for the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, during the time of the late Abbess, Mother Alexandra. Florence was also active in the ROEA National Women’s organization, ARFORA, and was always interested in the education of women.

The Florence Helen Sirb Scholarship is a scholarship with a $100,000 trust from which an annual scholarship of $5,000 may be awarded to wives of priests and deacons, and women monastics under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America. Preference will be given to applicants of the ROEA. This amount may be awarded to one woman or divided among several women. A recipient may apply for a renewal of the scholarship, but the total awarded to that recipient shall not exceed $5,000. Applications are to be made to the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate Chancery by email at preotese@roea.org .

QUALIFICATIONS

The applicant must show a desire to help her parish, monastery or family through pursuing an accredited course or courses of study. This is a universal scope scholarship and can be in any field of study helpful to the clergy family, parish or monastic community.

The applicant for this scholarship will submit the following documents in English. All documents not in English must be accompanied with an English translation:

  • Check list which can be found at the end of this scholarship application.
  • Full description with documentation and dates of the program to which she has applied or will apply.
  • A list of Program Costs and any other expenses (i.e. travel expenses and course materials).
  • A ½ to 1-page Personal Statement on how the course will benefit the parish and/or the clergy family or monastic community.
  • A statement of any financial need.
  • – Proof of enrollment at an accredited educational institution required prior to issuing the scholarship check.
  • – Two letters of recommendation.
  • – Woman monastic must provide the blessing of her Abbess.
  • – Transcripts must be provided to be considered for any following years.

Completed applications must be received by the ROEA Chancery via email no later than June 1, 2022. All required documents must be scanned or saved in .pdf format. All required documents must be compressed into one zip file and emailed to the ROEA at preotese@roea.org. Incomplete applications or documents in other formats, .doc; .jpeg; etc. will not be considered.

Instructions on how to create a .zip file may be found at the following link: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Zip-File

The decision for successful applicant(s) will be made no later than July 15.

The scholarship committee reserves the right to adjust the conditions of the scholarship in order to respond to the needs of the applicants.

Florence Sirb Scholarship Cover Letter and Checklist (click here for fillable form).

ADDENDUM

If no Preotese or women monastics are awarded the Florence Sirb scholarship in any given year, then the scholarship will be reopened for 30 days to any woman enrolled in an accredited program which will benefit the ROEA.
For 2024 only, any woman enrolled in a program which will benefit the ROEA must submit her application packet and required documentation for the Florence Sirb scholarship by August 30th, 2024. Applicants should include in their personal statement, how their program will benefit the ROEA. A decision will be made by Sept 20, 2024.
After 2024, the deadline for submitting the Florence Sirb application packet and required documentation will be May 30th for Preotese and/or women monastics. If no Preotese and/or women monastics are awarded the Florence Sirb scholarship, then women enrolled in an accredited program which will benefit the ROEA must submit their application packet and required documentation by July 30th.

ONLINE APPLICATION

**Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation.**

Recognizing the need for help in funding the education of our young people, the following scholarships are offered under the auspices of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America through the generosity of the families and organizations whose names they bear.  For more information on each, please click on the link provided or email your request to: scholarships@roea.org.

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