Father Matthew Jeremy Baker, a St. Vladimir's alumnus and pastor at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Norwich, CT, died in a tragic auto accident in Connecticut on Sunday evening, March 1, following the service for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. He was 37 years old. He is survived by his wife, Presbytera Katherine, and six children.
A service for the repose of his soul was held Monday, March 2, 2015, at 5 p.m., in Three Hierarchs Chapel on the seminary campus. In his tribute at the end of the service, Fr. Herman (Majkrzak), lecturer in Liturgical Music, noted that "Fr. Matthew, in Christ, is now seeing the triumph of Orthodoxy much sooner than he expected, this triumph for which he labored single-mindedly."
Father Matthew lived on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary while he attended a Ph.D. program at Fordham University, starting in 2011; during that time, he also took one course at St. Vladimir’s. He had already earned his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA, in 2008, and his Master of Arts degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA, in 2010.
In January 2014 he was ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Methodios, metropolitan of the Metropolis of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, and in that same month he began teaching as an adjunct professor in Theology at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He also had been just recently assigned as pastor to Holy Trinity.
“Father Matthew Baker was a gifted and talented young scholar whose untimely death is a tragic loss for us all,” noted seminary dean the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, “but especially of course for Presbytera Katherine and their children.
“They are all in our prayers,” Fr. John said. “May his memory be eternal and may he rise in glory.”
View funeral arrangements.
Read the tribute to Father Matthew by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.
Read Fr. Herman's tribute, delivered in Three Hierarchs Chapel.
Read Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick's tribute to his brother in Christ.
Donations may be made to Father Matthew's family at gofundme.com.
