During and shortly after St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s 2021 Spring Semester, six new priests and five new deacons were added to the ranks of our student body and alumni fellowship. Additionally, one alumnus was elevated in rank and another has been elected to the Holy Episcopacy.
We keep them all in prayer as they continue in their ministries. Axios!
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Hieromonk Michel Mikhail (M.Div., '21)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of San Francisco and the West
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 26NOV19 by His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin at Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 2JAN21 by His Grace, Bishop Daniel, on behalf of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, at Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ
Current ministry: Assigned to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Phoenix, AZ
Educational and professional background: Tonsured monk at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Monastery in Phoenix, AZ; previously worked as a software engineer and educated in mathematics and computer science
Priest Phillip Beiner (M.Div., ‘20)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 22DEC19 by His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville, South Carolina
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 21MARCH21 by His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander at St. George Orthodox Cathedral, Rossford, OH
Current ministry: Currently serves St. John the Merciful Mission, Kissimmee, FL; assigned to The Orthodox Church of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, Longwood, FL
Educational and professional background: Worked as an attorney prior to enrolling at seminary; B.A. in History from the University of South Florida; J.D. (Juris Doctor) from the University of New Hampshire, School of Law
Priest Guregh (Albert) Hambardzumyan (M.Div., ’19)
Jurisdiction: Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 9-10APRIL21 by His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan at St. John the Baptist Armenian Church, Greenfield, WI
Current ministry: Assigned as pastor of Holy Resurrection Church, Greenfield, WI
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. in Theology from the Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem; served a pastoral internship at St. Hagop Armenian Church of Pinellas Park, FL under the tutelage of Fr. Hovnan Demirjian
Priest John Thetford (M.A., '20)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 9AUG20 by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon at the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 24APRIL21 by His Eminence, Archbishop Paul at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL
Current ministry: Acting rector at St. Matthew Orthodox Church, Green Bay, WI
Educational and Professional Background: Graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University; worked as an elementary teacher and social worker prior to seminary
Priest Anthony Niqula (M.Div., '19)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA)
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 15AUG20 by His Grace, Bishop John at St. George Orthodox Church of Boston, West Roxbury, MA
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 17MAY21 by His Grace, Bishop Anthony at St. Mary Orthodox Church, Palos Heights, IL
Current ministry: Assigned to St. George Orthodox Church of Boston
Educational and Professional Background: Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S. in Physics, '16); currently studying Byzantine music at Hellenic College Holy Cross, Brookline, MA
Priest Nigoghos (Nicolas) Aznavourian (M.Div., ’20)
Jurisdiction: Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 1JULY18 by His Eminence, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian at St. Hagop Chapel, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY
Holy Priesthood: Ordained 28-29MAY21 by His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan at St. Mark Armenian Church, Springfield, MA
Current ministry: Assigned as pastor of St. Mark Armenian Church, Springfield, MA
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. in philosophy from Rhode Island College; Previously studied at Gevorkian Theological Seminary in Armenia and served in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; worked as head substitute teacher at Blackstone Academy Charter School, Pawtucket, RI; served a pastoral internship at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Cambridge, MA under the tutelage of Fr. Vasken Kouzouian
HOLY DIACONATE
Deacon Anthony Machnee (3rd-Year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Diocese of the West
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 7FEB21 by the hand of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY
Current ministry: Assigned as assistant sacristan at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. in psychology from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Worked in trades doing residential constructions and renovations; homebuilding coordinator for Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage’s summer volunteer program (2013-2014)
Deacon Kosmas (Mitchell) Morfas (M.Div., ‘21)
Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 17MARCH21 by the hand of His Grace Bishop Johnat St George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA
Educational and Professional Background: B.A. in Religious Studies from Hellenic College Holy Cross, in Boston, MA; previous work includes camp counseling at Camp St. Thekla in Cleveland, SC and serving on staff for the CrossRoad Summer Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross
Deacon Silouan (Blake) Cohen (3rd-Year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 25MARCH21 by the hand of His Grace Andrei, Auxiliary Bishop of the Romanian Episcopate, at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY
Educational and Professional Background: Bachelor’s degree in general studies from Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA; Before coming to seminary Dn. Silouan worked in sales for a wholesale flooring company and as a barista for a large coffee corporation.
Deacon Adam Bullock (3rd-Year Seminarian, M.Div. program)
Jurisdiction: The Armenian Church of America
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 16MAY21 by the hand of by His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan at St. Hagop Chapel, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY
Educational and Professional Background: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Deacon Alexander (Pradeep) Hatcher (M.A., ’13)
Jurisdiction: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Northeast American Diocese
Holy Diaconate: Ordained 22MAY21 by the hand of by His Grace, Zachariah Mar Nicholovos at St. George Orthodox Church of Westchester, Portchester, NY
Current Ministry: Attached to St. George Orthodox Church of Westchester, Portchester, NY & St. Thekla Orthodox Mission Church, Nyack, NY; member of marketing department at St. Vladimir’s Seminary
Educational and Professional Background: Bachelor’s degree in broadcast studies from Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA; worked in radio and television news in Washington state and public affairs for the City of Spokane municipal government
ELEVATIONS & AWARDS
Archpriest Joshua Mosher (M.Div., ’06)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Ecclesiastical Awards: Elevated to the dignity of archpriest 28MARCH21 by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon at Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Meriden, CT
Current ministry: Rector of Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Meriden
Bishop-Elect Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel) (M.Div., ’12)
Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Episcopal Election: Canonically elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops 18MAY21 as bishop of Fort Worth and auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander and the Diocese of the South
Current ministry: Rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral in Dallas, TX; administrator of the Diocese of the South Diocesan Council; dean of the Diocese’s Southcentral Deanery
