Our Clergy
His Eminence SERAPHIM, Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada
His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Ottawa and the
Archdiocese of Canada, was born in Edmonton, Alberta, of Norwegian
and Scottish parents.
A former Anglican rector and accomplished musician, he is also
a graduate of St Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, New York.
He has lived at New Valaam monastery in Finland, and served as
a parish priest in communities throughout the United States and
Canada.
He was consecrated auxiliary Bishop of Edmonton in 1987, and
became ruling Bishop of the Archdiocese in 1990. In
March 2007, Vladyka Seraphim was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by His
Beatitude Metropolitan HERMAN.
As member of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America,
he has served in a number of administrative capacities for the
Synod, and also travelled extensively in Russia, Ukraine, and
throughout Europe.
Although often on the road visiting the many and far-flung communities
of the Archdiocese, his residence is an hour south of Ottawa,
near Johnstown, at the Archdiocesan Centre 'Fair Haven'.
Fr. John Jillions
Fr. John Jillions was born in Montreal in 1955, and was baptised
there at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral. In 1963, he moved to the
U.S. with his family.
After living in California, Connecticut, and New Jersey, he returned
to Montreal to attend McGill University, 1973-77, receiving a
B.A. in Economics. He attended the Cathedral (and the English
mission led by Fr John Tkachuk), and in 1977 he was tonsured a
reader by the late Archbishop Sylvester. That fall he entered
St Vladimir's Seminary in New York.
In 1979 he married Denise Melligon and in 1980, after graduating
from the Seminary with a MDiv., he went to work in New York as
Administrator of SS. Cosmas and Damian Adult Home and later, with
Bankers Trust.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Peter (L'Huillier) of New York ordained
him deacon in 1981 and he served at Holy Protection of the Virgin
Cathedral in New York City.
Ordained a priest in 1984, Fr. John was sent on a mission assignment
to Brisbane, Australia. After three years at the Holy Annunciation
parish there, he moved back to the U.S., where he was assigned
to Holy Trinity Church in Rahway, New Jersey. He served there
until 1994 when he moved to Greece with his family to begin a
PhD. in New Testament Studies at the University of Thessaloniki,
where he was also attached as a priest.
In 1995 Fr. John and his family moved to Cambridge, England,
to continue his research. In 1997, with the blessing of all the
Orthodox bishops in England, and collaborating closely with Bishop
Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia and Bishop Basil (Osborne) of Sergievo,
he and Denise began work to found the Institute for Orthodox Christian
Studies in Cambridge. He was appointed the Institute's first Principal
when it opened in 1999. At the same time he also served as priest
of St Ephraim parish in Cambridge (under the late Metropolitan
Anthony Bloom). He completed his PhD dissertation in 1998 (Divine
Guidance in Corinth: Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Pauline Views);
it was translated into Greek for official submission to the University
of Thessaloniki and he received his PhD in 2002.
Returning now to North America, in addition to serving as dean
of the Ottawa Cathedral and the Ontario Deanery, he teaches at
St. Paul University's Sheptytsky Institute. Fr. John has published
a number of scholarly articles and translations (especially of
Fr. Alexander Schmemann's sermons), and has participated widely
in inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian discussions.
He and Denise have three grown sons: Andrew, Alexander, and Anthony.
Fr. Symeon Rodger
The Rev. Dr. Symeon Rodger has served the cathedral since 1987:
first as a deacon and, since 1994, as a priest. He is a graduate
of Queens University (BA in international political science),
St. Vladimir Seminary (MDiv.: magna cum laude and class valedictorian),
and the University of Toronto (Th.D).
Father Symeon teaches theology (usually in French) at the University
of Sherbrooke's Orthodox Studies Program in Montreal. He has written
several articles on various aspects of Orthodox theology, history,
and canon law. His main interests are in the traditions of hesychastic
prayer / ascetic life and in the understanding of salvation (soteriology),
as these affect day to day Orthodox life.
He speaks several modern languages and reads some ancient ones.
A student of Oriental martial arts since childhood, Father Symeon
has extensive familiarity with many schools of Buddhism and Taoism,
as well as a considerable background in Chinese medicine. He occasionally
teaches various aspects of health maintenance, Taiji (Tai Chi)
and Qi Gong (Chi Kung). He has also written extensively on the
relationship between Oriental faiths and Orthodoxy.
Father Symeon works for the federal government in Ottawa, where
he lives with his wife and three children. He is the author of
a forthcoming book on how to transform your life using the inner
principles common to Orthodoxy and other authentic spiritual traditions.
Protodeacon Nazari
Protodeacon Nazari and Matushka Tatiana were born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. They both graduated with B.F.A degrees - Fr Protodeacon Nazari from Kosiv, and Matuska Tatiana from Vyznytcia Art College in Ukraine. Protodeacon Nazari then came to Canada, and graduated from St Andrew’s College University of Manitoba, Theological school of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada, located in Winnipeg. Later in 2003-2006, he was accepted to continue his theological studies and received a doctoral-equivalent degree in Theology from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Theological Academy in Kiev, Ukraine. In addition to his liturgical ministry, Protodeacon Nazari and Matushka Tatiana are accomplished iconographers.
Fr. Nazari studied the basics of iconography by copying antique icons from his father’s collection and visiting the renowned iconographer, Archimandrite Zinon, in Pskov. Later he leaned advanced iconographic technique from Dmitri Andreyev, of the Prosopon School in New York, and by visiting iconography studios all over Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Protodeacon Nazari shares his discoveries with his wife and, together, they have been writing icons for almost 20 years. Their work can be seen in several churches in Ukraine, numerous churches across Canada and the USA. They can also be found in private chapels of His All Holiness Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kiev, Ukraine, and Metropolitan Wasylij of Winnipeg (of blessed memory), Metropolitan Jonah (OCA)
During all this time, he faithfully, and lovingly served the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada for fifteen years : first, as sub-deacon to Metropolitan Wasyly for almost two years, and later as his deacon and protodeacon for almost eleven years. After Metropolitan Wasyly’s repose in Christ, Protodeacon Nazari remained to serve Metropolitan John.
In due course, Fr Protodeacon Nazari’s spiritual father, Metropolitan Onouphri of Chernivtsi, urged him to spend more time on iconography, which his previous work did not easily allow, and which was the main reason for the change at this time, and the opportunity arising for us.
As of 1 August, Protodeacon Nazari was assigned to the Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa. He undertook the move later in the month to that city, along with Matushka Tatiana, and their two sons Mykola and Alexander.
Protodeacon Nazari is appointed to assist Archbishop SERAPHIM as the Episcopal secretary.
Deacon Gregory Scratch
Born in Toronto in 1968, to the late Igumen John Scratch (06) Suzanne Scratch (98), the eldest of six children, Suzanne Scratch, Deacon Gregory moved throughout Ontario and Quebec with his family, while his father served as a priest in the Anglican church.
It was in Ottawa, that his family was received into Orthodoxy, and worked at building Holy Transfiguration Mission, Ottawa's English - speaking Orthodox Church, later merging with the Russian speaking St. Nicholas Parish, to become the Annunciation Cathedral. It was there that he was ordained to the Sub-diaconate traveling with His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim on some of his early trips across the country.
Deacon Gregory received his post-secondary education in Vancouver, obtaining a Diploma in Fine Arts from the Emily Carr Institute of Fine Art in 1995. He has shown in a number of Galleries in Vancouver and Toronto. In 1997, he married actress Taesia Jacobson, and the couple returned to Ottawa in 1998.
In 2001, Deacon Gregory began attending St. Paul University's Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies part-time, while working to support his family. In February 2003 he was ordained to the Diaconate. In addition to his responsibilities at the Cathedral he was elected as the lay representative (as per OCA statues) for the Ontario deanery within the Archdiocese of Canada, and the Chair for the St. Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards (http://www.CanadaSTAS.ca) Vision committee.
Deacon Gregory and Taesia have been blessed with four children: Maria-Suzanne, Seraphim, Elizabeth and Alexander.
Deacon Alexander Moisa
The Rev. Dn. Alexander Moisa has served the Cathedral in Ottawa since 1998: first as a choir member and reader and, since February 2008, as a sub-deacon. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa ON, to which he was assigned, on the 2nd of November 2008, by His Eminence Archbishop SERAPHIM.
Deacon Alexander, originally from Romania, holds three degrees: in Aerospace Engineering (M.Sc.), in Water Resources Engineering (DEA, in France) and in Computer Science (M.Sc., in Canada). Before moving to Canada in 1995 with his family, he worked as a scientist for various research institutes. Deacon Alexander is currently employed by one of the biggest software companies in Ottawa, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Although he has a scientific background, Deacon Alexander has always been attracted by the Orthodox Church, especially by Her monastic life. He went on many pilgrimages and visited numerous monasteries where he developed spiritual relationships with many elders and starets.
In 2003, Deacon Alexander was encouraged to enroll into the Late Vocations Program of the OCA (New York), by Vladyka SERAPHIM, Igumen John Scratch (Papa John) and the former Dean of the Cathedral the Very Reverend Andrew Morbey. Deacon Alexander finished his theological studies and pastoral and liturgical training in September 2008, receiving high remarks. He is also the author of several papers on various topics of Orthodox theology. His main theological interests are in the orthodox hesychasm, monasticism and soteriology.
Many consider his diaconate in Christ as being the legacy of Papa John (Scratch) of blessed memory. As Deacon Alexander himself often affirms, he is just the humble and unworthy recipient of the overwhelming outpouring of love from Vladyka SERAPHIM and Igumen John (Scratch).
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