FR. ATHANASIUS DRESDOW
The V. Rev. Father Athanasius grew up in the northwest part of Illinois. Having grown up in the Evangelical Free Church and having become Episcopalian while he attended Wheaton College, he and his wife, Michelle, were led to the Orthodox Church, seeking the fullness of the Faith once delivered to the Saints.
After much study and attending the services of the Church, they were received into the Orthodox Church in early 1994. Almost five years later, Father was ordained as a deacon and served in that capacity for almost four years at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church in Warrenville, Illinois. Father was ordained to the holy priesthood on the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ in 2002. One month later, he was assigned priest at St. Barnabas the Apostle Orthodox Church – a mission at that time, now in Sunbury, Ohio. Father and Kh. Michelle have two grown daughters.
FR. MATTHEW MORIAK
Fr. Matthew is a native of Pennsylvania, and was ordained to the priesthood in November 2006. He has been celebrating services at St. Barnabas since 2020.
He is a resident of greater Columbus, Ohio and is married and has three children.
Fr. Deacon Irenaios Anderson
Deacon Irenaios was introduced to the Orthodox Church while in Palestine. Later, he and his family were received into the Church through the Archdiocese. After moving to Alaska, where he taught at St. Herman Seminary for 15 years, he was ordained to the diaconate in 2010. He retired from teaching in 2023 to serve at St. Barnabas. He and Mat. Dionysia have two adult sons.
FR. DEACON MICHAEL DAMAS
On July 4, 2010, His Grace Bishop Mark ordained Michael Damas to the Holy Diaconate at St. George Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Deacon Michael now lives in the Columbus, Ohio area with his wife and two children.
the antiochian orthodox church
THE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is an Archdiocese of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. We trace our roots to first century Antioch, the city in which the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
Sometimes called the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church is the first Christian Church, founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and described in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Twelve Apostles. For twenty centuries, she has continued in her undiminished and unaltered faith and practice.
The Church of Antioch is one of the five ancient Patriarchates of the Christian Church, along with Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. We are in full communion with our brothers and sisters in other Eastern Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Orthodox Church in America. The Archdiocese refers to its parishes and organizations as “Antiochian,” but not as Greek, Russian, Romanian, and so forth, because these names refer to the other jurisdictions.
OUR METROPOLITAN
His Eminence, the Most Reverend Saba Isper is the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected His Eminence to lead the Archdiocese during its extraordinary session on Feb. 23, 2023, in Balamand, Lebanon.
He will lead and oversee the Archdiocese’s parishes, missions, departments, institutions and organizations in the United States and Canada. The auxiliary bishops aid him in his administration across the continent.
Photograph ©antiochian.org
Archiepiscopal Vicar
Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis) was ordained by His Grace Bishop Basil to the Holy Diaconate on January 1, 2006, and to the Holy Priesthood on July 16, 2006. He was elevated to the rank and dignity of Archimandrite by His Grace Bishop Basil on March 19, 2017.
Fr. Jeremy was transfered to serve as Hierarchical Assistant at the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, N.J. On October 31, 2021, he was appointed Protosyngellos of the Archdiocese. On June 10, 2024, Metropolitan Saba appointed Fr. Jeremy as Archiepiscopal Vicar for the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest. In this role, he oversees this Diocese on behalf of the Metropolitan, based at the chancery in Toledo.