Everyday Orthodox: Recent Episodes
Elissa Bjeletich and Ancient Faith Radio
How well do we know the people beside us at liturgy? Every one of them has a story to tell, whether it’s a love story, a war story, a comedy or a tragedy, a tale of an immigrant's struggle or a heartfelt conversion story. The Church is a community of human beings with unique personal narratives and perspectives, and the more we understand and appreciate one another, the better unified our community can be.
Join us one last time, as we talk about 8 wonderful years of getting to know Everyday Orthodox people! AFR's Melanie DeRenzo will join Elissa for a retrospective conversation and to offer a bit of Elissa's own story!
You may remember Martha Condra from her Ancient Faith podcast about food and faith called Wheat, Wine, and Oil. Martha holds a degree in culinary arts and has developed recipes at Cooking Light and Health magazines. She is a mother and grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama.
Angela Cory is a homeschooling mother of three who is thankful for her family’s life in the Orthodox Church. Her husband is a new deacon, so now she's a Matushka. Recently, her family was honored to care for a foster child who has since transitioned back home.
Meet Claire Vlachos-Martin, Director of Operations for FOCUS North America. Claire resides in St. Louis with her husband of 23 years, as well as her 19 year old son, Leo, and her 16 year old daughter, Eleni.
Liberty, a research fellow at the Acton Institute, and has a PhD in theology. He is the husband of Kelly and the father of his four children: Brendan, Aidan, Erin, and Callaghan.
A poet and a presbytera, Elizabeth Scott Tervo is the author of the new The Sun Does Not Shine Without You: a Memoir of Soviet Georgia, which tells the gripping story of her time as an exchange student in the Soviet Union on the eve of its collapse.
Kevin Goodman is an Orthodox convert in Baltimore. He volunteers with the St. Nicholas Tele-Santa program, a free service in collaboration with the GOA, offering video calls with children to teach about the original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas of Myra.
Jessica and her husband Josh are touring with their acclaimed new film set in a fictional Spith Texas monastery, El Tonto por Cristo. Hear about how the whole family worked on what Jonathan Pageau called “A dangerous film, in the best possible way.”
Christina Andresen is the mother of three growing humans and also the Director of Ministries for OCF. We'll hear about what OCF is up to across the nation and how it's connected to what's happening in her own kitchen every day.
Sonia is originally from South Africa, where she grew up in a Greek community - until she and her husband left for Texas, where they've raised a beautiful family.
Dear listeners and friends,I want to share a quick update to explain our unexpected absence. The podcasts are on a bit of a pause — but I'll be back soon.I was diagnosed this summer with a benign acoustic neuroma, and i underwent surgery to remove it. The big challenge was to be a loss of hearing on one side -- I have a cool cyborg implant to share with you when I get back!While the procedure itself went well, recovery hasn’t been as smooth or as simple as we hoped. i've had challenges requiring physical, speech and occupational therapy -- I'm learning more patience! and it has brought me into contact with very wonderful people i wouldn't have met otherwise, and it's giving me the chance to be on the receiving side of such beautiful prayers and gestures!I’m healing every day, and slowly but surely I will work my way back to you! Thank you for your patience, your support, and of course for your prayers! Our God always provides, and He continues to do so. With love in Christ,Elissa Bjeletich Davis
Corina is a wife, mother to 7 grown children, and grandmother to 3! A licensed midwife, author, speaker, and advocate, her recently published book, ‘The Chicken with the Red Feather’, portrays the true story of a family's journey with Huntington’s Disease
Matthew Robb Brown was born in Michigan. He has been a published poet since 1969 and has had many jobs. He became Orthodox in 1998. He is a subdeacon, and his wife, Kay, choir director at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Fort Wayne, IN. He has 3 books of poetry on Amazon.
Abraham and Desirre Ghebremicael are from Eritrea–a small nation along the coast between Ethiopia and the Red Sea–but are raising their kids in Austin, Texas. We'll hear about Abe's journey and about how he finds that life in Texas compares to his homeland.
Dn. Anthony is originally from England, but married his wife Ruth in southern Africa. The two moved to East Asia, spending years in Hong Kong and Singapore, then emigrated to the US. They have been instrumental in building a vibrant Orthodox community in Appalachia.
Sophia Kellachow joined us in June, and we ran out of time as we talked about the sudden death of her husband and the conversion that followed. Join us as we welcome Sophia back to hear the rest of the story, and to learn about the wisdom these years have yielded.
From life in war-torn Berlin to the relative peace working in insurance in Canada, Mother Karitina was looking for something more—and she found it in a monastery. (Once she confirmed that she could still eat chocolate in the monastery, she was in!)
Sophia Kellachow is a vibrant Orthodox Christian who gives of her time, talents, and love freely. She seeks out those who are hurting and need encouragement and shows Christ's love. Passionate about the Church, she uses her gifts to teach and lead youth ministry.
It's time to get to know our new live show by producer, Mike DeGan! He has been with Ancient Faith Radio for just a few months, but he's already part of the family.
Matt's the oldest of four brothers who are just as comfortable weaving through traffic as hiking trails. Son of a southern Baptist preacher, Matt loves films and is a successful stuntman. He met his wife on a tv set, and they have three daughters.
Daniel felt a spiritual yearning, but filled it with the wrong things, becoming an alcoholic and occultist. A friend suggested he venerate the Inexhaustible Cup icon for healing, and the Theotokos rescued him. He recently converted and shares his faith journey on YouTube.
Elissa's new book is out, and Christian Gonzalez is here! We'll talk about myrrhbearing and Christian service, and its role in the Christian life.
Elissa's new book, The Art of Myrrhbearing, comes out in just a few days! Her daughter, Helena, is back to ask her a few questions about what inspired the book, and of course, what's inside it!
Judge Nicholas Ayoub grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he serves on the 61st District Court. He enjoys playing music and spending time with his wife and daughter, and serves as Protopsalti at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Laura Pavlik is a homeschooling mother of three who teaches the preschool Sunday school class and sometimes sings in the choir. She loves teaching and learning, writing (which is part of both), swing dancing, and baking bread. She is also the author of the adorable new board book from Ancient Faith Kids, Today My Priest Wears White.
For 35 years Charlene worked in Cincinnati Public Schools as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. She focused on inner city schools, and responded to food insecurity by starting a Food Pantry. Today she is the Director of FOCUS Cincinnati.
Elissa is joined by her friend, Bill Malloy, who was among the founders of St. Anthony's Orthodox Church in Spring, Texas. He loves to do volunteer work—at Texas Children's Hospital for years, and now at Institute for Health Quality and Ethics in Santa Fe.
Elizabeth worked as a child life specialist at her local children’s hospital for 10 years. After her first YES trip her outlook on serving others forever changed. She found greater awareness of the needs of every person, and how Christ uses each of us to fill those needs.
Jason is an algebra and geometry teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, and a former national teacher of the year for Teach For America. He is passionate about helping all students receive college degrees, especially his former students -- which is why he founded Camp Catanese.https://www.campcatanese.com/
On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Michael Carr let go of his life as a Lutheran pastor to embrace a new life in the Orthodox Church. He serves as operations manager for Philoxenia Charities, which provides housing free of charge to any Mayo Clinic patient.
nutrition. Working through his own health issues, he and his brother, Nathan, developed a philosophy for optimal health through a holistic approach, and went into business together, creating the online company, Mitigate Stress. To learn more please visit mitigatestress.com
Kirk Ries, LSW, MNPA, is entering his third year as Director of St. Herman House – FOCUS Cleveland. He has over 30 years of social work experience in public schools, foster care, business development, and residential treatment. He and his wife, Amy, have 3 adult children.
Rheta lives in the mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, 2 children, and several cats. She loves reading, watching old television, being outside, and exploring small towns. But truthfully, going to a church service is her favorite thing to do. She is the author of the newly published, Stubborn Love: A Story of Saint Maria of Paris.https://store.ancientfaith.com/stubborn-love-a-story-of-saint-maria-of-paris/
Christi was on the first-ever episode of Everyday Orthodox and she's back with good news! She recently produced and brought to market a children's (ages 3-92) card game called FEAST DAY FUN! She developed the concept based on a learning game she has been using for over twenty years at church and at home.Feast Day Fun game can be purchased at;https://store.ancientfaith.com/feast-day-fun-activity-card-game/
Peter Poulos (a.k.a. Peter Santa) is the delightful co-founder of the online children's ministry, StNicholasTeleSanta.com, which offers free video calls with Orthodox children and their families during the Christmas season.
Kendra homeschools her four children, runs a successful business, and is passionate about helping people accept who they are and be gracious with others. She is thrilled to be on the team which wrote the companion guide to Parenting Toward the Kingdom.
Jaleen is the Executive Director of the Treehouse, serving women in need of comfort and confidence along their parenting journey. A wife and mother of four, Jaleen meets moms who have experienced trauma with compassion, empathy, and action plans to move families forward.
Spyridoula Fotinis is interested in the intersections of faith and social policy, specifically related to homelessness. She currently serves as the Director of Inter-Parish Associations for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA.
The assistant priest at St John of the Ladder in Greenville, SC, Fr. Alexander is a senior fellow of philosophy and theology at the Pacifica Center for Philosophy and Theology. He is a contributor to the forthcoming book, Into the Light: Classical Education and Orthodox Christianity.
Presbytera Maria is the Principal of St. Raphael School. An educator for over 25 years, she has loved every minute of it—in both public and private schools. She holds degrees from Holy Cross, and she and her husband, Fr. Dionysios, live in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Born in Thailand, Yam grew up in the U.S. and lives in the Western NC mountains with her family. New to Orthodoxy, she has been led back into the East and deeper into the Kingdom of God where her interests in family life, monasticism, and good storytelling overlap.
The wife of a priest, Sarah is a mother of three and a middle school teacher. She co-authored both 101 and 102 Orthodox Saints. She loves helping students discover a love of reading and going on adventures in nature with her family.
At 16, Wadeed fell in love with Youth Equipped to Serve's mission of loving and serving all people. He is now the new Director of YES, the FOCUS ministry dedicated to creating formative opportunities that equip participants to serve each person as the image of Christ.
Susan founded and directs Thrive Life Skills, an international ministry organization and has worked for over 30 years with suffering people around the world. She wrote A New Song: Our Journey Toward Healing and lives with her daughter and family in Michigan
Clarissa grew up in South Africa, and has a background in acting. She homeschools three fiercely spirited girls and is wife to a man who gets paid to make actors look like superheroes. The Murrays live in downtown Atlanta, with their 90-lb Doberman named Blaise.
Dr. Jenkins is the Director of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University He has taught History, Theology, Greats, Latin, and Greek, and recently published A Perilous Realm: Confronting Dragons, Angels, and Saints in the Ordering of the Soul.
Dr. Mark Faries, professor in behavioral medicine and adjunct faculty with the College of Medicine with Texas A&M College of Medicine and School of Public Health, Mark is the Director of the Well Church Initiative. He specializes in theology in health, health behavior change, and the role of religious beliefs in chronic disease prevention.
Zachary Porcu is a professor of history and theology and a catechist. His is the author of Journey to Reality. He earned his PhD in church history from the Catholic University of America and holds degrees in philosophy, classics, and interdisciplinary humanities.
A mother, writer, and teacher of college students and preschoolers, Laura received her Ph.D. from Harvard, earned tenure, published her first academic book, and then left to homeschool her children. She's working to set up Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in her parish.
Aleksandr Jovic just made his directorial debut with the documentary, Beyond the Peak. He has spent years in Hollywood, working in various roles in both production and post-production. Get to know Aleksandr, and learn about his lenten documentary!
Kristi grew up with a Yiayia who truly lived the faith. In one of the hardest experiences of Kristi’s life, she was diagnosed with MS and Lyme. She relied on prayer, like Yiayia, and this struggle led to her true calling - author and illustrator of Orthodox children’s books!
Evan and his wife discovered Orthodoxy in 2008 and soon established Otherworldly Productions, a video production company specializing in quirky commercials (Adidas, Clif Bar). Now, they're focused on Facing Phantoms, a feature-length documentary on the beauty of Orthodoxy.
With years of experience in prison ministry, Fr. Michael Pejovic serves as a Prison Relationship Manager for OCPM, responding to the spiritual needs of prisoners and supporting the community surrounding them. Serbian-American, he serves as an OCA priest in New Jersey.
Fr. Nick specializes in negotiation, diplomacy, peacemaking, and change leadership. He has used those gifts in service to the GOA, the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Assembly of Bishops, and the UN––and now he's part of the effort to translate the Divine Liturgy into ASL.
Artist Emanuel Burke found Orthodoxy through icons. His art, rooted in Orthodox tradition, portrays saints in fresh ways, exploring the boundaries of light and dark, life and death, and sketching out the path of salvation. He and his wife, Yam, have 3 young children.
You know Jonathan Jackson from General Hospital, Tuck Everlasting and Nashville -- but now get to know him as a fellow Orthodox Christian. We'll talk about his faith, his role in the upcoming film, Unsung Hero, and his new album, The Harrowing of Hell.
Richard Ramsey co-wrote and co-directed the feature film, Unsung Hero. He and his brother, John, make comedic short films which have been featured in numerous film festivals. Richard and his wife live in Nashville and have five children (all named after Beatles songs).
Fr. John Kowalczyk serves as chaplain at S.C.I. Waymart’s Forensic Treatment Center. He is an executive member of the board of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), and advocates for prison inmates in need of Christ and pastoral care.
Michael is a husband and father of three, a parish council president, the son of an Orthodox priest, and the President of The Antiochian Men. We'll hear his story and learn why and how he founded this impressive new group.
Eleanor is a delightful woman whose deep faith has carried her through tragedy, including the loss of her sweet son. A wife and mother, she works in the banking industry and has taught Sunday School, sung in the choir, and baked prosphora.
Pres. Melanie and her husband, Fr. Joseph, have one son, Michael Seraphim, whose special needs greatly impact his health and independence. She works to encourage families who face similar challenges and to dispel cultural stigmas associated with disabilities.
Fr. Eugen is the author of Church Ministries on a Shoestring Budget, a subject he knows well, having established mission churches in Pittsburgh, PA, and Columbus, OH. A husband and father, he has been a priest for 32 years, and speaks on Pastoral Theology and other topics.
Michael Witcoff is one of Elissa's AHOS classmates. He grew up Jewish, and then became a Freemason, before converting to Orthodox Christianity. His book ‘On The Masons And Their Lies’ was written to help communicate the fraternity’s incompatibility with Christianity.
Marie is cradle Orthodox from the coal region of Pennsylvania. She married her best friend and they have three adult children. She is outgoing and fun, and works as a Medical Assistant. Her family was always active in the Church, laying a firm foundation for her.
Katherine is a wonderful author, and has been an editor at Ancient Faith since 1993. She has written several children's books, as well as the Crime with the Classics series of traditional mysteries for adults. She and her husband have recently moved to the Pacific Northwest.
Christopher is a figurative artist working primarily in a type of Biblical Narrative. He has a degree in Drawing and Painting from Biola University and has been a work-from-home artist and homeschooler. He and his wife lead the Burial Society ministry at their parish
Fr. Patrick is Elissa's Liturgical Theology professor at AHOS, and author of Come, Let Us Worship. Though he grew up Protestant in New Jersey, he spent most of his life as an Orthodox priest on the West Coast.
For 22 years, Jimmy (Santiago) Garcia has worked as Operations Coordinator, Director and Child Care Administrator at a long-term residential program for at-risk teens. A convert to Orthodoxy and church school teacher, he and his wife, Veronica, are raising two grandkids.
Kh. Kelleylynn is a gifted photographer and the administrator at St. Athanasius Academy. She is the mother of five and wife to Fr. Raphael in New York state. Funny and soulful, Kelleylynn loves deeply and is an engaging and compassionate woman you'll enjoy getting to know.
Dr. Pano Kanelos is the Founding President of the University of Austin. He previously served as President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. Pano is a Shakespeare scholar, a husband and father, and an active member of his Greek Orthodox parish in Austin, Texas.
Drew Chancey is the author of Goodnight, Child of God, and writes a semi-monthly poetry newsletter. Drew and his wife Brittney, along with their four children, live in Tulsa, and attend Holy Apostles Orthodox Church where Drew sings in the men's choir.
Simon is a soil science graduate student as well as a husband and a new father. In addition to studying and helping his wife with the baby he also works with Ancient Faith on live-streaming shows on YouTube.
John Maddex was the founder and CEO of Ancient Faith Ministries, and then he stepped down -- but what has he been up to since then? We'll catch up on how retirement is going and what John plans next.
To celebrate our 200th episode, we welcome special guest, Helena Bjeletich, who will interview her mom, Elissa Bjeletich Davis!
After 20 years serving the police department, Lt. Raphael Barberg retired and became an Orthodox priest! He works with IOCC to minister when catastrophes occur (9/11, mass shootings, natural disasters, etc.), and serves at St. George in Niagara Falls, NY.
Blogger, podcaster, gardener, and regular gal-in-the-pews Lynnette Horner is an editor at Ancient Faith Publishing and hosts the blog and podcast "Walking an Ancient Path: Living and Learning Orthodox Christianity."
Margaret is a delightful grandmother who found herself in a terrible car accident. Her experience there brought her an entirely new outlook on the Orthodox faith.
Melia studied in Abu Dhabi and learned of Orthodoxy from Matt (a history buff and convert from California) while in New York City. Baptized in Tbilisi, Georgia, Melia works in cybersecurity and decorates her church through flower-arranging. Matt works as a paralegal and sings in the church choir.
Buck Johnson is host of The Counterflow Podcast, a weekly show featuring discussions on spiritual warfare, culture, and politics. Buck is an Orthodox Christian and musician who has worked as a firefighter for more than 25 years.
Kh. Gigi Shadid is a delightful musician, best known for the children's albums she has created and loved by adults and children alike!
Gordon James is a husband, father, and grandfather. He has lived in alcoholic idolatry, changed in AA sobriety, and come home to Orthodoxy. God gave this walking miracle the gift of desperation.
Dr. Michael Wingert is a professor and a podcaster specializing in ancient medicine, philology, and theology. He's a Syriac Orthodox Christian of Assyrian heritage, and the Dean of Agora University. What's more, he's a dad, a husband, and a lot of fun.
Dr. Johnson bakes prosphora and teaches Sunday School, but her greatest ministry is surely her work as a clinical psychologist, serving children, teens and their families and offering support for all the struggles of life.
Readers Stephen and Andrew Ritchey are brothers and creative partners from Birmingham, Alabama, where they serve at St. Symeon Orthodox Church. Together, they’ve released multiple books and activities, as well as an Orthodox musical children’s show.
Fr. Thomas Manuel grew up in the Church, and with his wife, Elizabeth, served four years in Guatemala and southern Mexico as OCMC missionaries. Fr. Thomas taught at the seminary of San Andres, and upon his return to the US, was ordained a priest!
Jane Meyer is a children's book author and editor and is heading up the new Ancient Faith Kids project on YouTube! She lives in Santa Barbara, where she homeschools her son, tends fruit trees, bakes bread, and enjoys turning cartwheels as often as possible.
Jonah Martin and his family raise goats and ducks, manage a large garden, and sell various foods and household goods at HoldfastFarmstead.com. Jonah manages St. Nicholas Press, records audiobooks, and makes wooden carved icons in the Byzantine style.
You know Fr. Evan Armatas as the host of an Ancient Faith Radio live show, podcasts and as the author of two books, and now it's your chance to get to know him more personally!
Kathryn is the author of "God's Saintly Friends", and is a wife and mother of four young children, Church School Director, and Adjunct Professor of History. She loves adult and children's literature and has a passion for education.
This week, we'll be talking with Gabe Wilson, the artist behind several beautiful graphic novels about Orthodox saints. His latest, Sands of Salvation, is about St. Moses the Ethiopian!
We'll be talking with Fr. Stephen Freeman, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and author of the new book, Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame. This is your chance to learn about Father's life, and to get to know him more personally.
Meet Clayton Dale, aka Nomadik Vagabond (born Clayton, baptized Moses, after Moses the Ethiopian) is an Orthodox Christian living in Portland, Oregon. He’s co-host of the Brews, Beards, & Shipwrecks podcast with Jamey Bennett. He’s a husband of 18 years with 2 teenagers.
Meseker Yohannes was baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. After growing up in Nevada, he went to college in California where, after graduating, he began working as a software engineer at a solar software startup. He and his wife currently live in Dallas, TX.
Derek grew up in a nominally Christian home, but REALLY met Christ while touring with a heavy metal band. He was a pastor in a charismatic church until deeper study led him to Orthodoxy. Derek and his wife, Rebekah, have 3 children.
We'll be talking with Sarah Byrne-Martelli, a board-certified Orthodox Christian Palliative Care Chaplain, health care researcher, and author of Memory Eternal: Living with Grief as Orthodox Christians. Sarah and her husband Peter and son Rafael live in the Boston area.
Meet Ioana and Sebastien! Dr. Ioana Popa is back, and she is bringing her husband, Sebastien Falardeau! We'll be talking about their experience of finding one another after divorce, embarking on a second marriage, and blending their families. Sebastien loves to cook, Ioana loves to garden, and together they co-founded Team For The Soul®. Hear all about it.
On Everyday Orthodox, Susan is a licensed clinical social worker and has been providing mental health care for the veteran population for 8 years, and she has a passion for advocating for mental health resources within Orthodox parish settings, particularly in ethnic parishes where the stigma of seeking care is prevalent. She is the current Vice-President of OCAMPR. Prior to this role, she served as the co-chair for the Needs Assessment Working Group with the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops' Mental Health Task Force. She also served, for 6 years, as the Diocese of South-West America Secretary for the Department of Counseling Services with the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church, where she was raised. She now attends St. Makarios the Great Orthodox Mission in Chicago, where she and her husband, Brandon, await a new addition to their family in October. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, hosting family & friends, staying active and walks to the great Lake Michigan.
On Everyday Orthodox, meet Katrina Bitar! Katrina has dedicated her life to serving Christ through work with young people. After graduating from St. Vladimir’s Seminary, she became the Director of Youth Equipped to Serve and worked for years as a summer camp director. Katrina's heart for service, for people, and for Christ is apparent in everything she does and we think you'll enjoy getting to know her.
On Everyday Orthodox, we'll be live with Kassiane, the dynamic force behind Ancient Faith Ministries' Chinese Language Division. We'll talk about life in China and in North America, and about what it means to her to be to creating Orthodox materials in Chinese.
On Everyday Orthodox, we will be live with Nazo Zakkak, the composer of the groundbreaking Mandarin Chinese Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom album commissioned and produced by Ancient Faith Ministries' Chinese Language Division.
On Everyday Orthodox, we talk with Zeina Livanos. Zeina is the author and creator of Zeina's Table on Instagram. She not only shares recipes but her life as a recipe collector, Orthodox Christian, wife, artist, and soon to be mother of 5
This week on Everyday Orthodox, join us for an interview with icon carver and chanter, Dn. Romanos (Ron) Slockett. He is an Orthodox convert at St. Elias in Austin, Texas, is married to Sh. Jessica and has three children.
Mena was born into the Coptic Orthodox Church in Assiut Egypt, and moved to Puerto Rico and then to New York. He and his family now live in Massachusetts, where he and his wife are currently raising their young kids.Meet
Meet Josh David Jordan! Josh began his career as an actor before transitioning to work behind the lens. When his short film, Sam and Gus, won several film festival awards, he decided to write/direct his full-length feature film, This World Won't Break, which won 14 festival awards, received distribution, theatrical release, and on every platform. Josh directed Joshua Ray Walker's hit single and directed the live spot on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. He is currently in pre-production for his second full-length feature, El Tonto Por Cristo, an Orthodox tale about a holy fool.
Meet Dr. Ioana Popa! Join Elissa for a visit with Dr. Popa, a National Board Certified Life Coach, with a host of additional qualifications that help her provide support and healing to families, those who are grieving, and more.
Lee Kopulos has been an active contributing member of several parishes throughout his adult life, and works in prison ministry as well as missions and outreach. He and his wife Linda have been married for 54b years, and have three adult children
Meet Fr. Steven Clark! The son of a Baptist Preacher, Steven studied music and thought a lot about theology -- specifically, what was meant by "The Word of God." When the U.S.S.R. Russian Choir under Alexander Shvesnikov released their recording of the Rachmaninov Vespers, he loved everything about it -- and especially the hymn's understanding of the Word. This led him from Florida to Russia and eventually to Orthodoxy.
Meet Deacon John Ma'ae. He's a Southern California native, born and bred, who serves his parish at St. Barnabas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Costa Mesa, California, while also working for the past 12 years as the Cathedral Secretary at St. Steven Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, California.
Christian Gonzalez is the Director of Ministry at the Assembly’s Youth Department. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who holds multiple degrees from Wheaton College, Azusa Pacific University, and Luther Seminary. Well known for his work developing training materials like “Effective Christian Ministry” and podcasts like “We Are Orthodoxy” and “Pop Culture Coffee Hour,” he is passionate about upbuilding of the Church as the Family of God: a household that forms young people into the likeness of Christ
Voula Asimacopoulos is a Greek Orthodox woman and a primary care physician in the Chicago area. We’ll ask about her experiences in the Church as a divorced mother.
oin Elissa for a live conversation with Corina Gheorghiu! Corina is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist in CA and a holistic life coach trained in a variety of psychosomatic modalities. Her main interest is the integration of the Orthodox psychotherapy of the deep heart, as the fathers of the ancient church taught us, and also validated by neuroscience, epigenetics, and some modern methods of psychotherapy
Meet Elizabeth Gatling! She's a project coordinator, a librarian, a mom — and a contributor to the new book, The Grace of Being There: Single Mother Saints in Our Lives.
Dr. Rebecca Hernandez is both Native American (Mescalero & Warm Springs Apache) and Mexican American. She is a convert to Orthodoxy and shares about her journey to the church.
Meet Eric! Eric lives near Seattle, WA, and has had a number of careers: newspaper reporter, Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, homeless shelter financial manager, non-fiction writer, preemie-parent advocate, and fiction writer. The past few years. he has been a stay-at-home dad and written Voice in the Storm. He likes bicycling around Washington state, and landscape photography, too.
Join Elissa for a conversation with Dario Solis. Hailing from Austin, TX, Dario is a new convert to Orthodox Christianity with an amazing story to tell.
The Founder and President of the University of St. Katherine joins Elissa to learn about his life and what led him to start this unique university in Southern California founded on Orthodox Christian principles.
Meet Elise Photini, an Ancient Faith blogger and Elissa's guest on Everyday Orthodox this week! Elise Photini is raising her “littles” (no longer quite so little) on her own in the Pacific Northwest, where she works as a hospice nurse with half her heart, while the other half of her heart floats between writing and speaking on raising resilient, strong children and healing from trauma.
Jennifer Anna Rich lives on a small farm near Portland, OR, with her husband, horses, sheep, chickens, cats, and dog. She tends the garden, makes parchment from her Saint Croix sheep skins, and runs Oblation Papers & Press with her husband, designing handmade paper goods. Jennifer is the author of Prayer Spa: Ancient Treatments for the Modern Soul.
Hope founded Families Together in 2017 after her first experience as a foster mom almost led her to turn in her license. Four years (and four kids) later, Families Together is matching isolated families with helpful, friendly volunteers through the Neighbors program in Colorado, California, Texas, Illinois, and Michigan. The Neighbors team matches up volunteers to help combat our nation's mental health and loneliness crises. Hope lives in Colorado Springs with four generations under one roof and juggles homeschooling a her 8-year-old Maximus while keeping two-year-old Mercy at a reasonable limit with her daily marshmallow intake (with lots of help from grandma and great grandma)
Shereen Marcus is a wife and mother of two boys who works a full-time job as a Veterans Law Judge for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. She's also an advocate for reforming Youth Ministry in Orthodox churches in North America. Starting with new ideas, writing abilities, and a knack for “kid-silliness,” Shereen did independent research into various youth ministry efforts and methodologies and began writing kids’ Christian education materials for her local parish. She furthered her work by completing a Master’s degree in Orthodox Theology, with a Youth Ministry Emphasis, from the University of Balamand, Lebanon in conjunction with the Antiochian House of Studies. From there, she took her materials to a bigger platform by launching “Bridges to Orthodoxy” in January 2020
Meet Esteban Picornell! He's an Orthodox Christian, born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After first encountering Orthodox Christianity during the years when he lived in the greater Boston area, he returned to San Juan, where he spends his days between church (he likes to chant) at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Juan and work, workouts, neighbors, and family
Born and raised in the former Yugoslavia, Fr. Serafim moved to America in 1995 because of the war. At the monasteries in Ocala, FL, he met Elder Ephraim and realized his won monastic calling. After attending Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, he became a hieromonk in 2008 at the New Gracanica Monastery in Illinois, where he still lives. Join Elissa as she visit with Fr. Serafim about his journey.
Fr. George was a reconstructive dentist, but reinvented himself after 28 years, retiring and earning a PhD in Orthodox Theology and History. Ordained as a deacon in 2003, he became an advocate for people living with developmental disabilities, and then, after his retirement, was finally ordained a priest. Fr. George and Presbytera Ria have been married for over fifty years, have two grown, married children and five grand children. They enjoy traveling, cooking, entertaining and the arts
Natalie is a wife and new mother who has worked as a dog bather, a mad scientist, and even put in some time in the morgue. Now she works as a fiber artist specializing in faith-based design as she strives to center her life on Chris
Daniel Girgis is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Church, born and raised in New York City. He is a tonsured reader and chanter who received his Master of Arts in theology from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2021. Prior to his time in seminary, Daniel also received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Long Island University, and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from SUNY University at Buffalo. In addition to his career, Daniel focuses on the integration of the oral transmission of Coptic chant and the analysis of liturgical manuscripts in order to not only preserve Coptic heritage, but to encourage Coptic faithful to reconnect and embody their tradition
Matt is a husband and father of two, and the principal of a Christian school in Austin, TX. He has an MA in Biblical Studies from Trinity School for Ministry (in Ambridge, PA) and is currently completing EdD in Educational Leadership at Concordia University in Texas. Matt was recently elected to the parish council at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin and recently sold his home in the suburbs north of Austin to buy a log cabin on a 4.5 acre property next to one of Elder Ephraim's monasteries--Holy Archangels--in Kendalia.
On January 16, we'll be live with Dr. Patricia Bouteneff! She discovered Orthodoxy as a Fulbright Scholar in Greece, and is both a folklore scholar and a strategic communications professional. She is the President of the Executive Board of Axia Women, a 501(c)3 organization by, for and about Orthodox Women
Michael Sider-Rose has been working for years in faith-based, off-campus experiential learning programs for youth, combining classes, internships and urban immersion. Now he's taking on a new project called the Orthodox Volunteer Corps. Listen in as Elissa talks with him about this innovative and important effort
Meet Susan Habegger! After living and working throughout Africa and Asia, she developed a humanitarian nonprofit, Thrive Life Skills, which speaks to the vision of discovering a courageous and peaceful way forward as related to our spiritual, emotional, and work life. One particular course, Moving Forward From Trauma, became an uninvited assignment of focus through events in her own life, but has opened the door to mission around the world.
Catch up with Jamey Bennett! We last spoke with Jamey in 2019, and since then he's married and had his first child! Jamey is the associate editor of the Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy blog, and a purveyor of arts with Royal Ruckus, whose albums you'll find on band camp.
Laura Wilson is a painter and designer, mother of three daughters, and a founding member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Mission in Jackson, TN. She is a student in the Antiochian House of Studies. Her diverse background is the result of a minister’s daughter and woman of faith reclaiming joy from abstraction and finding it in the meeting of spiritual and material existence.
Presvytera Kathryn is an artist whose goal is to connect creatively with others through humor, honesty, and/or purity of purpose. She loves book illustration, album art, portrait commissions, and comic work. When she's not creating art, she enjoys spending time with her husband, an Orthodox priest, and four kids, sewing, knitting, and taking long walks.
Fr. Yuri Hladio is a priest who, along with his wife Nikyla, serves the budding community at St. Maria of Paris Orthodox Mission in Hamilton, Ontario. Fr Yuri is an improviser, musician, and podcaster with a heart for hearing and telling stories. You can find Fr Yuri's podcasts at pryingpriest.com
Nic is a trained folklorist, a husband and father, a knitter, a third-generation comic book artist, and the author of the new book Northern Lights of Christ. We'll hear how, after surviving a natural disaster, he found a new life serving people in crisis.
Kyra is a delightful and energetic Orthodox woman, doing great work for the church: she's the Director of Crossroad Summer Institute and Assistant Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Boston. Now's she's working to launch the Orthodox Volunteer Corps (OVC).
Jaden is a certified landman, a convert to the Orthodox faith, and a devoted husband and father. His mother was murdered, and his grandmother's dying wish was that someone would introduce her killer to Christ. Jaden rose to that call, and something truly amazing happened.
Get to know Dr. Philip Mamalakis, a family man with a wife and six kids. He lives in Boston, teaching pastoral care at the Greek Orthodox Hellenic College Holy Cross Seminary. He often writes and speaks on marriage and parenting, and offers the Orthodox perspective on mental health.
Gayle is a professor and theologian working in molecular biology and bioethical issues (including work on medical ethics and climate change). We get to know her and learn about her participation in OCAMPR.
Pete is an emergency medicine doctor with an MBA—and a family man, married for 14 years with four kids. He has been investigating the remarkably good health of the monks on Mount Athos and has now written a new book—The Athos Diet.
One of St. Vladimir's Seminary's first female students, Anna Marie has coordinated the religious education curriculum at St. Tikhon's summer camp for 25 years. A children's librarian and a wordsmith with an MFA in writing for children, she is delightful and smart—and you're going to enjoy her!
Lucas Postolos is a 26-year-old Orthodox Christian from Texas. He works in corporate restructuring, and he's coordinating a Pan-Orthodox young adult conference coming up this October. We'll be talking about growing up Greek in Texas, how he lives out his faith in the business world, and what purpose a conference for young adults might serve.
Born in the northern part of the Holy Land, near Galilee, Elsie made her way to California, and is the mother of two sons. She studied Optometry in Tel Aviv, worked as a Culinary expert at Williams Sonoma and gave cooking classes there, studied interior design is now a real estate agent.
Michael Colburn is a mission specialist in linguistics and translation with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). He develops tools for translators of the liturgical texts, one of which is used by Fr. Seraphim Dedes for the AGES website. He served 13 years with the Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea.
Anya Thetford Seidel was blessed to spend her early years next to the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania and has loved visiting monasteries ever since. Anya graduated from the University of Chicago, where she earned degrees in psychology and social work and spent much of her free time hanging out with an awesome group of Orthodox young people learning and practicing Byzantine music. She spends her days working as a behavioral health consultant in the Portland, OR, area and is grateful to be raising four children together with her husband Robert.
Cassie Emerson lives a typical life in the suburbs as a wife, mommy, and residential architectural planner. However, contracting Lyme Disease five years ago turned her regular life upside down. At her lowest point, and frustrated with God, she received an unexpected miracle. Please join us for proof that God performs miracles every day!
Meet George and Mona Giolas! They were both born in the Chicago area, to families who had just recently immigrated. Today they're married and raising a family of their own, while also running the Giolas Foundation, which supports a number of domestic and international ministries.
Join Elissa for a conversation with Pres. Caroline Pavlakos! Pres. Caroline grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and is a certified teacher who loves to work with the youngest kids. She and Fr. Andrew have a one-year-old themselves, and together they serve a parish in Florida.
Interviewing our very own Mat. Trudi Richter! She produces several of our live shows, so you may have spoken with her when you've called in with questions -- but now it's time to get to know her! She grew up in a German Mennonite home in Bolivia, and found her way to Indiana via Canada. Join us to hear the whole story!
Meet Brandi Willis Schreiber, a longtime West Texas native and published author of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, including most recently her spiritual memoir, A Long Walk with Mary: A Personal Search for the Mother of God, released by Ancient Faith Publishing this year. A convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, she attends St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Lubbock, Texas with her husband, David, and baby, Rex
Anna is a faithful Orthodox woman, a dentist and mother in Southern California. Her work to support Sister Necatria's Orthodox orphanage in India has included creating two short films.
Meet Sherry Shenoda! She is an Egyptian-American poet and pediatrician, born in Cairo, living in California. Her work is at the intersection of human rights and child health. She is currently serving as a pediatrician in a non-profit health center caring for children in the community and who are transitioning out of homelessness. Her published works center on policy related to the effects of armed conflict on child health, on which she has briefed the US Senate. She was shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poetry Prize in 2019. She lives with her husband and two sons. The Lightkeeper is her first work of fiction.
Meet Father Mikael Fälthammar, an Antiochian priest building up a mission in Sweden! He's working on the translation of texts (both liturgical ) and on finding ways to introduce Orthodoxy in the Swedish context -- while also doing the services, working his regular job, and together with his wife, Kh. Frida, parenting and farming!
Another interesting guest with Elissa. Jeffrey Holton is from the Bay area and is a high tech specialist as well as a convert to Orthodoxy
Tatiana Nikolova-Houston was secretly baptized in communist Bulgaria, learning the faith from her father, an accomplished puppeteer. She made her way to Texas, and became an iconographer and artist.
For Mother's Day, Elissa has invited one of her very favorite Moms. Lainie Horwedel is a wonderful music teacher with a great sense of humor and an impressive opera background—but the defining role of her life may be as a mother and advocate, tirelessly fighting for her son.
Mika grew up Serbian Orthodox in Milwaukee, attending camp in Libertyville and serving the church. Now an octogenarian enjoying her grandbabies in Northern California, she looks back at her years spent serving the Patriarch Athenagoras Institute and IOCC.
Hannah grew up without a lot of structure and without religion—but she found her way to Orthodoxy while she was studying at Berkeley, and is now a delightful and optimistic middle school teacher.
Mallory converted to Orthodoxy and became a Presvytera! She is married to a Greek Orthodox priest serving in Pensacola, Florida. She's a fun, outgoing mom with a young family that keeps her on the run!
Semele Halkedis Heller was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and is now living in Northern California. She was a project manager in tech, but left to be a stay-at-home mom to her three children. She serves on the board of directors of the National Youth Science Foundation, her local chapter of the Young Men's Service League, and her local Little League. In non-COVID times she spends a lot of time volunteering at her children's schools. Semele and her family attend Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Belmont, CA, where she taught Religious Ed for many years and served as the co-director of the Religious Ed program. She likes to joke that she's passed the church volunteering baton on to her husband, who converted to Orthodoxy after all their children were born, and now serves on the parish council.
Meet Sarah Gingrich, an Orthodox mother of six living in Lancaster, PA. She is a contributing author of Darkness Is As Light, and co-author of the upcoming Lenten devotional for teen girls Letters For Pilgrimage. She is a soap-maker by trade, and when not working she enjoys beekeeping, hiking, sewing, painting, and gardening. Originally from Montana, she's lived in Canada, Costa Rica, and for six years in Puerto Montt, Chile, as a missionary. The family worship at St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Orthodox Church in York, PA.
Get to know Alex Tallent. She's a recent convert with a background in missions work. She a child abuse survivor and a gothic stay-at-home mom to a sweet toddler.
It's Valentine's Day on Everyday Orthodox. Meet a wonderful couple from Austin, Texas. In addition to serving the Church and raising two boys, they have a wonderful Christian Martial Fitness Ministry.
You have probably heard of her work at Holistic Christian Life and Filled with Less. Now get to know the woman behind these wonderful Orthodox whole health resources!
Milan Obradovic is a scientist, a high school teacher, and author of The Path Amongst the Moravas (Међу Моравама пут), chronicling a bicycle trip with his two of his children tracing the paths of Saint Cyril and Methodius from Serbia to Slovakia. He and his wife, Olga, have six children and live in Serbia.
Pilar Kunz is a homicide detective and coroner on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, and the mother of five! The whole family just converted to Orthodoxy, though the nearest parish is 325 miles from home!
Meet Eirene Arholetas, live on Everyday Orthodox! She's the writer behind greekamericangirl.com and a talented artist. She's currently working on a PhD that combines Orthodox theology and psychology.
Meet Joshua Gibbs, who teaches online classes at GibbsClassical.com. He is the author of How to Be Unlucky, Something They Will Not Forget, and The 25th: New and Selected Christmas Essays. He is an Alcuin Fellow, a frequent blogger for The Circe Institute, and the creator of the Proverbial podcast.
it's the return of Roberta Sardell! Last time she and Elissa had a fascinating conversation, and it's not over yet!
Earl Ryburn, Jr. grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and taught Elissa and her Sunday School how to sing the Christ is Risen Resurrection hymn in ASL! He serves as a senior acolyte at Transfiguration in Austin, Texas, and works as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). He awaits ordination to the diaconate, having recently completed the Holy Cross program, and is now studying for a degree in Non-Profit Management at Colorado Christian University.
We get to know Innocent Green! He and his wife and three children recently converted to Orthodoxy, after a long journey from the Church of Christ via the Reformed Church. After all that seeking, it was the Jesus Prayer that brought them home.
Live this week on Everyday Orthodox: Michael Elgamal is the driving force behind Creative Orthodox. He is a Canadian Egyptian artist who digs for examples of virtue in the lives of ancient Christian saints and brings them to life in ink and colour. The illustrations he shares online visually hang in an awkward balance between ancient Christian art and childish scribbles. He published two graphic novels: Anastasis: the Harrowing of Hades on Christ's descent to hell and A Forest in the Desert on the life of Saint John the Short
We are live with Fr. Evan Armatas! You hear him answer questions on Orthodoxy Live every Sunday night, but how well do you really know him? We'll get to know Fr. Evan with an hour-long conversation about his youth, his decision to become a priest, his various interesting ministries, and his new book, A Toolkit For Spiritual Growth!
Meet Fr. Theodor Svane! A native Norwegian, he found Orthodoxy and then found his way to St. Vlad's! Now he's back home, at his mission parish, and he is delightful. Join us, and learn a little bit about Vikings and Scandinavia, and get to know a really lovely man.
Summer is the author of Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability (Ancient Faith 2019) and one of the authors of Seven Holy Women: Conversations With Saints and Friends (Ancient Faith 2020). She's also starting her own traditional small press!
Kenny is the Executive Director of FOCUS North America, an Orthodox non-profit that brings Orthodox faithful together to serve the needs of their most vulnerable neighbors across the United States, including food, clothing, occupation, and shelter needs. A native of Charleston, West Virginia, and a social worker by education, Kenny’s career has afforded opportunities to serve on the front lines of homeless outreach/advocacy/services, as well as international Orthodox missions before coming to FOCUS in 2017. He was Chrismated into the Orthodox Church on Holy Saturday, 1997, at Holy Spirit Antiochian Orthodox Church in Huntington, West Virginia.
Elissa is live with the delightful Greek-Canadian priest, Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos of FrTED Talks and iSermon. Father's specialty is the re-catechism of those of us who are born Orthodox, but who haven't really understood the faith. He's an excellent priest, and a lot of fun too.
Roberta Sardell grew up Presbyterian in Boise, Idaho, but when she married a Californian she found herself on the West Coast. Roberta has been very active in her parishes, teaching Sunday School and helping to establish a few missions -- and even going on eight OCMC mission trips!
Maria Silva is the daughter of Fr. Gregory and Pres. Lisa Koo, the priest and presvytera at the Life-Giving Spring Monastery in Dunlap, CA. After college, she spent three months working at the Orthodox orphanage mission in Kolkata, India, run by Sr. Nektaria Paradisi. Inspired by Sister's incredible work, she and a handful of volunteers created a nonprofit organization called Fili, Inc. to support the Indian mission as well as other worthy humanitarian causes. Maria and her husband were chanters and youth leaders at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church, but three years ago, they made the decision to leave the bustling San Francisco Bay Area to raise their four girls close to the monastery in the countryside. At their home, Silver Goose Family Farms, they have a collection of pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineas, dogs and cats, and a milk cow named Cookie. Maria homeschools her children with the help and encouragement from the neighboring Orthodox community who also does the same. She also writes children's books: Katherine and the Monastery and Katherine and the Desert Monastery chronicle the experience of visiting the Life-Giving Spring Monastery and St. Anthony Monastery in Arizona through the eyes of children. She is working on several more books whenever there is a moment between animals, children, and the rest of the farm!
Ginny grew up in the Philippines with her missionary parents, making her a TCK (Third Culture Kid). She has been an editor, writer, project manager, and occasional podcaster for more years than she cares to admit. Twenty-six years ago, her family was chrismated into the Orthodox Christian faith, and shortly afterwards she edited the book Our Heart's True Home: Fourteen Warm Inspiring Stories of Women Discovering the Ancient Christian Faith. From 9-5, she is the editor of Antiochian.org and works for St. Vladimir's Seminary's Advancement team. She also serves on the advisory boards of Classical Learning Resource Center (CLRC) and Orthodox Christians for Life (OCLife).
Justin Bosl planned to become a Catholic priest, but God had something else in store for him. Find out all about his wife, Annemarie, and their journey to Orthodoxy! Now they have four kids, and Justin is a partner at an Oakland, California, law firm who chants and teaches adult religious education. He just finished the Diaconate program at Holy Cross Seminary, and may be ordained a deacon one day soon! Very active both in his parish and the larger Orthodox Church, Justin serves on the Board of FOCUS North America, and St. Nicholas Ranch & Retreat Center.
Elissa Bjeletich talks with Lisa Rigisich! Lisa found her calling as a high school English teacher and was blessed with two wonderful sons. Life took a turn when her husband underwent a series of unsuccessful brain surgeries, leaving him with memory and stimuli-filtering challenges. Learnt how these unexpected struggles have borne fruit in her spiritual life, and how she's finding God's peace in the midst of the storms
Eddie is a brilliant and fascinating Orthodox convert who develops and oversees programs to address trauma and violence in Chicago.
This eloquent Orthodox teacher in Forth Worth, Texas, talks about teaching during a pandemic.
He is the new Chief Content Officer for Ancient Faith Ministries. He is the author of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy and other Ancient Faith books. He is the co-host of the Areopagus podcast and the Amon Sul podcast. He is Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.
This week, meet Mikaila Demetroulis, live on Everyday Orthodox! Get to know this bright young Orthodox woman! A longtime camp counselor and now a traveling nurse, Mikaila is just starting out in life.
Malena is a delightful Serbian Orthodox woman in Northern California who tells us about growing up in a close community, her various female role models, and the mission opportunities she has enjoyed.
Jackie is an energetic Orthodox woman in Charleston, South Carolina. She's a published poet, the author of many articles and a new book, and she serves the Church in many different ministries.
Josef and Effie are a young couple serving as missionaries in an unexpected place—Sweden! Find out why.
Pamela Filutowski teaches Adult Spiritual Enrichment at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Orlando and works in the parish gift shop, selecting and ordering Orthodox books for the store. She is the mother of three and has been married for 30 years to her husband Konrad.
Meet the very talented and fascinating Oleksa Lozowchuk! He is a Canadian Academy nominee and an award-winning music composer (and music producer, music director, music supervisor, and multi-instrumentalist!) whose work spans many genres.
A British deacon in the Serbian Orthodox Church, Professor at the Orthodox St. Katherine's University in San Diego, creator of beautiful vestments, father and husband, Fr. Dn. David-John Williams is fascinating and fun!
Patrick and Laura live on an Arkansas farm with their 19-month-old daughter, Elizabeth. They very recently converted to Orthodox Christianity after being lifelong evangelicals. Patrick is a musician and has been in a number of touring punk bands through the years. He recently started a no-dig garden. Laura has a degree in musical theater and is an actor and yoga teacher.
Elissa interviews Ariane Trifunovic Montemuro, a Serbian-American author, podcaster, and artist, with a passion to preserve the faith for future generations. Her paintings (called Orthodox Narratives) are strongly influenced by iconography, and her portrait of Patriarch Pavle hangs in his home museum.
Dr. Tim is the beloved professor of ethics at Holy Cross Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts, as well as a founder of Beauty First Films, which is producing documentaries on Patmos and Holy Week in Jerusalem. He has just published his opus: The Ethics of Beauty.
A lifelong artist, Fr. Paul formally studied drawing, painting, printmaking, and design at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, earning a Bachelor's Degree of Fine Arts. Subsequently, he spent a year-and-a-half studying at Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in Jordanville, NY. During that time, he simultaneously worked under the tutelage of master iconographer Fr. Andrei Erastov and began fulfilling monastery orders almost immediately. Since then, Fr. Paul has fulfilled many commissions for both churches and individuals, and his work can be seen coast to coast. He is also the illustrator of the children's book St. Seraphim's Beatitudes, authored by Fr. Daniel Marshall. Fr. Paul is a protodeacon and serves at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Howell, NJ.
Born in Damascus, Noelle is a wife, mom, chanter, and estate planning attorney in Southern California. She talks about Christian burial practices and planning for the future.
Fr. John is a convert to Orthodoxy who brought his entire Santa Fe parish into the Church! Listen to his fascinating story and get to know this delightful soul.
Valerie is a dynamic and very talented music director and vocalist. Born Romanian Orthodox, she lives mostly among converts and has a lot of insights for all of us.
Michelle writes children's literature and a blog called "Hopeful Patience," which is about various struggles, including infertility issues. She is the full-time caregiver for her husband and an administrative assistant at an Antiochian parish.
Sam is a graphic designer and documentary filmmaker. His documentary New Men, which is about an Orthodox monastery, inspired his conversion to Orthodoxy. He is currently a 2020 Epicenter Frontier Fellow and a mediocre improv comedian.
Zach Sherman is a veteran high school literature teacher and a father of three. He was born and raised in the Church of Christ, in which he met his wife and began to raise his children. His journey to Orthodoxy began about 6 years ago with reading a seemingly simple footnote in a book. Eventually, he, his wife and children were all received into the Orthodox Church together on Lazarus Saturday of 2017. Zach and his family attend St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church in Spring, Texas, where he serves on the parish council, and his wife teaches church school.
Sandra Anderson works in ministry development and has recently written A Handbook of Ministry Resources, Recommendations, and Reflections.
Elissa talks with newly appointed Orthodox missionaries Steve and Theophani Sarigianis. They met at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Massachusetts and found that they share a passion for mission work. Married in 2017, they are about to embark on a great adventure: they're moving to Albania with OCMC!
Nick Nicholson joins us live to talk about the Monastery of Mesa Potamos' new intimate and lively biography of the Romanov family, which is based on diaries, letters, and memoirs never before seen in English.
Get to know Dn. Adam—filmmaker, author, and Ancient Faith podcaster. He's a content creator for the Antiochian Archdiocese.
Laura Jansson is delightful! She's a doula, a childbirth educator, and a mother, living and writing at the intersection of birth and faith. She has lived all around the world and is the author of Ancient Faith Publishing's Fertile Ground.
Gail is a retired music teacher and a convert to Orthodoxy. Formerly a pastor in a Charismatic church, Gail had some amazing experiences on the road to the Orthodox faith.
Bright, bold, and poetic, Laura Lee is a convert to Orthodoxy who, at the height of her career as a CEO, suffered a devastating brain injury. Hear about her battle back, regaining language processing and simple life skills—and the lessons she's learned along the way.
Fr. Ignatius Lozano is a ROCOR priest in Lockhart, Texas—the famous home of Texas BBQ. We talk about his interesting life story, in which a nice American kid discovers Orthodoxy and becomes a ROCOR priest in the middle of rural Texas.
Former New Age Spiritualist and now Orthodox author Veronica Hughes joins Elissa tonight.
Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.
Fr. Ilya fell in love with pilgrimage and has found a way to live the dream: he leads pilgrims on Orthodox Tours to holy sites all over the world! We hear how he found his way into such a life and all about his travels to the Holy Land and Greece, Russia and the Balkans, Italy, Ireland, and Western Europe.
Bobby Maddex is AFR's fearless station manager, and his sister, Molly Sabourin, is the original Orthodox influencer and all-around creative spirit. Hear about their new book club and how these two siblings get along.
Fr. Seraphim talks about his very interesting life and work— from the small mission he's built into a beautiful and strong parish, to a robust prison ministry which carries him all over the state, to his work with the Church in Africa!
Kathryn is the mother of five daughters with a son on the way, and the Senior Advisor to the Illinois Attorney General on issues related to violence prevention and crime victims. She and Elissa talk about how she lives out the faith supporting crime survivors.
Summer is the mother of five, a student of theology, and an autistic woman parenting autistic children. How can our Holy Church welcome and support everyone, no matter their disabilities?
Alexis Pappas works in youth ministries and religious education at her parish in Birmingham, Alabama. Her joy is contagious.
Hannah Vazquez is wife to Will and mother of four, ages 9-2, with one on the way. They live in rural Indiana where they have space to garden and let the kids run free. She enjoys making her home a haven while trying to keep Christ at the center. She has contemplated seeking the kingdom of God while fulfilling her motherly responsibilities for several years and continues to seek and learn—and this is the subject matter of her new AFR podcast All These Things,
Christine Hallberg is an Orthodox Christian living in Cary, NC. Chris has played a lot of roles in her life. Wife and mother, actor and educator, movie buff and current church school director. In 2013, at the age of 36, she got one more role she wasn’t counting on—breast cancer patient and survivor. Join us as we discuss the spiritual side of Chris’s journey through breast cancer.
Elissa Bjeletich will be talking with Fr. Nebojsa Pantic, a man who was sure he would never be a priest.
Joni is funny and smart, she's a cancer survivor, a mom, and a Sunday School teacher—and she's also an artist with a show opening soon at Fordham in New York City! Joni's father was a renowned iconographer, and her own art uses images and inspiration from Byzantine art and iconography, blending them with modern images to beautiful and profound effect. Check out her art here.
You'll enjoy Elissa's conversation with Dr. Tim Patitsas, ethics professor at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, MA. You'll hear about his upbringing in Kent, Ohio, his relationship with urban planning author Jane Jacobs, his work with Beauty First Films, and a new very non traditional calendar you may want to see.
Jamey Bennett visits Elissa's Austin studio! Jamey's rap group Royal Ruckus released their latest album, Unexpected Joy (dedicated to the Holy Theotokos), on the Feast of the Dormition—and they're in Austin for a release party. Join us as we talk to Jamey about the journey that led him to become so active in the Orthodox Church and the independent hip-hop scene.
Elissa interviews Kh. Jocelyn Mathewes, a fine artist and image-maker in rural Tennessee who cooperates with the sun to create gorgeous cyanotypes.
Thomaida Hudanish joins Elissa Bjeletich for a fascinating discussion about outreach, evangelism, Orthodox films, and a new calendar unlike any you've seen before.
She saw a vision of St. Basil and now she credits him for bringing her through cancer. Kate Stevenson is Elissa Bjeletich's special guest who is a cancer survivor and energetic youth worker.
Elissa Bjeletich welcome back Symeon van Donkelaar, the iconographer using natural pigments he finds around the village of Conestoga in Ontario, Canada. He's back to tell us all about his new project, Icons in the Home.
Born in Selma, Alabama, to a Southern Baptist family, David was called to ministry from an early age. He gave that all up to embrace Orthodoxy.
Elissa Bjeletich welcomes back actor Jon Boatwright who shares his story about coming to Orthodoxy.
Meet Fr. Methodios from the St. Barnabas Orphanage and School in Kenya! Father never set out to establish an orphanage, and yet here he is! Learn how his calling unfolded, and how he has embraced a kind of reckless love that relies on God to provide!
You are going to really enjoy Matushka Wendy. From her religious education advice to her advocacy for those with disabilities, she has so much to offer the Orthodox world -- and yet what you'll really appreciate is her wit and down-to-earth charm.
Meet Deb Tindle, an Orthodox woman in Austin, Texas, who teaches high school Sunday school with Elissa! Deb is an occupational therapist specializing in manual therapy to treat chronic pain, and who often encounters the divine with her patients as they enter into suffering.
Meet Elisabeth Evans! Elissa Bjeletich and Elisabeth talk about growing up in Alaska, her life in the lower 48, and fostering as a path to adoption.
His last appearance was shortened by technical difficulties but we felt you would want to hear his whole story. John has a passion for ministry and a love for bringing people closer to Christ. Although he was raised in an Orthodox home, John had to come to grips with his faith while in college.
Bev's first love is writing for young adults, and now she has given herself to writing Akathists. Hear about her work and her life in Victoria, British Columbia.
Elissa interviews Dr.Maria Khoury. Dr. Khoury lives in Palestine, on the West Bank of the Jordan River, in the Biblical land of Judea and Samaria. She has authored many articles dealing with the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the Palestinian struggle for independence and freedom.
Don't miss this fascinating interview with Annalisa Boyd, mother of 9, foster mother of many more, and author of the popular prayer book for teens - Hear Me.
John has a passion for ministry and a love for bringing people closer to Christ. Although he was raised in an Orthodox home, John had to come to grips with his faith while in college.
Dr. John Demakis joins us tonight! He is a physician who has done wonderful work, abroad with OCMC and right here at home! He's known all sorts of people, like Patriarch Athenagoras and Archbishop Anastasios. He's a fascinating and wonderful man, and I know that you're going to love getting to know him.
Meet Irene Perez, an iconographer and mom originally from Venezuela. Irene's family remains back home even as Venezuela crumbles. Irene came to the United States and found Orthodoxy through a complex and fascinating path, and today she teaches iconography and is raising her teenage son with her husband, Simon.
Elissa's guest is Caroline Langston. Caroline was received into the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1996, and was a founding faculty member in writing at the experimental Orthodox college, Rose Hill, in Aiken, South Carolina. Since 1998, she has lived in the Washington, D.C., area, and worked in foundation relations at NPR, The Center for Public Integrity, The Atlantic, and the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple quarterlies, and her stories have been selected for the Pushcart Prize and New Stories from the American South anthologies. She has been a regular contributor to Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion’s Good Letters blog since 2008, and has been a commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered.
Melinda is the delightful, whimsical and energetic Director of Marketing (and Fun) for Ancient Faith Ministries, and the author of several books (The Other Side of the Bonfire, Letters to Saint Lydia, The Barn and the Book, Shepherding Sam and Piggy in Heaven). Melinda enjoys writing for children, knitting, walking and talking, recipe books with pictures, and friendly four-legged animals. She is truly a delight, and we're pretty sure you're going to love her.
This Sunday on Everyday Orthodox, meet the delightful Kristina Wenger! A mom of two who enjoys interacting with little people, she taught first grade and Sunday church school, homeschooled, and co-founded an educational organization. She works part time for the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education, managing several of their media ministries and writing curriculum. She is also a storyteller who voices some of Ancient Faith’s audiobooks, as well as the “Let Us Attend” and “Tending the Garden” podcasts. Kristina and her husband have two grown children and are members of St. John Chrysostom Church in York, PA. She is the co-author of Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families.
Steve Christoforou is best known for his media work on Be the Bee, Live the Word, We Are Orthodoxy, and Pop Culture Coffee Hour. He is also the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the GOA.
Elissa Bjeletich welcomes Charles Youngblood! From his work as an assistant Navy Chaplain (serving in combat in Iraq) to his years with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Waco police force, he has so much interesting and valuable experience to share. Now a student at St. Vlad’s, Charles hopes to make use of his training certification to help Orthodox communities fight child abuse and sex trafficking.
He's a cradle Orthodox priest who went to an Evangelical seminary. She's a Psychologist with her own practice as well as a Presvytera in a large parish. Together they host a live call in show on Ancient Faith Radio. Elissa talks to Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh on Everyday Orthodox.
Maria Georgeton is an attorney and all around interesting person who is very involved in the Oratorical Festivals for the Greek Archdiocese.
Elissa Bleletich's guest tonight is Symeon van Donkelaar. He uses local wood, soil, plants, and even bones to make icons.
Joining Elissa Bjeletich tonight is Matushka Anna Crawford the author of the excellent Orthodox resource for miscarriage and infancy loss,Lost Innocents, as well as the author of the blog, Praying With My Feet, and is the creative genius behind Cozy House Curios, a popular line of handmade items including censers and priest and nun dolls for children. Mentioned in the show was a Service after a miscarriage or still birth.
Zoë Filutowski, a Greek Orthodox Christian from Orlando joins Elissa Bjeletich. You cannot help but love her, because she's so insightful and energetic and creative. They talk about growing up Orthodox, about following her artistic passions, about some neat trips she's taken with OCMC and about what's it like to be a single young adult in the Church today and what unique struggles and challenges she faces.
Fr Dcn. David-John Williams is the parish Deacon at Saint Petka Serbian Orthodox Church in San Marcos, San Diego California.Dcn David and his wife Lauren have two young children Zoe and Theodore. Both Lauren and David work in the area as educators. In addition to his diaconal ministry Dcn David is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Saint Katherine San Diego and a post-graduate researcher at the Hellenic Institute at Royal Holloway University of London. His Phd research concerns the sharing of sacred space, sacred objects and holy people in the Byzantine Mediterranean. Born and raised in the U.K Dcn David’s original training was as a musician and was brought to the US on an entertainment visa by Warner Bros music as a professional musician for several years. While working in that capacity he became involved in fashion and design, designing shoes for a high end Italian designer and eventually moving into haute couture women’s wear. His experience in the design and textile world led to his recruitment by Riza orthodox vestments, a ministry of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand:a position he has held since 2014.
Elissa interviews Diakonissa Alexandria Ritsi, a teacher, photographer, radio show host, and leader of OCMC short-term mission teams. Serving as an OCMC Missionary in Albania, she is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and attended Hellenic College. Serving in Albania with her husband and son Moses Anastasios since 2013, Diakonissa Alexandria is blessed to work closely with Archbishop Anastasios, a modern day missionary and living saint.
The unlikely story of Fr. Kaleeg Hainsworth will give you renewed hope in the providence of God. Learn about his journey but also about his film project The Face of God, a documentary exploration into the beauty of God's creation.
Elissa interviews Sue Holland, the talented head chanter at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas. Sue has a Masters Degree in Voice Performance, with a focus on opera, and a beautiful voice. She and her husband, Brian, have been developing a ministry called “Bringing Your Brokenness," which welcomes people with issues from depression and anxiety to addiction to bring their brokenness to God and to His Body, the Church.
Elissa Bjeletich introduces us to a delightful young newlywed couple who have had more than their share of challenges beyond just being newly wed. Jorge is battling cancer in the midst of studying for the priesthood yet their faith remains strong. You can help the Luque's on their Go Fund Me page.
Elissa interviews Jenny Stasinopoulos about public education and Orthodox youth ministry. Jenny likewise tells stories about life growing up in Oklahoma.
Elissa interviews Marlene Kosich. She lives in Northern California, and belongs to both the Serbian and Greek Irthodox communities. She is the grandmother of 5 boys, and Kuma (godmother) to Elissa’s husband, Marko! Kuma Marlene is a woman with hard-won faith and wisdom, and a fantastic sense of humor.
Elissa interviews Adam Lockridge, the director of the St. Raphael Orthodox Online School.
Elissa interviews Anna Cory about finding your niche in the Orthodox Church on a brand new Everyday Orthodox, a live show on Ancient Faith Radio.
Elissa interviews Pamela Dunteman, a singer/musician and a mother of seven, grandmother of 13, who has lived most of her life in the Charismatic/Evangelical world, but who came home to Orthodoxy and is now living out the faith in the best parish in the world, located in Kansas City.
Elissa Bjeletich welcomes back Marilyn Swezey with more stories from recent Orthodox history in Russia and here in the United States.
Elissa Bjeletich welcomes Christian Gonzalez, a Young Adult Ministries Coordinator for the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. His newest podcast is We Are Orthodoxy.
This Thursday on Everyday Orthodox, we'll talk with Marilyn Swezey, who is a wonderful storyteller with an inspiring love for our Orthodox faith. Marilyn worked with Bishop Basil for twenty years, and can tell us many stories about this holy man's beautiful life. You may already know Bishop Basil Rodzianko from the instant classic, Everyday Saints, in which Archimandrite Tikhon introduced us to a holy, loving and regal bishop who broadcast his Orthodox radio program in Russian on the BBC, infiltrating the Soviet airspace via radio waves throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s. After the death of his beloved wife, he was made a bishop, but he was concerned that because he had not lived a monastic life, he had never properly practiced obedience -- so his spiritual father, Met. Anthony Bloom, assured him that he would be in obedience to everyone under him, and he took that very seriously. In his later years, in Washington DC, Marilyn worked closely with Bishop Basil, truly a living saint, and we'll hear all about his life, as well as Marilyn's life, which was truly transformed by her contact with him.
This Thursday night on Everyday Orthodox we'll be talking with Dr. Nicole Roccas! Nicole is an American convert who moved to Canada to be with her Greek Orthodox Canadian husband. She's fascinated with time and writes the beautiful podcast Time Eternal, and has just published her first book, Time and Despondency. Nicole is a scholar, a writer, and a really funny person. I think you're going to like her
As part of her PhD Dissertation research in Anthropology, in 2016 Hilary Bethancourt undertook "The Lenten Season Study: A Research Project on Diet, Lifestyle and Health during the Christian Lenten Season". Orthodox Christians who were curious how the Lenten fast impacts our health, our mood and our energy signed up to be monitored and tested throughout Great Lent. Hilary will tell us the story of her study, how the results turned out, and what it was like to load up her car and travel across the country to meet up with Orthodox people throughout the country.
Elissa Bjeletich interviews Fr. Silouan Brown about his ministry work with missions in Africa and how he’s found a way to put the gifts God gave him—not really missionary gifts—to work!
Elissa interviews Megan Hieger, a school teacher in Fort Worth, Texas, who has much to say about the single life and living in the moment for others.
Michael Strong joins us to talk about his fascinating journey: from his picturesque 1950s childhood to his work in prison ministry and his conversion to Orthodoxy, his dramatic career in high tech with the ups and downs of startups and 'bubbles' and personal health struggles with narcolepsy, he has found life to be rife with opportunities for spiritual growth.
Those of us who are in the struggle to raise our children with a love for Christ need role models and inspiration -- and tonight, Katrina Bitar joins Elssa telling us stories about her own upbringing and how her parents' Christ-like love allowed their children to grow and blossom. You'll also learn about the Focus North America YES program for young people.
Everyday Orthodox is back with another interesting Orthodox person with an unusual story. Denis Phocas was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and due to changes in the political situation there, eventually had to move his family to the United States. As Zimbabwe endures a military coup, Elissa and Denis talk about the situation there in years gone by, and about what it's like growing up Greek in Africa.
Christi Ghiz, an Orthodox homeschooling mom from Houston, Texas, joined us to talk about the story of her family's escape from their home, which flooded in Hurricane Harvey. A volunteer in a fishing boat rescued them, and with the help of generous strangers, they made their way through the flooded streets to a friend's safe home.