Everyday Orthodox

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 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 Orthodox Youth Ministries (OYM), the Assembly of Bishops’ new – and unanimously approved – Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries Agency.” 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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.