Annunciation Cathedral

Bishop Irenee
Bishop of Quebec City, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada

Bishop Irenee was born in Montreal on December 25, 1948. In 1971 he received a BA in Slavic Studies from the University of Ottawa and began studies at Holy Trinity Seminary at Jordanville, NY. He was accepted as a novice into the holy Trinity Monastery and placed him under the spiritual guidance of Archimandrite Kiprian. In 1974 he was tonsured a Rassophore monk and in 1975 a Stavrophore monk and named Hieromartyr IrÈnÈe of Lyons and entered the minor orders tonsured a reader and sub-deacon.

In 1978 he was blessed to serve in France, in May he was ordained a deacon in Brussels, and in August to the priesthood in Geneva. He served in France until 1982 and on his return to Canada in the French mission in Montreal. Hieromonk Irenee and the Mission were received into the OCA in 1986.

In 1992, Hieromonk Irenee was elevated to Igumen by Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa, to care for the French language monastics in Quebec with additional duties as supply priest to the parishes in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec City.

In April 2009 the Holy Synod of the OCA elevated Igumen Irenee to the dignity of Archimandrite and elected him to be an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Canada with the title of Bishop of Quebec. In October 2009 ten bishops, led by Metropolitan Jonah participated in the Episcopal consecration of the Archimandrite at Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa. On October 1, 2010 the Holy Synod appointed Bishop Irenee to be Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada.

Fr Alexander (Pihach)
Igumen Alexander was born Dennis Alexander Pihach on June 27,1952 in Saskatoon, SK and raised in an Orthodox family with 2 brothers. He entered the St. Andrews seminary in Winnipeg and graduated in 1973. He continued studies in Sociology and Slavic Studies graduating from the University of Saskatchewan. He was employed with Social Services in the corrections and psychiatric services. In 1986 he was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Canada (OCA) and assigned to organize a mission in Yorkton, now St. Mark’s Church while working in Youth Addictions Services. He was elected Dean of Manitoba/Saskatchewan in 1992, and appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese in 1996. In 1998 he became Rector of St. Herman of Alaska Sobor in Edmonton and remains so to the present.

On July 11, 2009 he was tonsured a monk and elevated to Igumen of St. Elias Skete in Dickie Bush, AB. On September 1, 2009 he was appointed Interim Dean of the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa.

Fr James Griggs
Fr James Griggs began attending the Cathedral with his family in 1991. In the fall of 1994, the family moved to St Vladimir’s Seminary in New York where Fr James began theological studies. While attending seminary, Fr James was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Archbishop Seraphim in November 1995.

Returning to Canada in June 1996 he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop Seraphim and was assigned as priest in charge, and later rector, of St Gregory of Nyssa mission in Kingston Ontario. Fr James began serving a small Greek parish in Brockville Ontario on a part time basis in the winter of 2004 while continuing to serve the mission in Kingston. He continued to serve this Greek parish two Sundays of each month until August 2010 when he took up a full time position at the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa.

After serving for a short period as assistant priest with the Greek Orthodox community in Ottawa, Fr James was assigned to the altar of Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in March of 2008. He is married to Tena and they have one daughter and three sons who are all members of the Cathedral parish.

Fr John Jillions
Fr. John Jillions was born in Montreal in 1955, and was baptised there at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral. In 1963, he moved to the U.S. with his family.

After graduating in 1980 from the Seminary with a M.Div., he was ordained a priest in 1984, Fr. John was sent on a three-year mission assignment to Brisbane, Australia. After returning the U.S. he was assigned to Holy Trinity Church in Rahway, New Jersey. He served there until 1994 when he moved to Greece with his family to begin a PhD. in New Testament Studies at the University of Thessaloniki. In 1995 Fr. John and his family moved to Cambridge, England, to continue his research. In 1997, he and his wife Denise began work to found the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge.

Returning now to North America, in addition to serving as dean of the Ottawa Cathedral and the Ontario Deanery, he teaches at St. Paul University’s Sheptytsky Institute. He and Denise have three sons: Andrew, Alexander, and Anthony. Father John is attached to the Cathedral.

Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko
Protodeacon Nazari and Matushka Tatiana were born in Chernivtsi, Ukrain. Protodeacon Nazari then came to Canada, and graduated from St Andrew’s College, University of Manitoba, Theological school of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada.Later in 2003-2006, he was accepted to continue his theological studies and received a doctoral-equivalent degree in Theology from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’­s Theological Academy in Kiev, Ukraine. In addition to his liturgical ministry, Protodeacon Nazari and Matushka Tatiana are accomplished iconographers.

On August 1, 2008 Protodeacon Nazari was assigned to the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa. Protodeacon Nazari is appointed to assist Archbishop SERAPHIM as the Episcopal secretary.

Deacon Gregory Scratch
Deacon Gregory received his post-secondary education in Vancouver, obtaining a Diploma in Fine Arts from the Emily Carr Institute of Fine Art in 1995. In 1997, he married actress Taesia Jacobson, and the couple returned to Ottawa in 1998. In 2001, Deacon Gregory began attending St. Paul University’s Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies part-time, while working to support his family. In February 2003 he was ordained to the Deaconate by His Grace Bishop SERAPHIM. Deacon Gregory is the eldest son of Fr. John Scratch. He and Matushka Taesia have four children: Maria-Suzanne, Seraphim, Elizabeth, and Alexander.

Deacon Alexander Moisa
Deacon Alexander Moisa has been a member of the Cathedral since 1998. He finished the Late Vocations Program of the OCA and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa ON, to which he was assigned, on the 2nd of November 2008, by His Eminence Archbishop SERAPHIM.

Deacon Alexander, originally from Romania, holds three degrees.  Before moving to Canada in 1995 with his family, he worked as a scientist for various research institutes. Deacon Alexander is currently employed by a software company in Ottawa, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Deacon Sebastian Scratch
Deacon Sebastian has a Child and Youth Worker diploma and work in this field. He served as Archbishop Seraphim’s senior Subdeacon for several years. He completed the Late Vocations Program in March 2010.

Deacon Sebastian was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral, to which he was assigned, on October 1st, 2010, by his Eminence Archbishop Seraphim. He and his wife Helen have three children Juliana, Alexandra and Sevastjan.