About our Pastor--Fr. John Ketchum
Journey to the Priesthood
One of the frequently asked questions to myself during the course of my theological studies and eventually towards my ordination first as a deacon, and then as a priest of the Orthodox Church was--what was my calling? Each individual has a personal calling to a certain profession to use the gifts given to them by our Lord and Savior to use towards the betterment of one another. One of the highest of these callings is the calling to serve God and the Church as a member of the clergy. As your new Pastor let me take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself. I was born in Suffern, New York on June 22, 1969, and raised in Florida. My father is Italian and English (which is where the Ketchum name comes from). My mother is fully Greek born in Aiken, South Carolina, a second generation Greek. I have a younger brother Tyler (Stefanos) who is a chef in Florida and a sister Kara (Ourania) who is married with a son and another on the way also in Florida. My parent’s live in Vero Beach, Florida and are very active in their parish St. Nicholas in Ft. Pierce. My wife, Presvytera Veronica is from Queens, New York where her parents still reside with her younger brother Nicholas, who is a high school student, and her sister Erica (Kyriaki) who is married and has two daughters. I grew up with a great appreciation for our Orthodox Faith and our Greek Heritage. I graduated in 1987 from Fort Pierce Central High School and was voted Most School Spirit (Go Cobras!), I moved to Orlando and graduated from the University of Central Florida however I am a huge diehard Florida Gator fan (I can't stand Florida State). My journey towards the realization of my calling to the priesthood began when I was going into my senior year of college at the University of Central Florida.
During that time I was studying International Relations and International Law with the intention of eventually entering into the United States Air Force as an Intelligence Officer. I was in the U.S.A.F. R.O.T.C. program in which I would be granted a officer’s commission upon graduation. After completing an extensive battery of Air Force Officer exams and preparation courses, I was ready to go to Field Training, which is equivalent to a six week Boot Camp for officers (instead of sergeants yelling at you it would be officers). Before I left for camp I had to undergo a complete physical—psychological, medical and dental examination. The results of the eye exam had the Navy doctor diagnose me with glaucoma, a disease of the inner eye, which is an automatic cancellation of military commission. Thinking that my career plans had gone down the drain, I was devastated and decided to retreat to a small chapel in the middle of the woods in Brooksville, Florida.
This was originally the site of the Atlanta Diocese Youth Camp called Olympic Village which I had been involved with for about ten years as a camper and later a counselor. This small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas was always a special place for me. While praying in the chapel by myself for guidance as to what I was to do with my life, the icon of St. Michael the Archangel fell off of the Icon Screen. Being startled I picked it up and entered into the altar through the North Gate (I was tonsured a reader of the Church by the late Metropolitan Germanos). The moment I entered into the Holy Altar is when I can say that I received my calling to be an Orthodox Christian priest. I believe the best way to describe the indescribable feeling, would be to say that I had felt an overcoming feeling that the altar was where I was suppose to be. It felt like home. I knew then and there I was called to be a Orthodox Priest, something I had never thought of before. I was always close to the Church, but never saw myself as a priest until that day.
I left the chapel with a new understanding as to what was to become of my career. My spiritual father at the time, Fr. John Liadis, helped me to apply to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology as well as my parish priest in Orlando, Fr. Michael Kontogiorgis (currently the Assistant Chancellor of the Archdiocese in New York). Before this I had never thought of the clergy as my calling and sent in my application to seminary. I received notice from Holy Cross of my acceptance upon graduation from my undergraduate program and prepared to enter into the seminary. I sold all I had and got ready to move to Boston. Right after this I received a letter from the Air Force stating that my initial eye exams were in error and that I did not have glaucoma. I confirmed this with another eye doctor. This made me realize in a concrete manner that I was not meant to be an Air Force Officer, but was meant to serve Christ and His Church. I believe that Christ intervened in my life to pull me from the ranks of the military and place me in the ranks of the clergy. I had gone home to visit my mother to tell her the news of my career change. I wanted to tell her first in private, and while walking towards the bedroom she told me, “You’re going to be a priest”. When I asked her how she could have known this she said, “God just spoke to me and told me.” I was floored that “mother’s intuition” struck again, you can’t get away with anything.
I then entered into Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology for the four year Master’s of Divinity program. With much hard work and dedication I completed my theological studies with honors in 1995. In the mean time I met my future wife, Veronica Menis at the seminary, as she was studying Elementary Education at Hellenic College and was scheduled to graduate in 1996. We were married on my name day (St. John the Baptist), January 7, 1995 in her home parish of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine Church in Flushing, New York. I was to return to this same Church to be ordained a deacon by His Grace Bishop Alexios of Troas on June 16, 1996. I was in turn assigned by the Archdiocese to serve the parish of St. John the Baptist, Des Plaines, Illinois beginning July 1, 1996. I was blessed to be able to return to my home parish of St. Nicholas in Ft. Pierce, Florida to be ordained a presbyter by His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Catania, Locum tenens of the Diocese of Atlanta on July 21, 1996. It was a great honor to be the first member of my small parish to be ordained a priest with my family and friends there to witness this special Sacrament.
During the last six years of my assignment to St. John the Baptist, Des Plaines, I was immersed in a dynamic ministry and a very busy parish. I had started three new youth ministries at St. John—Hope for toddlers and their mothers, Faith for Pre-Kindergarten to First graders, and JOY (Junior GOYA) for second graders to seventh graders. I also continued with the GOYA (8th-12th graders) and the Young Adult League (YAL over 12th grade). I was in charge of weekly meetings of the OCF (Campus Ministry) at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL for the last three years. I was in charge of the Sunday School program which had about 250 students in grades Pre-K to 10th grade. During the School year I celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Guardian Angel Chapel (a separate Church) which was geared towards the young people and adults wanting more English. During my service to the parish of St. John, I celebrated many Divine Liturgies (about 800), I also performed about 200 funerals, 250 baptisms, 175 weddings and 300 other scheduled divine services and several unscheduled whenever needed. On a weekly basis I visited the local hospitals and the nursing homes quarterly or when called by family members or emergency calls. Every January I enthusiastically visited several homes and businesses for Agaismo (Blessing with Holy Water). Once a week we also prayed the Paraklesis Service followed by Orthodox Christian Fellowship (not a “Bible study” but discussion of the Orthodox Faith for adults). I also participated in the Outreach Ministry, Stewardship Committee, Catechism Classes (for those converting to Orthodoxy), Philoptochos and Golden Agers groups. Through the work of the youth ministries we were able to raise funds to purchase thirty-five new altar boy robes, beautify the Main Church with iconography and new marble floors. We also took a mission trip to Project Mexico, and send considerable donations to IOCC, Patriarch Bartholomew Visit, St. Basil’s Academy, HC/HC, OCMC, HIVCO, St. Innocent Orphanage in Mexico, Rafael Guatemala Orphanage and the September 11th Relief Fund. I also was in charge of producing each month the Newsletter, The Forerunner, with distribution to over 1000 households and a special youth bulletin each week during the school year. For three years I also visited Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and was their Orthodox Chaplain. I truly enjoyed my ministry to the good people of St. John the Baptist Church.
I look forward to my new ministry at Kimissis Tis Theotokou, Racine Wisconsin under the spiritual leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan IAKOVOS beginning August 1, 2002. I believe that however long my assignment to this wonderful parish (God willing many years) that I may serve you with love and dignity. I believe this area of Wisconsin is an excellent place to raise my three children, Katherine (five years old), Evangelia (four years old) and Michael (1½ years old). I see great potential for growth and spiritual maturity in this parish in which the “fruits” are ripe for harvesting. I am excited to write a new chapter in your parish’s history and look to a brighter future only through the blessings of Panagia and her Son Christ Jesus.
Sincerely your new Pastor,
Rev. Father John Ketchum
Presbyter