Keynote Speaker - Fr. Alexander Atty
Fr. Alexander Atty was born August 7, 1951 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is married to Khouria Olga with whom they have two children, Katherine and Alexander. After completing his secondary education, Alexander enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. Subsequently, he attended St. Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, New York from which he received a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. Then in 2008, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Fr. Alexander was ordained a priest on December 9, 1979 at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York and assigned as priest of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Louisville, Kentucky where he serve for more than 30 years. He was elevated to the dignity of archpriest in 1988. In addition to serving as pastor of St. Michael's parish, Fr. Alexander served as Proestos of the Diocese of Toledo of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese and as Dean of the Ohio Valley Deanery of the diocese. Additionally, he served as a trustee of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.
As a person well known at St. Tikhon's seminary when its dean, Fr. Michael Dahulich, was elected to the episcopate in 2009, Fr. Alexander became a leading candidate to succeed the bishop-elect. On March 12, 2010, the Board of Trustees of St. Tikhon's Seminary approved the recommendation of the seminary's search committee to engage Fr. Alexander as the new dean of the seminary. When the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America gave its blessing to Fr. Alexander's appointment in March 2010, it was with the concurrence of the Antiochian Archdiocese and with the decision that Father Alexander remain attached to the Antiochian Archdiocese while serving as the Dean of the Seminary, an institution of the Orthodox Church in America. Fr. Alexander officially assumed duties as dean of the seminary on July 1, 2010 and was formally installed as Dean and Chief Operating officer on October 30, 2010.
Fr. Sotiri Malamis
Fr. Sotirios P. Malamis is the associate pastor at Holy Trinity Hellenic Orthodox Church in Chicago. He also serves as the Spiritual Advisor of the Hellenic American Academy located in Deerfield, IL where he teaches Religion and Byzantine Music.
After graduating York High School in 1997, Fr. Sotirios attended DePaul University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. During his four years at DePaul, Fr. Sotirios was the OCF President of DePaul University. In 2001, he attended Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he received a Masters of Divinity with high distinction. He continued his theological studies at the University of Athens from 2004 through 2006 in the field of Pastoral Theology and Religious Education. While in Athens, Fr. Sotirios continued to pursue his interest in Byzantine Music; his efforts enabled him to receive a teaching degree in Byzantine Music.
Fr. Sotirios married Presvytera Stefanie (nee Lialios) on July 8, 2007. On March 2, 2008, he was ordained to the holy diaconate at St. Demetrios in Elmhurst, IL and on November 16, 2008, he was ordained to the holy priesthood at Holy Trinity in Chicago. Fr. Sotiri and Presbytera Stefanie have two children, Maria and Nikolas.
Presvytera Stefanie Malamas
Presvytera Stefanie Malamis grew up in Glenview, IL where she attended St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, IL. It was there that she fostered her love for Byzantine Music by taking lessons and cultivated this art by singing in a Girls Choir. She has been an active member of the Chicago YAL and co-chaired the Chicago YAL Conference in 2007. Presvytera has also attended the East Coast College Conference twice. She attended Elmhurst College where she received her BA in Elementary Education with a concentration on Literacy and Social Sciences. She taught third grade in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood for three years.
Presvytera Stefanie has been married to Fr. Sotirios Malamis for five years. Since August 1, 2007, they have been assigned by Metropolitan IAKOVOS of Chicago to Holy Trinity Hellenic Orthodox Church in Chicago and to the parish’s school, the Hellenic American Academy located in Deerfield, IL. They currently reside in Glenview, IL and have been blessed with two beautiful children, Maria (4) and Nikolas (15 months). Presvytera Stefanie is currently a stay at home mom, however, she is active in several of the parish’s ministries such as: Sunday School, HOPE Group, YAL, and directs the Girls Choir twice a month. Presvytera is also currently the president of the Metropolis of Chicago Sisterhood of Presvyteres. She enjoys doing many domestic things such as entertaining guests and cooking!
Dan Christopulos
Dan is a native of Cheyenne, Wyoming and received a BS in Sociology from the University of Wyoming in 1979 where he was an All-Conference place kicker in football and played in the 1976 Fiesta Bowl.
After receiving his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1983, he participated in parish ministry for 15 years. During that time he spent almost 3 years in the mission field in East Africa, and served in various communities in the United States as well as assisting to establish the Archdiocesan Office in Hong Kong.
He has also received a Masters in Social Work and managed several federal grants in the health field. Dan has worked for IOCC since 2001. He currently is the US Country Representative for International Orthodox Christian Charities, the official humanitarian relief agency of Orthodox Christians in the United States. He is responsible for managing all aspects of IOCC’s humanitarian activities in the United States ranging from emergency response to development programs.
Dan has taught at the high school, junior college and University level, as well as being a consultant for governmental and non-governmental organizations. He and his wife Patty reside in Minneapolis where she manages Light and Life Publishing Company.
Andrew Boyd
A native of Connecticut, Andrew grew up in the faith as a member of Holy Transfiguration Church in New Haven, CT and Saint Alexis Church, Clinton, CT. He attended the University of Connecticut, where he was an active member of the local chapter of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship and attended Holy Trinity Church in Willimantic, CT. He also served for two years on the OCF's Student Advisory Board
After graduating from the University of Connecticut early in December 2008, he worked as an intern at the headquarters of Syndesmos, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, in Athens, Greece. After his return to the US in July 2009, he entered the Master’s of Divinity Program at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, from which he graduated *** laude in May 2012.
He currently serves as the Director of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries for the Orthodox Church in America. If he had time for hobbies they would include fly-fishing, cooking, cheesemaking, and shouting at cable news.
Fr. Peter-Michael Preble
Fr. Peter-Michael Preble is an Orthodox Priest in the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas, ordained at Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago in 2004 and pastor of St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church in Southbridge, Massachusetts. He is a convert from Roman Catholicism with a deep respect and understanding of Celtic and Orthodox Spirituality and how the two very different but similar forms of Spirituality can work together. He hosts the Podcast Shepherd of Souls on Ancient Faith Radio and was formerly the morning show host on WESO radio in Southbridge. Fr. Peter is a Stavrofor Monk and Protosingelos of the St. Columba of Iona Orthodox Monastery. He also serves as Chaplain for the Dudley Fire Department and Deputy Chief Chaplain of the Massachusetts Corps of Fire Chaplains. After the retirement of the Fire Chief, he has also taken on the role of interim Chief of Administration for the Fire Department. Fr. Peter is the former Orthodox Chaplain at Harvard University and serves on the Board of Orthodox Christian Fellowship. He also is honored to serve as Chaplain with the National Lancers, the oldest organized military unit in the United States, where he holds the rank of Major.
Fr. Peter recently published a new book by Regina Orthodox Press: Listening to the Heartbeat of God. He received an Associates Degree in religious Studies and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts. He has a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and has been on the Faculty at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts in the Psychology Department teaching classes in Psychology, Sociology and Ethics as well as Quincy College in Quincy, Massachusetts. He holds a Diplomat Credential from the American Academy of Traumatic Stress and several certifications from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
He is an honorably discharged Veteran of the United States Army serving 12 years. The first three of those years with the 84th Chemical Company located at Fort Polk, Louisiana and the following years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard with the 215th Army Band, the Headquarters Battery and the Division Artillery of the 24th Infantry Division.
Fr. Peter speaks on a wide range of topics including but not limited to: Orthodox Ethics, Social Justice, Celtic Spirituality, American Church History, Crisis Ministry, and Ministry and the New Media.
After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, He was dispatched along with other clergy and laity to the area as part of the Emergency Response Team of the International Orthodox Christian Charities. He was also part of the Critical Stress Incident team deployed to Virginia Tech after the campus shootings. An area of interest and research is the Theology of Crisis and Suffering as it applies to ministry in our world today.
Fr. Michael Ellis
Fr. Michael Ellis is the North American Chaplain of OCF. He lives in Mansfield, OH with his wife Presvytera Jesica and his two children Alexander and Sophia where he also serves as the pastor of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Fr. Michael was born and raised in upstate New York and was raised in the Orthodox Christian faith while a member of St. Michael's Orthodox Church, Binghamton, New York.
Fr. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Brockport, and attended and graduated from Christ the Saviour Seminary in Johnstown, PA. Upon graduation and ordination, he was assigned as the Director of Camp Nazareth Retreat and Conference Center for a term of five years, serving also as a member of the Diocesan Apostolate for Youth Ministry. While at Camp Nazareth, Fr. Michael first became involved with OCF helping begin a small local chapter at Westminster College. His next assignment would take him to Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Mansfield, where he would continue his work with OCF as the Great Lakes Regional Chaplain for nearly three years. As a priest of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, Fr. Michael also serves on the Diocesan Youth Commision.
In the summer of 2012, Fr. Michael began his work as the new North American Chaplain. Fr. Michael enjoys very much spending time with his family and his parishioners, as well as engaging the work of OCF, which truly motivates and inspires him. He also enjoys working, very much, with his fellow staff of OCF North American Office in meeting the needs of our beloved OCF North American Chapters!
Fr. Peter Paproski
Very Rev. Protopresbyter Peter Paproski is the pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Stratford, CT (Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A.). He is married to Carol Paproski and is the father of two sons, Daniel and Timothy.
Presently, Fr. Peter serves the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA as Director of the Diocesan Apostolate for Information Technology, the National Spiritual Advisor to the Senior American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Youth Organization, and as a member of the Diocesan Apostolates for Youth Ministry and Christian Education.
Father Peter also serves OCF in the capacity of Northeastern Regional Chaplain and OCF webmaster.