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Fr. Gabriel was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. While he grew up in an Orthodox family, sporadically attending various Orthodox parishes in the Chicagoland area, it was not until his college years that he began to seek a deeper understanding of the Orthodox faith.
Through engaging in the liturgical life of the Church and reading extensively about Church doctrine and history, Fr. Gabriel developed a deep and growing love for the faith. He sought to know more about the faith which he had grown up with, but did not fully understand.
During this time, he also had the opportunity to take classes on Church History and Orthodox theology which were very influential during this formative period.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from North Park University, Fr. Gabriel began to discern attending theological seminary. Later that year, he applied for and received a scholarship from the Antiochian Archdiocese, and was assigned to attend Saint Vladimir’s Seminary.
Fr. Gabriel and his wife, Presbytera Elisabeth, were married in June of 2019. Two months later, they moved to Yonkers, New York and Fr. Gabriel began his seminary studies.
After graduating from seminary in the Spring of 2022 with a Master of Divinity, Fr. Gabriel was assigned to serve as a Pastoral Assistant at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas. During this time, Fr. Gabriel also taught middle-school history at a classical charter school in the area.
In May of 2023, Fr. Gabriel was assigned to St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, Tennessee. He was ordained to the Diaconate in August of 2023 by His Grace Bishop NICHOLAS. During this time, Fr. Gabriel assisted with pastoral, administrative, and youth ministries within the parish.
In March of 2024, Fr. Gabriel was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace Bishop NICHOLAS. Father Gabriel now serves as the Assistant Pastor at St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, assisting Fr. Philip with the pastoral needs of this rapidly growing community.
In his free time, Fr. Gabriel enjoys roasting his own coffee and reading about various topics of interest, including history and meteorology.
