by Admin
Share
Richard Ajalat was raised in Los Angeles, California and attended Saint Nicholas Cathedral. He always had a love for the Orthodox Church and started serving behind the altar at five years old.
While he was in high school he had desire to understand the orthodox church and its teachings more deeply. He had many wonderful mentors throughout his youth who shaped his understanding.
He went to St Mary’s College of California, majoring in theology and religious studies and a minor in anthropology in 2006. In 2008 he was made a Sub-Deacon, to be the regional Sub-Deacon of Northern California for the diocese of Los Angeles and the West.
In 2010, he went to Saint Vladimir‘s Orthodox theological seminary and graduated in 2013 with his Master’s in Divinity . During his time there he was assigned his first year to Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, learning from Father Thomas Zain. The next two years he was Bishop Nicholas Ozone’s assistant while he was in seminary, and Richard gained a significant amount of knowledge throughout this experience.
After graduating seminary, he was a youth director for one year in Livonia, Michigan at St Mary’s Bacilica. For the last 11 years he was the pastoral assistant to Fr. Timothy Baclig at St Michael Church in Van Nuys California. From 2021-2024 Richard was the president of the Alumni Association at St. Vladimir’s, where he spearheaded the audiobook program for SVS press.
In 2022 he met wife Kayla they got married on July 13, 2024 by His Grace Bishop Nicholas. In December 2025 they moved to Franklin Tennessee he started work in January for Saint Ignatius Church. They both feel so blessed to be here and to help Saint Ignatius grow. They desire to help our clergy and our community. They love being at Saint Ignatius and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
In his free time Richard enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, and learning about a variety of topics. He has a passion for civil war history, and loves touring historic sites. Richard also love to learning and talking about all types of automobiles. his favorite car is a 1958 Corvette red with white gills.