Meet Our Staff
Chief Shepherd
Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
Our Iconostasis Christ is the Icon of the Pearl of Great Price
by Saint Anthony's Monastery (20th c.)
Deacon & Parochial Vicar
Fr. Uriel Patrick-Joan
The Reverend Hierodeacon Father Uriel Patrick-Joan, obf – Originally from the southern charm of Georgia State to the serene landscapes of the Pacific Northwest in 2013, his profound spiritual journey led him to embrace different traditions along the way.
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In 2015, he found a spiritual home in the Anglican Communion, where he was baptized and confirmed at Saint Mark's Cathedral in Seattle, WA. Before his transition to the Orthodox Church, Hierodeacon Uriel Patrick-Joan lived a devout life as a habited Religious Brother within the Order of Saint Francis within the Anglican Communion.
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A significant turning point occurred on the Feast of Saint Patrick in 2019 when Hierodeacon Uriel Patrick-Joan was chrismated into the Holy Orthodox Church in Toledo, OH, embracing the richness of Eastern Orthodoxy. Partnering with Father Matthew Christopher, he established the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid on the Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles. In a memorable ceremony at The Falls Retreat Center of Saint Miriam in May 2021, Hierodeacon Uriel Patrick-Joan was commissioned to the Minor Orders of Cleric, Doorkeeper, Reader, and Exorcist. ​Another moment of great honor came in October of 2021, during the Hierarchical Visit of Metropolitan John Gregory. Hierodeacon Uriel Patrick-Joan , with Father Matthew Christopher, was tonsured as Stavrophore-monk and Protos of the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid.
His Commissioning to the Subdiaconate followed on March 20th, 2022, presided over by The Reverend Father Iakovos Athanasios in The Colony, Texas, reaffirming his dedication to his sacred duties and seminary studies. Hierodeacon Uriel Patrick-Joan was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on the Sunday the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 2023.
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Father Uriel Patrick-Joan currently serves as the Deacon and Parochial Vicar of Saint Dymphna Orthodox Catholic Church, and Protos of the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid.
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When not immersed in his spiritual pursuits, Father Uriel finds solace near water, indulges in the study of photography, eastern mysticism, and relishes in all things music.
Rector
Fr. Matthew Christopher
The Reverend Hieromonk Father Matthew Christopher, OCR, obf - Originally from Washington State, Fr. Matthew Christopher is devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, emphasizing the universal love that calls us to love God and our neighbors above all else.
During his youth he discovered God's grace and love in his local Eastern Christian Church. This experience led him to be baptized and chrismated in the Antiochian Orthodox Church, marking moments when he first felt a monastic and clerical calling. Unfortunately, due to his sexuality, Christopher faced rejection from the canonical Orthodox Church, which caused him to take a 10-year hiatus from organized religion.
Finding solace and acceptance in a local Episcopal parish known for its inclusiveness, Fr. Matthew embraced the Anglican Communion, and during a private moment of prayer at his Episcopal parish, he made a vow to dedicate his life to the service of the Church if the compulsion to drink was lifted not knowing the path that would take him on. Fr. Matthew and his husband both were Franciscans within the Anglican Communion.
In pursuit of theological education, Fr. Matthew Christopher and his family were received into an autonomous Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction, and with training under his Hierarch, he was ordained to the Diaconate on the Feast of Saint Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland in 2019. Seeking further theological education, Father Matthew and his family relocated from Seattle to Toledo, Ohio, where they also established the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid in the winter of 2020. On October 2nd, 2021, during the Hierarchical Visit of His Beatitude, the Most Reverend Metropolitan John Gregory, Father Matthew was tonsured to the degree of Stavrophore and Abbot of the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid along side Fr. Uriel Patrick-Joan who serves as Protos Abbot. On the Afterfeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the Synaxis of John the Holy Glorious Prophet, Baptist, & Forerunner 2024, Father Matthew Christopher was ordained to the holy priesthood by the hand of His Beatitude, the Most Blessed and Reverend Metropolitan JOHN GREGORY in Phoenix, Arizona. Fr. Matthew currently serves as Rector of Saint Dymphna Orthodox Catholic Church and Abbot of the Orthodox Community of Saint Brigid.
Fr. Matthew has sat on the Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America Order of the Arrow - Local Lodge, The Episcopal Church – Local Parish (Junior Warden/Vice President), as well as gained additional ecclesiastical experience through his tenure at the Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington.
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Fr. Matthew has been living one day at a time by the Grace of God since October 23, 2012.