Father Nathan was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 2025 on the Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God (Nov 21) and has served at St. Elias since June 2026. He grew up near Harrisburg, PA and was married to Khouria Rebecca in 2017. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and worked as a Software Engineer for several years before attending St Vladimir’s Seminary in New York. Fr. Nathan has a particular love for hymnography, both chanting hymns and studying them to uncover their wisdom. He also enjoys going on outdoor adventures with Kh. Rebecca and their three boys.
New Castle is a typical Western-Pennsylvania community. It has a rich and diverse heritage with its share of triumphs and challenges. Orthodoxy is very much at home in this area, and since 1913, Saint Elias has been a vibrant part of the life of New Castle and the surrounding area.
St. Elias's people come from many different backgrounds. One hallmark of the community is a desire to gather for Liturgy and our other services.
Another is to serve our neighbors either through our many bake sales, bread-baking and through our festival; another way is through acts of charity through various agencies in the area, like the City Rescue Mission and Arise (the local shelter for victims of domestic abuse).
Yet another distinguishing feature of St. Elias's people is their deep spiritual life, which is seen in the desire to learn about the Bible and the Faith through activities like the classes that Fr. Kevin holds or other classes for kids and adults alike taught by members of the community; we are also very blessed to have an excellent women's monastery - the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration - just a few miles south in Ellwood City.
With the pandemic many of our in-person activities like the festival have been put on hold. But, like many communities of faith in the area, we are doing the best we can with the resources we have available - streaming our services and having online teaching sessions. Check out our calendar for more information.