Our Leadership

Our hierarchy

The leadership of the Orthodox Church is modeled after the hierarchy of the Apostles, with a synod of bishops, all of equal rank, who come together to serve liturgically and to make decisions related to the administration of the Church. Unlike Rome, we do not have a single bishop who is in charge; rather, all seek to work together to find consensus resolutions.

Our parish is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), one of many canonical Orthodox Churches which operate around the world and are equally unified to one another. Our diocese web site is here. 

Archbishop Peter (loukianoff), of the diocese of chicago and mid-america

Archbishop Peter (in the world, Paul A. Loukianoff) was born in San Francisco in 1948, of Don Cossack ancestry. His family had lived in China before moving to San Francisco in the 1940's. Archbishop Peter was an altar boy at the San Francisco cathedral to Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky) and close to St. John (Maximovitch), with whom he served the last 3 years prior to St. John's repose. The future Bishop Peter studied at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY, and graduated in the Class of 1971: then at Norwich University, VT, and Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He later taught at the seminary in Jordanville, was professed a monk, and ordained there. He served as the Inspector of the seminary, and as head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. In 2002, after Archbishop Alypy's accident, he was sent to Chicago as Administrator of the Diocese. On July 12, 2003, at the request of Archbishop Alypy, he was consecrated Bishop of Cleveland and Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Detroit (later renamed the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America). At the Divine Liturgy commemorating the 50th anniversary of the blessed repose of the Holy Hierarch John of Shanghai & San Francisco on Saturday, July 2, 2016, His Grace Bishop Peter was commemorated for the first time as Archbishop and given the title of “Chicago & Mid-America.”

father thomas (sprunger), our parish priest

Father Thomas Sprunger of Grabill, IN received a diploma in pastoral theology (P.Th.D) from the Pastoral School of the Chicago and Midwest Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on June 10, 2018.  He was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 2018 by Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Chicago and the Midwest Diocese.  Father Thomas converted to Orthodoxy many years ago after a study of the early church.  Father Thomas is married to his wife of 30 years, Jody Helene, and they are the parents of 5 children.