St. Elias Home

The Pastor:

Father James K. Graham, M. A., M. Div., is pastor of St Elias the Prophet Melkite Greek Catholic Mission. Fr James was ordained priest in November 1993, after studying at St Gregory the Theologian Melkite Seminary in Newton, MA, and receiving the M. Div. with highest honors from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. From June 1993 to November 1995 he was pastor of St Ann Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Danbury, CT. Before starting theological studies, he was a member of St George Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Sacramento and worked as a technical writer and editor for 12 years. He also wrote music and book reviews for a community newspaper as well as founding and editing two other alternative newspapers. In 1976 he earned the M.A. degree in English from California State University, Sacramento. He graduated in 1971 from Cowell College, University of California, Santa Cruz, with a B.A. in English and American Literature and College Honors.

Father James has contributed to SOPHIA, the Journal of the Melkite-Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton, to Eastern Churches Journal, and to other religious and secular publications. He leads Bible Study weekly at St John Vianney Roman Catholic parish in San Jose, has served since October 2006 as presider for the weekly Mass of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries.