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Fr. Jonathan & Pani Marianna
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Biography
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Fr. Jonathan Bannon grew up at St. John the Baptist Carpatho Russian
Church on Mill Hill Ave. in Bridgeport CT. It was there as a child and
altar server through the consistency of services and under the
leadership of Fr. John Duranko, Fr. Peter Benyo and later Fr. David Cochran that Fr.
Jonathan began his spiritual formation. Fr. Jonathan attended Camp
Nazareth several years as a camper, and one day was asked about serving
as a staff member. Fr. Jonathan had no idea when he accepted that his
servitude at camp washing hundreds of dishes a day and serving hundreds
of campers all summer would be the beginning of his formation as a
diligent server of the Lord with an intense work-ethic.
Fr. Jonathan received his Bachelor's of Science in Art Education from Central Connecticut State University. Seminary was
continuously on his mind as he worked through undergraduate in order to
later attend the seminary. While student teaching the pull to the
priesthood remained strong as Fr. Jonathan had the revelation
that he did not want to teach these children about composition, line and pattern,
as much as he desired to share with them the Lord and Salvation.
In the fall of 2009, Fr. Jonathan enrolled in Christ the Saviour
Seminary in Johnstown Pennsylvania and began his three-year training
for the priesthood. It was also during this time that Fr. Jonathan got
engaged to his future Pani, Marianna. Together, Fr. Jonathan and Pani
Marianna decided that they would spend one year together in Chicago
after marriage, rather than Fr. Jonathan seeking his ordination
immediately afterwards, which is the usual process for seminarians.
While in Chicago, Fr. Jonathan took up work as a barista at the
Starbuck’s on Lake & Waukegan in Glenview. Starbuck’s was never in
Fr. Jonathan’s plan, but soon he began accumulating “Starbuck’s
stories” as the job quickly transformed into a learning experience. Fr.
Jonathan wrote in an article for The Church Messenger, “[I] understood
that one ever knows where another has been in life, what they are going
through, and perhaps walking away from. We are called to not only see
God in others but to treat them with the very love God has richly
bestowed on us sinners.”
On June 15th, 2013—Father’s Day, Fr. Jonathan was ordained to the Holy
Diaconate by His Grace, Bishop Gregory in his home parish of St. John
the Baptist in Bridgeport, CT. The Sunday following Pentecost, June
29th, Fr. Jonathan began serving the deacon’s service and offering the
Eucharist to the faithful at Christ the Savior in Rockford. Neither Fr.
Jonathan nor the faithful knew if he would be staying permanently as
their priest. All the faithful could do was pray and continue to wait
patiently for word from the bishop.
Two months later, on September 1st, the beginning of the Ecclesiastical
New Year, Fr. Jonathan was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace
Bishop Gregory at St. Michael’s Carpatho Russian Orthodox church in Niles during
the National ACRY convention. Many of the faithful from Rockford made
the travel to participate in this momentous occasion. The following
week the faithful were finally informed that their prayers had been
answered and Fr. Jonathan would be serving at their parish.
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| Contact |
Email
ChristSaviourOrthodox [at] gmail.com
Mailing Address
1802 Pershing Ave.
Rockford IL 61109
Church Voicemail Phone Number:
(815) 398-2134 |
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