Clergy
His All-Holiness Bartholomew I – is our Patriarch and our senior shepherd, to whom we are obedient. He is called the Patriarch of Constantinople, or the Ecumenical Patriarch, because, in addition to being the senior bishop of his own Patriarchate, he is also the senior bishop of the entire Orthodox Church, coordinating the life of the Church Universal and helping to resolve its most important questions.
A pioneer of Orthodox liturgy in the Lithuanian language in our time, a translator of liturgical texts, and for many years Chancellor of the Vilnius and Lithuania Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. An alumnus of the Minsk Seminary and the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, he has been a clergyman since 1995. When, in 2022, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow began to justify and support the war in Ukraine, he disagreed with the Patriarch’s position and publicly condemned it; for this he was punished by the Moscow Patriarchate. In 2023, the Ecumenical Patriarch annulled the penalties and received him for service in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is married and has two children.
Contact: mockusvitalijus@gmail.com, Facebook, +370 656 57038.
A clergyman since 1995; from 2000 to 2019 he served as public relations representative of the Vilnius and Lithuania Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. A graduate of the Moscow Seminary and the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, he was for many years rector of the Vilnius parish of the Archangel Michael. In 2022, in solidarity with clergy dismissed for criticizing Patriarch Kirill, he voluntarily left his positions, and was later punished by the hierarchy for this step. In 2023, the Ecumenical Patriarch annulled the penalties and received him for service in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is married and has two children.
Contact: vladimiras.seliavko@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook, +370 699 30499.
The father of a large family, he came to Lithuania from Grodno, Belarus. He has been a clergyman since 2006. He taught at the Minsk Theological Academy and Seminary and was the founder and rector of the Grodno Bible College. During the 2020 protests, he condemned violence against peaceful people, organized help for those suffering and imprisoned, and allowed peaceful people to hide from violence in the cathedral where he served as rector. For this he experienced repression. In 2023, he was received into the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Contact: georgy.roy@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.
Fr. Georgijus Ananijevas
A clergyman serving in the chapel of Klaipėda University and in the Klaipėda region. Born in Russia, he completed secular and theological studies there, emigrated to Lithuania, and became a Lithuanian citizen. From 2009 to 2022 he served in Lithuania, in the Moscow Patriarchate. After Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022, he expressed disagreement with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who supported the war; he was subjected to repression and joined the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is married and has adult children.
Contact: georgy.ananiev@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.
Creator of one of the most popular Russian-language YouTube channels about Christianity, “The Priest Will Answer” (Батюшка Ответит). Originally from Minsk, he has been a clergyman since 2014. When violence against peaceful protesters began in Belarus in 2020, he condemned the use of force, volunteered near the Okrestina prison to help those suffering and imprisoned, and publicly prayed for Raman Bandarenka, who was killed by representatives of the security forces. The priest who prayed together with him was arrested, while Fr. Aliaksandr left for Ukraine and later for Lithuania. In 2023, he was received into the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Contact: aliaksandr.kuchta@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook, Telegram.
A clergyman of the Vilnius Orthodox community of the Most Holy Trinity, translator of liturgical texts into Lithuanian, and creator of the website ortodoksas.lt. He is married and has a child. He has studied philosophy, theology, and religious studies; he is currently a doctoral student at Vytautas Magnus University. He has been a clergyman since 2018. In 2022, together with other Lithuanian clergy who disagreed with the Patriarch of Moscow, he was subjected to repression; afterwards he was acquitted by the Ecumenical Patriarch and received for service in the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Contact: sungaila.gintaras@gmail.com, Facebook.
Hieromonk Jeremijas / Viačeslav Jurčenko
Originally from Odesa, he has many years of experience in parish ministry. During the war launched by Russia against Ukraine, he actively coordinated the collection of humanitarian aid and cared for the spiritual needs of Ukrainian soldiers. Since 2026, he has served in the Exarchate in Lithuania, caring for the pastoral needs of Ukrainians.
Contact: +370 655 82154
Contact: viktoras.miniotas@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.
Protodeacon Andrejus Kurajevas will continue his ministry in the Church as a missionary: he will not be tied to service in a single parish, but will continue, in accordance with the rules of the Church, to proclaim the Gospel in different cities and countries.
