Living Liturgy in Practice: Orthodox Care in a Rapidly Changing World

Keynote Speaker

Bishop JOHN 

Antiochian bishop for Worcester and New England

Bishop John was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. His home parish was St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. From an early age, he had a desire to serve Christ through the holy priesthood and so, after college, he attended St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary near New York City. While in seminary, he became engaged to Joanne Josephs to whom he was married in August 1978. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood shortly afterwards. Fr. John and Kh. Joanne are the parents of three children, Gregory, Joseph, and Maria.

On May 25, 2008, after a long battle with cancer, Kh. Joanne reposed.

After his ordination, Fr. John was assigned to St. George Antiochian Church  in Little Falls, New Jersey, where he served for a year, after which point he was transferred to St. George Orthodox Church in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, where he served for sixteen years, and then to the St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he served for seventeen years. In Pittsburgh Fr. John studied pastoral care at the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary earning a D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Clinical Membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Fr. John facilitated a support group for widows and widowers called THEOS (They Help Each Other Spiritually) for 25 years.  Fr. John also served as Dean of the Western PA Deanery from 1987 – 2011. Since 1997 he has been the editor of The Word magazine. Bp. John has also served as spiritual advisor to North American Board of the Antiochian Women and the North American Council of the Fellowship of St. John the Divine. He taught Priestly Formation at the annual Antiochian House of Studies and worked as a mentor to the seminarians for the House of Studies program, bringing with him pastoral experience and practice. He also has taught for the Graduate School for the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Lebanon.

After his wife’s repose, Fr. John was elevated to the rank of archimandrite by His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP. In 2011, at the convention of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Fr. John was elected to be the Antiochian Bishop of Worcester and New England and was consecrated by Patriarch IGNATIUS and 12 bishops at the Balamand Monastery on December 11, 2011. Bishop JOHN serves on the Canonical Regional Planning and Theological committees of the Assembly of Bishops and chairs the committee on Clergy Matters. Bishop John also chairs the Assembly of Bishop’s Task Force on Mental Health. Bishop John is on the Advisory Board of OCAMPR.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PLENARY

Roxanne Louh, PsyD,

Licensed Psychologist and Cohost, “Live with the Louhs” on Ancient Faith Radio

Dr. Roxanne Louh, a native of Gainesville, is a licensed clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida, where she uses her extensive training in private practice and as a speaker with expertise in a variety of concerns, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, marriage and parenting issues, and eating disorders, body image awareness and women’s issues. She regularly presents to national groups, universities, area high schools, and church organizations across the country. 

Dr. Louh is a highly regarded and respected figure in her profession through both her educational achievements and her training. She received her early education from the University of Florida, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a minor in food science and human nutrition. She earned her first Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Central Florida. Her second Master’s degree and her Doctorate are in clinical psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology. A residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Medical College of Virginia was followed by full-time work as a clinical psychologist at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville where she worked in private practice and served as the Clinical Director of Psychological Services at Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital’s adolescent treatment program for eating disorders. She opened her own private practice in 2006. 

Dr. Louh continues to dedicate much of her time to community-wide presentations, reaching the public through various news media, social media, radio, educational talks, lectures and blogs, as she strongly believes in the prevention of mental health issues through education and awareness. She has made regular appearances as a guest expert on the show, “The Chat,” a local news show similar to “The View,” where four cohosts discuss current and newsworthy topics of the day. She is an established member of the American Psychological Association. Together, Dr. Louh and her husband cohost a weekly radio show on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled, “Live with the Louhs.” They have also just co-authored their first book, released by the publisher in October of 2020, entitled “Renewing You, A Priest, A Psychologist, and a Plan. ” Dr. Louh lives in Jacksonville with her husband Nicholas and their two children, George and Gabriella.