About Father James K. Graham

The Pastor:

Father James K. Graham, M. A., M. Div., is pastor of St Joseph the Betrothed Melkite Greek Catholic Church.  Fr James, a native of California, 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, in May 1993.

From June 1993 to November 1995 he was pastor of St Ann Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Danbury, CT.  From November 1995 to October 2012 he was pastor of St Elias the Prophet Melkite-Greek Catholic Church in San Jose, CA.  In November 2003, he was granted the dignity of Stavrophor (“Cross-bearer”) by Bishop John Elya, Eparch of Newton.  He came to St Joseph Church in Lansing in February 2013 and was appointed pastor on 25 March 2013.

Before starting theological studies, he was a member of St George Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Sacramento, CA, 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, of which he also is Copy Editor; to Eastern Churches Journal; and to other religious and secular publications.  In San Jose, he led a weekly Bible Study at St John Vianney Roman Catholic parish for 12 years, and was active in the ecumenical pastors’ fellowship in the Alum Rock neighborhood.  From October 2006 until February 2010 he served as presider for the weekly Mass of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz.