Fr. James Graham

Fr. James Graham is a retired priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton.  He was introduced to the Melkite Church at the newly-founded St George parish in Sacramento in 1978, fell in love with the liturgy and spirituality and people, and became active as a reader, altar server, bulletin editor, and parish council member.  He worked as a technical writer and also wrote for and edited various community newspapers.  In 1989, at the age of 40, he left his job  and moved to Boston to begin studying for the priesthood at St Gregory the Theologian Melkite Seminary.  In 1993, he received the Master of Divinity degree with highest distinction from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, was assigned as Administrator of St Ann parish in Danbury, CT, and was ordained priest by Bishop John Elya.  In 1995, Bishop John named Fr. James Pastor of St Elias Mission in Fremont, CA.  During Fr James' 17 years as pastor of St Elias, the parish moved from Fremont to San Jose, buying a small church in the Alum Rock neighborhood.  Under his leadership, the church was remodeled for Byzantine worship with an iconostasis, six major ikons painted by Fr. Mark Melone, and movable chairs. In October 2012, a year after his mother's death, Fr. James left St Elias for a six-month leave of absence.  In March 2013, Bishop Nicholas Samra appointed him Pastor of St Joseph parish in Lansing, MI, where he served until he retired on 1 September 2021 and moved back to California.  He lives in Sacramento.