Meet Our Priest, Fr. Timothy Pavlatos
A Message from Fr. Timothy
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30–31)
This passage from the Gospel of St. Mark is the essence of the Christian message: love in and through relationships. This is the distinguishing mark of our Christian identity, how we will be seen and known by others as followers of Jesus Christ, who says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Truly, we are relational beings, created in the image of a relational God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who exist in a perfect relationship of love and unity with one another. We too are called to live in a loving relationship with our Lord and with all people, something made possible through God's grace, which enables us to grow, slowly, in our ability to love as He loves.
On behalf of Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, I want to welcome you and invite you to visit, or simply to reach out to us. Saint Katherine's, like all Orthodox churches, is a hospital for ailing souls, not a place for perfect people. As our Lord says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Mark 2:17).
Our website is for you, and we hope it will be of benefit to you, whether you are Orthodox or inquiring about the Orthodox Faith. There are many excellent websites, books and podcasts where you can learn about the Orthodox Church, but it will also be important one day to "come and see" (cf. John 1:39).
If you would like to learn more about our church community, I encourage you to contact me at priest@st-katherine.org or (480) 899-3330.
In loving service of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Fr. Timothy Pavlatos
About Fr. Timothy
Father Timothy earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology from Wright State University in 1988, a Master’s in Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1992, a Master’s in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University in Columbia Maryland in 1994, and a Certificate in Marriage & Family Counseling from George Fox University in Beaverton Oregon in 2016. After completing his program at George Fox, he served as adjunct professor at George Fox teaching courses in Interpersonal Neurobiology & Trauma as well as Spirituality & Clinical Praxis.
From 1994 – 1995 he worked at Pathways Medical Center in Annapolis Maryland where he served as an Inpatient Addictions Therapist for the adolescent unit. From 2010 – 2017 he maintained a private practice at Northwest Psychological Center in Milwaukie Oregon conducting Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling. Since pursing his education and work as a therapist and priest, he has dedicated much of his time and attention on the integration of Orthodox theology and spirituality as it relates to the therapeutic process of counseling.
During the time he was serving as a full-time parish priest he also served mission parishes in Flagstaff Arizona, Salem Oregon and Lake Havasu Arizona. He has also served at the Metropolis level on the board of Missions & Evangelism (1997 – 2010) and as Director of the Family Wellness Ministry (2015-2018).
Fr. Timothy was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Phoenix Arizona on September 24, 1995, where he served as assistant priest until 2001. From (2001 – 2007) he served the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Eugene Oregon, and then in San Bernardino California at the parish of Prophet Elias (2007 – 2010). Following this he moved back to Oregon where he served as associate priest at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Beaverton until 2018. He was assigned to St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Chandler Arizona on September 1, 2020, where he continues to serve to this day.
Listen to his talks on Father's Articles, Lectures & Videos.
Have a question or want to talk with Fr. Timothy? Contact us.