The Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Fr. Gregory Gilbert, gives his first interview since he was installed by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
With an appointment from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to become the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity’s Dean, effective September 1, 2026, Fr. Gregory Gilbert is set to begin a new chapter of ministry in the heart of New York City.
In his first interview since the appointment, Fr. Gregory told the Orthodox Observer he views the new role as “a tremendous honor and great opportunity to do a different kind of ministry,” one that combines the daily life of a parish with the broader responsibilities of an Archdiocesan institution.
His arrival at the Cathedral marks both a transition for the historic parish and the latest chapter in a path that has brought Fr. Gregory through academia, parish ministry, and leadership within the Metropolis of New Jersey. Last Friday, Fr. Gregory met with the Orthodox Observer to reflect on the path that brought him to the Cathedral, the experiences that have shaped him as a priest, and his hopes for the community he will now serve.
Fr. Gregory was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where he studied Classics, with a focus on Ancient Greek and Latin, and met his future wife, Presvytera Catherine. The couple now has five children.
After college, Fr. Gregory taught Latin at a private high school in Nashville for three years. It was during this time that he first encountered and embraced the Greek Orthodox faith. As his interest in the Church Fathers and early Christian writings deepened, Fr. Gregory began to question how the Christianity with which he had grown up related to the faith he was now encountering through his study of the early Church.
As he confronted his dissatisfaction with the church tradition in which he had been raised, Fr. Gregory began attending Orthodox services and felt, “This is it. This is what I need.” He subsequently began his theological studies at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, where he received his M.A. in Theology in 2004.
Unlike most catechumens, Fr. Gregory’s knowledge of Greek allowed him to quickly learn to follow the liturgy and speak freely with parishioners. He soon began attending catechism classes, bringing with him what he describes as an academically-minded stream of questions. This experience helped bridge the chasm between early Christian writings and his Sunday services.
Following seminary, Fr. Gregory and Presvytera Catherine moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where he pursued graduate studies at the Catholic University of America. He earned a second M.A. in Classics in 2008 and a Ph.D. in Greek and Latin in 2014, specializing in the writings of the Church Fathers. During his graduate studies, he also served as Head Chanter at Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Frederick, Maryland.
Fr. Gregory’s academic work and ministry have taken him both across the United States and abroad. From 2011 to 2012, Fr. Gregory spent a year in Greece with his wife and their children while conducting doctoral research as a Fulbright Fellow at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens at the Gennadius Library. While there, he also completed the coursework and examination for the Diploma of Byzantine Chant, issued by the Greek Ministry of Culture.
Upon returning to the U.S., he spent two years as an adjunct lecturer in the Ancient Studies Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Scholarship, teaching, Byzantine music, and pastoral ministry have intersected throughout much of Fr. Gregory’s life. His academic background, particularly his study of the Church Fathers and the ancient world, offers another dimension to the experiences he now brings to the Cathedral.
Teaching remains an important part of how Fr. Gregory understands his ministry. Between his time teaching high school, university, and graduate students, academia occupied nearly a decade of his life. Fr. Gregory said he still sees himself as a teacher, even if the classroom now takes different forms. His years studying the Church Fathers and early Christian writings likewise continue to shape the questions he asks and the way he explains the faith as a proistamenos.
In 2015, His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardis (then of Metropolitan New Jersey) ordained Fr. Gregory to the diaconate on October 4 and to the priesthood on October 25. Fr. Gregory subsequently served as presiding priest of Sts. Mary Magdalene & Markella Greek Orthodox Church in Darlington, Maryland, from 2015 to 2017, followed by St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, from 2017 to 2023.
From 2023 to 2025, Fr. Gregory served as Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey. He most recently served as Chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey under His Eminence Archbishop-elect Apostolos of Canada (then Metropolitan of New Jersey), who bestowed upon Fr. Gregory the ecclesiastical titles of Economos and Protopresbyter.
As Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, Fr. Gregory oversaw a community with two schools and numerous ministries for different age groups while also helping the Cathedral serve as a focal point of the Metropolis for hierarchical liturgies and special events. He compared the role of a presiding priest to that of a conductor, responsible for keeping many moving parts working together. He sees that experience as valuable preparation for his new role as Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.
Although Fr. Gregory had visited Holy Trinity Cathedral many times for major events, weddings, and other occasions, he says he knew far less about the day-to-day life of the parish before his appointment. One of the pleasant surprises of his first days as Dean has been getting to know the Cathedral’s parishioners, Board of Trustees, and staff, as well as the community behind the institution.
After more than a decade of priestly ministry and leadership, Fr. Gregory now begins his ministry at Holy Trinity with a greater understanding of both dimensions of the Cathedral: its prominent place in the life of the Archdiocese and the parish community that sustains its daily life.
That process of getting to know the Cathedral extends to its history as well. On one of his first days as Dean, Fr. Gregory hosted a group of roughly 50 high school students on an educational trip for high school students from Thessaloniki with Fr. Gregory Telemachos Stamkopoulos, Director of Greek Education. As the students asked questions about the parish, Fr. Gregory Gilbert was able to offer a brief history of the Cathedral, an experience that highlighted both its broader significance and how much he still hopes to learn about its history and place within the Archdiocese.
Taking on leadership of an established parish also means balancing continuity with the possibility of positive change and growth. As Fr. Gregory begins his tenure, one of the central questions will be how he hopes to build upon the Cathedral’s existing life while identifying areas for growth. Fr. Gregory said his first priority is not to remake an already-established parish, but to strengthen what is already in place. Two ministries stand out to him in particular: the Cathedral School and Cathedral Connect.
Fr. Gregory described the Cathedral School as an opportunity few Orthodox parishes have: a full-time Orthodox school serving families from across New York City.
“It’s something to treasure and take care of and be good stewards of,” Fr. Gregory says.
Cathedral Connect, meanwhile, gives Holy Trinity a strong foundation for ministry to college students, graduate students, and young professionals. Fr. Gregory said he is excited by the opportunity to serve young adults at a stage when many are beginning to ask deeper questions about faith, identity, and their life’s direction.
Young adults are one group Fr. Gregory is especially eager to serve. With two older children of his own–one in college and one in graduate school–he is familiar with the questions and transitions that can accompany this stage of life. His connection to young adults also reaches back to his years in academia. Before entering the priesthood, he had imagined his own path would center on working closely with students.
“What I thought my life was going to be was in academia, working with college and graduate students on a daily basis,” Fr. Gregory says. In many parishes, he said, young adulthood can become a “missing link” after youth ministry, as students leave for college and begin their professional lives.
At Holy Trinity, he sees an opportunity to remain present during what he described as a formative and sometimes uncertain stage of life. He hopes to create space for young adults to ask their own questions about faith, including how they begin to embrace it as their own, apart from their parents or upbringing.
The Cathedral’s Philoptochos chapter also plays an important role in parish life, carrying out charitable and philanthropic work that extends the Cathedral’s ministry beyond its walls. Its active presence at Holy Trinity has made it a model chapter for Philoptochos throughout the Archdiocese, reflecting the broader commitment to service that Fr. Gregory hopes to continue building upon.
Beyond strengthening ministries within the parish, Fr. Gregory also sees Holy Trinity as having a responsibility that extends beyond its immediate community.
“This is the Archdiocesan Cathedral, so it has to be a church that Orthodox Christians from across America can come to,” Fr. Gregory says. “It has to be a home for Greek Orthodox Christians coming to New York.”
At the same time, he sees the Cathedral’s location as an opportunity to reach those outside the existing parish community.
“We have to be a visible church,” he said, noting that people may initially walk through the doors simply out of curiosity. “We have to be ready to welcome them in, whether they come to worship or are beginning to figure out their own journey toward Orthodoxy.”
He also sees charitable and philanthropic outreach as an important responsibility of a city parish, seeking to continue the Cathedral’s established homeless outreach ministry, which serves those in need throughout Manhattan and elsewhere in New York City. Meeting on the second Friday of each month, members of the parish and greater community prepare hygiene kits and distribute them at designated locations throughout Manhattan.
Alongside those broader efforts, Fr. Gregory is focused on the relationships he hopes to build within the Cathedral community. As he begins his first weeks at Holy Trinity, Fr. Gregory says he wants parishioners to know that he sees the Cathedral as their community, and hopes they will find him approachable as they get to know their new Dean.
“I think I’m easy to work with,” Fr. Gregory says with a laugh.
More importantly, Fr. Gregory sees his role as one of guiding and supporting a community that ultimately belongs to its faithful.
“I’m concerned about this being their community and about them having that sense of ownership of it,” Fr. Gregory says. “My role is to be their shepherd and to guide them.” As he looks ahead, Fr. Gregory hopes to see the Cathedral community continue to grow while keeping its parishioners at the center of its life and ministry.
Source: Orthodox Observer
