We welcome the Very Reverend, Fr. James and Matushka Lisa to St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Coaldale. Archbishop Mark assigned Fr. James to serve as Rector of St. Mary’s starting July 1st.
Fr. James is the son of Marie and Pete Weremedic. Born and raised in Frackville, PA, he attended Holy Ascension Orthodox Church until he went off the Radiologic Technology School in Harrisburg where he attended Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church.  He is married to Mat. Lisa DeVine Weremedic for 32 years. Both worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon, PA where they met. They have a son, Subdeacon James and a daughter, Victoria.
Fr. James earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Lebanon Valley College in 1987. Fr. James worked at various positions in healthcare starting as a Radiologic Technologist, Chief Technologist, Radiology Manager, Administrative Director of Radiology and Radiation Therapy and Director of Outpatient Services. They lived in Lebanon, Harrisburg, State College, and in Landenburg over these years.
After much encouragement from the priests at the churches he attended throughout his life; Fr. Paul Ropitsky, Fr. Daniel Ressetar, Fr. John Reeves and Fr. Andrew Diehl, he went to seminary and earned a Masters of Divinity (cum Laude) from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2001.  His first assignment was Holy Annunciated Orthodox Church in Berwick where he served as Rector for 7 years. Fr. James then entered a Chaplain Residency program at Geisinger Medical Center earning 5 Clinical Pastoral Education Units (CPE) while specializing in the Prenatal and Women’s Center. After graduating, he served as an Interim Priest at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, PA while working as a Behavioral Specialist/Mobile Therapist in the Mt. Carmel Area. In 2010, he was assigned to St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Wilmington, DE and in 2015, he was assigned to serve at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Bethlehem.
Fr. James started the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) chapter at Bloomsburg University and was spiritual advisor for the University of Delaware’s OCF chapter along with the other local Orthodox Priests. He was involved with the OCF at Lehigh University. He also served as Dean of the Philadelphia Deanery and as the diocese’s representative to the Metropolitan Council.
We wish the Weremedic’s the very best as they settle into the familiar setting of a coal- region town. Please pray for Fr. James as he begins his ministry here at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Coaldale.