New Rector Appointed in Denver

Fr. Kyrill Williams is the new Rector at Holy Transfiguration of Christ Cathedral in Denver, CO. Fr. Kyrill, Tamra and their two daughters Mylee (4) and Alice (1) come to us from the Diocese of the South where they have been serving since leaving seminary. Fr. Kyrill graduated from St. Tikhon’s Seminary in May 2008. Matushka Tamra studied criminology and psychology at the University of South Florida and worked as a felony probation officer in Florida for four years.

Although this is Matushka Tamra’s first time in Colorado, Fr. Kyrill entered the Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs where he was catechized by Fr. Anthony Karbo and gained experience in many areas of ministry. Prior to becoming Orthodox, Fr. Kyrill also lived in Russia for a time. Fr. Anthony Karbo, our Dean, looks forward to the energy Fr. Kyrill will bring to the Rocky Mountain Deanery Youth Camps and other pan-Orthodox events.

Holy Transfiguration Cathedral is the first and oldest Orthodox Church in Colorado. While most of our parishioners now commute from long distances, the rector and his family have always played a prominent role in this historic Globeville neighborhood. Fr. Joseph and Paulette Hirsch helped revive the neighborhood during their tenure (1984-2009) working closely with a young community organizer, Michael Hancock, who is the present Mayor of Denver and remembers them well. Fr. David and Elaine Lowell (who are moving to Cambridge, UK) continued this legacy of visible civic involvement. Fr. Kyrill and Tamra look forward to doing the same for many years, God willing.

For those of you who have never visited this parish, the rectory sits next to the Church as one of the largest single family dwellings in Globeville. Hirsch Hall stands behind the church and rectory and is the site for numerous neighborhood planning meetings which are open to the public. Holy Transfiguration Cathedral has a reputation for being more directly involved in the civic welfare of its immediate neighborhood than any other church in Denver – not through programs or philanthropic dollars, but through a ministry of presence.

Holy Transfiguration will host the volunteer orientation for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Habitat for Humanity work week in Globeville this October, and Fr. Kyrill is already actively involved. Ten percent of the parish’s Orthodox Food Festival profits have been donated to help build affordable new housing here in Globeville. Whether by boast or striving, Holy Transfiguration is one of the happiest and most diverse parishes in the Diocese of the West and we welcome Fr. Kyrill back to Colorado where he belongs!