Our Bishops
Protection of the Virgin Mary (PTVM) Orthodox Church is a parish of the Midwest Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), in communion with the worldwide canonical Eastern Orthodox Churches. The head of our Church is His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, and our presiding bishop is His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel.
The Most Blessed Tikhon
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard) of All America and Canada, is the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
On November 13, 2012, Archbishop Tikhon was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in America at the 17th All-American Council. The enthronement took place on January 27, 2013 at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
As Primate, he has been responsible for overseeing the entire Orthodox Church in America and has worked to strengthen the Church’s presence and influence in North America. In addition to his primatial duties, he has also had archpastoral oversight of the Archdiocese of Washington and the Stavropegial Institutions of the Orthodox Church in America.
The Primate
Diocesan Hierarch
The Most Reverend Daniel
His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel (Brum) is the Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest within the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
On July 18, 2022, he was canonically elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops as Bishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest, and on November 11, 2022, the Holy Synod elevated Bishop Daniel unanimously to the dignity of Archbishop.
Our Clergy
Father Jacob
The Rev. Fr. Dr. Jacob Van Sickle came to PTVM as acting rector in June of 2018. He previously served as an assistant priest at St. Theodosius Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio where he was ordained.
Fr. Jacob grew up in nearby Highland, Indiana. He earned his BA in Classics from Valparaiso University in 2006, then proceeded to St. Vladimir’s Seminary where he completed the MDiv in 2009 and a ThM in 2010. He went on to study at Saint Louis University, where he completed a PhD in Historical Theology in 2017. He has taught theology, comparative religion, and Latin at Saint Louis University, Cleveland State University, and Lutheran West High School, respectively. He has published several articles about early Christianity and medieval Orthodox-Catholic relations. He has also translated a book of writings by St. Basil the Great, an important 4th century Christian bishop. He and his wife Jenna have three boys and live in Winfield.
Fr. Jacob also serves as the Director of the Department of Clergy & Clergy Family Life for the the Diocese of the Midwest in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
Fr. Jacob believes that the faith Christ once delivered to the Apostles still gives life to a dying world. He endeavors to foster this same, unadulterated, Orthodox faith in Northwest Indiana.
Parish Priest & Rector
Attached Deacon
Protodeacon Father Nicholas
Pdn. Nicholas Denysenko was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1972, to his parents Eugene and Olga Denysenko. Pdn. Nicholas grew up in Minnesota, and spent considerable time with his grandparents. He loved serving in the altar and singing in the choir at Saints Volodymyr and Ol’ha Ukrainian Orthodox church in St. Paul, where his grandfather, Fr. Mykola Metulynsky, was rector.
Pdn. Nicholas took on the role of music director at St. Mary’s Cathedral (OCA) in Minneapolis from 1993 to 1997 and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in 1994.
Pdn. Nicholas completed his Master of Divinity degree at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2000 as the valedictorian of his class. He was ordained to the holy diaconate on January 18, 2003, by Archbishop Job of Chicago. Pdn. Nicholas graduated with a Ph.D. in liturgical studies and sacramental theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 2008, writing his dissertation on the history and theology of the blessing of waters on Theophany in the Byzantine tradition.
Pdn. Nicholas served as professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) from 2010-2017. He served at St. Innocent parish in Tarzana and assisted at other local Orthodox parishes during his time in Los Angeles. Pdn. Nicholas was appointed as the Emil and Elfriede Jochum University Professor and Chair at Valparaiso University in 2017, where he teaches currently.
Pdn. Nicholas has published ten books and over fifty articles and essays on liturgical theology and the history of Orthodoxy in Ukraine. He has earned awards for two books: Chrismation: A Primer for Catholics (Liturgical Press, 2012), and The Orthodox Church in Ukraine: A Century of Separation (Northern Illinois University Press, 2018). He lives in Valparaiso with his daughter and enjoys music, long walks, and travel.
Reader Matthew
The Rdr. Matthew (“Matt”) Wells leads the PTVM Orthodox Church choir and serves as a tonsured reader.
Rdr. Matt is a two-time graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University-Bloomington, having earned a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, with an outside field in Choral Conducting. Over the years, Rdr. Matt has performed professionally with the Music of the Baroque, Grant Park Symphony Chorus, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the Bach Institute at Valparaiso University, Crested Butte Music Festival, Pro Arte Singers, Apollo’s Voice, Columbus Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, Indianapolis Opera, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He served from 2012–2015 as an adjunct instructor of music at Valparaiso University.
Rdr. Matt also holds a Master’s degree in counseling with a certificate in Management from Valparaiso University.
Outside of his liturgical duties at our parish, Rdr. Matt serves on the leadership team of Purdue University Northwest as its Chief Engagement Officer. He is also the President and CEO of One Region, an organization dedicated to unlocking the immense potential of Northwest Indiana. Further, Rdr. Matt is a NBCC board-certified, Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in the state of Indiana and co-founded Wells Family Counseling along with his wife, Erin. He also serves on Boards of Directors with numerous nonprofits and educational organizations.
Reader & Choir Director
Other Parish Leaders
In every vibrant Orthodox Christian community, countless people contribute their time, talents, and hearts to lead and serve in a multitude of ways. Recognizing every individual would require a list nearly as long as our parish directory. Below, we’ve highlighted the members of our parish council, who help guide our community in its mission. Leaders of specific ministries, however, are recognized on their respective ministry pages, where applicable. Together, their collective efforts make our parish a thriving community.
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:3–8, NKJV).
Parish Council
Melody Rozdelsky, President
Michael Gruszyk, Treasurer
Sergei Ely
Lesley Erpelding
Elizabeth Mirr-Wysocki
Dan O’Day
Elizabeth Pedersen
Nick Revak
Lara Richards
Douglas Bercich