Archimandrite Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers born in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished his elementary and high school education. In 1989 he received his degree in pastoral theology from the School of Theology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and in 1993 he graduated with distinction with his MTh, defending a dissertation with the title: “The Notion of Martyrdom in North Africa Church in Accordance with the Teaching of St. Augustine.” In 1985 he was ordained a Deacon and in 1990 was ordained a Priest and Archimandrite at the Archdiocese of Athens-Greece. As a Deacon he served from 1985 to 1988 at the Holy Metropolis of Eleftheroupolis, Kavala, Greece and from 1988 to 1990 to the Holy Archdioceses of Athens, Greece. As a Priest and Archimandrite, at the beginning he served, from 1990 to 1993, at the parishes of St. Prophet Elias of Penteli, and Hagia Zoni Kypselis of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens. During his time at the Archdiocese of Athens he served in addition to his pastoral duties and as an active Ierokyrikas (Preacher) of the Kypseli region and as the youth commissioner of the same region.
In 1994 he came to the United States, upon invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America to continue his ministry serving from 1995-1996 as the Chief Secretary of the Holy Archdiocese and as the Secretary of the Holy and Eparchial Synod. From 1996 to today he appointed as a presiding priest in various parishes of the Holy Archdiocese of America and the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey: St. George, Asbury Park, NJ, Dormition of the Theotokos, Brooklyn, NY, St. George, Clifton, NJ, Annunciation Cathedral, Norfolk, VA, and St. George Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA. From 2015 to 2018 he served as the Vicar of Philadelphia and Greater Delaware Valley of the Holy Metropolis of NJ and the Ecumenical officer of the same Metropolis. He is the chairman of the Spiritual Court of the Delaware Valley region of the Metropolis of New Jersey and currently a member of

the Archdiocesan Council of the Holy Archdiocese of America. When he came in the Unites States, he continued his education by attending between 1997 and 1999 graduate studies in Theology (MTh) at the Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ. From 1999 to 2002 attended MBA studies in Healthcare and Non-for-Profit Organizations Management at Monmouth University, Long Branch, NJ, defending a dissertation with the title “The Cost Effectiveness Analysis Method in the Preventative Care.” In 2002 he attended at Harvard Business School the Executive Education Program studying Mergers and Acquisitions for Non-for-Profit Organizations. From 2009 to 2012 attended graduate studies MTh, in History and Theology at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Seminary, Seton Hall University, Orange, NJ, where he graduated with distinction, defending a dissertation with the title: “The Donatist Movement in the 4th Century North Africa Christianity”. From 2012 to 2016 he attended PhD Studies in Church History and Patristics at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-Greece, where he graduated with distinction, defending a dissertation with the title: “The Veneration of the Martyrs in Accordance with the Latin and Greek Fathers of the 4th and 5th Century Christianity.” He also wrote several academic books which are under the process to be published, in Greek and English: a) The Popes and the History of Papacy, b) American Christianity, c) The Notion of Martyrdom according to the Teaching of St. Augustine, d) The Notion of Martyrdom according to the Teachings of the Latin and Greek Fathers of the 4th and 5th Century Christianity, e) Christianity and the Formation of the New State.
In 2008 he participated as a representative of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey in the International Convention of “The Pastoral Care in the Healthcare System” organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Rhodes, Greece. He is fluent in Greek and English, and he is in command of Italian, French and Latin.