After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, PA, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, after which he moved to Chicago.

In 1989, he was received into the Orthodox Church from Episcopalianism and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA. One year later, he entered the monastic community at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery as a novice.

He was awarded the Master of Divinity degree from Saint Tikhon’s Seminary in 1993, after which he was appointed Instructor in Old Testament and subsequently Senior Lecturer in Old Testament, teaching Master level courses in the Prophets and the Psalms and Wisdom Literature. He also served as an Instructor in the seminary’s Extension Studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament saints, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in patristic literature.

He collaborated with Igumen Alexander [Golitzin] – now Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America – in the publication of “The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain” by Saint Tikhon’s Seminary Press.

In 1995, he was tonsured to the Lesser Schema with the name Tikhon, in honor of Saint Patriarch Tikhon, Enlightener of North America. Later that year, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. In 1998, he was elevated to the rank of Igumen, and in 2000, to the rank of Archimandrite.

In December 2002, he was named Deputy Abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. After his election to the Episcopacy by the Holy Synod of Bishops in October 2003, he was consecrated on February 14, 2004 at Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery Church as the first Bishop of South Canaan, Auxiliary for the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Following his nomination as ruling hierarch by a diocesan assembly and subsequent canonical election by the Holy Synod on May 27, 2005, he was installed as Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania on October 29, 2005. From 2005 to 2012, he also served as Rector of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary. He was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop on May 9, 2012.

On November 13, 2012, Archbishop Tikhon was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in America at the 17th All-American Council.

In addition to his primatial duties along with archpastoral oversight of the Archdiocese of Washington and Stavropegial Institutions, he served as Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South from March 2015 to March 2016.

On September 14, 2015, Metropolitan Tikhon was honored by St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary with the bestowal of a Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa.

Bishop Vasily was born Vitaly Permiakov in Riga, Latvia, in 1977 in a family of a Russian and Ukrainian origin. His family was initially non-religious, but the influence of his parents and grandparents helped to cultivate respect for historical and religious traditions.

At the age of 14, Vitaly was baptized into the Orthodox Christian Church in the Dormition basement chapel of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Riga, together with his father and his sister.

Subsequent reading and study led him to deepen his engagement with Orthodoxy, and by 1995-96 he was a regular churchgoer in Riga, attending Holy Ascension Latvian Orthodox parish in Riga.

In the late 1990s, his path was influenced by his acquaintance with the renowned priest, Archimandrite Victor (Mamontov) and his community in the small town of Karsava, Latvia.

Vitaly graduated from the Pushkin Lyceum in Riga in 1995, and studied at the Latvian Academy of Culture, majoring in Russian Culture, graduating in 1999. In late 1999 he entered the USA on a student visa in order to be reunited with his family who lived in Dallas, TX, and to study theology at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

He began his studies at Saint Vladimir’s in 2001, graduating with an M.Div. in 2004 with his thesis on Origen of Alexandria under the direction of Archpriest John Behr. During his seminary years, Vitaly served as the captain of the kitchen cleaning crew and the sacristan. On Commencement Day, May 18, 2002, he was ordained a reader in the Orthodox Church in America by His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius.

In 2004, Vitaly was accepted into the Ph.D. program in theology (specializing in liturgical studies) at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), where he studied under the mentorship of renowned professors Maxwell Johnson, Robin Darling Young, Brian Daley and others. In 2008-09 he was a Junior Fellow in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks Research Center and Library (Washington, DC), where he continued working on his dissertation on the Byzantine rite for the consecration of a church, which he defended in 2012.

During his years in the doctoral program, he attended St Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in South Bend, IN, where he chanted and served in the altar.

From 2011 to 2020, Vitaly Permiakov served on the faculty of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY, the seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. While living in precincts of and in the spiritual environment of Holy Trinity Monastery, he taught courses in liturgical theology, dogmatics, comparative theology, apologetics, and New Testament, served on the Curriculum Committee of the seminary, assisted in preparation, revision and approval of the seminary statute, and the approval of the seminary’s M.Div. program.

During this time, he prepared the bilingual (English-Slavonic) edition of the Divine Liturgy of Saint James. During this same time, he co-edited liturgical books in English for the OCA, including the Small Book of Needs (2012), and the Hieratikon, vol. 1 (2014) and vol. 2 (2017, 2020).

In the spring of 2020, Dr. Permiakov accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, his alma mater. He taught courses in the seminary’s liturgical curriculum: liturgics, liturgy of initiation, and a number of advanced graduate seminars. He also served on the editorial board of St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly.

Bishop Vasily is a member of International Orthodox Theological Association and of the Society for Oriental Liturgy, and regularly participates in academic conferences and symposiums, such as Oxford Patristics Conference and others.

Beginning in mid-2021, Dr. Permiakov also served as the ecclesiarch of Three Hierarchs Chapel, overseeing the celebration of services in the seminary chapel. After the retirement of Father Chad Hatfield, he also served as the administrator of the chapel from July to December 2024.

In 2021, after much discernment and prayer, and with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Dr. Permiakov petitioned to be ordained to the holy diaconate in a celibate status.

He was ordained as a subdeacon on the Feast of Annunciation, March 25, 2021, by His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland, and then ordained to the holy diaconate on the Feast of Exaltation of the Cross, September 14, 2021, by the hands of Metropolitan Tikhon.

Deacon Vitaly continued to serve as chapel ecclesiarch, and the assigned seminary deacon, and was awarded the right to wear double orarion for his services in May 2023.

In addition to his seminary duties, Deacon Vitaly accompanied His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon for the pilgrimage to Alaska in August 2023, and in May-June 2024 he was part of the OCA’s official delegation, led by His Beatitude, that visited Ukraine, Romania, and Constantinople.

Deacon Vitaly was ordained to the holy priesthood on September 14, 2024, also by the hands of Metropolitan Tikhon, and was assigned to Three Hierarchs Chapel. He was awarded the Synodal gold cross at his ordination, in recognition of his work on behalf of the seminary.

On January 17, 2025, he was tonsured to the small schema in monasticism at St Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery (South Canaan, PA) by the Abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Sergius, and given the name Vasily, after St Basil the Great.

On Lazarus Saturday 2025, following the decision of the spring session of the Holy Synod, Bishop Vasily was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite. Bishop Vasily’s students and alumni colleagues frequently note his care and openness in addition to his well-known expertise and he quickly became father confessor to many in the seminary community.

Over the last couple of years, in a discernment process led by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, and His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin, Bishop Vasily was introduced to the Diocese of the West on a number of occasions including the giving of retreats, serving in parishes with His Eminence, and visiting with clergy and faithful.

In light of His Eminence’s impending retirement and with his support, His Beatitude blessed the Diocesan Council to begin a process leading to the nomination of the next bishop of San Francisco and the West and the Diocesan Council met with Bishop Vasily in late 2024.

In April 2025, the Diocesan Council unanimously voted to encourage that Bishop Vasily be nominated for this high office.

Following His Eminence’s retirement, a special nominating assembly was held on July 16, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona which nominated then-Archimandrite Vasily for the Holy Synod’s consideration for the See of San Francisco and the Diocese of the West. The same evening, the Holy Synod of Bishops meeting under the presidency of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, elected Bishop Vasily to become Bishop of San Francisco and the West.

His episcopal ordination was on August 16, 2025 at the diocesan cathedral of the Holy Trinity in San Francisco.

The Very Reverend Archpriest Luke Uhl is a retired Priest, assigned by Archbishop Benjamin as Interim Rector of Holy Wisdom Parish.

Father Luke was born in Dallas, Texas. As a child his family moved to Mexico City, Mexico where he grew up. After his primary education in Mexico, the family moved to Houston, Texas.

Following his graduation with honors from the University of Texas he served with distinction in the United States Navy. His shipboard assignments included two destroyers and two amphibious ships, as gunnery officer, navigator, chief engineer, and operations officer. He also graduated with a master’s degree from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. After a decade on active duty, he continued to serve the United States Navy in a civilian capacity.

Father Luke additionally holds a degree with honors in theology from Saint Leo College, and a certificate in Orthodox Studies.

On October 19, 1976 Father Luke was ordained to the Diaconate by His Excellency Metropolitan Silas of New Jersey at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was subsequently ordained to the holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Silas at Saint Nicholas Church on May 29, 1990. His first assignment in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was as assistant to the pastor at Saint Nicholas Church in Virginia Beach.

In September of 1993 Father Luke was assigned as the first Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Denver; in 2002 the Diocese became the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver.

In addition to his responsibilities as Chancellor, Father Luke was appointed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Endorsing Agent for Orthodox Priests seeking to serve as Chaplains in the United States Armed Forces as well as in the Veterans Administration.

On January 6, 1994 Father Luke was raised to the office of Oikonomos by Bishop Isaiah of Denver at Saints Peter and Paul parish in Boulder, Colorado. On November 1, 1998 he was raised to the office of Protoprésbyter by Bishop Isaiah at at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Cathedral in Denver, Colorado.

Concurrently Father Luke served as parochial administrator at Saint Nicholas parish in Grand Junction, Colorado for over twenty years, from 1995 to 2015.

He additionally served as parochial administrator of Saint John the Baptist parish in Pueblo as well as of Saints Peter and Paul parish in Boulder. He was also the founding pastor of Archangel Michael parish in Colorado Springs and, at the request of OCA Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco, he served at Saint Herman Orthodox Church in Littleton.

On November 1, 2015 he retired as Chancellor and accepted assignment as the full-time pastor of Saint Nicholas parish in Grand Junction, Colorado.

On February 29, 2020 Father Luke accepted retirement from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, remaining temporarily in Grand Junction, Colorado. In April 2021 Archbishop Benjamin formally requested of Metropolitan Isaiah that Father Luke serve at Holy Wisdom for Holy Week.

Father Luke was received as an Archbpriest in retirement by the Orthodox Church in America, and has served under the omophorion of Archbishop Benjamin since June 23, 2021. On that date he was attached to the altar at Saint Andrew Parish in Delta, Colorado. On July 15, 2023 he was attached to the altar at Holy Wisdom Parish in Grand Junction, Colorado.

On March 23, 2022, Archbishop Benjamin wrote to Father Luke, “In a desire to acknowledge your years of faithful service to the Church, the Holy Synod of the OCA at my request awarded you the Jeweled Cross. I know it was given to you already when you were elevated to Protopresbyter in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, but for us it is a separate award of distinction. Thus it is our attempt on an official level to note your many contributions to Church life.”

Father Luke is married to Presvytera Ruth (neé Mehan), also of Dallas, Texas. They are the parents of four sons, all of whom earned the rank of Eagle Scout and each of whom served in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps. Father Luke and Presvytera also have two daughters in law, three grandsons, and one granddaughter.