BIOGRAPHY of
 Archpriest Daniel (Chang-Kyu) Na
Dean of St. Paul Orthodox Church / Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne / Vicar General of the Orthodox Metropolis in Korea


He was born in Seoul, Korea in December 1947 and raised with one brother and five sisters under the care of the Orthodox parents, Moses (Na, Joon-Taek 1908-1997) and Natalia (Jo, Jae-Young 1914-1971), who were the members of St. Nicholas Church in Seoul. In 1951 he moved to Pusan, a sea port city in Southern part of Korea, with his entire family members due to the Korean Conflict (1950-1953) between South and North Korea. Then he moved back to Seoul in 1959 safely without any lost of his family members (Several hundred thousand people died during the Korean War).


In 1961 he started to serve with the blessing of the late Very Rev. Archpriest Boris Moon Ee-Choon, the Parish Priest(1954-1977), at St. Nicholas Church in Seoul as an Altar-boy with three other Altar boys until 1969 when he joined in the ROK(Republic of Korea) Army for three years as required to all male citizens of Korea.


In 1972 through the petition of the Very Rev. Archimandrite Eugene N. Pappas, a missionary Priest in Korea(1969-1972), from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and with the blessings of the Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, the Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology in Boston (50 Goddard Ave) accepted him to enroll for the studies of the Orthodox Theology to be ordained and to serve the community of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Seoul, Korea with the full scholarship of the Orthodox Mission Center of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.


In April 1980 he was ordained into the Diaconate at the Holy Cross Chapel in Boston by His Grace Bishop Anthimos (then Bishop of Boston) and graduated from the Holy Cross School of Theology with M. Div degree.


In July 1980 ordained into the Priesthood at the Protection of Theotokos Orthodox Church in Papagu, Athens, Greece by the Metropolitan Dionysios of New Zealand, Exarch of Korea.


In August 1980 assigned to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Seoul, Korea and served the Community until 1989 when he was appointed as a Dean to St. Paul Orthodox Church in Incheon, Korea, and during those years in Seoul participated in the Orthodox Mission activities directed by the Very Rev. Archimandrite Sotirios Trambas (now HE Metropolitan of Korea) for the establishments of four local parishes, The Annunciation of Theotokos Orthodox Church in Pusan, St. Paul Orthodox Church in Incheon, The Dormition of Theotokos Orthodox Church in Jeon-Joo and St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Palang-ri, Korea.


DIRECTOR OF THE ADMINISTRATION DEPT. OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE IN KOREA

In July 1996 appointed as the Director of the Administration Dept. and the Treasure of the Foundation of the Orthodox Church in Korea which was granted by the Ministry of Culture and Tour Department of the Republic of Korea.


ORTHODOX REPRESENTATIVE AT THE GENERAL SECRETARIATE OF THE NCCK(National Council of Churches in Korea)

As the Orthodox Representative at the Ecumenical Movements in Korea with the 7 major Protestant Denominations and the Catholic Church in Korea, he represents the Orthodox Church in Korea and organizes various meetings with them for the Ecumenism in Korea.


INCHEON

There were only one family member of 4 in 1982 when he visited to Incheon to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at an Anglican Church building once a month in the afternoon after the Anglican Christians finished their Sunday Services. Now there are 136 baptized Orthodox Christians at St. Paul Orthodox Church. In 1993 new Church building was erected next to the old two story Chapel building, which has an Educational Center and Fellowship Hall including a Chapel of St. John Chrysostom. He conducts various programme, such as Bible studies, Philoptochos services, Sunday School, Philanthropic activity, Student Retreats, Lectures on the Orthodoxy to the non-Orthodox Christians, and especially involves in Orthodox Mission work in new areas of Korea.


HONG KONG

From 1986 to 1996 he visited Hong Kong occationally to celebrate Feast Days of the Orthodox Church for the Community of St. Luke Orthodox Church in Hong Kong.


SYNDESMOS (World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth) ASIA REGION REPRESENTATIVE

Since 1997 when he was appointed by the Board of the Administration of SYNDESMOS as Asia Region Representative, he organized five International Youth Meetings in Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia with the cooperations of SYNDESMOS, and represented the Orthodox Church in Korea at the several International Orthodox gatherings.


YAKUTIA, RUSSIA

In Yakutia, Russia he baptized 8 Yakutians and participated at the Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth of St. Vennianove in Yakutia, Russia with the blessings of HE Dionysios of New Zealand, Exarch of Korea and of HE Archbishop Herman of Yakutsk.


ENTOURAGE OF HIS ALL HOLINESS PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW TO ROME IN JUNE 1995

With the Blessing of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew he was invited to be a member of His historial entourage to Rome on the name day of the Pope John Paul II, June 29th, Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul.

 

NEW POSITION "Genikos  Archieratikos Epitropos" "Vicar General of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea" bestowed in January 2005. H.E. Sotirios of Korea appoints Protopresbyter Daniel Na as "Genikos  Archieratikos Epitropos" "Vicar General of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea"of the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Korea.

 

"Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne"
An Honorary Title was bestowed by H.A.H. Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch during His Third Visit to Korea on 24th July 2005

 

"Order of St. Innokentii, the Apostle to Alaska and Far East" bestowed by the Epharchy of Yakutsk, State of Yatkutia"  in December 2007 in Moscow, Russia at the occasion of the Celebration of the 210th Birth of St. Innokentii.

 

30th Anniversay Celebration of the Ordination of holy priesthood of Protopr. Daniel Na organized by the St. Paul Orthodox Community in Incheon with the participant of HE Ambrosios of Korea in June, 2010.

 

Official Delegate
Appointed as one of the official delegates by the Ecumenical Patriachate to the 10th General Assembly of WCC in Pusan from 30 October 2013 thru 8th  November 2013

 

FAMILY MEMBERS

He is married to Presbytera Olympia Young-Sook Kim in August 1979, and has two sons, Constantine (Eui-Ryong) Na (33 yrs), and Antonios (Eui-Sun) Na (29 yrs). Has two daughter in laws, Elizabeth & Maria and one grandson, Alex.


updated by 2014. 2.



St. Paul Orthodox Press

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