His Grace, the Right Reverend '''Hieromonk David''' (secular name '''David Sterry Mahaffey Jr) of Sitka''') is an [[hieromonk]] of was the [[Orthodox Church in AmericaBishop]] who was nominated on [[September 15]], 2012 by the delegates to the Assembly of the [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Sitka and Alaska]] as the candidate for election as Bishop of Sitka and Alaska by the [[Holy SynodOrthodox Church in America]].

Sterry David Mahaffey , Jr., was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania on [[May 25]], 1952, and baptised at Mahaffey Methodist Church on [[December 14]] the same year. He grew up active in 1952the United Methodist Church, including being president of the Youth Fellowship in high school, serving as Sunday School Superintendent, and filling in for the pastor during his summer vacation from 15 years of age. On graduation from high school, he was offered a Lay Pastor's License, but did not accept it. In 19731968, he married began serving as a lay minister in the former Karen Meterko with whom he had four childrenUnited Methodist Church, conducting services and delivering homilies for UMC parishes. He also studied at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Punxsutawney Campus) between 1970-72. In 1975his secular work, David was received into the Orthodox Christian faithhe worked in maintenance, heavy equipment operator, and other roles between 1970-89, before working in car sales between 1989-91.

He While dating Karen Meterko, she invited him to attend her church - Sts Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Urey - at a time when he was intent on seeking God. While the service was different to what he had experienced, he was drawn back to ponder the meaning and Divine Majesty he encountered there. On [[ordination|ordainedMay 5]] a , 1973, he married the former Karen Meterko at Sts Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Urey, with whom he had four children (Nikolas in 1980, Sterry Michael in 1982, Seth in 1985, and Kyra in 1987). Early in their marriage, the Mahaffey's would both attend services at both Mahaffey Methodist and at Sts Peter & Paul. Fr Raphael Rozdilski answered the many questions posed to him, and took him to the 1975 Memorial Day Pilgrimage at [[deaconSt. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St Tikhon's Monastery]] in 1981 , where he decided to convert to Orthodoxy - to the hesitancy of his wife, who knew that his parents would blame her for his choice. In 1975, he ceased to be a UMC lay minister, and served at various was chrismated into the Orthodox Christian faith on [[parishNovember 16]]es , 1975, at the same church he was married. He also began the Late Vocations Program of the [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]in the same year, graduating in 1980.  He was also ordained a Reader, then a Subdeacon, by Bp [[priestTheodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Pittsburgh]] in 1993 and was assigned as rector of the Church of St. Michael in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, serving until 2006, when he was transferred to the pastorate of Holy Trinity Church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Fr. David served as He was [[ordination|ordained]] a graduate assistant in the Theology Department of the University of Scranton[[deacon]] on [[April 12]], adjunct lecturer at St. Tikhon’s Seminary1981, and adjunct lecturer in theology and philosophy served at the Melrose Park Campus various [[parish]]es of Alvernia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also has served in a wide variety of capacities in the [[Diocese of Eastern Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia Pittsburgh and Eastern Western Pennsylvania]]- assisting the bishop, assisting the priest, and serving Typika at the bishop's direction. Dcn David also served as the Parish Education Coordinator at those parishes - including [[dean]] speaking on teen and adult education at retreats and lecture series' in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania Dioceses, and developing educational software in game format for use at parish and regional levels. He had anticipated serving as a deacon until the end of his secular working life, before serving as priest at a small parish. In the midst of feeling somehow unfulfilled, Karen asked if he had considered seminary and the priesthood. Dcn David felt God's calling to go to seminary, and they immediately began plans to attend St Tikhon's Seminary in 1992 - he would move to the seminary, while Karen and their four children lived with her parents for the Philadelphia Deaneryfirst year.

In After his first year, he was ordained a [[priest]] on [[July 31]], 1993, and was assigned as rector of St Michael's Church in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, which allowed him to continue his studies and reunite his family. Fr David graduated ''cum laude'' from St Tikhon's in 1997, he received before starting further studies at the University of Scranton in 1999 with Bachelors of Arts majoring in Theology and in Philosophy and graduating ''magna cum laude'' in 2003 (with awards for Academic Excellence and Excellence in Philosophy, and giving Presidential Honors in 2000, 2001 and 2003 from the University President), and graduating from a Master of Divinity Arts in Theology degree (also from the University of Scranton). He continued to serve at St Michael's until January 2006, when he was transferred to the pastorate of Holy Trinity Church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and was then transferred from there to be Acting Rector of St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Bethlehem, PA. He also served as [[dean]] of the Philadelphia Deanery, as Treasurer of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary|StAlumni Association, Secretary of the NEPA Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu Alumni, Secretary of the Clergy Brotherhood of NEPA, Staff of ''Your Diocese Alive in Christ'' magazine, auditor of the [[OCA]] and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania, and on the Bishop's Task Force on Missions and Evangelism for the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania. Tikhon’s Seminary He was elevated to [[Archpriest]] in 2002 and awarded the [[palitsa]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania2006.[http://holytrinity-oca.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/HTOC-Trisagion-2008-10.pdf]

In Between 2003-04, he graduated from Fr. David served as a graduate assistant in the Theology Department of the University of Scranton with Bachelors degrees , before serving from 2005-11 as Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy, Doctrine, Church History, Comparative Theology and PhilosophyModern Belief at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary|St. In 2005Tikhon’s Seminary]], he also received his Master of Arts degree and from March 2009 as Adjunct Lecturer in theology from and philosophy at the Melrose Park Campus of Alvernia University of Scrantonin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In Tragically, on [[August 8]], 2007, Fr. David's wife , Matushka Karen , fell asleep in the Lord.<ref>[http://doepa.org/news_070809_1.html] In Memoriam: Matushka Karen Mahaffey</ref> In 2009, he was assigned rector of St. Nicholas Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In subsequent years, Fr David became nominated for a series of sees - to the Diocese of Western Pennsylvania in November 2008, to the Diocese of New York and New Jersey in August 2009, to the Diocese of the Midwest in October 2010. On [[September 15]] , 2012 , he was nominated by the delegates to the Assembly of the [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Alaska]] as the candidate for election as Bishop of Sitka and Alaska by the [[Holy Synod]]. He was tonsured a [[riassaphore]] on September 23 by Abp [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon]] at St Tikhon's Seminary.[http://doepa.org/news_120924_6.html]

On October 9-11, 2012 the Holy Synod of OCA accepted Archbishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin’s]] presentation of Hieromonk David (Mahaffey) as the nominee for the Episcopal See of Alaska<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/holy-synod-of-bishops-concludes-fall-session Holy Synod of Bishops concludes fall session]</ref>. On Friday, February 21, 2014, Archimandrite David was consecrated Bishop of Alaska during a Hierarchical Liturgy by [[Metropolitan]] [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon of Moscow]], Archbishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco]], Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York]], Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu of Dearborn Heights]], and Bishop [[Irénée (Rochon) of Quebec City|Irénée of Quebec City]] at St Innocent Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska. Co-serving the bishops were [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|Chancellor for the Orthodox Church in America]] [[Archpriest]] [[John A. Jillions]], Archpriest Victor Nick ([[Chancellor]] of the Diocese of Alaska), and 40 other priests from around the diocese. A banquet was held in his honor that evening at the University of Alaska’s Lucy Cuddy Center in Anchorage<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/banquet-honoring-bishop-david-held-at-university Banquet honoring Bishop David held at University]</ref>. On October 2, 2020, Archbishop David was diagnosed with renal cancer. A little over a month later, on November 27, 2020, he fell asleep in the Lord. {{Start box}}{{succession|before=[[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]]|title=Bishop of Sitka and Alaska<br>([[OCA]])|years=2014-2020|after=To be determined}}{{end box}}  ==See also==* [[David (disambiguation)]]

[[Category:PriestsBishops]]