St. James Episcopal ordains new priest

Rev. Christopher Zeke Coughlin was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Boardman Saturday.

Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr., assisting Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, presided during the ordination and a reception followed the liturgy.

Coughlin was ordained to the Transitional Deaconate June 5 and has been serving as Associate Rector at St. James since last September. He has also been very involved in youth ministries at St. James and in the Southeast Mission Area which stretches from Warren to Steubenville. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, is his sponsoring parish and is where he began the discernment process.

Coughlin was born in Youngstown in 1977. His family relocated to the Steubenville area and he graduated from Indian Creek High School, Wintersville, in 1995. Following graduation, he attended The College of Wooster, earning a degree in Religious Studies in 1999. He spent seven years working as a computer programmer before enrolling in Bexley Hall Seminary in Columbus where he earned a Master’s in Divinity.

Coughlin and his wife, Lisa, met at the College of Wooster in 1998 and were married in 2005. Lisa Coughlin is a general surgery resident at Northside Medical Center.

Fr. Coughlin celebrated the Eucharist for the first time April 17 at 10 a.m. at St. James’ Church.