Archpriest Sinisa Ristovski

Father Sinisa

Archpriest Sinisa Ristovski (Father Sinsa) was born on August 6, 1978 in the village of Jegunovce, Tetovo, Macedonia, to parents Aco and Stojna Ristovski. He attended elementary school in Aleksandar Zdravkovski in his native village of Jegunovce. In 1993, with the blessing of his Highness Metropolitan Kirill, he enrolled in Secondary Theological School, Saint Clement of Ohrid in Skopje. He completed middle school with honors and was declared the best student of his class.

After finishing high school in 1998, Father Sinsa enrolled at the Theological Faculty of Saint Clement of Ohrid, graduating from the institute in four years. While completing his studies, during his third year, he was chosen as a professor and honorary professor at the Saint Clement of Ohrid Secondary Theological University. After graduating on October 1, 2002 he was chosen to instruct as a  full professor at the seminary.

On May 15, 2004, Father Sinisa married Popadija Ljubica. A couple of months later on July 3, 2004, he was ordained a priest in the monastery of Popova Sapka by Metropolitan of Polosko Kumanovski, Kiril. On December 8, 2004, on the feast of St. Clement, Father Sinisa was ordained as a priest in the Cathedral of St. Kiril and Methodij in Tetovo. While practicing as a professor in the seminary, with the blessing of the rector of the seminary Metropolitan Povardarski g. Agatangel, he translated marriage law books from Serbian into Macedonian for seminary students.

In 2005, Father Sinsa was chosen as the chief treasurer of the St. Kiril I Methodij Cathedral and managed all the church’s financial documents. This same year, his first born son Nikola, arrived on May 26, 2005.

In 2007, with the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Metodij, Father Sinisa was chosen to be the parish priest at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Macedonian Orhtodox Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in the United States. On Palm Sunday in 2009, Metropolitan proclaimed him Very Reverend. In addition he was appointed as the elder of the temple, which he performs to this day. A couple of years later, while growing accustomed to American life, in November of 2009, Archpriest Sinisa and Popadija Ljubica welcomed their second blessing, Philip, into the world

In 2011, he was elected deputy of the Western America. On November 18, 2014, by His Holiness the Bishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, awarded Father Sinisa the degree of the cross. In 2018 he was appointed as the archbishop’s deputy of the American Canadian Macedonian Orthodox Diocese . Since 2020, he has been designated as the deputy of Canada.

Father Sinisa participates in many activities for the development of spiritual life, together with the Administrative Board of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and other sections, he actively participates in everything for the good of the Holy Macedonian Orthodox Church. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and sons, watching his sons play soccer, reads books, and follows current affairs from Orthodox church sites.