ABSTRACT
Zerkxis Bhandara was born into a priestly family and brought up in California. His father, a practising priest trained in India, was a strong influence on the way Zerkxis developed his understanding and approach to the priesthood. Today, he maintains the traditional practices and approach to the religion taught to him by his father, for whom the point of reference is Mumbai, where he took his priestly exams. In this chapter, he discusses some of the issues arising within the community in the United States, particularly among the youth, and compares them with what he has learned from his parents’ upbringing in India. He also describes how he continues to complete his formal training while balancing priestly duties with the PhD he has recently embarked upon.
