is (in the world, David Bensimon-Kilmer, BPS)  an Orthodox Christian monk of the rank of Small Schema or Stavrophore. A father of two sons. Trained Family Mediator (1992) and Pastoral Counselor (1998).  He practiced mediation at the New Justice Conflict Resolution Services center and counseled through the Orthodox Christian Conciliation Center both in Syracuse, N.Y. First webmaster of the original OrthodoxWest website for the Archdiocese of New York & New Jersey (Milan Synod), continues to maintain the website of the Holy Name Abbey, founder and original moderator of OrthodoxWest Discussion Group on Yahoo!

Of English/Irish/Italian ethnicity, Fr Symeon was born in 1957 --on the Commemoration of Saints  Sergius and Herman (964), abbots of Valaam--  in the City of Auburn, NY and raised in Eastwood, NY; he received a Roman Catholic education. A survivor of a dysfunctional adoptive family. Fr Symeon has been disabled with endogenous  depression, fibromyalgia, cervical radiculitis, degenerative disc disease, and ADD since at least 1999.

A contemplative. An existential poet. His major interests is in Orthodox Pastoral Theology, Monastic & Ascetic Practices, Existential Analysis and Patristic Anthropological Theology; also the spirituality in the examples of St John the Theologian and St Romuald of Ravenna. . More importantly his interests is in relationships: their development, their quality, their dynamics between the human person and God, he and other persons, he and himself.

Fr Symeon converted from Roman Catholicism in 1979 via the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Prior to his conversion he was a professed member of the Franciscan Laymen, and served as a Eucharistic Minister. After his conversion he has served as Reader, and board president of an OCA Diocesan Outreach ministry. During his one year in the Greek Archdiocese he was Director of Parish Adult Education. Fr Symeon's faith journey has taken him from the papist heresy through the OCA, Greek Archdiocese, (pre-Unionist) ROCOR and in 1998 to "The Holy Synod of Milan". While bearing his reservations about the Milan Synod's navigation he has been blessed for his patient stability since now his Abbot-Archbishop has since been elevated to Metropolitan --now independent of the Milan Synod-- and in-communion with more True Orthodox Christians world-wide than ever before.

Father Symeon-Salos entered monasticism in 1998 taking the name of his patrons, St. Symeon Salos, St. Symeon the New Theologian and St Simeon of Syracuse (Sicily) and was tonsured “stavrophore” monk in 1999. Papa Symeon is founding resident of the St. Prochoros Orthodox Hermitage which is spiritually dependent upon its motherhouse, The Abbey of the Holy Name in West Milford, New Jersey under the abbacy of His Beatitude +JOHN Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all-Americas & British Isles.