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		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&amp;feedformat=atom&amp;user=Brianpartridge</id>
		<title>OrthodoxWiki - User contributions [en]</title>
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		<updated>2026-07-13T18:56:41Z</updated>
		<subtitle>User contributions</subtitle>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:Pistevo&amp;diff=38234</id>
		<title>User talk:Pistevo</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:Pistevo&amp;diff=38234"/>
				<updated>2006-08-14T00:50:32Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!--&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;background-color: #fde; margin: 1em 7em; padding: 0 0.5em; border: 1px solid #aaf; text-align: center;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
'''Pistevo''' will be temporarily inactive on the OrthodoxWiki&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
He will be out of his home state from '''20 June through 28 June, 2006'''.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Please feel free to leave him messages on this talk page'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt; --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[User_talk:Pistevo/Archive_05|Archive 2005]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[User_talk:Pistevo/Archive_06|Archive 2006]] - contains up to May (incl.), 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== G.O. N.Z. ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nope.  Haven't heard anything about it.  &amp;amp;mdash;[[User:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Dcn. Andrew&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[User_talk:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;red&amp;quot;&amp;gt;talk&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Randompage|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;random&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;black&amp;quot;&amp;gt;contribs&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 20:07, June 6, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: I got the email now.  (My email was down yesterday.)  It doesn't make much sense to me, though.  &amp;amp;mdash;[[User:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Dcn. Andrew&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[User_talk:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;red&amp;quot;&amp;gt;talk&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Randompage|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;random&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;black&amp;quot;&amp;gt;contribs&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 07:47, June 7, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Serbian Bishops in Australia ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I'm not quite sure what needs to be changed in these succession boxes.  Would you mind?&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Sava (Juric) of Slavonia]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Luka of Western Europe]]&lt;br /&gt;
—[[User:Magda|&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;magda&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;]] ([[User_talk:Magda|talk]]) 11:52, June 9, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Pelikan ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yes, I am almost positive that the history books were written before he became Orthodox. I believe the last book was published in 1989 and he converted in 1998. [[User:Joe Rodgers|Joe]] 2006-06-14&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Yep, this is right.  The vast majority of his works were written before he came into the Church.  &amp;amp;mdash;[[User:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Dcn. Andrew&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[User_talk:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;red&amp;quot;&amp;gt;talk&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Randompage|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;random&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;black&amp;quot;&amp;gt;contribs&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 20:20, June 14, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== featured article  template ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Good subject for the featured article, but the ''featured article  template'' article should link to the genuine article. (The Ladder of Divine Ascent).  I’d do it but I can’t. [[User:Andrew|Andrew]] 09:09, July 7, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: I got it!  &amp;amp;mdash;[[User:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Dcn. Andrew&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[User_talk:ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;red&amp;quot;&amp;gt;talk&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Randompage|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&amp;gt;random&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;[[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|&amp;lt;font color=&amp;quot;black&amp;quot;&amp;gt;contribs&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;]]&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 09:16, July 7, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Vandalism ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks for your recent cleanup work, Pistevo! {{User:FrJohn/sig}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Lossky ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your additions to the Lossky article seemed to suggest you had a source -- would you tell me what that source is? Thanks! --[[User:Fr Lev|Fr Lev]] 14:13, August 3, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No complaint -- just curious.--[[User:Fr Lev|Fr Lev]] 20:51, August 3, 2006 (CDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The page for the Right Reverend Bishop Thomas of Oakland and the East was edited by SBambakidis at the direct request of the Bishop.      Could you please revert that page to the one preferred by the Bisop.  Thank you&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=File:Bishop_THOMAS.jpg&amp;diff=37094</id>
		<title>File:Bishop THOMAS.jpg</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=File:Bishop_THOMAS.jpg&amp;diff=37094"/>
				<updated>2006-08-11T05:01:52Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: The Right Reverend Bishop THOMAS&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;The Right Reverend Bishop THOMAS&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37093</id>
		<title>Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37093"/>
				<updated>2006-08-11T04:58:37Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 1953) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]].  (''Oakland'' refers to Oakland, Pennsylvania, a borough of Pittsburgh and the location of the cathedral for the Antiochian Diocese of Oakland and the East.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Life==&lt;br /&gt;
Of Arab-American heritage, Thomas Joseph was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1953.  He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, graduating in 1970.  He went on to college at William Paterson College, graduating in 1974.  After college, he worked in the Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, then served as a teacher for the Paterson Board of Education.  When the [[Antiochian Village]] camp opened in the late 1970s, he was recruited by Fr. John Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors from 1979 to 1982.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the fall of 1979, Thomas began part-time study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was made a [[subdeacon]] by [[Metropolitan]] [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] in July of 1982.  He continued his studies until the spring of 1983, when he was assigned to Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, New York.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1984, Metr. Philip assigned him to St. George Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as Director of Christian Education and Youth Services.  While in Texas, the Archdiocese also assigned him to oversee Christian Education and then later teen activities for the churches in the Southwest Region (now the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America). In July of 1988 Thomas was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[August 28]], 1994, Bishop [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun (Khouri)]] ordained Dcn. Thomas to the [[priest]]hood, and Fr. Thomas served as assistant pastor at his parish in Houston until August of 1996, when he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park, Florida (near St. Petersburg).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor.  He was an appointed member of the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organization) Southeastern Region; Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Orthodox Clergy Association; Director of Programs in Pastoral Bioethics for the International Academy of Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine in the United States; Speaker at Braunels, Germany, and at City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; author of published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for many years; past President and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Council of Orthodox Churches. In July 2002, Fr. Thomas was granted a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology jointly from the Antiochian House of Studies and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon.  In August of 2006, Bishop THOMAS was awarded a Doctorate in Education from California Coast University.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[February 15]], 2004, Fr. Thomas was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] by Bp. Antoun, and on [[December 5]], 2004, he was consecrated to the [[bishop|episcopacy]] by [[Patriarch]] [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] in Damascus, Syria.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bp. Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Borough of Oakland), Pennsylvania, on [[May 6]], 2005.  His Grace's residence is at the [[Antiochian Village]] in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{start box}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{succession|&lt;br /&gt;
before=&amp;amp;mdash;|&lt;br /&gt;
title=Bishop of Oakland (Antiochian)|&lt;br /&gt;
years=2004-present|&lt;br /&gt;
after=&amp;amp;mdash;}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{end box}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Reference==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/Biography_of_Father_Thomas/biography_of_father_thomas.htm Biography of Father Thomas Joseph]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/Regions/eastern.html Diocese of Oakland and the East]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/1105462907 The Road From Damascus: A Report from the Delegation to Damascus to Consecrate Three New Bishops for North America] (at which Bp. Thomas was consecrated), by Fr. [[John Oliver]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05126/500000.stm Bishop of Oakland, East to be enthroned tonight], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[May 6]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05105/488629.stm Antiochian Orthodox bishop will be enthroned], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[April 15]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Bishops]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Example.jpg]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37092</id>
		<title>Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37092"/>
				<updated>2006-08-11T04:58:02Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 1953) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]].  (''Oakland'' refers to Oakland, Pennsylvania, a borough of Pittsburgh and the location of the cathedral for the Antiochian Diocese of Oakland and the East.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Life==&lt;br /&gt;
Of Arab-American heritage, Thomas Joseph was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1953.  He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, graduating in 1970.  He went on to college at William Paterson College, graduating in 1974.  After college, he worked in the Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, then served as a teacher for the Paterson Board of Education.  When the [[Antiochian Village]] camp opened in the late 1970s, he was recruited by Fr. John Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors from 1979 to 1982.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the fall of 1979, Thomas began part-time study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was made a [[subdeacon]] by [[Metropolitan]] [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] in July of 1982.  He continued his studies until the spring of 1983, when he was assigned to Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, New York.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1984, Metr. Philip assigned him to St. George Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as Director of Christian Education and Youth Services.  While in Texas, the Archdiocese also assigned him to oversee Christian Education and then later teen activities for the churches in the Southwest Region (now the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America). In July of 1988 Thomas was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[August 28]], 1994, Bishop [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun (Khouri)]] ordained Dcn. Thomas to the [[priest]]hood, and Fr. Thomas served as assistant pastor at his parish in Houston until August of 1996, when he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park, Florida (near St. Petersburg).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor.  He was an appointed member of the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organization) Southeastern Region; Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Orthodox Clergy Association; Director of Programs in Pastoral Bioethics for the International Academy of Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine in the United States; Speaker at Braunels, Germany, and at City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; author of published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for many years; past President and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Council of Orthodox Churches. In July 2002, Fr. Thomas was granted a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology jointly from the Antiochian House of Studies and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon.  In August of 2006, Bishop THOMAS was awarded a Doctorate in Education from California Coast University.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[February 15]], 2004, Fr. Thomas was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] by Bp. Antoun, and on [[December 5]], 2004, he was consecrated to the [[bishop|episcopacy]] by [[Patriarch]] [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] in Damascus, Syria.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bp. Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Borough of Oakland), Pennsylvania, on [[May 6]], 2005.  His Grace's residence is at the [[Antiochian Village]] in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{start box}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{succession|&lt;br /&gt;
before=&amp;amp;mdash;|&lt;br /&gt;
title=Bishop of Oakland (Antiochian)|&lt;br /&gt;
years=2004-present|&lt;br /&gt;
after=&amp;amp;mdash;}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{end box}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Reference==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/Biography_of_Father_Thomas/biography_of_father_thomas.htm Biography of Father Thomas Joseph], from [http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/ St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church], in St. Petersburg, Florida&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/Regions/eastern.html Diocese of Oakland and the East]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/1105462907 The Road From Damascus: A Report from the Delegation to Damascus to Consecrate Three New Bishops for North America] (at which Bp. Thomas was consecrated), by Fr. [[John Oliver]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05126/500000.stm Bishop of Oakland, East to be enthroned tonight], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[May 6]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05105/488629.stm Antiochian Orthodox bishop will be enthroned], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[April 15]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Bishops]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Example.jpg]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37091</id>
		<title>Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37091"/>
				<updated>2006-08-11T04:53:12Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Thomas Joseph.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Bp. Thomas of Oakland and the East]]&lt;br /&gt;
His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 1953) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]].  (''Oakland'' refers to Oakland, Pennsylvania, a borough of Pittsburgh and the location of the cathedral for the Antiochian Diocese of Oakland and the East.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Life==&lt;br /&gt;
Of Arab-American heritage, Thomas Joseph was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1953.  He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, graduating in 1970.  He went on to college at William Paterson College, graduating in 1974.  After college, he worked in the Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, then served as a teacher for the Paterson Board of Education.  When the [[Antiochian Village]] camp opened in the late 1970s, he was recruited by Fr. John Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors from 1979 to 1982.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the fall of 1979, Thomas began part-time study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was made a [[subdeacon]] by [[Metropolitan]] [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] in July of 1982.  He continued his studies until the spring of 1983, when he was assigned to Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, New York.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1984, Metr. Philip assigned him to St. George Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as Director of Christian Education and Youth Services.  While in Texas, the Archdiocese also assigned him to oversee Christian Education and then later teen activities for the churches in the Southwest Region (now the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America). In July of 1988 Thomas was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[August 28]], 1994, Bishop [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun (Khouri)]] ordained Dcn. Thomas to the [[priest]]hood, and Fr. Thomas served as assistant pastor at his parish in Houston until August of 1996, when he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park, Florida (near St. Petersburg).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor.  He was an appointed member of the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organization) Southeastern Region; Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Orthodox Clergy Association; Director of Programs in Pastoral Bioethics for the International Academy of Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine in the United States; Speaker at Braunels, Germany, and at City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; author of published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for many years; past President and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Council of Orthodox Churches. In July 2002, Fr. Thomas was granted a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology jointly from the Antiochian House of Studies and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon.  In August of 2006, Bishop THOMAS was awarded a Doctorate in Education from California Coast University.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[February 15]], 2004, Fr. Thomas was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] by Bp. Antoun, and on [[December 5]], 2004, he was consecrated to the [[bishop|episcopacy]] by [[Patriarch]] [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] in Damascus, Syria.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bp. Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Borough of Oakland), Pennsylvania, on [[May 6]], 2005.  His Grace's residence is at the [[Antiochian Village]] in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{start box}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{succession|&lt;br /&gt;
before=&amp;amp;mdash;|&lt;br /&gt;
title=Bishop of Oakland (Antiochian)|&lt;br /&gt;
years=2004-present|&lt;br /&gt;
after=&amp;amp;mdash;}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{end box}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Reference==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/Biography_of_Father_Thomas/biography_of_father_thomas.htm Biography of Father Thomas Joseph], from [http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/ St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church], in St. Petersburg, Florida&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/Regions/eastern.html Diocese of Oakland and the East]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/1105462907 The Road From Damascus: A Report from the Delegation to Damascus to Consecrate Three New Bishops for North America] (at which Bp. Thomas was consecrated), by Fr. [[John Oliver]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05126/500000.stm Bishop of Oakland, East to be enthroned tonight], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[May 6]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05105/488629.stm Antiochian Orthodox bishop will be enthroned], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[April 15]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Bishops]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37090</id>
		<title>Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Thomas_(Joseph)_of_Charleston_and_Oakland&amp;diff=37090"/>
				<updated>2006-08-11T04:42:48Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Brianpartridge: /* Life */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Thomas Joseph.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Bp. Thomas of Oakland and the East]]&lt;br /&gt;
His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 1952) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]].  (''Oakland'' refers to Oakland, Pennsylvania, a borough of Pittsburgh and the location of the cathedral for the Antiochian Diocese of Oakland and the East.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Life==&lt;br /&gt;
Of Arab-American heritage, Thomas Joseph was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1953.  He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, graduating in 1970.  He went on to college at William Paterson College, graduating in 1974.  After college, he worked in the Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, then served as a teacher for the Paterson Board of Education.  When the [[Antiochian Village]] camp opened in the late 1970s, he was recruited by Fr. John Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors from 1979 to 1982.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the fall of 1979, Thomas began part-time study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was made a [[subdeacon]] by [[Metropolitan]] [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] in July of 1982.  He continued his studies until the spring of 1983, when he was assigned to Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, New York.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1984, Metr. Philip assigned him to St. George Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as Director of Christian Education and Youth Services.  While in Texas, the Archdiocese also assigned him to oversee Christian Education and then later teen activities for the churches in the Southwest Region (now the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America). In July of 1988 Thomas was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[August 28]], 1994, Bishop [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun (Khouri)]] ordained Dcn. Thomas to the [[priest]]hood, and Fr. Thomas served as assistant pastor at his parish in Houston until August of 1996, when he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park, Florida (near St. Petersburg).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor.  He was an appointed member of the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organization) Southeastern Region; Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Orthodox Clergy Association; Director of Programs in Pastoral Bioethics for the International Academy of Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine in the United States; Speaker at Braunels, Germany, and at City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; author of published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for the last three years; past President and current Vice President of the Tampa Bay Council of Orthodox Churches. In July 2002, Fr. Thomas was granted a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology jointly from the Antiochian House of Studies and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On [[February 15]], 2004, Fr. Thomas was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] by Bp. Antoun, and on [[December 5]], 2004, he was consecrated to the [[bishop|episcopacy]] by [[Patriarch]] [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] in Damascus, Syria.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bp. Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Borough of Oakland), Pennsylvania, on [[May 6]], 2005.  His Grace's residence is at the [[Antiochian Village]] in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{start box}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{succession|&lt;br /&gt;
before=&amp;amp;mdash;|&lt;br /&gt;
title=Bishop of Oakland (Antiochian)|&lt;br /&gt;
years=2004-present|&lt;br /&gt;
after=&amp;amp;mdash;}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{end box}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Reference==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/Biography_of_Father_Thomas/biography_of_father_thomas.htm Biography of Father Thomas Joseph], from [http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/ St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church], in St. Petersburg, Florida&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/Regions/eastern.html Diocese of Oakland and the East]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.antiochian.org/1105462907 The Road From Damascus: A Report from the Delegation to Damascus to Consecrate Three New Bishops for North America] (at which Bp. Thomas was consecrated), by Fr. [[John Oliver]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05126/500000.stm Bishop of Oakland, East to be enthroned tonight], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[May 6]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05105/488629.stm Antiochian Orthodox bishop will be enthroned], from the [http://www.post-gazette.com/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ([[April 15]], 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Bishops]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Brianpartridge</name></author>	</entry>

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