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All-American Council

2013-01-09T15:13:15Z

Andrew: add link, fix numbers as in minutes.

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. It was attended by 11 Hierarchs, 295 Clergy Delegates, 284 Lay Delegates for 590 eligible to vote. Also, there were 7 Retired Clergy and 66 Observers for a total of 663 people. The only order of business for this council was the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bishop Michael 205, Archbishop Tikhon 118. Also receiving first ballot votes were, [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Bishop Melchizedek]] 94, [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Archbishop Nathaniel]] 49, [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Archbishop Benjamin]] 23, [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Bishop Basil (Essey)]] 17, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] 17, [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Archbishop Nikon]] 13, [[Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore|Bishop Mark (Maymon)]] 10, [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Bishop Alexander]] 8, [[Irénée (Rochon) of Quebec City|Bishop Irénée]] 5, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR)]] 3, [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Bishop Matthias]] 3, Archimandrite Alexander (Pihach) 3, Hieromonk [[David (Mahaffey)|David Mahaffey]] 3, [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Archbishop Alejo]] 2, Igumen Gerasim (Eliel) 2, [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]] 1, [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Bishop Ireneu]] 1, [[Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai|Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist)]] 1, Archimandrite Vladimir (Wendling) 1, Igumen Sergius (Bowyer) 1, Igumen Patrick (Carpenter) 1, Archpriest Paul Gassios 1, and Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak) 1. There were 7 invalid/blank ballots for a total of 590 votes.

On the second ballot: Bishop Michael 355, Archbishop Tikhon 317, Bishop Melchizedek 161, Archbishop Nathaniel 81, Bishop Mark (Maymon) 28, Bishop Basil (Essey) 25, Archbishop Benjamin 23, Archbishop Nikon 23, Bishop Alexander 20, Bishop Irénée (Rochon) 15,
Metropolitan Jonah 14, Metropolitan Hilarion (Kaprel)(ROCOR) 13, Archbishop Alejo 11, Bishop Matthias 9, Abbot Gerasim (Eliel) 6, Bishop Irineu (Duvlea) 5, Fr. David Mezynski 5, Archimandrite Alexander (Pihach) 4, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) 3, Archimandrite Christopher (Calin) 3, [[Kyrill (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Patriarch Kyrill]] 2, [[Meletios (Webber)|Archimandrite Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Igumen Sergius (Bowyer) 2, Archpriest Paul Gassios 2, Hieromonk David (Mahaffey) 2, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Metropolitan Herman]] 1, Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (Alfeyev)]](ROC) 1, [[Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland|Bishop Thomas]] (Antiochian) 1, Archimandrite Juvenaly (Repass) 1, Archimandrite Pitirim (Stehnach) 1, Igumen Joseph (Hoffman) 1, Igumen Patrick (Carpenter) 1, Fr. David Brum 1, Fr. Theodore Heckman 1, Fr. Basil Summer 1, Fr. John Chudik 1, Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak) 1, Brother Luke (Dorr) 2. There were 11 invalid ballots (22 votes), and 6 ballots (12 votes) were not submitted for a total of 1180 votes.
==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://files.oca.org/aacs/2012-1113-17thaac-official-minutes.pdf Seventeenth All-American Council MINUTES]

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

Category:Bishops of Amorion

2012-12-11T20:33:26Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category:Bishops by city|Amorion]]

Category:Churches in South Africa

2012-11-21T16:13:31Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category: Churches|South Africa]]

Orthodox Church in America

2012-11-20T14:41:34Z

Andrew: bishops

The '''Orthodox Church in America''' (OCA) is an [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] church with parishes mainly in the United States and Canada (though it had a few parishes in Australia and elsewhere). The OCA was formerly known as the '''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America''', or more informally, the '''Metropolia'''. Previous to that, it was the North American Diocese of the [[Church of Russia]]. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by most of the other autocephalous Orthodox churches.

{{church|
name=Orthodox Church in America[[Image:OCA 1.jpg|center|The Orthodox Church in America]]|
founder=Ss. [[Herman of Alaska]], [[Innocent of Alaska]], [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]|
independence=1970 ("temporary self-government" in 1924)|
recognition=1970 by [[Church of Russia]] |
primate=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] |
hq=[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|Syosset, New York]]|
territory=United States and Canada|
possessions=Mexico|
language=English, [[Church Slavonic]], Spanish|
music=[[Russian Chant]], [[Byzantine Chant]] (in some ethnic dioceses)|
calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]], [[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|
population=30,000 to 1,000,000|
website=[http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America]
}}
== History ==
''Main Article: [[History of the OCA]]''

The OCA began with the missionary work of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands by eight Orthodox monks who arrived in Alaska in 1794. They were part of the centuries-old missionary heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church that brought the Orthodox Church, by the monks Hourg and Barsanuphii, to the Mongol peoples. And monk St Stephen of Perm (1340-96) who would in turn journey beyond Kazan, across the Ural mountain, into the forests of Siberia to bring Orthodoxy to the pagan Zyrians. And the Russian monks who brought the Church even more eastward, eventually establishing a network of missions across Siberia and along the entire Pacific Rim: in China (1686), Alaska (1794), Japan (1861), and Korea (1898).

While the Church in Alaska was growing, immigrants were arriving in the rest of North America. In the 1860s a parish was established in San Francisco by Serbians, Russians and Greeks. Parishes were also established across the territory of the United States. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the headquarters of the North American Diocese was moved to San Francisco and then to New York. At this time there were great waves of Orthodox immigrants from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, and the Middle East. A belief commonly held within OCA circles (and among some in other jurisdictions) is that they were all united in a single [[diocese]] or [[jurisdiction]], which was under the Russian Orthodox Church. (This view is disputed by a number of non-OCA church historians.) Although the Russians certainly were united, as were some parishes from other ethnic groups (especially those of Middle Eastern heritage), there were many others (most notably the overwhelming majority of the Greeks) who did not look to the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America. Instead, they looked to their mother churches. In an attempt to address this problem, Archbishop Tikhon, later [[Tikhon of Moscow]], had advocated (in a 1905 report to the Holy Synod) for an American Orthodox Church with "greater autonomy," governed by a synod of bishops representing the various nationalities. Tikhon's proposal did not have the opportunity to succeed.

In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution brought communication between the churches in North America and Russia to an almost complete halt. In the early 1920s, Patriarch [[Tikhon of Moscow]] directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of Russia to govern themselves autonomously until regular communication could be resumed. (He died in 1925, and was glorified as a [[saint]] by the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] in 1989.) Shortly thereafter, at a Council of all hierarchs and clergy and parish delegates, it was decided that the Church in North America could no longer maintain strict administrative ties with the Church in Russia, especially since Patriarch Tikhon had been arrested. Additionally, the loss of financial support from the fallen empire added to the diocese's problems.

At that time, some parishes which had been part of a single, multi-ethnic, North American [[diocese]] organized separate dioceses and placed themselves under various other [[mother church]]es, solidifying the current situation of multiple, ethnically-based, overlapping, jurisdictions in North America. Though the revolution in Russia helped to speed this fragmentation process along, it had already been occurring prior to 1917, as hundreds of Orthodox parishes in the US had been founded without any reference to the Russian presence, whose authority was not universally acknowledged.

From that point until the restoration of relations with Moscow in the 1960s, the Metropolia entered twice into union with the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (see [[ROCOR and OCA]]), finally breaking with the latter body in 1946. Additionally, in 1927, the bishops of the Metropolia attempted to create an autocephalous body known as the [[American Orthodox Catholic Church]], which failed after only six years.

In the early 1960s, the Metropolia (as it was then known) resumed communication with the Patriarch of Moscow, and in 1970 full communion was restored. At that time, the Patriarch of Moscow officially granted the OCA [[autocephaly]], or self-governing administrative status. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all autocephalous Orthodox Churches, including the [[Church of Constantinople]]. Churches that do recognize its autocephaly are mainly those in former Communist lands (most of which had thus come under the influence of the Church of Russia), including the [[Church of Russia]], the [[Church of Bulgaria]], the [[Church of Poland]], the [[Church of Georgia]], and the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]]. According to apologists for OCA autocephaly, it is common for recognition of autocephaly to be granted belatedly; however opponents regard the grant as not being within the purview of Moscow's [[presbeia|prerogatives]] (see [[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]).

== The OCA today ==
[[Image:OCA chancery.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|The OCA chancery, Oyster Bay Cove (Syosset), New York]]]]
The OCA today consists of 14 dioceses on the territory of Canada, the United States, and Mexico with 623 parishes, missions, and institutions (456 of which are parishes). Of the dioceses 3 are non-territorially organized along ethnic lines. These [[Ethnic diocese|ethnic dioceses]] include communities in both the United States and Canada.

There are three ethnically defined dioceses in the OCA: The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Boston (13 parishes[http://oca.org/DIRlists.parish.diocese.asp?diocese=OCA-AL&x=24&y=12&SID=9&CLASS=P&TYPE=DIOCESE]), the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo (21 communities[http://www.bdoca.org/Parishes.html]), and the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America (100 communities[http://www.roea.org/directories.html]). These dioceses' geographic territory overlaps with the other dioceses of the OCA and they have under their care parishes with those ethnic associations, although all are home to multiethnic parishes and the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese also includes Romanian-language communities. These dioceses are the result of smaller ethnic [[jurisdiction]]s joining the OCA at some point in its history, usually after having broken from other bodies due to the politics of the Cold War era.

The OCA also has 28 monastic communities[http://oca.org/DIRmonastics.asp?SID=9], six of which fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Metropolitan (i.e., are [[stavropigial]]). The largest of these monasteries are [[New Skete (Cambridge, New York)]] and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]].

There are three [[seminary|seminaries]] operated by the OCA: [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1937), [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1938), and [[St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Kodiak, Alaska)|St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1973). All three educate seminarians from multiple Orthodox jurisdictions, including those outside North America.

The OCA is a member of the [[Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America]] that has superseded the [[Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas]] (SCOBA).

Since November of 2005, when a list of accusations were brought forward by Protodeacon Eric Wheeler, the former treasurer of the OCA, its administration has been the subject of allegations of financial misconduct. Internal investigations, audits, and other actions have since then been enacted in an attempt to address the allegations, including the firing and [[deposition]] of the OCA [[chancellor]], the former Protopresbyter [[Robert S. Kondratick]]. The [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCA News] website, a privately operated site with no connection to the administration, has been publishing reports and editorials on the scandal since January of 2006, including allegations of division within the OCA's holy synod. In August 2007, the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]], which contributes to the OCA more funds than any other OCA diocese, began withholding its assessments to the central administration.[http://www.midwestdiocese.org/news_070814_1.html]

In September of 2008, after the release of a scathing report by an official investigative committee, the former primate, Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], was disciplined[http://www.oca.org/news/1631] and the then current primate, Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] was retired by the Holy Synod.[http://www.oca.org/news/1632]

On [[November 12]], 2008, after financial scandals, the OCA's All-American Council and Holy Synod elected [[auxiliary bishop]] [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] as its new metropolitan. He was formally installed on [[December 28]], 2008 at the primate's [[cathedral]] St. [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|Nicholas Cathedral]] in Washington, D.C..

On [[November 13]], 2012, the OCA's current [[primate]], the Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] was elected at the 17th [[All-American Council]].

===Diocesan structure===
*[[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Alaska]]
*[[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA)|Albanian Archdiocese]]
*[[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]
*[[Archdiocese of Canada (OCA)|Archdiocese of Canada]]
*[[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania]]
*[[Diocese of Mexico (OCA)|Diocese of Mexico]]
*[[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]]
*[[Diocese of New England (OCA)|Diocese of New England]]
*[[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|Diocese of New York and New Jersey]]
*[[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America]]
*[[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]]
*[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.]]
*[[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]]
*[[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]

===Growth and membership figures===
Altogether, estimates of OCA faithful number from about 28,000[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] to 1 million[http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg.aspx?eccpageID=27] to 2 million[http://www.aidsfaith.com/articles/denom.asp], depending on the report cited and method used for counting. The number of new parishes founded from 1990 to 2000 increased the overall parish number by about 12%, and new membership has been fairly equally divided between new immigrants, children of existing members, and converts to the faith. Overall, according to one report the trend during that decade held the population of OCA faithful in neither increase nor decline, but remaining steady.[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/tab2.pdf] According to another, however, that same decade saw a 13% decline.[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf]

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}

According to Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff, who is on the administrative committee of the OCA's Department of Evangelization and the board of directors of the [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center]], the OCA's American contintental membership (i.e., not including Alaska, Canada, or the ethnic dioceses) "has been declining between 6 and 9% for nearly 20 years. The OCA's Census population in 1994 was 29,775; in 2004 it stood at 27,169."[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] Despite these sobering figures, however, the OCA's dioceses of the West and South, as well as many parishes in other dioceses, have reported steady growth.

==Name==
According to the 1970 ''[[Tomos]] of Autocephaly'' granted by the [[Church of Russia]], the name of this church body was originally ''The Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America''.[http://www.oca.org/DOCtomos.asp?SID=12] According to the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, adopted by the Second All-American Council in October 1971, the usage is ''The Orthodox Church in America'' at the beginning of sentences[http://oca.org/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12&ID=1] and ''the Orthodox Church in America'' in the middle of sentences[http://www.oca.org/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12&ID=4], thus seeming to imply that the capitalization of ''the'' in the name is not vital.

==Episcopacy==
===Diocesan bishops===
* Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]], Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada, ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]].
* Most Reverend [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel (Popp)]], Archbishop of Detroit and the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Episcopate]].
* Right Reverend [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon (Liolin)]], Bishop of Boston, [[Diocese of New England (OCA)|New England]] and the [[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA)|Albanian Archdiocese]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|South]]
* Right Reverend [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin (Peterson)]], Bishop of San Francisco and the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Alaska]]
* Right Reverend [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo (Pacheco-Vera)]], Bishop of Mexico City and [[Exarchate of Mexico (OCA)|Exarch of Mexico]]
* Right Reverend [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek (Pleska)]], Bishop of Pittsburgh and [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Western Pennsylvania]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Eastern Pennsylvania]].
* Right Reverend [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]], Bishop of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York, and New Jersey]].
* Right Reverend [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthias (Moriak)]], Bishop of Chicago and the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]] (on Leave of Absence)
* Right Reverend [[Alexander (Golitzin)]], Bishop of Toledo and the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]].

===Auxiliary bishops===
* Right Reverend [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu (Duvlea)]], Bishop of Dearborn Heights and Auxiliary to Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel of Detroit]].
* Right Reverend [[Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore|Mark (Maymon)]], Bishop of Baltimore, Administrator of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese Eastern Pennsylvania]], Synodal Liaison for Departments and Commissions of the Orthodox Church in America.
* Right Reverend [[Irénée (Rochon)|Irénée (Rochon)]], Bishop of Quebéc City, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada.

===Retired bishops===
* Most Blessed [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]], Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Blessed [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Blessed [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]], former Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Reverend [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]], Archbishop of Ottawa
* Most Reverend [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim (Storheim)]], Archbishop of Ottawa and [[Archdiocese of Canada (OCA)|Canada]]
* Right Reverend [[Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai|Seraphim (Sigrist)]], Bishop of Sendai and Eastern Japan
* Right Reverend [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark (Forsberg)]], Bishop of Boston
* Right Reverend [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald)]], Bishop of San Francisco, Los Angeles and the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]]
* Right Reverend [[Varlaam (Novakshonoff) of Vancouver|Varlaam (Novakshonoff)]], Bishop of Vancouver
* Right Reverend [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]], Bishop of Sitka and [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Alaska]]

===Reposed bishops===
* Most Reverend [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]], Archbishop of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]
* Most Reverend [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York|Peter (L'Huillier)]], Archbishop of New York and New Jersey
* Most Reverend [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|South]]
* Most Reverend [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job (Osacky)]], Archbishop of Chicago and the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]]
* Most Reverend [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory (Afonsky)]], Archbishop of Sitka and Alaska
(see also: [[Bishops of the Russian Metropolia in North America]])

== List of primates and ruling bishops==
[[Image:Raphel Platon Alexander.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Raphael of Brooklyn|St. Raphel]], [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon]], and [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of Brussels|Alexander]]]]
* Bishop [[Joasaph (Bolotov) of Kodiak|Joasaph (Bolotov)]] ''Bishop of Kodiak Auxiliary of the Irkutsk Diocese'' (1799)
* Bishop [[Innocent of Alaska|Innocent (Veniaminov)]] ''of Alaska''
** ''Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands'' (1840-50)
** ''Archbishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands'' (1850-68)
* Bishop [[Peter (Ekaterinovsky) of Novoarkhangelsk|Peter (Ekaterinovsky)]] ''Bishop of Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka) Auxiliary of the Kamchatka Diocese'' (1859-66)
* Bishop [[Paul (Popov) of Novoarkhangelsk|Paul (Popov)]] ''Bishop of Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka), Auxiliary of the Kamchatka Diocese'' (1866-70)
* Bishop [[John (Mitropolsky) of the Aleutians|John (Mitropolsky)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1870-77)
* Bishop [[Nestor (Zakkis) of the Aleutians|Nestor (Zakkis)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1878-82)
* Bishop [[Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) of the Aleutians|Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1887-91)
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Adoratsky) of Orenburg and Ural|Nicholas (Adoratsky)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1891)
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1891-98)
* Bishop [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] ''of Moscow''
** ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1898-1900)
** ''Bishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1900-05)
** ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1905-07)
* Archbishop [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1907-14)
* Archbishop [[Evdokim (Meschersky) of the Aleutians|Evdokim (Meschersky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1914-18)
* Archbishop [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of Brussels|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1919-22)
* Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] ''Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1922-34)
* Metropolitan [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]] ''Archbishop of San Francisco, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1934-50)
* Metropolitan [[Leonty (Turkevich) of New York|Leonty (Turkevich)]] ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1950-65)
* Metropolitan [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]] ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1965-77) assisted by Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal|Sylvester (Haruns)]] ''Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, Temporary Administrator of the Orthodox Church in America'' (1974-77)
* Metropolitan [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]]
** ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1977-80)
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1981-2002)
* Metropolitan [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2002-2005)
** ''Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2005-2008)
* Metropolitan [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]
** ''Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2008-2009)
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2009-2012)
* Metropolitan [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]], ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2012-present)
==Reference==
* ''Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America'', C. J. Tarasar, Gen. Ed. 1975, The Orthodox Church in America, Syosett, New York

==See also==
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]

{{churches}}

== Recent News ==


<rss>http://www.oca.org/newsrss.xml|short|max=6</rss>
== External links ==
* [http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America] (Official Website)
** [http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=157&SID=12 The Road to Autocephaly 1963-1970] Talk given by Dr. Constantine H. Kallaur
** [http://www.oca.org/DOCtomos.asp?SID=12 The Tomos of Autocephaly] Signed in the city of Moscow, [[April 10]], 1970, by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the members its Holy Synod.
** [http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
** [http://oca.org/HSprimatialelections.asp?SID=7 Primatial Elections in the OCA]
* [http://dioceseofalaska.org/ Diocese of Alaska] (Official Website)
* [http://www.bdoca.org/ Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo] (Official Website)
* [http://www.archdiocese.ca/ Archdiocese of Canada] (Official Website)
* [http://doepa.org/ Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania] (Official Website)
* [http://ocamexico.org/ Diocese of Mexico] (Official Website)
* [http://domoca.org/ Diocese of the Midwest] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dneoca.org/ Diocese of New England] (Official Website)
* [http://www.nynjoca.org/ Diocese of New York and New Jersey] (Official Website)
* [http://www.ocadwpa.org/ Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania] (Official Website)
* [http://www.roea.org/ Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dosoca.org/ Diocese of the South] (Official Website)
* [http://wdcoca.org/ Archdiocese of Washington] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dowoca.org/ Diocese of the West] (Official Website)
* [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=27&IndexView=toc Eastern Christian Churches: OCA] by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar
* [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCANews.org: Orthodox Christians for Accountability], a website critical of the OCA's administration
[[Category:Jurisdictions|OCA]]

[[es:Iglesia Ortodoxa en América]]
[[fr:Église en Amérique]]
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă din America]]
[[ru:Американская православная церковь]]

Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore

2012-11-20T14:24:28Z

Andrew: Administrator PA

[[Image:Mark Maymon2.jpg|right|frame|Bishop Mark (Maymon)]]
His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore''' is an [[auxiliary bishop]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]]. Formerly a diocesan [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]], he was received in the OCA during December 2010 after his release by Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip]] of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

==Life==
Bp. Mark was born in New Albany, Indiana on [[June 22]], 1958 and [[baptism|baptized]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. After graduation from high school in 1976 he attended Indiana University South East before transferring to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985. In 1987, he received a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Literature from Oral Roberts University where he accepted a position as Adjunct Professor of Old Testament. Introduced to Orthodox Christianity by Fr. George Eber and his professors of Church History, Bp. Mark was received into the Orthodox Church through Holy [[Chrismation]] in 1989. He then attended [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] in Crestwood, New York, where in 1991 he earned a Master of Theology degree.

Bp. Mark was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] by Bp. [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun]] on [[August 17]], 1997 and a [[priest]] on [[September 7]], 1997 in the Antiochian Archdiocese. He served as pastor of St. John's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and then at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan,

In 2004, he was elected [[bishop]] by the local synod of the Antiochian Archdiocese. On [[December 5]], 2004, he was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus, Syria by Patr. [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch|Ignatius IV]] and other bishops. He was then [[enthronement|enthroned]] diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest at St. George Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio on [[August 25]], 2005.

After some difficulties regarding the status of the Local Synod in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Bp. Mark refused a transfer from his see and requested a release to the Orthodox Church in America, which was officially granted on December 8, 2010. Effective [[January 1]], 2011, Bp. Mark served as Auxiliary to Metropolitan Jonah of Washington, ruling metropolitan of the OCA, with the title "Bishop of Baltimore", and was administer of the OCA [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].
He presently serves as Administrator of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and Synodal Liaison for Departments and Commissions of the Orthodox Church in America.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo|Michael (Shaheen)]]|
title=Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest (Antiochian)|
years=2004-2010|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]]|
title=Bishop of Baltimore (OCA)|
years=2011-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[http://www.oca.org/news/2352 Bishop Mark released from Antiochian Archdiocese, received by Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.antiochian.org/BishopMARK AOCA: About Bishop Mark]
*[http://www.antiochian.org/node/24504 Metropolitan Philip Grants A Canonical Release For His Grace Bishop Mark To Be Received Into The Orthodox Church In America]

==External link==
*[http://www.dosoca.org/ Diocese of South] (OCA website)

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Toledo]]
[[Category: Bishops of Baltimore]]
[[Category: St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Roman Catholicism]]

Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)

2012-11-20T14:13:33Z

Andrew: Locum Tenens

[[Image:Map of USA highlighting OCA Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania.png|thumb|Visual representation of the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania]]

The '''Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania''' is a [[diocese]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]]. Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in two states in the United States – Delaware and Pennsylvania. The diocesan chancery is located in South Canaan Township, Pennsylvania.

The diocese is was last under the leadership of His Grace, the Right Reverend [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia]]. He was consecrated as a bishop on [[February 14]], 2004, and installed as the ruling bishop of the diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania on [[October 29]], 2005. On [[May 9]], 2012, he was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop. He remained the diocese bishop until [[November 13]], 2012, when he was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.

Currently the Right Reverend [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh]] is [[Locum Tenens]] of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. and the Right Reverend [[Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore|Mark of Baltimore]] is acting administrator.

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
== Deaneries ==
The three [[Deanery|deaneries]] of the diocese and their territories are:

* Frackville Deanery – Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia Deanery – Delaware and Pennsylvania
* Wilkes-Barre Deanery – Pennsylvania

==Ruling bishops==
*[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia]] 2005-2012
*[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]] 1981-2002
*[[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]] 1964-1980
*[[Dimitry (Magan) of Boston]] 1957?-1964
*[[Nikon (de Greve) of Brooklyn|Nikon (de Greve) of Philadelphia]] 1948 - 1952

== External link ==

* [http://doepa.org/ Official site]

[[Category:OCA Dioceses|Eastern Pennsylvania]]
{{stub}}

Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-20T14:01:43Z

Andrew: linkw

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington''' was elected [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. His title is "Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada".
==Life==
Bishop Tikhon was born Marc R. Mollard in Boston, Massachusetts on [[July 15]], 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church ([[OCA]]).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from [[Anglican Communion|Episcopalianism]], and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Seminary]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]] as a [[novice]].

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in [[Old Testament]] Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's level courses in the [[prophet]]s and the [[Psalms]] and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament [[saint]]s, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in [[patristics|patristic]] literature.

In 1995 he was [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schema by His Eminence [[Archbishop]] [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Patriarch Tikhon]], Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was [[ordination|ordaine]]d to the Holy [[deacon|Diaconate]] and Holy [[Priest]]hood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of [[igumen]] and in 2000 to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Igumen [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain," published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press, by illustrating this classic book about [[Mount Athos]].

In December 2002, he was appointed by [[Metropolitan]] Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, [[February 14]], 2004 by his Beatitude Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.

On [[October 29]], 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling [[hierarch]] of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] during [[Divine Liturgy]] at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.

On [[May 9]], 2012, he was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, and on November 13, 2012, Archbishop Tikhon was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.

==External link==
*[http://oca.org/News.asp?ID=867&SID=19 Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania] - OCA Web site.
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/archbishop-tikhon-elected-metropolitan-of-all-american-and-canada Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada] - OCA Web site.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of South Canaan|
years=2004-2005|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA)]]|
years=2005-2012|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2012-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Bishops of South Canaan]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Mollard]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Mollard]]
[[Category:St. Tikhon's Seminary Graduates]]
[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]

Category:Bishops of Olomouc and Brno

2012-11-16T20:01:28Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category: Bishops by city|Olomouc and Brno]]

Christopher (Pulec) of Prague

2012-11-16T19:59:26Z

Andrew: add box

[[Image:Christopher of Prague.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Archbishop Christopher (Pulets) of Prague and the Czech Lands]]His Beatitude Metropolitan '''Christopher (Pulets) of Prague and the Czech Lands and Slovakia''' is the [[primate]] of the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]]. He has participated in numerous theological conferences and has represented the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia in many venues. Fluent in his native language and also Russian, Greek, German and English, he is well known for his academic pursuits in theology and philosophy, having a doctorate in both.

==Biographical timeline==
*1953: Radim Pulets born in Prague.
*1974: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] and [[priest]]hood.
*1979: Completed theological studies at the Orthodox Theological Faculty, Presov, Czechoslovakia. Went to [[Seminary|Moscow Theological Academy]].
*1984: Completed graduate studies at Moscow Theological Academy.
*1987: Completed additional theological studies at the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens, Greece.
*1985: Fr Radim was [[tonsure]]d at Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in Sergiev-Posad (then Zagorsk), Russia, and given the name ''Christopher''.
*1987: His Beatitude Metropolitan [[Dorotheus (Filipp) of Prague|Dorotheus]], [[primate]] of the Church of Czechoslovakia, elevated Hmk Christopher to [[archimandrite]]. Archim. Christopher served at Prague's Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
*1988: Archim. Christopher was [[Consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] to the episcopacy, over which Metr. Dorotheus presided, and was elected Bishop of Olomouc and Brno.
*2000: At repose of Metr. Dorotheus, Bp. Christopher was named ''Archbishop of Prague and the Czech Lands'', and oversaw the Church's Metropolitan Council.
*2006 [[May 2]]: After repose of Metr. Nikolaj, Abp. Christopher was chosen (by lot of two names) to be Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.
*2006 [[May 28]]: Enthronement of Metr. Christopher.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/NewsPrintable.asp?ID=988 OCA press release], May 2, 2006.
*[http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=31153&lng=1 Orthodox Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia elects a new primate]
*[http://portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=42756&cf= Portal-Credo.ru article] (in Russian)
*[http://orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/hierarchs/czech/current.htm#christopher_metr_czech Listing] at the Orthodox Research Institute

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Olomouc and Brno|
years=1988 - 2006|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=Nicholas of Presov|
title= Archbishop of Prague Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia|
years=2006-present|
after=?}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Metropolitans of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]]
[[Category:Bishops of Prague]]
[[Category:Bishops of Olomouc and Brno]]

List of Patriarchs

2012-11-16T19:23:55Z

Andrew: (no NY)

The following is a list of the names and titles of the current presiding [[patriarch]]s, [[metropolitan]]s, and [[archbishop]]s ([[primate]]s) of the [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] and [[autonomy|autonomous]] Orthodox churches:

==Autocephalous Churches==
*His All-Holiness [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]], Archbishop of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] and New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch
*His Beatitude [[Theodoros II (Choreftakis) of Alexandria|Theodoros II]], Pope and Patriarch of [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] and All Africa
*His Beatitude [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch|Ignatius IV]], Patriarch of [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]] and All the East
*His Beatitude [[Theophilus III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem|Theophilus III]], Patriarch of the Holy City of [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem and All Palestine]]
*His Beatitude [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kyrill]], Patriarch of [[Church of Russia|Moscow and All Russia]],
*His Holiness [[Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Georgia|Ilia II]], Catholicos-Patriarch of [[Church of Georgia|All Georgia]], Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi
*His Holiness [[Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Serbia|Irinej (Gavrilovic)]], Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, Patriarch of [[Church of Serbia|Serbia]]
*His Beatitude, [[Daniel (Ciobotea) of Romania|Daniel]], Patriarch of [[Church of Romania|All Romania]], Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Archbishop of Bucharest

*His Beatitude [[Chrysostomos II (Demetriou) of New Justiniana|Chrysostomos II]], Archbishop of New Justiniana and [[Church of Cyprus|All Cyprus]]
*His Beatitude [[Ieronymos II (Liapis) of Athens|Ieronymos II]], Archbishop of Athens and [[Church of Greece|All Greece]]
*His Beatitude [[Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania|Anastasios]], Archbishop of Tirana and [[Church of Albania|All Albania]]
*His Beatitude [[Sawa (Hrycuniak) of Poland|Sawa]], Metropolitan of Warsaw and [[Church of Poland|All Poland]]
*His Beatitude [[Christopher (Pulets) of Prague|Christopher]], Archbishop of Prague, Metropolitan of the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia|Czech Lands and Slovakia]]
*His Beatitude [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of [[Orthodox Church in America|All America and Canada]]

==Autonomous Churches==
*His Beatitude Damianos, Archbishop of [[Church of Sinai|Sinai]] and Raithu
*His Beatitude [[Leo (Makkonen) of Finland|Leo]], Archbishop of Karelia and [[Church of Finland|All Finland]]
*His Eminence [[Stephanos (Charalambides) of Tallinn|Stephanos]], Metropolitan of Tallinn and [[Church of Estonia (Ecumenical Patriarchate)|All Estonia]]
*His Beatitude [[Daniel (Nushiro) of Japan|Daniel]], Archbishop of Tokyo, Metropolitan of [[Church of Japan|All Japan]]
*His Beatitude [[Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev|Volodymyr]], Metropolitan of Kiev and [[Church of Ukraine|All Ukraine]]

==See also==
*[[List of autocephalous and autonomous Churches]]
*[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople]]
*[[List of Patriarchs of Alexandria]]
*[[List of Patriarchs of Antioch]]
*[[List of primates of Russia]]
*[[List of Patriarchs of Serbia]]
*[[List of Archbishops of Athens]]
*[[List of Coptic Popes]]

==Source==
*List taken from [http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/ Orthodox Research Institute]

[[Category:Bishops|*]]
[[Category:Jurisdictions|*]]

[[ro:Lista Patriarhilor]]

Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington

2012-11-16T18:40:29Z

Andrew: title “His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, former Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All-America and Canada”.

[[Image:Jonah Paffhausen.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan]]
His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington''' was the [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) until the Holy Synod of Bishops requested and accepted His Eminence's resignation on [[July 7]], 2012. He was elected as metropolitan on [[November 12]], 2008, and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[December 28]], 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.

==Life==
James Paffhausen was born in Chicago, Illinois, and baptized into the Episcopal Church. His family later moved to La Jolla, California, near San Diego. In 1978, he was received into the Orthodox Church at Our Lady of Kazan Church ([[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]) while studying at the University of California - San Diego. James later transferred to UC - Santa Cruz and helped to establish an [[OCF]] chapter there.

After graduation from UCSC, James went on to study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], graduating in 1985 with an M.Div. and again in 1988 with an M.Th. in Dogmatic Theology. In 1989, he began doctoral studies at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, but interrupted his studies to spend a year in Russia, working for ''Russkiy Palomnik'' in the publishing arm of the Moscow Patriarchate. During his time in Russia, he was introduced to Russian spirituality and its particular form of monastic life.

He eventually joined [[Valaam Monastery]] as a [[novice]], coming under the spiritual direction of Archimandrite [[Pancras (Zherdev) of Valaam|Pankratiy]], the monastery's [[abbot]]. Fr. Pankratiy's spiritual father, Elder [[Cyril (Pavlov)|Kyrill]] of [[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra|Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra]], later blessed James to become a [[hieromonk]].

In 1994, James was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] and [[priest]]hood, and then in the following year, he was [[tonsure]]d a monastic at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]], South Canaan, Pennsylvania, receiving the name Jonah.

Hmk. Jonah returned to his home state of California, serving a number of mission [[parish]]es there and later given the obedience to establish a monastery. In 1996, [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|St. John of San Francisco Monastery]] was founded in Point Reyes, California (later moving to Manton). During his tenure as abbot, Fr. Jonah grew the monastic community to more than fifteen members. In this period, he also worked to establish Californian missions in Merced, Sonora, Chico, Eureka, Redding, and Susanville, among others, and in Kona, Hawaii.

In 2008, Fr. Jonah was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] and sent from the monastery to take on the duties of being an [[auxiliary bishop]] for the OCA's [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]]. In September of that year, he was officially elected to that position, and then on [[November 1]] [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] in Dallas as Bishop of Fort Worth, led by Abp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], then ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the OCA's metropolitan see.

Eleven days later, on [[November 12]], Bishop Jonah was elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Pittsburgh. His formal [[enthronement]] in Washington, D.C., was on [[December 28]], 2008, at [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|St. Nicholas Cathedral]].

After an episcopate that became increasingly controversial, Metr. Jonah submitted a resignation as the first hierarch of the OCA on [[July 6]], 2012.<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/metropolitan-jonah-tenders-resignation] Metropolitan Jonah tenders resignation</ref> On [[July 16]], 2012, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA issued a "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah".<ref>[http://oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2012/2012-0716-holy-synod-statement.pdf] Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah</ref>

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=''founding [[abbot]]''|
title=Abbot of the [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|Monastery of St. John of San Francisco]]|
years=1996-2008|
after=[[Meletios (Webber)]]}}
{{succession|
before=''new creation''|
title=Bishop of Fort Worth (OCA)|
years=2008|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington and New York]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2008-2009|
after=[[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]] ''Bishop of New York and New Jersey''}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2009-2012|
after=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]]}}
{{end box}}

==References==
<references/>

==Sources==
*"[http://www.oca.org/news/1681 Archimandrite Jonah (Paffhausen) consecrated Bishop of Fort Worth and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the South]", OCA News & Events
*"[http://www.oca.org/news/1693 Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth Elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada]"

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/HSbiojonah.asp?SID=7 Official biography], from the [[OCA]] website
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/72157608623682945/ Consecration of Bishop Jonah] (photographs)
*[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/ Monastery of St. John of San Francisco], where Metr. Jonah was abbot for 12 years
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=101187 Orthodox Church in America selects new Metropolitan] (video), from the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''

===Written works===
*[http://www.oca.org/metropolitan-jonah.html Official statements, speeches, etc.], from the [[OCA]] website
*[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/articles.htm Writings and Talks], from St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco Monastery
*[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1403441/posts Five Good Reasons NOT to Visit a Monastery], from ''Again'' magazine
*[http://www.dosoca.org/files/08%20Assembly/AbbatialEditorialCollection.pdf Perspectives on Orthodoxy in America] (editorials from ''Divine Ascent'')
*[http://www.ctlibrary.com/rq/1997/winter/3125.html The Eternal Liturgy: Worship in the Orthodox Tradition], from ''re:generation Quarterly''
*[http://www.orthodoxnews.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Features.one&content_id=9859&CFID=72092943&CFTOKEN=53644936&tp_preview=true The Doors of Repentance]: The Journey of the Holy Order of MANS/Christ the Saviour Brotherhood and the [[St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood]] into the Canonical Orthodox Church, from ''Again'' magazine
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/metropolitan-jonah/MJ.Episcopacy_Primacy_Mother%20Churches.pdf Episcopacy, Primacy and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective]] (from a meeting of the [[Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]]) (2008)
*[http://www.oca.org/jonah-acceptance.html Acceptance speech], at his election as auxiliary bishop of Fort Worth

===Audio recordings===
*"The Path to Prayer": [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/14/fr-jonah-paffhausen-the-path-to-prayer-part-1/ Part 1], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/21/the-path-to-prayer-part-2-do-not-react-qa/ Part 2: "Do Not React," Q&A], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/28/the-path-to-prayer-part-3-do-not-resent/ Part 3: "Do Not Resent"], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/02/04/the-path-to-prayer-part-4-keep-inner-stillness/ Part 4: "Keep Inner Stillness"], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/05/19/the-path-to-prayer-part-5-keep-inner-stillness-qa/ Part 5: "Keep Inner Stillness" (cont'd), Q&A] (February 2008)
*From Ancient Faith Radio
**Interview on the Jesus Prayer: [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/interview_with_abbot_jonah_on_the_jesus_prayer_part_1/ Part 1], [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/interview_with_fr_jonah_on_the_jesus_prayer_part_2/ Part 2] (2007)
**[http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/fr_jonah_on_monasticism/ Interview on Monasticism] (2007)
**Interview on the Healing of the Human Person: [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/father_jonah_on_the_healing_of_the_human_person_part_1/ Part 1], [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/father_jonah_on_the_healing_of_the_human_person_part_2/ Part 2] (2007)
**[http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/fr_jonah_on_why_be_a_monk/ Interview on Why Be a Monk] (2007)
**[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/svs/paffhausen.mp3 Episcopacy, Primacy and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective]] (from a meeting of the [[Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]]) (2008)
** From the 15th All-American Council (2008)
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-11bpjonah.mp3 Remarks], addressing moving forward after the OCA scandals (the night before his election)
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-12-metjonah_interview.mp3 Interview after election as metropolitan]
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-12_metjonah_vision.mp3 Vision for the Future]
*[http://www.stspress.com/detail.aspx?ID=2746 From Psychology to Spirituality] (CD set)

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Fort Worth]]
[[Category:Bishops of New York]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]

Timeline of Orthodoxy in America

2012-11-15T15:10:22Z

Andrew: 2012

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
The '''History of Orthodoxy in America''' is complex and resists any easy categorizations or explanations.

==Early Visits and Missions (530-1900)==
*530 St. [[Brendan the Voyager|Brendan the Navigator]] lands in Newfoundland, Canada, establishing a short-lived community of Irish monks.
*1738 Conversion of Col. [[Philip Ludwell III]] of Virginia at Russian church in London.
*1741 [[Divine Liturgy]] celebrated on a Russian ship off the coast of Alaska.
*1767 Community of Orthodox Greeks establishes itself in New Smyrna, Spanish Florida.
*1787 The US Constitution is drafted in Philadelphia, embodying the ideal of secular government with deliberate separation of "church and state" (First Amendment).
*1794 Missionaries, including [[Herman of Alaska]], arrive at Kodiak Island, bringing Orthodoxy to Russian Alaska.
*1796 Martyrdom of [[Juvenaly of Alaska]].
*1799 Ioasaph (Bolotov) [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] in Irkutsk as first [[bishop]] for Alaska, but dies in a shipwreck during his return.
*1803 Louisiana Purchase expands American territory beyond Mississippi River.
*1816 Martyrdom of [[Peter the Aleut]] near San Francisco.
*1817 Russian colony of Fort Ross established 60 miles from San Francisco.
*1819 Various Spanish territories ceded to United States, including Florida.
*1824 Fr. [[Innocent of Alaska|John Veniaminov]] comes to Unalaska, Alaska.
*1825 First native priest, [[Jacob Netsvetov]].
*1834 Fr. [[Innocent of Alaska|John Veniaminov]] moves to Sitka, Alaska; liturgy and catechism translated into Aleut.
*1830 Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church is founded on [[w:Saint Paul Island (Alaska)|Saint Paul Island (Alaska)]], in the Bering Sea.
*1836 Imperial ''[[ukaz]]'' regarding Alaskan education issued from Czar Nicholas I that students were to become faithful members of the Orthodox Church, loyal subjects of the Czar, and loyal citizens; Fr. John Veniaminov returns to Russia.
*1837 Death of [[Herman of Alaska]] on Spruce Island.
*1840 Consecration of Fr. [[Innocent of Alaska|John Veniaminov]] as [[bishop]] with the name Innocent.
*1841 Return of [[Innocent of Alaska]] to Sitka; sale of Fort Ross property to an American citizen; pastoral school established in Sitka.
*1844 Formation of [[seminary]] in Sitka.
*1845 Former Republic of Texas joins United States.
*1846 Pacific Northwest received by United States via treaty with United Kingdom.
*1848 [[Consecration]] of St. Michael Cathedral in Sitka; Pacific Southwest won from Mexico by United States.
*1850 Alaskan episcopal see and seminary moved to Yakutsk, Russia.
*1858 [[Peter (Ekaterinovsky) of Novoarkhangelsk|Peter (Lysakov)]] consecrated as [[auxiliary bishop]] for Alaska with Innocent's primary see moved to Yakutsk.
*1864 [http://holytrinitycathedral.org/history.html Holy Trinity Church], first Orthodox [[parish]] established on United States soil in New Orleans, Louisiana, by Greeks.
*1865 First [[Divine Liturgy]] celebrated in New York City, by Fr. [[Agapius Honcharenko]].
*1867 Alaska purchased by United States from Russia; Bp. [[Paul (Popov) of Novoarkhangelsk|Paul (Popov)]] succeeds Bp. Peter.
*1868 First Russian parish established in US territory in San Francisco, California; [[Innocent of Alaska]] becomes Metropolitan of Moscow.
*1870 Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska formed by the [[Church of Russia]] with Bp. [[John (Mitropolsky) of the Aleutians|John (Mitropolsky)]] as ruling hierarch; [[Nicholas Bjerring]], a Roman Catholic layman, converts to Orthodoxy and becomes priest of a Russian chapel in New York City.
*1871-72 Visit of Russian Grand Duke Alexis to the United States.
*1872 See of the Aleutians diocese moved to San Francisco, placing it outside the [[canonical territory|defined boundaries]] of the diocese (i.e., Alaska).
*1876 Bp. [[John (Mitropolsky) of the Aleutians|John (Mitropolsky)]] recalled to Russia.
*1879 Bp. [[Nestor (Zass) of the Aleutians|Nestor (Zass)]] succeeds [[John (Mitropolsky) of the Aleutians|John (Metropolsky)]].
*1882 Bp. [[Nestor (Zass) of the Aleutians|Nestor (Zass)]] drowns in Bering Sea.
*1883 Fr. [[Nicholas Bjerring]], priest of the Russian chapel in New York City, converts to Presbyterianism.
*1888 Bp. [[Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) of the Aleutians|Vladimir (Sokolovsky)]] becomes Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska.
*1890-1917 Greek Immigration to USA: widespread unemployment and economic problems led to migrations to the US of 450,000 Greeks, one-fifth of the total population.
*1891 Fr. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre|Alexis Toth]], a [[Uniate]] priest, petitions to be received along with his parish in Minneapolis into the Russian church; Bp. Nicholas (Adoratsky) assigned as Bishop of Alaska but is transferred before taking up his post; [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] becomes ruling bishop of the Alaskan diocese.
*1892 Fr. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre|Alexis Toth]] and his parish in Minneapolis received into Russian church; Carpatho-Russian [[Uniate]] parishes in Illinois, Connecticut, and several in Pennsylvania soon follow; first Serbian parish established in Jackson, California; Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox parish founded in New York City; Greek and Russian parishes founded in Chicago; first American-born person ordained, Fr. [[Sebastian Dabovich]].
*1895 Archim. [[Raphael of Brooklyn|Raphael (Hawaweeny)]] arrives in America; Fr. [[John Kochurov]] arrives in America and becomes priest of the Russian parish in Chicago; Fr. [[Anatole (Kamensky) of Irkutsk|Anatole (Kamensky)]] arrives in Alaska; first Syrian parish in Brooklyn, New York, founded by [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]; first clergy conference, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
*1896 Bp. [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] reports to the [[Church of Russia#The Synodical Church (1700-1917)|Holy Synod of Russia]] that "the commemoration of the Emperor and the Reigning House during the divine services brings forth dismay and apprehension among Orthodox in America of non-Russian background"; [[Alexander Hotovitsky]] appointed as [[rector]] in New York; [http://www.thecathedralnyc.org/cathedral-history Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church] is chartered by a special act of the New York State Legislature, being the first Greek Church founded in New York.
*1897 Bp. [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] and Fr. [[Sebastian Dabovich]] petition [[Church of Serbia]] to oversee Serbian parishes in America, but are rebuffed due to an inability to support the infrastructure.
*1898 Bp. [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] returns to Russia; [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] becomes Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska; American annexation of Hawaii.

==Beyond Alaska (1900-1918)==
*1900 Name of Russian mission diocese changed from ''the Aleutian Islands and Alaska'' to ''the Aleutian Islands and North America'', claiming an expansion of its [[canonical territory|territorial boundaries]].
*1901 First Orthodox church in Canada, in Vostok, Alberta.
*1902 Building of St. Nicholas Cathedral in [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York]]; first Romanian parish in North America founded in Regina, Saskatchewan.
*1904 [[Innocent (Pustynsky) of Alaska|Innocent (Pustynsky)]] consecrated as Bishop of Alaska; [[Raphael of Brooklyn|Raphael (Hawaweeny)]] consecrated as Bishop of Brooklyn, becoming the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in America; first Romanian-American parish founded in Cleveland, Ohio.
*1905 [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]] founded; Bp. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] raised to rank of archbishop; seminary opened in Minneapolis; Russian see transferred to [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York]]; Fr. [[Sebastian Dabovich]] elevated to [[archimandrite]] and given charge over Serbian parishes by Tikhon; Episcopal priest of nearly 30 years Dr. [[Ingram Irvine]] converted to Orthodoxy, assigned to "English work."
*1906 Holy Synod of Russia confirms practice of commemorating the American president by name, and not the Russian Tsar, during divine services; blessing of [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery]] by hierarchs Tikhon, Raphael and Innocent; translation of ''Service Book'' by [[Isabel Hapgood]].
*1907 [[All-American_Sobor#First_All-American_Sobor|1st All-American Sobor]] held in Mayfield, PA, at which name of the Russian mission was declared to be ''The Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church''; Abp. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] returns to Russia and is succeeded by [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]; Uniate Bp. Stephen Ortinsky sent to the US by Rome to stem the tide of Uniate returns to Orthodoxy; Papal decree ''Ea Semper'' issued, mandating all Uniate priests in American be celibate; first [[Sunday of Orthodoxy]] service in New York; first Bulgarian parish in Madison, Illinois; ordination in Constantinople of first Black American Orthodox priest, the Very Rev. Fr. [[Raphael Morgan]], ''[[Missionary|Priest-Apostolic]] to America and the West Indies.''
*1908 [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] gives temporary care of American Greek parishes to [[Church of Greece|Greece]]; Fr. [[Theophan Noli]] celebrates first [[Divine Liturgy]] in the Albanian language; first Albanian parish founded in Boston.
*1909 Bp. [[Innocent (Pustynsky) of Alaska|Innocent (Pustynsky)]] transferred to Russia, succeeded by [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as Bishop of Alaska; death of Fr. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre|Alexis Toth]].
*1911 Minneapolis seminary transferred to Tenafly, New Jersey.
*1912 Formation of first Serbian Orthodox Church congregation in Canada, in Regina (Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church).
*1913 Serbian clergy vote to come under [[Church of Serbia]] but meet with no response.
*1914 Abp. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] recalled to Russia and made bishop of Kishinev, after having received 72 communities (mainly ex-Uniate Carpatho-Russians) into Orthodoxy during his rule; [[Church of Antioch|Antiochian]] Metr. [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle]] comes to US to raise funds for an agricultural school in Syria.
*1915 Death of [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]; Abp. [[Evdokim (Meschersky) of the Aleutians|Evdokim (Meschersky)]] succeeds Platon; first [[monastery]] for women in Springfield, Vermont.
*1916 Consecration of [[Philip (Stavitsky) of Alaska]]; [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] appointed Bishop of Canada with his see in Winnipeg; organization of [[Syrian Holy Orthodox Greek Catholic Mission in North America]] by [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle|Germanos (Shehadi)]] with founding of St. Mary's Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York; death of Rev. [[Agapius Honcharenko]].
*1917 Ex-Uniate priest [[Stephen (Dzubay) of Pittsburgh|Alexander Dzubay]] consecrated with the name ''Stephen'' as Bishop of Pittsburgh; Archim. [[Aftimios Ofiesh|Aftimios (Ofiesh)]] consecrated as Bishop of Brooklyn; Abp. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia at the [[All-Russian Church Council of 1917-1918|All Russian Sobor of 1917-1918]].
*1918-24 Emigration of 70,000 Greeks to the United States.

==Revolution and Rivalry (1918-1943)==
*1918 Bolshevik Revolution throws the [[Church of Russia]] into chaos, effectively stranding the fledgling Russian mission in America; Metr. [[Meletios IV (Metaxakis) of Constantinople|Meletios (Metaxakis) of Athens]] arrives in America to organize Greek parishes; [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] rescinds temporary transfer of Greek parishes in US to [[Church of Greece|Greece]].
*1919 Southern Church Council meets in Stavropol at which Higher Church Administration is formed in Southern Russia; 2nd [[All-American Sobor]] meets in Cleveland, electing [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as its new diocesan bishop, and also electing bishops for the Albanian and Serbian communities, pending approval from Moscow (which never comes); [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle|Germanos (Shehadi)]] receives Ukrainians in Canada.
*1920 [[Tikhon of Moscow]] issues [[Ukaz No. 362]]; first session of the Higher Church Administration outside borders of Russia.
*1921 34 [[ROCOR]] bishops meet in synod in Karlovtsy, Serbia, including Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky]], primate of the [[Orthodox Church in America|Russian Metropolia]]; death of Fr. [[Ingram Irvine|Ingram Nathaniel Irvine]]; in New York City, [[George Alexander McGuire]] founded the non-canonical ''"African Orthodox Church"'' (AOC), envisaged as a home for blacks of the protestant Episcopal persuasion who wanted ecclesiastical independence.
*1922 [[Church of Greece]] transfers control of its parishes to the [[Church of Constantinople]]; founding of [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]; [[Orthodox Church in America|Russian Metropolia]] convenes [[All-American_Sobor#Third_All-American_Sobor|3rd All-American Sobor]] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
*1924 4th [[All-American Sobor]] of the [[OCA|Metropolia]] votes to establish "temporary self-government," breaking administrative ties with Moscow; [[Victor (Abo-Assaley) of New York|Victor (Abo-Assaley)]] consecrated as first Antiochian Archbishop of New York and All North America; [[Stephen (Dzubay) of Pittsburgh|Stephen (Dzubay)]] returns to [[Unia]]; Ukrainians in Canada join [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]].
*1926 Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] of the Metropolia breaks ties with [[ROCOR]] synod; founding of Serbian diocese.
*1927 ROCOR synod sends epistle to American parishes [[suspension|suspending]] Platon and his [[clergy]]; founding of [[American Orthodox Catholic Church]] by the [[Orthodox Church in America|Russian Metropolia]] under [[Aftimios Ofiesh]]; founding of [[Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs]] (FROC) in Pittsburgh; consecration of [[Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) of Brooklyn|Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab)]].
*1928 Ukrainian diocese established; consecration of [[Sophronios (Beshara) of Los Angeles|Sophronios (Beshara)]].
*1929 [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Orthodox Episcopate]] established.
*1930 Abp. [[Joasaph (Skorodumov) of Canada and Argentina|Joasaph (Skorodumov)]] ("The Enlightener of Canada") becomes the founding bishop of the Canadian Diocese of [[ROCOR]]; [[Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) of Brooklyn|Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab)]] leaves [[American Orthodox Catholic Church|AOCC]] and returns to [[OCA|Metropolia]], re-establishing Brooklyn diocese.
*1931 [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras (Spyrou)]] becomes primate of [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]].
*1932 Consecration of [[Joseph (Zuk) of New Jersey|Joseph (Zuk)]] and [[Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington|Ignatius (Nichols)]] (first American convert bishop).
*1933 [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] refuses to pledge loyalty to Moscow, which declares Metropolia to be in [[schism]] and establishes [[Russian Exarchate of North America|Exarchate of Moscow on American soil]]; marriage of [[Aftimios Ofiesh]]; death of [[Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) of Brooklyn|Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab)]]; Platon grants [[canonical release]] to Syrian parishes remaining under Metropolia to come under [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]]; [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle|Germanos (Shehadi)]] returns to Lebanon; consecration of [[Leonty (Turkevich) of New York|Leonty (Turkevich)]]; marriage and [[apostasy]] of [[Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington|Ignatius (Nichols)]] (first with [[Living Church]] and then independently).
*1934 Death of [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]; [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco]] elected primate of [[OCA|Metropolia]] at [[All-American_Sobor#Fifth_All-American_Sobor|5th All-American Sobor]] in Cleveland, Ohio; death of [[Sophronios (Beshara) of Los Angeles|Sophronios (Beshara)]]; death of [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle|Germanos (Shehadi)]] in Lebanon; Abp. [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras (Spyrou)]] establishes the ''[http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/observer/ Orthodox Observer]''.
*1935 "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad" signed by [[ROCOR]] synod in Karlovtsy, Serbia, including [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]] of the Metropolia, thus renewing relations; [[ROCOR]] divided into four regions, including North America with Theophilus as the regional primate.
*1936 [[Antony (Bashir) of New York|Antony (Bashir)]] consecrated for [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of New York]]; on the same day ([[April 19]]), three Metropolia bishops consecrate rival [[Samuel (David) of Toledo|Samuel (David)]] for the Syrians, thus solidifying the developing [[schism]] in the Antiochian faithful in the US (the "Russi-Antaaki" split).
*1937 [[All-American_Sobor#Sixth_All-American_Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of [[OCA|Metropolia]] declares itself to report to [[ROCOR]] in matters of faith; [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross Theological School]] founded in Pomfret, Connecticut; Ukrainian diocese established by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]].
*1938 [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)]] and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]] founded; Metr. [[Samuel (David) of Toledo]] excommunicated by the [[Church of Antioch]] for disobedience to canonical order; Bulgarian diocese established; [[American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese|Carpatho-Russian diocese]] established by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] with second wave of Uniat returns to Orthodoxy.
*1939 Consecration of [[Alexander Turner]] by [[Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington|Ignatius (Nichols)]].
*1941 [[Church of Antioch]] restores [[Samuel (David) of Toledo]] to communion and declares his diocese to be the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Toledo and Dependencies]].

==Emergence of American Orthodoxy (1943-1970)==
*1943 Founding of [[Federated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America]], a proto-[[SCOBA]] body.
*1946 [[All-American_Sobor#Seventh_All-American_Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] of [[OCA|Russian Metropolia]] breaks ties with [[ROCOR]]; [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology]] moved to Brookline, Massachusetts; the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada]] (UOCC) opened [[St. Andrew's College (Winnipeg, Manitoba)|St. Andrew’s College]] in Winnipeg.
*1947 Death of [[Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington|Ignatius (Nichols)]].
*1950 [[ROCOR]] moves headquarters to New York; [[Leonty (Turkevich) of New York|Leonty (Turkevitch)]] becomes primate of Metropolia at [[All-American_Sobor#Eighth_All-American_Sobor|8th All-American Sobor]] in New York City; [[w:National Council of Churches|National Council of Churches]], USA, is organized.
*1951 [[Michael (Konstantinides) of America|Michael (Konstantinides)]] heads [[GOA]]; independent Romanian diocese established; arrival of Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]] in the United States from Paris, taking up teaching duties at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)]].
*1954 Recognition of Toledo archdiocese by [[Church of Antioch]].
*1955 Orthodoxy officially recognized as major faith by U.S. government;<ref>''[http://www.goarch.org/archbishop/michael/timeline Timeline of Archbishop Michael].'' Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.</ref> founding of [[Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central Massachusetts]]; [[All-American_Sobor#Ninth_All-American_Sobor|9th All-American Sobor]] of Metropolia held in New York City.
*1956 Dr. Constantine Cavarnos founds the [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/index.html Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies] in Belmont, Massachusetts.
*1957 Abp. [[Michael (Konstantinides) of America|Michael (Konstantinides)]] offered the first Orthodox prayer at a U. S. Presidential inauguration in January 20, 1957.
*1958 Death of [[Samuel (David) of Toledo]]; reception of [[Society of Clerks Secular of St. Basil]] into Antiochian New York Archdiocese, forming [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]].
*1959 [[All-American_Sobor#Tenth_All-American_Sobor|10th All-American Sobor]] of the Metropolia was held in New York City; Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] is elected and enthroned as Primate of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese of North and South America]].
*1960 Founding of [[Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas]] (SCOBA); [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Orthodox Episcopate]] received into the Metropolia.
*1961 Consecration of [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]]; first ever visit of a Greek Orthodox Patriarch to Canada, as Patr. [[Benedict of Jerusalem]] begins a North-American tour to raise funds for the restoration of the shrines in the [[Holy Land]].
*1962 Antiochian Toledo archdiocese recognized by the [[Church of Antioch]] as equal to the New York archdiocese.
*1963 Autonomous Serbian diocese created; [[All-American_Sobor#Eleventh_All-America_Sobor|11th All-American Sobor]] held in New York City; beginning of rapprochement between Metropolia and Moscow Patriarchate; arguing that the Metropolia's 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" amounted to a canonical declaration of [[autocephaly]], ''Toward an American Orthodox Church'' published by St. Vladimir's professor Alexander Bogolepov, galvanizing the Metropolia to seek autocephaly; Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] vigorously supported the passage of the [[w:Civil Rights Act of 1964|Civil Rights Act of 1964]] that was introduced by President John F. Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11, 1963.
*1964 [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]] established under the [[ROCOR]].
*1965 [[SCOBA]] appeals to mother churches to allow concrete steps to be taken toward American Orthodox unity; at [[All-American_Sobor#Twelfth_All-American_Sobor|12th All-American Sobor]], [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]] chosen to succeed [[Leonty (Turkevich) of New York|Leonty (Turkevich)]] as [[primate]] of [[OCA|Metropolia]]; North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation founded; Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] marched next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the [[w:Selma to Montgomery marches |Selma to Montgomery marches]], captured on the cover of LIFE Magazine, March 26, 1965.
*1966-80 About 160,000 more Greeks emigrated to the US, tapering off considerably from the 1980s onwards.
*1966 Death of Metr. [[Antony (Bashir) of New York|Antony (Bashir)]]; election and consecration of [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]] as Metropolitan of [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Syrian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of New York]]; founding of [[Hellenic College (Brookline, Massachusetts)]]; death of [[John Maximovitch]]; death of [[Aftimios Ofiesh]]; Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]] travels to Constantinople to intercede for Metropolia but is rebuffed; first founding of [[OISM]].
*1967 Consecration of [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor) of Sitka]]; [[Church of Constantinople]] orders [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]] to suspend communion with [[OCA|Metropolia]]; [[All-American_Sobor#Thirteenth_All-American_Sobor|13th All-American Sobor]] of Metropolia held in New York City.
*1968 Meeting between Metropolia representatives and Moscow Patriarchate in Upsala, Sweden, discussing [[autocephaly]] for the Metropolia; Synod of Bishops of Metropolia decides to start official exploratory negotiations with MP.
*1969 Consecration of [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] (seen by many to be first convert bishop); official autocephaly meetings of Metropolia with Moscow Patriarchate take place in New York City, Tokyo and Geneva; Metr. [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York]] issues the first of a series of "Sorrowful Epistles" (1969,1971,1975) to the primates of the local Orthodox Churches, condemning forays into [[ecumenism]].

==Union and Division (1970-1994)==
*1970 Russian Metropolia reconciles with the [[Church of Russia]] and is granted [[autocephaly]]; [[All-American_Sobor#Fourteenth_All-American_Sobor|14th All-American Sobor]]/[[All-American_Council#First_All-American_Council|1st All-American Council]] accepts autocephaly [[Tomos]] and approves new name of [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA); [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] ceases all official contact with the [[OCA]] and declares it uncanonical; [[Russian Exarchate of North America]] is dissolved, but the majority of its parishes remain under the Church of Russia; [[glorification]] of [[Herman of Alaska]] in separate services by the [[ROCOR]] and the [[OCA]].
*1971 [[ROCOR]] denounces [[Church of Russia|Moscow]]'s grant of [[autocephaly]] to the Metropolia; OCA receives rebel ROCOR [[parish]] in Australia; [[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA)|Albanian Archdiocese]] received into the OCA at [[All-American_Council#Second_All-American_Council|2nd All-American Council]] held at St. Tikhon's Monastery, South Canaan, PA.
*1972 [[OCA]] receives the Mexican National Catholic Church, creating its [[Exarchate of Mexico (OCA)|Exarchate of Mexico]].
*1973 The [[All-American_Council#Third_All-American_Council|3rd All-American Council]] of OCA held in Pittsburgh, PA.
*1974 [[All-Diaspora_Councils#III_All-Diaspora_Council|3rd All-Diaspora Council]] of ROCOR held in Jordanville, New York; [[OCA]] Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York]] goes into semi-retirement, while his duties are taken up by Abp. [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]].
*1975 "Russi-Antaaki" division in the Antiochian church in North America overcome by Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] and Metr. [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]] by union of two Syrian archdioceses into one [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]], led by Metr. Philip; [[All-American_Council#Fourth_All-American_Council|4th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Cleveland, Ohio.
*1976 Reception into [[OCA]] of [[ROCOR]]'s [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]] and its hierarch, Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]].
*1977 [[OCA]] holds its [[All-American_Council#Fifth_All-American_Council|5th All-American Council]] in Montreal, electing [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] as metropolitan, replacing the retiring [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]]; [[glorification]] in Russia of [[Innocent of Alaska]].
*1978 Founding of [[Antiochian Village]] by Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]].
*1980 The [[All-American_Council#Sixth_All-American_Council|6th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Detroit, Michigan.
*1981 The [http://www.pahh.com/paoi/ Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute] (PAOI) is founded in Berkeley, California; [[OCA]] [[primate|primatial]] see transferred from New York to Washington.
*1982 Calendar [[schism]] in [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|OCA Diocese of E. Pennsylvania]], [[ROCOR]] receiving multiple parishes in the area.
*1983 [[All-American_Council#Seventh_All-American_Council|7th All-American Council]] of OCA was held Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
*1985 Founding of [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center]] (OCMC) as Greek Archdiocesan Mission Center; [[Martyr|martyrdom]] of Father [[John (Karastamatis) of Santa Cruz]].
*1986 [[All-American_Council#Eighth_All-American_Council|8th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Washington, D.C.
*1987 Majority of [[parish]]es of the [[Evangelical Orthodox Church]] received into [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Antiochian Archdiocese]] by Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]], becoming the Antiochian Evangelical Orthodox Mission (AEOM).
*1988 Healing of schism between two Serbian dioceses.
*1989 [[Glorification]] in Russia of [[Tikhon of Moscow]]; [[Ephraim of Philotheou|Elder Ephraim]] begins founding [[Mount Athos|Athonite]]-style monasteries in North America; [[All-American_Council#Ninth_All-American_Council|9th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Saint Louis, Missouri.
*1990 Contact between [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] and [[OCA]] resumes.
*1992 Founding of [[International Orthodox Christian Charities]] (IOCC); [[All-American_Council#Tenth_All-American_Council|10th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Miami, Florida; about 60 theologians from the Eastern Orthodox Church and Evangelical groups met at Wheaton college to discuss differences and similarities between their Christian groups, as speakers from both sides sketched their views of Scripture, tradition, and authority in church life.<ref>Loconte, Joe. ''"Peering over the Orthodox-evangelical crevasse."'' '''Christianity Today'''. 9 Nov. 1992: 63.</ref>

==Ligonier and Beyond (1994-present)==
*1994 Bicentennial of Orthodox Christianity in North America (1794-1994); [[Ligonier Meeting]] held; [[glorification]] of [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]] by OCA; [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center|OCMC]] becomes [[SCOBA]] agency and changes to its current name; glorification in Russia of [[John Kochurov]] and [[Alexander Hotovitsky]]; glorification by [[ROCOR]] of [[John Maximovitch]]; ''[http://www.orthodoxwomensnetwork.org/index.cfm Women's Orthodox Ministries and Education Network]'' (WOMEN) incorporated.
*1995 Death of Bp. [[Gerasimos (Papadopoulos) of Abydos]]; [[All-American_Council#Eleventh_All-American_Council|11th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Chicago, Illinois.
*1996 Retirement of Greek Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America]], being replaced by [[Spyridon (Papageorge) of Chaldea|Spyridon (Papageorge)]]; [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America]] joins [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA]], coming under [[Constantinople]].
*1997 Visit by [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople]] to US.
*1998 Ben Lomond crisis in (formerly [[Evangelical Orthodox Church|EOC]]) [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Antiochian]] parish of Ss. Peter and Paul (Ben Lomond, California); SCOBA's Social & Moral Issues Commission (SMIC) established; the Holy Synod of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] formally accepted the [http://www.stirene.org/contact-us.html Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou] in Astoria NY as a Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Institution, as well as its founders Metr. [[Paisios (Loulourgas) of Tyana]] and Bp. [[Vikentios (Malamatenios) of Apameia]] (formerly of the [[Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece]]).
*1999 Retirement of [[Spyridon (Papageorge) of Chaldea|Spyridon (Papageorge)]], Greek Archbishop of America, being replaced by [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetrios (Trakatellis)]]; reception of dissident group from Ben Lomond crisis by the [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in North and South America|Jerusalem Patriarchate]], including re-ordination of some of the excommunicated and/or deposed clergy; [[All-American_Council#Twelfth_All-American_Council|12th All-American Council]] of OCA held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
*2000 [[Glorification]] of [[Raphael of Brooklyn]] at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]] by the [[OCA]] jointly with Antiochian hierarchs; reception of multiple former parishes of the [[Holy Order of MANS|Holy Order of MANS/Christ the Saviour Brotherhood]] into the patriarchal [[Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia|Bulgarian diocese]].
*2001 Second meeting of most bishops associated with [[SCOBA]]; the 2001 data from Statistics Canada gives a total of 433,815 Orthodox in Canada.<ref>Subdeacon Kevin Wigglesworth. ''[http://www.cjoc.ca/pdf/Vol5-W-2Stats.pdf Statistics of Orthodox Christianity in Canada].'' The Canadian Journal of Orthodox Christianity. Volume V, No 1, Winter 2010. p.33.</ref>
*2002 Retirement of [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] and election of [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] as Metropolitan of the [[OCA]] at [[All-American_Council#Thirteenth_All-American_Council|13th All-American Council]] held in Orlando, Florida.
*2003 [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]] is granted "self-rule" (similar but not identical to [[autonomy]]) by [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]], establishing 9 new [[diocese]]s in North America and promoting its [[titular bishop]]s to diocesan ones; after years of inactivity, refounding of [[OISM]].
*2004 Consecration in Damascus of 3 new diocesan bishops for the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Antiochian Archdiocese]], [[Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland]], [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo]], and [[Alexander (Mufarrij) of Ottawa]].
*2005 Death of Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]]; consecration of [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City ]], [[auxiliary bishop]] of the [[OCA]] Exarchate of Mexico; OCA's New York [[diocese]] subsumed into its Diocese of Washington, creating [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Diocese of Washington and New York]] at [[All-American_Council#Fourteenth_All-American_Council|14th All-American Council]] held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
*2006 [[Fourth All-Diaspora Council]] of the [[ROCOR]] votes to restore [[full communion]] with [[Moscow Patriarchate]]; four priests and one deacon who departed the Antiochian Archdiocese during the Ben Lomond crisis return to Antioch; major financial scandal made public in the [[OCA]]; third meeting of most [[SCOBA]] bishops agrees to work together on canonical and pastoral questions.
*2007 [[OISM]] holds first meeting at a [[ROCOR]] seminary, [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]]; restoration of [[full communion]] between [[ROCOR]] and [[Moscow Patriarchate]] with incorporation of ROCOR as semi-autonomous entity of the patriarchate.
*2008 [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in North and South America|Jerusalem jurisdiction]] transferred to [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], forming [[Vicariate for Palestinian-Jordanian Communities in the USA|Vicariate for Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA]]; Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] retired by OCA amidst financial scandal; [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] elected primate of OCA; [[All-American Council#Fifteenth All-American Council|Fifteenth All-American Council]] held in Pittsburgh, PA.
*2009 [[Church of Georgia]] names Metr. [[Dimitri (Shiolashvili) of Batumi and Lazeti]] as bishop for North America; visit of Abp. [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetios (Trakatellis)]] to [[ROCOR]] headquarters, the first visit of a Greek archbishop in more than 40 years; [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center|OCMC]] opens training center; Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference in Chambesy, Switzerland mandates "Episcopal Assemblies" for various regions of the world, including North America; OCA reestablishes dioceses for [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]] and [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]]; visit to US of Ecumenical Patr. [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Batholomew I (Archontonis)]].
*2010 Consecration of Bp. [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York]]; formation of [[Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America]]; [[ROCOR]] marks its 90th anniversary; the Ministry of Education of the Hellenic Republic formally recognized [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]] as an accredited institution of Higher Education, equal in standing to the schools of theology in the universities of Greece and the EU’s member states; [[Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (Toronto, Ontario)]] and [[w:Saint Paul University|Saint Paul Catholic Pontifical University]] in Ottawa sign cooperation agreement as twin institutions within the Province of Ontario.<ref>Pravoslavie.ru. ''[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/43542.htm Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy & Saint Paul University sign cooperation agreement].'' 16/12/2010.</ref><ref group="note">[[w:Saint Paul University|Saint Paul University]] in Ottawa is the home of the the ''"[http://www.sheptytskyinstitute.ca/?page_id=2 Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies]",'' named after the primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, [[w:Andrey Sheptytsky|Andrey Sheptytsky]] (1865-1944); it specializes in Eastern Christian Studies with special but not exclusive emphasis on the tradition of the [[Christianization of Kievan Rus'|Church of Kyiv]].</ref>
*2011 Second gathering of the [[Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America]], convened May 25-27 in Chicago; The [[All-American Council|Sixteenth All-American Council]] of the OCA was held in Bellevue, Washington; For the first time in nearly 70 years, the primates and hierarchs of the [[ROCOR and OCA|OCA and ROCOR]] concelebrate the Divine Liturgy.
*2012 [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] primate of [[OCA]] requests retirement; [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] elected primate of OCA at the [[All-American_Council#Seventeenth_All-American_Council|17th All-American Council]] held in Parma, Ohio;
==See also==
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in Australia]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in Britain]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in China]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in Greece]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in New Zealand]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodoxy in Japan]]
*[[Timeline of Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic relations]]

==Notes==
<references group="note" />

==References==
<div><references/></div>

==External link==
*[http://orthodoxhistory.org/ OrthodoxHistory.org], website of the [[Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas]] (SOCHA)

[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Timelines|America]]

[[ro:Ortodoxia în America (cronologie)]]

All-American Council

2012-11-15T14:26:45Z

Andrew: MORE LINKS

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council was the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bishop Michael 205, Archbishop Tikhon 118. Also receiving first ballot votes were, [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Bishop Melchizedek]] 96, [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Archbishop Nathaniel]] 49, [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Archbishop Benjamin]] 23, [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Bishop Basil (Essey)]] 17, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] 17, [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Archbishop Nikon]] 13, [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Bishop Mark]] 9, [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Bishop Alexander]] 8, [[Irénée (Rochon) of Quebec City|Bishop Irénée]] 5, Abbot Gerasim 3, [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Bishop Matthias]] 3, Fr. Alexander Pihach 3, Fr. [[David (Mahaffey)|David Mahaffey]] 3, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR)]] 3, [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Archbishop Alejo]] 2, Abbot Sergius 1, [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Bishop Ireneu]] 1, [[Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai|Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist)]] 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Hieromonk Herman 1, Igumen Vladimir Wendling 1, and [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]] 1. There were 6 invalid ballots , for a total of 590 votes.

On the second ballot: Bishop Michael 355, Archbishop Tikhon 317, Bishop Melchizedek 161, Archbishop Nathaniel 81, Bishop Mark 28, Archbishop Benjamin 23, Archbishop Nikon 23, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Alexander 20, Metropolitan Jonah 17, Bishop Irénée 15, Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR) 14, Bishop Matthias 9, Archbishop Alejo 8, Abbot Gerasim 6, Bishop Irineu 5, Fr. Alexander Pihach 4, Fr. David Mahaffey 3, Fr. Gerasimos 3, [[Meletios (Webber)|Archimandrite Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Brother Luke Dorrant 2, Fr. David Mezynski 2, [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Metropolitan Herman]] 2, Monk Mark Savros 2, [[Kyrill (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Patriarch Kyrill]] 2, Archimandrite Christopher Calin 1. Archimandrite Pitirim (Stehnach) 1, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) 1, [[Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland|Bishop Thomas]] (Antiochian) 1, Fr. Basil Summer 1, Fr. David Brum 1, Fr. John Chudik 1, Fr. Juvenaly Repass 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Fr. Theodore Heckman 1, and Fr. Joseph Hoffman 1. There were 3 invalid votes.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

All-American Council

2012-11-14T17:21:11Z

Andrew: links

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council was the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bishop Michael 205, Archbishop Tikhon 118. Also receiving first ballot votes were, [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Bishop Melchizedek]] 96, [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Archbishop Nathaniel]] 49, [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|]Archbishop Benjamin]] 23, Bishop Basil (Essey) 17, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] 17, [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Archbishop Nikon]] 13, [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Bishop Mark]] 9, [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Bishop Alexander]] 8, [[Irénée (Rochon) of Quebec City|Bishop Irénée]] 5, Abbot Gerasim 3, [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Bishop Matthias]] 3, Fr. Alexander Pihach 3, Fr. David Mahaffey 3, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR)]] 3, Archbishop Alejo 2, Abbot Sergius 1, [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Bishop Ireneiu]] 1, [[Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai|Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist)]] 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Hieromonk Herman 1, Igumen Vladimir Wendling 1, and Metropolitan Philip 1. There were 6 invalid ballots , for a total of 590 votes.

On the second ballot: Bishop Michael 355, Archbishop Tikhon 317, Bishop Melchizedek 161, Archbishop Nathaniel 81, Bishop Mark 28, Archbishop Benjamin 23, Archbishop Nikon 23, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Alexander 20, Metropolitan Jonah 17, Bishop Irénée 15, Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR) 14, Bishop Matthias 9, Archbishop Alejo 8, Abbot Gerasim 6, Bishop Irineu 5, Fr. Alexander Pihach 4, Fr. David Mahaffey 3, Fr. Gerasimos 3, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 2, Brother Luke Dorrant 2, Fr. David Mezynski 2, [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Metropolitan Herman]] 2, Monk Mark Savros 2, [[Kyrill (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Patriarch Kyrill]] 2, Archimandrite Christopher Calin 1. Archimandrite Pitirim (Stehnach) 1, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) 1, Bishop Thomas (Antiochian) 1, Fr. Basil Summer 1, Fr. David Brum 1, Fr. John Chudik 1, Fr. Juvenaly Repass 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Fr. Theodore Heckman 1, and Fr. Joseph Hoffman 1. There were 3 invalid votes.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

All-American Council

2012-11-14T17:06:52Z

Andrew: /* Seventeenth All-American Council */ votes

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council was the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bishop Michael 205, Archbishop Tikhon 118. Also receiving first ballot votes were, [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Bishop Melchizedek]] 96, [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Archbishop Nathaniel]] 49, [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|]Archbishop Benjamin]] 23, Bishop Basil (Essey) 17, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] 17, [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Archbishop Nikon]] 13, [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Bishop Mark]] 9, [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Bishop Alexander]] 8, [[Irénée (Rochon) of Quebec City|Bishop Irénée]] 5, Abbot Gerasim 3, Bishop Matthias 3, Fr. Alexander Pihach 3, Fr. David Mahaffey 3, Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR) 3, Archbishop Alejo 2, Abbot Sergius 1, Bishop Ireneiu 1, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Hieromonk Herman 1, Igumen Vladimir Wendling 1, and Metropolitan Philip 1. There were 6 invalid ballots , for a total of 590 votes.

On the second ballot: Bishop Michael 355, Archbishop Tikhon 317, Bishop Melchizedek 161, Archbishop Nathaniel 81, Bishop Mark 28, Archbishop Benjamin 23, Archbishop Nikon 23, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Alexander 20, Metropolitan Jonah 17, Bishop Irénée 15, Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR) 14, Bishop Matthias 9, Archbishop Alejo 8, Abbot Gerasim 6, Bishop Irineu 5, Fr. Alexander Pihach 4, Fr. David Mahaffey 3, Fr. Gerasimos 3, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 2, Brother Luke Dorrant 2, Fr. David Mezynski 2, Metropolitan Herman 2, Monk Mark Savros 2, [[Kyrill (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Patriarch Kyrill]] 2, Archimandrite Christopher Calin 1. Archimandrite Pitirim (Stehnach) 1, Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) 1, Bishop Thomas (Antiochian) 1, Fr. Basil Summer 1, Fr. David Brum 1, Fr. John Chudik 1, Fr. Juvenaly Repass 1, Fr. Patrick Carpenter 1, Fr. Theodore Heckman 1, and Fr. Joseph Hoffman 1. There were 3 invalid votes.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington

2012-11-14T14:17:26Z

Andrew: box

[[Image:Jonah Paffhausen.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan]]
His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington''' was the [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) until the Holy Synod of Bishops requested and accepted His Eminence's resignation on [[July 7]], 2012. He was elected as metropolitan on [[November 12]], 2008, and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[December 28]], 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.

==Life==
James Paffhausen was born in Chicago, Illinois, and baptized into the Episcopal Church. His family later moved to La Jolla, California, near San Diego. In 1978, he was received into the Orthodox Church at Our Lady of Kazan Church ([[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]) while studying at the University of California - San Diego. James later transferred to UC - Santa Cruz and helped to establish an [[OCF]] chapter there.

After graduation from UCSC, James went on to study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], graduating in 1985 with an M.Div. and again in 1988 with an M.Th. in Dogmatic Theology. In 1989, he began doctoral studies at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, but interrupted his studies to spend a year in Russia, working for ''Russkiy Palomnik'' in the publishing arm of the Moscow Patriarchate. During his time in Russia, he was introduced to Russian spirituality and its particular form of monastic life.

He eventually joined [[Valaam Monastery]] as a [[novice]], coming under the spiritual direction of Archimandrite [[Pancras (Zherdev) of Valaam|Pankratiy]], the monastery's [[abbot]]. Fr. Pankratiy's spiritual father, Elder [[Cyril (Pavlov)|Kyrill]] of [[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra|Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra]], later blessed James to become a [[hieromonk]].

In 1994, James was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] and [[priest]]hood, and then in the following year, he was [[tonsure]]d a monastic at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]], South Canaan, Pennsylvania, receiving the name Jonah.

Hmk. Jonah returned to his home state of California, serving a number of mission [[parish]]es there and later given the obedience to establish a monastery. In 1996, [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|St. John of San Francisco Monastery]] was founded in Point Reyes, California (later moving to Manton). During his tenure as abbot, Fr. Jonah grew the monastic community to more than fifteen members. In this period, he also worked to establish Californian missions in Merced, Sonora, Chico, Eureka, Redding, and Susanville, among others, and in Kona, Hawaii.

In 2008, Fr. Jonah was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] and sent from the monastery to take on the duties of being an [[auxiliary bishop]] for the OCA's [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]]. In September of that year, he was officially elected to that position, and then on [[November 1]] [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] in Dallas as Bishop of Fort Worth, led by Abp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], then ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the OCA's metropolitan see.

Eleven days later, on [[November 12]], Bishop Jonah was elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Pittsburgh. His formal [[enthronement]] in Washington, D.C., was on [[December 28]], 2008, at [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|St. Nicholas Cathedral]].

After an episcopate that became increasingly controversial, Metr. Jonah submitted a resignation as the first hierarch of the OCA on [[July 6]], 2012.<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/metropolitan-jonah-tenders-resignation] Metropolitan Jonah tenders resignation</ref> On [[July 16]], 2012, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA issued a "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah".<ref>[http://oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2012/2012-0716-holy-synod-statement.pdf] Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah</ref>

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=''founding [[abbot]]''|
title=Abbot of the [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|Monastery of St. John of San Francisco]]|
years=1996-2008|
after=[[Meletios (Webber)]]}}
{{succession|
before=''new creation''|
title=Bishop of Fort Worth (OCA)|
years=2008|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington and New York]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2008-2009|
after=[[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]] ''Bishop of New York and New Jersey''}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2009-2012|
after=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]]}}
{{end box}}

==References==
<references/>

==Sources==
*"[http://www.oca.org/news/1681 Archimandrite Jonah (Paffhausen) consecrated Bishop of Fort Worth and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the South]", OCA News & Events
*"[http://www.oca.org/news/1693 Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth Elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada]"

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/HSbiojonah.asp?SID=7 Official biography], from the [[OCA]] website
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/72157608623682945/ Consecration of Bishop Jonah] (photographs)
*[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/ Monastery of St. John of San Francisco], where Metr. Jonah was abbot for 12 years
*[http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=101187 Orthodox Church in America selects new Metropolitan] (video), from the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''

===Written works===
*[http://www.oca.org/metropolitan-jonah.html Official statements, speeches, etc.], from the [[OCA]] website
*[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/articles.htm Writings and Talks], from St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco Monastery
*[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1403441/posts Five Good Reasons NOT to Visit a Monastery], from ''Again'' magazine
*[http://www.dosoca.org/files/08%20Assembly/AbbatialEditorialCollection.pdf Perspectives on Orthodoxy in America] (editorials from ''Divine Ascent'')
*[http://www.ctlibrary.com/rq/1997/winter/3125.html The Eternal Liturgy: Worship in the Orthodox Tradition], from ''re:generation Quarterly''
*[http://www.orthodoxnews.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Features.one&content_id=9859&CFID=72092943&CFTOKEN=53644936&tp_preview=true The Doors of Repentance]: The Journey of the Holy Order of MANS/Christ the Saviour Brotherhood and the [[St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood]] into the Canonical Orthodox Church, from ''Again'' magazine
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/metropolitan-jonah/MJ.Episcopacy_Primacy_Mother%20Churches.pdf Episcopacy, Primacy and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective]] (from a meeting of the [[Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]]) (2008)
*[http://www.oca.org/jonah-acceptance.html Acceptance speech], at his election as auxiliary bishop of Fort Worth

===Audio recordings===
*"The Path to Prayer": [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/14/fr-jonah-paffhausen-the-path-to-prayer-part-1/ Part 1], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/21/the-path-to-prayer-part-2-do-not-react-qa/ Part 2: "Do Not React," Q&A], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/01/28/the-path-to-prayer-part-3-do-not-resent/ Part 3: "Do Not Resent"], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/02/04/the-path-to-prayer-part-4-keep-inner-stillness/ Part 4: "Keep Inner Stillness"], [http://iconnewmedianetwork.com/2008/05/19/the-path-to-prayer-part-5-keep-inner-stillness-qa/ Part 5: "Keep Inner Stillness" (cont'd), Q&A] (February 2008)
*From Ancient Faith Radio
**Interview on the Jesus Prayer: [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/interview_with_abbot_jonah_on_the_jesus_prayer_part_1/ Part 1], [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/interview_with_fr_jonah_on_the_jesus_prayer_part_2/ Part 2] (2007)
**[http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/fr_jonah_on_monasticism/ Interview on Monasticism] (2007)
**Interview on the Healing of the Human Person: [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/father_jonah_on_the_healing_of_the_human_person_part_1/ Part 1], [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/father_jonah_on_the_healing_of_the_human_person_part_2/ Part 2] (2007)
**[http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/ourlife/fr_jonah_on_why_be_a_monk/ Interview on Why Be a Monk] (2007)
**[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/svs/paffhausen.mp3 Episcopacy, Primacy and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective]] (from a meeting of the [[Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]]) (2008)
** From the 15th All-American Council (2008)
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-11bpjonah.mp3 Remarks], addressing moving forward after the OCA scandals (the night before his election)
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-12-metjonah_interview.mp3 Interview after election as metropolitan]
***[http://audio.ancientfaith.com/specials/aac2008/aac_2008-11-12_metjonah_vision.mp3 Vision for the Future]
*[http://www.stspress.com/detail.aspx?ID=2746 From Psychology to Spirituality] (CD set)

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Fort Worth]]
[[Category:Bishops of New York]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]

Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-14T14:02:43Z

Andrew: Category

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington''' was elected [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. His title is "Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada, [[Locum tenens]] of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]".
==Life==
Bishop Tikhon was born Marc R. Mollard in Boston, Massachusetts on [[July 15]], 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church ([[OCA]]).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from [[Anglican Communion|Episcopalianism]], and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Seminary]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]] as a [[novice]].

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in [[Old Testament]] Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's level courses in the [[prophet]]s and the [[Psalms]] and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament [[saint]]s, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in [[patristics|patristic]] literature.

In 1995 he was [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schema by His Eminence [[Archbishop]] [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Patriarch Tikhon]], Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was [[ordination|ordaine]]d to the Holy [[deacon|Diaconate]] and Holy [[Priest]]hood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of [[igumen]] and in 2000 to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Igumen [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain," published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press, by illustrating this classic book about [[Mount Athos]].

In December 2002, he was appointed by [[Metropolitan]] Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, [[February 14]], 2004 by his Beatitude Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.

On [[October 29]], 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling [[hierarch]] of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during [[Divine Liturgy]] at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.

==External link==
*[http://oca.org/News.asp?ID=867&SID=19 Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania] - OCA Web site.
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/archbishop-tikhon-elected-metropolitan-of-all-american-and-canada Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada] - OCA Web site.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of South Canaan|
years=2004-2005|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA)|
years=2005-present |
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2012-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Bishops of South Canaan]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Mollard]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Mollard]]
[[Category:St. Tikhon's Seminary Graduates]]
[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]

Orthodox Church in America

2012-11-14T13:58:08Z

Andrew: Episcopacy

The '''Orthodox Church in America''' (OCA) is an [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] church with parishes mainly in the United States and Canada (though it had a few parishes in Australia and elsewhere). The OCA was formerly known as the '''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America''', or more informally, the '''Metropolia'''. Previous to that, it was the North American Diocese of the [[Church of Russia]]. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by most of the other autocephalous Orthodox churches.

{{church|
name=Orthodox Church in America[[Image:OCA 1.jpg|center|The Orthodox Church in America]]|
founder=Ss. [[Herman of Alaska]], [[Innocent of Alaska]], [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]|
independence=1970 ("temporary self-government" in 1924)|
recognition=1970 by [[Church of Russia]] |
primate=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] |
hq=[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|Syosset, New York]]|
territory=United States and Canada|
possessions=Mexico|
language=English, [[Church Slavonic]], Spanish|
music=[[Russian Chant]], [[Byzantine Chant]] (in some ethnic dioceses)|
calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]], [[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|
population=30,000 to 1,000,000|
website=[http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America]
}}
== History ==
''Main Article: [[History of the OCA]]''

The OCA began with the missionary work of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands by eight Orthodox monks who arrived in Alaska in 1794. They were part of the centuries-old missionary heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church that brought the Orthodox Church, by the monks Hourg and Barsanuphii, to the Mongol peoples. And monk St Stephen of Perm (1340-96) who would in turn journey beyond Kazan, across the Ural mountain, into the forests of Siberia to bring Orthodoxy to the pagan Zyrians. And the Russian monks who brought the Church even more eastward, eventually establishing a network of missions across Siberia and along the entire Pacific Rim: in China (1686), Alaska (1794), Japan (1861), and Korea (1898).

While the Church in Alaska was growing, immigrants were arriving in the rest of North America. In the 1860s a parish was established in San Francisco by Serbians, Russians and Greeks. Parishes were also established across the territory of the United States. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the headquarters of the North American Diocese was moved to San Francisco and then to New York. At this time there were great waves of Orthodox immigrants from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, and the Middle East. A belief commonly held within OCA circles (and among some in other jurisdictions) is that they were all united in a single [[diocese]] or [[jurisdiction]], which was under the Russian Orthodox Church. (This view is disputed by a number of non-OCA church historians.) Although the Russians certainly were united, as were some parishes from other ethnic groups (especially those of Middle Eastern heritage), there were many others (most notably the overwhelming majority of the Greeks) who did not look to the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America. Instead, they looked to their mother churches. In an attempt to address this problem, Archbishop Tikhon, later [[Tikhon of Moscow]], had advocated (in a 1905 report to the Holy Synod) for an American Orthodox Church with "greater autonomy," governed by a synod of bishops representing the various nationalities. Tikhon's proposal did not have the opportunity to succeed.

In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution brought communication between the churches in North America and Russia to an almost complete halt. In the early 1920s, Patriarch [[Tikhon of Moscow]] directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of Russia to govern themselves autonomously until regular communication could be resumed. (He died in 1925, and was glorified as a [[saint]] by the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] in 1989.) Shortly thereafter, at a Council of all hierarchs and clergy and parish delegates, it was decided that the Church in North America could no longer maintain strict administrative ties with the Church in Russia, especially since Patriarch Tikhon had been arrested. Additionally, the loss of financial support from the fallen empire added to the diocese's problems.

At that time, some parishes which had been part of a single, multi-ethnic, North American [[diocese]] organized separate dioceses and placed themselves under various other [[mother church]]es, solidifying the current situation of multiple, ethnically-based, overlapping, jurisdictions in North America. Though the revolution in Russia helped to speed this fragmentation process along, it had already been occurring prior to 1917, as hundreds of Orthodox parishes in the US had been founded without any reference to the Russian presence, whose authority was not universally acknowledged.

From that point until the restoration of relations with Moscow in the 1960s, the Metropolia entered twice into union with the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (see [[ROCOR and OCA]]), finally breaking with the latter body in 1946. Additionally, in 1927, the bishops of the Metropolia attempted to create an autocephalous body known as the [[American Orthodox Catholic Church]], which failed after only six years.

In the early 1960s, the Metropolia (as it was then known) resumed communication with the Patriarch of Moscow, and in 1970 full communion was restored. At that time, the Patriarch of Moscow officially granted the OCA [[autocephaly]], or self-governing administrative status. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all autocephalous Orthodox Churches, including the [[Church of Constantinople]]. Churches that do recognize its autocephaly are mainly those in former Communist lands (most of which had thus come under the influence of the Church of Russia), including the [[Church of Russia]], the [[Church of Bulgaria]], the [[Church of Poland]], the [[Church of Georgia]], and the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]]. According to apologists for OCA autocephaly, it is common for recognition of autocephaly to be granted belatedly; however opponents regard the grant as not being within the purview of Moscow's [[presbeia|prerogatives]] (see [[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]).

== The OCA today ==
[[Image:OCA chancery.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|The OCA chancery, Oyster Bay Cove (Syosset), New York]]]]
The OCA today consists of 14 dioceses on the territory of Canada, the United States, and Mexico with 623 parishes, missions, and institutions (456 of which are parishes). Of the dioceses 3 are non-territorially organized along ethnic lines. These [[Ethnic diocese|ethnic dioceses]] include communities in both the United States and Canada.

There are three ethnically defined dioceses in the OCA: The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Boston (13 parishes[http://oca.org/DIRlists.parish.diocese.asp?diocese=OCA-AL&x=24&y=12&SID=9&CLASS=P&TYPE=DIOCESE]), the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo (21 communities[http://www.bdoca.org/Parishes.html]), and the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America (100 communities[http://www.roea.org/directories.html]). These dioceses' geographic territory overlaps with the other dioceses of the OCA and they have under their care parishes with those ethnic associations, although all are home to multiethnic parishes and the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese also includes Romanian-language communities. These dioceses are the result of smaller ethnic [[jurisdiction]]s joining the OCA at some point in its history, usually after having broken from other bodies due to the politics of the Cold War era.

The OCA also has 28 monastic communities[http://oca.org/DIRmonastics.asp?SID=9], six of which fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Metropolitan (i.e., are [[stavropigial]]). The largest of these monasteries are [[New Skete (Cambridge, New York)]] and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]].

There are three [[seminary|seminaries]] operated by the OCA: [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1937), [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1938), and [[St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Kodiak, Alaska)|St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] (founded 1973). All three educate seminarians from multiple Orthodox jurisdictions, including those outside North America.

The OCA is a member of the [[Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America]] that has superseded the [[Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas]] (SCOBA).

Since November of 2005, when a list of accusations were brought forward by Protodeacon Eric Wheeler, the former treasurer of the OCA, its administration has been the subject of allegations of financial misconduct. Internal investigations, audits, and other actions have since then been enacted in an attempt to address the allegations, including the firing and [[deposition]] of the OCA [[chancellor]], the former Protopresbyter [[Robert S. Kondratick]]. The [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCA News] website, a privately operated site with no connection to the administration, has been publishing reports and editorials on the scandal since January of 2006, including allegations of division within the OCA's holy synod. In August 2007, the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]], which contributes to the OCA more funds than any other OCA diocese, began withholding its assessments to the central administration.[http://www.midwestdiocese.org/news_070814_1.html]

In September of 2008, after the release of a scathing report by an official investigative committee, the former primate, Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], was disciplined[http://www.oca.org/news/1631] and the then current primate, Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] was retired by the Holy Synod.[http://www.oca.org/news/1632]

On [[November 12]], 2008, after financial scandals, the OCA's All-American Council and Holy Synod elected [[auxiliary bishop]] [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] as its new metropolitan. He was formally installed on [[December 28]], 2008 at the primate's [[cathedral]] St. [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|Nicholas Cathedral]] in Washington, D.C..

On [[November 13]], 2012, the OCA's current [[primate]], the Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] was elected at the 17th [[All-American Council]].

===Diocesan structure===
*[[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Alaska]]
*[[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA)|Albanian Archdiocese]]
*[[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]
*[[Archdiocese of Canada (OCA)|Archdiocese of Canada]]
*[[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania]]
*[[Diocese of Mexico (OCA)|Diocese of Mexico]]
*[[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]]
*[[Diocese of New England (OCA)|Diocese of New England]]
*[[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|Diocese of New York and New Jersey]]
*[[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America]]
*[[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]]
*[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.]]
*[[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]]
*[[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]

===Growth and membership figures===
Altogether, estimates of OCA faithful number from about 28,000[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] to 1 million[http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg.aspx?eccpageID=27] to 2 million[http://www.aidsfaith.com/articles/denom.asp], depending on the report cited and method used for counting. The number of new parishes founded from 1990 to 2000 increased the overall parish number by about 12%, and new membership has been fairly equally divided between new immigrants, children of existing members, and converts to the faith. Overall, according to one report the trend during that decade held the population of OCA faithful in neither increase nor decline, but remaining steady.[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/tab2.pdf] According to another, however, that same decade saw a 13% decline.[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf]

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}

According to Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff, who is on the administrative committee of the OCA's Department of Evangelization and the board of directors of the [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center]], the OCA's American contintental membership (i.e., not including Alaska, Canada, or the ethnic dioceses) "has been declining between 6 and 9% for nearly 20 years. The OCA's Census population in 1994 was 29,775; in 2004 it stood at 27,169."[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] Despite these sobering figures, however, the OCA's dioceses of the West and South, as well as many parishes in other dioceses, have reported steady growth.

==Name==
According to the 1970 ''[[Tomos]] of Autocephaly'' granted by the [[Church of Russia]], the name of this church body was originally ''The Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America''.[http://www.oca.org/DOCtomos.asp?SID=12] According to the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, adopted by the Second All-American Council in October 1971, the usage is ''The Orthodox Church in America'' at the beginning of sentences[http://oca.org/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12&ID=1] and ''the Orthodox Church in America'' in the middle of sentences[http://www.oca.org/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12&ID=4], thus seeming to imply that the capitalization of ''the'' in the name is not vital.

==Episcopacy==
===Diocesan bishops===
* Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]], Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada, ''Locum Tenens'' of Philadelphia and [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Eastern Pennsylvania]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]].
* Most Reverend [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel (Popp)]], Archbishop of Detroit and the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Episcopate]].
* Right Reverend [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon (Liolin)]], Bishop of Boston, [[Diocese of New England (OCA)|New England]] and the [[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA)|Albanian Archdiocese]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|South]]
* Right Reverend [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin (Peterson)]], Bishop of San Francisco and the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the Diocese of [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Alaska]]
* Right Reverend [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo (Pacheco-Vera)]], Bishop of Mexico City and [[Exarchate of Mexico (OCA)|Exarch of Mexico]]
* Right Reverend [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek (Pleska)]], Bishop of Pittsburgh and [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Western Pennsylvania]]
* Right Reverend [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]], Bishop of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York, and New Jersey]].
* Right Reverend [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthias (Moriak)]], Bishop of Chicago and the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]]
* Right Reverend [[Alexander (Golitzin)]], Bishop of Toledo and the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]].

===Auxiliary bishops===
* Right Reverend [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu (Duvlea)]], Bishop of Dearborn Heights and Auxiliary to Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel of Detroit]].
* Right Reverend [[Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore|Mark (Maymon)]], Bishop of Baltimore and Auxiliary to Metropolitan [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah of Washington]].
* Right Reverend [[Irénée (Rochon)|Irénée (Rochon)]], Bishop of Quebéc City, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada.

===Retired bishops===
* Most Blessed [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]], Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Blessed [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Blessed [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]], former Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada
* Most Reverend [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]], Archbishop of Ottawa
* Most Reverend [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim (Storheim)]], Archbishop of Ottawa and [[Archdiocese of Canada (OCA)|Canada]]
* Right Reverend [[Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai|Seraphim (Sigrist)]], Bishop of Sendai and Eastern Japan
* Right Reverend [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark (Forsberg)]], Bishop of Boston
* Right Reverend [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald)]], Bishop of San Francisco, Los Angeles and the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]]
* Right Reverend [[Varlaam (Novakshonoff) of Vancouver|Varlaam (Novakshonoff)]], Bishop of Vancouver
* Right Reverend [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]], Bishop of Sitka and [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Alaska]]

===Reposed bishops===
* Most Reverend [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]], Archbishop of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]
* Most Reverend [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York|Peter (L'Huillier)]], Archbishop of New York and New Jersey
* Most Reverend [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|South]]
* Most Reverend [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job (Osacky)]], Archbishop of Chicago and the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Midwest]]
* Most Reverend [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory (Afonsky)]], Archbishop of Sitka and Alaska
(see also: [[Bishops of the Russian Metropolia in North America]])

== List of primates and ruling bishops==
[[Image:Raphel Platon Alexander.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Raphael of Brooklyn|St. Raphel]], [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon]], and [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of Brussels|Alexander]]]]
* Bishop [[Joasaph (Bolotov) of Kodiak|Joasaph (Bolotov)]] ''Bishop of Kodiak Auxiliary of the Irkutsk Diocese'' (1799)
* Bishop [[Innocent of Alaska|Innocent (Veniaminov)]] ''of Alaska''
** ''Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands'' (1840-50)
** ''Archbishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands'' (1850-68)
* Bishop [[Peter (Ekaterinovsky) of Novoarkhangelsk|Peter (Ekaterinovsky)]] ''Bishop of Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka) Auxiliary of the Kamchatka Diocese'' (1859-66)
* Bishop [[Paul (Popov) of Novoarkhangelsk|Paul (Popov)]] ''Bishop of Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka), Auxiliary of the Kamchatka Diocese'' (1866-70)
* Bishop [[John (Mitropolsky) of the Aleutians|John (Mitropolsky)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1870-77)
* Bishop [[Nestor (Zakkis) of the Aleutians|Nestor (Zakkis)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1878-82)
* Bishop [[Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) of the Aleutians|Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1887-91)
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Adoratsky) of Orenburg and Ural|Nicholas (Adoratsky)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1891)
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Ziorov) of Warsaw|Nicholas (Ziorov)]] ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1891-98)
* Bishop [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] ''of Moscow''
** ''Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska'' (1898-1900)
** ''Bishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1900-05)
** ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1905-07)
* Archbishop [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1907-14)
* Archbishop [[Evdokim (Meschersky) of the Aleutians|Evdokim (Meschersky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1914-18)
* Archbishop [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of Brussels|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] ''Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America'' (1919-22)
* Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]] ''Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1922-34)
* Metropolitan [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]] ''Archbishop of San Francisco, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1934-50)
* Metropolitan [[Leonty (Turkevich) of New York|Leonty (Turkevich)]] ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1950-65)
* Metropolitan [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]] ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1965-77) assisted by Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal|Sylvester (Haruns)]] ''Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, Temporary Administrator of the Orthodox Church in America'' (1974-77)
* Metropolitan [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]]
** ''Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1977-80)
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (1981-2002)
* Metropolitan [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2002-2005)
** ''Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2005-2008)
* Metropolitan [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]
** ''Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2008-2009)
** ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2009-2012)
* Metropolitan [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]], ''Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada'' (2012-present)
==Reference==
* ''Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America'', C. J. Tarasar, Gen. Ed. 1975, The Orthodox Church in America, Syosett, New York

==See also==
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]

{{churches}}

== Recent News ==


<rss>http://www.oca.org/newsrss.xml|short|max=6</rss>
== External links ==
* [http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America] (Official Website)
** [http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=157&SID=12 The Road to Autocephaly 1963-1970] Talk given by Dr. Constantine H. Kallaur
** [http://www.oca.org/DOCtomos.asp?SID=12 The Tomos of Autocephaly] Signed in the city of Moscow, [[April 10]], 1970, by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the members its Holy Synod.
** [http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
** [http://oca.org/HSprimatialelections.asp?SID=7 Primatial Elections in the OCA]
* [http://dioceseofalaska.org/ Diocese of Alaska] (Official Website)
* [http://www.bdoca.org/ Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo] (Official Website)
* [http://www.archdiocese.ca/ Archdiocese of Canada] (Official Website)
* [http://doepa.org/ Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania] (Official Website)
* [http://ocamexico.org/ Diocese of Mexico] (Official Website)
* [http://domoca.org/ Diocese of the Midwest] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dneoca.org/ Diocese of New England] (Official Website)
* [http://www.nynjoca.org/ Diocese of New York and New Jersey] (Official Website)
* [http://www.ocadwpa.org/ Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania] (Official Website)
* [http://www.roea.org/ Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dosoca.org/ Diocese of the South] (Official Website)
* [http://wdcoca.org/ Archdiocese of Washington] (Official Website)
* [http://www.dowoca.org/ Diocese of the West] (Official Website)
* [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=27&IndexView=toc Eastern Christian Churches: OCA] by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar
* [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCANews.org: Orthodox Christians for Accountability], a website critical of the OCA's administration
[[Category:Jurisdictions|OCA]]

[[es:Iglesia Ortodoxa en América]]
[[fr:Église en Amérique]]
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă din America]]
[[ru:Американская православная церковь]]

All-American Council

2012-11-14T02:01:23Z

Andrew: /* Seventeenth All-American Council */

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council was the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

All-American Council

2012-11-14T02:00:10Z

Andrew: 17th All-American Council

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council was held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council will be the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America. No single candidate received the required two-thirds margin on the first ballot. On the second ballot, His Eminence, [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]] and His Grace, [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey]], received 317 and 355 votes respectively. The members of the [[Holy Synod]] retired into the altar where they elected Archbishop Tikhon.
==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-14T01:43:26Z

Andrew: /* External link */ fix

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington''' was elected [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. His title is "Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All American and Canada, [[Locum tenens]] of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]".
==Life==
Bishop Tikhon was born Marc R. Mollard in Boston, Massachusetts on [[July 15]], 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church ([[OCA]]).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from [[Anglican Communion|Episcopalianism]], and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Seminary]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]] as a [[novice]].

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in [[Old Testament]] Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's level courses in the [[prophet]]s and the [[Psalms]] and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament [[saint]]s, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in [[patristics|patristic]] literature.

In 1995 he was [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schema by His Eminence [[Archbishop]] [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Patriarch Tikhon]], Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was [[ordination|ordaine]]d to the Holy [[deacon|Diaconate]] and Holy [[Priest]]hood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of [[igumen]] and in 2000 to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Igumen [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain," published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press, by illustrating this classic book about [[Mount Athos]].

In December 2002, he was appointed by [[Metropolitan]] Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, [[February 14]], 2004 by his Beatitude Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.

On [[October 29]], 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling [[hierarch]] of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during [[Divine Liturgy]] at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.

==External link==
*[http://oca.org/News.asp?ID=867&SID=19 Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania] - OCA Web site.
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/archbishop-tikhon-elected-metropolitan-of-all-american-and-canada Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada] - OCA Web site.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of South Canaan|
years=2004-2005|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA)|
years=2005-present |
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2012-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Bishops of South Canaan]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Mollard]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Mollard]]
[[Category:St. Tikhon's Seminary Graduates]]

Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia

2012-11-14T01:41:25Z

Andrew: moved Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia to Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington: was elected Primate

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington]]

Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-14T01:41:25Z

Andrew: moved Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia to Talk:Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington: was elected Primate

Including this link for future reference.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/sunday_review/13736457.htm

Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia

2012-11-14T01:41:25Z

Andrew: moved Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia to Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington: was elected Primate

#REDIRECT [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington]]

Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-14T01:41:25Z

Andrew: moved Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia to Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington: was elected Primate

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington''' was elected [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. His title is "Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All American and Canada, [[Locum tenens]] of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]".
==Life==
Bishop Tikhon was born Marc R. Mollard in Boston, Massachusetts on [[July 15]], 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church ([[OCA]]).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from [[Anglican Communion|Episcopalianism]], and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Seminary]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]] as a [[novice]].

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in [[Old Testament]] Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's level courses in the [[prophet]]s and the [[Psalms]] and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament [[saint]]s, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in [[patristics|patristic]] literature.

In 1995 he was [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schema by His Eminence [[Archbishop]] [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Patriarch Tikhon]], Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was [[ordination|ordaine]]d to the Holy [[deacon|Diaconate]] and Holy [[Priest]]hood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of [[igumen]] and in 2000 to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Igumen [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain," published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press, by illustrating this classic book about [[Mount Athos]].

In December 2002, he was appointed by [[Metropolitan]] Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, [[February 14]], 2004 by his Beatitude Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.

On [[October 29]], 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling [[hierarch]] of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during [[Divine Liturgy]] at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.

==External link==
[http://oca.org/News.asp?ID=867&SID=19 Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania] - OCA Web site.
[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/archbishop-tikhon-elected-metropolitan-of-all-american-and-canada Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada] - OCA Web site.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of South Canaan|
years=2004-2005|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA)|
years=2005-present |
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2012-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Bishops of South Canaan]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Mollard]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Mollard]]
[[Category:St. Tikhon's Seminary Graduates]]

Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

2012-11-14T01:40:27Z

Andrew: Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington

His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington''' was elected [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. His title is "Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All American and Canada, [[Locum tenens]] of the [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]".
==Life==
Bishop Tikhon was born Marc R. Mollard in Boston, Massachusetts on [[July 15]], 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church ([[OCA]]).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from [[Anglican Communion|Episcopalianism]], and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Seminary]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]] as a [[novice]].

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in [[Old Testament]] Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's level courses in the [[prophet]]s and the [[Psalms]] and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament [[saint]]s, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in [[patristics|patristic]] literature.

In 1995 he was [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schema by His Eminence [[Archbishop]] [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Patriarch Tikhon]], Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was [[ordination|ordaine]]d to the Holy [[deacon|Diaconate]] and Holy [[Priest]]hood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of [[igumen]] and in 2000 to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Igumen [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain," published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press, by illustrating this classic book about [[Mount Athos]].

In December 2002, he was appointed by [[Metropolitan]] Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, [[February 14]], 2004 by his Beatitude Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.

On [[October 29]], 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling [[hierarch]] of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during [[Divine Liturgy]] at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.

==External link==
[http://oca.org/News.asp?ID=867&SID=19 Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania] - OCA Web site.
[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/archbishop-tikhon-elected-metropolitan-of-all-american-and-canada Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada] - OCA Web site.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of South Canaan|
years=2004-2005|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]]|
title=Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA)|
years=2005-present |
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], [[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2012-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Bishops of South Canaan]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Mollard]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Mollard]]
[[Category:St. Tikhon's Seminary Graduates]]

All-American Council

2012-11-09T19:55:18Z

Andrew: add link

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
'''All-American Council''' is name of the periodic general councils of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). This title began with the granting, in 1970, of autocephaly to the former Russian Mission, which was commonly referred to as the [[Metropolia]]. The councils prior to autocephaly were called [[All-American Sobor]]s.

The first All-American Council, held on [[October 20]]-22, 1970 was also the last All-American Sobor, the fourteenth, after the [[diocese]] received the Tomos of [[autocephaly]] from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. The following is a list All-American councils since the first with notes of the principal activities during each:

==First All-American Council==
The first council was held at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania]]. The council accepted the autocephaly Tomos and approved the new name of ''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''. After approving a new short constitution, the council decided to convene a special session of the council the following year to revise the Church Statutes to reflect the new status as an autocephalous church.

==Second All-American Council==
The second council was also held at St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan from [[October 19]]-21, 1971. The council adopted the revised Statutes for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was based upon the short constitution adopted at the council in 1970. The Statutes specified convening an All-American Council every two years. The council also welcomed into the OCA the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese led by Bp. [[Stephen (Lasko) of Boston|Stephen (Lasko)]].

==Third All-American Council==
The third council was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on [[November 13]]-15, 1973 and for the first time used hotel convention facilities for the sessions. This council was the first council to meet in a number of sessions and workshops instead of convening only in plenary sessions. The council approved the expansion of the central chancery, permit women to be delegates at diocesan meetings, and increased the assessments for funding the central administration (chancery). The Council welcomed the Exarchate of Mexico led by Bp. [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] into the OCA.

==Fourth All-American Council==
The fourth council was again held in a hotel convention facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in [[November 10]]-13, 1975. A theme on ''Missions'' was adopted for this council, and the business of the Council centered on issues of the day.

==Fifth All-American Council==
The fifth council was held in the Canadian Archdiocese, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on [[October 25]]-28, 1977. This council was the first held outside the United States. The first order of business for this Council was the election of a metropolitan, as Metr. [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] had announced his retirement six months earlier due to failing health. After failing to gain a two thirds majority on the first vote, a runoff second vote was held to choose two candidates for selection by the Synod of [[Bishop]]s. While gaining only 179 votes to 348, Bp. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] of Pittsburgh was selected by the Synod over Bp. [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]] of New England.

In the first ballot there were 278 votes for Bishop Dmitri (Royster) of Hartfort, 57 for Archbishop [[Kiprian (Borisevich) of Philadelphia]], 33 for Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Pittsburgh, 25 for Archbishop [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal]], 21 for Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Wilkes-Barre]], 19 for Bishop [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka]], 9 for Bishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese]], 8 for Archpriest [[Boris (Geeza) of Chicago|Boris Geeza]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Garklavs) of Chicago]], 5 for Archbishop [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], 1 for Archbishop [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate]], and two invalid ballots.

In the second ballot where every delegate has two votes, there were 348 votes for Bishop Dmitri, 179 for Bishop Theodosius, 99 for Archbishop Kiprian, 73 for Bishop Herman, 48 for Bishop Gregory, 43 for Archbishop Sylvester, 36 for Fr. Boris Geeza, 21 for Bishop Kyrill, 18 for Archbishop John (Garklavs), 18 for Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), 14 for Archbishop Valerian, 3 for Bishop [[Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton]], 3 for Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City]], 3 for Fr. [[Mark (Forsberg) of Boston|Mark Forsberg]], 1 for Fr. Damian Hart, 1 for Fr. Gabriel Barrow, 1 for Fr. Thomas Green, 1 for Dimitri Mityanin, and 18 invalid votes on 9 ballots.

Discussion and deliberations at the council after the election of the new first hierarch were held under the theme of ''Stewardship''. Attending the Council for the first time was the Bulgarian [[diocese]] led by Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] which had been received into the OCA in 1976. This council introduced the attendance of observers, including women, to council sessions. The council moved the date for the sixth Council to 1980, from the normally scheduled 1979, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of autocephaly.

==Sixth All-American Council==
The sixth council was held in Detroit, Michigan, on [[November 9]]-14, 1980. Discussions and deliberations for this Council were held under the theme of ''Orthodoxy, America, and The Future''. The council amended the Statutes to admit women as delegates at All-American Councils. The council also revised the Statutes to schedule convocation of the All-American Councils every three year instead of every two years. The council also expressed support for Abp [[Valerian (Trifa) of Detroit|Valerian (Trifa)]], bishop of the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Diocese]] of the OCA, who was defending himself against accusations of being a Nazi war-criminal. At the council the Synod of Bishops announced the formation in 1981 of the [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Diocese of Washington (DC)]] as the see for the Primate of the OCA. The council was also advised of the established in 1978 by the Synod of Bishops of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]].

==Seventh All-American Council==
The seventh council was the first scheduled in the summer and was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on [[August 22]]-26, 1983. The discussions and deliberations of this council were held under the theme of ''Church Growth''. This council was the last one attended by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]], who was very ill and died after the council adjourned on [[December 13]], 1983.

==Eighth All-American Council==
The eighth council was held in Washington, D.C. on [[August 17]]-22, 1986. The discussions and deliberations at this council were held under the theme of ''Evangelization''. Among the issues debated, but not resolved, was that of admitting [[deacon]]s to the councils as [[clergy]] delegates.

==Ninth All-American Council==
The ninth council was held in Saint Louis, Missouri on [[August 20]]-25, 1989. The discussions and deliberations of the council were under the theme of ''The Orthodox Church in America: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future''. The ninth council reflected a change in the format for sessions by reverting back to plenary sessions only. The council noted the retirement of Fr. Daniel Hubiak who had been the [[Chancellor]] of the OCA since he succeeded Fr. [[Joseph J. Pishtey II|Joseph J. Pishtey]] after he died on November 2, 1972. The council also noted that the newly appointed chancellor was Fr. Robert Kondratick.

==Tenth All-American Council==
The tenth council was held in Miami, Florida in [[July 26]]-31, 1992. The discussions and deliberations were held under the theme of ''Discerning God's Will: Our Spiritual Life and Ministry''. Most of the deliberations were based upon subjects submitted by parishes during pre-council preparations. The council mourned the death of Fr. [[John Meyendorff]] just a few days before the council convened.

==Eleventh All-American Council==
The eleventh council was held in Chicago, Illinois on [[July 16]]-21, 1995. The theme of the council was ''Gathered in Community''. The deliberations were again held in plenary sessions that were organized to reflect the changes in the departmental structures of the central administration.

==Twelfth All-American Council==
The twelfth council was convened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on [[July 25]]-30, 1999, one year late due to "logistical circumstances." The theme of the council sessions was: ''On Behalf of All and For All''. Among the decisions made were amendments to the Statutes and resolution of an issue on "A Fair Share System of Support." Noted were presentations by Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia|Kallistos (Ware)]] and Dr. [[Jaroslav Pelikan]].

==Thirteenth All-American Council==
The thirteenth council was held in Orlando, Florida on [[July 21]]-26, 2002. The theme for the council was: ''The Parish Community: Our Life in Christ''. The principal business of the council was the election of a new Metropolitan to succeed Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], who had voluntarily retired because of reportedly poor health. While Bp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada]] received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot, the election proceeded to a second vote by the Synod of Bishops since the majority of two thirds for election was not met. The Synod of Bishops selected Abp. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman]] (Swaiko) of Philadelphia as the new Metropolitan.

In the first ballot there were 267 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 141 for Archbishop Herman, 52 for Bishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago]], 47 for Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit]], 47 for Bishop [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka]], 45 for Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], 12 for Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]], 2 for Archbishop [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], 3 for Bishop [[Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and Los Angeles|Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco]], 1 for Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]], 3 for Fr. [[Michael Dahulich]] , 2 for [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Metropolitan Philip]], 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Archbishop Demetrios]], 2 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin , 1 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Archimandrite [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]], 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, and 9 invalid ballots.

In the second ballot there were 473 votes for Bishop Seraphim, 223 for Archbishop Herman, 151 for Bishop Job, 107 for Bishop Nikolai, 94 for Archbishop Nathaniel, 73 for Archbishop Dmitri, 32 for Bishop Basil (Essey) , 19 for Fr. [[Alexander Golitzin]], 18 for Bishop Nikon, 16 for Bishop Tikhon, 15 for Fr. Michael Dahulich , 12 for Archbishop Kyrill, 8 for Metropolitan Philip, 5 for Archbishop [[Peter (L'Huillier) of New York]], 5 for Fr. Irinej Dobrijevich, 5 for Archimandrite Tikhon, 3 for Archbishop Demetrios, 3 for Fr. Vladimir Wendling, 2 for Fr. David Brum, 2 for Fr. Eugene Tarris, 2 for Bishop Dimitrios, 2 for Fr. Basil Summer, 1 for Bishop Nicholas, 1 for Fr. Christopher Calin, 1 Hierodeacon Yakov, 1 for Fr. James Paffhausen, 1 for Dr. Albert Rossi, and 1 for Fr. [[Irénée (Rochon)|Ireney Rochon]].

==Fourteenth All-American Council==
The fourteenth council was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on [[July 17]]-22, 2005. The theme of the council was: ''Our Church and Our Future''. The operations and budget of the central administration was reviewed with reports by the treasurer on issues of debt reduction and repayment of borrowed funds. The council received the decision of the Synod of Bishops, made prior to the council, re-uniting the Dioceses of Washington and of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York and New Jersey]] to form the Diocese of [[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Washington and New York]] headed by Metr. Herman, following the retirement of Abp. Peter of New York and New Jersey.

==Fifteenth All-American Council==
The 15th All-American Council, took place at the Hilton Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA, November 10-13, 2008. The theme for the council was: "Members of One Another". In preparation, the Preconciliar Commission held regional “Town Hall meetings” throughout the summer with members of the Synod of Bishops meeting with church members.

The Council trailed a financial scandal that had been slowly emerging since 1993 that resulted in the early retirement of the Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] in September. The chief tasks of the council were to pick a new primate for the OCA and to restore confidence in the financial accountability of the church.

After receiving pluralities in the nominating ballots (though not a two-thirds majority), auxiliary Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] of Fort Worth was elected by the Synod of Bishops. Present at the Wednesday morning session, were 645 voting delegates, including 310 clergy and 325 lay delegates, and 10 Hierarchs, making 432 votes needed for a first round, two thirds, majority.

On the first ballot, the two leading candidates were Bp. Jonah, with 233 votes, and Abp. [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago]], with 212 votes. Also receiving first ballot votes were, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] with 75 votes, Archbishop [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] 33, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon]] 27, Archpriest [[Michael Dahulich]] 16, Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri]] 10, Archbishop [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]] 9, Bishop [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil (Essey)]] 6, Bishop [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon]] 5, Archpriest [[Alexander Golitzin]] 5, Archbishop [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa|Lazar (Puhalo)]] 002, Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion (of Vienna)]] 2, Archimandrite [[Meletios (Webber)]] 2, Archpriest Basil Summer 1, Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias (of St. John’s Monastery, England)]] 1, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 1, Archpriest Callinic Berger 1, and Archimandrite [[Zacchaeus (Wood)]] with 1 vote. (Three votes were not cast.)

On the second ballot, Bp. Jonah received 473 votes and Abp. Job 364. Their names were given to the other bishops for selection. Also receiving second ballot votes were, Bishop Benjamin with 140 votes, Bishop Tikhon 75, Archbishop Seraphim 42, Archbishop Dmitri 35, Archpriest Michael Dahulich 31, Bishop Basil (Essey) 22, Bishop Nikon 19, Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) 16, Archbishop Nathaniel 9, Archpriest Alexander Golitzin 6, Archpriest Basil Summer 6, Fr. Oleg Kirilov 4, Bishop [[Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights|Irineu]] 3, Bishop [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo]] 3, Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) 3, Monk Stavros (Leves) 2, Archpriest [[David Mahaffey]] 2, Igumen Basil Carpenter 2, Archimandrite Zacharias of St. John’s Monastery, England 2, Archpriest Dennis Bradley 2, Archbishop Nikiphoros 1, Bishop [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark of Toledo]] 1, and Fr. Juvenaly of St. Tikhon’s 1 vote. (Two votes were not cast and 4 votes were invalid.)

On the previous night, the Synod of Bishops took questions about the financial scandal. The newly consecrated Bishop Jonah gave answers that drew attention for their forthright admission of wrongdoing at church headquarters and explained of how bishops are supposed to lead.

Among the reports and talks during the council were Abp. [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]]'s update on the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America, Special Investigating Committee reports and recommendations.

Much of the Council's activity could be observed online through a [http://www.oca.org/15aac page on the OCA website], and via podcasts from [http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca15aac Ancient Faith Radio].

==Sixteenth All-American Council==

The 16th All-American Council was held in Bellevue, Washington, October 31 to November 4, 2011, Bellevue is a neighbor of Seattle, just across Lake Washington.

==Seventeenth All-American Council==

The 17th All-American Council will be held for just one day, Tuesday, [[November 13]], 2012 (the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom), at the Holy Trinity Church, Parma, Ohio. The only order of business for this council will be the election of a new primate of the Orthodox Church in America.

==External links==
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-councils.asp?SID=12 OCA Councils]
*[http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/minutes/plenarysessions.pdf Thirteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=187&SID=12 Anticipation: An All-American Council of repentance, healing, renewed life, and reinvigorated mission] Anticipation of the 15th All-American Council
*[http://oca15aac.wordpress.com 15th All-American Council blog]
*[http://www.oca.org/PDF/15thAAC/15AAC.minutes.pdf Fifteenth All-American Council MINUTES]
*[http://aac16.org/ 16th All-American Council Website]
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/oca_aac16 16th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,
*[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-17th-all-american-council The 17th All-American Council Election of the Metropolitan of All America and Canada]
*[https://ancientfaith.com/specials/aac_17 17th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America Podcasts] - Ancient Faith Radio,

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in America]]

[[ro:Sinodul Tuturor Americanilor]]

Category:Bishops of Langada

2012-11-07T13:39:24Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category:Bishops by city|Langada]]

Maxim (Minkov) of Bulgaria

2012-11-06T14:25:58Z

Andrew: Memory Eternal!

His Holiness '''Maxim (Minkov)''', [[Patriarch]] of Bulgaria and Bishop of Sofia, is the current [[primate]] of the [[Church of Bulgaria]].

==Life==
His Holiness Maxim was born Marin Naydenov Minkov on [[October 29]], 1914 in the village of Oreshak, near the town of Troyan. Marin received his theological education at the Sofia Seminary of St. John of Rila and the Orthodox Theological Department of Sofia University.

In 1941, he was [[tonsure]]d and received the name Maxim and then entered the [[Holy Orders]]. In 1955, he was named secretary general of the [[Holy Synod]]. In 1956, he was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] with the titular Bishop of Branit. In 1960, he was elected [[Metropolitan]] of Lovech, and then on [[July 4]], 1971, he was elected Patriarch of Bulgaria.

Patr. Maxim led the Church of Bulgaria during much of the period of the communist dictatorship and the transition of Bulgaria to a non-communist state. During much of this period the Church of Bulgaria was split into to warring Synods.

Patriarch Maxim passed away [[November 6]],2012, a few days after his 98th birthday.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Branit|
years=1956-1960|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Metropolitan of Lovech|
years=1960-1971|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=[[Cyril (Markov) of Bulgaria|Cyril (Markov)]]|
title=Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia|
years=1971-2012|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

==External links==
*[http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=98346 Head of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Maksim]
*[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/hierarchs/bulgaria/current.htm#maxim_patr Listing] at the Orthodox Research Institute
*[[w:Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria|''Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria'' at Wikipedia]]
*[http://bulch.tripod.com/boc/mainpage.htm The Official Web-site of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church]

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Branit]]
[[Category:Bishops of Lovech]]
[[Category:Bishops of Sofia]]
[[Category:Patriarchs of Bulgaria]]

Talk:Leo III of Rome

2012-11-05T18:10:34Z

Andrew:

I think that Pope [[Leo III of Rome]] was never listed as a saint in an Orthodox Church. I do not see him on the OCA calendar or the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America calendar. Is this because that Rome did not canonize him until after the schism, or maybe the Charlemagne stuff? - [[User:Andrew|Andrew]] 07:26, November 5, 2012‎ (HST)
: He is listed as a pre-schism saint at the ''"Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome"'' website (St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester). However you may be correct about his canonization...
::* "'''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/saintsl.htm Leo III June 12]''': + 816. Born in Rome, he became Pope of Rome in 795. He suffered much from political factions in Rome and was himself seized and tortured. Leo refused to add the filioque to the Nicene Creed."
:[[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 07:49, November 5, 2012 (HST)
::Thanks [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 08:10, November 5, 2012 (HST)

Talk:Leo III of Rome

2012-11-05T17:26:09Z

Andrew: Saint?

Category:Historians

2012-11-01T19:42:21Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category:People]]

Roman Hurko

2012-11-01T19:34:27Z

Andrew: Category

'''Roman Hurko''' is a Toronto based composer of Byzantine Rite Music

== Biography ==

Roman Hurko is a Canadian of Ukrainian descent, born in Toronto, Canada (1962). A graduate of The Yale Institute of Sacred Music (Master of Arts and Religion) and The University of Toronto (B.A. Music History and Theory), he has also studied privately with composer Father Ivan Moody in Portugal and Leonid Hrabovsky in New York.

A member of the Composers' Union of Ukraine since 2004, Roman began writing music while still in high school. His first composition "Ave Maria" for SATB choir was premiered by the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, at the Guelph Spring Festival in 1983, with the composer conducting.

In the summers of 1983 and 1985 he attended choral conducting seminars led by Maestro Volodymyr Kolesnyk, former director of the National Opera of Ukraine. In the fall of 1985, he co-founded the St. Evtymyj Youth Choir at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto. Roman soon began setting parts of the liturgy for his choir, and in 1999 decided to complete and record the entire Divine Liturgy of St. [[John Chrysostom]] to commemorate the second millennium of [[Christianity]] ([http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=4 Liturgy 2000]).

In tandem with his compositional work, Roman has built a career in Opera Stage Direction. A former member of the Canadian Opera Company (COC) ensemble, he worked as staff assistant director at the COC from 1988 - 93. After freelancing as an assistant director in Europe and the US (Royal Opera Covent Garden, Salzburg Festival, De Nederlands Opera, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Teatro de la Zarzuela, The Washington Opera,) he made his stage directing debut in 1996 at the Spoleto Festival (Italy) with Handel's Semele. Also at Spoleto, he co-directed Prokofiev's War and Peace together with festival founder and composer, Gian Carlo Menotti. Most recently, he directed Mozart's Don Giovanni and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman at the Vancouver Opera.

During this period he also composed the incidental music for two plays with the Yara Arts Group at La Mama Experimental Theater Club in New York City: A Light From the East (1991) and Explosions (1993).

Mr. Hurko has composed and recorded four major pieces of sacred music: [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=4 Liturgy 2000], [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=3 Panachyda/Requiem for the Victims of Chornobyl] (2001), [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=2 Liturgy No.2] (2003), and [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=1 Vespers] (2005). [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=4 Liturgy 2000] was premiered in Chicago by the Schola Cantorum of [[Apostle Peter|St. Peter the Apostle]], conducted by J. Michael Thompson, at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha's Ukrainian Catholic Church on [[July 14]], 2000. Requiem/Panachyda, dedicated to the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, received its premiere at [[St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery]] in Kiev, on [[April 26]], 2001 (the 15th anniversary of the disaster), with the composer conducting the Frescoes of Kiev Chamber Choir. A subsequent recording of the Requiem received its broadcast debut in April 2003 on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio 2 programme "Choral Concert".

Selections from [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=2 Liturgy No. 2] were given their North American premiere by the Elmer Iseler Singers at concerts in Ottawa and Toronto. In September 2005, [http://www.romanhurko.com/productDetails.cfm?CDID=1 Vespers] was premiered in Kiev's Pecherska Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) by the Vydubychi Church Chorus, as the opening concert to the 16th KievFest International Music Festival.

On [[April 9]], 2006, Requiem was performed in concert at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall by the combined: Elmer Iseler Singers, Orpheus Choir, Amadeus Choir, the Vesnivka Women's Choir, and the Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir in a concert to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. This concert was subsequently broadcast on [[April 26]] (the 20th anniversary of the disaster) on the CBC Radio 2 programme: "In Performance", and again on Sunday, [[May 14]] on "Choral Concert".

Many of Mr. Hurko's recordings have received their US broadcast premiere on Princeton Radio's "Classical Discoveries" program (103.3 FM), hosted by Marvin Rosen. Most recently, Roman has become involved in a series of recordings entitled "[http://www.musicaleopolis.com The Ukrainian Art Song Project]" as producer. The goal of the project is to record the complete art songs of Ukraine's major composers. Volume 1 of the series, The Complete Art Songs of Kyrylo Stetsenko (1882 - 1922) was recorded during the summer of 2006 by Pavlo Hunka, Bass and Albert Krywolt, piano. Also featured on the recording are Russell Braun, Baritone and Benjamin Butterfield, tenor. The recording was launched on [[September 14]], 2006 at the new Four Season's Opera House in Toronto. Recording for the Volume 2, The Complete Art Songs of Mykola Lysenko (1842 - 1912) has been completed and is scheduled for release in early 2010. The Art Songs of Yakiv Stepovyj will begin recording in July 2009.

== External links ==
*[http://www.romanhurko.com/ Roman Hurko]

[[Category:Hymnographers]]

Roman Hurko

2012-11-01T19:33:26Z

Andrew: Category

Category:Categories

2012-11-01T19:21:50Z

Andrew: fix Newest Categories link

This is the root category. It is here as a navigational aid.

No articles should be in this category — they should be filed under an appropriate subcategory, that is a category that is under one or more other categories. This root should be the only category that is not a subcategory to another, and it should only contain major categories. (This page should be the only page in [[Special:Uncategorizedcategories|Uncategorized categories]])
*[[Special:Categories|All Categories]]
*[http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Special%3AAllpages&from=&namespace=15 Category Discussion Pages]
*[http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Special%3ANewPages&namespace=14 Newest Categories]
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[[el:Κατηγορία:Κατηγορίες]]
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List of primates of Russia

2012-11-01T15:17:49Z

Andrew: link

{{cleanup}}

'''List of Primates of the [[Church of Russia]]'''. These are the list of the Primates of the early ''Kievan Metropolia'' (which was predecesor of the [[Church of Ukraine]], and [[Church of Russia]], under the [[Church of Constantinople]]), and the Moscow Metropolia and Patriarchate. Michael I became the first primate when the entire city of Kiev was baptized in 988 by order of [[Vladimir of Kiev]].

==988-1304 - The Kievan Metropolia==
In the pre-Tartar period of its history, the Kievan Church ([[Church of Russia|Russian]], and [[Church of Ukraine|Ukrainian]], the country at the time was known as ''Kievan Rus' '', which later became the countries of Russia and Ukraine) was one of the Metropolitanates of the [[Patriarchate of Constantinople]]. The [[Metropolitan]] was based in the city of Kiev, and he a Greek appointed by the Patriarchate of Constantinople:

* St. [[Michael of Kiev|Mikhail I]] (988-991)
* Leontii I (992-1007)
* Ivan I (1008-1035)
* Feopemt (1035-1049)
* Kirill I (1050 )

In 1051, the first native of Kievan Rus', [[Metropolitan]] Hilarion (who was noted as one of the more educated men of his time) was installed to the primatial see. (Also in 1051, St. Anthony of the Caves brought the traditions of [[Mount Athos|Athonite]] monasticism to Russia.)

* [[Hilarion of Kiev|Hilarion]] (1051-1054)
* Efrem I (1055 )
* ?
* Grigorii II (1067-1077)
* Ivan II (1077-1089)
* Ivan III (1089-1091)
* Efrem II (1092-1097)
* Nikolai (1097-1102)

The 12th century was a period of feudal divisions in Russia, but the Russian Church remained the only bond of the Russian people, resisting the feudal conflict among Russian princes.

* Nikifor I (1103-1121)
* Nikita (1122-1126)
* vacant
* Mikhail II (1129-1145)
* vacant
* Kliment Smolyatich (1147-1154)
* St. [[Constantine I of Kiev|Konstantin I]] (1155-1158)
* vacant
* Feodor (1161-1163)
* Ivan IV (1164-1166
* Konstantin II (1167-1177)
* vacant
* Nikifor II (1182-1198)
* Gavriil ?

In the 13th century, the Tartar invasion failed to break the Kievan Church. The Church managed to survive as a real force and was the comforter of the people in their plight. It made a great spiritual, material, and moral contribution to the restoration of the political unity in the country as a guarantee of its future victory over the invaders.

* Dionisii I (1205)
* vacant (1205-1209)
* Matfei (1209-1220)
* vacant (1220-1224)
* Kirill II (1224-1233)
* ?
* Iosif I (1237- ?)
* Kirill III (1243-1281)
* vacant (1281-1283)
* [[Maximus of Kiev and all Rus|Maximus]] (1283-1305)

==1304 - 1448 - Metropolitans of Moscow and Vladimir==
Russian principalities began to unite around Moscow in the 14th century. The Russian Orthodox Church continued to play an important role in the revival of unified Russia. Outstanding Russian bishops acted as spiritual guides and assistants to the princes of Moscow. St. Metropolitan [[Alexis of Moscow|Alexis]] (1354-1378) educated Prince Dimitry Donskoy. He, just as St. Metropolitan Jonas (1448-1471) later, by the power of his authority helped the prince of Moscow to put an end to the feudal discords and preserve the unity of the state. St. [[Sergius of Radonezh]], a great ascetic of the Russian Church, gave his blessing to Prince Dimitry Donskoy to fight the Kulikovo Battle, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Russia from the invaders.

* St. [[Peter of Moscow|Peter]] (in Moscow from 1318) (1304-1326 )
* vacant
* St. [[Theognostus the Greek|Theognostus]] (1328-1353)
* St. [[Alexis of Moscow|Alexis]] (I) (1354-1378)
* vacant
* St. [[Cyprian of Moscow|Cyprian]] (1380-1385 d.1407)
* Pimen (I) (1385-138? )
* Dionysius (138?-1390 )
* St. Cyprian (restored) (1390-1407)
* St. [[Photius of Kiev|Photius]] (1408-1431 )
* [[Isidore the Apostate]] (1437-1441)
* vacant

==1448 – 1589 - Metropolitans of Moscow and all Russia ==
Jonas (1448-1461) was the first to be elected without the sanction of Constantinople, thus establishing the Russian Church as a fully independent body. Liberating itself from the invaders, the Russian state gathered strength and so did the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1448, not long before the [[Byzantine Empire]] collapsed, the Russian Church became independent from the patriarchate of Constantinople. Metropolitan Jonas, installed by the Council of Russian Bishops in 1448, was given the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia.

* St. [[Jonas of Moscow|Jonas]] (1448-1461)
* [[Theodosius of Moscow|Theodosius]] (1461-1464)
* [[Philip I of Moscow|Philip I]] (1464-1473)
* Gerontius (1473-1489)
* [[Zosimus of Moscow|Zosimus]] (1490-1494)
* Symeon (1495-1511
* [[Barlaam of Moscow‎|Barlaam]] (1511-1521)
* [[Daniel of Moscow (metropolitan)|Daniel]] (1522-1539)
* Joasaphus (1539-1542)
* [[Macarius of Moscow|Macarius]] (1542-1563)
* Athanasius (1564-1566)
* St. [[Herman (Sadyrev-Polevoy) of Kazan|Herman (Sadyrev-Polevoy)]] (1566 )
* St. [[Philip II of Moscow|Philip II]] (1566-1568)
* Cyril (1568-1572 )
* Anthony (1572-1581)
* Dionysius (1581-1587)

==1589 – 1721 - Patriarchs of Moscow and all Russia ==
The growing might of the Russian state contributed also to the growing authority of the Autocephalous Russian Church. In 1589 Metropolitan Job of Moscow became the first Russian patriarch. Eastern patriarchs recognized the Russian patriarch as the [[see|fifth in honor]].

* St. [[Job of Moscow|Job]] (1589-1605)
* Ignatius (1605-1606)
* St. [[Hermogenes of Moscow|Hermogenes]] (1606-1612) (also known as, Germogen)

The beginning of the 17th century proved to be a hard time for Russia. The Poles and Swedes invaded Russia from the West. The patriarch, an ardent patriot of Russia who was to be tortured to death by the invaders, was the spiritual leader of the mass levy led by Minin and Pozharsky. The heroic defense of [[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra|St. Sergius' Monastery]] of the Trinity from the Swedes and Poles between 1608-1610 is of note to both the Russian state and the Russian Church.

* [[Philaret (Romanov) of Moscow|Philaret]] (Fyodor N. Romanov - father of Tsar Michael I, the first Romanov Tsar)(1619-1633)
* [[Joasaphus I of Moscow|Joasaphus I]] (1634-1640)
* [[Joseph of Moscow| Joseph]] (1642-1652)
* [[Nikon of Moscow|Nikon]] (1652-1658)

At this time, the Russian Church was engaged in introducing corrections into its service books and rites. A great contribution to this was made by Patriarch Nikon, a bright personality and outstanding church reformer. Some clergymen and lay people did not understand and did not accept the liturgical reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon and refused to obey the church authority. This was how the [[Old Believers]]' schism emerged.

* [[Pitirim of Moscow|Pitirim]], Metropolitan of Krutitsy, Coadjutor (1658-1667)
* [[Joasaph II (Novotorzhets) of Moscow|Joasaphus II]] (1667-1672)
* Pitirim of Krutitsy (restored, as Patriarch ) (1672-1673)
* [[Joachim (Savelov) of Moscow|Joachim]] (1674-1690)
* [[Adrian of Moscow|Adrian]] (1690-1700)
* Stefan Yavorskiy, Metrop. of Ryazan, Coadjutor (1700-1721)

==1721-1917 Holy Synod==
The beginning of the 18th century in Russia was marked by sweeping reforms carried out by Peter I. The reforms did not leave the Russian Church untouched. After the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, Peter I delayed the election of the new Primate of the Church.He established, in 1721, a collective supreme administration known as the [[Apostolic Governing Synod|Holy and Governing Synod]]. The Synod remained the supreme church body in the Russian Church for almost two centuries. The the Tsar's cabinet member, [[Ober-Procurator]], was a lay head of this Synod.

In the Synodal period, the Church paid a special attention to the development of religious education and mission in the provinces. Old churches were restored and new churches were built.

The [[Holy Synod]], consisted of the most influential metropolitans, archbishops and bishops. Moscow itself was administered by a territorial archbishop, combined with Vladimir (1721-1745), with Sevsk (1745-1764), with Kaluga (1764-1799), then Metropolitan, combined with Kaluga, (1799-1917).

===Metropolitans of Moscow===
*(Moscow metropolitans, not known as patriarchs)
** Joseph (1742-1745)
** Platon I (1745-1754)
** Hilarion of Krutitsy ([[Locum Tenens]]) (1754-1757)
** Timotheus (1757-1767)
** Ambrosius (1767-1771)
** Samouel of Krutitsy (Locum Tenens) (1771-1775)
** [[Platon II of Moscow|Platon II]] (1775-1811)
** Augustin (1811-1819)
** [[Seraphim (Glagolevsky) of Novgorod and St. Petersburg|Seraphim (Glagolevsky)]] (1819-1821)
** [[Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow|St. Philaret (Drozdov)]] (1821-1867)
** [[Innocent of Alaska|St. Innocent]] (1868-1879)
** Macarius I (1879-1882)
** Joannicius (1882-1891)
** Leontius (1891-1893)
** Sergius (1893-1898)
** St. [[Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev|Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky)]] (1898-1912)
** [[Macarius II (Nevsky) of Moscow|Macarius (Nevsky)]] (1912-1917)

==1917 – Patriarchs of Moscow and all Russia ==
Early in the 20th century the Russian Church began preparations for convening an [[All-Russian Church Council of 1917-1918|All-Russian Council]]. But it was to be convened only after the 1917 Revolution. Among its major actions was the restoration of the patriarchal office in the Russian Church. The Council elected Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1917-1925). Again, the primate was known as the patriarch.

* [[Tikhon of Moscow|St. Tikhon]] (1917-1925) (St. Tikhon of Moscow exerted every effort to calm the destructive passions kindled up by the revolution. )
* vacant - ([[Peter (Polyansky) of Moscow and Krutitsy|Peter]] Patriarchal [[locum tenens]] (1925-1937) )
* [[Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], Deputy locum tenens (1925-1936), locum tenens (1936-1943) Patriarch (1943-1944)
* [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexius I]] (1945-1970)
* [[Pimen (Izvekov) of Moscow|Pimen]] (1970-1990)
* [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexius II]] (1990-2008)
* [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kyrill I]] (2009-Present)

==See also==
*[[List of Metropolitans of Kiev]]
==Source==
*[http://www.hostkingdom.net/Russia.html#Moscow HostKingdom]
*[http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?lng=1 DECR Communication Service] Communication service of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate

[[Category:Bishops|Russia]]
[[Category:Patriarchs of Moscow|*]]

[[fr:Liste des primats de l'Église de Russie]]

Category:Bishops of Moldavia

2012-10-31T15:21:14Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category: Bishops by city|Moldavia]]

Category:Bishops of Kholm

2012-10-31T15:20:49Z

Andrew: Category

[[Category: Bishops by city|Kholm]]

Zosimus the Soldier

2012-10-25T14:47:41Z

Andrew: Category

The holy, glorious and right-victorious [[martyr]] '''Zosimus the Soldier''' was a Roman soldier during the time of emperor Trajan and his torturing of Christians. Zosimus chose becoming a Christian over serving in the Roman army. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[June 19]].

==Life==
Zosimus was a native of the city of Apollona in Thrace during the reign of Trajan at the turn of the first to second centuries. He was consumed with the desire to become a Christian during the time that Trajan was noted as a persecutor of Christians. When he heard about the start of a persecution of Christians, he left military service and was [[baptism|baptized]]. He then devoted himself to prayer and good deeds. His act was reported to the [[Wikipedia:Prefect|prefect]] Domitianus of Antioch as having betrayed the emperor by removing his military insignia and joining the Christians.

At his trial, Zosimus confessed his faith in [[Christ]] and refused to offer sacrifice to the [[paganism|pagan]] gods. Sentenced, he was subjected to fierce torments, but was strengthened by the grace of God and did not feel the pain. Next, the prefect issued orders to heat a copper bed red-hot and to put Zosimus on it. Zosimus made the [[Sign of the Cross]] and laid down on the bed, but remained unharmed. Then, as Domitianus was departing the city he gave orders to place iron sandals with sharp nails in the soles on Zosimus' feet. Then, he had Zosimus follow after him, as the Lord gave St. Zosimus the strength to follow after the horses.

Next, Zosimus was locked in prison, where his tormentors deprived him of food and drink. However, an [[angel]] of the Lord fortified him with bread and water. As St. Zosimus continued to refuse the demand to sacrifice to the pagan gods, he was finally beheaded in the year 110, and thus surrendered his soul to God. His martyrdom was said to have been in Spoleto in Umbria, Italy.

==Sources==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=101754 OCA: Martyr Zosimus the Soldier at Antioch, in Pisidia]
*[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/s2centy.htm Zosimus]
*[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2089 St. Zosimus]

[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category: Martyrs]]
[[Category:2nd-century saints]]

Zosimus of Cilicia

2012-10-25T14:46:57Z

Andrew: Category

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Zosimus of Cilicia''', also '''Zosimus of Babylon''', was the Bishop of Babylon in Egypt during the fifth century. His [[feast day]] is commemorated on [[June 4]].

==Life==
Zosimus was born in Cilicia in Asia Minor. While still a youth he decided on a [[monasticism|monastic]] life and traveled to Sinai to settle at [[Mount Sinai]]. After some time he moved to Lebanon and established himself in an isolated area. In time, he experienced an encounter with an elderly [[Hermit|ascetic]] who foretold that he would be [[bishop]] in [[Wikipedia:Babylon_(Egypt)|Babylon]], in an area that is now known as [[Coptic Cairo]].

Later, Zosimus returned to Mount Sinai, and while there he was sent on an errand to Alexandria. While he was in [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] the [[Patriarch]] became impressed with him and appointed him Bishop of Babylon. As bishop, Zosimus guided his flock wisely until he was old of age. As he sensed the approach of his death he returned to Sinai where he fell asleep peacefully in the Lord.

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=101601 OCA: St Zosimus of Cilicia the Bishop of Babylon in Egypt]

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category:5th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category:5th-century saints]]

Zosima

2012-10-25T14:46:25Z

Andrew: Category

[[Image:Zosimas and Mary of Egypt.jpg|right|frame|Ss. Zosima and Mary of Egypt]]
Our venerable and God-bearing father '''Zosima''' (also variously ''Zosimus'', ''Zosimos'' or ''Zosimas'') was a holy [[monastic]] who encountered St. [[Mary of Egypt]] in the desert during the sixth century. He brought the story of her life back to the brothers at his [[monastery]]. He is commemorated on [[April 4]], and with St. Mary of Egypt on [[April 1]].
{{stub}}

== Hymns ==
[[Troparion]] (Tone 1) [http://www.comeandseeicons.com/mgo02.htm]
:Let us the faithful praise Zosimas the offspring of the wilderness,
:the [[angel]] in the flesh and boast of [[monk]]s.
:And with him let us also acclaim holy [[Mary of Egypt]]
:whose life transcended the limits of nature;
:and let us cry to them:
:"Glory to [[Jesus|Him]] Who strengthened you;
:glory to Him Who made you holy;
:glory to Him Who through you works healings for all."
[[Kontakion]] (Tone 3)
:Let us all praise the righteous Zosimas, the boast of monastics,
:And with him, Mary who in the desert lived the angelic life.
:Let us cry to them in faith:
:Deliver from harm and corrupting passions,
:Those who celebrate your radiant memory!

==See also==
*[[Asceticism]]

==External Link==
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/groups/udn03.htm Icon of St. Mary of Egypt & St. Zosimas]

[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category:Egyptian Saints]]
[[Category:6th-century saints]]

Zachariah

2012-10-25T14:45:42Z

Andrew: Category

{{OldTestament}}
[[Image:Zacharias (Father of St. John the Baptist).jpg|frame|right|Prophet Zacharias (Father of St. John the Baptist)]]

The [[Righteous]] '''Zachariah''' (or ''' Zacharias'''), the father of the holy [[Prophet]] St [[John the Baptist]] is commemorated by the Church on [[September 5]] along with his wife [[Elizabeth]]. He is also remembered, in the Greek tradition, on [[June 24]] with the Nativity of St John the Baptist.

The holy Prophet Zachariah, a priest in the Jerusalem Temple, was the son of [[Barach]], from the lineage of [[Aaron]]. St Zachariah was told by an [[angel]] that his elderly wife would bear him a son named John, but he doubted this prediction. For his weakness of faith, Zachariah become mute. When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, motivated of the [[Holy Spirit]], she announced that his name was John. When Zachariah confirmed the name in writing, speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to foretell about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.

King Herod began to slaughter the children of Bethlehem after the Lord [[Jesus]] had been born. The king sent men to find and kill the son of Zachariah because he had heard all that had happened to Zachariah, and how John had been born. Elizabeth fled with John when she saw the soldiers. Herod was enraged that the child John had not been found and ordered Zachariah to be slain before the altar in temple.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] – ([[Tone]] 2) [http://oca.org/FStropars.asp?SID=13&ID=102502]

:The memory of Your prophets Zachariah and Elizabeth
:We celebrate today, O Lord.
:By their prayers, we beseech You,
:O Christ God, save our souls!

Troparion (Tone 4)
:Robed in the vestments of the priesthood,
:According to the Law of God you offered whole-burnt offerings in a sacred manner, wise Zachariah.
:You became a luminary and a seer of the mysteries,
:Bearing within yourself the signs of grace, all-wise one.
:Slain by the sword in the temple of God, O prophet of Christ,
:Intercede together with the Forerunner that our souls may be saved.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 3)
:Today the prophet, priest of the Most High and parent of the Forerunner,
:Has prepared a banquet to his memory to nourish the faithful,
:Mixing the drink of righteousness.
:Therefore we praise him as a divine initiate of the grace of God.

==External links==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=102502 Prophet Zachariah the father of St John the Baptist] – [[OCA]] website
*[http://www.goarch.org/en/Chapel/saints.asp?contentid=194 Zacharias the Prophet & Righteous Elizabeth, parents of St. John the Baptist] - [[GOARCH]] website
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=September&day=5&Go.x=18&Go.y=6 The Holy Prophet Zacharias] (Prologue of Ohrid)

[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Biblical Saints]]
[[Category:Prophets]]
[[Category:1st-century saints]]

[[ro:Dreptul Zaharia]]

Veronica

2012-10-25T14:43:38Z

Andrew: Category

[[image:Veronica.jpg|right|thumb|Saint Veronica, who wiped Christ's face as He went to his crucifixion.]]Saint '''Veronica''' (also ''Berenice'') is known as the woman who wiped [[Jesus Christ|Christ]]'s face as He carried His cross towards [[Golgotha]] and as the woman who Christ cured of the issue of blood, who is also traditionally identified as Herod the Great's niece. The Church celebrates her [[feast day]] on [[July 12]].

==Life==
Few concrete details are known of the life of Saint Veronica, though much folklore has arisen, especially in Western Christendom, concerning her miraculous cloth, or veil, which touched the face of Christ.

Traditionally, Veronica came to believe in Christ when He healed her of an ailment that had afflicted her for twelve years:
:''And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and
:''touched the hem of his garment:
:''For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
:''But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.
:''And the woman was made whole from that hour.''{{ref|1}}

The next episode that we hear of in her life is the famous cloth incident during Christ's [[crucifixion]]. When Christ paused in exhaustion, Veronica was able to give the Lord her handkerchief. When she looked at the cloth again, she realized that an image of Christ's face had appeared on it; this is often called the first [[iconography|icon]]. Veronica's name itself is said to be derived from the Latin words meaning ''true (verus) image/icon ''.

No one is certain of what happened to Veronica in her later years, though one story has it that she cured the Roman Emperor Tiberius of some kind of sickness using her iconic cloth. Some sources say that she and her husband, named Zacchaeus, travelled all the way to Southern France confessing the [[Gospel]].
==Hymn==
[[Troparion]] (Tone 8)
:The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
:For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
:By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
:But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
:Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Veronica, rejoices with the Angels!
==External links==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=102006 Saint Veronica] ([[OCA]])
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/v/phn33.htm "Come and See" Icons, Books & Art: Veronica] (Includes short biography and Troparion.)
*[[w:Saint Veronica|Wikipedia account of Veronica]]
*[[w:Veil of Veronica|Wikipedia on Veronica's veil]]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15362a.htm Roman Catholic Encyclopedia on Veronica]
*{{note|1}}[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209;&version=9; Matthew Chapter 9] (King James Version, in public domain, courtesy www.biblegateway.com)

[[Category:Biblical Saints]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:1st-century saints]]

Vartan the Warrior

2012-10-25T14:41:15Z

Andrew: Category

St. '''Vartan the Warrior''' is one of the most famous heroes and [[saint]]s of the [[Church of Armenia|Armenian Orthodox Church]], giving his life in the 5th century for the defense of the Orthodox Faith and the Armenian nation against the Sassanian Empire.

==Life==
Very few details about St. Vartan's life have survived to the present. He is known to have been a member of the noble Mamikonian family, whose later members included Empress [[Theodora (9th century empress)|Theodora]], who restored the holy [[icon]]s in the East Roman Empire. His maternal grandfather, St. [[Isaac the Great|Sahak the Great]], served as the fifth [[Catholicos]] of All the Armenians and was also a descendant of St. [[Gregory the Enlightener|Gregory the Illuminator]], making St. Vartan himself a descendant of the Enlightener of Armenia.

Despite his dedication to the Orthodox Faith, St. Vartan chose to become a soldier instead of a [[clergy]]man, eventually rising to become the head of the Mamikonian clan and commander-in-chief of the Armenian army under the Sassanian shah. The growing nationalism of the Sassanians and their desire to establish Zoroastrianism throughout their dominions, however, led to a deterioration in relations between the Sassanian Empire and largely Christian Armenia.

Growing increasingly suspicious of Armenia's adherence to Christianity, Shah Yazdigerd II eventually issued a decree demanding that the country abandon Orthodoxy and return to Zoroastrianism. In response the hierarchs and leaders of the Armenian nation gathered at the Council of Ardashad, there rejecting the shah's demand and sending a declaration of their Christian faith to the imperial court.

In response to the Council of Ardashad the shah sent an army to crush the Armenians and forcibly return them to Zoroastrianism. The Armenian and Sassanian armies met on the plains of Avarayr on [[May 26]], 451 and fought the bloody Battle of Avarayr (also known as Vartanantz) there. Prior to entering battle the Armenian soldiers took Communion. Although St. Vartan and many of those who fought with him were slaughtered by the Sassanians the battle weakened the Sassanian armies enough to prevent the complete subjugation of Armenia, which was eventually granted the freedom to follow Christianity by the shahs.

St. Vartan is remembered as a defender of the Armenian nation and a [[martyr]] together with the 1,036 other commanders, [[priest]]s, and soldiers who were killed during the Battle of Vartanantz. Many [[cathedral]]s and [[church]]es throughout the world are dedicated to the Saint's memory, among them the magnificent cathedral of the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America in New York.

==Commemoration==
St. Vartan is commemorated by the Armenian Orthodox Church on the Thursday preceding [[Lent]]. Although not listed in the calendar of the Orthodox Churches that accepted [[Chalcedon]], St. Vartan was martyred as the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council of Chalcedon]] was being held and consequently never had the opportunity to accept or reject its [[Christology]], which the Church of Armenia did not itself conclusively reject until the Council of Dvin in 554.

==External links==
*[http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net/feasts/st-vartan-the-warrior/the-battle-of-vartanantz/ St. Vartan and the Battle of Avarayr] (Website of the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America)
*[http://www.hayastan.com/armenia/religion/history/index3.php St. Vartan the Warrior] (Hayastan)
*[http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net/eastern-diocese/st-vartan-cathedral/overview/ St. Vartan's Cathedral in New York] (Website of the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America)

[[Category:Armenian Saints]]
[[Category:Martyrs]]
[[Category:Oriental Orthodox]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:5th-century saints]]

Tryphon of Pechenga

2012-10-25T14:40:18Z

Andrew: Category

The Venerable '''Tryphon of Pechenga''' (Russian: Преподобный Трифон Печенгский, Кольский, Finnish: ''Pyhittäjä'' Trifon ''Petsamolainen (Kuolalainen)'', and Skolt Sami: ''Pââˊss Treeffan'') was an [[ascetic]] [[monk]] of the [[Church of Russia]] who lived on the Kola Peninsula and in Lapland in the sixteenth century. He is considered to be the founder of the Pechenga Monastery and an evangelizer among the Lapps. He is now revered as the '''Enlightener of Lapland'''. His [[feast day]] is [[December 15]]. He is also remembered on the Saturday between the last day of October and [[November 6]], the day of memory of All Enlighteners of Karelia.

==Life==
In 1495, Tryphon was born into a priestly family in the town of Torzhok in the Novgorod region of Russia. He was [[baptism|baptized]] Mitrophan and, at an early age, felt the desire to serve God and to lead a life of a [[hermit]]. Although he only knew them from fish vendors, Mitrophan resolved early to go to the Sami - pagan Laplanders - and proclaim to them the [[Gospel]] of God. Prodded by a voice, while he was praying in the forest, to go into the "thirsty land" to preach to the pagans, Mitrophan journeyed north to the wild lands of the Kola Peninsula about the year 1520. He established himself on the banks of the Pechenga River and began to acquaint himself with the people, their language, and their pagan religious beliefs.

The Lapps greeted Mitrophan's preaching with great mistrust. Their sorcerers incited the people against him, causing him much hardship, insults, and even beatings. He often had to hide in caves. He lived a life of an ascetic, devoting his nights to prayer. Yet, through his wise and kindly words and meekness, he found that the number of those who listened to him increased. Soon, many became believers in Christ. He was greatly aided in his evangelism with the arrival of the future saint Theodoretos, a monk from the [[Solovetsky Monastery]], who knew the Sami language. As the numbers increased, Mitrophan and Theodoretos, with the blessing of Archbishop Macarius of Novgorod, built for them a [[church]] dedicated to the [[Holy Trinity]]. But, he did not try to baptize them himself.

In 1532, [[hieromonk]], Father Elias, came to Mitrophan's [[hermitage]] to consecrate the church and baptize all those who wanted to be baptized. He also [[tonsure]]d Mitrophan with the [[monasticism|monastic]] name of Tryphon. Next to the church, Tryphon now established the Pechenga-Trinity Monastery, that he led. Later, [[Abbot]] Gury was appointed the [[superior]] of the [[monastery]] that began to attract those searching for a monastic life in the wilderness. In 1556, the two [[monk]]s traveled to Moscow where they were presented with a rich donation, that allowed the poor monastery to continue, and a citation by Tsar [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan IV]] (the Terrible).

Tryphon later established the Dormition Hermitage on the site of his original [[cell]] on the Pechenga River. Dormition Hermitage he designated in his will as his place of burial. Also, near the then border between Norway and Russia, Tryphon built at the mouth of the Paats River (Paatsjoki) a church dedicated to the Holy Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, a church that exists to today.

Tryphon reposed, as Enlightener of the Sami, on December 15, 1583 at the age of 88, having lived at Pechenga for almost sixty years. Soon after his death the local people began to venerate him as a [[saint]].

Before his death, St Tryphon foretold the destruction of the Pechenga-Trinity monastery by the Swedes. This occurred in 1589, with the death of a hundred monks and workers. When the monastery was rebuilt, it was moved to the Kola Peninsula. There a church dedicated to St Tryphon was also built, and over his grave a church was built that was dedicated to the Meeting of Our Lord.

==Sources==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=103552 OCA:Venerable Tryphon the Abbot of Pechenga (Kolsk)]
*[http://www.roca.org/OA/90/90h.htm Saint Tryphon of Pechenga – Enlightener of Lapland]
*[[wikipedia:Tryphon_of_Pechenga]]
*[http://www.ortodoksi.net/tietopankki/henkilot/pyhat/karjalan_valistajat/tryphon_of_pechenga.htm Saint Tryphon of Pechenga]

[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category: Monastics]]
[[Category:16th-century saints]]

Tryphon of Constantinople

2012-10-25T14:39:17Z

Andrew: Category

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Tryphon of Constantinople''' was Patriarch of the [[Church of Constantinople]] during the tenth century. He served as [[patriarch]] from 928 to 931. St. Tryphon is commemorated on [[April 19]].

==Life==
Tryphon was a [[monk]], living in Constantinople, from the time of his youth. He was distinguished by his meekness, lack of malice, full submission to the will of God, and firm faith and love for the Church. After Patriarch Stephanus died in 928, the monk Tryphon was approached by emperor Romanus I Lecapenus with an offer of an appointment as "locum tenens" of the Patriarch of Constantinople with the condition that he resign when Romanus' son [[Theophylactus (Lecapenus) of Constantinople|Theophylactus]] came of age to be [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] patriarch. Tryphon meekly accepted the burden of patriarchal service and for three years he wisely governed the Church.

In 931, when the emperor considered Theophylactus to have come of age, the emperor told Patr. Tryphon to resign the patriarchal throne. Tryphon, however, did not consider it proper to hand over the throne to such an inexperienced youth and refused to do so. Unable to intimidate Patr. Tryphon, since his life was blameless, the emperor was infuriated and wanted to arrest him and execute him, but Tryphon was very much loved by the people for his virtues. Then, emperor Romanus turned to the cunning counsels of Bishop Theophilus of Caesarea.

Bp. Theophilus went to Patr. Tryphon and deceitfully began to urge him not to comply with the emperor and not to resign the patriarchal throne. He began to advise the patriarch to take beforehand a measure of caution and dispel the impression held by the emperor about his illiteracy. And to do this Bp. Theophilus craftily suggested to Patr. Tryphon to write down on a clean sheet of paper his full name and title, and then give it to the emperor. Not perceiving the fraud, the guileless patriarch at a Council of bishops took a clean sheet of paper and put on it his titled signature: "Tryphon, by the Mercy of God the Archbishop of Constantinople, and of New Rome the OEcumenical Patriarch".

When the paper was presented to the emperor, he ordered the Imperial clerks to write above the patriarch's signature: "I hereby resign the position of Patriarch, because I consider myself unworthy of this office." When this false document was then read before the imperial dignitaries, servants removed Tryphon from the patriarchal chambers. When Tryphon found out that he had been deceived it was too late, Theophylactus had been already proclaimed Patriarch on [[February 2]], 933.

Tryphon patiently endured the injustice done to him. He returned to his own [[monastery]] where he lived as a simple monk for a year before his death in 933. His body was returned to Constantinople and buried with the Patriarchs.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=Stephanus II of Amasea|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]]|
years=928-931|
after=[[Theophylactus (Lecapenus) of Constantinople|Theophylactus]]}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=101152 OCA: St Tryphon the Patriarch of Constantinople]
*[http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/April/19-07.htm Sainted Tryphonos, Patriarch of Constantinople]
*[[Wikipedia:Patriarch_Tryphon_of_Constantinople]]

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category:10th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category: Patriarchs of Constantinople]]
[[Category:10th-century saints]]

Thomas II of Constantinople

2012-10-25T14:37:51Z

Andrew: Category

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Thomas II''' was Patriarch of Constantinople during the middle of the seventh century. During the troubled times of the Christological disputes he was Orthodox in his faith and teaching. He is commemorated by the Church on [[November 16]].

Little is known of his life. Thomas was in the service of the patriarchate in which he served as a scribe, a refendarius, a [[chancellor]] of the Patriarchate, and director of the Scala Gerokoeion and the Neapolis Ptochotropheion. Thomas was elected [[patriarch]] from the [[diaconate]] over six and a half months after the repose of his predecessor, Patriarch Peter. His [[consecration of a bishop|consecration]] has been dated as on [[Holy Saturday]] in the year 665.

The length of his rule as patriarch is uncertain as sources differ as to it length. The sources vary from two years and seven months according to Nicephoros, to three years by Theophanes, to four years and seven months on Leoglavious' list. Patriarch Thomas reposed in 669

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Peter of Constantinople|Peter]]|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]]|
years=667–669|
after=[[John V of Constantinople|John V]]}}
{{end box}}

==Source==
*[http://www.ec-patr.org/list/index.php?lang=en Ec-patr: Thomas II]

[[Category: Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: Bishops|Thomas]]
[[Category: Patriarchs of Constantinople|Thomas]]
[[Category:7th-century bishops]]
[[Category:7th-century saints]]

[[ro:Toma al II-lea de Constantinopol]]

Thomas I of Constantinople

2012-10-25T14:37:21Z

Andrew: Category

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Thomas I of Constantinople''' was the Patriarch of Constantinople during the first decade of the seventh century. He is commemorated by the Church on [[March 21]].

Thomas was a [[deacon]] before he was made the sacristan (''sakellarios'') in the Great Church, [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia]] while Patriarch [[John IV of Constantinople|John IV the Faster]] was [[patriarch]]. After the reposed of Patriarch Cyriacus in 606 Thomas was elected to the patriarchal throne in early 607.

Thomas is most remembered for his reaction to an ominous omen in Asia Minor that appeared during his tenure as patriarch. During processions at churches in Asia Minor the heavy crosses that were carried in procession began shaking and striking each other, causing concernment among the people. The Elder, St. [[Theodore the Sykeote]], explained to Patr. Thomas that the Church will enter a time of discords and disasters and that the land will be invaded by barbarians. Upon hearing this, Patriarch Thomas became very disturbed and asked St Theodore to pray to God that his soul be taken before the ominous predictions become true.

Patr. Thomas died in 610, and then discords and disasters began. Thomas' successor, Patr. Sergius I, fell into the [[Monothelitism|Monothelite]] [[heresy]], war began with Persia that proved very injurious to the Empire, devastation came to the regions of Asia Minor where the Orthodox lived, Jerusalem fell to the Persians, and the Persians captured the Life-Creating Cross and took it to Persia. As St. Theodore related to St.Thomas, the misfortunes that were portended by the miracle during the church processions had come to pass.

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=Cyriacus|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]]|
years= 607-610|
after=[[Sergius I of Constantinople|Sergius I]]}}
{{end box}}

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100860 OCA: St. Thomas the Patriarch of Constantinople]

[[Category: Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: Bishops|Thomas]]
[[Category: Patriarchs of Constantinople|Thomas]]
[[Category:7th-century bishops]]
[[Category:7th-century saints]]

[[ro:Toma I de Constantinopol]]

Thomais of Alexandria

2012-10-25T14:36:03Z

Andrew: Category

[[Image:Thomais.jpg|right|frame|St. Thomais]]
The holy and glorious [[Martyr]] '''Thomais of Alexandria''' was killed by her father-in-law for refusing to give way to earthly passions with him. She is called upon today in order to be set free from lusts and other impurities. Her [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[April 13]] or [[April 14|14]].

==Life==
[[Saint]] Thomais had a pious upbringing in the city of Alexandria. At the age of fifteen, she married a Christian fisherman and lived with him in the house of his family.

===Martyrdom===
One night, when St. Thomais' husband went out fishing, the saint's father-in-law was engulfed by her beauty and tried to lead her into temptation. After trying to fend him off with teachings from the [[Bible]], the man threatened to cut off her head if she refused to enter with him into sin. Refusing to stray away from the [[Lord]]'s teachings, she accepted the crown of martyrdom after the old man cut off her head with a sword in the year 476.

After committing his sin, the man was blinded and was unable to escape from the house. He was later found near the saint's body covered in blood and taken to a judge, where he was beheaded for his crime.

===Burial===
St. [[Daniel of Skete]] was in the city of Alexandria at the time of her death. He instructed the [[monk]]s of the Oktodekadian [[monastery]] to bury the saint's body in the monastery's cemetery. After some of the monks questioned the decision to bury her with the monks, St. Daniel responded, "She is a mother to me and to you, because she died for her [[chastity]]."

When one of the monks at the monastery became tempted with lust, he prayed before St. Thomais' grave and was relieved of his torments. Many others also received the great joy of being eased of their earthly passions by the fallen saint. Still today, she is prayed to for deliverance from sexual impurity.

==Quotation==
"Even if you cut me to pieces, I shall not stray from the commandments of the Lord."

==External links==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101074 Womanmartyr Thomais of Alexandria] ([[OCA]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=April&day=13 The Holy Martyr Thomais] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://subdeaconchristianjohn.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D39B32AEA6869A7F!1013.entry Womanmartyr Thomais of Alexandria]

[[Category:Martyrs]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category:5th-century saints]]

Theotychus of Alexandria

2012-10-25T14:34:21Z

Andrew: Category

The Holy [[Martyr]] '''Theotychus of Alexandria''' was one of a group of four martyrs that included Philemon, Apollonius, and Arianus who suffered for the Faith at the city of Antinoe in Egypt during the reign of emperor Diocletian in the late third century. The [[feast day]] for St. Theotychus, as well as for the other martyrs is [[December 14]].

==Life==
During the persecutions under emperor Diocletian the Christians were forced to offer sacrifices to the idols of the Roman gods. When Apollonius was faced with the pain he felt in performing the sacrifice, he approached the musician Philemon, who was with a pagan group, to change clothes with him and offer sacrifice to the idols in his place. But, unexpectedly Philemon confessed himself a Christian in front of the pagans. With Philemon's confession, Apollonius repented and also confessed Christ.

After being tortured, the two martyrs were executed. The body of St. Philemon was hung upon an olive tree, and arrows were shot at him. One arrow struck the prefect Arianus in his eye, destroying it. When he applied dirt taken from Philemon's grave Arianus' injured eye was healed. He then repented and became a [[conversion|convert]] to the Christian Faith. He was then [[baptism|baptized]] together with all his household and bodyguards, among them Theotychus who was the eldest of the guards.

Out of love for Christ, the martyrs Arianus and Theotychus also refused to sacrifice and voluntarily submitted to torture, after which they were sentenced to death.

The martyrs [[Philemon of Alexandria|Philemon]] and [[Apollonius of Alexandria|Apollonius]] died on [[March 16]], 286, and the martyrs [[Arianus of Alexandria|Arianus]] and Theotychus followed a year later on [[March 4]], 287.

==Sources==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=103547 Martyr Theotychus of Alexandria]
*[http://molonlabe70.blogspot.com/2010/12/holy-martyrs-philemon-apollonius.html The Holy Martyrs Philemon, Apollonius, Arianus, and Theotychus of Alexandria]

[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category: Martyrs]]
[[Category:3rd-century saints]]

Theophylactus of Nicomedia

2012-10-25T14:33:15Z

Andrew: Category

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Theophylactus of Nicomedia''' was the Bishop of Nicomedia during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Theophylactus was forced into exile for directly reprimanding emperor Leo V the Armenian for restoring [[iconoclasm]] after it was proscribed by the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]]. Si. Theophylactus is commemorated on [[March 8]].

==Life==
The early years of the life of Theophylactus are not known. Theophylactus, a disciple of Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople, accepted the [[monasticism|monastic]] habit at a [[monastery]] on the Black Sea. After several years in the monastery, Patriarch Tarasius [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Theophylactus Bishop of Nicomedia.

As Bishop of Nicomedia, Theophylactus cared for his flock. He sponsored the building of churches, hospices, homes for wanderers. He showed great compassion, generously distributed alms, and was a guardian of orphans, widows, and the sick. He personally attended those afflicted with leprosy, not hesitating to wash their wounds.

With the ascension, in 813, of the iconoclast emperor Leo V the Armenian to the imperial throne iconoclasm became virulent once again. Patr. Nicephorus, who had succeeded Patr. Tarasius in 806, and the other bishops in Constantinople could not sway Leo from destroying the peace that had come to the Church following the Council of 787. Bp. Theophylactus was in the meeting at which the [[patriarch]] and [[bishop]]s were negotiating with emperor Leo. When Leo would not retract from his position, Bp. Theophylactus said to him: ''"O king, great destruction will come upon you, and you will not find anyone to deliver you from it."'' For his bold prophecy St. Theophylactus was, at the Emperor's command, [[deposition|deposed]] as bishop and sent into exile to the fortress Strobil in Asia Minor. There he spent thirty years enduring many difficulties and insults until his death. He reposed around the year 845.

In the year 847, the [[veneration]] of [[icon]]s was restored under the empress St .[[Theodora (9th century empress)|Theodora]] and her son Michael and the holy [[relics]] of St. Theophylactus were returned to [[Nicomedia]].

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Nicomedia|
years=8xx-814|
after=?}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100698 OCA: St Theophylactus the Bishop of Nicomedia]
*[http://www.serbianorthodoxchurch.net/cgi-bin/saints.cgi?view=583524899088 Prologue: St Theophylactus, Bishop of Nicomedia]

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Nicomedia]]
[[Category:9th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category:9th-century saints]]