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[[Image:Alaska.png|thumb|right|Visual representation of the Diocese of Alaska]]
The '''Diocese of Alaska (OCA)Sitka'''—in full, the '''Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sitka and Alaska'''—is a [[diocese]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]]. It is currently temporally under the administration of [[Bishop]] [[Benjamin Alexis (PetersonTrader) of San FranciscoBethesda]] as ''[[locum tenens]]''. Its territory includes the American state of [[Alaska]]. The diocese has, since 2007, been struggling with a crisis regarding the leadership of its [[bishop]], including allegations of abuse against both the bishop and the diocesan [[chancellor]], Archimandrite Isidore (Brittain). His Grace, the Right Reverend [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]], the diocesan bishop, was placed on a leave of absence beginning [[March 4]], 2008, which was rescinded shortly thereafter and then reinstated on [[April 17]], 2008. The leave became voluntarily permanent in May 2008, followed by his official retirement.
__TOC__
With the establishment of the diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America, the position of an auxiliary/vicar [[bishop]] was established for Alaska, first held by Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky). When the [[Church of Russia]] granted autocephaly to the [[Metropolia]], the successor organization to the Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America, the territory of Alaska was organized as a [[diocese]] of of the new [[Orthodox Church in America]], with a diocesan bishop.
==Recent Struggles==
Beginning in 2007, the diocese was forced to deal with a crisis regarding the leadership of its [[bishop]], including allegations of abuse against both the bishop and the diocesan [[chancellor]], Archimandrite Isidore (Brittain). His Grace, the Right Reverend [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai (Soraich)]], the diocesan bishop, was placed on a leave of absence beginning [[March 4]], 2008, which was rescinded shortly thereafter and then reinstated on [[April 17]], 2008. The leave became voluntarily permanent in May 2008, followed by his official retirement.
== Diocesan bishops ==
; Alaska Vicariate of the North American Diocese
* [[Innocent (Pustynsky) of Alaska|Innocent (Pustynsky)]] (1904 - 19091904–1909)* [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of Brussels|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] (1909 - 19161909–1916)* [[Philip (Stavitsky) of Alaska|Philip (Stavitsky)]] (1916 - 19171916–1917)* [[Anthony (Dashkevich) of Alaska|Anthony (Dashkevich)]] (1921-19221921–1922)* [[Amphilochius (Vakulsky) of Alaska|Amphilochius (Vakulsky)]] (1923 - 19311923–1931)* [[Antoninus (Pokrovsky) of Alaska|Antoninus (Pokrovsky)]] (1931 - 19341931–1934)
; Diocese of Alaska
* [[Alexis (Panteleyev) of Omsk|Alexis (Panteleev)]] (1934 - 19441934–1944)* [[John (Zlobin) of Alaska|John (Zlobin)]] (1945-19521945–1952)* [[Amvrossy (Merejko) of Pittsburgh|Ambrose (Merejko)]] 1955-1967(1955–1967)* Theodosius (Lazor) (1967 - 19701967–1970)
; OCA
* [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]] (1970 - 19721970–1972)* [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory (Afonsky)]] (1973-19951973–1995)* [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nicholas (Soraich)]] (2002-20082002–2008)* Vacant [[David (Mahaffey) of Sitka|David (Mahaffey)]] (2008 - Present2013–2020)
<!-- ==Diocesan Council==
===Members===
==Metropolitan Council Representatives== -->
==Institutions==
*Ss. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Chapel in Spruce Island, AK
*[[St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Kodiak, Alaska)|St. Herman's Seminary]] in Kodiak, AK
*[http://www.outreachalaska.org / Outreach Alaska] mission based in Wichita, KS
*Protecting Veil of the Theotokos Community in Anchorage, AK
*St. Yakov Center for Orthodox Christian Learning in Soldatna, AK
<!--*[http://www.russianorthodoxmuseum.org Russian Orthodox Museum] in Anchorage, AK(was it closed?)-->*[httphttps://www.rossialaska.org / ROSSIA Inc.] - Russian Orthodox Sacred Sites in Alaska Inc.
==Deaneries==
==External links==
*[httphttps://dioceseofalaskawww.doaoca.org/ Official website]*[http://www.asna.ca/alaska / Alaskan Orthodox texts (Aleut, Alutiiq, Tlingit, Yupik)]
*[http://www.cnewa.org/mag-article-bodypg-us.aspx?articleID=3247 CNEWA One Magazine, 2006, Vol 32:6 (November) - Orthodox Alaska]
*[http://www.ocanews.org/ OCA News] (includes information on the crisis in the diocese)
*[http://www.oca.org/news/2272 Title to Historic Church Lands Returned to Alaska]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sitka}}[[Category:Dioceses|Alaska]][[Category:OCA Dioceses|Alaska]]
[[fr:Diocèse orthodoxe russe d'Alaska]]
