1,264
edits
Changes
no edit summary
== Biography ==
Mark I. Lipa was born in Istanbul on December 25, 1919in Istanbul<refname=markmarkou>http://users.sch.gr/markmarkou/1982/koim1982.htm</ref>in albanian family.
He was educated the lyceum in Korca<ref name=stnicholasalbanianchicago>http://stnicholasalbanianchicago.org/thealbanianorthodoxchurch.html</ref> and then graduated from the Patriarchal Theological School of Chalki in Turkey<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19820326&id=dU5PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qQIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6850,862167</ref>.
A group of clergy and laity who knew of his chanting skills when he accompanied Archbishop [[Christopher (Kissi)]] in the early 1930’s supported his initial efforts upon his coming to Boston, Massachusetts, a city with perhaps the largest concentration of Albanian Orthodox communicants<ref name=stnicholasalbanianchicago/>.
On 10 September 1950 in Constantinople he was ordained titular Bishop of Levka <ref name=markmarkou/> for the needs of the of [[Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America]] under [[Church of Constantinople|Conatatinople Patriarchate]] with headquarter in [[Boston]]<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19580819&id=UgUkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4QAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7193,3023028</ref>.
The bishop, active in Pan Orthodox and ecumenical activities, was a member of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the Americas and New Endland Consultation of church leaders.
