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His GraceEminence, the Right Most Reverend '''Alexander (Golitzin)''' (secular name '''Alexander George Golitzin''', {{lang-ru|Александр Юрьевич Голицын}}) is bishop archbishop of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Dallas, the South]] and ruling bishop of the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]].

On [[March 29]], 2016, Bp. Alexander was elected to fill the vacant See of Dallas and the South, succeeding His Eminence, the late [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]]. He was enthroned on [[June 11]], 2016. In 2017, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

A descendant of the [[w:House of Golitsyn|Golitzin princely family]], Alexander George Golitzin was born on May 27, 1948 , in Burbank, California. He studied at the University of California at Berkeley, where he received the BA B.A. in English in 1970, before earning the M.Div. at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]] in Crestwood, New York, in 1973. The future Bishop bishop spent seven years in doctoral studies at Oxford University, where he earned the D.Phil. in Theology in 1980. His dissertation on [[Dionysius the Areopagite]] was written under the direction of Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. In the final years of his doctoral studies, he spent a year at [[Simonopetra Monastery (Athos)|Simonos Petras Monastery]] on [[Mount_Athos|Mount Athos]], where he became a disciple of [[Aimilianos_%28Vafeidis%29|Elder Aimilianos]]. After his doctoral studies he returned to the United States, where he was ordained to the [[Deacon|diaconate]] on January 23, 1982 , and to the [[Presbyter|priesthood]] on February 26, 1984. Father Alexander received the monastic tonsure from Elder Aimilianos at Simonos Petras in 1986. He was later elevated to the rank of [[Igumenigumen]] and, on the day of his election to the episcopate, to the rank of [[Archimandritearchimandrite]].

Bishop Alexander is a noted scholar. He contributed, together with Fr. Michael Prokurat, to the establishment of an Orthodox scholarly presence in Berkeley, CA (now the [[Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute]]). From 1989 until 2012 he taught [[Patristicspatristics]] at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, as Assistant Professorassistant professor, Associate Professorassociate professor, and eventually full Professorprofessor. His research concerns the beginnings of Christian mystical and ascetical traditions, and their subsequent developments in the Greek- and Syriac-speaking East, with a particular interest in continuities and parallels with, respectively, Second Temple Judaism and Rabbinic Judaism. His work on the Christian ascetical and mystical tradition attracted a number of doctoral students from Russia, Romania, and Serbia, with whom he began the scholarly project known as the Theophaneia School[http://www.amazon.com/Theophaneia-School-Scrinium-Eccl%C3%82%C2%82siastique-Eccl%C2%82siastique/dp/1607240831#reader_1607240831].

While in California, Father Fr. Alexander was active in missionary work. In Milwaukee, he assisted the [[Orthodox Christian Fellowship]] at Marquette University, and was attached to [[Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)|Ss. Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church]]. He preached, taught, heard confessions, and assisted in the liturgical and pastoral work. Moreover, for several years he also served major services at the St. John Chrysostom monastery in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/bishops/the-right-reverend-alexander The Right Most Reverend Alexander, Bishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese]([[OCA]])