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 Washington, Metropolitan of All American and Canada, Locum tenens of the 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 Episcopalianism, and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at St. Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the monastic community at 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 prophets 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 saints, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in patristic literature.

In 1995 he was tonsured to the lesser schema by His Eminence Archbishop Herman and given the name Tikhon, in honor of St. Patriarch Tikhon, Enlightener of North America. Later that year he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood 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) 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

Bishop Tikhon installed as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania - OCA Web site. Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada - OCA Web site.

Succession box: Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington
Preceded by: —	Bishop of South Canaan 2004-2005	Succeeded by: —
Preceded by: Herman (Swaiko)	Bishop of Philadelphia (OCA) 2005-present	Succeeded by: —
Preceded by: Jonah (Paffhausen)	Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA) 2012-present	Succeeded by: —

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