| |
Orthodox Church in America
An Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America,
the Orthodox Church in America has its origins in a mission
established by eight Russian Orthodox monks in Alaska,
then part of Russian America, in 1794. This grew into
a full diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church after the
United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. In
the early 20th century, the Russian Orthodox Church in
America experienced a period of growth and expansion.
This was due in part to the immigration of millions of
Eastern Europeans to the United States. The church is
in full communion with most Eastern Orthodox churches
in the world, and in 1970, it was granted autocephaly
by the Russian Orthodox Church, however, this is not universally
recognised by other churches. The church is headed by
the Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Its governing
body is the Holy Synod, which is made up of all of the
church's bishops. The church's beliefs and practices are
based on the Nicene Creed and the Seven Ecumenical Councils,
with its worship services based on the Byzantine Rite.
|
Church
Officials |
| Name |
Tenure |
|
| Orthodox
Church in America: Heads/Primates |
| ►Valaam
Monastery founded by Russian monks 1794
|
| Bishop
of Kodiak, Vicar of the Irkutsk diocese
|
| Ioasaf
|
1798–99
|
•••• |
| ►Interregnum
1799–1840
|
| Bishop
of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian Diocese
|
| Innokentii,
Prim
of the ROC
|
1840–58
|
Veniaminov |
| Bishops
of Kamchatka
Diocese
|
| Petr
|
1859–67
|
•••• |
| Pavel
|
1867–70
|
•••• |
| Bishops
of the Aleutian Diocese and Alaska
|
| Ioann
|
1870–76
|
•••• |
| Nestor
|
1879=82
|
•••• |
| ►Interregnum
1882–88
|
| Vladimir
|
1888–91
|
•••• |
| Nikolai
|
1891–98
|
•••• |
| Tikhon,
Prim
of the ROC
|
1899–1900
|
Belavin |
| Bishop
of the Aleutian Diocese and North America
|
| Tikhon,
Prim
of the ROC
|
1900–05
|
Belavin |
| Archbishops
of the Aleutian Diocese and North America
|
| Tikhon,
Prim
of the ROC
|
1905–07
|
Belavin |
| Platon (1)
|
1907–14
|
Rozhdestvenskii |
| Evdokim
|
1914–17
|
Meshcherskii |
| ►Declaration
of independence from Russian Orthodox Church 1919
|
| Aleksandr
|
1919–22
|
Nemolovskii |
| Platon
(2)
|
1922–24
|
Rozhdestvenskii |
| Metropolitan
of All America and Canada |
| Platon
(2)
|
1924–34
|
Rozhdestvenskii |
| Theophilus
|
1934–50
|
Pashkovskii |
| Leonty
|
1950–65
|
Turkevich |
| ►Name
changed to Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America
1955
|
| Ireney
|
1965–77
|
Bekish |
| ►Autocephaly
granted 1970, current name adopted 1971
|
| Theodosius
|
1977–2002
|
Lazor |
| Herman
|
2002–08
|
Svaiko |
| Jonah
|
2008–12
res; *1959
|
Paffhausen |
| Archbishop
of Washington, Metropolitans of All America and Canada
|
| Tikhon
|
2012–;
*1966
|
Mollard |
|
Bishops
of Baltimore
(auxiliary) |
| Nikon
|
2002–03;
†2019
|
Liolin
|
| Mark
|
2011–;
*1958
|
Maymon |
| Bishops
of Bethesda
(auxiliary) |
| Alexei
|
2019–22;
*1965
|
Trader
|
| Bishops
of South Canaan
(auxiliary) |
| Tikhon,
Prim of the OCA
|
2003-05;
*1966
|
Mollard |
|
| Alaska,
Diocese of |
| Bishops
of
Sitka and Alaska |
| Locum
tenens: Benjamin
|
2008–09;
*1954
|
Peterson
|
| Alexei
|
2022–;
*1965
|
Trader
|
|
| |
| ►Breakaway
group from the
Albanian
Orthodox Church in America received as an
archdiocese 1971
|
|
Bishops
of Boston |
| Nikon
|
2003–12;
†2019
|
Liolin
|
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2012
|
|
Bishop
of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese |
| Nikon
|
2005–12;
†2019
|
Liolin
|
|
Archbishop
of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese |
| Nikon
|
2012–19†
|
Liolin
|
|
Archbishops
of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese |
| Locum
tenens: Tikhon, Prim of the OCA
|
2019–22;
*1966
|
Mollard
|
| Nikodhim
|
2022–;
*1979
|
Preston
|
|
| Bulgarian
Diocese of Toledo |
| ►Bulgarian
Diocese separated from the Russian Orthodox Church and joined
the OC of America 1976
|
|
Bishops
of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese |
| Kyrill
|
1976–2007†
|
Yonchev |
| Alexander
|
2011–16;
*1948
|
Golitzin
|
|
Bishops
of Dallas, the South, and of the Bulgarian Diocese |
| Alexander
|
2016–17;
*1948
|
Golitzin
|
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2017
|
|
Archbishops
of Dallas, the South, and Bishop of the Bulgarian Diocese |
| Alexander
|
2017–;
*1948
|
Golitzin
|
|
| Canada,
Archdiocese of |
|
Bishops
of Ottawa and the Archdiocese of Canada |
| Irenee
|
2014–15;
*1948
|
Rochon
|
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2015
|
|
Archbishops
of Ottawa and the Archdiocese of Canada |
| Irenee
|
2015–;
*1948
|
Rochon
|
|
Bishops
of Quebec
(auxiliary) |
| Irenee
|
2009–14;
*1948
|
Rochon
|
|
| Mexico,
Diocese of |
| Bishops
of Mexico
City and Mexico |
| Alejo
|
2008–15;
*1954
|
Pacheco |
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2015
|
| Archbishops
of Mexico
City and Mexico |
| Alejo
|
2015–;
*1954
|
Pacheco |
|
Bishops
of Mexico City
(auxiliary) |
| Alejo
|
2005–08;
*1948
|
Rochon
|
|
| Midwest,
Diocese of the |
| Archbishops
of Chicago
and the Midwest |
| Daniel
|
2022–;
*1954
|
Brum |
| Bishops
of Santa Rosa
(auxiliary) |
| Daniel
|
2014–22;
*1954
|
Brum |
|
| New
England , Diocese of |
|
Bishops
of New England |
| Nikon |
2005–12;
†2019
|
Liolin |
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2012
|
|
Archbishops
of New England |
| Nikon |
2012–19†
|
Liolin |
| Locum
tenens: Tikhon, Prim of the OCA
|
2019–;
*1966
|
Mollard |
|
| New
York and New Jersey, Diocese of |
| Bishops
of New York, and New York and New Jersey |
| Michael
|
2009–15;
*1950
|
Dahulich |
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2015
|
|
Archbishops
of New York, and New York and New Jersey |
| Michael
|
2015–;
*1950
|
Dahulich
|
|
| Pennsylvania,
Eastern, Diocese of |
|
Bishops
of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania |
| Tikhon,
Prim of the OCA
|
2005–12;
*1966
|
Mollard
|
| Mark
|
2014–15;
*1958
|
Maymon |
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2015
|
|
Archbishops
of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania |
| Mark
|
2015–;
*1958
|
Maymon |
|
| Pennsylvania,
Western, Archdiocese of |
|
Bishops
of Pittsburgh |
| Locum
tenens: Kyrill
|
1977–78;
†2007
|
Yonchev
|
|
Bishops
of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania |
| Kyrill
|
1978–92;
† 2007
|
Yonchev
|
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 1992
|
|
Archbishops
of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania |
| Kyrill
|
1992–2007†
|
Yonchev
|
| Melchisedek
|
2009–14;
*1942
|
Pleska
|
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2014
|
|
Archbishops
of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania |
| Melchisedek
|
2014–;
*1942
|
Pleska |
|
| Romanian
Episcopate |
|
Archbishops
of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate |
| Nathaniel
|
1984–;
*1940
|
Popp
|
| Bishops
of Cleveland
(auxiliary) |
| Andrei
|
2019–;
*1982
|
Hoarste |
| Bishops
of Dearborn
Heights
(auxiliary) |
| Nathaniel
|
1980–84;
*1940
|
Popp
|
|
| South,
Diocese of the |
|
Bishops
of the Diocese Dallas and the South |
| Locum
tenens: Nikon
|
2011–15;
†2019
|
Liolin
|
| Alexander
|
2016–;
*1948
|
Golitzin
|
|
| Washington
DC, Archdiocese of |
|
Archbishops
of Washington DC |
| Jonah
|
2008–12
res; *1959
|
Paffhausen |
| Tikhon,
Prim of the OCA
|
2012–;
*1966
|
Mollard |
|
| West,
Diocese of the |
|
Bishops
of San Francisco and the West |
| Benjamin
|
2007–12;
*1954
|
Peterson |
| ►Raised
to archbishopric 2012
|
|
Archbishops
of San Francisco and the West |
| Benjamin
|
2012–;
*1954
|
Peterson |
| Bishops
of Berkeley
(auxiliary) |
| Benjamin
|
2004–07;
*1954
|
Peterson |
|
OCA
= Orthodox Church in America
ROC = Russian Orthodox Church
Families
|
Lands
|
Abbr.
and Symbols | Eastern
Orthodoxy |
