It has been announced today that Abbot Ioann (Berzins) is to be consecrated bishop by Metropolitan Hilarion and concelebrating hierarchs, on Pentecost Saturday, June 8/21, 2008, at the Old Rite Cathedral of the Nativity, in Erie PA. His title will be Bishop of Caracas, Venezuela.
It has been announced today that Abbot Ioann (Berzins) is to be consecrated bishop by Metropolitan Hilarion and concelebrating hierarchs, on Pentecost Saturday, June 8/21, 2008, at the Old Rite Cathedral of the Nativity, in Erie PA. His title will be Bishop of Caracas, Venezuela.
Eis polla eti despota!
Alexandr
I don't mean to be disrespectful, but haven't nearly all of the ROCOR parishes in South America gone over to Agafangel of Odessa? What will the new bishop rule over?
Everyone baptized into Christ should pass progressively through all the stages of Christ's own life, for in baptism he receives the power so to progress, and through the commandments he can discover and learn how to accomplish such progression. - Saint Gregory of Sinai
8 parishes in South America have gone into schism. Part of the problem was that there was no bishop on the continent since +Alexandr passed away prematurely in 2005. With God's help, hopefully many that have fallen into error will return to the light.
I just happened to be in Erie that weekend and stopped into Nativity Church for a few minutes of Vespers.
Is the new bishop an Old Believer himself (if he was the one standing with the choir on the men's side then he sure looked like one)? Why wasn't he serving at Litia instead of Metropolitan Hilarion? If he is the bishop of South America, is he going to continue serving as an Old Believer? Where is Bishop Daniel?
The MP Holy Synod, held on June 23, 2008 heard and later approved the request of +Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of the Russias, to confirm the election of Protopriest John Shaw as bishop of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese; Archimandrite George (Schaeffer) as Bishop of Mayfield, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese; and Archimandrite Feodosy (Ivashchenko) as Bishop of Seattle, vicar of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
Mayfield, for those who don't know the place, is a coal-mining town (the mines are long closed) in eastern Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. Last year the parish had a major celebration for the centenary of the first Russian Orthodox Church Council in America - which took place in Mayfield in 1907. The celebration last year was not long after the reconciliation between the Patriarchate and the Church Outside of Russia, and was magnificent.
The only disadvantage I can think of to having a Bishop of Mayfield is the question of access - I've not been in that neck of the woods for about twenty years, but I seem to remember that getting to Mayfield is a bit tricky. By now, though, there may be a good highway.
In any event, Many Years to the Bishop-Elect, to the Mayfield parish, and to all the parishes whom the Bishop-Elect will serve.
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