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The Episcopate of the Orthodox Church in
America, Syosset, NY. |
SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications]
— Members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of
the Orthodox Church in America, meeting at
the OCA chancery here March 28-31, 2005,
elected Archimandrite Alejo Antonio [Pacheco
Vera], dean of Holy Ascension Cathedral,
Mexico City, as bishop of Mexico City.
The need for the election of a bishop to
oversee the OCA’s
Mexican Exarchate was expressed by His
Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and
the South, who for many years has served as
exarch for Mexico in the absence of a local
resident bishop.
The Mexican Exarchate, which was received
into the Orthodox Church in America in the
early 1970s together with His Grace, Bishop
Jose, numbers some 20,000 indigenous Mexican
faithful. The exarchate, which has as its
primary task the evangelization of Mexican
nationals, enjoys positive relations with
Mexico’s Antiochian and Greek Orthodox
communities.
Bishop-elect Alejo will serve as auxiliary
to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman. His
consecration to the episcopacy will be
celebrated at Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
Monastery, South Canaan, PA, on Friday, May
27, and Saturday, May 28, 2005, during the
annual pilgrimage and centennial celebration
of the monastery’s establishment.
In other hierarchical matters, the members
of the Holy Synod accepted the request for
retirement of His Eminence, Archbishop Peter
of New York and New Jersey, who has been on
a leave of absence since the spring 2004
session of the Holy Synod. His retirement
becomes effective April 30, 2005.
Archbishop Peter initially shared his desire
to retire in October 2004, at which time he
informed the Holy Synod of his desire to
retire before its spring session.
Metropolitan and the members of the Holy
Synod expressed their heartfelt gratitude to
the Archbishop for his many years of
dedicated service to the Church.
In light of Archbishop Peter’s retirement,
the members of the Holy Synod decided to
establish the new Diocese of Washington and
New York, comprised of the former Diocese of
New York and New Jersey and the Diocese of
Washington, effective April 30, 2005. The
move signals a return to the diocesan
boundaries and structure that had existed
until 1981, when the Diocese of Washington
was created as the seat of the OCA Primate.
Metropolitan Herman will serve as ruling
bishop of the Diocese of Washington and New
York and bear the title of Archbishop of
Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All
America and Canada.
Concurrently, Metropolitan Herman requested
that the vacancy in the office of ruling
bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia and
Eastern Pennsylvania be announced. The
hierarchs immediately initiated the process
of preparation for the election of a ruling
bishop for the diocese.
The hierarchs also initiated the process of
preparation for the election of a ruling
bishop for the Diocese of New England, in
response to a request by delegates to that
diocese’s assembly. The diocesan see has
been vacant since the early 1990s. His
Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston and the
Albanian Archdiocese, currently serves as
temporary administrator of the diocese.
In other matters related to the Church’s
episcopacy, the hierarchs agreed to initiate
the processes necessary to provide vicar
bishops for the Archdiocese of Canada; the
Diocese of Dallas and the South; and the
Diocese of Sitka, Anchorage, and Alaska.
This decision was made at the request of the
ruling hierarchs of these dioceses.
Metropolitan Herman opened the session on
Monday evening, March 28, at which time he
addressed the hierarchs. In his report, he
highlighted his recent activities, including
his positive attempts to strengthen
relationships between the Orthodox Church in
America and the sister autocephalous
Churches and his visits to the OCA’s
dioceses. He commented on noteworthy events
in the life of the Church in 2005, including
the centennial celebration of the
establishment of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery,
the 35th anniversary of the OCA’s
autocephaly, the 35th anniversary of the
glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska, and
the convocation of the 14th All-American
Council in Toronto, ON, Canada July 17-22,
2005. He thanked the hierarchs for their
dedicated service to the faithful of their
respective dioceses and the Church in
general.
Metropolitan Herman also announced the
appointment of the Very Rev. Eugene Vansuch,
rector of Saint Nicholas Church, Bethlehem,
PA, as the new executive director of the
Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. Father
Vansuch, who succeeds the Very Rev. Joseph
Fester, will assume duties on June 1, 2005.
Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick,
chancellor, reported on the ongoing work of
the OCA chancery and its various ministries.
He emphasized the positive response to the
recently redesigned OCA web site, adding
that the work of the department of
communications, together with that of the
departments of Christian education,
evangelization, and youth ministry, continue
to expand in new directions. He also
reviewed a number of matters related to the
All-American Council.
In other matters the members of the Holy
Synod
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approved a request from the
Board of Theological Education to form
a committee, consisting of representatives
from the OCA’s three seminaries, to review
the current program of theological
education to ensure that requirements and
materials include the most current
expectations and resources. In a related
matter, the hierarchs expressed concern
that, in view of the seminaries’ current
high enrollment, ordination to the
priesthood be limited to Orthodox seminary
graduates, and that the late vocations
program be limited to the preparation of
deacons. The hierarchs also recommended
that the board propose a higher entrance
age for late vocations candidates.
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heard a detailed report from the
preconciliar commission and the
All-American Council project team and
approved the tentative council schedule.
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decided, in response to a comprehensive
report from His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of
Ottawa and Canada, vice-chair of the
department of external affairs and
interchurch relations, and the Very Rev.
Leonid Kishkovsky, assistant to the
chancellor for external affairs and
interchurch relations, to join
Christian Churches Together in the USA,
a new entity that hopes to serve as a
forum for Christians to relate to one
another concerning common issues.
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decided, in response to a letter from His
Holiness, Patriarch Aleksy II of Moscow
and All Russia, to enter the names of
saints recently canonized by the Russian
Orthodox Church into the calendar of the
Orthodox Church in America.
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heard the report of the Very Rev. Dimitri
Oselinsky, treasurer, in which it was
noted that in recent years voluntary
contributions beyond the anticipated
income from diocesan contributions fell
short of the anticipated amounts. They
also heard a report by Mr. David Lucs,
special appeals coordinator, who was asked
to assist the dioceses in strengthening
the response to the appeals in their
respective parishes.
-
heard the report of Mrs. Michelle Jannakos,
Church ministries coordinating secretary,
on the work of the
Church’s numerous departments.
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requested that the Very Rev. John Dresko,
chairman of the
department of stewardship, prepare and
distribute to the hierarchs a proposal for
the “fair share” funding the OCA’s budget
in an effort to draft a final document for
consideration by delegates to the 14th
All-American Council, in response to the
resolution on funding passed at the 13th
All-American Council.
-
heard the report on the OCA’s personal
assistance, health and life insurance, and
pension programs by Mrs. Elizabeth
Kondratick, who noted that the most recent
actuarial review indicates that the
pension plan is in good financial
condition. Retired clergy will continue to
receive 65% of their highest five earning
years of active ministry.
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reviewed final plans for the two-month
pilgrimage of the wonderworking
Sitka Icon of the Mother of God in the
fall of 2005. The icon will visit numerous
parishes throughout the “lower 48” with
the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Nikolai
of Sitka, Anchorage, and Alaska.
During the four-day session, the hierarchs
attended the Liturgy of the Presanctified
Gifts, celebrated by His Grace, Bishop
Tikhon of South Canaan, on Wednesday, March
30. Responses were sung by students from
Saint Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood, NY,
who joined the hierarchs at a breakfastafter
the Liturgy. The following morning, the
feast of Saint Innocent Veniaminov, the
hierarchs also attended the Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts, celebrated by
Metropolitan Herman. Following the Liturgy,
a Memorial was celebrated for the repose of
those individuals who had been instrumental
in receiving the tomos of autocephaly in
1970, including His Beatitude, Metropolitan
Ireney; Protopresbyters Joseph Pishtey,
Alexander Schmemann, and John Meyendorff;
and others. A Service of Thanksgiving was
also held for those involved in that
historic event who remain active in the
Church today, including His Beatitude,
Metropolitan Theodosius; Protopresbyter
Daniel Hubiak; Mr. Constantine Kallaur; and
others.
In addition to the hierarchs mentioned
above, other participants in the spring
session included His Eminence, Archbishop
Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western
Pennsylvania; His Eminence, Archbishop
Nathaniel of Detroit and Romanian
Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San
Francisco and the West; His Grace, Bishop
Irineu of Dearborn Heights, auxiliary of the
Romanian Episcopate; and His Grace, Bishop
Benjamin of Berkeley, auxiliary of the
Diocese of the West. His Eminence,
Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest,
was unable to participate due to the death
and funeral of his mother, who passed away
on the eve of the opening of the session.
Click
here for photos of the Holy Synod of
Bishops Spring Session. |
