On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at the end of the Presanctified Liturgy presided by His Grace Bishop Gerasim at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC during the week of the 2022 Spring Session of the Holy Synod, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon awarded the Order of Saint Innocent, gold class, upon the Honorable Alex M. Azar II.
While remaining a pious and active Orthodox Christian, Alex M. Azar has served in many areas of public and private life especially in the Department of Health and Human Services, beginning in 2001 and serving as Secretary starting in 2018. He was one of the overseers of Operation Warp Speed, a coordinated effort between public and private sectors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full citation.
