Saint George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral
Boston, Massachusetts
September 16, 2023
We have gathered today in the Name of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ to participate in this glorious liturgy which incorporated the sacred office for the ordination to the holy episcopacy of Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese.
I am pleased to welcome as co-consecrators my brother bishops of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America:
- His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the Diocese of the West;
- His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania, who for the past year has additionally served as the locum tenens for the Albanian Archdiocese, for which sacrificial service we offer our sincere gratitude;
- His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Western Pennsylvania;
- His Eminence Archbishop Irénée of Ottowa and the Archdiocese of Canada;
- His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey;
- His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Diocese Midwest;
Your Grace, Bishop Nikodhim, newly ordained bishop of the God-protected city of Boston:
On behalf of all the bishops, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, and especially on behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Albanian Archdiocese and all who have gathered here today to give expression to the fullness of the Church: I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your episcopal ordination. As you assume your new see, I welcome you to the episcopal brotherhood and to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America.
Christ has called you to follow him, to feed his sheep and to pasture his lambs. This is an impossibly high calling, and yet for those who discharge the duties of this sublime ministry with faithfulness, care, courage, and zeal, it is can be an incomparable crucible of sanctity.
Of course, the standard to which all bishops aspire is that of Christ himself, and after him, that of the holy hierarchs whom we venerate in the Church.
But in a more immediate sense, you have some impressive predecessors: you are immediately succeeding Archbishop Nikon, whose warm love for the faithful and for his clergy was known to many, including yourself.
You are also heir to the legacy of Fan Noli, a founding father both of the autocephalous Albanian Church and the Albanian Archdiocese, noted not only as a churchman but also as a literary figure, a musician, a scholar working in several fields, and an incomparable advocate for the Albanian people, both at home and in the diaspora.
The legacy of Metropolitan Theofan is a reminder of the special charism of your archdiocese: not only to preserve the precious heritage of Albanian Orthodoxy, in all of its literary and cultural dimensions, for the Orthodox Albanian people living in America, but also to make that heritage available to the wider Orthodox Church in America, so that we may all be enriched by the unique treasures that Christ has distributed among the Christian people.
It may be said that our so-called ethnic dioceses, your own archdiocese included, are a testament to the Church’s universality, and it is true that we in the Orthodox Church in America value our many ethnic heritages. The Albanian Archdiocese has much to be proud of in terms of its Albanian heritage and the specific legacy of this archdiocese and Orthodox Albanians in America.
However, a truer testament to our Church’s universality is found in our mission, our mission to preach the Gospel to the people of North America, whether immigrant or native, whether Albanian or non-Albanian, whether speaking English, Albanian, or something else, and to call them to repentance and to the life in Christ, to receive them into the Church, and to make disciples and, one day, saints out of them.
This mission of the Church is your mission as a bishop of the Church. You are called to govern your flock in accordance with all the traditions of the Church, but this government is a means, not an end. This government is always oriented towards ordering the Church well so that the Gospel may be preached, the nations might be called, and the people of God might achieve sanctity and salvation, the holy destiny for which mankind is made.
As I said, this is a lofty vocation, but you are not alone in it. You may rely on me, your primate, and on the prayers and support, wisdom and counsel of your brothers on the Holy Synod. You must also rely on the prayers of all the holy hierarchs who went before you, those glorified on earth and those whose glory is known only in heaven. Finally, you can and should always entrust yourself to the most holy Theotokos, the mother of all Christians and the special advocate and defender of all hierarchs who faithfully serve Christ and his flock.
With that said, I now bless you to:
[Here follows the prayer of the bestowing of the pastoral staff]
Receive this pastoral staff that you may lead the flock of Christ entrusted to your care. May the Lord Himself be your strength and support in your exercise of the archpastoral ministry in this God-Protected archdiocese. We ask you now to ascend the episcopal cathedra and give your blessing to those who have taken part in this celebration and to all Christ’s flock.