Some of the many main events within the OCA that occurred during 2002 are shown in this photo gallery. Detailed information is provided below the photos.
As the year 2002 opened, North Americans continued to deal with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The frequently heard phrase, “things will never be the same,” took on new meaning as the war on terrorism and a downturn in the economy became a nightly news event.
Change was no stranger to the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America who, shortly before Holy Pascha 2002, learned that Metropolitan Theodosius had announced his desire to retire in July. To the agenda of the 13th All-American Council, slated to consider various aspects of parish life, the election of a new Primate was added - the first such election since 1977. Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania was elected the Church’s new Primate. Since his election, it has been evident that Metropolitan Herman’s years of dedication to the Church and his vast experience in every facet of its life have provided a smooth transition into a new era in the life of the Church in North America.
As we face a new year, one which will be filled with ongoing change, we wish Metropolitan Theodosius every blessing as he enjoys a well-deserved retirement, while we pledge our ongoing support for Metropolitan Herman as he continues his ministry in the Lord’s vineyard.
On Tuesday, April 2, 2002, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, informed the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of his desire to retire from the office of Metropolitan in July 2002.
In late 2000 and early 2001, Metropolitan Theodosius had suffered a series of strokes, after which his physicians recommended that he take a four-month medical leave of absence from May until September 2001. The residual effects of the strokes, however, continued to be of concern.
The Orthodox Church in America’s website expanded its offerings in 2002. In addition to providing a wealth of information on Orthodox Christianity in general and the OCA in particular, the popular web site offered a number of new features during the past year.
“Life in Christ: A Series of Pastoral Reflections,” a series of timely articles edited by the V. Rev. John Breck, was introduced in January as a bimonthly series offering commentaries and observations on a wide variety of topics.
Another new resource, the “Daily Worship” page, was the product of eight months of work by the OCA’s web team. “Daily Worship” includes the entire calendar of saints as found in the Rubrics published by Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA. It also features over 1500 individual icons; databases and tables for a fully automated system that allows web browsers to search by individual saints according to dates, locations, names, and category; and troparia and kontakia for at least one saint for each day of the year. The page also features the appointed Scripture readings for every day of the year.
Hundreds of new pages were also added to the FOCUS Curriculum, which offers a wealth of educational resources for parish use, while coverage of OCA news was expanded to include regular press releases on events in the life of the Church and voluminous photo galleries.
The web site, which receives up to 700,000 hits per month, was especially busy during the 13th All-American Council in July 2002, as daily updates kept faithful around the world abreast of the Council proceedings as they occurred.
“You are intimately aware that these past two years have been particularly difficult for me as I have faced increasing health problems,” Metropolitan Theodosius told the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops in reference to his declining health. “I have found that my physical condition is once again deteriorating to such an extent that, given my limited physical abilities, I find myself unable to respond to the demands of my office in the manner which the Church needs and deserves of its Primate.”
Metropolitan Theodosius added that increasing demands placed upon him “have only served to be the cause of even greater inner anxiety and personal concern.”
The members of the Holy Synod of Bishops issued a Synodal Resolution granting Metropolitan Theodosius the status of Retired Hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America. His retirement became effective at the conclusion of the first plenary session of the 13th All-American Council, held in Orlando, Florida July 21-26, 2002, after which Council delegates participated in the election of a new Primate - the first such election since Metropolitan Theodosius assumed the position in 1977.
In January 2002, three months after it issued a statement calling any and all manipulation of human embryos “inherently immoral and a fundamental violation of human life,” the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America issued a second statement expressing “firm opposition to creation of cloned embryos, either for reproductive purposes or so-called therapeutic purposes.”
“Although the latter is usually judged acceptable even where the former is condemned, we urge recognition of a basic truth: All cloning is reproductive,” the hierarchs wrote in the statement, titled On the Cloning of Human Embryos.
In the statement, which calls for a legal ban on nuclear transfer and parthenogenesis on the grounds that it is “inherently immoral,” the hierarchs categorically stated that “scientifically and biologically, all human cellular life is by definition human life,” constituting “an actual organic unity, a specific and unique human individual, endowed with human nature and bearing the image of God.”
At the same time, the hierarchs noted that research on the “harvesting of stem cells from adult tissue and from the blood of umbilical cords,” which have “proven to be as potentially useful for therapeutic purposes as embryonic cells, should be supported with public (government) funding.”
“Laws, such as exist in Western European nations, covering the private sector as well as government-funded institutions, should be passed to prohibit all human cloning and embryonic cell research,” the hierarchs concluded, urging passage of the Brownback Bill, S. 790.
International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], the pan-Orthodox humanitarian agency under the aegis of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA], celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2002.
Since its establishment in the early 1990s, IOCC has served people in more than 20 countries through emergency assistance, development, and community empowerment programs. IOCC was also at the forefront of numerous post-9/11 ministries and services.
Historic Archangel Michael Cathedral, Sitka, AK was the site of the installation of His Grace, Bishop Nikolai as the 18th ruling bishop of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of Sitka and Alaska, March 4-5, 2002.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America and a former Bishop of Alaska, presided over the installation Divine Liturgy. Dozens of clergy from across Alaska and the “lower 48” joined faithful from various parts of the state for the celebration.
“The Diocese that has been placed in your care is vast,” Metropolitan Theodosius exhorted Bishop Nikolai as he presented him with the pastoral staff during the Rite of Installation after the Liturgy. “Its faithful are descendants of ancient and diverse cultures. Therefore, I exhort you to know your people, their land, and their ways. Know their struggles and their sufferings. Comfort them with the Gospel which you are to proclaim in truth and in love so that together you may ‘grow up in every way into Him who is the head, Jesus Christ’” [Ephesians 4:15].
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, President of Saint Vladimir Seminary, Crestwood, NY, presented His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese with an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree on January 31, 2002. Later, the Archbishop delivered the 19th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture.
Metropolitan Theodosius also presented the Archbishop with a doctoral cross on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America.
His Grace, Bishop Innocent [Gula], Retired Auxiliary to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, entered eternal rest at his residence in Alaska on Bright Monday, May 6, 2002.
A native of Hazleton, PA, Bishop Innocent graduated from Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA, in 1977, after which he was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in the Carpatho-Russian Diocese under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1980 he established Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church, Seaford, NY. Three years later he was appointed Administrator of the Annunciation Monastic Community, Tuxedo Park, NY. After being received into the OCA, he also served as rector of parishes in New York City and New Jersey prior to his assignment as chaplain to the Community of the Holy Myrrhbearers, Otego, NY, in 1990.
In 1994 he was appointed chaplain and Dean of Students at Saint Herman Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kodiak, AK. The following year, he was elected Auxiliary to Metropolitan Theodosius, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Alaska. His consecration to the episcopacy took place at Saint Innocent Cathedral, Anchorage, AK in September 1995. In March 2001, Bishop Innocent was relieved of his duties in Alaska by the Holy Synod of Bishops and subsequently granted retirement.
Funeral services and burial were held in Hazelton, PA on May 13, 2002.
May Bishop Innocent’s memory be eternal!
The Orthodox Church in America continued to distribute funds contributed by faithful in response to the Church’s special September 11 Relief Fund.
Among the numerous disbursements earmarked to provide assistance to 9/11 victims and their families was a check for $25,000, presented by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius to Rear Admiral [Retired] Frank Gallo, National Executive Director of the Armed Services YMCA, to assist families affected by the September 11 attack on the Pentagon.
The presentation was made in Washington, DC in March 2002.
In the aftermath of 9/11, two priests of the Orthodox Church in America were deployed in the Middle East on Operation Enduring Freedom to provide religious support and ministry to members of the US armed forces.
The Rev. Peter Dubinin, US Army Chaplain (CPT) in the active duty component at Fort Campbell, KY, was deployed with his unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Also deployed was the Rev. Robert McMeekin, a Reserve Component Chaplain who serves Holy Cross Orthodox Mission, St. Croix Falls, WI.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius was among numerous religious and civic leaders who witnessed His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I present the Patriarch Athenagoras Humanitarian Award to former US President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush on Saturday, March 9, 2002.
The presentation took place during a banquet honoring faithful of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who have displayed exemplary support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate through the Order of Saint Andrew.
The following morning, Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick, OCA Chancellor, concelebrated at the Liturgy served by Patriarch Bartholomew at New York’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral. In a private meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew presented Father Kondratick with the Order of the Cross of Saint Andrew.
In April 2002, members of the Holy Synod of Bishops issued a statement deploring “the continuing bloodshed and violence which afflicts the land hallowed by the life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ” and calling upon “all persons involved to work together for a just and peaceful solution to the many problems which are the source of the conflicts.”
Members of the Holy Synod also reaffirmed their position on allegations of sexual misconduct, as outlined in the “Guidelines for Initial Response to Allegations or Charges of Sexual Misconduct issued by the Holy Synod in 1994.
“We lament the horrible sin of sexual abuse at any age by any person and will not tolerate it,” the hierarchs stated, adding that “the Orthodox Church in America will comply with the civil laws of the jurisdiction in which any allegation is made in regard to reporting any incident and cooperate in any subsequent investigation” and “will also reach out to the victims and their families to provide for their spiritual well-being and healing, according to these guidelines and pastoral concern.”
A record number of faithful from across North America, estimated to be in the thousands, traveled to Saint Tikhon Monastery, South Canaan, PA over Memorial Day weekend 2002 to venerate the wonder-working icon of Our Lady of Pochaev. The event marked the first time the icon had been brought to the US from its home in western Ukraine.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, and numerous clergy and laity, met the icon at the monastery entrance on Friday, May 24, 2002. Metropolitan Theodosius expressed thanks to God for the great honor and blessing of allowing the miraculous icon to be brought to the monastery.
The icon was immediately taken in solemn procession to the monastery church for the singing of the Akathist Hymn. Throughout the pilgrimage, which closed on Monday, May 27, thousands of faithful - some of whom spent the nights in their cars - waited in line for up to two hours to venerate the icon.
The icon of our Lady of Pochaev has been enshrined in the Pochaev Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos for hundreds of years. The icon, which is especially venerated in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, and the Balkans, is widely renowned for healings of the sick and other miracles.
During the annual pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon Monastery, South Canaan, PA over Memorial Day weekend 2002, Archimandrite Nikon [Liolin] was consecrated to the episcopacy as Bishop of Baltimore and Auxiliary to the Metropolitan.
Archimandrite Nikon was elected to the episcopacy by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America during the first week of April 2002.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius presided at the consecration Liturgy, at which he concelebrated with His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; His Eminence, Archbishop Peter of New York and New Jersey; His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South; His Eminence, Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada; and His Grace, Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska. Also concelebrating were His Grace, Bishop Mark, former Bishop of Boston, and His Grace, Bishop Basil [Essey] of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco and the West was unable to participate due to illness.
A native of New York, Bishop Nikon had served for many years as rector of Saint Thomas Albanian Orthodox Church, Farmington, MI. As Bishop of Baltimore, he has administrative oversight of the OCA’s Albanian Archdiocese and the Diocese of New England.
On May 10-11, 2002, faculty, students, and friends of Saint Vladimir Seminary, Crestwood, NY, celebrated the dedication of a new 28,000-square foot library which houses what Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington has called “the richest library of Eastern Christian holdings in the Western Hemisphere,” second only to the Library of Congress itself.
The new John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building, housing Saint Vladimir Seminary’s library and administrative offices, is the fruit of the Capital Campaign inaugurated in 1991 under the deanship of the late Very Rev. John Meyendorff.
At a banquet on the eve of the dedication, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America and seminary President, and Mr. John G. Rangos, seminary benefactor and philanthropist for whom the building is named, shared the rostrum with other dignitaries, including His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, seminary Dean.
During the gathering, SVS trustee Elsie Skvir-Nierle announced that she and her family had endowed the John and Paraskeva Skvir Chair in Practical Theology. Another leading donor to the $8 million building, Mrs. Hooda Germack, spoke affectionately about the school after it was announced that the seminary’s stone “main building” will be renamed in her honor.
The following morning, Metropolitan Theodosius presided at the Liturgy in the Three Hierarchs Seminary Chapel, after which the blessing of the building was celebrated. Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan, renowned Church historian and scholar, delivered the dedication address.
Two weeks before his retirement, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius was among several North American Orthodox Christian hierarchs who met with US President George Bush at the White House on Tuesday, July 9, 2002.
The one-hour meeting with the hierarchs, called at the personal initiative of President Bush, was filled with “open, frank and honest discussion on a wide variety of topics,” according to Metropolitan Theodosius, who was accompanied by Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick, OCA Chancellor.
“President Bush discussed a wide range of topics, including terrorism, recent events in Russia and Serbia, the situation of the rising number of immigrants to the US, the status of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and contemporary moral issues,” Metropolitan Theodosius added. “In discussing his plans for faith-based initiatives, President Bush clearly demonstrated his deep commitment to reaching out to as many people as possible.”
The meeting opened in the Roosevelt Room, where, in addition to Metropolitan Theodosius, President Bush welcomed His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; His Eminence, Metropolitan Christopher of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Grace, Bishop Ilia of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America; and His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, Auxiliary to Archbishop Demetrios. The President then led the guests to the Oval Office for further discussions.
On June 18, 2002 His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius hosted His Eminence, Metropolitan Amfilohije of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America.
Metropolitan Amfilohije, who is well known for speaking out against the ongoing conflicts in Kosovo, conveyed the greetings of His Holiness, Patriarch Pavle of Serbia to Metropolitan Theodosius and thanked him for his continued support of the Church in Serbia during the post-Communist era.
Metropolitan Amfilohije was accompanied by the Rev. Irinej Dobrijevic, Director of the Office of External Affairs for the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada, and Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic, Yugoslavian Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, concelebrated with His Beatitude, Patriarch Teoctist of Romania at the consecration of Archimandrite Nicolae [Condrea] to the episcopacy in Montreal, Quebec, July 13-14, 2002.
Also concelebrating at the consecration were His Eminence, Metropolitan Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitanate of Canada; His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the OCA Romanian Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada [OCA]; His Grace, Bishop Nicholas of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Detroit; and several hierarchs from Romania.
Metropolitan Theodosius and Patriarch Teoctist also met privately during the weekend to discuss mutual concerns facing the Orthodox Church in America and the Orthodox Church of Romania.
After over 20 years of searching, members of two congregations belonging to a Protestant body known as the “Evangelical Orthodox Church” [EOC] - a total of 147 men, women, and children in Indianapolis and Crawfordsville, IN - were received into the Orthodox Faith by His Grace, Bishop Job of Chicago in July 2002.
Earlier, three EOC communities in Georgia and Kentucky were received into Orthodoxy by His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas.
The EOC’s journey to Orthodoxy dates back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when several former Campus Crusade for Christ leaders founded an association called “The New Covenant Apostolic Order” and adopted the name “Evangelical Orthodox Church.” While a number of EOC members were received into Orthodoxy in 1987 through the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, other congregations remained affiliated with the EOC.
Metropolitan Theodosius retires at Council opening. Initial plans for the 13th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America called for a tribute to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius on the 25th Anniversary of his tenure as the Church’s Primate.
But until spring 2002, no one would have imagined that the Council, which met at the Renaissance Orlando Resort, Orlando, FL July 21-26, 2002, would be his last as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
In April 2002, Metropolitan Theodosius requested and was granted retirement from the Holy Synod of Bishops, to become effective at the conclusion of the Council’s first plenary session on Monday, July 22. Before making the formal announcement of his retirement, he delivered his final “State of the Church” Address, calling upon the faithful of the Church to join him in remembering and rejoicing in the many gifts God has granted to the Orthodox Church in America - especially the gift of autocephaly.
Throughout the week, Metropolitan Theodosius’ retirement was observed in various ways. But it was at the Grand Banquet, attended by over 1300 delegates, observers and friends, that his 25 years of ministry as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America was especially highlighted. Among those who offered congratulations were His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese; His Grace, Bishop Basil, Auxiliary of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese; His Eminence, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad of the Russian Orthodox Church; and numerous other dignitaries.
Election of a new Primate. After Metropolitan Theodosius delivered his final address at the opening plenary session, the office of Primate of the Orthodox Church in America was declared vacant as his retirement became effective. His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, senior ranking hierarch of the Holy Synod of Bishops, was named Locum Tenens to preside over the election of a new Primate at the Council’s second plenary session. After the election procedure was read and explained, Council delegates proceeded with the first ballot, during which no candidate received the required two-thirds majority. Delegates then were asked to vote for two nominees on the second ballot. The names of the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes were then placed in nomination to the Holy Synod of Bishops for canonical election.
While His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada received the greater number of nominations on the second ballot, the Holy Synod of Bishops elected Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania as the new Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
“The election of the candidate receiving the second largest number of votes is not uncommon,” explained the Very Rev. John Matusiak, OCA Communications Director. “At the election of Metropolitan Theodosius 25 years ago, another candidate had received the majority vote from the delegates. The same thing happened in the early 1960s when the late Metropolitan Ireney was elected to the Primatial Office.”
A widely known and well-seasoned hierarch who has distinguished himself in many areas of Church life over four decades, Metropolitan Herman brings a wealth of experience to his new office. During Metropolitan Theodosius’ medical leave of absence in 2001, he has served as Temporary Administrator of the Church. Besides his duties as a diocesan bishop and Rector of Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA, he has played a leading role in the OCA on many levels at home and abroad.
Following the election, Archbishop Kyrill presented Metropolitan Herman with the archpastoral staff, after which he was formally greeted by the other members of the Holy Synod of Bishops and Council participants, who rose to sing “Axios - He is worthy” to their new primate.
Metropolitan Herman assumed his new duties during the week following his election, while his formal enthronement was celebrated at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC, on September 7-8, 2002.
After three years of study by members of a task force charged with developing an alternative to the per capita assessment system for funding the work of the Orthodox Church in America, delegates to the 13th All-American Council passed a “Fair Share” resolution.
The resolution marks a major departure from past practices and is designed to provide adequate provisions for the financial needs of the Orthodox Church in America and its numerous ministry units, departments, offices and commissions.
Following a detailed report by the Very Rev. Dimitri Oselinsky, OCA Treasurer, in which the process used to develop the OCA’s annual budget was outlined, the Very Rev. John Dresko, task force chairman, offered a presentation on the proposed “Fair Share” system. The importance of funding the Church’s needs in a manner that will allow for growth and expansion of existing and ongoing ministries and programs was emphasized in both reports.
After discussion and clarification, clergy and lay delegates voted to accept the resolution, which will be implemented in January 2003.
Within weeks after his election as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman made his first primatial visit to the Mother Diocese of the Church in North America.
Established in 1840, the Diocese of Alaska traces its origin to the arrival of eight Orthodox missionaries, including Saint Herman, on Kodiak Island in 1794.
His Grace, Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska and a large number of Alaskan clergy and faithful welcomed Metropolitan Herman at the Anchorage airport on August 6, 2002. The following day, Metropolitan Herman traveled to Kodiak to venerate the relics of Saint Herman in Holy Resurrection Cathedral and concelebrate the Akathist Hymn with Bishop Nikolai.
On the Eve of the Feast of Saint Herman, Metropolitan Herman and Bishop Nikolai, accompanied by hundreds of pilgrims, boarded boats for the brief trip to Spruce Island for the celebration of the Liturgy. Upon returning to Kodiak, Metropolitan Herman visited Saint Herman Seminary, where he met students and staff and chaired a meeting of the seminary Board of Trustees.
On August 9, the Feast of Saint Herman, Metropolitan Herman and Bishop Nikolai concelebrated the Liturgy in Kodiak and offered prayers before the relics of Saint Herman. After a two-day visit to Anchorage’s Saint Innocent Cathedral, Metropolitan Herman returned to the OCA Chancery, being his first, but certainly not his last, visit to the Mother Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman visited Saint Vladimir Seminary, Crestwood, NY for the first time since his election as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America on September 13 and 14, 2002 to celebrate the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and to install Prof. John H. Erickson as the school’s new Dean.
As Primate, Metropolitan Herman also serves as President of Saint Vladimir Seminary.
Meeting with faculty members, Metropolitan Herman shared his many years of experience as Rector of Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA, and reflected on the inevitable “ups and downs” of seminary life. He assured the faculty of his continued support and prayers.
Metropolitan Herman presided at the installation of Prof. Erickson as Dean of the seminary in the presence of the trustees, faculty, students, and staff and many of the school’s friends and supporters. He highlighted Prof. Erickson’s love for the seminary, his tireless work for Christ and the Church, and his worldwide renown as a scholar.
Prof. Erickson responded by asking Metropolitan Herman to share his own long experience with and commitment to theological education with faculty and students alike. He then delivered an address in which he urged Orthodox Christians to consider precisely how to be faithful to the Tradition, to “the faith once delivered to the saints,” in the modern-day context.
Twenty-five bishops, over 40 priests and deacons, and hundreds of Orthodox Christian faithful from across North America filled Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC, on Sunday, September 8, 2002 to witness the Enthronement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
The Rite of Enthronement took place immediately after the singing of the Trisagion during the Liturgy. Members of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops led Metropolitan Herman to the High Place, directly behind the altar table. His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada, Secretary of the Holy Synod, read the Act of Election, after which prayers for the newly enthroned Metropolitan were offered. Metropolitan Herman was enthroned"in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” with the hierarchs, clergy and faithful exclaiming “Axios!” - “He is worthy!” - three times.
Joining the members of the OCA Holy Synod, over a dozen hierarchs representing many sister Orthodox Churches around the world concelebrated at the Enthronement Liturgy. Among others present for the occasion were representatives of several monasteries; religious and civil dignitaries, including US Senator Paul Sarbanes and representatives from several embassies; faculty and students from Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA, and Saint Vladimir Seminary, Crestwood, NY; and members of Metropolitan Herman’s family.
During the festive Liturgy, which also marked the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, special prayers were offered in commemoration of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
At a formal reception at the Marriott Wardman Hotel, members of delegations representing the sister auto-cephalous Orthodox Churches offered Metropolitan Herman greetings on behalf of their respective flocks. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, who retired as OCA Primate in July 2002, offered a moving tribute to his successor, reflecting on their years of friendship and ministry.
In response, Metropolitan Herman eloquently thanked the numerous well wishers, noting that they were not only honoring him as he begins his primatial ministry, but that they were honoring the entire Orthodox Church in America by their prayers and presence. He added that he looks forward to working together with the sister autocephalous Orthodox Churches, reminding them that their presence at the Enthronement was a sign of their “significant support†of Orthodox Christianity in North America in general and the Orthodox Church in America in particular.
Orthodox hierarchs from around the world joined members of the Orthodox Church in America’s Holy Synod of Bishops for the Enthronement of Metropolitan Herman.
Other members of the Holy Synod concelebrating at the Liturgy were His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; His Eminence, Archbishop Peter of New York and New Jersey; His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South; His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest; His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco and the West; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada; and His Grace, Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska. His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Baltimore, Auxiliary to the Metropolitan; His Eminence, Archbishop Gregory, Retired Bishop of Sitka and Alaska; and His Grace, Bishop Mark, Former Bishop of Boston, also concelebrated.
Among the concelebrating hierarchs representing the sister Orthodox Churches were His Grace, Bishop Savas, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Patriarchate of Constantinople; His Grace, Bishop Georgios, Patriarchate of Alexandria; His Grace, Bishop Demetri of Jableh, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Patriarchate of Antioch; His Eminence, Archbishop Damaskinos of Jaffa, Patriarchate of Jerusalem; His Eminence, Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and His Grace, Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk, Patriarchate of Moscow; His Eminence, Archbishop Nicolae, Romanian Orthodox Church in America and Canada, Patriarchate of Romania; His Beatitude, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland and His Eminence, Archbishop Abel of Lublin, Orthodox Church of Poland; His Grace, Bishop Simeon, Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; His Eminence, Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo, Autonomous Orthodox Church of Japan; and His Eminence, Archbishop Augustine of Lviv and Galicia, Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Moscow Patriarchate.
Other autocephalous and autonomous Churches were represented at the Enthronement by priests or monastics.
Hierarchs representing jurisdictions belonging to the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] met at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America on August 1, 2002.
Chaired by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the gathering marked the first time His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman hosted a SCOBA meeting. Besides regular agenda items, the hierarchs also honored His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius upon his retirement.
The hierarchs offered words of thanks to Metropolitan Theodosius and reflected on his 25 years of ministry and many contributions to SCOBA. They also presented him with appropriate gifts on his retirement from active ministry.
Since his election and enthronement, Metropolitan Herman has met with numerous other Orthodox hierarchs to discuss matters of mutual concern.
On September 17, 2002, Metropolitan Herman was the guest of His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese at Archdiocesan headquarters, Englewood, NJ. Metropolitan Philip spoke warmly of the years of close collaboration between the OCA and Antiochian Archdiocese and pledged to remain vigilant in working together toward the goal of Orthodox administrative unity.
On December 10, 2002, Metropolitan Herman hosted Metropolitan Philip at the OCA Chancery, where they continued their earlier discussions on mutual concerns.
On September 7, nearly one year to the day terrorists attacked the US, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, and members of the Holy Synod of Bishops laid a wreath at the Pentagon and offered memorial prayers for those who perished at the site on September 11, 2001.
The hierarchs were met at the Pentagon by the Very Rev. Theodore Boback, Dean of Orthodox US military chaplains, and other officials.
The wreath laying ceremony took place at the commemorative wall bearing the names of the 182 individuals who died when terrorists plowed an airliner into the site. Metropolitan Herman offered prayers in the new chapel built on the site of impact. Military chaplains dedicated the chapel on September 11.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman presided at the consecration of Archimandrite Irineu [Duvlea] to the episcopacy at Saint George Cathedral, Southfield, MI, November 1-2, 2002.
Archimandrite Irineu was nominated to the episcopacy by delegates to the Church Congress of the Orthodox Church in America’s Romanian Episcopate in June 2002. His nomination was subsequently forwarded to the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops, which canonically elected him to the episcopacy at a special session held in July. Bishop Irineu will serve as Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate with the title of Bishop of Dearborn Heights.
Bishop-elect Irineu made his Profession of Faith in the presence of Metropolitan Herman, Archbishop Nathaniel, and the other co-consecrators. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Herman presented Bishop Irineu with the archpastoral staff.
Concelebrating with Metropolitan Herman and Archbishop Nathaniel were His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania [OCA]; His Eminence, Metropolitan Christopher of Midwestern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Eminence, Archbishop Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Demetri, Auxiliary of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; and His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Baltimore, Auxiliary to Metropolitan Herman.
On October 1, 2002 His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman attended the Appeal of Conscience Foundation’s annual Awards Dinner in New York, at which the Canadian Prime Minister, Right Honorable Jean Chretien, received the prestigious Appeal of Conscience World Statesman Award.
Founded in 1965, the Appeal of Conscience Foundation works on behalf of religious freedom and human rights throughout the world.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman presided at the 25th Anniversary of Saints Cosmas and Damian Adult Home, Staten Island, NY on November 1, 2002.
Metropolitan Herman serves as President of the home, which is sponsored by the Orthodox Church in America.
Established in 1977, Saints Cosmas and Damian Home is licensed by the Department of Health of the State of New York and welcomes persons for whom maintaining a household has become difficult. Regular Orthodox services are celebrated in Saint Ireneus Chapel.