Archimandrite Irénée [Rochon] consecrated Bishop of Quebec City

Ten bishops participated in the episcopal consecration of Archimandrite Irénée [Rochon] as Bishop of Quebec City and Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada, at Annunciation Cathedral here on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, presided at the consecration. In addition to Archbishop Seraphim, other concelebrating members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America participating in the consecration were His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West; His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; and His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.

The consecration took on a genuinely pan-Orthodox character with the participation of a number of guest concelebrating hierarchs, including His Eminence, Metropolitan Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto; His Grace, Bishop Iov of Kashira, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada and Acting Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; His Grace, Bishop Alexander of the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York; and His Grace, Bishop Meleti of Khotyn, Auxiliary Bishop of the Church of Ukraine’s Diocese of Chernivtsi.

On Wednesday evening, September 30, the Rite of Nomination, Proclamation, and Acceptance by Archimandrite Irénée took place at the cathedral immediately before Vigil for the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God.

In related news, the wonder-working Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God was present in the cathedral for the consecration of Bishop Irénée. The icon will be visiting major Canadian cities through October 11.

Biographical information about His Grace, Bishop Irénée may be found here.

Details of the Pochaiv Mother of God icon’s visit to Canada may be found here.