Dean of St. Catherine’s on Leave of Absence

Archimandrite Zacchaeus (Wood), Dean of St. Catherine the Great Martyr-in-the-Fields Church in Moscow and representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has been placed on a leave of absence and recalled to the United States by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah.  He is prohibited from exercising any liturgical or sacramental ministry.  Priest John Kechkin, who is attached to St. Catherine Church, will provide pastoral services for the time being.  Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs of the Orthodox Church in America, will assume duties as the representative of the OCA to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

A Russian translation of this release is available here.