Metropolitan Council Conducts Special Meeting
The Metropolitan Council of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) conducted a special session by videoconference on Tuesday evening, May 11, 2021 under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. The Metropolitan Council considered the following matters:
- According to its competence mandated by Article V, Section 7.l) of the OCA Statute, the Council unanimously endorsed for confirmation by the Holy Synod the Metropolitan’s selection of Priest Alessandro Margheritino for the position of Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America. The Holy Synod will consider the confirmation of Father Alessandro as OCA Secretary during its Spring Session next week.
- According to its competence mandated by Article V, Section 7.s) and Section 9 of the OCA Statute, the Council unanimously appointed Matushka Sharon Hubiak to fill a vacancy in the membership of the Auditing Committee.
- The Council received an update from the Property Committee concerning efforts to sell Westwood, the OCA Chancery property in Oyster Bay Cove, (Syosset) NY. The Council adopted a resolution to extend the contract, expiring on May 31, 2021, of Fran Mazer and Compass Realty until December 31, 2021, on the same terms as previously authorized.
- The Council heard a report concerning the appointment by Metropolitan Tikhon of a subcommittee to examine the status and utility of the OCA Pension Plan. This is a necessary precondition for the work of a Joint Committee of the Holy Synod and the Metropolitan Council—whose creation was resolved by the 2020 and 2021 Spring Sessions of the Metropolitan Council—to examine the mandates of the OCA Statute and All-American Council decisions, that all eligible clergy are to be enrolled in the OCA Pension Plan.
At the beginning of the meeting, Metropolitan Tikhon intoned “Memory Eternal” for the recently reposed Metropolitan Theodosius, Protopresbyter Daniel Hubiak and Archpriest Antonio Perdomo, who were longtime leaders in the work of the Metropolitan Council, as well as for all those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Archpriest David Rucker, who was elected an alternate Metropolitan Council member at the 19th All-American Council, was welcomed to the meeting to replace the late Father Antonio Perdomo. His Beatitude also announced that the Fall Meeting of the Metropolitan Council is scheduled, public health conditions permitting, to be held jointly with the Holy Synod, in Cleveland, OH in mid-October 2021.
Minutes and reports from this extraordinary meeting of the Metropolitan Council will be posted on the OCA website as they become available.