OCA Diocese of Dallas Assembly to Nominate Bishop Postponed

Archbishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston, locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and the South of the American Orthodox Church (OCA), has postponed the special diocesan assembly scheduled for later this month to nominate the next Bishop of Dallas. The most popular candidate currently under consideration in the Diocese, Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel), is slated for a second vetting by the Holy Synod of the OCA due to the change in the composition of its membership since his fist vetting in 2009. More here.

In Memoriam: Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas

Retired Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has fallen asleep in the Lord. Archbishop Dmitri, who was eighty-seven at the time of his repose, was born into a Baptist family in Texas, later converting to Orthodox Christianity as a teenager along with his sister and joining a parish under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

After serving in the US Armed Forces the future archbishop went on to undertake undergraduate and graduate studies before returning to Dallas in 1954, where he worked to translate the divine services of the Byzantine Rite into Spanish for a Mexican Orthodox mission in the city under Bishop Bohdan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Later that year he received Bishop Bohdan's blessing to found what became St. Seraphim's Cathedral as an English-language mission, being ordained by Bishop Bohdan that same year to the holy priesthood to serve the new mission.

In 1958 Fr. Dmitri and St. Seraphim's were received into the Russian Orthodox Metropolia of North America (now the OCA). In 1969 Fr. Dmitri was elected Bishop of Berkley and auxiliary of the Metropolia's Diocese of San Francisco, becoming the second convert to be consecrated to the episcopacy in North America. A year later he was elected Bishop of Washington and assigned as auxiliary to the First Hierarch of the OCA, Metropolitan Irenaeus (Bekish) of New York.

After serving in New England and as the OCA's exarch for the Mexican Orthodox missions under its care Bishop Dmitri was elected to the newly created Diocese of Dallas, where he served faithfully until 2009, being elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1993. Under Archbishop Dmitri's care the young diocese grew from a handful of communities to a flourishing diocese of over seventy parishes, missions, and monastic communities.

More on Archbishop Dmitri's life as well as information about the upcoming funeral services, which will be served by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the OCA, can be found here. May his memory be eternal!

Bishop Mark of Baltimore Removed as Diocesan Administrator

Bishop Mark (Maymon) has been removed as administrator of the American Orthodox Diocese of Dallas and "the South," though he remains a candidate for its vacant cathedra and will still be making pastoral visits to the Diocese's parish on behalf of its locum tenens, Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston. More here.

Update (1/6/2011): Seyidna Mark was removed as diocesan administrator by the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church per his request, though he remains "as a guest" in the Diocese for the time being. Whether he will be nominated and elected Bishop of Dallas in the future, elected shepherd of another diocese, or elected shepherd of part of the Diocese of Dallas (should it be divided as it needs to be) remains to be seen. More here.

OCA Dallas Cathedral Holds Town Hall Meeting with Bishop Nikon

Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston and the Albanians, locum tenens of the American Orthodox Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America, has held a town hall meeting at St. Seraphim's Cathedral in Dallas to discuss the rather numerous concerns of the cathedral parish regarding its future, the future of the Diocese of Dallas, and the place of Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington in the American Orthodox Church. More here.

OCA Diocese of Dallas to Nominate New Bishop

Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston, locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America of the American Orthodox Church (OCA), has called on the Diocese to prepare for a special diocesan assembly this spring or summer to nominate a candidate for election by the Holy Synod to the diocesan cathedra, which has been vacant since the retirement of Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) in early 2009.

The candidates under consideration by the Diocese's search committee include Bishop Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore, who currently serves as the Diocese's administrator; Archimandrite Alexander (Golitzin), who is also being considered by the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of North America; Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel), who is expected to be nominated for the vacant Sitka cathedra this August; Archpriest Paul Gassios, also currently under consideration by the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese; and Archpriest David Mahaffey.

More here.

OCA Metropolitan Seeks Removal of Interim Chancellor

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington has announced that he is removing Bishop Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh as interim chancellor of the American Orthodox Church and resuming the duties of locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America, which the Holy Synod of the OCA had transferred to Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston. As both the appointment of an interim chancellor and of Bishop Nikon as locum tenens of the Dallas cathedra were decisions of the Holy Synod it remains to be seen whether Metropolitan Jonah's decisions will be taken as binding or not. More here.

Update (3/5/2011): The Holy Synod has rejected Metropolitan Jonah's unilateral attempt to resume his former position as locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and confirmed Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston as its locum tenens. More here.

OCA Dioceses to be Reorganized?

At next month's meeting of the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) the Synod will be discussing, among other things, reorganizing the territorial dioceses of the OCA, primarily by dividing the territorially and numerically large Diocese of Dallas and South[eastern] America. More here.

Bishop Mark Resident in Dallas

Bishop Mark (Maymon) of Baltimore of the American Orthodox Church, auxiliary of the Diocese of Washington, is now in residence in Dallas, Texas, and has begun his duties as administrator of the Diocese of Dallas and 'the South.' More here.

Bishop Mark Received into the OCA

Glory to God for all things! Bishop Mark (Maymon) of Toledo of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has been released to the American Orthodox Church! Vladyka Mark will for the time being serve as auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore under Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) and will be administrator of the Diocese of Dallas and South[east]ern America.

God grant Vladyka Mark many, many years! More here