List of US Orthodox Bishops (ruling and auxiliary) - Information Only, No debate

[Fr. George]

I remembered an old post (and follow-up) of mine from awhile ago:

There were bishops in each of those cities before the 1970's - however, they were not named for their city, but were instead referred to as "Archdiocesan Districts." (For example, Pittsburgh was District 6, and had at the very least 2 other hierarchs before Metropolitan +MAXIMOS was elected: Bishop GERASIMOS (67-77) and Bishop THEODOSIOS (60-67).  None of the aforementioned diocese on the GOA list are new (or new for the 70's - except maybe Detroit, carved out from Chicago's and Pittsburgh's areas), and in fact some of the dates listed refer to the enthronement of new hierarchs, not the establishment of the see.

Cleveland, Yes, one auxiliary bishop proceeded Bishop Theodosios of Ancona in the Sixth Archdiocesan District; Polyefkos (Finfinis), (spelling could be off on both of these), though I can't recall the title of the ancient see he held.  Bishop Anthimos succeeded Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos for a short time and Bishop Maximos was an auxiliary for a short period before the implementation of '77/'78 charter which changed the archdiocesan districts seats to diocesan sees.

After finding it here, it caused me to check out Orthodox Wiki's list of US Orthodox bishops - a list that seems a bit thin to me, as it does not include every bishop, and certainly doesn't include all the Auxiliary bishops that have served in cities (even if they didn't have the city name in their title).  I can say, at least for GOA Pittsburgh, that this omission leads to a bit of confusion; according to Orthodox Wiki, Metropolitan MAXIMOS is the first Greek bishop of Pittsburgh, but according to history, he's not the first Greek bishop in Pittsburgh.

I thought it may be useful to create a place to list the hierarchs of particular jurisdiction/locations (preferably all succession in 1 post, as below with GOA Pittsburgh) that is a bit more, say, inclusive than what we're currently finding.


Greek Orthodox 6th District / Diocese of Pittsburgh / Metropolis of Pittsburgh
Newly-created 6th Archdiocesan District; 5 states (later 3) - November 1955.

Bishop Polyevktos of Tropaiou (Finfinis) - (1944-1955 Dean of G.O. Cathedral in SF)
Nov 3, 1955 ordained Bishop @ St. Nicholas Cathedral (newly made Cathedral), Pgh to serve the newly created 6th District.
November 1955-? (Sept 1960?)

Bishop Theodosios of Ancona (Vasilios L Sideris) - (1954-1960 Pastor of Three Heirarchs Church, Brooklyn, NY)
September 13, 1960 - December 1967
(I think he was transferred to District 9 - Toronto)

Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos (Elias Papadopoulos) - (1962-1967 Bishop of 3rd District - Boston)
December 1967 - 1977 (6th District)
(Retired, went to HC/HC)

Bishop Anthimos of Christoupolis - (I think he was dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral in NYC)
Oct 1, 1977- April 1979 (6th District)
(Transferred to 3rd District - Boston, then to newly-created Diocese of Denver)

Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh (current) - (Professor of Systematic Theology at HC/HC; Bishop of Diokleia from June of 1978-April 1979)
April 27, 1979 - District changed into diocese; bishop from auxiliary to ruling bishop.
November 24, 1997 - His Grace elevated to Metrpolitan of Ainou and Presiding Hierarch of Pittsburgh
December 2002 - Diocese changed into Metropolis; Metropolitans "transferred" from their titular metropolises to the new Metropolises of US.

 

[ialmisry]

Bishop of Kodiak, the [Aleutian] Islands and Other Areas Adjacent in America (Епископ Кадьякский и прочих прилежащих к тому в Америке островов)/Vicar of the Diocese of Irkutsk/ Russian Orthodox Church
See created as Vicarate of the See of Irkutsk, 19/30th July 1796.

Bishop Joasaph (Иоасаф) born Ivan Ilyich Bolotov (Иоанн Ильич Болотов) January 22/February 2, 1761 at Strazhkov, Kashin Dist., prov. Tver. Taught 4 years at the Uglich ecclesiastical school. Tonsured monk of the Tolga monastery in 1786, elevated as archimandrite in 1793.
Head of the American Orthodox Spiritual Mission to Kodiak, arriving September 24/October 15 1794.

Consecrated April 10/21, 1799 by Bishop Benjamin of Irkutsk, Nerchinsk and Yakutsk (on the instructions of the Holy Governing Synod, the only known instance of an episcopal consecration by a single bishop, here do to the great distance to St. Petersburg) at Irkutsk, as his vicar.

Killed by shipwreck on the way back to his see, May 21-24/June 1-4 1799.

The question of filling the widowed see was taken up in 1809, but faced opposition from the colonial authorities.

See abolished and the mission attached directly to the bishop of Irkutsk, 1811. Czar Alexander I orders the Holy Governing Synod to look for a candidate for the see, and makes the colonial administration and (in return for its priviledges) the Russian-American Company responsible for providing for the mission and its clergy.

http://www.oca.org/HSbiojoasaph.asp?SID=7
http://militera.lib.ru/explo/ira/1_07.html
http://gnisios.narod.ru/rusna.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=yQRpEgEzYd4C&pg=PA507&lpg=PA507&dq=Kodiak+Holy+Synod+1811+czar&source=bl&ots=vO-bZaDLcO&sig=NMMbRVlRwMQ_rj0lysVnLYgoJ-I&hl=en&ei=0iDrTPbHBYT-nAfG6aXLAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Fr. George]

The Wiki list for Boston seems to be complete:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Metropolis_of_Boston

GOA Bishops and Metropolitans of 3rd District / Diocese of Boston / Metropolis of Boston

1923–1930: Bishop Ioakim (Alexopoulos) of Boston

1938–1949: Bishop Athenagoras (Kavadas) of Boston
(Becomes Metropolitan of Thyateira and Great Britain - 1949-1962)

1950–1954: Bishop Ezekiel (Tsoukalas) of Nazianzus

1954–1960: Bishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Elias
(Becomes Metropolitan of Eleia and oversees District 9 - Canada; later Metropolitan, then Archbishop of, Thyateira and Great Britain 1963-1979)

1961–1962: Bishop Meletios (Tripodakis) of Christianoupolis

1962–1967: Bishop Gerasimos (Papadopoulos) of Abydos - (Came from HC/HC 1952-1962)
(Moved to Pittsburgh)

1968–1973: Bishop Demetrios (Makris) of Olympus

1974–1978: Bishop Iakovos (Garmatis) of Apameia - (Came from District of Detroit; continued to serve Detroit while also President of HC/HC and Bishop in Boston)
(Moved to Chicago)

3rd District becomes Diocese of Boston

1979–1983: Bishop Anthimos (Drakonakis) of Boston - (Came from District of Pittsburgh)
(Moved to Diocese Denver)

1984–present: Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) of Boston - (Archdeacon to Archbishop Iakovos of America)
November, 1997: Bishop Methodios becomes Metropolitan
December, 2002: Diocese elevated to Metropolises

 

[Fr. George]

The Metropolis of Denver has a surprisingly detailed list of its former hierarchs (surprising only when compared to other diocesan websites), and former location (Houston).

http://www.denver.goarch.org/metropolis/history/

GOA Bishops and Metropolitans of 8th District / Diocese of Denver / Metropolis of Denver

Eighth Archdiocesan District, HQ in Houston, TX

Bishop Iakovos of Catania 1968-70
Reverend William Gaines 1971 (Vicar)
Bishop John of Thermon 1972-1979

1974: Eighth District moved to Denver, CO
1979: Eighth District becomes Diocese of Denver

Bishop Anthony of Amissos 1979
Very Reverend Kallistos Samaras 1980 (Vicar)
Bishop Kallistos of Zelon 1982
Bishop Philip of Daphnousia 1983
Bishop Anthimos of Denver 1984-1987 (the first "Bishop of Denver," formerly of Boston, then suspended)
Bishop Kallistos of Zelon 1988-1991
Reverend Nicholas Triantafilou 1991-1992 (Vicar)
Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver 1992-Present

November, 1997: Bishop Isaiah becomes Metropolitan
December, 2002: Diocese elevated to Metropolis

 

[BTRAKAS]

An Anecdotal Comment Re. Fr. George's Original Post-

The 1997 elevation of the American GOAA diocesan bishops to the dignity of metropolitan, elevated them to sees that were considered active by the Ecumenical Throne; (they were not "transferred from...titular [sees]," in 2002, as the sees were not "titular").  Most, if not all of them, were metropolis sees whose flocks had vacated their residency due to the Turkey/Greece population exchange of 1923.  These vacant sees were never "deactivated" by the Throne.  They were not "titular" metropolitans, but active, ruling metropolitans, of dormant sees. Thus the justification of their assignment as "...and Presiding Hierarch of..." of their (former) American dioceses. As Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh explained the action in '97/'98, (an explanation which was commended by His All Holiness at the service of their elevation), he said his see (Aenou) was "active, but dormant."  I only make this obscure, rather convoluted point, because too many today refer to this action by indicating that Archbishop Spyridon had demoted the diocesan ruling bishops to titular metropolitans, a statement which is not true.

 

[Fr. George]

San Francisco (GOA)
Courtesy of: http://sf.goarch.org/metropolis/about_the_metropolis.html

Bishop Kallistos (Papageorgapoulos) of San Francisco - 1927-1940
Bishop Eirinaios (Tsourounakis) of San Francisco - 1941-1944
Bishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Elaia - 1950-1955
Bishop Demetrios (Makris) of Olympus - 1955-1968
Bishop Meletios (Tripodakis) of Christianoupolis - 1968-1979
Bishop Anthony (Gergiannakis) of San Francisco - 1979-2004
November 1997: Bishop Anthony becomes Metropolitan
December 2002: Diocese becomes Metropolis

Metropolitan Gerasimos (Michaleas) of San Francisco - 2004-Pres.

 

[podkarpatska]

ACROD, Johnstown, PA -  Under the omophor of the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Bishop Orestes (Chornock) - 1938, elevated to titular Metropolitan 1968, died 1977.

Bishop Peter (Shymansky) - auxiliary, 1963-1964

Bishop Methodius (Kanchuka) - auxilary, 1964-1965

Bishop John (Martin) - auxiliary, 1964-1977, Bishop 1977-1984

Bishop Nicholas (Smisko), consecrated for the EP Ukrainian's in America, 1983, elected Bishop of Carpatho-Russian Church, 1985, elevated to Metropolitan, 1995- present.

 

[Fr. George]

GOA "Archbishops of America"

For ease of use and copying, I've used the Ortho Wiki list:
http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/List_of_American_bishops

Bishop Alexander (Demoglou) of Rodostolon, 1918-1922 - Representative of the CoG in the US
Archbishop Alexander (Demoglou) of America, 1922-1930 - Became Archbishop of the newly chartered GOA.
Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou) of America, 1931-1948 - Formerly Metropolitan of Corfu; became Ecumenical Patriarch.
Archbishop Michael (Konstantinides) of America, 1949-1958 - Formerly Metropolitan of Corinth; died "in office."
Bishop Germanos (Polyzoides) of Hierapolis, 1958-1959 - Locum tenens.
Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America, 1959-1996 - Formerly Bishop and Metropolitan of Melita; Retired to NY.
Archbishop Spyridon (Papageorge) of America, 1996-1999 - Formerly Bishop of Apamea and Metropolitan of Italy; "Retired" to Portugal.
Archbishop Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America, 1999-present - Formerly Bishop of Vresthena, professor at HC/HC and Harvard, and a resident scholar for the Archdiocese of Athens.

 

[Fr. George]

I'll update this post later, but the original GOA 5th District (although I think in a few sources it is incorrectly identified as the 6th) was in Charlotte, NC.  I haven't as yet found a lot of information about its bishops.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Germanos_%28Polyzoides%29_of_Hierapolis
Bishop Germanos (Polyzoides) of Hierapolis - 5th District (Charlotte): Post WWII to ??.  He either was replaced when he moved to NY to publish the Observer, or (like others who had to move elsewhere) he continued to administer the diocese.  He retired from active service in 1963.  According to the NY Times headline quoted in the sources for the Wiki article, in '41 he was ordained to be the bishop of the 2nd District (Chicago).

http://books.google.com/books?id=yx2EarrpKGUC&pg=PA360&lpg=PA360&dq=Greek+Orthodox+%22Fifth+Archdiocesan+District%22+%2BCharlotte+NC&source=bl&ots=XLMOtoamsM&sig=34wtjaPoBUf-DsuqQKJz-4yD3qk&hl=en&ei=vj3sTLu3JoL68Ab8zeXGAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Greek%20Orthodox%20%22Fifth%20Archdiocesan%20District%22%20%2BCharlotte%20NC&f=false

5th District became Diocese of Charlotte in '79, then Diocese of Atlanta in '80.

 

[Rastaman]

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadi), 1919-1924, Acting Hierarch until the UOCC received their first bishop
Archbishop John (Theodorovych), Acting Primate, 1924-1947, resigned due to irregularities regarding his episcopal consecration

Archbishop of Winnipeg
Archbishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), Primate (1947-1949), resigned

Archbishop of Winnipeg and the Central Eparchy, Metropolitan of Canada
Metropolitan Ilarion (Ohienko) - (1951-1972), reposed
Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy) - 1972-1975, resigned
Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) - 1975-1985, reposed
Metropolitan Wasyly (Fedak) - 1985-2005, reposed
Metropolitan John (Stinka) - 2005-2010, retired
Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) - 2010-Present

Bishop of Toronto and the Eastern Eparchy
Archbishop Michael (Khoroshy) - 1951-1972, 1975-1977, reposed
Archbishop Mykola (Debryn) - 1977-1981, reposed
Archbishop Wasyly (Fedak) - 1982-1985, elected Metropolitan
Archbishop Yurij (Kalistchuk) - 1995-2010, elected Metropolitan

Bishop of Edmonton and the Western Eparchy
Archbishop Andrew (Metiuk) - 1958-1975, elected Metropolitan
Archbishop Boris (Yakovkevych) - 1975-1983, reposed
Archbishop John (Stinka) - 1985-2006, elected Metropolitan
Bishop Ilarion (Rudnyk) - 2008-Present

Bishop of Saskatoon, Vicar Bishop of the Central Eparchy
Archbishop Boris (Yakovkevych) - 1963-1975, elected Bishop of Western Eparchy
Archbishop Wasyly (Fedak) - 1978-1982, elected Bishop of Eastern Eparchy
Archbishop John (Stinka) - 1983-1985, elected Bishop of Western Eparchy
Archbishop Yurij (Kalistchuk) - 1989-1995, elected Bishop of Eastern Eparchy
Bishop Andrij (Peshko) - 2008-Present

 

[Fr. George]

^ Thank you for including them; I realized when I saw your name as the "recent poster" on the front page that I had inadvertently called it "US" instead of "N & S Americas."

 

[Rastaman]

^ Thank you for including them; I realized when I saw your name as the "recent poster" on the front page that I had inadvertently called it "US" instead of "N & S Americas."

Canadians are known for being very forgiving.