Tikhon Mollard

Last updated

Tikhon
Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
Mitropolit Tikhon (Mollard).jpg
Archdiocese Washington
PredecessorMetropolitan Jonah
Other post(s)Archbishop of Philadelphia, Senior Lecturer of Old Testament (St. Tikhon's Seminary), Deputy Abbot, St. Tikhon's Monastery
Orders
Ordination1995 (Holy Diaconate), (Holy Priesthood)
ConsecrationFebruary 14, 2002, May 9, 2012 (elevation to Archbishop), November 13, 2012 (elected Metropolitan)
Rank Metropolitan
Personal details
Born
Marc Raymond Mollard

(1966-07-15) July 15, 1966 (age 57)
NationalityAmerican
Denomination
Residence Washington, D.C.
Alma mater Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary

Metropolitan Tikhon (secular name Marc Raymond Mollard; born July 15, 1966, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Eastern Orthodox bishop and the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, holding the rank of Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Previously, he was the ruling bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. He was elected as Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America on November 13, 2012 at the 17th All-American Council in Parma, Ohio. [1]

Contents

Life

Marc Raymond Mollard was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 15, 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard. He was reared in the Episcopal Church. [2]

After brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing Area High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church (Orthodox Church in America).

In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from the Episcopal Church. In the fall of the same year, he began studies at St. Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the monastic community at St. Tikhon's Monastery as a novice.

After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, Mollard was appointed as an instructor in Old Testament Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's-level courses in the prophets, the Psalms, and wisdom literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament saints, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in patristic literature.

In 1995 Mollard was tonsured to the lesser schema by Archbishop Herman (Swaiko) and given the name Tikhon in honor of St. Tikhon of Moscow. Later that year he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen and in 2000 to the rank of archimandrite.

Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Hegumen Alexander (Golitzin) in the publication of The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain, published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press (1996). [3] He illustrated this book about Mount Athos.

In December 2002, Tikhon was appointed by Metropolitan Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery.

During the Fall Session of Synod of the OCA on October 20–23, 2003, Archimandrite Tikhon was elected as Bishop of South Canaan and Auxiliary to Metropolitan Herman. [4] Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, February 14, 2004 by Archbishop Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan. [5]

At a special session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America held on May 27, 2005, Bishop Tikhon of South Canaan was elected as Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. [6] On October 29, 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during Divine Liturgy at the Saint Stephen Cathedral. [7]

For a part of 2011 he was temporary administrator of the Diocese of the Midwest.

On May 9, 2012 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. [8]

On November 13, 2012 Archbishop Tikhon was elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada, of the Orthodox Church in America. He is the second convert to be elected to this office, following his predecessor. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthodox Church in America</span> An Eastern Orthodox church in North America

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America. While the OCA is in full communion with most Eastern Orthodox churches in the world, the OCA's autocephaly is not fully recognized. The OCA consists of more than 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 2011, it had an estimated 84,900 members in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herman Swaiko</span> American Eastern Orthodox bishop (1932–2022)

Metropolitan Herman was the primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). As the head of the OCA, he was the Archbishop of Washington and New York, and Metropolitan of All America and Canada. He was elected Metropolitan on 22 July 2002, replacing Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor), who retired due to health problems related to a series of strokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Job Osacky</span>

Archbishop Job (Osacky) of Chicago was the archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of the Midwest until his unexpected death. His territory included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthodox Church in America Archdiocese of Washington</span> Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America

The Archdiocese of Washington is a diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in Washington, D.C., southern Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. From 2005 to July 1, 2009, it was known as the Diocese of Washington and New York, until the Diocese of New York and New Jersey was reestablished as a separate diocese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon Liolin</span>

Archbishop Nikon was an Albanian bishop who served as the head of the Orthodox Church in America's Albanian Archdiocese and New England diocese.

The timeline of Eastern Orthodoxy in North America represents a timeline of the historical development of religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in North America.

Archbishop Gregory was the Archbishop of Sitka and Alaska from 1973 to 1995, and author of books on Theology and Eastern Orthodoxy in North America in both Russian and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arseny of Winnipeg</span>

Arseny of Winnipeg, known to be the most reverend archbishop was a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonah Paffhausen</span> American archbishop

Metropolitan Jonah is a retired American Eastern Orthodox bishop who served as the primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) with the title The Most Blessed Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada from his election on November 12, 2008, until his resignation on July 7, 2012. Metropolitan Jonah was the first convert to the Orthodox faith to have been elected as the primate of the OCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Dahulich</span> American archbishop

Michael (Dahulich) is an Orthodox archbishop in the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of New York and New Jersey. He is the former dean of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, and serves there as Rector and Associate Professor of New Testament and Ethics.

Mark Alan Maymon is an archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America and the current Archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilarion Kapral</span> Russian Orthodox bishop (1948–2022)

Metropolitan Hilarion was a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First-Hierarch of the ROCOR since 18 May 2008; as the first person elected to that position following the Act of Canonical Communion between the ROCOR and the Russian Orthodox Church, he was the first whose election required approval by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valentine Rusantsov</span>

Valentine was metropolitan bishop of Suzdal and Vladimir, and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Schaefer (bishop)</span> Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Bishop George is bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, bishop of Canberra, vicar of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese, and former abbot of the Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anastasius Gribanovsky</span>

Metropolitan Anastasius was a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the second First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irineu Duvlea</span>

Irineu is a former bishop of the Orthodox Church of America, the Auxiliary Bishop of Dearborn Heights, vicar of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. He was consecrated on November 2, 2002. Since June 29, 2017 he is no longer part of the ROEA Diocese and the OCA.

Archbishop Kiprian was bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania since 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Murianka</span> Russian Orthodox clergy (b. 1951)

Bishop Luke is an American church leader. He serves as bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, current abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery, rector, associate professor of patrology of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York, and auxiliary bishop of Syracuse, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Brum</span> Hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America

Daniel is the hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America, archbishop of the Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest.

References

  1. Parma, Oh. "Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All American and Canada". www.oca.org.
  2. 1 2 "Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia elected Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of America". AnglicanInk. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  3. Golitzin, Alexander (July 19, 1996). The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos. St. Tikhon's Seminary Press. ISBN   9781878997487 via Google Books.
  4. "OCA Holy Synod of Bishops Concludes Fall Session". Orthodox Church of America. October 27, 2003. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  5. "Archimandrite Tikhon [Mollard] consecrated to Episcopacy" . Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  6. "Holy Synod elects Bishop Tikhon of South Canaan ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and E - Orthodox Church in America". oca.org. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  7. "Bishop Tikhon to be installed as Orthodox Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania" . Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  8. "Holy Synod concludes Spring Session". www.oca.org.
Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Primate of the Orthodox Church in America
2013–present
Incumbent