New OCA Metropolitan JONAH

Met. JONAH (Paffhausen) of the OCA

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has elected a new Metropolitan: His Eminence JONAH (Paffhausen). Its website announced:

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, His Grace, Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth was elected Archbishop of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the 15^th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America.

After joining the Orthodox Church in 1978, he earned two Master's degrees from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, then began working toward a Ph.D. at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. (If he went to Berkeley and remained Orthodox, that is a very good sign.) He went on to live in Russia, then to join Valaam Monastery, where his spiritual father blessed him to become a priest-monk. (Imagine, a monk who belonged to an established monastery, who waited on others to confirm his call.) He has been a priest since 1995, tonsured a monk at St. Tikhon's Monastery, and helped found numerous missions.

In the spring of 2008, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America elevated Fr. Jonah to the rank of Archimandrite and he was given the obedience to leave the monastery and take on the responsibilities of auxiliary bishop and chancellor for the Diocese of the South.

Bishop Jonah's episcopal election took place on September 4, 2008, at an extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops. Earlier in the summer, his candidacy was endorsed by the Diocese of the South's Diocesan Council, shortly after Bishop Jonah had participated in the diocese's annual assembly.

Bishop Jonah was consecrated Bishop of Forth Worth and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the South, at St. Seraphim Cathedral, Dallas, TX, on Saturday, November 1, 2008.

Incidentally, Met. JONAH is a former Episcopalian.

Several members have provided links to media for this occasion:

Videos

• Announcement of Met. JONAH's Election; and
  
• First Proclamation of the Diptychs.

Audio

• Address to the All-American Council on Nov. 11;
• Divine Liturgy and Met. JONAH's homily on Nov. 12; and
  
• Met. JONAH's address to Banquet on Nov. 12.
  

He is not entering the hierarchy at a time of smooth sailing. May God lead him in this difficult time. Many years to him.