Thursday, June 22, 2006

Archimandret Andrew (Maklakov) becomes Bishop of Pavlovskoe

(Portal-Credo.Ru - Vertograd, Suzdal)

The khirotonia of the Archimandrite Andrew (Maklakov) as bishop of Pavlovskoe, vicar of the Suzdal Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC), took place on June 21 in the Holy Tzar Constantine Cathedral in Suzdal. The khirotonia was carried out by three ROAC bishops that constantly live in Suzdal: the First-Hierarch Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal and Vladimir, Archbishop Theodore of Borisovskoye and Ostradnoye and Bishop Irinarch of Tula and Briansk.

The title of the new hierarch is for the village of Pavlovskoe, near Suzdal, where ROAC has temple of St. John the Forerunner.

Bishop Andrew graduated from the ROCOR Holy Trinity Theological Seminary and for many years he served as a clergyman of this Church. In his youth he was a spiritual son of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko) - the last spiritual son of Elder Nectarius of Optina. He was made a priest by St.Philaret of New York in 1982. After the "Nativitiy Epistle" of Met Vitaly in 1986 he left ROAC and stayed with the Matthewites. In 2003 Father Andrew was received in ROAC. He serves in the parish of St.Nicholas in New Jersey (USA).