Tikhon | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada | |
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| Archdiocese | Washington |
| Predecessor | MetropolitanJonah |
| Other post(s) | Archbishop of Philadelphia, Senior Lecturer of Old Testament (St. Tikhon's Seminary), DeputyAbbot, St. Tikhon's Monastery |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1995 (Holy Diaconate), (Holy Priesthood) |
| Consecration | February 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 58) |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination |
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| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary |
Metropolitan Tikhon (secular nameMarc Raymond Mollard; born July 15, 1966, inBoston, Massachusetts) is anEastern Orthodoxbishop and the Primate of theOrthodox Church in America, holding the rank ofMetropolitan of All America and Canada. Previously, he was the rulingbishop ofPhiladelphia 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]
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 inConnecticut,France, andMissouri, he and his family settled inReading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated fromWyomissing Area High School in 1984. In 1988 he received aBachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology fromFranklin & Marshall College,Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he moved toChicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church (Orthodox Church in America).
In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from theEpiscopal Church. In the fall of the same year, he began studies atSt. Tikhon's Seminary inSouth Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered themonastic community atSt. Tikhon's Monastery as anovice.
After receiving hisMaster of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, Mollard was appointed as an instructor inOld Testament Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's-level courses in theprophets, thePsalms, andwisdom literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testamentsaints, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament inpatristic literature.
In 1995 Mollard wastonsured to thelesser schema by ArchbishopHerman (Swaiko) and given the name Tikhon in honor of St.Tikhon of Moscow. Later that year he wasordained to the HolyDiaconate and HolyPriesthood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank ofhegumen and in 2000 to the rank ofarchimandrite.
Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with HegumenAlexander (Golitzin) in the publication ofThe Living Witness of the Holy Mountain, published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press (1996).[3] He illustrated this book aboutMount 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 rulinghierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania duringDivine Liturgy at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.[7]
For a part of 2011 he was temporary administrator of theDiocese of the Midwest.
On May 9, 2012 he was elevated to the rank ofarchbishop.[8]
On November 13, 2012 Archbishop Tikhon was elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada, of theOrthodox Church in America. He is the second convert to be elected to this office, following his predecessor.[2]
| Eastern Orthodox Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Primate of the Orthodox Church in America 2013–present | Incumbent |
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