News & Events

"How to Expand the Mission"

July 20 - 24, 2015
Atlanta, Georgia

Pilgrims from across North America gathered at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA, May 28-29, 2000 to celebrate the glorification of the first Orthodox Christian bishop to have been consecrated on North American soil—Saint Raphael Hawaweeny.

Today—February 27, 2015—marks the 100th Anniversary of Saint Raphael’s repose. His many missionary and pastoral journeys across North America to gather Orthodox Christian faithful of Middle Eastern background had taken their toll. He fell ill early in 1915, patiently bearing his infirmities at home. At 12:40 a.m. on February 27, he fell asleep in the Lord.

In a letter addressed to the Primate of the Coptic Orthodox Church, His Holiness, Pope Tawadros II dated February 17, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, expressed condolences and offered prayers on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America on the martyrdom of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian men whose beheadings by IS forces were confirmed by the Libyan and Egyptian governments on February 14.

The Court of Appeals of the Province of Manitoba affirmed the conviction of Archbishop Seraphim.

Click here for further information (oca.org news article).