Bulgarian Diocese announces plans for May 4-6 consecration of Archimandrite Alexander [Golitzin]

Saint George Cathedral here will

be the site of the episcopal

consecration of Archimandrite

Alexander [Golitzin] as ruling

hierarch of the Orthodox

Church in America’s Bulgarian

Diocese Friday through Sunday,

May 4-6, 2012.

The weekend will begin with the

celebration of Vespers at the

cathedral on Friday, May 4, at

7:00 p.m. During Vespers,

Archimandrite Alexander will make his profession

of faith before the members of the Holy Synod of

Bishops. A reception will follow in the cathedral

hall.


 At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, His Beatitude,

Metropolitan Jonah and concelebrating hierarchs

will be greeted at the cathedral entrance, after

which the Consecration Divine Liturgy will

commence. A banquet will follow in the cathedral

hall. Great Vespers will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m.

At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 6, Bishop Alexander

will serve the Divine Liturgy. A brunch will follow

in the cathedral hall.

After a one year search to fill the See proclaimed

vacant after the repose of His Eminence, the late

Archbishop Kyrill, Archimandrite Alexander was

nominated at the diocese’s Fifth Congress-Sobor

held in Toledo, OH June 9, 2011. On October 4,

2011, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops

canonically elected Archimandrite Alexander to

the vacant See of Toledo and the Bulgarian

Diocese.

Raised at Saint Innocent Church, Tarzana, CA,

Archimandrite Alexander received a BA in English

from the University of California at Berkeley and

an M.Div. from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary. He

spent seven years pursuing doctoral studies at

Oxford University in England under His Eminence,

Metropolitan Kallistos [Ware]. During this time, he

also spent two years in Greece, including one year

at Simonos Petras Monastery on Mount Athos.


After receiving his D.Phil. in 1980, he returned to

the US, where he was ordained to the diaconate in


January 1982 and to the priesthood two years

 later. In 1986, he was tonsured to monastic

orders. He served OCA missions in northern

California and headed the Diocese of the West’s

mission committee. In 1989, he accepted a

teaching position in the Theology Department of

Milwaukee’s Marquette University, a position that

he holds today. Concurrently, he was attached to

the city’s Saints Cyril and Methodius Church.


The Bulgarian Diocese includes 19 parishes and

missions and one monastery.

Additional information concerning the

consecration, banquet, housing and transportation

has been sent to all parishes of the Bulgarian

Diocese and will appear on the diocesan web site

Questions may be directed to Saint George

Cathedral at 419-662-3922.