His Grace NICHOLAS
Bishop of Manhattan
Vicar
of the Eastern American Diocese
Right Reverend Bishop Nicholas
75 East 93rd Street
New York, NY 10128-1390
NOlhovsky@aol.com
BIOGRAPHY OF BISHOP NICHOLAS
Bishop Nicholas (Olhovsky) was born on December 17, 1974, in
Trenton, NJ. He graduated from St. Alexander Nevsky Russian
Parish School in Lakewood, NJ in May 1991, and in 1993,
graduated from Hamilton West High School. In 1998, he
graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where
he received a Bachelor of Theology Degree. During his studies
in seminary, he executed his obediences in the book-binding
shop, icon studio, and typographical workshop (working in the
latter until 2002). On the feast day of the Dormition of the
Most Holy Theotokos in 1994, he was ordained a reader by
Bishop Hilarion of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American
Diocese (today First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad),
in Trenton’s Dormition Church. In 2000, he graduated from the
State University of New York Technology School, receiving a
Bachelor’s Degree in Information & Communications. From March
1999 to March 2008, he served as cell attendant to Archbishop
Laurus (Skurla; from October 2001 to March 2008,
Metropolitan).
In May 2004, he accompanied the First Hierarch of the Russian
Church Abroad on his first official visit to Russia. In May
2006, he served as a delegate to the 4th All-Diasporan Church
Council; on June 12 of that year, he was ordained to the
diaconate by Metropolitan Laurus and assigned to Holy Trinity
Monastery in Jordanville. In May 2007, he participated in the
celebration of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion
in Moscow, accompanying Metropolitan Laurus on the subsequent
pilgrimage to the Kursk Diocese and the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. In September 2008, he was
assigned to the staff of the Synod of Bishops. In 2009 and
2010, he served as a member of the delegation accompanying the
Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God to Russia and Ukraine. In
December 2010, after the sudden and unexpected death of his
Matushka Elisabeth, he was appointed guardian of the Kursk
Root Icon of the Mother of God. In January 2011, he was
appointed a clergyman of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in
New York City. In 2011, he accompanied the Kursk Root Icon of
the Mother of God to the Kursk Diocese and the Metropolia of
Kazakhstan; in November 2011, to Australia. On
August 1, 2012, he was ordained to the priesthood in St.
Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY. In 2012, he
accompanied the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora to the
Samara, Kursk, and Perm Dioceses, to Seattle and the Hawaiian
Islands. In 2013, he accompanied the Kursk Root Icon to the
Canadian Diocese, to Japan and the Primorsk Metropolia of the
Russian Orthodox Church.
Fr. Nicholas Olhovsky’s monastic tonsure was performed on
April 4, 2014 in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. In
tonsure, Fr. Nicholas was given the name "Nicholas"
‒ in honor of the Holy Hierarch
Nicholas of Japan. At Divine Liturgy on April 27, the second
Sunday of Holy Pascha, in the presence of the Kursk Root Icon
of the Mother of God and in accordance with the resolution of
the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Mark of Berlin & Germany
elevated Hieromonk Nicholas to the rank of archimandrite
in Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Cathedral in
Munich.
The
Rite of Nomination and
episcopal
Consecration were performed in Joy of All Who Sorrow
Cathedral in San Francisco, CA, on Sunday, June 28-29, 2014,
during the celebrations in honor of the 20th anniversary of
the glorification by the Russian Church Abroad of the Holy
Hierarch John of Shanghai & San Francisco. The Consecration
was led by the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad,
His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New
York.
His Grace GEORGE
Bishop of Canberra
Bishop of Mayfield, Vicar
of the Eastern American Diocese 2008-2015
BIOGRAPHY OF BISHOP GEORGE
The
future bishop
George,
Paul Schaefer, was
born on
May 25, 1950, in Belleville,
Illinois.
He graduated
from Catholic
High School
in 1968 and then attended Southern Illinois University from
1968 to 1972. In 1974 he was received into the Greek Orthodox
Church in Modesto, CA, and given the name Makarios in honor of
Saint Makarios the Great. He joined the Russian Church Abroad
in San Francisco in May 1975 and entered Holy Trinity Seminary
in Jordanville, New York in September 1975.
On Christmas, January 7, 1976,
Makarios was made a novice by Archbishop Averky (Taushev). As
a novice his obediences in the monastery were working in the
farm and cemetery. After a few years in the monastery he was
made a riassophor monk on Friday of the First Week of Lent,
1979 and tonsured to the small schema on Friday of the First
Week of Lent, 1980, and given the name Mitrophan in honor of
Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh. He was ordained a subdeacon on
Palm Sunday of the same year. In 1980, he graduated from Holy
Trinity Seminary.
Fr. Mitrophan was sent to Mount Athos
by Archbishop Laurus in June of 1981. He was tonsured to the
great schema by Hieromonk Nektarios of Koutloumousiou
Monastery, Mt. Athos, and given the name George in honor of
Saint George the Great-Martyr.
In February, 1986, Fr. George
returned to Holy Trinity Monastery and started working in the
Printshop of Saint Job of Pochaev in 1986, where he worked
until 1998. He assumed editorial duties on Orthodox Life in
1992.
Fr. George was ordained a
hierodeacon on the feast of St. Michael, 1986, and a hieromonk
on Palm Sunday, 1987. In September 1998 he was elevated to the
rank of abbot and archimandrite on the Feast of St. Job of
Pochaev, 2005.
In 1994, he was appointed as economos
of Holy Trinity Monastery and made dean of Holy Trinity
Monastery in 2007. He is the author of several articles and
translations published in Orthodox Life. He translated the
sayings of the Optina Elders published in the book "Living
without Hypocrisy," published by HTM Press in 2006. He served
as confessor and spiritual father for Holy Trinity Monastery
and for the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in Wayne, West
Virginia, the largest English-language monastery of the ROCOR.
In May 2008, the Synod of Bishops of
the ROCOR elected Archimandrite George as Bishop of Mayfield,
Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese. The Holy Synod of the
Russian Orthodox Church confirmed the election in June 2008.
On December 7, 2008, Archimandrite George was consecrated to
the episcopal office at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville,
New York, by Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Bishop
Peter of Cleveland, and Bishop John of Caracas.
On October 7, 2014, the ROCOR Synod
of Bishops appointed Bishop George as vicar of the Australian
Diocese, with the title "Bishop of Canberra". Bishop George
officially moved to Australia on April 15, 2015.
His Grace,
Bishop JEROME
(Retired)
Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar
of the Eastern American Diocese 2008-2013
BIOGRAPHY OF BISHOP JEROME
Bishop Jerome (John Robert Shaw) was
born on December 21, 1946, and grew up in a small New England
town. He came of an old American family, of "Anglo" ancestry,
and was raised in the Episcopal (Anglican) Church. He was
received into the Orthodox Church by chrismation, on the day
after he turned seventeen: on Sunday, December 22, 1963.
After graduation from high school, John
studied at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Russian
linguistics, with a minor in East European history.
He graduated cum laude in the spring of
1968, and entered Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY.
He was tonsured a reader on September
27, 1970, by Archbishop Averky of blessed memory. After
graduation from Jordanville in the class of 1971, Rd. John
served as subdeacon to Archbishop Nikon (Rklitsky).
On April 11, 1976, Archbishop Nikon
ordained him a subdeacon and deacon, and on April 25, he was
ordained a priest. He was assigned to St. Vladimir Memorial
Church, in Jackson NJ.
On Saturday, September 4, 1976,
Archbishop Nikon suddenly reposed in the Lord, and Fr. John was
reassigned at the request of Archbishop Seraphim (Ivanov) to
Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Chicago, IL where he served
from November of 1976 till March of 1991.
On the feast of the Ascension in 1984,
Fr. John was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
From March 17, 1991 until November 30,
2008, he served in Holy Trinity Church in Milwaukee, WI. During
that period, Fr. John translated Archbishop Alypy's Slavonic
textbook into English; he was one of the delegates to the 4th
All-Diaspora Sobor in 2006.
On May 15, 2008, the ROCOR Synod of
Bishops elected him Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern
American Diocese. On June 23, 2008, it was confirmed by the
Patriarch and Holy Synod of Russia.
On December 5, 2008, Fr. John was
tonsured a monk in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville by
Bishop John of Caracas, and given the name Jerome, in honor of
St. Jerome of Stridon.
On December 7, 2008, in accordance with
the resolution of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops, Fr. John was then
elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.
On December 10, 2008, he was
consecrated Bishop of Manhattan in the Synodal Cathedral of the
Sign.
Retired on July 10, 2013, according to
a resolution of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops.
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