Hierarchical Leadership

Nicolae Condrea was born in Constanţa, Romania, on April 15, 1967, the son of Nicolae and Victoria Condrea. He felt a calling to service in the Orthodox Church at an early age. With the view of becoming a priest and entering the monastic life, Nicolae was admitted to the Andrei Saguna Faculty of Theology in Sibiu, Romania. After successfully completing four years of course study, Nicolae successfully defended his thesis entitled "The Eucharistic Theology of Metropolitan John Zizioulas" and received his Licentiate in Theology.

From 1992 to 1994, Nicolae was a professor of theology in Bucharest. He also continued his education during 1993 and 1994 in the doctoral program at the Andrei Saguna Faculty of Theology, concentrating his studies in the area of Moral Theology. In 1994, having received a scholarship to study at the Faculty of Theology, he entered the Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg, France, and received a diploma from the D.E.A (intensive study) program. He continued his doctoral studies at the Marc Bloch University and received the degree of Doctor in Theology on November 10, 2001.

While studying in Strasbourg, he combined the theory with practical experience, leading to his entry into the clergy. In the spring of 1997, he was ordained a deacon and then a priest by Metr. Serafim of Germany and Central Europe. With the metropolitan's blessing he also founded and served the parish of the Lord's Nativity in Stuttgart, Germany.

After receiving his doctorate, Fr. Nicolae returned to Romania. On December 18, 2001, Fr. Nicolae took his monastic vows at the Monastery of Radu Voda in Bucharest. Additionally, he held the position of Patriarchal Secretary.

On March 9, 2002, Fr. Nicolae was elected by a special Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada to fill the vacant Archiepiscopal throne of the Archdiocese. On March 13, 2002, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church confirmed unanimously his election. At the same time the Synod raised Fr. Nicolae to the rank of archimandrite.

The consecration and installation of Abp. Nicolae was held at the St. John the Baptist Church in Montreal, Canada, on July 14, 2002.

Taken from: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nicholas_(Condrea)_of_Chicago

Bishop Anthony attended the University of Michigan, where he received his B.A. in Literature, Science and the Arts, having a double major in History and English Literature. Following his university degree he attended St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree and graduated as a valedictorian of his class. Besides English, he has a reading knowledge of biblical Greek and is currently learning Arabic, at the request of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of blessed memory.

He taught modern philosophy at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Michigan, before becoming a pastoral assistant and youth director at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for two years. He and fellow seminarian Fr. Patrick Kinder held positions of youth coordinators at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Akron, Ohio, while they toured the country giving concerts and retreats as part of the group KERYGMA. Fr. Anthony also spent two years based in Nashville, Tennessee, at St. Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Franklin, Tennessee, recording for KERYGMA with Fr. Patrick and Fr. Michael (Alan) Shanbour. Bishop Anthony has lectured extensively in North America, speaking to youth groups and church retreats for various jurisdictions besides his own.

His Grace was ordained to the diaconate on September 18, 2004, and to the priesthood on September 19, 2004, at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in West St. Paul, Minnesota, under the pastorate of the Very Rev. John Khoury, of blessed memory, and by the laying on of hands of Bishop Antoun. He was able to serve his home parish for seven months before he was given his current assignment to lead the faithful of St. John Chrysostom Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Bishop Anthony inspired and oversaw the design and construction of the new church facilities at St. John Chrysostom Church in Fort Wayne. On the sixth anniversary of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood, he had the great honor of hosting Metropolitan Philip for the consecration of the new church on September 19, 2010, at which time he was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite by the laying on of hands of the Metropolitan. He was subsequently appointed dean of the Indiana Deanery by Metropolitan Philip. On Sunday, December 11, 2011, Bishop Anthony was consecrated as Auxiliary of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest, for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The consecration took place at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, Balamand, Lebanon.

Most recently, Bishop Anthony has given seminars on a book that he is in the process of writing: Between Utopia and Despair: A Study of the Intellectual History of the West and the Advance of the Secular World View. Bishop Anthony continues his pastoral ministry in Fort Wayne, providing a consistent liturgical life for the faithful. It is his honor to serve the parish family of St. John Chrysostom Church.

Taken from: http://ww1.antiochian.org/BishopAnthony

Archbishop Peter (in the world, Paul A. Loukianoff) was born in San Francisco in 1948, of Don Cossack ancestry. His family had lived in China before moving to San Francisco in the 1940's. Archbishop Peter was an altar boy at the San Francisco cathedral to Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky) and close to St. John (Maximovitch), with whom he served the last 3 years prior to St. John's repose. The future Bishop Peter studied at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY, and graduated in the Class of 1971: then at Norwich University, VT, and Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He later taught at the seminary in Jordanville, was professed a monk and ordained there. He served as the Inspector of the seminary, and as head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. In 2002, after Archbishop Alypy's accident, he was sent to Chicago as Administrator of the Diocese. On July 12, 2003, at the request of Archbishop Alypy, he was consecrated Bishop of Cleveland and Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Detroit (later renamed the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America). At the Divine Liturgy commemorating the 50th anniversary of the blessed repose of the Holy Hierarch John of Shanghai & San Francisco on Saturday, July 2, 2016, His Grace Bishop Peter was commemorated for the first time as Archbishop and given the title of “Chicago & Mid-America”.

Taken from: https://chicagodiocese.org/bishopbiography

His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica-Midwest America was born on September 29, 1955 as Momir Krco in the town of Kruscanje Olovo. His parents were Stanoje and Andja Jovanovic. He attended grade school in Olovske Luke from 1962 to 1970. He entered Three Hierarchs Seminary in Monastery Krka in 1970 and graduated in 1975.

During this time he was tonsured a monk and received the small schema as a fifth year student. The tonsuring was done by Bishop Stefan of Dalmatia on the eve of the school Slava of the Holy Three Hierarchs on February 11, 1975. At the Divine Liturgy on February 12th he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Stefan. On February 13th, he was ordained a priest.

He entered the Moscow Theological Academy in 1975 where he graduated in 1979. From October 1980 to April 1981, he served in the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla as secretary of the Executive Board. He was also administrator of two parishes. On the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops he was appointed as lecturer of the Holy Three Hierarchs Seminary in 1983 for two years.

At the Sabor of May 1985 he was elected Vicar Bishop of Morava to the Patriarch. He was consecrated on October 20, 1985. His Holiness served the Divine Liturgy along with Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov and Novo Cerkay (now Metropolitan of Kiev) who had been Dean of the Moscow Theological Academy while Bishop Longin was a student. Also serving were Bishop Nikolaj of Dalmatia, who had been Dean at the Seminary in Krka Monastery where the young Bishop had begun his theological education; and Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla.

Present at the services were the following bishops of the Serbian Church: Metropolitan Vladislav of Dabro-Bosna, Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljbana, Bishop Chrysostom of Branicevo, Bishop Pavle of Ras and Prizren, Bishop Stefan of Zica and Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka. As guests present were the Archimandrite Platon, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Canon Dr. Colin Hikling, professor of Holy Scriptures at the London University, where the new bishop had done post graduate studies. In May of 1986 he was elected Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, where he spent six and a half years. Besides serving the great territory of Australia he also built churches and was involved in work with the youth. Bishop Longin was known especially as a fighter for unity of the Serbian Church.

At the Sabor in 1992 at the request of His Holiness and brother hierarchs, Bishop Longin accepted the duty of being bishop of Dalmatia. He was not able to enter his residence in Sibenik, but had to reside in Monastery Krka, where he lectured at the seminary. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he journeyed to Canada and Australia where he collected donations for the suffering Serbian people. After the tragic occurences in August of 1995, Bishop Longin and the entire seminary from Monastery Krka stayed at Divcibare near Valjevo. At the same time he helped Bishop Lavrentije of Saba-Valjevo in diocesan matters. Along with Bishop Nikanor of Gornji Karlovac, he worked with refugees, visited the camps and delivered help which had been sent mainly by the Serbs in the Diaspora.

With the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he was appointed on July 31, 1997 as auxiliary in the administration of the Diocese of America and Canada - New Gracanica Metropolitanate. On May 23, 1998, he was appointed as Administrator of the Diocese of America and Canada-New Gracanica Metropolitanate, while on May 5, 1999, he was elected at the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Sabor, as Bishop of the Diocese of America and Canada, New Gracanica Metropolitanate. This fulfilled the request of the Diocesan Council and the Ecclesiastical Court as well as the desire of the clergy and delegates of the Seventh Church National Sabor held on April 23 - 24, 1999.

He was enthroned in New Gracanica on October 14, 1999 on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle and the Holy Synod, by His Eminence Metropoitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands.

Taken from: https://www.serborth.org/gracanicabishop

Bishop Daniel [Brum] was born in 1954 the eldest of three children born to Orville Antonio and Marjory Brum.  He was raised in Riverdale, CA—a community predominantly comprised of Portuguese-American families—where he graduated from high school in 1973.

Raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, he enrolled at Saint Patrick’s College Seminary, Mountain View, CA, where, during his freshman year, he first encountered the history of the Orthodox Church and frequently attended services at Saint Nicholas Church, Saratoga, CA, at that time under the rectorate of Mitered Archpriest George Benigsen, who welcomed him and encouraged him to explore Orthodox Christianity further.  In the early 1970s, he began reading the Church Fathers and tried to integrate what he was learning of Orthodoxy into his regular courses of study.

He received a BA in Humanities, with specialization in history, philosophy and English literature, from Saint Patrick’s College Seminary in 1977, after which he entered Saint Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, CA, where he continued the study of Church history.  In 1981, he received his Masters of Divinity degree and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood.  After ordination, he served in a variety of capacities and was especially involved in the Portuguese-American community.  He also served as diocesan Director of Vocations and as editor of the Portuguese-language page of the diocesan newspaper.

In 1992, he was asked by his bishop to pursue further studies and, in 1995, he completed the academic work and received a degree in canon law (JCL) from the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC.  His relationship with Orthodoxy continued as he continued research within the context of the Orthodox Church councils.  During this time, he seriously contemplated conversion to Orthodox Christianity—a difficult decision given his background and ties.  Ultimately, it was his study of canon law that impelled him to respond to the call to embrace Orthodox Christianity.

After completing his course of studies in canon law, he returned to his diocese and was assigned to the Diocesan Tribunal, as well as to a small mission parish in a rural setting.  During this period, his feelings and perceptions about Catholicism, based upon years of personal experience and reinforced through informal and formal study, were confirmed, while his growing love and appreciation for the Orthodox Church were increasingly confirmed and strengthened.

He petitioned to be received into the Orthodox Church in America in 1997 and was vested as an Orthodox priest by His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco and the West at the Monastery of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco on the Saturday of the Praises of the Theotokos the same year, after which he served briefly at Saint Nicholas Church, Saratoga, CA before his assignment to Saint Paul the Apostle Church, Las Vegas, NV.  In August 1998, he was transferred to the omophorion of His Eminence, Archbishop Peter and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey and assigned Rector of Saint Gregory Palamas Mission, Flemington, NJ, where he gained a new appreciation for the hard work and special challenges faced by mission priests.  In 2000, he was appointed Secretary to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius and, later, to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman.  He also served on several Church committees and commissions, including the Canons and Statute Commission, the Statute Revision Task Force, the Legal Advisory Board, and the Canonization Commission, and in numerous other capacities.

In December 2005, he expressed his desire to return to parish ministry and, in July of the following year, he was transferred to the Diocese of San Francisco and the West and appointed Rector of Saints Peter and Paul Church, Phoenix, AZ, which he continues to serve.  In October 2006, he was elected as a member of the Diocesan Council.

On October 21, 2014, the Holy Synod elected him to serve as auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West as Bishop of Santa Rosa, CA.  He was consecrated to the episcopacy on January 24, 2015.

On July 18, 2022, he was canonically elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops as Bishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest.

Taken from: https://www.oca.org/holy-synod/bishops/the-most-reverend-daniel