Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Washington and New York

The Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Washington and New York is a diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in five states in the Northeastern United States (as well as Washington, D.C. – southern Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The diocesan chancery is located in Syosset, New York.

The current archbishop of Washington and New York is the Most Blessed Herman, who is also the OCA's ruling primate. He was consecrated to the position of Bishop of Wilkes-Barre on February 10, 1973. He became the Archbishop of Washington and New York in 2005, when the diocese was formed from two existing ones.

History

The formal establishment of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey occurred after the OCA was granted autocephaly in 1970. As the diocese was the see of the ruling hierarch of the mission, and later of the autocephalous church, it supported the national Church's administration. The administrative offices were located, first, in New York City at the Holy Protection Cathedral and later, since about 1967, in Syosset, New York.

At the 6th All-American Council, the Holy Synod of Bishops decided to form a new Diocese of Washington, D.C. by splitting the Washington area from the rest of the diocese. The new diocese began functioning in 1981 as the see of the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America. However, the national administrative offices remained at Syosset, within the Diocese of New York and New Jersey. In 1981, the Diocese of New York and New Jersey became one of the local dioceses under its own hierarch, Bishop Peter (L'Huillier), with his see at the Holy Protection Cathedral.

The formation of the Diocese of Washington included the areas of Washington, D.C., Maryland, southern Delaware, and northern Virginia. The St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington was the see for the Metropolitan. At its inception the new diocese included only a few parishes, those in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas. During the following two decades after formation of the diocese a number of new parishes formed as the population of the diocese increased.

In 2005, after the election of Metr. Herman as the ruling hierarch of the OCA and with the retirement of Abp. Peter, the Holy Synod of the OCA re-merged the dioceses of New York and New Jersey and Washington as the Diocese of Washington and New York. St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington was designated the see of the ruling hierarch.

Deaneries

The diocese is grouped geographically into four deaneries, each consisting of a number of parishes. Each deanery is headed by a parish priest, known as a dean. The deans coordinate activities in their area's parishes, and report to the diocesan bishop. The current deaneries of the Diocese of Washington and New York and their territories are:

* Washington, D.C. Deanery – southern Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
* New Jersey Deanery – New Jersey and New York
* New York City Deanery – New York
* New York State Deanery – New York

External links

* [http://www.dcnyoca.org/ Official diocesan website]
* [http://www.stnicholasdc.org/ Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, D.C.] , the primatial cathedral of Metr. Herman