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Archimandrite Mardary was called back to Belgrade and consecrated by the Serbian Patriarch Dimitriye in April 1926 as head of the ''Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of America and Canada'', After his consecration, Bp. Mardary returned to the United States on [[May 8]], 1927. He convened the first Church Assembly in Chicago [[May 29]]-30, 1927. Against various problems Bp. Mardary continued organizing the diocese, although an advancing case of tuberculosis began to take its toll, resulting in his death on [[December 12]], 1935 at the age of 46.
When World War II enveloped the Serbian Patriarchate in 1941 with disruptions of peaceful life, first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, disorder came to the American diocese. Yet the need was evident that the size of the north American diocese prevented the ruling bishop from having close association with the far flung parishes. In 1963, The Holy Assembly of Bishops, at the request of the diocesan bishop, Bp. Dionisije, created three new dioceses and elected bishops to rule the diocese. However, this action also resulted in the [[deposition ]] of Bp. Dionisije and a split among the Serbian Orthodox in America and litigation. Eventually, the reorganization was accomplished.
Through the years since 1963 a succession of bishops have served the dioceses. Today (2006) the ruling bishops of the four dioceses are:
