View source for Vladimir (Nagosky) of San Francisco

His Eminence the Most Reverend '''Metropolitan Vladimir (Nagosky)''' was the ruling hierarch of the [[Church of Japan]] at the time the Japanese church was granted [[autonomy]] under the [[Church of Russia]] in 1970. At that time he was elevated as the ruling bishop with the title of Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan.

==Life==
Metr. Vladimir was born Basil Nagosky on [[March 6]], 1922 in Donora, Pennsylvania to immigrant parents from Galicia. Shortly after his birth he moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II and the the U.S. Civil Service for almost six years thereafter, both in the United States and abroad. He, then, attended the Western Reserve University in Cleveland, receiving a baccalaureate degree. He continued his education, attended Columbia University in New York and the University of Vienna for a year each. Basil then attended [St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York) |St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary]] in New York, completing his studies in 1959. While attending St Vladimir’s seminary he was ordained a [[deacon]] and then a [[priest]] after he completed his studies.

Fr. Basil’s first parish assignment was as a missionary priest in St Michael’s Cathedral in Sitka, Alaska, as well as along the Aleutian Islands. Fr. Basil took monastic vows in 1961, receiving the name Vladimir. He was next assigned to the Church of Japan. On [[October 14]], 1962, Archimandrite Vladimir was consecrated Bishop of Kyoto and auxiliary to the Archbishop of Tokyo, then Archbishop Nikon (de Greve). At the time his was the second American-born bishop consecrated in America. Then, in 1964, the Holy Synod of the Metropolia appointed Bp. Vladimir the ruling bishop for Tokyo and Japan, replacing Abp. Nikon who had returned to the United States the previous year.

In March 1970, Abp. Vladimir was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan by the Moscow Patriarchate when the patriarchate granted autonomy to the Church of Japan. After receiving canonical release from the Moscow Patriarchate in March 1972, Metr. Vladimir returned to the United States as assistant to Abp. [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco |John (Shahovskoy)]] of San Francisco. Then two years later, in 1974, Metr. Vladimir succeeded to the position of ruling bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco and Western United States when Abp. John retired. However, in July 1975, Metr. Vladimir was granted a leave of absence due to poor health. He battled cancer until his death on [[August 2]], 1997 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Following a hierarchical [[Divine Liturgy]], Metr. Vladimir was buried at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania) |St Tikhon’s Monastery]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania on [[August 8]], 1997. 

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Kyoto|
years=1962-1964|
after= [[Theodosius (Nagashima) of Japan |Theodosius (Nagashima)]]}}
{{succession|
before=Archbishop Nikon (de Greve)|
title=Archbishop of Tokyo|
years=1964-1972|
after=[[Theodosius (Nagashima) of Japan |Theodosius (Nagashima)]] |}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Auxiliary to [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco |John (Shahovskoy)]] |
years=1972-1974|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=John (Shahovskoy)|
title=Archbishop of San Francisco|
years=1974-1975|
after= Basil (Rodzianko)}}
{{end box}} 


[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Metropolitans of Japan]]