View source for Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh

{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
His Grace, the Right Reverend Bishop '''Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh''' is the ruling [[bishop]] of the [[OCA]]'s [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Western Pennsylvania]] (succeeding Abp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] who reposed in 2007). His Grace was consecrated on [[June 27]], 2009, at the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky, Pittsburgh, by Metropolitan [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah of Washington and New York]] and other members of the [[Holy Synod]].

==Life==
===Early life===
Thomas Alexander Pleska was born in Dayton, Ohio, on [[August 20]], 1942, to Alexander and Johanna Pleska, of ethnic Byelorussian and Ukrainian descent, and was [[baptism|baptised]] in St Theodosius Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio.  When he was growing up in Dayton, there was no Orthodox parish, and he received his spiritual formation in local Protestant churches, being taken to the Russian Orthodox church in Cleveland for major feasts. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Michigan School of Music, then transfrred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and where he completed a BA, majoring in Philosophy.  After graduating, he joined a stock brokerage and, subsequently, moved to real estate.  It was in his adult life that he became a member of Christ the Savior Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

===Ordination===
In the early 1980s, Thomas entered to [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was encouraged to consider [[ordination]].  He was ordained to the [[diaconate]] in 1985 on [[November 21]] by [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Bishop Job]], to the [[priest]]hood by Metropolitan [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of New York]].  After his 1986 graduation, Fr Thomas was interim [[pastor]] of churches in Pottstown, Old Forge and Simpson, Pennsylvania.  Simultaneously, he was also lecturer in Dogmatic Theology at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and chaplain at [[Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery (Otego, New York)|Holy Myrrhbearers' Monastery]] in Otego, New York.  

During this time, he made his acquaintance with Elder [[Sophony (Sakharov)|Sophrony]] and [[Patriarchal_Stavropegic_Monastery_of_St._John_the_Baptist_(Maldon,_Essex)|his monastery in Essex, England]].  Under the influence of various monastic [[elder]]s, including Elder Dionysios of [[Simonopetra Monastery (Athos)|Simonopetra Monastery]] and [[Archimandrite]] Dimitry Egouroff of [[Valaam Monastery|Old Valaam]], he made the decision to take [[monasticism|monastic]] [[tonsure]] after ordination.  During 1989 to 1998, Fr Thomas served as [[rector]] of Ss Peter and Paul Church in Meriden, Connecticut.

===Greece===
In 1998, Fr Thomas entered the monastic life in [[Church of Greece|Greece]], and served at the [[Monastery of the Holy Cross (Thebes, Greece)|Monastery of the Holy Cross]], an international women's [[monastery]] in Thebes.  In 2003, he was transferred to be [[chaplain]] of the women's Monastery of St George the Great Martyr, and to serve his own brotherhood at the [[Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Petras, Greece)|Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos]], Petras.  In 2004, Fr Thomas was tonsured to the great [[schemamonk|schema]] by his [[abbot]], Archimandrite Dionysios, taking the name Melchisedek, and was subsequently made [[archimandrite]] and [[spiritual father]] by his local [[metropolitan]] in Greece.

===Episcopacy===
On [[November 15]], 2008, he was nominated by the Extraordinary Assembly of the [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Western Pennsylvania]] to be the ruling bishop of the Diocese.  On [[April 2]], 2009, Fr Melchisedek was elected by the [[Holy Synod]] as ruling [[bishop]], and subsequently returned to the USA.  On [[June 27]], 2009, Fr Melchisedek was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] a bishop at St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Allison Park, Pennsylvania.

==External link==
*[http://www.ocadwpa.org Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania]
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{{succession|
before= [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]]|
title=[[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Archbishop of Pittsburgh<br>(OCA)]]|
years=2009-present|
after= &mdash;}}
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[[Category:Bishops]]