View source for Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington

'''Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington''' was an Orthodox [[bishop]] during the second quarter of the twentieth century who served with the "[[American Orthodox Catholic Church]]" as one of the three bishops [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] by [[Aftimios Ofiesh]]. After the breakup of the American Orthodox Catholic Church following the marriage of Aftimios, Ignatius became the source of numerous lines of succession of ''[[episcopi vagantes]]''.

==Life==
William Albert Nicholas was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on [[December 4]], 1877.  He received his graduate education at Boston University in Boston and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, William received a theological education at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. On [[May 15]], 1908, he was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] while serving in Arkansas. Two years later, on [[December 21]], 1910, he was ordained a [[priest]] while serving in Colorado. Having received training as a [[chaplain]] and journalist, Fr. William also worked as a religion editor at a number of newspapers during his career, including the ''New York Sun'', ''Brooklyn Standard Union'', and ''New York World-Telegram''. 

In 1929, William decided to leave the Episcopal Church and was consecrated a bishop in the so-called "American Catholic Church". However, in 1930, after finding out that his religious orders were ''invalid'', he was again ordained a priest and then consecrated a bishop of the "Apostolic Christian Church". 

During the following two years, he became interested in Orthodox Christianity and was received into the American Orthodox Catholic Church. On [[September 27]], 1932, he was consecrated Bishop of Washington by Abp. Aftimios as an [[auxiliary bishop]], with the name Ignatius, to evangelize "Americans" in the English language using a Western Rite. He, thus, became the first [[conversion|convert]] Orthodox bishop in America. During this time he was also involved in the establishment of the ''[[Society of Clerks Secular of St. Basil]]'' as the vehicle for evangelization through the Western Rite.

After the marriage of Abp. Aftimios, Bp. Ignatius, with Bp. [[Joseph (Zuk) of New Jersey|Joseph Zuk]], met as a council and declared Abp. Aftimios retired. Yet, Bp. Ignatius soon followed his mentor and married in June 1933, after which Bp. [[Sophronios (Beshara) of Los Angeles|Sophronios]] declared Ignatius as [[deposition|deposed]].

Bp. Ignatius continued ecclesiastical activities, variously, under the name "American Orthodox Catholic Church (Western Rite) supported by the Clerks Secular, joining with a multitude of ''episcopi vagantes'', and also briefly entering [[communion]] with John Kedrovsky and the Soviet sponsored "[[Living Church]]".    

On [[February 6]], 1947, Abp. Ignatius (Nichols) reposed. 

==Sources==
*Bertil Persson, ''A Brief Biographal Sketch on William Albert Nichols'', Bertil Persson & St Ephrem's Institute, Solna, Sweden, 2000
*[http://orthodoxhistory.org/tag/ignatius-nichols/  The First Convert Orthodox Bishop in America]

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]