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In 1887, Fr. Alexander came to the United States and took an assignment to a Uniate parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Having been married, Fr. Alexander came under attack by the celibate Roman Catholic [[clergy]] as he traveled, organizing parishes to serve the immigrant faithful from Europe. For his activities among the Uniate parishes, Fr. Alexander was chosen their [[vicar]] by the Uniate clergy. Becoming disillusioned by the Unia, Fr. Alexander decided to become an Orthodox. On [[July 30]], 1916, Fr. Alexander was received into the Orthodox Church.
With his reception by the Russian hierarchy in America, Fr. Alexander was [[tonsure]]d as a [[monk]] with the name Stephen. Then on [[August 7]], 1916, he was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop of Pittsburgh, an [[auxiliary bishop]], to minister to the needs of the former Uniates Carpatho-Russian whose [[parish]]es numbered over 160 when he was received (out of roughly 200 total Russian Orthodox parishes in the American Lower 48). After only eight years of service in the episcopacy, however, Bp. Stephen returned to the Unia, with hopes of heading a Uniate [[diocese]], and the Carpatho-Russian [[Ethnic diocese|ethnic diocese ]] of the Metropolia was dissolved.
With his advancing age, Bp. Stephen, however, retired to a Roman Catholic [[monastery]] in Graymoor, New York. where he died in 1933.