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His Eminence, the Most Reverend Archbishop '''Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh''' (1920-2007) was the ruling [[bishop]] of the [[OCA]] [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Western Pennsylvania]] and of the OCA [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]. Prior to his service in the OCA, he was the sole hierarch of the [[ROCOR]]'s [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]] during its twelve-year existence.
==Life==
Abp. Kyrill was born Ilia Yonchev on [[February 26]], 1920, in Panaguriste, Bulgaria, the son of Mancho and Anna Yonchev. He attended the St. [[ John of Rila ]] Theological Seminary in Sofia, Bulgaria, graduating in 1940. He was [[tonsure]]d to [[monk|monastic]] orders on [[January 19]], 1941, and given the name Kyrill. On the next day he was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]]. He was ordained to the [[priest]]hood in April 1943.
Fr. Kyrill attended the St. Clement of Ochrid School of Theology. After graduating in 1944, he was appointed instructor of theology in the [[seminary]] in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and also was appointed [[abbot]] of the Bachkovo [[Monastery]]. As the abbot, he participated with other Bulgarian leaders helping protect the Jewish population of Bulgaria from actions of the Nazi occupation against the Jews during World War II.
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—[[Andrei (Petkov) of New York|Andrei (Petkov)]]|
title=Bishop of Toledo and Toronto<br>[[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]] (ROCOR)|
years=1964-1976|
after=—[[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]]}}
{{succession|
before=—''see created''|
title=Bishop of Bulgarian Diocese<br>(OCA)|
years=1976-2007|
after= —[[Alexander (Golitzin)]]}}
{{succession|
before= Amvossy [[Theodosius (MerejkoLazor)of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]]|title=[[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Archbishop of Pittsburgh]]<br>(OCA)|
years=1978-2007|
after= —[[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek (Pleska)]]}}{{end box}}
==Source==
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Bishops of Toledo]]
[[Category:Bishops of Toronto]]
