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His Grace '''Sophronios (Beshara) of Los Angeles''' was the Orthodox [[Bishop of Los Angeles]] of the [[American Orthodox Catholic Church]] from 1928 to 1934.
==Life==
Sofronios Bishara was born in Syria in 1888. He emigrated to the United States of America on [[November 26]], 1914, through Ellis Island after traveling from Broumana, in Turkish Lebanon, through Piraeus, Greece. After his arrival in the New World, Sofronios associated himself with the Syrian Orthodox mission of the [[North American Diocese|Metropolia]] of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1917, Sofronios was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[priest]] of the Syrian mission by [[Bishop]] [[Aftimios (Ofiesh)]] who earlier had been [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] an [[auxiliary bishop]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Evdokim (Meschersky)]], succeeding in the position of St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]. After his ordination Fr. Sofronios was assigned, in 1918, to St. George's Church in Los Angeles.<ref>''American Orthodox Messenger'', 1918.</ref>
On [[May 26]], 1928, [[Archimandrite]] Sofronios was consecrated the [[Bishop]] of Los Angeles by Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh), assisted by [[Metropolitan]] Elias of Tyre and Sidon of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, and Bp. [[Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) of Brooklyn|Emmanuel Abo-Hatab]] (Rizkallah Abouhatab) of the Syrian Orthodox mission of the Russian North American Diocese.<ref>(Abohatab; ''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10)</ref>
On [[September 25]], 1932, Bp. Sofronios assisted Abp. Aftimios during the consecration of Fr. [[Joseph (Zuk) of New Jersey|Joseph Zuk]] as Bishop of New York of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America.<ref> ''New York Times'', September 26 1932, p 13 col 5.</ref> <ref>''New York World-Telegram'', October 1 1932.</ref>
On [[September 27]], 1932, Bp. Sofronios, with Bp. Joseph Zuk, assisted Abp. Aftimios in the consecration of William Albert Nichols as his auxiliary bishop of Washington, under the ecclesiastical name Ignatius. <ref>''Messenger of Holy Wisdom'', Vol I, February 1962 No 2</ref> <ref> ''Irénikon 1984'', No 3 p 342</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref>
In April 1833, Abp. Aftimios married, throwing his ecclesiastical status into confusion as well as the status of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. On [[October 4]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios [[deposition|deposed]] Abp. Aftimios and assumed the position of Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox mission of the Russian North American diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church as well as naming himself Archbishop of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America. <ref>(Abohatab, ''The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in America''</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref> On [[November 2]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios deposed Bp. Ignatius (Nochols), who also had married.
During the following year Bp. Sofronios took part in a number of consecrations of bishops, assisting such hierarchs as [[Benjamin (Fedchenkov) of the Aleutians|Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]] of the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]] and [[Metropolitan]] [[Theophan (Noli) of Durres|Theophan (Noli)]] of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
In September 1934, Bp. Sofronios retired from church activities due to health issues. He died on [[October 8]], 1940 and was buried in the Arabic section of the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. In July 1989, the remains of Bp. Sofronios were transferred, along those of St. Raphael (Hawaweeny), Bp. Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab), and other [[clergy]]men to the Antiochean Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania for reburial.
==References==
<references/>
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of Los Angeles|
years=1928-1934|
after=—}}
{{end box}}
==Source==
*[http://www.thedegree.org/BISHARA.DOC A Brief Biographical Sketch on Sophronios Bishara]
[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Los Angeles]]
==Life==
Sofronios Bishara was born in Syria in 1888. He emigrated to the United States of America on [[November 26]], 1914, through Ellis Island after traveling from Broumana, in Turkish Lebanon, through Piraeus, Greece. After his arrival in the New World, Sofronios associated himself with the Syrian Orthodox mission of the [[North American Diocese|Metropolia]] of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1917, Sofronios was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[priest]] of the Syrian mission by [[Bishop]] [[Aftimios (Ofiesh)]] who earlier had been [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] an [[auxiliary bishop]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Evdokim (Meschersky)]], succeeding in the position of St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]. After his ordination Fr. Sofronios was assigned, in 1918, to St. George's Church in Los Angeles.<ref>''American Orthodox Messenger'', 1918.</ref>
On [[May 26]], 1928, [[Archimandrite]] Sofronios was consecrated the [[Bishop]] of Los Angeles by Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh), assisted by [[Metropolitan]] Elias of Tyre and Sidon of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, and Bp. [[Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab) of Brooklyn|Emmanuel Abo-Hatab]] (Rizkallah Abouhatab) of the Syrian Orthodox mission of the Russian North American Diocese.<ref>(Abohatab; ''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10)</ref>
On [[September 25]], 1932, Bp. Sofronios assisted Abp. Aftimios during the consecration of Fr. [[Joseph (Zuk) of New Jersey|Joseph Zuk]] as Bishop of New York of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America.<ref> ''New York Times'', September 26 1932, p 13 col 5.</ref> <ref>''New York World-Telegram'', October 1 1932.</ref>
On [[September 27]], 1932, Bp. Sofronios, with Bp. Joseph Zuk, assisted Abp. Aftimios in the consecration of William Albert Nichols as his auxiliary bishop of Washington, under the ecclesiastical name Ignatius. <ref>''Messenger of Holy Wisdom'', Vol I, February 1962 No 2</ref> <ref> ''Irénikon 1984'', No 3 p 342</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref>
In April 1833, Abp. Aftimios married, throwing his ecclesiastical status into confusion as well as the status of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. On [[October 4]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios [[deposition|deposed]] Abp. Aftimios and assumed the position of Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox mission of the Russian North American diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church as well as naming himself Archbishop of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America. <ref>(Abohatab, ''The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in America''</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref> On [[November 2]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios deposed Bp. Ignatius (Nochols), who also had married.
During the following year Bp. Sofronios took part in a number of consecrations of bishops, assisting such hierarchs as [[Benjamin (Fedchenkov) of the Aleutians|Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]] of the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]] and [[Metropolitan]] [[Theophan (Noli) of Durres|Theophan (Noli)]] of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
In September 1934, Bp. Sofronios retired from church activities due to health issues. He died on [[October 8]], 1940 and was buried in the Arabic section of the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. In July 1989, the remains of Bp. Sofronios were transferred, along those of St. Raphael (Hawaweeny), Bp. Emmanuel (Abo-Hatab), and other [[clergy]]men to the Antiochean Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania for reburial.
==References==
<references/>
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of Los Angeles|
years=1928-1934|
after=—}}
{{end box}}
==Source==
*[http://www.thedegree.org/BISHARA.DOC A Brief Biographical Sketch on Sophronios Bishara]
[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Los Angeles]]
