His Grace, the Right Reverend Bishop '''Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai''' is a retired [[bishop]] of the [[Church of Japan]]. He was born Joseph Sigrist in Nyack, New York. He was educated at Nyack College and later attended [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] in Crestwood, New York, graduating in 1967. After graduation he traveled to Japan to teach English within the [[Church of Japan|Japanese Church]], establishing his residence in September 1967. He was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] then [[priest]] and later took [[monasticism|monastic]] vows before [[Archbishop]] Vladimir on [[October 18]], 1969, receiving the monastic name of Seraphim. The following Sunday he was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]]. Subsequently, on [[December 18]], 1971, he was consecrated Bishop of Sendai and East Japan. Sendai is a city in northern Japan on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Although retired==Biography==Joseph Sigrist was born on December 13, 1941, Bishop Seraphim often participates in the liturgy at various parishes throughout the metropolitan Nyack, New York area , and also frequently travels to assist the ministry of the Hosanna Community grew up in a Presbyterian and growing up in RussiaPleasantville, the legacy of Father [[Alexander Men]]NY. He also taught for a time The future bishop was educated at Drew UniversityNyack College and, on completing his degree, was received into the Orthodox Church. Bishop Seraphim maintains a Subsequently, he studied at [[http://wwwSt.livejournalVladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St.com/~seraphimsigrist/ very active online journalVladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]].

After he graduated in 1967, Joseph left New York for Japan in September of that year, where he was employed within the [[Church of Japan]] as an English-language teacher, and as a deacon at the Toyohashi parish. He was then tonsured a [[monasticism|monk]] by [[Archbishop]] [[Vladimir (Nagosky) of Japan|Vladimir]] on [[October 18]], 1969, taking the name of Seraphim, ordained to the priesthood and, a week later, elevated to [[archimandrite]]. He became the parish priest in Nakanida. In Tokyo, on [[December 19]], 1971, he was consecrated Bishop of Sendai and East Japan. Sendai is a city in northern Japan on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Bishop Seraphim served in this capacity for 19 years, returning to the United States in 1987. Here, he taught in the graduate department of religion at Drew University, wrote three books, and visited Russia frequently in recent years in support of mission, especially to youth in Russia, and to assist the ministry of the Hosanna Community in Russia (part of Fr [[Alexander Men]]'s legacy). He maintains a [http://www.livejournal.com/~seraphimsigrist/ very active online journal]. In 2009, twenty-two years after his return to the United States, Bishop Seraphim was added to the list of retired bishops of the Orthodox Church in America.[http://www.oca.org/HSindex.html?SID=7]

years=1971-?2001?1987|