Sawa (Hrycuniak) of Warsaw

   Metropolitan SAWA (Michal Hrycuniak) was born on the 15.04.1938 in Sniatycze (near Zamosc). He finished a spiritual seminary and enrolled in 1957 at the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw, from which he graduated in 1961 with the title of Master (M.A.) of theology. From 1961 to 1979 he lectured at the Orthodox Spiritual Seminary in Warsaw. Moreover, from 1962 to the present day he has lectured atthe Christian Theological Academy (ChAT). He obtained his first ordination in 1964. In 1966, during the stay at the Orthodox Theologic Faculty of University in Belgrade, he received a title of Doctor (Ph.D.) of theology. Then he took the holy orders and was given a monastic name - Sawa. In the same year he received his next ordination. In 1970 he became Archimandryte. In 1978, on the basis of his qualifying thesis, he became a reader of the dogmatic orthodox theology (he payed hability dissertation in Christian Theological Academy and he received degree hability Ph.D. from orthodox dogmatic theology - the title existed in Poland). It was also then that he was appointed to a post of a docent and manager of the Chair of the Dogmatic and Moral Theology in Christian Theological Academy. In 1990, President of the Polish Republic nominated him as a professor of theology. Since March 1999, he is a chairman of the Orthodox Theology Chair, created on University in Bialystok. 
   He was the director of the Office of the Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland from 1966 to 1970. In 1970 he was nominated as a prior of male monastery under invocation St. Onufry in Jableczna. In 1974 he became a president of the Highe Orthodox Spiritual Seminary in this monastery. In 1979 he obtained bishop's ordination. At the beginning, he was the Head of Lodz-Poznan Diocese, and from 1981 of Bialystok-Gdansk Diocese. In 1987 he was nominated as an archbishop. In 1994, after forming thr Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Army in agreement with the Holy Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church he was nominated by the Minister of National Defence as the Elder of Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Army, called a Field Bishop (until 1998). In 1996 he was nominated on the brygadier general. 

   In January 1998, due to an illness of the late His Eminence Metropolitan Bazyli, the Holy Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church entrusted duties of the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan's Throne to Archbishop Sawa. On the 12.05.1998 the Holy Council of Bishops of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church unanimously elected Archbishop Sawa on post Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland. On the 31.05.1998 in Warsaw a solemn enthronement of the new elected Metropolitan took place.