Arcadius (Afonin) of South Sakhalin

His Grace Arcadius (Afonin) (Russian: Аркадий Афонин; 15 July 1943 – 3 July 2021) was Bishop of South Sakhalin in Far Eastern Russia from 1993 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2001. His Grace was the founding bishop of two eparchies in the Far East, serving also as first bishop of the restored Eparchy of Tomsk and vicar in Nizhny Novgorod. Victim of the Great Pandemic, Bishop Arcadius reposed in the Lord in 2021.

Life

Alexander Petrovich Afonin was born in July 15, 1943 into a peasant family in the small village of Chekalino near Syzran in Samara (then Kuybyshev) during the Eastern Front of World War II. He was brought up by the nuns of a monastery for orphans in the region, receiving also his basic education. Until his 21st birthday, Alexander worked in Kuybyshev, when he departed to Moscow to join the Theological Academy from 1964 onward.

On October 5, 1966, Alexander was accepted as a novice at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. On December 29, Alexander was tonsured a monk with the name Arcadius by Bishop Platon (Lobankov) of Voronezh (1972–1975), then Archimandrite of the Lavra. On February 15, 1967, Arcadius was ordained Hierodeacon, and, on March 9, 1969, Hieromonk.

Hieromonk Arcadius finished his studies in 1972, when he joined the Eparchy of Kaluga (southwest of Moscow) under Archbishop Donatus (Schegolev) (1965–1975). He was entrusted to the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (see photos) in the small village of Baryatino in Kaluga. In 1974, Hieromonk Arcadius was elevated to the rank of hegumen. In 1988, Bishop Ilian (Vostryakov) of Kaluga (1982–1990) elevated Hegumen Arcadius to the rank of archimandrite.

Succession box: Arcadius (Afonin) of South Sakhalin
Preceded by: —	Bishop of Magadan 1991–1993	Succeeded by: Rostislav (Deviatov)
Preceded by: —	Bishop of South Sakhalin 1993–1997	Succeeded by: Jonathan (Tsvetkov)
Preceded by: Sophronios (Budko)	Bishop of Tomsk 1997–1998	Succeeded by: Rostislav (Deviatov)
Preceded by: St. Neophytos (Korobov)	Bishop of Vetluzhsk 1998–1999	Succeeded by: Theodosios (Vasnev)
Preceded by: Jonathan (Tsvetkov)	Bishop of South Sakhalin 1999–2001	Succeeded by: Daniel (Dorovsk)

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