View source for Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse

His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse''' was an [[archbishop]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] and the [[abbot]] of [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]] in Jordanville, New York.

==Life==
Alexander Pavlovich Taushev was born on [[October 19]], 1906 in Kazan, Russia to Pavel Sergeevich Taushev and his wife Maria Vladimirovna, a noble family of Simbirsk guberniya. Due to the nature of his father's work the young Alexander traveled extensively throughout Russia during his youth, giving him an unforgettable memory of his homeland. During his early years he developed a desire for a [[monasticism|monastic's]] life, nurtured from his reading the spiritually beneficial books of his father's large library. 

As the Bolshevik revolution unfolded, the Taushev family fled Russia in 1920, ending up in the Bulgarian city of Varna. In Varna, Alexander graduated from a Russian high school. While still in high school, Alexander met Abp. Theophan of Poltava and Pereyaslavl. It was during his meetings with Abp. Theophan that Alexander decided on his career as a monastic. After graduating from high school, Alexander enrolled in the Department of Theology of the University of Sophia, in Sophia, Bulgaria.

After graduating from Sophia University with a bachelor's degree, Alexander accepted a position as the assistant secretary in the Diocesan Administration of the [[Diocese]] of Mukachevsko-Prjashev in the city of Hust of, then, Czecho-Slovakia. 

On [[May 19]], 1931, Alexander was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] by [[Bishop]] Joseph of Bitol  at St. Nicholas [[Monastery]] in Iza with the name Averky, in honor of St. Averky of Jerapol, Equal-to-the-Apostles. The next day, Mk. Averky was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]]. On the feast of the Transfiguration, in 1932, Hdn. Averky was ordained a [[hieromonk]] at the Devichy Monastery in Dombok by Bp. Damascene of Mikachev-Prjash.

In June 1932, Fr. Averky was transferred to St. Nicholas Monastery to serve the [[parish]]es of Nankov and Boronjav. In September 1932, he was appointed assistant rector of a parish in Uzhgorod and quickly moved up as the rector left and Fr. Averky became the deputy rector.

On [[August 7]], 1935, Bp. Damascene appointed Fr. Averky chief editor of the Pravoslavny Karpatorusskij Vestnik  (Orthodox Carpatho-Russian Bulletin) and, a year later, teacher of the Law of God in the Sovereign Real Gymnasium in the Russian and Czech Sovereign Civil and People's Schools of Uzhgorod. On Pascha of 1937, he was elevated to the rank of [[hegumen]]. In December 1938, he was appointed rector of a parish in Mukachev, the Administrator of a part of the Mukachevsko-Prjashev Diocese in Hungary, and Head of the Bishop's Residence and Diocesan properties in Mukachev. In 1939, he was appointed Chief Editor of the Diocesan Administration.

In 1940, Fr. Averky was forced to leave Carpathian Russia and move to Belgrade, Yugoslavia where he taught Pastoral Theology and Homiletics at the Missionary-Pastoral Department. In 1945, moving out in front of the advancing Soviet army, Fr. Averky arrived in Munich together with the [[Synod]] of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. In Munich, he continued his [[missionary]] educational work, and for six years taught the seniors in two high schools in one of the refugee camps: Merciful Samaritan in Munich and School of the Stateless.

In 1951, Fr. Averky was assigned by Abp. [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly]] to a position teaching at [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Seminary]] in Jordanville, New York. In the following years Fr. Averky was the spiritual leader of the St. Vladimir Youth movement in a revival of religious activity. After he was raised to the dignity of [[archimandrite]], Archim. Averky was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] [[bishop]] at the [[cathedral]] at Holy Trinity Monastery on the day of the Holy Spirit. With the blessing of Metr. Anastassy, on [[May 12]],1960, Bp. Averky was elected by the Holy Trinity Monastery community as their [[abbot]] succeeding Abp. Vitaly. During his time as abbot, Abp. Averky led the curriculum of the [[seminary]] and participated actively in the publication of the periodical Pravoslavnaya Rus' in addition to his duties as abbot. In 1974, Abp. Averky and the monastic community hosted the [[All-Diaspora Councils|Third All-Diaspora Council]] at Holy Trinity Monastery. 

Abp. Averky reposed in April 1976. 

<br>
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]]|
title=Rector of [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Seminary]]|
years=1952-1976|
after=[[Laurus (Škurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]]}}
{{succession|
before=[[Seraphim (Ivanov) of Chicago|Seraphim (Ivanov)]]|
title=Archbishop of [[Diocese_of_Eastern_American_and_New_York_(ROCOR)|Syracuse and Holy Trinity]]<br>([[ROCOR]])|
years=1953-1976|
after=[[Laurus (Škurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]]}}
{{succession|
before=[[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]]|
title=Abbot of [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]]|
years=1960-1976|
after=[[Laurus (Škurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]]}}
{{end box}}

==Source==
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/enghistory/enhis_htm.html  Archbishop Averky Taushev, +1976)]


[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Syracuse]]