1,484
edits
Changes
m
→Life: internal link
In 1910, Basil became seriously sick, and upon recovering, he entered [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)| St. Tikhon's Monastery]] in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. In 1911, he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] and given the name Benjamin. On [[April 2]], 1911 he was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] in Brooklyn, New York by [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York |Abp. Platon]] and then, on [[April 9]], 1911, the archbishop ordained him a [[priest]] at St. Tikhon's Monastery.
After his ordination, Fr. Benjamin became a sort of traveling priest, serving for short times at many [[parish]]es throughout the United States. These included parishes in Chicago, Illinois; [[Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Hartshorne, Oklahoma)|Hartshorne, Oklahoma]]; Pueblo, Colorado; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, he helped organize parishes in Akron, Ohio; Spring Valley, New York; and Bellaire, Ohio. In 1919, Fr. Benjamin was raised in rank to [[igumen]] and appointed dean of the Scranton, Pennsylvania area. The next year, Fr, Benjamin was elevated to [[archimandrite]] and appointed administrator of the parishes in Canada.
After the return of Metr. Platon to the United States in 1923, Fr. Benjamin became for awhile his personal secretary. Thereafter, Fr. Benjamin again served at a number of parishes, including: Alpha, New Jersey; New York City; Wilmington, Delaware; Berlin, New Hampshire; and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
On [[September 9]], 1933, [[Hieromonk]] Benjamin was elected bishop by the [[Holy Synod]] of Bishops of the [[Metropolia]], and on [[September 10]], he was consecrated to the [[episcopate ]] at the [[Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral]] in New York City, thus becoming the first bishop of the Orthodox Church born in America. He was then assigned as Bishop of [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Pittsburgh and West Virginia]]. In 1938, Bp. Benjamin was sent as a delegate from the Metropolia to the All-Russian Sobor of the Church outside of Russia at a Sremski-Karlovtsy, Yugoslavia. In 1946, having been raised to the dignity of Archbishop, Abp. Benjamin was assigned to lead the Church in Japan, which had been placed under the protection of the American Metropolia after the Japanese surrender in World War II. In this position he led the [[Church of Japan]] in its recovery from the devastation from the war. In 1953, he was succeeded by [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Bp. Ireney]] and returned to his Pittsburgh diocese. On [[October 22]], 1961, during the celebration of his fiftieth anniversary of ordination to the priesthood, Abp. Benjamin ordained the monk [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazar)]] to the priesthood. Fr. Theodosius would in time succeed to his see as Bishop of Pittsburgh.
Abp. Benjamin died on [[November 15]], 1963 in New York City during the sessions of the Eleventh [[All-American Sobor]]. He was buried at the cemetery of St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.
title=Bishop of Pittsburgh <br> [[OCA|Metropolia]]|
years=1933-1946|
after=?[[Dionysius (Diachenko) of Pittsburgh|Dionysius (Diachenko)]]}}
{{succession|
before= [[Sergius (Tikhomirov) of Japan|Sergius (Tikhomirov)]] <br> [[Nicholas (Ono) of Japan|Nicholas (Ono)]]|
after=[[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]]}}
{{succession|
before= ?Dionysius (Diachenko)|
title=Archbishop of Pittsburgh <br> [[OCA|Metropolia]]|
years=1953-1963|
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Bishops of Tokyo]]
