View source for Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas

[[Image:Arb. Dmitri 2.JPG|right|frame|Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South]]
His Eminence the Most Reverend [[Archbishop]] '''Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas and the South''' (1923-2011) was the ruling [[bishop]] of the [[OCA]]'s [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|Diocese of the South]] (1978-2009).  He was one of the first American converts to Orthodoxy to be made an Orthodox Bishop. He is lovingly remembered by many as "[[Apostle]] to the South."

==Life==
Abp. Dmitri was born '''Robert Royster''' on [[November 2]], 1923. As a teenager he lived in Teague, Texas (outside of Dallas), and was faithful to his conservative Baptist upbringing. But he, along with his sister, felt that there must be more to the Christian faith than his [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denomination was offering. After a period of inquiry and study, the two young teens were received, together, as Orthodox Christians, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas in 1941. It was at this point that Robert adopted the name ''Dmitri'' (after St. [[Dmitri of Rostov]]). Dmitri was drafted into the US Army in March, 1943, where he served as a Japanese interpreter at the rank of Second Lieutenant. After his military service, he began, though never completed, his doctoral studies at Tulane University before working as an instructor of Spanish at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Dmitri was active as a layman in an ethically Mexican (Spanish Language) parish under the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarch) where he worked on translating many liturgical texts to Spanish.

In April of 1954, as a subdeacon in Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Dmitri helped to establish an English Language parish, named for St. Seraphim of Sarov in Dallas, TX. On November 2, 1954, he was [[ordination|ordained]] to the diaconate and then to the priesthood on November 6 by Bishop Bogdan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate). While his focus was on the new, English-language community, he continued his work among the Mexican-American Orthodox in Dallas. 

In 1965, he was contacted by Bishop [[Jose (Cortes y Olmos) of Mexico City|Jose (Cortes y Olmos)]] of the Mexican National Church who with his flock had become interested in becoming Orthodox. Dmitri presented their situation to the [[Holy Synod]] of the Metropolia. After many visits and exchanges, Bp. Dmitri presented his report recommending acceptance of the Mexican group into the Orthodox Church. After consideration, in February 1972, the Holy Synod, now of the Orthodox Church in America, accepted the Mexican group with formation of an exarchate in Mexico, with Bp. Dmitri as exarch.

During 1966, Fr. Dmitri attended [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]] in New York while concurrently teaching Spanish at Fordham University.  In 1969, [[Archimandrite]] Dmitri was elected to the [[episcopate]]. Then on [[June 22]], he was [[Consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop of Berkeley as [[auxiliary bishop|auxiliary]] to Abp. [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]]. In 1970, Bp. Dmitri was assigned as Bishop of Washington, auxiliary to Metropolitan [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]]. On [[October 19]], 1971, Bp. Dmitri was elected Bishop of Hartford and New England while continuing as the exarch of Mexico. 

With the formation of the [[Diocese]] of Dallas and the South, Bp. Dmitri was elected its first ruling bishop in the 1978, and was charged with the development of the diocese, which at the time consisted of a few churches primarily in Florida and Texas. In the 1980s, Bp. Dmitri was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

Abp. Dmitri authored several books.  His theological writings include ''Orthodox Christian Teaching: An Introduction to the Orthodox Faith''; ''The Doctrine of Christ''; ''The Parables of Christ''; ''The Miracles of Christ''; ''The Kingdom of God: The Sermon on the Mount''; and ''The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary'', which was published in 2003. He was also the editor of ''The Dawn'', the diocesan monthly newsletter.

On [[September 4]], 2008, following the retirement of Metr. Herman, the Holy Synod of the OCA named Abp. Dmitri as the ''[[locum tenens]]'', with Abp. [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim (Storheim)]] administrator to assist him.  In November of 2008, Dmitri's role as ''locum tenens'' ended with the election of Bishop [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah of Fort Worth]] as Metropolitan. On March 22, 2009, Abp. Dmitri requested to be granted retirement from active duty as a diocesan bishop effective March 31, 2009.

He reposed in the Lord on [[August 28]], 2011. On [[March 5]], 2016, the body of Abp. Dmitri was disinterred from Restland Cemetery. The state of his body surprised those who examined it, and many have said it is incorrupt, one of the marks of a saint. He was revested and reinterred in a memorial chapel adjoining St. Seraphim Cathedral, in a special burial chamber.

[[Image:Arb Dmitri and Mission.JPG|thumb|250px|left|Abp. Dmitri with Holy Apostles Mission in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Land Blessing]]  


{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=see created|
title=Bishop of Berkeley|
years=1969-1970|
after=[[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin (Peterson)]]}}
{{succession|
before=[[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]]|
title=Bishop of Washington|
years=1970-1972|
after=[[Basil (Rodzianko) of San Francisco|Basil (Rodzianko)]]}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Hartford|
years=1972-1978|
after=[[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job (Osacky)]]}} 
{{succession|
before=see created|
title=Archbishop of Dallas|
years=1978-2009|
after=[[Alexander (Golitzin) of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese|Alexander (Golitzin)]]}}
{{end box}}

==Source==
*''Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America'', C. J. Tarasar, Gen. Ed. 1975, The Orthodox Church in America, Syosett, New York.

==See also==
*[[Missionary]]

==External links==
*[https://oca.org/news/archived/his-eminence-archbishop-dmitri-announces-request-to-be-granted-retirement His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri announces retirement] - (OCA website)
*[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372782266_From_District_to_Diocese_An_Examination_of_the_Founding_and_Missionary_Methods_of_the_OCA_Diocese_of_the_South From District to Diocese: An Examination of the Founding and Missionary Methods of the OCA Diocese of the South] Masters Thesis at ResearchGate
*[http://www.stseraphim.org/dmitri.html Vladyka Dmitri] at the website of St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral (OCA), Dallas, TX
*[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/006/5.46.html Tex-Mex Orthodoxy]: Article in Christianity Today on Abp. Dmitri by [[Khouria]] [[Frederica Mathewes-Green]]
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/the-repose-of-his-eminence-archbishop-dmitri The Repose of His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri] (OCA)
*[https://www.facebook.com/vladimir.grigorenko.3/posts/10207633767956032 Vladimir Grigorenko's Facebook post on the reinterment of Abp. Dmitri]
*[http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2016/03/07/knowing-saints/ "Knowing Saints"] by Fr. Stephen Freeman

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Hartford]]
[[Category:Bishops of Dallas]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Berkeley]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Royster]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Royster]]