Changes

Jump to: navigation, search

Gerasim (Eliel)

1,332 bytes added, 02:27, November 17, 2015
m
Returning to the Church: internal link
Archimandrite '''Gerasim (Eliel)''' is the dean of St Seraphim's Cathedral, Dallas. He was formerly the abbot of St Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, and was involved in bringing the monastery back into the Orthodox Church. On [[February 16]], 2015, he was nominated to be the next bishop of the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)]], and on [[March 18]], 2015, he was appointed by the Holy Synod as the Administrator of that diocese.
==Biographical sketch==
===Early Life and College===
*1961 July 16: Gordon Trent Eliel was born in Torrance, California, the second son (of three) to Lambert Frank Eliel (an economist) & and Suzanne Jean Eliel (nee Butcher). Baptised He was baptised at St. Cross Episcopal Church in Hermosa Beach, raised on the [[w:Rancho Palos Verdes, California|Rancho Palos Verdes, California]], and attended & and was confirmed at St Francis Episcopal Church in Palos Verdes Estates. He was well-read and athletic.*1969: Lambert and Suzanne separated, then divorced, with Gordon and his brothers living with Suzanne (who then became a teacher). The divorce affected Gordon in his upbringing and self-identity.
*1974-78: Gordon and his family began attending a Presbyterian church, where Gordon attended the youth group.
*1976: Suzanne remarried Robert Karbach. Though his stepfather was kind, but problems stemming from the divorce and with a blended family meant that Gordon desired a fresh start, and he moved to [[w:Irvine, California|Irvine]] in January 1978 to live with his father. He made friends, but no close friends; he attended St George Episcopal Church, which was pleasant. He joined Young Life, which gave Christian fellowship with fellow high schoolers.
*1978 Winter: Young Life retreat prompted Gordon to think about prayer, and begin to comprehend Christ and the New Testament, which led him to attend church with hunger, attention and conviction.
*1979 Autumn: Began studies at University of California at Santa Cruz. Began involvement in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Originally intending to study Physics and Spanish literature, after his first year he began to focus more on Spanish literature.
*Became a part of a Bible study led by [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|James Paffhausen]], which over time functioned like an Orthodox catechism class. Gordon was invited to services and became acquainted with the Orthodox Church. James encouraged Gordon to visit Episcopal churches (to learn about prayer and worship in a familiar environment), but found them insipid and uninspiring compared to Orthodox services.
*1980 January: Fr [[Anastasy (Newcombe)|John Newcombe]] was assigned to be acting rector of the closest OCA parish to campus (St Nicholas Church in Saratoga). He welcomed the students warmly to his parish, and was a decisive influence on Gordon and his future decision to embrace monasticism. Fr John guided Gordon's catechism.
*1980: Gordon met Bp [[Mark (Schaviakin) of Ladoga]] in early 1980 at St Nicholas Cathedral (Moscow Patriarchate) - the same who had previously tonsured James Paffhausen a reader for Our Lady of Kazan Church, San Diego. He also was very welcoming, giving a way to enter the Church and teaching about the Church and monasticism (particularly his experience at Valaam monastery). On April 7, Gordon was received into the Church.*1980 Summer: Fr John invited Gordon and James to stay at [[Holy Assumption Monastery (Calistoga, California)|Holy Assumption Monastery]] for two months. They helped with cleaning & and restoring the convent, with the outlook of founding a monastery for Americans - this became Gordon's dream over the summer. They also took trips to Kazan Icon Skete in Santa Rosa, where he met Archim. [[Dimitri (Egoroff)]].
*1980 Jul 6: Gordon and James visited [[St. Herman of Alaska Monastery (Platina, California)|St Herman of Alaska Monastery]]. Gordon and James were able to speak to Hieromonk [[Seraphim (Rose)]] about monasticism and their plans for the monastic life, and to Abbot [[Herman (Podmoshensky)]] about activities, prayers and talks on campus.
*1980 Sep: Gordon began studying the Russian language, wanting to understand services and sermons and to communicate with older parishioners who had a lifetime of experience in Orthodoxy.
===Spruce Island===
*1983 August 26: A pilgrimage was had undertaken to Spruce Island, including a number of young brothers from St Herman's Monastery (including Fr Gerasim). Abbot Herman hoped that monastic life could be reestablished at Monks Lagoon, so he ensured that the brothers who went had sufficient supplies to enable this to happen. John Christensen was clothed as a novice during this pilgrimage.
*An attempt was made to stay at Monks Lagoon (though this was only authorised by Abbot Herman - not the Ouzinkie Native Corporation, the OCA's [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Alaska]], or Abbot Herman's ruling bishop). The initial group was Fr Gerasim, Fr Juvenal, Novice Michael, Novice John, and Peter. In September 1983, they found that they could rent a small place in nearby Pleasant Harbor, legally keeping their belongings there (and having somewhere to stay if they were kicked out of Monks Lagoon).
*Though Abbot Herman left, the others had not - to the surprise (and hostility) of the Kodiak clergy. Fr Juvenal and Peter left, leaving Novice John (who stayed at Pleasant Harbor most of the time), Novice Michael and Fr Gerasim (who generally stayed at Monks Lagoon).
===Returning to the Church===
*1999 September: Hmk Gerasim visited St Paisius Monastery and was informed about problems concerning Abbot Herman, including the schism being because resulting from Abbot Herman was being a fugitive from church accountability. This small group made it their goal to bring St Herman's Monastery (and all associated entities) back into the Church.*1999 Autumn: Hmk Gerasim travelled with a group of priests in order to influence a decision to receive them into the [[Jerusalem Patriarchate]]. He then travelled to Georgia to seek further counsel. In a meeting with the Patriarch, he was told that, as a petition had already been made to the Church of Jerusalem, the Church of Georgia could not act on any request. Patr. Ilia gave much good advice to the group.
*2000 Holy Week: Hmk Gerasim travelled to Spruce Island to deliver the request of his monastics and priests that he step down as abbot, stop serving, and return to California to live a repentant, reclusive life. He moved to a cell in Wildwood, California. He also sent a registered letter to Metr. Pangratios informing him that he was ceasing to serve.
*2000 July: Hmk Gerasim and the group met with Bp Bishop Jovan (Mladenović) of the [[St. Sava Church (Jackson, California)|Serbian Orthodox Church in Jackson, California]]. Hmks Gerasim & and Damascene met with Bp Bishop Jovan and Metr Metropolitan [[Amfilohije (Radović) of Montenegro and Litoral|Amfilohije of Montenegro]] in October, asking to be received into the Serbian Orthodox Church.*2000 Nov 27-28: St Herman of Alaska Monastery was received into the Serbian Orthodox Church; Hmk Gerasim was elected abbot on 28 November. The missions, previously looked after by the Monastery, were gradually stabilised into the life of the Diocese.
*2001: Abbot Gerasim began making regular six-monthly pastoral visits to Spruce Island.
*2001 early: Abbot Gerasim was invited to help stabilise [[Monastery of St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco (Manton, California)|St John of Shanghai & San Francisco Monastery]], which allowed the renewal of a relationship between him and Hmk [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]].
*2006 June: In response to requests from believers in Ecuador, Abbot Gerasim journeyed there to instruct about Orthodoxy and baptise, as well as visit Brazil in October 2006 and July 2008 and Ecuador again in January & and November 2007, June 2008, July 2009 and May 2010.
*2009 February: Abbot Gerasim made a pilgrimage to Serbia.
*2009 Feb 14: Hdcn [[Hilarion (Waas)]], having been transferred to the monastery by Bp Jovan, was ordained to the priesthood. When Hmk Gerasim left the monastery, he appointed Hmk Hilarion to be his successor, and was elevated by Bp Maxim.
 ===OCA===*2009 August: Abbot Gerasim began studies at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St Vladimir's Seminary]] and was considered an episcopal candidate for the vacant [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)]]. He was asked by the Holy Synod to study at a seminary for a year. However, once there, he decided to remain for three years and graduate graduated with a Master of Divinity degree- as the 2012 class valedictorian. .*2010 Summer: Igumen Gerasim visited 35 villages in Alaska, serving in ~10, and was introduced as a candidate to be the next bishop (a role that was actually filled by Bp [[David (Mahaffey) of Alaska|David]]).*2012: After graduating as class valedictorian, he was assigned to be assistant priest at Holy Virgin Cathedral, Los Angeles. *2013 Sep: Assigned to St Seraphim's Cathedral, Dallas.*2015 Feb 16: Archim. Gerasim was overwhelmingly nominated to be fill the Bishop vacant See of Dallas and the South at the Special Diocesan Assembly, held at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.His name was submitted for canonical election by the Holy Synod of Bishops at their March 2015 meeting. [http://oca.org/news/headline-news/diocese-of-the-south-nominates-archimandrite-gerasim-for-vacant-dallas-see] *2015 Mar 18: The Holy Synod, stating an identified need for episcopal candidates of a diocese to serve as Administrator, appointed Archim. Gerasim to be the Administrator of the Diocese of the South, under Metropolitan [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon]] as ''locum tenens''. [http://oca.org/news/headline-news/holy-synod-of-bishops-concludes-spring-session2] [http://oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2015/2015-0321-mt-letter-dos-archimgerasim.pdf]
{{start box}}
{{end box}}
==LinksExternal links==
*[http://dosoca.org/files/esc/Gerasim.BiorevisedMarch14_27_2009.pdf Autobiography]
 {{stub}}*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/diocese-of-the-south-nominates-archimandrite-gerasim-for-vacant-dallas-see Diocese of the South nominates Archimandrite Gerasim for vacant Dallas See] (OCA)
1,482
edits

Navigation menu