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→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==
===Returning to the Church===
*1999 September: Hmk Gerasim visited St Paisius Monastery and was informed about problems concerning Abbot Herman, including the schism resulting from Abbot Herman 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)]].
*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]
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*[http://dosoca.org/files/esc/Gerasim.BiorevisedMarch14_27_2009.pdf Autobiography]
*[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)
