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{{stub}}[[File:Bishop John's Blessing.jpg|thumb|250px]]His Grace '''John (BerzinsBērziņš) ''' (Latvian: Jānis (Bērziņš), Russian: Иоанн (Берзинь)) is [[Bishop ]] of Caracasand South America, Venezuela and administrator the new diocese stabilized in 2009 as a result of the diocese merger of Vicariate of Caracas with Diocese of Buenos Aires and South America for the [[ROCOR]].

==Life==His Grace was born Pēteris Bērziņš (Пётр Леонидович Берзинь) on [[March 16]], 1957 , in Cooma, Australia, of [[Church of Latvia|Latvian Orthodox]] refugees, Leonid (1921-1996) and Margarita (b. 1924- ) Bērziņš. He grew up in Cooma and graduated with a philological degree from the Australian National University. Vladyka John is fluent in Ancient ancient Greek and Latin.

In 1982, he entered [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery ]] in Jordanville, New York, and enrolled in [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Seminary]]. He graduated from the [[seminary ]] in 1985. He was tonsured [[tonsure]]d to the mantle on [[March 16]], 1985 , by [[Archbishop]] [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Archbishop Laurus of Syracuse and Holy Trinity]] and [[ordination|ordained ]] [[hierodeacon ]] on [[April 12]], 1987, also by Archbishop Abp. Laurus. From 1992-1996, he served as father-confessor at Gethsemane Convent in the [[Holy Land]]. In 1994, he was awarded the gold [[pectoral cross ]] by Archbishop Abp. Laurus. From 2001-2005, he served again as father-confessor at Gethsemane Convent in the Holy Land. In September 2005, he was elevated to the rank of [[hegumen ]] by His Eminence [[Metropolitan ]] Laurus. From 2005 to 2008, he ministered to SS Ss. Sergius and German of Valaam Community of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America. In May 2008, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia ROCOR designated him as candidate of Bishop of for the Caracascathedra.

Hegumen John was ordained consecrated Bishop of Caracas on [[June 21]], 2008, at the [[Old Believers|Old-Rite ]] Church of the Nativity in Erie, Pennsylvania.Officiating at the consecration were His Eminence Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion]] of New York and Eastern America, His Grace Bishop [[Daniel (Alexandrow) of Erie|Daniel]] of Erie, and His Grace Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] of Cleveland.  {{start box}}{{succession|before=[[Seraphim (Svezhevsky) of Caracas|Seraphim (Svezhevsky)]]|title=Bishop of Caracas<br>([[ROCOR]])|years=2008-2009|after=&mdash;}}{{succession|before=&mdash;|title=Bishop of Caracas and South America<br>([[ROCOR]])|years=2009-present|after=&mdash;}}{{end box}} ==Source==*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2008/6enberzins.html Curriculum Vitae of Hegumen John (ROCOR website)] [[Category:Bishops]][[Category:21st-century bishops]][[Category:Bishops of Caracas]]