renameuser, Administrators
5,600
edits
Changes
consecrated + enthroned
==Biography==
In 2010, he was contacted to be considered for the vacant see of [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Chicago and the Midwest]], and made the shortlist (with Fr Matthias Moriak and Fr David Mahaffey), with Fr [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthias]] ultimately being nominated. He was immediately put forward as an optimal candidate for the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]], but because he felt that his views were not aligned with the views of the diocese, he demanded that there needed to be another candidate. Fr Paul and [[Igumen]] [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Alexander Golitzin]] were put forward by the search committee and, to Fr Paul's relief, it was Fr Alexander that was nominated, elected, and consecrated to the episcopacy. Fr Paul submitted a letter to Bp [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek]] asking to be removed from future consideration for the episcopacy, declining inquiries from [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Alaska]], the [[Diocese of the South (OCA)|South]] and [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Eastern PA]]. In the summer of 2013, he contacted Fr Joseph at St Gregory Palamas Monastery regarding moving there; when asked, Bp Alexander (Golitzin) requested that he pause thoughts along that line. Having been told that he would be nominated for the episcopacy of the again-vacant see of the Midwest, Fr Joseph told him to go through with the episcopal search process again.
He was appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest by the [[Holy Synod]] during 18-21 March 2014, and assumed his duties on [[August 1]]. On [[October 7]], 2014, at the special nominating Assembly, he was nominated to fill the vacant seat of Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest. On [[October 20]] of the same year, he was tonsured a monastic at St Gregory Palamas Monastery by the abbot, Hmk [[Joseph (Morris)]], and was named for St [[Paul the Confessor]], Patriarch of Constantinople. On [[October 21]], he was canonically elected by the Holy Synod to be Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest. He was elevated to Archimandrite on [[October 23]], 2014[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/holy-synod-concludes-fall-session], and on [[December 27]], 2014, he was consecrated to the Episcopacy and enthroned at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, by Metropolitan [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon]], Archbishops [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel]], [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]], [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek]], [[Nicolae (Condrea) of Chicago|Nicolae]] ([[Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada|ROAA]]), and Bishops [[Irénée (Rochon) of Ottawa|Irénée]], [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael]], [[Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo|Alexander]] and [[David (Mahaffey) of Sitka|David]]. Archimandrite Paul was consecrated to the Episcopacy and enthroned as Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest at Chicago’s historic Holy Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, December 27, 2014. Concelebrating at the Consecration Liturgy were His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon; His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West; His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; His Eminence, Archbishop Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas; His Grace, Bishop Irénée of Ottawa and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey; His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese; and His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Alaska.
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{{succession|
title=Bishop-Elect of Chicago and the Midwest<br>([[OCA]])|
before= [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Bp Matthias]] |
years=2014-present|
*[http://www.midwestdiocese.org/news_141020_3.html Archpriest Paul Gassios tonsured to monastic rank]
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/holy-synod-elects-nominees-for-vacant-sees-auxiliary-bishop Holy Synod elects nominees for vacant Sees, Auxiliary Bishop]
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/bishops/the-right-reverend-paul The Right Reverend Paul] (OCA Biography)
