The Abbey of the Holy Name (West Milford, New Jersey)

The Abbey of the Holy Name is a Western Rite monastery established in West Milford, New Jersey with the blessing of Metropolitan Joseph prior to his repose in 1990. The Abbey was the continuing monastic institution which succeeded St. Dunstan's Priory in Woodstock, New York following its destruction by fire. St. Dunstan's was established in 1924 at Woodstock, NY by Metropolitan William when he transfered the Priory and his See from Waukegan, Illinois.

The Abbot, Schema-Abbot John (LoBue), was consecrated Bishop of the Northeast (USA) by Chief Hierarch Metropolitan Joseph and Archbishop Hilarion of Texas on September 21, 1980. Since then the Abbey has housed the Diocesan Offices and the St. Gregory Orthodox Liturgical Press. Many ecclesiastical dignitaries have visited the Abbey during its existence. The Blessed Elder (Schema-Bishop) Theodore (Irtel) lived the last years of his life at the Abbey and reposed on November 21, 1997.

The Abbey is within the Old Calendar jurisdiction of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (AOMWEA) since 1997, Prior to that date, the Church was the Western Rite Exarchate of the Russian Patriarchal Church under Exarch Metr. William. Due to fears of KGB interference it left the Moscow Patriarch coming into communion with the Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church in Exile under Archbishop Palladios. Under Vladika Palladios' leadership permission was granted by the Patriarch of Constantinople to establish this Western Rite Church on its own as the Synod of Orthodox Bishops of the Western Rite with parishes and monasteries in America, Great Britain and Yugoslavia.