See Washington, D.C. Birth name Marc R. Mollard Ordination 1995 | Name Metropolitan Tikhon Predecessor Metropolitan Jonah Role Mollard | |
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Diocese Archdiosese of Washington (OCA) Other posts Archbishop of Philadelphia, Senior Lecturer of Old Testament (St. Tikhon\'s Seminary), Deputy Abbot, St. Tikhon\'s Monastery Consecration February 14, 2002, May 9, 2012 (elevation to Archbishop), November 13, 2012 (elected Metropolitan) Alma mater Saint Tikhon\'s Orthodox Theological Seminary | ||
Metropolitan Tikhon (secular name Marc R. Mollard; born July 15, 1966, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Eastern Orthodox bishop and the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, holding the rank of Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Previously, he was the ruling bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. He was elected as Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America on November 13, 2012 at the 17th All-American Council in Parma, Ohio.
Life
Marc R. Mollard was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 15, 1966, the oldest of three children born to Francois and Elizabeth Mollard.
After brief periods living in Connecticut, France and Missouri, he and his family settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wyomissing Area High School in 1984. In 1988 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to Chicago, where he attended services at Ss. Peter and Paul Church (OCA).
In 1989 he was received into the Orthodox Church from the Episcopal Church, and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at St. Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. One year later he entered the monastic community at St. Tikhon's Monastery as a novice.
After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's in 1993, he was appointed as an instructor in Old Testament Studies there. He continues to serve as senior lecturer in Old Testament, teaching master's-level courses in the prophets and the Psalms and Wisdom Literature. He is also an instructor in the seminary's extension studies program, offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament saints, the liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in patristic literature.
In 1995 he was tonsured to the lesser schema by Archbishop Herman (Swaiko) and given the name Tikhon in honor of St. Tikhon of Moscow. Later that year he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood at St. Tikhon's Monastery. In 1998 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen and in 2000 to the rank of archimandrite.
Archimandrite Tikhon collaborated with Hegumen Alexander (Golitzin) in the publication of "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain", published by St. Tikhon Seminary Press (1996), by illustrating this classic book about Mount Athos.
In December 2002, he was appointed by Metropolitan Herman to serve as deputy abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery.
During Fall Session of Synod of OCA on October 20–23, 2003 Archimandrite Tikhon was elected as Bishop of South Canaan and Auxiliary to Metropolitan Herman.
Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated to the episcopacy at the monastery on Saturday, February 14, 2004 by Archbishop Herman, becoming Bishop of South Canaan.
At a special session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America held on May 27, 2005, Bishop Tikhon of South Canaan was elected Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania.
On October 29, 2005, Bishop Tikhon was officially installed as the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania during Divine Liturgy at the Saint Stephen Cathedral.
For a part of 2011 he was temporary administrator of the Diocese of the Midwest.
On May 9, 2012 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
On November 13, 2012 he was elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada, of the Orthodox Church in America. He is the second convert to be elected to this office, following his predecessor.