SAN FRANCISCO: 18 August, 2025
A delegation of the Western American Diocese participates in the consecration of a new bishop of the Orthodox Church in America

On Saturday, August 16, 2025, His Grace Bishop James of Sonora, Vicar of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, participated in a solemn service held at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in San Francisco (Orthodox Church in America). Divine Liturgy was led by His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, with the following hierarchs:

His Eminence Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey; His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest;
His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin, and His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth.

The service also involved the clergy of the Joy of Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco: its Dean, Archpriest Peter Perekrastov, and Priest Georgy Kaplanov.

After the minor entry, before the reading of the Epistle, an archbishop's ordination took place: Archimandrite Vasily (Permyakov) was consecrated as the Bishop of San Francisco and Western America. At the end of the Eucharistic Canon, Bishop Vasily performed his first archpastoral act — the ordination of Deacon Sergey Liberovsky.

After Liturgy, Metropolitan Tikhon handed Bishop Vasily the archpastoral staff as a symbol of spiritual responsibility and service in the diocese entrusted to him. According to ancient tradition, the new archbishop bestowed his first archpastoral blessing upon all the faithful.

Western American Diocese