Orthodox Metropolitanate of North America [sm]

"sm" - Shows our name is Service Mark.

This Church was originally established as "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" ® by the Russian Orthodox Synod in North America (Moscow Patriarchate) on Feb. 2, 1927 as the first American Orthodox Church to serve the English speaking Orthodox community in the "new world".

The Synod appointed Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh of the Syrian Mission to head the Church and the Church was incorporated in Boston, MA on Feb. 1, 1928 and continues today.

This Church was established as a canonical autonomous and autocephalous orthodox jurisdiction and continues as that same jurisdiction today. As an incorporated body the Archbishop, according to the Church Constitution also held the office of Corporate President and the title of "Archbishop President".

Any group can claims to be canonical but many are not what the word represents in "Traditional Orthodoxy". Canonical implies that the churchis part of the Old World Historic Church under a Patriarch and established by a Patriarch or by that synod with the approval of that Patriarch. Most claim to be canonical because it "looks good" to claim it, and its hard to disprove. Documents can be made to look official and when people write the churches, if they can locate them, they seldom get a reply to disprove the claim. There are many ways to find out who and what is canonical. Contact a canonical church. If you cannot find one we would be happy to provide a phone number and address and advise you how to verify the information we offer. You can buy a copy of Orthodoxia (a directory of recognized Patriarchial Churches and some non-Patriarchial Churches). You can locate addresses in the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches but must be able to tell the Canonical from the non-canonical groups since both types are listed. You can go online and find them and the orthodox church supply stores might also help you locate a bishop of priest who could help. 

The Synod voted to change both the status of this Church to a Metropolitanite and the Archbishops title to Metropolitan also to be known as the Primate of the Church. The Synod has determined we are a Metropolitanate in and for North America and that we are still the canonical Church we were instituted as by the Russian Synod who was the only valid jurisdiction with the authority to Charter this Church in 1927 which was done with the knowledge and support of the Russian Patriarch.

Added note: In 2003 the Synod voted the Church to be known as the American Orthodox Patriarchate. Abp. Nikon was elected first Patriarch.

In 2007 Metropolitan Victor retired from the Office of Metropolitan but retained his seat on the Synod.

The purpose of this page is to notify the public that we are not a diocese or archdiocese but in fact a Metropolitanate like the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and others.

We are mainly Western Rite.
We use only approved Orthodox Liturgies.
We follow the Rudder.
We use the Orthodox Calendar.