HIS EXCELLENCY
METROPOLITAN ORESTES OF AGATHONIKEIA

AMERICAN CARPATHO-RUSSIAN ORTHODOX DIOCESE

BIOGRAPHY :

His Exellency Metropolitan Orestes (Chornock) of Agathonikeia was the first ruling bishop of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He was instrumental in the formation of the diocese that was formed from 37 former Uniate parishes that had returned to their ancient Orthodox faith in the mid 1930s.

The late Metropolitan Orestes Chornock was born in 1883 in the Transcarpathia area of central Europe. As his family resided in the area of the Unia, he was raised within the Greek Catholic rite. After his marriage he was ordained into the Greek Catholic priesthood and shortly thereafter emigrated to the United States. In the United States, Fr. Orestes was installed as pastor of St. John the Baptist Carpatho-Russian Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1911. He remained there until March 1947. During his early years in Bridgeport, Fr. Orestes contended with the split loyalties that many of the Carpatho-Russian families endured as other Carpatho-Russian parishes returned to Orthodoxy as part of the Russian Orthodox mission. He and his parishioners wanted to retain their Carpatho-Russian customs. In the 1920s, Rome sent a new bishop, Bishop Basil Takach, to enforce Latinization on the Greek Catholic Church in America, particularly in regard to married clergy. Fr. Orestes was one of the Greek Catholic priests who raised their voices in protest of the unjust treatment their faith was receiving. Fr. Orestes, in addition to Frs. Stephen Varzaly, Peter Molchany, Ireney Dolhy, and John Soroka, was suspended in 1931 for actions in defending his faith.

After repeated and unsuccessful appeals to Rome by church congresses held in 1932 and 1934 for recognition of their customs, a congress of the parishes opposing the celibacy rulings was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 23, 1937. This congress severed all relations with the Roman Catholic Church. The congress further nominated Fr. Orestes as its bishop-nominee. After accepting this group of parishes under its wing, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople accepted the parishes as a diocese and consecrated Fr. Orestes a bishop on September 18, 1938, with the title of Bishop of Agathonikeia and as an auxiliary bishop to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Upon his return from Constantinople, Bishop Orestes was installed as the first bishop of the Carpatho-Russian Diocese at St. John's Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut on November 24, 1938 by Archbishop Athenagoras. During his first year, Bishop Orestes supported the founding of the Carpatho-Russian Youth organization and convened the diocese's first convention on October 6 to October 8, 1938 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1940, Bp. Oresrtes led in forming a diocesan seminary, temporarily quartered in the parish building of St. Nicholas Church in New York, City.

Over the next decade the new diocese led by Bishop Orestes endured many law suits over church property that held that Rome, and those who remained loyal to the Unia, retained ownership. These suits were carried on appeals through to the United States Supreme Court.
Initially, his see was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at the site of the parish he led for so many years. In 1947, he moved the see to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where it remains today.

In 1965 the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate honored Bishop Orestes for his service by elevating the see of Agathonikeia to the status of a Metropolis.

Metropolitan Orestes of Agathonikeia reposed on February 17, 1977.