WESTERN AMERICAN DIOCESE: 28 March, 2026
The First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad officiates at Divine Liturgy and the consecration of Archimandrite Peter (Karakozoff) as Bishop of Seattle

On Saturday, March 28, 2026, on the feast of the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Joy-Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco.

His Eminence was concelebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, his Grace Bishop Irenaei of London and Western Europe, His Grace Bishop Basil of San Francisco and All the West (Orthodox Church in America), His Grace Theodosius of Manhattan, His Grace Bishop James of Sonora, and His Grace Bishop Job of Stuttgart, Archimandrite Peter (Karakozov), elected Bishop of Seattle, Vicar of the Western American Diocese; the cathedral clergy, clergy of the Western American Diocese, and guests in the sacred order.At the appointed time, during the Divine Liturgy, the episcopal ordination of Archimandrite Peter (Karakozov) was performed.
At the end of the service, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia encouraged Bishop Peter of Seattle in his ministry and presented him with the episcopal staff.

According to tradition, the newly ordained bishop offered his first archpastoral blessing to the faithful.

ADDRESS
of Metropolitan NICHOLAS
of Eastern America and New York
First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad
upon presenting the hierarchal staff to the newly consecrated
Bishop Peter of Seattle

Your Grace, Bishop Peter, beloved brother in the Lord!

By Most-wise and Divine Providence, by the election of the members of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, and by the confirmation thereof by His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod he heads, through the laying on of our hands, you have been appointed to the high ministry of Christ’s Church, “which He hath purchased with His own precious blood." With brotherly love, we congratulate you upon the reception of the fiery grace of Pentecost! Great and joyful is this present day, when we repeatedly exclaim, “Rejoice, thou who art full of grace; rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!" – not only for you, but also for this entire sanctified assembly of archpastors and pastors, to say nothing of the God-preserved children of the Western American Diocese, gathered beneath the sacred vaults of this majestic cathedral, dedicated to the Mistress of Heaven and Earth! We hope and believe that the Most-Blessed Virgin, as a loving Mother, shares in our present common joy and intercedes for us before the Throne of her Son and our God, pouring out upon us His mercies in abundance.

It is at a difficult time that the Lord calls you to the highest rank of this great and responsible ministry. What spiritual qualities are needed in these exceptional times of suffering, enmity, and division, from the ministers of the Church in general, and from a bishop in particular? Surely, first and foremost, there is required a firm faith in God and complete submission to His salvific will. When the helmsman of a ship, buffeted by the formidable waves of the sea, holds the helm of his vessel firmly and confidently, all those aboard remain calm and firmly believe that the experienced helmsman will guide his ship to a safe haven. A peaceful, tranquil, and purposeful life prevails on the ship. But what turmoil ensues when the helmsman loses his presence of mind and confidence in his actions. The same holds true for the ship of the Church. When the helmsman prays to God, places his hope in Him, and firmly believes that no storms or waves – however great or formidable they may be – can ever sink the Ship of Jesus, the Church of Christ, then peaceful Christian life is undisturbed, proceeding calmly and constructively.

The soil of the vicariate of Seattle, which is now being entrusted to your care, was cultivated by men greatly pleasing God: the ever-memorable archpastors – Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky), upon beholding whom the American Eugene Rose realized that he had finally “found what he was seeking”; by the renowned Holy Hierarch John (Maximovitch), who reposed blessedly in his quarters at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Seattle; and by Bishop Nektary (Kontsevich), who had known the old Optina Hermitage, with its elders and the living continuity of the Optina spirit. In our own time, this soil was further cultivated through the ascetic ministry of the ever-memorable Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev), tonsured by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) and a spiritual son of the great Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) and Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose (Kurganov). At present, worthy successors to their work are Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco & Western America, and Bishops Theodosius of Manhattan and James of Sonora, under whose guidance you have labored until now. And now, with their assistance, you step forth into a new field of labor as their fellow-worker and brother. Cherishing the blessed memory of those who have reposed and finding consolation in the example of those who are still among the living, I hope that the clergy and flock of the Western American Diocese will find in you those very qualities for which they are deeply grateful to all of the aforementioned archpastors.

The hierarchal staff is a sign of the power of Christ, bestowed through ordination. “A scepter of power shall the Lord send unto thee out of Sion,” sings the Psalmist (Ps. 109:3). In token of the arduous ministry now entrusted to you, accept this staff. May it remind you of the glorious labors of the holy hierarchs – both of the Russian land and of the Diaspora – so that you, like them, may successfully proclaim to your new flock the mystery of piety and of eternal salvation. May the Heavenly Chief Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen your resolve and guide you unto all truth.

Therefore, accept this staff as a symbol of the immense responsibility now laid upon you; ascend the cathedra of the church, and bless the faithful, who await your first archpastoral blessing.