Gabriel (Chemodakov)
Archbishop Gabriel (Russian: Архиепископ Гавриил, secular name George Lvovich Chemodakov, Russian: Георгий Львович Чемодаков; June 2, 1961, Sydney, Australia) is bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, archbishop of Montreal and Canada.
Biography
In his childhood George was greatly influenced by the Saintly Parish Protopresbyter Rostislav Gan. While George was still young Fr. Rostislav passed away. However upon the return of his older Brother Nikita, he continued to receive gentle encouragement to attend Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York.[1]
In 1980 he entered Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, from which he graduated in 1984 and where he remained as an instructor of Russian culture and other subjects through 1989.
In 1989 he was appointed cell attendant to Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) and then to Bishop Hilarion (Kapral) of Manhattan, then vicar of Eatern American diocese. He continued in this obedience until 1996.
In January 1996 at the meeting of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR, Metropolitan Vitaly raised the issue of appointing a permanent prelate to govern the ROCOR Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. Metropolitan Vitaly recommended that bishop Hilarion (Kapral) of Washington, be sent to Australia and that George Chemodakov, a lay worker at the Synod and a graduated seminarian, be tonsured to the monastic state and consecrated auxiliary bishop of Brisbane.[2]
March 1996 George Chemodakov was tonsured a monk with name Gabriel in honour of his greatgrandfather Gavriil Luchinin, a priest from Vyatka.[1]
On the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent of 1996, he was ordained hierodeacon by Archbishop Laurus (Škurla) of Syracuse and Holy Trinity. In the same year on the feast of the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, he was ordained hieromonk by Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov).
On 7 July 1996 at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, he was consecrated bishop of Brisbane, vicar of the Australian and New Zealand diocese. The consecration was performed by: Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco and Western America, Archbishop Laurus (Škurla) of Syracuse and Holy Trinity, and Bishop Hilarion (Kapral) of Manhatten.[1]
October 6 of same year he was appointed vicar of Eastern American diocese with title bishop of Manhattan and deputy secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR.[3]
In October 2001 he was appointed secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR.
January 2005 he was appointed as member of the Commission for the Conducting of the Fourth All-Diaspora Council.
May 13, 2008 he was appointed Bishop of Montreal and Canada by Decree of the Council of Bishops of ROCOR.[4]
In May 2011 at the intercession of the President of the Council of Bishops metropolitan Hilarion, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop[5]
Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR during regular meeting June 30 - July 1, 2016 appoints Archbishop Gabriel as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, representing the Synod of Bishops on the Board[6]
Reflist
- 1 2 3 Woerl, Michael (June 2002). "Biography of His Grace Bishop Gabriel (George Chemodakov), Bishop of the Diocese of Manhatten, Vicor Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America". st-sergius.org. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ Protopopov, Michael Alex (2005-01-31). The Russian Orthodox presence in Australia: the history of a church told from recently opened archives and previously unpublished sources. Australian Catholic University Research Services. pp. 341–342.
- ↑ Protopopov, Michael Alex (2005). THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA: The History of a Church told from recently opened archiv es and previously unpublished sources. p. 342.
- ↑ http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2008/5enmhukaz.html
- ↑ "The Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad Comes to a Close". NEW YORK: synod.com. May 17, 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ "Synod of Bishops appoints Archbishop Gabriel to HTOS board of Trustees". Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary. Retrieved 13 November 2016.