OUR APOSTOLIC & CANONICAL HISTORY
The clergy of the OCC enjoy apostolic & canonical lineage from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church through the ministry of Metropolitan-Archbishop XANDREW (Prazsky) of thrice-blessed memory(+1990), who was ordained to the episcopate by Metropolitan XHRYHORIJ (Ohijchuk) and Bishop XHENNADIJ (Skryprykevich) of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in 1969.
These two UAOC hierarchs were themselves ordained bishops in Kyiv in 1942 by bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church (in reality a church for the Ukrainian Orthodox people living within the political boundaries of Poland). The Polish Orthodox Church received its succession from Patriarch XGREGORIOS IV of Antioch and several bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church (including St. Anthony Kharphovitsky, later Metropolitan of Kyiv, and following the Russian Revolution, founding senior hierarch of the synodal Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia), who ordained Metropolitan XDIONISIJ (Valedynsky) of Warsaw, Poland, in 1913 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
It is from XDIONISIJ of thrice-blessed memory, alongside other canonical bishops, that the UAOC was given her Orthodox apostolic succession with the ordination of the new UAOC bishops in Kyiv in 1942, including XHRYHORIJ and XHENNADIJ.
His All-Holiness XGregorious IV Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in 1913 was the chief ordaining bishop of Metropolitan-Archbishop XDIONISIJ (Valedynsky) who in 1932 was the chief ordaining Bishop of Metropolitan XPOLIKARP (Sikorsky) who in 1942 was the chief ordaining Bishop of Metropolitan-Archbishop XNIKANOR (Abramoviych) who in 1942 was the chief ordaining Bishop of XHRYHORIJ (Ohijchuk), Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Patriarchal Throne of Kiev and All-Rus Ukraine in exile.
XHRYHORIJ (Ohijchuk), in 1969 was the chief ordaining Bishop of Metropolitan-Archbishop XANDREW (Prazsky), Metropolitan Archbishop Primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. successor in the Apostolic Lineage of Saint Peter.
XANDREW (Prazsky), in 1973 was the chief ordaining Bishop of XEMMANUEL (Silva) who in 1992 was the chief ordaining Bishop of Bishop XKEVIN (Collins) who in 1998 was the chief ordaining Bishop of Metropolitan-Archbishop XANDREI (Bazilsky-Brennan), Primate of the Orthodox Church of Canada and Metropolitan of All Canada.
XANDREI (Bazilsky-Brennan), in 1999 was the chief ordaining Bishop of XYAROSLAW Michael (Sereda).
Upon Archbishop XANDREI abdicating, resigning and vacating the offices of Archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of all Canada within the Orthodox Church of Canada (Ukrainian Autocephalous Mission Archeparchy)and office of St. Alexis Toth Orthodox Seminary on the thirty-first day of December 2000, Archbishop XYAROSLAW (Sereda) became Metropolitan and Primate of the Orthodox Church of All Canada. On June 22, 2003 XYAROSLAW was the chief ordaining Bishop of XJOSEPH (Royer) for the Eparchy of Edmonton & All Western Canada & North American Missions (Eastern Rite) of the OCC.
With the acceptance of the Instrument of Retirement of His Beatitude XYAROSLAW on July 3, 2004 at the Plenary Session of Hierarchs and Clergy at the Orthodox Church of Canada Sobor in Edmonton, AB., the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCC and the Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops (SEC)unanimously elected Archbishop XJOSEPH (Royer) as Primate of the OCC, elevating him to the ecclesiatical rank of Metropolitan. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Archbishop XJOSEPH began his Primacy on July 4, 2004 with his installation at All Saints Orthodox Cathedral in Edmonton, AB in Canada.
TO THE FAITHFUL HIERARCHS OF THE UKRAINIAN AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODX CHURCH WHO HAVE REPOSED IN THE LORD & ARE OF THRICE-BLESSED MEMORY....GOD GRANT REST AMONG THE RIGHTEOUS & ALL THE SAINTS! "MEMORY ETERNAL"
