In the
world - Vasyl Olexandrovych Stretovych
Born
04.12.1953
Name Day
- June 19
Consecration
- 24.08.1992
Chairs
Cathedra since 22.06.1993
Archbishop
of Ovruch and Korosten Vissarion was born on December
4, 1953 in
the village of Polyanka, Korosten district of the Zhytomyr
region. In 1971 he graduated from the secondary school. Since 1972 he served in the
Soviet Army, following which he worked as a driver in the village Meleni of the
Zhytomyr region. Throughout 1975 -1979 he studied in the Moscow Theological Seminary
and from 1979 till 1983 - in the Moscow Theological Academy.
On April 1, 1983 he was tonsured a monk in the Holy Trinity Church of the Holy Trinity St.Sergius
Lavra, and was named after the Venerable Bessarion the Wonderworker of Egypt.
On September 21, 1983 he was ordained hierodeacon, and on September
25 of the same year - hieromonk by Bishop of Zhytomyr and Ovruch Ioann
(Bondarchuk, who later seceded into schism).
Throughout 1983-1986 he was a clergyman of the Cathedral of Holy
Transfiguration of Our Saviour in Zhytomyr. From 1986 till 1987 he served clergyman of the Holy Nativity of the Theotokos Church of the Bilokorovychi village, Zhytomyr region. Throughout 1987-1991 he was a clergyman of the
St. Basil Cathedral in Ovruch, the Dean of the Ovruch Deanery of the Zhytomyr
Diocese. By the efforts of hieromonk Vissarion
the ancient St. Basil Cathedral in Ovruch was restored, where later the women's
monastery was opened.
In 1990 he was elevated to the rank of Hegumen. Throughout 1991-1992 - rector of the Cathedral of Holy Transfiguration of Our Saviour in Ovruch. In July 1992 the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church appointed Hegumen Vissarion Bishop of Korosten, Vicar of the
Zhytomyr Diocese. The
bishop ordination headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine
Volodymyr took place on August 24, 1992 in the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
On June 22, 1993
after creation of the Diocese of Ovruch Bishop Vissarion was installed its
ruling bishop with the title "Bishop of Ovruch and Korosten".
On September 23, 2000 elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
Awarded
Church awards:
- the Order of the Holy Equal to the
Apostles Great Prince Vladimir with granting the title of the "Knight of the Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir";
- the anniversary medal "10 years of the Kharkiv Council";
- the Order of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh of the 2nd degree.
Activity at the
Cathedra
During his tenure of the Ovruch Diocese Archbishop Vissarion promoted opening of more than 100 new parishes and 2 monasteries. With
his active engagement in 2001 in Ovrcuh the Cathedral of Holy Transfiguration
of Our Saviour was built. | |
|
