His Grace, Bishop Tikhon [Mollard], was officially installed as the ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania of the Orthodox Church in America at Saint Stephen Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday, October 29, 2005.

Bishop Tikhon was elected to the position by clergy and lay delegates at a special assembly of the diocese held in May 2005. He now oversees nearly 50 parishes located in the eastern half of the state.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, presided at the installation Divine Liturgy at the cathedral at 10:00 a.m. A reception followed at the Phylmont Country Club during which the faithful officially welcomed their new ruling hierarch and presented him with gifts in honor of his enthronement.

Metropolitan Herman had served as the diocese's ruling bishop for two decades before his election as the OCA's Primate in July 2002.

A native of Boston, Bishop Tikhon converted to Orthodox Christianity from Episcopalianism in 1989. After completing studies at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, he entered Saint Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA, from which he received a Master of Divinity degree in 1993.

Prior to his consecration to the episcopacy in 2004, Bishop Tikhon was senior lecturer in Old Testament at Saint Tikhon Seminary, and is credited with a number of publications. He also served as deputy abbot of Saint Tikhon Monastery prior to his election to the Philadelphia see.

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