JOHNSTOWN —
The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A. soon will have a new leader.
Eighty-one priests from the diocese gathered Saturday in Johnstown and voted the Very Rev. Archimandrite Grigorios Tatsis to succeed Metropolitan Nicholas Smisko.
The vote was 65-16.
A special assembly meeting was held at Christ the Saviour Cathedral on Garfield Street in the city’s West End.
The election results were not surprising, leaders of the diocese said.
“It’s never 100 percent unity, but it was overwhelmingly in his favor,” said the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Frank Miloro.
Tatsis, who was in Atlanta and unable to attend, will have his name submitted to the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
He is expected to be installed as ruling bishop of the diocese later this year and will relocate to Johnstown, which is the seat of the diocese, Miloro said.
“Before the snow flies he will be living here,” Miloro said.
The diocese includes about 80 parishes, which are mostly located in the eastern United States.
The vote followed a liturgy led by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America.
“This today was really, really sacred,” he told the faithful.
Tatsis, 53, was born in Charlotte, N.C. He is dean of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Catheral in New Orleans and vicar of the Western Conference of Atlanta.
He replaces Smisko, who died of cancer in March at age 75.
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