He was born on November 24, 1954, in
San Francisco, California, to
ethnic Russian immigrant parents. At the age of 18, he was
tonsured
reader by Archbishop
Anthony (Medvedev). In 1976 he graduated from University with a degree in theology. He then attended
Saint Vladimir's Seminary, where he received his master's degree. In 1981 he was tonsured a
monk and
ordained a
hierodeacon and then a
hieromonk by Metropolitan
Philaret (Voznesensky). The same year he was appointed to the Russian Ecclesiastic Mission in Jerusalem as a teacher of Russian and English at the
Bethany School. In 1982 he was transferred to the Western American
diocese. In 1987, he was appointed
rector of the Ss Cyrill and Methodius Russian Church school at the
Joy of all Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco and was elevated to the rank of
hegumen. June 7, 1992, he was consecrated
bishop of Seattle,
Vicar of the Western American Diocese. After the repose of Archbishop Anthony in 2000, he was appointed ruling hierarch of the Western American Diocese. In December 2003 he was elevated to the rank of
archbishop. In May 2004 he participated in the first official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia to Russia, which opened the process of reconciliation with the
Moscow Patriarchate. On May 19, 2006, by the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, in connection with the retirement of Bishop
Ambrose (Cantacuzène), he was appointed a member of the Commission for Negotiations with the Moscow Patriarchate. ==Honours==