DIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO AND WESTERN AMERICA: January 21, 2012
News from the Western American Diocese

As reported on the official website of the Western America Diocese, with the blessing of His eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, the San Francisco Deanery has established the Saints Cyril & Athanasius Institute for Orthodox Studies. It aims to become a new center for the higher-level study of Orthodox theology, history, thought and practice throughout western North America. The Institute will concentrate its activities around provision of a Licentiate Certificate in Orthodox Christian Studies, offered as a blend of in-class and distance learning instruction, the latter provided through a professionally-designed web site that provides access to video lectures, live chat with lecturers and fellow students, audio interaction, on-line assignment submission and marking, and more.

On February 17-18, the Institute's first regional symposium will take place in San Francisco: "Living Symbol: Exploring the Inner Meaning of the Divine Liturgy" and will feature principal speakers Archimandrite Meletios (Webber), Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg) and Archpriest Josiah Trenham. For more information on the Institute and to register for the symposium, please visit the Institute's web page: sforthodoxinstitute.org.

- "Hawaii Samizdat" Publishers have released a new book: "Two Hundred Years on the Road – A History of the Orthodox Church in Hawaii." The co-authors of the new publication are the Rector of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church in Honolulu, Professor-Emeritus of the University of Hawaii, Priest Anatole Lyovin and Professor Amir Khisamutdinov of the Vladivostok State University.

- By an episcopal Decree of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America, a Monastic Deanery has been created in the Western American Diocese. All officially recognized monastic communities of the diocese and monastics living outside these communities with the archbishop's blessing, will make up the Monastic Deanery. Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg) has been appointed as Dean of Monastic Life for the diocese.

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