Canonization Process Proposed for Met. Leonty, Beloved Leader of Orthodoxy in America

Met. Leonty of blessed memory. Photo: OCA

SOUTH CANAAN, PA — Documents proposing an investigation into the canonization of Met. Leonty, the beloved primate of the North American Metropolia (which later became the Orthodox Church in America), have officially been submitted by Abp. Michael of the OCA's Diocese of New York and New Jersey.

Met. Leonty served as head of the Metropolia from 1950 until his repose in 1965. In the early 20th century, he came to America and was assigned rector of St. Mary Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, Minn., by St. Tikhon. The parish had recently been founded by St. Alexis Toth and still exists today as a flourishing community.

When his wife, Anna, reposed in 1925, he initially rejected elevation to the episcopacy out of concern for the raising of his five children, but he eventually accepted monastic tonsure and was consecrated Bishop of Chicago in 1933. In 1950, after the repose of Met. Theophilus, he was the clear choice to be elected as Metropolitan of All America and Canada.

Recently, Abp. Michael, who serves as rector and professor at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary, gave a speech about his decision to propose an investigation for Met. Leonty's canonization. A presentation was also given by Matushka Tamara Skvir at this year's St. Tikhon's Founder's Day Lecture. Matushka Tamara is the granddaughter of Met. Leonty and shared stories about her grandfather's service to the Church.

Abp. Michael shared that one priest once saw Met. Leonty levitating in the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection while he was praying, and that long after he had fallen asleep in the Lord, people in the neighborhood would come to say thank you "to a man in white who helped the poor, the addicted, the losers of our society."

His Eminence also shared that Abp. Iakovos of the then-Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America said that "if anyone deserved to be canonized a saint in that generation of clergy that he was a part of it would be Met. Leonty."

Abp. Michael said that he hopes to eventually share results of the investigation into Met. Leonty's life and potential consideration of his canonization.

Previously, UOJ reported that Abp. Michael had enrolled 10 catechumens in a historic weekend at St. John the Theologian Orthodox Church.

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