IN MEMORIAM: ARCHBISHOP NIKON ‘SUCCESSOR TO METROPOLITAN FAN NOLI’ PASSED AWAY /
The Orthodox Church in America, the Albanian Archdiocese and community mourn the passing of Archbishop Nikon. The OCA official website states that his Eminence passed away on Sunday, September 1 2019. He was born to a pious Orthodox family in October 1945 in New York, and graduated from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in 1966. “After being ordained to the Diaconate on July 5, 1969, and to the Priesthood the following day, July 6, the Archbishop served at Saint Nicholas Church, Southbridge, MA, and Saint Thomas Church, Farmington Hills, MI. In May 24 and 25, 2002, Archbishop Nikon was consecrated Bishop of Baltimore and Auxiliary to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius in conjunction with the annual Memorial Day Weekend pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon Monastery. One year later, he was nominated as Bishop of Boston at the Albanian Archdiocesan Assembly on October 10, 2003, and the Holy Synod elected him as Bishop of Boston on October 22, 2003. He served as administrator of the Diocese of New England and was elected ruling bishop during the fall session of the Holy Synod in October 2005. He was installed with the title Bishop of Boston, New England and the Albanian Archdiocese by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Boston, MA on December 16 and 17, 2005. In addition to his archpastoral leadership of his own dioceses, he served as locum tenens of the Diocese of the South from February 2011 until March 2015. Archbishop Nikon was elevated to the rank of Archbishop on May 9, 2012.”
In his notification, Father Nikodhim of the Albanian Saint Nicholas Church in New York, emphasized the lasting relation that the Reverend who was born and raised within the community of this church had with the parish. Archbishop Nikon became the father of the Albanian Archdiocese upon his consecration to the episcopacy in 2002. In part his statement reads: “Serving as the pastor of our sister communities in Southbridge, MA and Farmington Hills, MI for thirty years prior to his elevation, he knew well and personally the needs, the sorrows, and the joys of our Orthodox faithful, and he carried the wealth of this experience and wisdom with him as he took upon himself the administration and governance of our archdiocese. We have so much to be grateful for in the ministry of this man and in the exercise of his care and love over these past decades. Each visit he made to St. Nicholas was not merely a formality or the arrival of a visiting functionary but a homecoming, the joy of his return shared by all. In New York as indeed throughout the whole of our archdiocese, His Eminence’s arrival was never as a guest but as family,”
Recognizing the difficulty of dealing with the physical absence of the Reverend, Father Nikodhim writes: “These coming days will without doubt be difficult. We no longer have the Archbishop’s deep voice to guide us in the care of each other. His blessings will not come by the raising up of his hand and pastoral staff. Yet these things—his guidance and care and blessing—remain because he has entrusted them to us. In this time of our grieving, let us hold close these tools that bind and support us one to another, and let us employ them in the care of those around us as he did, as he would, and as our faith insists, he still does. May the memory of His Eminence, our Archbishop Nikon, be eternal! I perjetshem kujtimi!”
In the statement released by Michael A. Gregory, the Lay Chairman of the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America, he pointed that the late Archbishop Nikon spent a life of service to others as a priest and that he just like his predecessor Fan Noli was well respected by the parishioners. “The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America is, at its heart, a family. Today we lost our spiritual father. For the past 16 years he guided us with a steady hand, through ups and downs, always taking a measured approach to every situation. He exhibited the best traits of a true leader—the ability to listen and the ability to act decisively. We saw him not only as our bishop, but as one of us. A son of St. Nicholas in New York, his life would be one of service to others. That service included his 50 years as a priest and concluded with his significant contributions as our bishop as well as bishop for the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. The ultimate compliment we can offer Archbishop Nikon is that he proved himself a worthy successor to Metropolitan Theofan S. Noli. They shared many things in common, not the least of which was the deep reverence and respect they commanded from our parishioners. They both now guide us from above. On behalf of the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America, I extended our deepest sympathies to Archbishop Nikon’s brothers, Very Reverend Arthur Liolin and James Liolin, and their families.(Rafaela Prifti)
Here are the services as posted in the official notification:
Funeral Arrangements are as follows:
Visitation: Wednesday, September 4, 4pm to 8pm
Memorial Prayers: Wednesday, September 4, 7pm
St. George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral
523 E. Broadway
South Boston, MA 02127
617-268-1275
Funeral Service: Thursday, September 5, 6:30pm
Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral
165 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215
617-262-9490
Holy Liturgy: Friday, September 6, 9:30am
Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral
165 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215
617-262-9490