THE AMERICAN ORTHODOX - CATHOLIC CHURCH

A CANONICAL AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX AMERICAN CHURCH

Primate, +Samuel, (+Mark A. Pultorak).
Patriarch

Note: Samuel was supposed to have issued a statement that he was retiring and returning to his Catholic Roots.

We cannot verify this but did receive a copy of this statement.

Others in his former Church claimed they were adopting the name "Holy Orthodox Churchin America".

That group had been the home of Auxilary bishop Ignatius Nichols when he left THEOCACNA.

The American Orthodox Catholic Church
through Archbishop Walter Propheta

PATRIARCH'S MESSAGE

Samuel sent a message that he was leaving and returning to his previous Church roots.

Welcome to The American Orthodox Catholic Church, an Orthodox Liturgical and Sacramental arm of the One, Holy, Orthodox, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The AOCC is the short name of the 1927 Corporate Church that Abp. Ofiesh headed until his death in 1966 and is continued as THEOCACNA. All others who claim to be the AOCC are independents with no Orthodox Sacramental auhrity. They claim to be the AOCC and that they continue the AOCC apart from the true orthodox church. They claim their AOCC continues from it's beginnings in American Orthodoxy as mandated from the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch St. Tikhon Bellavin to Archbishop St. Aftimios Ofiesh and having its primary roots in current times in the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia through its first Patriarch, His Holiness Abuna Basilios; this given through Abuna Gabre Kristos Mikael, Consecrated in Addis Ababa by Abuna Basilios in 1959.

False: The AOCC was begun in 1964* by Archbishop St. Walter Myron Propheta as a fully American Orthodox Catholic Church for the American people, non-nationalistic and non-ethnocentric in scope; welcoming all to Orthodoxy as the Savior welcomed all who came to Him.

Our mission is to provide a home and return to communion with the Body of Christ those who have been disenfranchised and who wish a traditional Liturgical and Sacramental Church. Our Faith and Belief follows the Rudder and the Canons and teachings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. Our Creed is that of Orthodoxy - The Nicene Creed, minus the Filioque Clause.

The Apostolic Succession** of the AOCC comes in unbroken lineage from the Church of Russia and the Church of Greece - through Archbishop Walter Propheta and his Consecrators - Metropolitan Joachim Souris (primary consecrator), and Archbishops Peter Zhurawetsky and Theodotus DeWitow.

The American Orthodox Catholic Church is part of the independent movement in the U.S. and not associated with any canonical Orthodox Church. They claim to be a self governing Jurisdiction within the One, Holy, Orthodox, Catholic and Apostolic Church, under the 1964 Constitution of the AOCC as composed by Archbishop Propheta. Our Liturgy is The Divine Liturgy for the Americas, formerly known as The Divine Liturgy for Twentieth Century Christians - the original Liturgy of this Church, and encompasses also both Eastern and Western Liturgical expressions. This Church is the canonical continuation of that Church begun by Archbishop Propheta and is in no way affiliated with any other Church claiming to be us.

We are striving to grow an Orthodox Jurisdiction wherein all who wish to be empowered in life and ministry will find a home. We look forward to assisting you on your journey. May God give you His peace.

LINEAGE - THE CHURCHES OF RUSSIA AND GREECE

They also start with this claim of lines from THEOCACNA which has been proven false.

Under the canonical authority of the Orthodox Church of Russia Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh, (consecrated Hierarch in the Russian Orthodox Church by Archbishops Evdokim Meschersky, Alexander Nemolovsky and Stephen Dzubai in 1917), assisted by Bishop Emmanuel Abohatab and Metropolitan Elias of Tyre and Sidon, (Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch), in 1928, consecrated Bishop Sophronios Bishara at Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City.

Bishop Bishara, [either] assisting [w/o a mandate or acting as a witness], Bishop Theophan Stylian Noli of the autocephalous Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Boston, in 1934, consecrated the First Exarch for the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria in America, Bishop Christopher Contogeorge. Bishop Contogeorge, with Metropolitan Theophan Stylian Noli, gave Episcopal Ordination to Bishop Arsenios Saltas. Bishop Saltas, in 1935, gave Consecration to Bishop Joseph Klimowycz for the Russian Orthodox Church. Bishop Arsenios Saltas was the Second Exarch for the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria in the United States.

It is in this Episcopal Ordination that the lineage of The American Orthodox-Catholic Church has her Greek lineage: in that from Archbishop Christopher's Apostolic Succession came the primary consecrator of Patriarch Walter Myron Propheta, in 1964, Metropolitan Joachim Souris, Primate of The Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church in America, as well as Archbishop Peter Zhurawetsky. Primary Consecrator of Metropolitan Souris, in 1951, was Patriarch Joseph Klimowycz of The American Holy Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church.

The Greek lineage of Archbishop Propheta was further solidified by Archbishop Theoklitos Kantaris who, in 1965 and by the laying on of hands transmitted the Succession of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, (Greek Orthodox). Archbishop Kantaris was a founding Hierarch of the Greek Orthdox Archdiocese of New York, with Bishop Photius.

These lineages were then given by Archbishop Walter Propheta, in the 1971 Consecration of Bishop LaVon Miguel Haithman, (Gabre Kristos Mikael); who then transmitted them to Archbishop David William Worley, (Gabre Kristos Jeremiah), in a 1972 Consecration. Archbishop Worley, in a 2004 Consecration, passed the same Succession to the current AOCC/AOC Metropolitan Primate, +Samuel, (+Mark A. Pultorak).

MISSION AND MINISTRY

The presently ministering expression of The American Orthodox-Catholic Church has, through the blessings of Almighty God, been granted a new life and vibrancy. It is the continuation of the 1964* foundation of that autocephalous Orthodox Jurisdiction born of St. Walter Propheta and has set about, through a wide variety of ministries, the vision of restoring the vision of Archbishop Propheta for an American Orthodoxy so we will become that voice for American Orthodoxy that was once our privilege.

From this resolve comes the following Mission Statement. The American Orthodox-Catholic Church has been reborn from its initial foundations for the renewal and propogation of a non-nationalistic, non-ethnocentric, all encompassing American Orthodoxy, autocephalous in nature and faithful in every way to the Faith and Praxis of the Apostolic Church, bringing the seekers among the People of God to know, embrace, and live True Faith and Worship according to the Pedalion, (Orthodox Canon Law), the Teachings of the Holy Apostles in the Didache, and the Canons and teachings of those Seven Ecumenical Councils convened between 325 and 787 A.D.

Our only correct statement of Faith is the Nicene Creed.

The Metropolitan, Hierarchs and Clergy** of this autocephalous Orthodox Jurisdiction possess a valid, canonical and unbroken claim, through the already mentioned Orthodox lineage and their validly conferred Apostolic Succession, to the very foundations of American Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Churches of Russia and Greece.

* Since Abp. Ofiesh died in 1966 he was the one true head of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America, Inc. - Short name "American Orthodox Catholic Church" until his death. Propheta was never part of the American Church under Abp. Ofiesh or with Canonical lines that trace back to this Church.

** None in the independent movement possess canonical Orthodox lines of Apostolic Succesion. This is explained in detail elsewhere.

Also it should be noted that none listed herein are or have been associated with the Church Abp. Ofiesh originally headed. Abp. Ofiesh did not found or establish the Church as some claim.