NOTE: We do not defame or intend to defame any individual or group. We offer herein the truth as we know it about our canonically established Church and those who make false claims that they are us in some way or that they have our lines, which we deny generally esp. when the lines are traced back to our Church from Ignatius Nichols and from non-orthodox lines.

This information is essential to the Orthodox Public being misled by these independent groups who in any number of ways claim they are us and claim to have canonical sacramental authority. None listed herein who claim to be us are. They are Episcopi Vagants in the eyes of the Orthodox.

We, the lawful owners of the name, "The American Orthodox Catholic Church" state as follows;

We are the one and only canonically established "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" also known as the American Orthodox Cathlic Church (see Article 1 below) and all those not part of this Church who use this name are misleading the public.

ERROR Note: If you feel there is an error on our website please feel free to contact us about it.

To be removed from this webpage also contact us to discuss how to correct your website so you are not claiming to be us under either name, not claiming our Charter was issued to you, or using our history.

No church, jurisdiction, priest or bishop who is not an active member of this original American Orthodox Catholic Church (our short name as stated in the 1927 Church Constitution) who claims to be us under one of our names, a close name or a completely different name is a liar. They have no lines from this Church! They have no authority from this church! They have no sacramental authority from this Church and they are most likely Old Catholic/Episcopi Vagants claiming to be orthodox.

Some independents use our short name "American Orthodox Catholic Church" and one even ordains women. Some claim to be in the Aftimios or Ofiesh tradition. Orthodox lines of Apostolic Succession remain within the Orthodox Church.

This Church is the first American Orthodox Catholic Church established for the English speaking Orthodox in the "new world" and we are in our rightful jurisdiction. We are not in schism with the ethnic orthodox. They created the Schism against this Church in 1929.

All who claim to be Theocacna or the AOCC by direct or indirect means, by using one of these (our) names, claiming to have changed our name, claiming to be in our lines, claiming to be orthodox when they are in fact independent and none being associated with us are liars. We are the one and only THEOCACNA/AOCC that was canonically established in 1927, incorporated in 1928 and continue today. They have no canonical sacramental authority from THEOCACNA.

Following is a list of groups who have claimed in the past or still claim to be us by using one of our names, either the corporate name of THEOCACNA, the short name (American Orthodox Catholic Church) or both. We also need to mention that there cannot be a canonical patriarch of the "American Orthodox Catholic Church" since in Orthodoxy the American Orthodox Catholic Church is just the short name in commomlaw of THEOCACNA. All those claiming to be the "AOCC" are actually old catholics.

From our Church Constitution dated December 1, 1927.

The religious body organized hereunder shall be known both ecclesiastically and in civil law (by incorporation) as THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA (THE AMERICAN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH). Either the first part of this legal title or the shorter second part exclosed in parentheses shall be deemed sufficient designation to point out this body to the exclusion of any other in all cases except where the full corporate title is required for purposes of civil legal documents.

We feel this statement shows our claim and intention to be known by both names and consider this a Service mark claim as of Dec. 1927.

While at least one Orthodox writer on Orthodox-wiki falsely credits Abp. Aftimios for starting the many independent groups he in fact did not go off ordaining people to start their own groups. Propheta is responsible for many Episcopi Vagantes.

Walter Propheta seemed to be popular. So many of these independent clergy claim their lines to him or his church. He was supposed to have been consecrated by 2 bishops - Souris of the Greek Orthodox Church in America - Old calendarist and Theoklitos Kantaris of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of NY and they later are claimed to have "elevated" Propheta to primate of the AOC/AOCC. Here is the problem.

Propheta was consecrated by only 2 bishops who had no canonical authority to appoint him head of the AOCC since

(A) Abp. Ofiesh was alive

(B) Abp. Ofiesh was the head of his Church at this time.

(C) The Propheta lines do not trace to Aftimios or this Church and when Ignatius left this Church according to Orthodox canons he left all sacramental authority and

(D) 2 Greek Bishops have no authority to appoint anyone to a Church they are not part of and neither was associated in any way with THEOCACNA/AOCC. It is doubtful either would have made such an appointment to infringe on Abp. Ofiesh's jurisdiction so they probably appointed Propheta to his own independent American Orthodox Church (AOC).

This group claims headquarters out of New York using the AOCC name includes the Penticostal Orthodox Church as part of their group.

They do not appear to have any lines from this Church thus have no valid claim to our short name which is a common law Service Mark documented by our constitution dated 1927.

Dominick Lorenzo, Retired
Former head of a NY AOCC group
Consecrated by U. Ryzy-Ryski 6-26-77
Appointed by John Christian as Metropolitan

Patrick K. McReynolds
b. May 1950
Member-God's Benevolence Institute
Ordained Deacon & Priest 4-6-74 by Itkin
Consecrated 4-7-74 by Itkin
Consecrated 5-19-75 by E.C. Payne
(Ind. Catholic Church/Ind RC Church)
Consecrated 11-26-76 by U. Ryzy-Ryski
Also listed as Cons. by Andre Barbeau w/Andrei Letellier and as a consecrator of Andrei Barbeau
Th.M from Fordham U. 1978
6/81 began God's Benevolence Orthodox Catholic Church (independent)

Steven Kochones, b. 1/31/31
Greek Orthodox layman, left and
was ordained minister ind. Assemblies of God
Ordained Priest by Propheta 9/4/67
Est. Church of God in the Lord Jesus Christ in Pasadena, CA. 1969
Consecrated 5-18-80 Catholic Church of God, Pasadena, CA
Changed Corporate name to A.O.C.C. 5-11-89

Donald Jolly
Independent Catholic Church International
12-31-73 - Cons. by John Brown
Free Protestant Episcopal Church
6-25-80 - Cons. by Antonio Pietroburgo in Rome and appointed AOCC Representative.

American Orthodox Catholic Church Western Rite of Medford, Long Island, NY.

This ordains women which is contrary to Orthodox Canons. They are not orthodox and state they are the American Independent Catholic Church.

American Orthodox Catholic Church webpage by Stephen Tyminski of N.Y. claims both the AOCC name and our Corporate name "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" which is a registered service mark of this Church. On this webpage he mentions Abp. Thaddeus (Condrick) who he has not been associated with for a few years now. Seems they are still working together.

Please note that some so-called Orthodox clergy have claimed to excommunicate Archbishop Victor by one Thaddeus (Walter Condrick) of Hunlock Creek, Pa. He is not a clergy member of THEOCACNA, nor on the Church Corporate Board but he uses our church names (also our Registered Service Marks), +Victor was once contacted by a PA newspaper reporter many years ago and asked if Condrick was part of this church and he stated "NO". Mariam Ofiesh sat on our Corporate Board until 1999, while +Victor was Corporate President. We have had no contact or thought about Condrick since the 1990s when he was asked not to use our Church name and no contact with Condrick until this so called Decree of Excommunication arrived by regular mail dated June 19, 2016 and mailed Aug. 17, 2016 by Stephen Tyminski for "Thaddeus" Condrick. Since Condrick infringes our Federally Registered Service Marks we view him as a criminal by his acts for stealing our intellectual property. Read more here

Thaddeus, Alan Stanford, formerly of Deming or Columbus, NM (formerly of Calif.) and now residing in Idaho. He used to list THEOCACNA and American Orthodox Catholic Church on his website but now states not associated with THEOCACNA. He has made a number of claims that have changed from time to time. He claims to have the "Blessing of the Holy Patriarchate of Moscow" who deny knowing him, claims no other "Mother Church" existed 1921-1927 until his group was incorporated (1972) - the 1927 appears to refer to our Charter again, and then he denies being or claiming to be the Mother Church.

He had some pages removed from his site by his internet provider. He had taken some of our jpg's under our copyright and placed them on his website. He claims his website is under his own copyright. A copyright and service mark infringement complaint was filed and those pages were removed.

We make no comment on his validity or if he is a serious clergyman. He claims to be repentant. We personally feel anyone with his history would be a monastic and not try to be the head of an independent church.

This group may be closing or under new claimed leadership. We received word that Samuel has renounced Orthodoxy and is returning to the Old Catholic Church.

Samuel supposedly sent this e-mail:

I have stepped down as Primate of the AOCC and have renounced Orthodoxy. I have returned to my Catholic heritage as an Old Catholic Archbishop.

The fact that I had no backup pretty much took its toll.

The Most Rev. Mark Pultorak, SSJ

This group calling themselves the American Orthodox-Catholic Church was under a Metropolitan Samuel of NY. One of their "bishops" is one Matthew Constantine (N. Tetrault) who according to information in our files had been removed (deposed) by his former Archbishop and Synod in Pa. They have also started to claim to be the Holy Orthodox Church in America probably because this was the name of the group Ignatius began ordaining for in 1934 after leaving THEOCACNA in June 1933. This was not a canonical jurisdiction.

They claim to be the continuation of the Walter Propheta 1964 organizaton and claim their lines trace to us. Propheta was never part of this Jurisdicion. He had established his own organizaton and did his own thing in his time. From our records it appears Propheta used the name "American Orthodox Church".

http://www.forministry.com/USNYAMOCCNOCCN

Samuel is listed as Patriarch on this website now http://www.orthodoxfrance-usa.org/French_Orthodox_Church/AOCC_.html

+ + + + + + + + + + Have very little info on this fellow. Rev. J.M. Byron Whitney, OCO, OMD; Christian II, Successor in WORD and UNITY to Christian I, Archbishop Patriarch of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. his Web Page is megalife.faithweb.com