Many of the independents make false claims that they head the original Church that was headed by Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh of blessed memory.

They use old catholic methods of making their claim like ignoring the fact Ignatius left this Church in 1933 a few months after Abp. Ofiesh married. This is how many claim their lines trace back to THEOCACNA.

They claim someone else became head of this Church after the Archbishop married which is false. Aftimios remained presiding bishop until he died and the Church was basically held by his widow, Mariam, in what would be called Locum Tenens if a bishop held the Church in a like manner. Mariam wrote that Aftimios intended to act as a married bishop which he did. Her writings were somewhat altered after the manuscript was turned over to the God-son of Abp. Ofiesh who pubished the book about Abp. Ofiesh and the Church.

A new synod was elected in 1995 and Mariam Ofiesh sat on the board of corporate directors until 1999 when she retired due to failing health. When Archbishop Victor was elected President of the Church corporation and Synod the Church was again headed by a bishop with direct clean lines to Abp. Ofiesh, while he was an accepted canonical bishop and to the Historic Russian Mother Church.

We are the original Church that so many independents claim they are. They will claim to be our successors but that is not possible since the clergy involved were never part of this Church or ordained into this Church by anyone with direct lines. The Corporation continues as a "legal" entity as the Roman Catholic or the Greek Orthodox Church continues as a legal entity. A legal status is mportant and you cannot in good faith separate the legal entity from the canonically or independently chartered entity. Anyone who falsely claims they are us are acting in an unchristian manner as they cannot honestly believe they are us. They know of our existance! Independents will attempt to separate the two in an attempt to justify their claims.

Holdridge of the Russian Orthodox Church in America has his website worded to make it appear his Church name is that of the original synod who issued the Charter to THEOCACNA but in reality the names were different. THEOCACNA was canonically chartered by the Synod of Bishops in North America of the Moscow Patriarchate and not by Holdridges ROCIA.

Holdridge commits Service Mark infringement by using the name "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" since the name and our logo are our Registered Service Mark. Using part is still infringement and we filed complaints years ago when he had our log on the website and he has again started his false claims. Service Mark infringement violated Federal law so to intentionally infringe anthers Service Mark could be considered a criminal act. He also uses our short name (American Orthodox Catholic Church) and our synod name (The North American Holy Synod) which are also service marks of this Church. In so doing we declare his actions are identity theft which is a criminal act.

Holdridge (A/K/A Symeon) claims he was consecrated by +Natalino. He then states that this consecration was denied by the U.S. Representatives of +Natalino. Consider who has the most to gain by such a claim? He claims he sought conditional ordination and synod membership in THEOCACNA. This is another false claim since Garrison was not a member of THEOCACNA in the 1980's when this ordination occured. If you check state records we believe Garrisons corporate Churches were named "The American Orthodox Church".

To show he follows the Old Catholic tradition he calls himself Primate X of the Church but in Orthodoxy it is not usual for a primate to use a number with his name.

Holdridge admits that in 1994 he resigned the primacy of his church but fails to include that he renounced all his lines according to a notice we had received. Yet today he falls back on his renounced lines.

Holdridge calims others succeeded Abp. Ofiesh as Primate of this Church but state corporate records clearly prove this false.

Ignatius did consecrate Plummer in 1934 but coud not be the Primate of this Church since he left without the required letters in (about) Sept. 1933 and consecrated Plummer in 1934 as a bishop of the "Holy Orthodox Church in America" and not in the name of THEOCACNA. Having walked away from the Canonical Church Ignatius left all authority to act in the Churches name (THEOCACNA).

So it goes without saying that Plummer, DeWitto and all the others Holdridge lists as former Primates of THEOCACNA were in fact independents in no way associated with THEOCACNA and could have no legal claim on the Church, its name or our lines of Apostolic Succession.

So it also shows you that Symeon (Holdridge) is not and cannot be the Primate X of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America and never held any valid claim to our Church - canonically chartered Feb. 2, 1927 and legally incorporated in 1928 by Abp. Aftimios Ofiesh. Since Mariam held the Church until the new synod was elected and we are named in those corporate documents proving we are the true and rightful church we denune all imdependents, and others, wh would make false claims that they are us.

On his russianorthodox.org history3 page Holdridge makes a few odd statements.

1. (T)HEOCACNA was "founded" on Feb. 2, 1927. We were canonically chartered not founded.

2. He claims (T)HEOCACNA was finally incorporated for the first time on May 6, 1998 as the Russian Orthodox Church in America. He should know we were incorporated in 1928 esp. if he wants to claim he is THEOCACNA under any name.

3. He says; to trace the history of this church you must understand there are 2 conflicting notions, that of the governmental idea of legal (which he seems to abide by since he seems to have incorporated his ROCIA) and the Spiritual concept. We declare it is not Spiritual to steal someones name, history and Intellectual property and claim to be that person (the true Primate of the Church), the owner of the intellectual property by using it without the owners written permission or the Church he has never been a member of.

4.Holdridge goes on to state; If you attempt to trace the history of (T)HEOCACNA as an entity, you will not have much success and (you) will need to twist the facts to meet whatever your own agenda is.

5. He claims his ROCIA is the direct descendant of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America - the Church first chartered by the Russian Orthodox Bishops in 1927.

For the truth go to http://theocacna.org