May 14 marks the anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich) in 1965. He dedicated nearly 60 years of his life to priestly and episcopal service to the Church in America and was Primate of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America (which is the Orthodox Church in America) from 1950 to 1965. He was the first of the Church’s Primates to reside at Westwood which was formally presented to him as his residence on the occasion of his name day in 1958. Metropolitan Leonty’s ecclesial vision propelled the North American Church towards the autocephaly it received in 1970. He was also a towering spiritual figure and considered a saint by some Church leaders who knew him well.
To honor the anniversary of Metropolitan Leonty’s repose, the OCA Office of History and Archives is posting a rare booklet written by him, released in 1918 in English, unusual at the time as nearly all Church publications were then in Russian. The text of the booklet, titled “Essays of Orthodox Theology” may be found here.
An expanded biography of Metropolitan Leonty is being prepared by the Office of History and Archives and will be posted on the OCA website when completed.
May the memory of Metropolitan Leonty be eternal!