Official Record of Apostolic Succession of

Bishop Sophronios (Sophronios Bishara, 1888 - 1940) as Bishop of Los Angeles on 26 May 1928,
assisted by Elias, Metropolitan of Tyre and Sidon (The Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The
East) and Bishop Emmanuel (Rizkallah Abo-Hatab, The Syrian Orthodox Mission of The North American
Diocese of The Russian Orthodox Church). Bishop Sophronios became Archbishop of The Syrian Orthodox
Mission of The North American Diocese of The Russian Orthodox Church in 1933. Archbishop Sophronios
consecrated to the Sacred Episcopate:
Bishop Christopher Kontogiorgios (Contogeorge; 1894 - 8/30/50) on 10 February 1934 at St. John the
Baptist Church in New York City, assisting Theophanies Fan Stylian Noli, Archbishop of The Albanian
Orthodox Diocese in America (consecrated 4 December 1923 in St. George's Cathedral in Korcha, Albania,
by Metropolitan Kristofor Kissi [Bishop of Syradon] and Metropolitan Hierotheos [Andon Yahd, Bishop of
Korcha & Plenipotentiary Exarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople] as Metropolitan of Durazzo, Gora &
Shpata; Primate & Exarch of All Illyria, of the Western Sea & of all Albania; 1924: President of Albania) as
Metropolitan of Pentapoleos. Bishop Kontogiorgios was appointed Exarch of the Greek Orthodox Catholic
Church under the Patriarchate of Alexandria in 1947. Exarch Kontogiorgios consecrated to the Sacred
Episcopate:
Archbishop Konstantin Jaroshevich in 1949, assisted by Archbishop Arsenios Saltas (consecrated 25
August 1934 by Abp. Kontogiorgios and Abp. Theophan Noli) and with the blessing and concurrence of
Metropolitan Theophan Noli. In 1954 Abp. Jaroshevich was appointed Exarch of the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa in the United States. Archbishop Jaroschevich consecrated to the
Sacred Episcopate:
Bishop Peter Andreas Zhurawetsky (12/07/01 - 1994) in Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church of
Springfield, Massachusetts, on 15 October 1950, assisting Patriarch Joseph Klimovich (of the American
Holy Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church; Ptr. Klimovich was consecrated 14 October 1930 by Constantine
Kuryllo of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church) together with Metropolitan Nicholas Bohatyretz (of the Ukrainians
in the Orthodox Catholic Church in America; Met. Bohatyretz was consecrated 16 November 1913 by Bp.
Paulo Louis Prota Guirleo Miraglia Gulotti, Bishop of Piacenza of the Italian National Episcopal Church),
Metropolitan Joseph Zielonka (Polish Old Catholic Church of America and Europe) and Bishop Peter M.
Williamowich (consecrated by Met. Fan Noli), as Suffragan Bishop, The Polish Old Catholic Church. In
December 1960 Bp. Zhurawetsky succeeded Metropolitan Zielonka and immediately changed the name of
this jurisdiction to Christ Catholic Church of the Americas and Europe, and taking the name of Peter II. In
1978, His Beatitude, Pope Nikolaus VII of Alexandria and All Africa wrote a letter recognizing Abp. Petros
Zhurawetsky as a canonical Orthodox bishop. Patriarch Peter II consecrated to the Sacred Episcopate:
Bishop Robert Gerald John Schulyer Zeiger (01/01/29 - 1998) in the Russian Orthodox Church of the
Holy Trinity and St. Olga, New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 1 July 1961, assisted by Primate Hubert
Augustus Rogers, Bishop Julian Lester Smith, and Bishop James Hubert Rogers (all of The North American
Old Roman Catholic Church) as Bishop for The Orthodox Catholic Patriarchate of America. He later left Ptr.
Zhurawetsky's jurisdiction in 1961 and founded the American Orthodox Catholic Church. In 1964 he
resigned as Primate of that jurisdiction while remaining Archbishop Metropolitan of Denver. On 10 August
1976, Abp. Zeiger was consecrated at St. Paul's Monastery, La Porte, Indiana, by Abp/Primate Joseph John
Skureth (Western Orthodox Catholic Church) assisted by Bishop Joseph Gabriel Sokolowski, O.S.B. (Abbot
General, St. Paul's Monastery, La Porte, Indiana; consecrated 16 March 1970 by Abp. Joseph John Skureth
& Bp. Frank Blevins). Abp. Zeiger consecrated sub conditione to the Sacred Episcopate: