San Francisco, April 16, 2021
Photo: orthodoxbillings.org His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco of the Orthodox Church in America announced today that he is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.
His statement on the diocesan website reads:
Beloved in Christ:
The Lord bless.
Recently, I have been noticing a tremor and other symptoms that may indicate Parkinson’s Disease. After a battery of tests, I was indeed diagnosed with the initial stages of Parkinson’s. At this juncture, I do not expect it will adversely impact my ability to fulfill my duties as bishop. However, as always, I am grateful to His Grace, Bishop Daniel, for his assistance and no doubt will require his help more and more as the disease progresses. I ask for your prayers as I move forward.
With gratitude to God for all things;
†Benjamin
Archbishop of San Francisco
His Eminence was born on June 1, 1954, and was baptized and chrismated into holy Orthodoxy on April 27, 1972. He was ordained to the diaconate on November 15, 1987 and tonsured into monasticism the next year.
He was ordained to the priesthood on July 19, 1997, and elevated to the rank of archimandrite in 2002. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on May 1, 2004, initially serving as auxiliary to Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco. He was installed as ruling bishop of the Diocese and San Francisco and the West on October 2, 2007. He was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop in the spring of 2012.
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