Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, October 17, 2025
St. James the Apostle-New Studion Monastery in Oklahoma. Photo: stiakovosnewstudion.org
Three monasteries whose abbots and abbesses were previously deposed have left the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church and gone into schism.
In March, the Georgian Orthodox Diocese in North America announced the defrocking and deposition of Archimandrite Athanasios (Clark), former abbot of St. James the Apostle Monastery in Oklahoma, Archimandrite Christophoros (Khadasok), former abbot of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Maryland, and Abbess Aemiliane (Hanson), former abbess of St. Nina’s Monastery in Maryland.
And at the Diocesan Assembly on October 11 at St. David the Builder Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a reported was read about how the monasteries have left the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church.
The diocese reports:
Fr. Paul [Zakaraia] presented a report on canonical matters within the diocese, focusing particularly on three monasteries that had separated from the diocese’s jurisdiction due to canonical violations committed by their abbots. He explained the investigation process conducted by the commission and the final ruling issued by the bishop.
Bishop Saba further elaborated on the reasons for these decisions and expressed sorrow over the monasteries’ departure from the diocese, emphasizing that the disciplinary measures imposed on their leaders were both necessary and inevitable according to church law.
Participants asked questions, which were answered by members of the commission.
Former members of the monasteries who remained loyal to the diocese also spoke, expressing pain and sadness over the separation of their brethren. With this, the matter was concluded.
The statement doesn’t provide any details about the monasteries’ canonical violations. However, they are associated with Elder Dionysios (Kalambokas), a highly controversial monk who is the spiritual head of a network of monasteries throughout Greece, Europe, and America.
Elder Dionysios and his monasteries, both abroad and in America, have bounced around between jurisdictions and have even been associated with non-canonical clergy. Elder Dionysios was reportedly expelled from both Mt. Athos and the Holy Land in the past, and was himself reportedly defrocked by the Church of Greece in 2022.
Moreover, it is well known that the monasteries have become connected with a charlatan bishop based in Pennsylvania.
“Archbishop” Melchisdeck of the “Palestinian Orthodox Church of America,” another well-known jurisdiction bouncer, has served and “ordained” priests at the monastery.
Both the Jerusalem Patriarchate and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishop of the United States of America have issued formal warnings about him, informing the faithful that he is not a real hierarch and not a member of the Orthodox Church.
Read more about the complicated history of “Archbishop Melchisdeck” here.
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