Archbishop Nikon of Boston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Eminence Nikon
Archbishop of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese
Diocese	Diocese of Boston and New England, Albanian Archdiocese
See	Boston
Predecessor	Archbishop Job (Osacky) (New England), Archbishop Mark (Forsberg) (Albanian Archdiocese)
Other posts	Formerly: Parish Priest (St. Nicholas Church, Cambridge, MA & St. Thomas Church, Farmington Hills, MI); Dean of the Great Lakes Deanery, Project Coordinator, "Voice of Orthodoxy", Russian Orthodox Layman's League; Editor, "The Vine", newspaper of the Albanian Archdiocese
Orders
Ordination	July 5, 1969 (Holy Diaconate), July 6, 1969 (Holy Priesthood)
Consecration	May 25, 2002, May 9, 2012 (elevation to Archbishop)
Personal details
Birth name	Nicholas Liolin
Born	(1945-10-09)October 9, 1945 New York, New York
Died	September 1, 2019(2019-09-01) (aged 73) Southbridge, Massachusetts
Nationality	American
Denomination	Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox Church in America
Residence	Boston, Mass.
Parents	Evan and Helena Liolin
Spouse	Sarah Arthur (1967-2000, her death)
Alma mater	Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

Archbishop Nikon, whose birth name was Nicholas Liolin, was an important leader in the Orthodox Church. He was born on October 9, 1945, and passed away on September 1, 2019. He served as a bishop, leading two main parts of the Orthodox Church in America: the Albanian Archdiocese and the New England diocese.

Early Life and Family

Nicholas Liolin was born in New York City on October 9, 1945. His parents were Evans J. and Helena P. Liolin. His family was very active in the Orthodox Christian faith. They were part of the Albanian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America.

Nicholas grew up in a family dedicated to their church. His father helped start a fund for theology students in 1947. His mother was a choir director at their church, Saint Nicholas, in Jamaica Estates, New York.

Nicholas had three brothers. His brother John was on the church council for Saint George Church. His brother Billy bravely served in the armed forces during the Korean War and died. His youngest brother, James, also served on the church council. His older brother, Father Arthur, became a Chancellor in the Albanian Archdiocese.

Education and Interests

Nicholas went to elementary and high school in New York City. During these years, he became very interested in theatre arts. He even played leading roles in several high school plays. He also enjoyed studying biological sciences.

He later studied at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. He also attended Iona and Concordia College and the New School for Social Research and Political Science.

Becoming a Church Leader

In 1967, Nicholas married his childhood sweetheart, Sarah Arthur. She later became a choir director.

On July 5, 1969, Nicholas became a Deacon. The very next day, on July 6, 1969, he became a Priest. For 33 years, he served as a priest for two churches in the Albanian Archdiocese: Saint Nicholas Church in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and Saint Thomas Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Important Roles and Contributions

Besides being a priest, Archbishop Nikon had many other important roles. He was the President of the Greater Detroit Council of Orthodox Churches. He also served as a Chaplain for the Wayne State University Orthodox Christian Fellowship.

He helped manage a health insurance plan for clergy in his area. He also appeared on many live television and radio shows. He was a project coordinator for "The Voice of Orthodoxy," a program started by the Russian Orthodox Layman's League. He also worked as the editor of "The Vine," which was the newspaper for the Albanian Archdiocese. He was also the Dean of the Great Lakes Deanery.

Becoming a Bishop

On July 25, 2000, his wife Sarah passed away from cancer.

Before becoming a bishop, Nikon spent time at Saint Tikhon's Seminary and Monastery. He continued his studies there.

Archbishop Nikon was made a Bishop on May 24 and 25, 2002. He became the Bishop of Baltimore. On October 10, 2003, he was chosen to be the Bishop of Boston. The Holy Synod officially elected him Bishop of Boston on October 22, 2003.

He also managed the Diocese of New England. In October 2005, he was elected to be the main bishop for that area. He was given a new title: Bishop of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese. He was officially installed in this role on December 16 and 17, 2005.

On May 9, 2012, Bishop Nikon was elevated to the rank of Archbishop. He passed away on September 1, 2019, in Southbridge, Massachusetts.