Official notifications of Bp. Mark's release to OCA

(antiochian.org) - On December 8th, 2010, in a letter to His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church In America (OCA), His Eminence Metropolitan Philip granted a canonical release for Bishop Mark (Maymon) in order that he be received into the OCA. This letter was a reply to a formal request from Metropolitan Jonah, on behalf of the Holy Synod of the OCA, that Bishop Mark be released from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America so that he might be received into the OCA.

In his letter to Metropolitan Jonah, Metropolitan Philip wrote “Bishop Mark is a very good bishop and I am sure that he will contribute his talents for the edification of the faithful of the Orthodox Church In America.”

Our prayers are with Bishop Mark that his new episcopal ministry will be greatly blessed.

Additional information may be found on the website of The Orthodox Church In America at www.oca.org.

And also...

SYOSSET, NY (OCA) - In a letter dated December 8, 2010, His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip, Primate of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, granted a canonical release to His Grace, Bishop Mark [Maymon] to enter the canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America.

This action was a response to an official request made by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, on behalf of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America.

Upon receipt of the letter from Metropolitan Philip, Metropolitan Jonah expressed his "appreciation for the harmonious relations of the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Archdiocese, as shown most recently in the release of Bishop Mark.... We welcome His Grace, Bishop Mark into the Orthodox Church in America and look forward to close collaboration in ministry and mission."

Effective January 1, 2011, Bishop Mark will serve as Auxiliary to Metropolitan Jonah with the title "Bishop of Baltimore" and will administer the OCA Diocese of the South.

Additional information may be found on the web site of the Antiochian Archdiocese at www.antiochian.org.

And also...

This might be of interest as well. A podcast from Fr. Hopko where he basically goes to town on the modern structure, configuration, and transferring of bishops. Given the time he put out the podcast (just a few weeks ago), I think he's making a rather pointed declaration of his opinion of recent North American goings-on.