Bp. Nicholas to head Diocese of Miami and the Southeast

August 3, 2017 (Antiochian.org) - The Reverend Clergy of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast:

Blessings and greetings to you and your families in the name of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, as we embark on the blessed Dormition Fast.

I would like to start this letter by thanking my dear brother His Grace Bishop Antoun for all the years of hard work in the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. He touched all of our hearts with his dedication and support as he earned his gray hair: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” (Proverbs 16:31)

As you all know, His Grace has decided to retire this year. I have spent months thinking about the right person to guide the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. After much contemplation and prayer, I have decided that His Grace Bishop Nicholas will be your bishop.

You all know His Grace and his dedication to and focus on spreading the word of God. His Grace, as the Bishop of the Diocese of New York and Washington D.C. for the past six years, has proven to be an effective shepherd and father to all clergy and laity, especially to the teens and young adults. Furthermore, His Grace has been a successful and trustworthy administrator, especially in the past six years as the Assistant to Metropolitan Philip of thrice blessed memory and to me. I am confident that he will do the same in the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast.

I see him on the one hand as a shepherd of souls, who will listen to people at a deep contemplative level and help them mature spiritually, and on the other hand an effective administrator to manage the Diocese of the Southeast. I have known Bishop Nicholas for decades and have recognized the priority he places on serving the faithful of this Archdiocese, which makes him the right person for the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. I pray that the Holy Spirit, through your prayers, will guide him all of the years to come.

As such, His Grace Bishop Nicholas has full authority over the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. Therefore, during every service and every set of petitions that call for the commemoration of the Metropolitan, Bishop Nicholas is to be commemorated, whether he is present or not. These commemorations, which are as follows, are effective immediately:

For our Father and Metropolitan Joseph and our Bishop Nicholas, for the venerable Priesthood, the Diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, etc.

Among the first be mindful, O Lord, of our Father and Metropolitan Joseph and our Bishop Nicholas, whom do thou grant unto thy holy churches etc.

However, when the Metropolitan is present, as it is customary in all parishes, the commemorations are for the Metropolitan alone. In addition, I have included His Grace’s official picture for the use in your parishes.

Wishing you, your families, and your parishioners all of God’s blessings, I remain,

Your Father in Christ,

+JOSEPH

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America