Former Merced priest now a leading bishop

By FATHER DAVID THATCHER
Special to the Sun-Star

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- "Can there any good thing come out of ..." Merced? The original form of this question is found in the New Testament, in the conversation of two brothers, Philip and Nathanael. The topic was about Jesus, and the place Nazareth, not Merced.

Philip was excitedly seeking to introduce his brother to this man "of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth..." (John 1:45), but Nathanael was skeptical and wryly replied, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip's only answer was to urge his brother to "Come, and see."

This time, it's Merced's turn, and the "good thing to come out of" here is a former pastor of the small Orthodox Christian mission: Father Jonah Paffhausen. Father Jonah was the pastor at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church here in the Merced area, for a little over two years in the mid-1990s.

This onetime mission priest was, on Nov. 12, elected the leading bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, one of the leading Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in North America. The former Father Jonah is now referred to as "His Beatitude, the Most Reverend Jonah, Archbishop of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All America and Canada." That is a mouthful, so most of us will refer to "His Beatitude" as "Metropolitan Jonah." In addition, he'd be the first to tell you that his new office is not about power and prestige, but rather servant leadership and healing. He's still the same humble missionary who sought to care for and build his little Merced flock.

So, what's a Metropolitan? The Orthodox Church has maintained the classic structure of pastoral leadership: bishop, priest (or presbyter), and deacon. One kind of bishop is a metropolitan: one whose territory of pastoral care is a major metropolitan city. In the case of The Orthodox Church in America, the Metropolitan is also the church's leading bishop, or primate (not to be confused with the biological order, which includes lemurs, monkeys and apes -- as well as humans!). As the leading bishop, the Metropolitan chairs the Holy Synod of Bishops, and represents The Orthodox Church in America in its relations with other Orthodox churches, as well as with other groups, Christian and otherwise.

As the new Metropolitan, His Beatitude certainly has his hands full. In the past several years, and even decades, The Orthodox Church in America has experienced a leadership crisis of sorts, with poor accounting systems and accusations of financial mismanagement. The All American Council, at which Metropolitan Jonah was elected, was convened precisely to receive investigative reports, clean house and set this Orthodox jurisdiction in order.

Since he left Merced in late 1997, Father Jonah formed the Monastery of Saint John of Shanghai, China, and San Francisco, then resident in Marin County near Point Reyes Station. Despite poor facilities, Father Jonah successfully reached out to young men seeking to follow the Christian faith within the ancient spiritual disciplines of Orthodox monasticism. In recent years, the monastery successfully purchased a new home in Manton, outside of Redding. Then, this year, the Abbot of this thriving monastery was elected to be an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of the South. Father Jonah was consecrated Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 1, but his tenure there was to last less than two weeks. Bishop Jonah became Metropolitan Jonah, elected by the All American Council and the Holy Synod of Bishops, in the second week of November.

So, Merced: put away thine insecurities; thou art no mere fly-over zone, best known for foreclosures and poverty. The Archpastor of a jurisdiction of Orthodox Christians -- a church with roots back to the original Russian Orthodox Church mission to North America in 1794 -- came from thee.

St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church is alive and well, holding services at the Chapel of Mercy Outpatient Center (formerly "Dominican Campus"), at 2740 M St. here in Merced. Entrance to the chapel is from the Bear Creek (or north) side. Inquirers and visitors are welcome. For information, please call (209) 384-0673, or see us on the Web at http://StMaryMagdaleneChurch.org/.