March 19, 2025, (orthochristian.com)- His Grace Bishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America has been formally elevated to the status of Archbishop.

The Orthodox Church in America reports:

“The Holy Synod meeting today under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, unanimously decided to elevate His Grace Bishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska to the dignity of archbishop.

May God grant His Eminence Archbishop Alexei many years!”

His Eminence Archbishop Alexei is a former monk of St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania and of Karakallou Monastery on Mt. Athos. After decades of laboring in monasticism, he was called back to serve in the OCA in 2019. He was consecrated as the Bishop of Bethesda, auxiliary to Met. Tikhon, in January 2020, was appointed as Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Alaska in November 2020 and enthroned as the ruling bishop of Alaska in April 2022.

Abp. Alexei has worked tirelessly to preach the Gospel and build up the Diocese of Alaska. He has raised awareness about the diocese’s need for strong clergy and funds to support them, and he secured the return of St. Innocent of Alaska’s 18th-century Gospel to the cathedral in Sitka.