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Mitropolit KonstantinPrimate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA
Date of Birth: 29.07.1936
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Constantine, Metropolitan of Irinopolis
- Ordination and Early Ministry
- Episcopal Consecration and Ministry
- Unification with the Ecumenical Patriarchate
- Legacy and Passing
Constantine, Metropolitan of Irinopolis
Early Life and EducationConstantine (Bohdan) was born on July 29, 1936, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Stanley and Katherine (Yekaterina) Buhan, Ukrainian immigrants. He graduated high school in 1955 and enrolled in St. Andrew's College in Winnipeg, Canada, earning a Bachelor of Theology in 1959. He continued his studies at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, obtaining a Ph.D. in 1965.
Ordination and Early Ministry
On April 23, 1967, Constantine was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Mstislav (Skrypnyk) of the unofficial Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA (UOC-USA) in South Bound Brook, New Jersey. On July 23, 1967, he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan John (Teodorovich) of the unofficial Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Canada in Pittsburgh. He served as an assistant to Father Theodore Biletsky, rector of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois.
Episcopal Consecration and Ministry
In 1968, Constantine was assigned to St. Nicholas Parish in Troy, New York. On December 18, 1971, he was tonsured into monasticism and named Constantine. He was elected bishop and consecrated as Bishop of Chicago on May 7, 1972, in St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Philadelphia, becoming the first American-born bishop of his jurisdiction.
Constantine organized youth gatherings throughout America in collaboration with the Ukrainian Orthodox League's Educational Committee. He played a key role in establishing Holy Trinity Seminary in 1975 and acquiring land for a camp in Western Pennsylvania in 1977. In recognition of his contributions, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1987.
Unification with the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Following the death of UOC-USA head Metropolitan Mstislav (Skrypnyk) in 1993, Constantine assumed leadership. In 1995, he and the schismatic structure he led sought acceptance into the fold of the Ecumenical Patriarchate under Patriarch Bartholomew. On March 12, 1995, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Church granted their request.
Subsequently, Constantine was re-ordained as the titular Metropolitan of Irinopolis and placed at the head of the newly formed Autonomous Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the USA.
Legacy and Passing
Metropolitan Constantine passed away on May 21, 2012, at the age of 76. He was remembered for his unwavering dedication to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States and his role in bridging the schism between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the UOC-USA.
