The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church appointed a new abbot for Optina Monastery at its session in Ekaterinburg on Saturday, reports orthochristian.com.
Former abbot Archimandrite Benedict Penkov reposed in the Lord on January 22 at the age of 79, having served nearly 20 years as the abbot of the great Optina Pustyn Monastery.
At the meeting, the bishops heard a report from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the appointment of His Grace Bishop Leonid of Urzhum and Omutninsk to the position by decision of the Holy Synod.
He was released from Urzhum Diocese, becoming a vicar to His Grace Bishop Thomas of Pskov with the title of Bishop of Mozhaysk—a town and administrative center of the Mozhaysk District in the Moscow Province.
Bp. Leonid began living at Optina Monastery in May 2002 and was tonsured as a monk with the name of Leonid by former abbot Archimandrite Benedict on April 20, 2003.
He was ordained to the diaconate on May 4, 2003, and to the priesthood on October 23, 2006. He was elected as the bishop of Urzhum and Omutninsk on October 23, 2014, and was consecrated to the episcopacy on November 11, 2014.
Photo courtesy of: Optina Monastery
