Irinej (Dobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand

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Bishop Irinej (Dobrijević) is the bishop for the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand; he is the ruling bishop for the diocese directly under the Patriarch and the disputed administrator for the diocese within the New Grancanica Metropolitanate.

Bishop Irinej was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his election at the May 2006 Holy Synod of the Church of Serbia, he was very active in interchurch relations, IOCC and the plight of Serbs in Kosovo.

Fluent in English as well as Serbian, he arrived in Australia in October 2006.

Biographical timeline

• 1955 - Born Mirko Dobrijevic in Cleveland, Ohio.
• 1973 - Attended the Cleveland Institute of Art, 1973-1975

Studied at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

• 1975-1994 - unknown

• 1994 - Ordained to the diaconate and priesthood, tonsured a monk with the name Irinej
• 1996 - Began teaching seminarians at Graduate School of Theology, Belgrade
• 1999 - Member of delegation, led by Rev. Jesse Jackson, that helped free POWs held by Yugoslav army.
• 1999 - Opened the office of external affairs.
• Other positions:

Consultant to the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod on International and Interchurch Affairs.

Represents Serbian Orthodox Church in the central committee of the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches.

• 2006 Jul 15 - Archimandrite Irinej consecrated a bishop in Belgrade.
• 2006 Oct 18 - Bp Irinej arrived in Australia.
• 2006 Oct 21 - Bp Irinej enthroned at St Sava's Serbian Orthodox Church, Elanora Heights (Mona Vale, Sydney)

Preceded by: Milutin

Bishop of Australia and New Zealand (Serbian) 2006-present

Succeeded by: —

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Source

• Briggs, David, 2006, "Cleveland-born Orthodox priest named bishop", in Plain Dealer: Religion, Saturday July 8.