This information is essential to the Orthodox Public being misled by these independent groups who in any number of ways claim they are us and claim to have canonical sacramental authority. None listed herein who claim to be us are. They are Episcopi Vagants in the eyes of the Orthodox.

We, the lawful owners of the name, "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" state as follows;

We are the one and only canonically established "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America" and all those not part of this Church who use this name are misleading the public.

ERROR Note: If you feel there is an error on our website please feel free to contact us about it.

To be removed from this webpage also contact us to discuss how to correct your website so you are not claiming to be us under either name, not claiming our Charter was issued to you, or using our history.

Following is a list of groups who have claimed in the past or still claim to be us by using one of our names, either the corporate name of THEOCACNA, the short name "American Orthodox Catholic Church" or both.

Carl Bartholomew, A/K/A Bishop Alexander, who claims to head the Holy Orthodox Church - American Jurisdiction, the Francis Forbes group formerly from Tennessee. He has incorporated in Fla as The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America and at one time claimed to be us and claims to head the original THEOCACNA by virtue of his Fla corporation. He is a former Roman Catholic priest.

Forbes, who died Dec 2008, was never a priest of or member of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America. His Church likes to make a claim of this nature but we can document this to be a false claim.

They falsely claim to be us, use our service mark and name on bogus documents and have changed the logo to show our banner with our name below their shield.

We have a document signed by Nichols showing he left Orthodoxy and became a protestant Pastor in 1943 and remained as pastor until his death in 1947. Most independents claim he headed this Church until his death or that he headed the Society of Clerks Secukar of St. Basil until his repose, neither is true.

This group claims our history and claim to have changed their name because the "Corporation" was stolen but they do not in so many words say stolen from them). Simple to prove as a false claim since they were never part of THEOCACNA and they were not listed on any of THEOCACNA's corporate documents.

The Russian Orthodox Church in America is another independent jurisdiction who claim our history and claim to be us but say they changed their name. This group is headed by one "Symeon" Holdridge, self-proclaimed primate, who has operated in Wy, CO and NM. They even claim the "church corporation" was stolen so they claim that is why the changed their name. It should be noted that Mariam Ofiesh sat on the "stolen" corporations board of trustees until she retired in 1999. Many such independent groups make false claims to attempt to show they are canonical or canonically established. The book Garrison issued reads Holdridge was consecreated by Denis Garrison June 4, 1988 as bishop of Denver, CO. and Eparch of Central America. The American Orthodox Church disavows and disowns Seraphim Holdridge. At one point in the 1990's Symeon, A/K/A Seraphim (Holdridge), renounced his ordinations - lines and "retired" to a monastery for a brief period. He claims he was elevated to primate in 1989.

For details and some of their web info click on ROCIA.

Paul Stoms who claims to be the head of the German Orthodox Church and denied ever being a member of THEOCACNA claimed to be the head of THEOCACNA, then added "United" to the name.

Paul Stoms claims he was never part of THEOCACNA, We have in the Archives a newsetter where Garrison claimed to have accepted Stoms into THEOCACNA and a copy of a Certificate of Consecration issued to Stoms by Bp Cyril with the THEOCACNA name on it. We also have letters from German authorities that claim the relative he claimed in Cologne was not on their various rolls and they knew of no person by the names given, no German Orthodox Church or seminary and one of the addresses Stoms gave as his relatives was in fact the Roman Catholic Bishops address and he also did not know of a German Orthodox Church in the city.

DOCUMENTED: In emails to us Stoms attempted coercion when he threatened to release Psychiatric information to the Dallas Newspaper yet no such informaton or records exist. He also excommunicated a bishop on his own from his independent non-orthodox chaplains group. This same man had plead guilty of selling business degrees from the trunk of his car (newspaper).

The OCCNA - Orthodox Catholic Church in North America is an independent group that had been started by Denis Garrison. The group has pretty much faded away but still has a webpage up that seems to claim the 1927 Charter issued to THEOCACNA was also issued to them. They claim to have changed their name. Garrison had previously been excommunicated by C. David Luther, rumored to have been excommunicated by Bp. Ryan and was deposed by the North American Holy Synod in 1999.

The Garrison backers like to claim that he was not properly deposed in 1999 by the North American Holy Synod or that he was deposed by one bishop (solo) who he was said to have excommunicated first based on a certified mail receipt. (disproven by documents on file)

Roman Orthodox Church headed by Patrick Murray claimed to be chartered by The HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA as the western rite of THEOCACNA. Garrison (above) stated on his website that his OCCNA actually chartered the Roman Othodox Church.

Vladimir Wilson Sehorn who we understand started out with CACINA before being Ordained and consecrated by Denis Garrison. He incorporated his own THEOCACNA corporation. He is not associated with the 1927 canonically established Church. He had been associated with Symeon of ROCIA in the past.

The Byzantine Catholic Church under Mar Markus also now claims to have been started by or be us but changed their name. No direct claim is made as to how this was supposed to have occured since they claim lines back to Propheta.

Have very little info on this fellow.

Rev. J.M. Byron Whitney, OCO, OMD; Christian II, Successor in WORD and UNITY to Christian I,

(another)

his Web Page is megalife.faithweb.com

A few other groups also used to claim our corporate name "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America". Most who used to claim to be us changed their names when they were shown that our name is a Registered Service Mark and to use our name was illegal.