{{westernrite}}The '''Western Rite Vicariate''' of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]] is a group of Orthodox Christian parishes throughout North America who worship using the [[Western Rite]] tradition. They number roughly 10,000 communicants in about twenty parishes and are under their local [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishops]], retaining Bishop with the Right Reverend [[Basil John (EsseyAbdalah) of WichitaWorcester|John (Abdalah)]] , Bishop of Worcester and New England, as their "bishop the Auxiliary Bishop with oversight of referencethe Vicariate."

:The first major approach was made in the late nineteenth century by a Roman Catholic priest, John Joseph Overbeck [''sic'', referencing [[John Joseph Julian Overbeck]]], who revised the Roman rite to conform to Orthodox standards, a fairly simple operation at that time. His proposal was accepted by the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] [[Holy Synod]] and he was encouraged and supported by interested missionary-minded Russians, but by the time of his death in the first decade of Twentieth Century, his movement had not succeeded and his converts were absorbed into Byzantine communities.

:At the turn of the century, the only Orthodox bishop in North America, the later Russian Patriarch [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] was approached by a group of Episcopalians, who asked to be allowed to continue the use of the American ''Book of Common Prayer'' rather than the [[Byzantine riteRite]]. Bishop Tikhon petitioned the Holy Synod of Moscow and a commission of theologians was directed to provide a detailed examination and revision of the Prayer Book to be approved for the converts (the report was printed in the ''Journal of the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg'', a summary in English was printed in ''The Russian American Messenger'', a critical review by two Anglican scholars appeared as ''Tract XII'' of the Alcuin Club and a fuller version with notes appeared in ''The Orthodox Catholic Review'', a publication of the Antiochian Archdiocese).

:Metropolitan [[Gerasimos (Messara) of Beirut|Gerassimos (Messerah) of Beirut]] received a Western Rite movement in England before World War I, and Metropolitan [[Germanos (Shehadi) of Zahle|Germanos (Shehadi)]], while resident in the United States, engaged in negotiations to receive a [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] movement in Mexico in the 1920s. Neither of these projects resulted in a continuing community. They are noticed here to demonstrate that an Orthodox Western Rite is not a recent project.

:Our present Western Rite Vicariate began with the return of a few parishes of converts that had dropped out of our diocese in the difficult days after World War I. It was approved by the late Patriarch Alexander and was finally received in the early 1950s. There are presently some twenty centers. There are no invented services: the parishes use either the form approved for Overbeck or for Patriarch Tikhon, now a saint of the Church.[http://www.westernorthodox.com/twain]

Since its founding in 1958, the Western Rite Vicariate has nearly doubled in size and now consists of a rapidly growing dimension of the Church's Mission mission in America [http://www.stcolumbachurch.org/aboutorthodox.cfm], including about 20 parishes30 [[parish]]es and missions. Because of his association with the founding of the [[Western Rite]] in America, the Vicariate holds St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]] as its [[patron saint]].

==Commissionand Administration==

*+Most Reverend Bishop BasilThe Very Rev. Edward W. Hughes, Archepiscopal Vicar-General*The Very Rev. Msgr. George Morelli*The Very Rev. FrMichael Keiser*Mrs. Marie Hyder*The Very Rev. Paul W. S. Schneirla, Vicar-General''emeritus'' The Vicariate is adminstered by: *The Very Rev. Fr. Edward W. Hughes, Vicar-General*The Rev. FrJohn W. George MorelliFenton, Assistant to the Vicar-General

*[http://whittierwww.stmichaelwesternorthodox.com/western-rite-parish-directory Western Rite Orthodox Parish Directory]*[http://www.stmichaelwhittier.org/ St. Michael Church], Whitter, CA

*[http://www.emmanuelorthodox.org/ Emmanuel Orthodox Catholic Church], Warren, MA*[http://www.ststephensorthodox.org/ St. Stephens Orthodox Catholic Church], Springfield, MA*[http://www.stgregoryoc.org/ St. Gregory the Great Church], Falls ChurchWashington, VADC

*[http://www.antiochian.org/OurLadyOfWalsingham Our Lady of Walsingham Church], Mesquite, TX<!-- *[http://www.holyapostleschurch.org/ Holy Apostles Orthodox Chapel], Tyler, TX(This link is not associated with this chapel.)--->