[[Image:BG2.JPG|right|thumb|His Grace on the ambon of his first cathedral church of St John the Baptist in Mayfield, PA.]]{{orthodoxyinaustralasia}}His Grace The Most , the Right Reverend '''George (Schaefer)''' is [[Bishop]] of Mayfield, PennsylvaniaSydney, [[vicar]] and ruling bishop of the Eastern-American [[dioceseDiocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].

The future bishop George Paul Schaefer was born on [[May 25]], 1950, in Belleville, Illinois, to Francis and Claire Schaefer, a devout Roman Catholic family. He graduated from Catholic High School in 1968 and then attended Southern Illinois University from 1968 to 1972. In 1974 After graduating, he was received into saw problems in the Greek Orthodox Roman Catholic Church in Modesto, California, ; he stopped attending services and given began to search for the name Makarios truth, including in honor of Saint Makarios the Great. He joined the Russian Church Abroad in San Francisco in May 1975 Buddhist and entered [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Seminary]] in September 1975other eastern sources.

On ChristmasIn 1974, [[January 7]]he moved to San Jose, 1975California, Makarios was made a [[novice]] by Archbishop [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]]. As a novice his obediences in the [[monastery]] were working in the farm and cemetery. After found out about Orthodox Christianity through a few years in Greek man, discovering the monastery he was made a riassophor [[monk]] on Friday of Church, the First Week lives of Lentsaints, 1979 and [[tonsure]]d to the small schema on Friday of true faith. He was baptised that year at the First Week of LentGreek Orthodox Church in Modesto, 1980California, and given the name Mitrophan Makarios in honor of Saint Mitrophan of VoronezhMakarios the Great. He was [[ordination|ordained]] started attending St Nicholas Church, San Jose, before attending the Greek Cathedral in San Francisco and, in May 1975, a [[subdeacon]] on Palm Sunday of the same year. In 1980 he graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary Russian church in San Francisco.

Fr Mitrophan was sent In January 1975, Makarios visited Mt Athos, where he decided to become a monk. He later visited the [[Monastery of St. Herman of Alaska (Platina, California)|St Herman of Alaska Monastery]], Platina, where he met Monks [[Mount AthosSeraphim (Rose)]] by and [[Laurus Herman (SkurlaPodmoshensky) of New York|Archbishop Laurus]] and was immersed in June of 1981the monastic life. He was tonsured to the great schema by They suggested he enrol in seminary, which he did, entering [[HieromonkHoly Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Seminary]] Chrysostomos of Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mt. Athos and given the name George in honor of Saint George the Great-MartyrSeptember 1975.

In February===Monastic life===On Christmas, 1986[[January 7]], Fr George returned to 1976, Makarios was made a [[novice]] by Archbishop [[Holy Trinity Monastery Averky (Jordanville, New YorkTaushev)of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]], then Dean of Holy Trinity MonasterySeminary. As a novice his obediences in the [[monastery]] were cleaning, cooking, working the tractor in the farm and digging graves in the cemetery. After a few years in the monastery he was made a riassophor [[monk]] on Friday of the First Week of Lent, 1979 and started working [[tonsure]]d to the small schema on Friday of the First Week of Lent, 1980, and given the Printshop name Mitrophan in honor of Saint Job [[Mitrophan of Pochaev in 1986, where he worked until 1998Voronezh]]. He assumed editorial duties was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[subdeacon]] on Orthodox Life in 1992Palm Sunday of the same year, which he fulfills to this daybefore graduating from Holy Trinity Seminary that year.

Fr George was Mitrophan, with the blessing of [[ordinationLaurus (Skurla) of New York|ordainedArchbishop Laurus]] a , moved to [[hierodeaconMount Athos]] on the feast in June of 1981. Initially, he lived in StElias Skete for several months, a strict skete which was then connected with ROCOR. Michael On the advise of Elder Nicodemos of Karoulia, 1986 and he then moved to an English-speaking cell (within [[Koutloumousiou Monastery (Athos)|Koutloumousiou Monastery]]) with four other ROCOR monks (including a hieromonk on Palm Sundayordained by then-Bishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]]), 1987. In September 1998 he which was elevated one that other monasteries would often send American visitors to the rank of them. He became acquainted with St [[hegumenPaisios (Eznepidis)|Paisios the Athonite]] and while there. He was tonsured to the great schema by [[archimandriteHieromonk]] on Labor Day, 2005Chrysostomos of Koutloumousiou and given the name George in honor of Saint George the Great-Martyr.

In 1994 he was appointed as economos February, 1986, Fr George returned to [[Holy Trinity Monastery and made dean of (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery in 2007]] and started working on the Printshop of Saint Job of Pochaev, where he worked until 2008. He is the author of several assumed editorial duties on Orthodox Life from 1992 to his consecration as bishop in 2008, including writing & translating many articles and translations published in for ''Orthodox Life. Translated '' magazine and translating several sayings of the Optina Elders published found in the book “Living ''Living Without Hypocrisy”Hypocrisy'' ([[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, published by New York)|HTM Press in ]], 2006). He also served as confessor and spiritual father of the began helping at [[Hermitage of the Holy Cross in (Wayne, West Virginia, the largest English-language monastery )|Hermitage of the ROCORHoly Cross]] during this time, serving as confessor and spiritual father.

Fr George was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[hierodeacon]] on the feast of St. Michael, 1986 and a hieromonk on Palm Sunday, 1987. In 1994, he was appointed Economos of Holy Trinity Monastery, was elevated to the rank of [[hegumen]] in September 1998, was elevated to [[archimandrite]] on Labor Day, 2005, and was made dean of Holy Trinity Monastery in 2007. ===Episcopal service===In May 2008, the [[Synod]] of Bishops of the ROCOR elected Archimandrite George as Bishop of Mayfield, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese. The [[Holy Synod]] of the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed the election in June 2008; though Bp George, having no internet, found out about his appointment from the congratulations of friends. On [[December 7]], 2008, Archimandrite George was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] to the episcopal office at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, by Bishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]], Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland]] and Bishop [[John (Berzins) of Caracas|John of Caracas]]. Bishop George's place of residence is was at the [[Holy Cross Skete (Wayne, West Virginia)|Hermitage of the Holy Cross in Wayne]], West Virginia. In 2009, when the Hermitage became independent of Holy Trinity Monastery, he was appointed Abbot. On behalf of Metropolitan Hilarion (who, before being elected First Hierarch, had been diocesan bishop of Australia and New Zealand), Bp George visited Australia for two months in 2013, and repeated this trip in 2014. On [[October 10]], 2014, he was appointed by the Holy Synod to be 'Bishop of Canberra' as a vicar bishop within the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. It was later announced that Bp George would move to the Australian Diocesan Chancery after Pascha 2015, and would remain Bishop of Mayfield until his relocation.[http://eadiocese.org/News/2014/oct/bg.en.htm] On Bright Tuesday, 2015, Bp George departed America for Sydney, Australia. He was welcomed on Bright Thursday and inducted as Bishop of Canberra on Bright Friday. After the repose of Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]], Bp George was appointed Acting Ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. Later that year, during the same Council of Bishops that elected Bp [[Nicholas (Olhovsky) of New York|Nicholas of Manhattan]] as First Hierarch, Bp George was appointed ruling bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand on [[September 21|21 September]] 2022, and given the title "Bishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand".[https://synod.com/synod/eng2022/20220923_enbpgeorgeaustralia.html] {{start box}}{{succession|before= ''see created''|title=Bishop of Mayfield<br>([[ROCOR]])|years=2008-2015|after=&mdash;}}{{succession|before=Igumen [[Seraphim (Voepel)]]<br>'''''as Superior of a dependency of Holy Trinity Monastery''|title=Abbot of the [[Hermitage of the Holy Cross (Wayne, West Virginia)|Hermitage of the Holy Cross]]|years=2009-2015|after=Archim. [[Seraphim (Voepel)]]}}{{succession|before= ''see created''|title=Bishop of Canberra<br>([[ROCOR]])|years=2015-2022|after=&mdash;}}{{succession|before= Metr. [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]]|title=Bishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand<br>([[ROCOR]])|years=2022-present|after=&mdash;}}{{end box}} == References ==* [http://www.jordanville.org/news_081207_2.html Biography of Bishop George]* [http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2009/5enholycrosshermitage.html Holy Cross Monastery Elects a New Abbot]* [http://eadiocese.org/Administration/vicarbishops.en.htm Vicar Bishops]* [http://synod.com/synod/engdocuments/enart_bpgeorgeinterview.html “Church Life Isn’t Black and White” - an interview of Bp George (Schaefer)]* [https://synod.com/synod/eng2022/20220923_enbpgeorgeaustralia.html Bishop George of Canberra appointed Ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]