August 6, 2012
Born in Slovakia in 1937, Ivan Kholonin, the future archbishop, received a theological education at the Theological Faculty in Preshov (Slovakia), after which he was ordained deacon and preist in 1983. After the repose of his spouse, he was chosen and consecrated Bishop of Mikhailovsky, Slovakia. He was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1998. In 2006, after the death of Metropolitan Nicholas of Preshov, who was also the primate of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church, Metropolitan John was elected to the see of Preshov and appointed Exarch of Slovakia.
The late hierarch was the recipient of a great many ecclesiastical and governmental awards for his activities benefiting the Church and society, reports the French Orthodox site Orthodoxie, referencing the Greek news agency "Romphea".
In September of 2006, Archbishop John provided a warm reception for the pilgrimage delegation of the Russian Church Abroad, which consisted of several members of the committee charged with distributing the estate of His Eminence, Metropolitan Laurus, headed by Bishop Peter of Cleveland. See the report on that visit here.
