Passing of the Very Reverend Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky

Passing of the Very Reverend Fr. Leonid KishkovskyReligions for Peace marks the passing of the Very Reverend Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, a Russian Orthodox Priest who led a life committed to ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.


“Father Leonid,” as the Religions for Peace global family called him with affection, served as Co-Moderator, Co-President, and Honorary President of Religions for Peace International, as well as Moderator of Religions for Peace USA.  
 
Committed to a life of ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue, Fr. Leonid was elected as the first orthodox President of the National Council of Churches in the USA and served on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, among many other roles.
 
As Religions for Peace International Moderator, Fr. Kishkovsky led missions to places affected by conflict and engaged in high-level multi-religious diplomacy for peace. Fr. Leonid recalled his childhood, being born in 1943 in Nazi-occupied Warsaw and fleeing to West Germany with his family as a refugee. With his personal struggle in West Germany and as an immigrant in the US, Fr. Leonid recognized the need for multi-religious collaboration.

“When prominent religious leaders of all faiths … exercise their moral authority by speaking out and acting together, they can have a decisive impact on issues such as violent conflict, refugee crisis and extreme poverty,” said Fr. Kishkovsky. 
 
The entire Religions for Peace global movement mourns the passing of this great leader. Fr. Leonid leaves us with a legacy of perseverance and dedication to inter-religious dialogue and action, and continues to light our path towards a world of peace with justice and shared care for all humanity.

History

Longtime director of the Orthodox Church in America Office of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations, Kishkovsky was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1943. His parents fled from Warsaw with him in 1944, just before the Polish Warsaw uprising, becoming war refugees in Germany. They immigrated to the United States as displaced persons and settled in Los Angeles. 

After undergraduate studies in history and political science at the University of Southern California, he studied at St Vladimir’s Seminary. Ordained priest in November 1969, Kishkovsky was assigned to San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral to build an English-language community in the Cathedral’s St Innocent Chapel. In 1974, he was called to serve the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Sea Cliff, and at the same time to work in the Chancery of OCA in Syosset.

He has been president of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, moderator of Religions for Peace (international) and Religions for Peace USA, moderator of Christian Churches Together in the USA, and served on the board of directors of International Orthodox Christian Charities and as a board member of Church World Service. 

Kishkovsky dedicated himself to building up a welcoming Orthodox Christian community which embodied love of God and love of neighbor.

 

Passing of the Very Reverend Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky
Religions for Peace marks the Passing of the Very Reverend Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky