title: Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the South
text: # Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the South
  
  The Diocese of the South is a diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in fourteen states in the Southern and Southwestern United States – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
  
  The diocesan chancery is located in Dallas, Texas. The Diocese's episcopal seat is Saint Seraphim Cathedral (Dallas, Texas) with Christ the Saviour Cathedral (Miami Lakes, Florida) as a co-cathedral.
  
  Archbishop Dmitri Royster was the first and only ruling bishop of the Diocese of the South from 1978 until his retirement on March 31, 2009. Archbishop Nikon of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese initially served as locum tenens. As of March 21, 2015, Metropolitan Tikhon Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All American and Canada served as locum tenens with Bishop Gerasim (Eliel) of Ft. Worth as the Diocesan Administrator. As of March 29, 2016, Bishop Alexander (Golitzin) current ruling bishop of the Bulgarian Diocese, has been elected by the Holy Synod to be the ruling bishop of the Diocese of the South, in addition to his current diocese.
  
  ## Deaneries
  
  The diocese is grouped geographically into six deaneries, each consisting of a number of parishes. Each deanery is headed by a parish priest, known as a dean. The deans coordinate activities in their area's parishes, and report to the diocesan bishop. The current deaneries of the Diocese of the South and their territories are:
  
  * Appalachian Deanery – Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia
  * Carolina Deanery – North Carolina and South Carolina
  * Central Florida Deanery – Florida
  * Southcentral Deanery – Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
  * Southeastern Deanery – Alabama and Georgia,
  * South Florida Deanery – Florida
  