NEW YORK, March 13 - In accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod at St. Petersburg, a third bishop was added to-day to the Russian Orthodox Church in America when Raphael Hawawony, pastor of the Syrian Arabic Church of St. Nicholas of Brooklyn, became Bishop Raphael, the first of his faith to be consecrated in America.

At least 2000 worshipers jammed the building so that with the heat of hundreds of burning tapers three women fainted just before the actual consecration of the new Bishop.

Bishop Tikhon of North America and Bishop Innocent of Alaska, attired in robes heavy with gold and silver designs in needlework and wearing their mitres of gold studded with jewels, sat together upon a throne facing the altar. To the right, representing the Czar, head of the church, were A. N. Bobroff, secretary of the Imperial Russian Embassy, and Count Nicholas de Lodygensky, Consul General at New York.

Previous to the reading of the gospels, the nominated Bishop knelt while the Bishops placed their hands on his head and invoked the Holy Ghost to descend and bless him.

Bishop Raphael ranks as the Bishop of Brooklyn and second prelate in the Aleutian diocese.

-The San Francisco Call, Monday, March 14, 1904, p. 3:1