Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Western America

The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Western America or Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America () is a Serbian Orthodox Church diocese located in the western region of the United States. Its headquarters are in Alhambra, California. The primary mission of the Diocese of Western America is to preserve and foster the faith, heritage, traditions, and culture, and religious and national values of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and to provide spiritual guidance to more than 600,000 Serbian-Americans in almost 50 churches, parishes, monasteries and children's summer camps in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. It also covers the territory of Mexico.
Bishop.
Bishop Maksim Vasiljević was elected Bishop of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South American at the regular assembly of the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, Serbia in 2006. Bishop Maksim is a professor of Patristics at the Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade and was teaching Christian Anthropology and Sociology at the University of East Sarajevo and Patrology at the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, Illinois. Bishop Maksim graduated from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Belgrade, in 1993. He completed his Masters of Theology at the University of Athens in 1996, and then three years later, in 1999, at the same university, he defended his doctorate in the field of Dogmatics and Patristics. He worked for one year on his post-doctorate in Paris and the Sorbonne in 2003–04, in the field of Byzantine History and Hagiography. During this time, he also delved in the theory and practical application of painting at the French Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. Bishop Maksim speaks Serbian, Greek, French, Russian and English. He was the editor of "Theology" – Journal of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Belgrade. He also leads the Diocesan iconographical school inspired by Byzantine and Serbian medieval fresco painting and by Fr. Stamatis Skliris. Bishop Maksim's scholarly books, studies, and articles include essays on Holy Fathers and Saints; he has also written on the hagiographical and iconographical themes.