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In the spirit of his predecessor, Bishop Spataro stands as the embodiment of the AEC’s
efforts to attain peace and unity through ecumenical cooperation. His efforts have never
been limited exclusively to the Christian faith as he has endeavored to reach out to
individuals within differing spiritual traditions in order to faithfully demonstrate the principle
of unconditional Christian love and compassion.

Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army in 1962, +Spataro
embarked upon what would become a lifetime of service as an educator (serving as a
teacher for 29 years) and minister. Early in his career, he served as pastor of Pucker Street
Community Church in Conesville, New York. He was ordained Presbyter in the Orthodox
Catholic Church on December 26, 1976 by Archbishop Uladyslau Ryzy-Ryski (1925-1978).
From 1978 to 1983, Reverend Spataro was active in providing campus ministry services on
Long Island to international students from India and Guyana.

On June 25, 1976, +Spataro, with Father Eugenio N. Loreto of the Philippine Independent
Catholic Church, founded the Vilatte Guild, an historical and research organization with
which he as been integrally involved over the course of 30 years. It was also during this
period that Dr. Spataro served as an Instructor in English as a Second Language at
American College and Seminary, Bronx, New York.

In 1987, +Spataro published Charles Mason Remey and the Baha'i Faith (paperback,
2003), the first comprehensive biography of the founder of the Orthodox Baha’i movement.
In addition to this work, +Spataro has demonstrated himself as an accomplished and
award-winning poet (for God the All-Glorious and Blank Spaces), Editor-in-Chief of several
academic newsletters (most notably, The Tover), and contributor to numerous religious
magazines and journals. Among his other published works of note are The Rascal Sage,
A Brief Glimpse of Gurdjieff for Understanding Cults and Spiritual Movements (1988), With
God in Spirit and Truth (1992), Images of Godly Living (1994), and The Divine Liturgy of
Marqos (1999).

On October 31, 1992, Dr. Spataro was consecrated in the Cathedral of Christ the King,
Gordon Square, London, by Archbishop Bertil Persson, then Primate of the Apostolic
Episcopal Church, to serve as Bishop of the AEC, Province of the East, with headquarters
centered at Camp St. Cassian, Potter Hollow, New York. Camp St. Cassian was a retreat-
skete nestled in the tranquil Catskill Mountains established with the mission to rehabilitate
clergy suffering from burnout. +Spataro would remain affiliated with the Camp until it was
sold to its present owners, the Orthodox Church, in August of 2005.

Bishop Spataro continues to ably serve the AEC as Presiding Bishop from its World Mission
Headquarters in Queens, New York. He remains active in the establishment of ecumenical
relationships in fulfillment of the AEC’s commitment to serve as a “church for all people.”

With the retirement of Bishop Bertil Persson,
Reverend Francis C. Spataro (b. February 5, 1936),
who had served the AEC in a junior administrative
capacity since 1976, was elevated to the office of
Bishop-Elect in 1980, and eventually, to Presiding
Bishop (1992) of the Apostolic Episcopal Church,
Province of the East, USA.

Bishop Spataro, a lifelong resident of New York,
received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Long
Island University in 1959, a Master of Arts degree
from New York University in 1971, and a Master of
Science degree from St. John’s University, New
York, in 1984. He holds a Licentiate in Religion
from the Peoples’ University of the Americas
(1976), and a Doctorate of Divinity from St.
Ephrem’s Institute, Solna, Sweden (1982).