Biography
His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin was born Vincent Peterson in Pasadena, California, on June 1 1954, and was baptized and 
chrismated at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles, California, on April 27, 1972. In 1978 he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree and Certificate in Liturgical Music from Saint Vladimir Seminary.
A prolific musician, he served as choirmaster at parishes in Detroit, Michigan, and Los Angeles and as chairman of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Liturgical Music. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on November 15, 1987 by Bishop Tikhon at his home parish, which he served for 10 years as deacon and youth and education director. The following year he was tonsured a riasophore monk by Bishop Tikhon and further tonsured to the lesser schema by His Eminence, Archbishop [later Metropolitan] Herman at Saint Tikhon Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania. In 1991 he was elevated to the rank of archdeacon.
On July 19, 1997, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Tikhon. In 1999, Igumen Benjamin was transferred to the Diocese of Alaska. In addition to other responsibilities, he served as dean of Saint Innocent Cathedral and later as administrative dean of Saint Herman Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska. He was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in 2002. In January 2004 he was reassigned to Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles, and appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of the West.
Upon his consecration to the episcopacy, Bishop Benjamin began to serve as Auxiliary to His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco, and served as Diocesan Chancellor.
At the January 31, 2007, Special Diocesan Assembly, His Grace was unanimously nominated as a candidate for The Office of Diocesan Hierarch. The nomination occurred during this special convocation at St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the direction of The Most Blessed Herman, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada, Locum tenens, Diocese of the West.
The Holy Synod of Bishops, in their 2007 spring session, elected His Grace Bishop BENJAMIN to be the reigning hierarch of The Diocese of the West. He was installed as ruling bishop on October 2, 2007. At the 2012 spring session, the Holy Synod elevated the bishop to the dignity of Archbishop.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, the site of His Eminence’s consecration and installation, is the oldest Orthodox community in the contiguous United States.
