ans , ▁Armen ians ▁and ▁Georg ians ) ▁from ▁northern ▁Pers ia . ▁Over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Christians ▁fled ▁northern ▁Pers ia ▁heading ▁south ▁to ▁Ira q ; ▁un t old ▁numbers ▁were ▁mass ac red ▁along ▁the ▁way . ▁The ▁Orth odox ▁Ass y ri ans ▁eventually ▁ended ▁up ▁in ▁Bag hd ad . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution , ▁Bishop ▁El ia ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁communicate ▁with ▁Patri arch ▁T ik hon ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁Ab road . ▁ ▁Bishop ▁El ia ▁died ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Bishop ▁John ▁( G ew ar ig is ), ▁who ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁to ▁the ▁Ep ic op ate ▁in ▁Bel grade ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁by ▁Metropolitan ▁Anthony ▁( K h rap ov it sky ) ▁and ▁Arch bishop ▁Germ ogen ▁( Max im ov ). ▁ ▁Bishop ▁John ▁res ided ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ▁where ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁f lock ▁lived . ▁He ▁retired ▁due ▁to ▁old ▁age ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁and ▁eventually ▁made ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁with ▁his ▁son ▁in ▁Chicago . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Bishop ▁N ikon ▁( R kl it sky ), ▁while ▁visit ing ▁Chicago , ▁" had ▁a ▁wonderful ▁meeting ▁with ▁Bishop ▁John ▁of ▁U rm ia ▁and ▁Sal ma , ▁the ▁el dest