In 1953, pressured by the to adopt the Eastern rite, the Western Orthodox Church went its own way, changing its name to the Orthodox Church of France. After several years of isolation, the church was recognized as an autonomous Church by Metropolitan Anastasy Gribanovsky of and was in communion with from 1959 to 1966. Archbishop John Maximovich, ('s representative in Western Europe at the time), became the archpastor of the Church of France. At this time, Maximovich had the church change its name to "" (ECOF). Maximovich also consecrated Kovalevsky in 1964 as a bishop. Kovalevsky took the religious name Jean-Nectaire. Maximovich's death in 1966 was a serious blow to the Western Orthodox Christians in France.