Source (with
slight editing): excerpt from The Life and Conduct of Our Father Among the
Saints, John the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco,
Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, CA, 1996. Translated from Ό
"Αγιος Ιωάννης (Μαξίμοβιτς) Αρχιεπίσκοπος Σαγγάης και Σάν Φραντσίσκο
(1896-1966), Holy Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina, Fili, Greece,
1995.
1. In Russia (1896–1921)
Saint John was born on June 4, 1896, in the country
house of his parents, Boris Ivanovich and Glafyra Michailovna Maximovitch, who
were descended from aristocracy, in the village of Adamovka in the county of
Kharkov (in present–day Ukraine), and at Holy Baptism he received the name of
the Archangel Michael.
His ancestors on his father’s side were of Serbian
descent. One of his forebears, Saint John, the Metropolitan of Tobolsk, led a
lofty ascetic life and was a missionary and the author of spiritual works. He
lived in the first half of the eighteenth century, and his Glorification was
the last to take place during the reign of the Holy Tsar–Martyr Nicholas ii
(1868–1918).
Saint John was a quiet and obedient child. His sister
remembers that his parents had no difficulty in raising him. In thinking about
his future during his adolescence, he could not make a decision about his
course, because he was not certain whether to dedicate himself to military or
civil service. He felt only that his future life would be driven by a sublime
desire for the Truth that was cultivated in him by his parents, who inspired
him with examples of people who had sacrificed their lives for the Truth.
At the age of eleven, he began his education in the
Military Academy of Poltava. He was an exemplary student, but he had an
aversion to two subjects: gymnastics and dance. He was loved at the Academy,
but he felt that he had to choose another path. This idea developed from his
contacts with two well–known professors of religious studies at the Academy,
Protopresbyter Sergei Chetverikov, who wrote books about Saint Paissy
(Velichkovsky) of Neamts and the Optina Elders, and the Rector of the local
Seminary, Archimandrite Varlaam.
The day that Michael Maximovitch completed his
studies, after seven years at the Military Academy, coincided with the
Enthronement of Archbishop Antony (Khrapovitsky) at the Cathedral of Kharkov.
This renowned Hierarch and theologian, who was the chief advocate of the
restoration of the Patriarchate in Russia, later became Metropolitan of Kiev
and Galicia and later achieved distinction as First Hierarch and organizer of
the Russian Church Abroad. This Hierarch constantly inspired the Church–loving
students in all spiritual matters, thanks to his principal trait: his sincere
love for them. Archbishop Antony heard of the young Michael Maximovitch, about
whom many spoke in ecclesiastical circles, and Archbishop Antony wanted to meet
him. So it was that in Kharkov Archbishop Antony became the spiritual guide of
Saint John, and this relationship lasted until Archbishop Antony’s death
(†1936).
In this city Michael studied law, received his diploma
in 1918, and served for about three years in the law courts of Kharkov, in the
days when Ukraine was governed by the Cossack Skoropatsky. But the heart of the
future Hierarch was far away from this world. He spent all of his free time at
the university, where he studied spiritual writings, and especially the Lives
of the Saints. “When I was studying worldly knowledge,” said the Saint at his
election to the Episcopacy, “I delved all the more into the science of
sciences, into the study of the spiritual life.”
While visiting the monastery where Archbishop Antony
resided, Michael had the opportunity to pray at the tomb of an ascetic of the
early eighteenth century, Archbishop Melety (Leontevitch), a deeply revered,
righteous man who had nonetheless not been Glorified. The soul of the young
Saint was wounded by the thirst to accomplish the real journey and goal of the
life in Christ.
Bishop Varnava, who later became Patriarch of Serbia,
also made a profound impression on Michael during his visit to Kharkov. The
young Serbian Bishop, who received a warm welcome from Archbishop Antony,
recounted to him the afflictions of the Serbian people under the Turkish Yoke.
This took place in January, 1917, before the Bolshevik Revolution, when the
Serbs, who were fighting during World War i against Germany, Austro–Hungary,
Turkey, and Bulgaria, no longer had any territories free from enemy occupation.
Thanks to the inspiration of Archbishop Antony, the response of the Russian
people in support of the Serbs was unanimous. By means of this example, Michael
recognized the universal meaning of the Church and the duty of a Bishop to
respond to the needs of all Orthodox peoples. In his turn Bishop Varnava, when
he became Patriarch, was very hospitable and helpful to the Hierarchy of the
beleaguered Russian Church Abroad.
2. In Yugoslavia (1921–1934)
The Russian Revolution forced the Maximovitch family
to emigrate to Yugoslavia, in 1921, where Michael studied theology at the
Academy of Saint Sava in Belgrade and received his diploma in 1925. In the
final year of his studies, he was Tonsured a Reader in Belgrade by Metropolitan
Antony, who afterwards, in 1926, Tonsured him a monk at the Holy Monastery of
Milkovo with the name John, in honor of his distant relative, Saint John of
Tobolsk, who at that time had recently been Glorified, and shortly thereafter
Ordained him a Hierodeacon. On the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos that
same year, the young monk was made a Hieromonk by Bishop Gabriel of
Cheliabinsk. During these years, he was an instructor of religion at a Serbian
high school, and in 1929, he was appointed to the Seminary of Saint John the
Theologian in the city of Bitol, which belongs to the Diocese of Ochrid.
In Bitol, the Saint earned the love of his students,
and it was here that his spiritual struggles became known. Saint John prayed
unceasingly, celebrated Divine Liturgy daily, or attended and received the Holy
Mysteries, fasted strictly, and normally ate once a day, late in the evening.
With paternal love the Saint implanted lofty spiritual ideals in his students,
who were the first to discover his great spiritual feat: they observed that he
never lay down to sleep! He was overcome by sleep after extreme fatigue and
normally when he was kneeling in the corner of his cell before the Holy Icons.
The Bishop of that Diocese, Saint Nikolai
(Velimirovitch), the contemporary “Serbian Chrysostomos,” as he was aptly
called, who was renowned for his virtue and wisdom, esteemed and loved the
young Hieromonk John. One day when he was leaving the Seminary after a visit,
he turned to a group of students and said: “Lads, listen to Father John; he is
an Angel of God in the form of a man.” The same students were convinced that
Saint John lived an Angelic life. They likened his patience and humility to the
patience and humility of the great ascetics and hermits. He was full of love
for all, particularly for children, helpful, simple, cheerful, meek, likable,
and merciful. No one ever saw him angry, he never judged anyone, and he never
spoke about himself. He lived the events of the Holy Gospel as if he saw them
in front of his eyes. He always knew the chapter of the Holy Gospel in which to
find an event, and when he needed to, he could always refer to the verse.
He knew the character and the idiosyncrasies of each
student, so that at any moment he could detect what the student knew or did not
know. The Saint had a special gift from God: an exceptional memory.
Consequently, he could grade his students without recourse to records and
notes. Love bound Father John and his students to each other. For them, the
Saint was the incarnation of all the Christian virtues. They did not observe
any fault in him, not even in his speech (he had a slight speech impediment).
There was no personal or mutual problem which he could not himself settle
immediately. There was no question for which he could not find an answer that
was always exact, clear, complete, and full, because he was a truly educated
man. His education and his wisdom were based on the most steadfast foundation:
the fear of the Lord. The Saint prayed fervently for his students. At nights he
showed loving care for each one: he would straighten the pillow of one, and the
blanket of another. As he left the room, he would bless the sleeping students
with the Sign of the Cross and depart without making a noise.
The first week of Great Lent, Saint John ate nothing,
apart from a small prosphoron each day; he did the same thing during
Great Week. On Great Saturday his body was completely exhausted. But on the day
of the Resurrection of the Lord, he would be restored and would regain his
powers. At Paschal Orthros he would exclaim, “Christ is risen!”, as if Christ
were risen precisely on that night. His face shone. The Paschal joy that
radiated from the Saint was imparted to everyone in the Church. Whoever was in
the Church with Saint John on Pascha experienced this.
During the same period, he began to write noteworthy
spiritual texts, such as a study on the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos,
characterized by its maturity and precision. He continued this activity of his
until the end of his life. Although he did not leave us systematic works, his
constant articles in the ecclesiastical press of his day, and later his reports
to the Synod, are clearly rooted in Orthodox Patristic theology and are
distinguished for their deep spirituality, moderation, and sobriety, their
simplicity and clarity, and their completeness and elegance. The pious reader
can perceive that Saint John’s output as an author expresses his experiences in
Christ, and for this reason his works make fragrant and captivate the soul.
Metropolitan Antony must probably have ascertained
this special gift of Blessed John for theology early on, and for this reason,
when he Consecrated him Bishop, he addressed the following characteristic
exhortation to him, among other things: “Love theology and try to plumb its
depths. Enlighten your soul and the souls of those around you with it, and with
your learning give soul–saving nourishment to your mind.”
3. In China (1934–1949)
In 1934, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox
Church Abroad resolved to elevate Saint John to the rank of Bishop and to
assign him to the city of Shanghai, as an Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of
China, where, during that period, there was a sizable presence of Russian
emigrés, above all because of the Communist domination of their homeland.
For the Saint himself there was nothing more remote
than this thought, as is apparent from the account of a woman who knew him in
Serbia. She met him on a tram and asked him why he had come to Belgrade. He
replied that he had come by mistake, because he had received a message for some
other Hieromonk John, who was going to be made a Bishop. When she came across
him the following day, he told her that the mistake was worse than what he had
anticipated, because he had learned that it was he himself who was to be
Consecrated a Bishop!
When he pleaded with the Synod that he had a speech
impediment, he was told that the Prophet Moses had the same difficulty. The
Consecration took place on May 28, 1934. Saint John was the last Bishop to be
Consecrated by Metropolitan Antony. The new Bishop arrived in Shanghai from
Serbia on November 21, 1934, the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. Many
people had gathered at the harbor to welcome their new Hierarch, who
whole–heartedly assumed his duties and very soon turned out to be an
outstanding personality in Shanghai.
The completion of an enormous Cathedral and the
resolution of a lingering ecclesiastical problem awaited him. Saint John soon
made the situation peaceful, and in time he restored relations with the Serbs,
Greeks, and Ukrainians in his jurisdiction. Likewise, he completed the
construction of the Cathedral, which was dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of
God, “Surety of Sinners,” and of the three–story Church house, together with a
bell tower. He was especially attentive to the spiritual formation of the youth.
He himself taught religion to the high er grades of the Commercial School, and he was always
present at the examinations in the classes on religion in all of the schools of
Shanghai. He inspired and directed the construction of Churches, hospitals,
asylums for the mentally ill, orphanages, old people’s homes, community
centers, and in short, all of the social activities of the Russians in
Shanghai. The Saint, united with his flock, participated directly in all of the
initiatives of the emigré organizations; yet, despite all of these varied pastoral
preoccupations of his, he remained a stranger to the world.
This combination of an intense inner life and an
attractive outward activity was the most characteristic trait of his
personality throughout the duration of his turbulent pastoral career. He was a
man of unceasing prayer centered on the Divine Eucharist and Divine worship; it
was from this that he drew his strength and holiness.
A fellow-Bishop of his writes in this regard: “Like
Saint John of Kronstadt, whose example Vladyka John followed, his Grace–filled
energy derived first and foremost from his daily partaking of the Holy
Mysteries. Later, he would consume the Holy Gifts unhurriedly, remaining for
quite some time in the sanctuary, especially on those days when he celebrated
the Divine Liturgy himself. His prayer and what he experienced at those moments
are a mystery, about which we dare not and cannot speak. Beyond this, he was almost
always simultaneously with the people—listening to them, helping them—and in
spiritual communion with the Saints. When Vladyka John traveled, he took with
him a full set of liturgical books....”
Thus, from the first day of his arrival in Shanghai,
as before, he Liturgized daily. Wherever he was, he never omitted the Divine
Services. One time, on account of his continual standing, his foot became very
swollen, and a group of doctors who examined him were afraid that he had
gangrene. They advised him to go to a hospital immediately. The Saint refused.
Then the Russian doctors informed the Parish Council that they would not take
responsibility for the health and life of this patient. The members of the
Parish Council, after exhaustive admonitions—even threats—compelled the Saint
to consent and sent him to a hospital. In the afternoon, however, he slipped
away from it on his own, and at 6:00 p.m. he presided at the All–Night Vigil
for the Elevation of the Precious Cross, while the swelling had completely
vanished!
The Saint celebrated the whole cycle of daily
Services, with no abbreviation, and at Compline—as one who had exceeding love
for the Saints—, he would read up to five or more Canons in honor of the Saints
who were being celebrated that day. He did not allow conversations in the Holy
Altar without great necessity, and showed personal concern for the behavior of
the Altar boys who served, and in particular he wrote a manual of behavior for
them, with which he strictly, yet lovingly, forced them to comply. After the
Divine Liturgy he would remain in the Altar for two or three hours in prayer
and contemplation, and one time he said: “How difficult it is to tear oneself
away from prayer and to return to the din of the world!” At night he would
remain without sleep.
This ascetical behavior mirrored a profound inner
life, rich in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which overflowed to the exterior,
although the Saint tried to cover them with the veil of humility and folly for
Christ’s sake. The Faithful confessed that many times they saw him in Uncreated
Light, raised above the ground, sometimes inside the Holy Altar, and at other
times while he was preaching! He never made “social calls,” but he did appear
suddenly to those who were in need, unexpectedly, and any time, whatever the
weather conditions might be, and at the most unusual hours. Every day he would
visit the sick with Divine Communion. People regularly saw him in the evening
hours, in bad weather, on the streets of Shanghai, with his Episcopal staff in
his hand and his rason blowing in the wind. When asked where he was going at
such a time, he would reply: “I must see such–and–such a person close by....”
But when they accompanied him, this “close by” was often some kilometers!
“When you are concerned for the salvation of men’s
souls,” the Saint used to say, “you should remember that they also have bodily
needs, which acutely reveal their presence. You cannot proclaim the Gospel
without showing love in deeds.” An expression of the Evangelical love of the
Saint was his founding of the Orphanage of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, for orphans
and for children of poor parents. He assembled some women, and with their help
he began with eight children. In time the orphanage made such progress that it
accommodated hundreds of children over the fifteen years of its operation.
Vladyka himself gathered sick and hungry children from the streets and dark
alleys of Shanghai. One time he brought a little girl to the Orphanage whom he
had “bought” from a Chinese man for a bottle of vodka!
The Faithful of the Diocese of Shanghai nourished deep
feelings of love and respect for their Hierarch, as is clear from the following
extracts from a letter of theirs to Metropolitan Melety of Harbin in 1943:
“We lay people cannot even approach his broad knowledge
of theology, his erudition and his homilies, which are profoundly illumined by
the Apostolic Faith, which are delivered almost daily and are published
regularly. We, the people of Shanghai, will speak of what we see and feel in
this multi–racial city of ours, since the day our Bishop arrived, of what we
see with our sinful eyes, and of what we feel in our Christian hearts. From the
day of his arrival, the grievous phenomenon of Churches in discord ceased; the
Orphanage of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, which feeds, clothes, and educates two
hundred children, was created out of nothing; the situation of the Almshouse of
Saint Philaret the Merciful gradually improved; the poor in all of the
hospitals of Shanghai are visited by Priests and are communed regularly, and in
the event of death, even if they are homeless, a fitting funeral is performed;
he himself personally visits all the mentally ill who live in a hospital far
away from the city; those who are imprisoned have the opportunity to pray and
commune at the Divine Liturgy which is celebrated monthly. He gives serious
attention to the upbringing of the youth in a strict Orthodox and patriotic
spirit. In many non–Russian schools, our children are now given religious
instruction. In the difficult moments in the life of our community, we see how
he guides us, defending us and our ancient Russian moral principles to the end.
All of the heretical groups and heterodox confessions now understand that it is
very difficult to fight against such a pillar of the Orthodox Faith. Our Bishop
untiringly visits Churches, hospitals, schools, prisons, and civic and military
organizations, always bringing with him peace and faith. From the day of his
arrival, not one sick person has remained without his blessing and personal
visit. By the intercession of our enlightener many have received relief and
health. He, like a beacon, enlightens our sinfulness, and like a semantron
awakens our consciences and arouses our souls to the Christian struggle, and as
a good shepherd he summons us to leave the earth and worldly corruption for a
short time and raise our eyes up to Heaven, ‘from whence cometh our help.’ That
is, he is an example, as the Apostle Paul writes, ‘in word, in conversation, in
charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity’ (I Timothy 4:12)!” The pious Russians
were not mistaken in their estimation of the work of their pastor, who was
ready “to sacrifice his life” for his flock.
The gifts of the Saint for working wonders and
foresight were very well known in Shanghai. One time during Bright Week, he
went to the Jewish hospital, in order to visit the Orthodox patients there.
When he passed one room, he stopped in front of a screen, behind which there
was the bed of an elderly Jewish woman who was on the verge of death. Her
family members were there, awaiting her demise. The Saint lifted his Cross over
the screen and exclaimed loudly, “Christ is Risen!”, and at the same moment—O,
the wonder!—the woman, who was at death’s door, came to and asked for water.
The medical personnel remained astonished by the change in the woman, who had
almost died a few moments previously. The woman recovered and left the hospital.
Such incidents are innumerable.
One time the Saint was called to commune a man at the
point of death in the hospital. He took the Holy Gifts and went with another
clergyman. When they arrived at the hospital, they ran into a young man about
twenty years old, who was playing a harmonica. He had already recovered and was
preparing to leave the hospital shortly. The Saint summoned him and said, “I
want to commune you right now.” The young man immediately confessed and
communed. In amazement, the clergyman asked the Saint why he had not gone to
the man who was about to die, but had stopped at the young man whose health
looked fine. The Saint replied simply: “He will die this evening. The other,
who is gravely ill, will live for many years hence.” And that is precisely how
it turned out! The Lord manifested similar miracles through His Saint in Europe
and America.
After the repose of Metropolitan Melety (†1946) and
the end of the War, the Russian emigré clergy were under a great deal of
pressure from the Moscow Patriarchate to submit to the new Patriarch of Moscow,
Alexis i, successor of Patriarch Sergius, who in 1927 had pushed the Church
into cooperation with the atheistic Soviet power by his well–known Declaration.
In the Far East, almost all of the Hierarchs submitted to the new Patriarch.
Saint John, who rejected such submission, was pressured and threatened by his
superior, Archbishop Victor. The Saint’s reply to these threats was simple: “I
am subject to the Synod of the Diaspora, and I will follow the path that it
indicates to me.”
The threats advanced to actions. The official
periodical of the Moscow Patriarchate characterized “the Assistant Bishop John
Maximovitch” as “schismatic,” and Archbishop Victor of Peking suspended him.
The Saint completely ignored these decisions and continued to Liturgize even
outside of certain Churches of his that were now sealed, with the moving
support of his rational flock.
After a great delay, on account of the difficult
conditions, an order arrived from the Synod of Bishops Abroad, which raised
Bishop John to Archbishop, directly under the Synod. The Nationalist Government
of China and the authorities of Shanghai recognized Archbishop John as the sole
leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in China.
4. In Western Europe
(1951–1962)
At the end of the 1940s, when the Communists seized
power in China, the Russians were compelled to emigrate once again, the
majority to the Philippines. In 1949, about five thousand refugees from China
were in the encampment of the International Refugee Organization on the island
of Tubabao in the Philippines. They lived in tents under the most primitive
conditions. There they brought all the orphans, the elderly, and the sick. The
unfortunate refugees lived under the continuous threat of violent typhoons,
because the island lay directly in the path of these frightening and
devastating tropical cyclones, which pass through that part of the Pacific
Ocean. In a truly miraculous way, during the twenty–seven months that the
Russian encampment existed, only one time was the island threatened by a
typhoon, which changed its course and went around the island. Every night Saint
John would go on foot around the camp and bless its four sides with the Cross.
Later, when the people had departed for different countries and almost no one
remained in the camp, a terrible hurricane passed over it and left nothing
standing!
The Saint frequently met with the representatives of
the civil authorities for the protection and needs of the Russian refugees.
They recommended him to go in person to Washington, D.C., in order to ask that
all the Russian refugees in the encampment be transferred to America. He flew
to Washington, and despite the difficulties, succeeded in having the laws
concerning the re–settlement of immigrants changed, and in this way the entry of
his flock into America was accomplished with the help of our Lord.
In 1951, the Saint was appointed Archbishop of the
Diocese of Western Europe. Initially, he had his See in Paris, and later in
Brussels. He traveled constantly throughout Europe, Liturgizing in French and
Dutch, and, as before, in Greek, Chinese, and subsequently, English. At that
time, the following was written about the Saint: “He lives outside of our plane
of existence. It is not accidental that a Catholic priest told the youth of his
parish: ‘You seek proofs. You say that there are no longer miracles and Saints.
But why do look for theoretical proofs, when a living Saint walks the streets
of Paris, Saint John the Barefoot?’”
“The Barefoot”! This characterization encompasses a
wondrous ascetical experience of the Saint in the world, which is described
plainly and very graphically by a distinguished Russian intellectual as
follows: “Bishop John lived the life of a strict ascetic: He refused food and
sleep, usually wore sandals without socks, even in the winter, and his rason
was more like the garment of a beggar than that of a Hierarch. His behavior
sometimes occasioned embarrassment, on account of his ‘folly....’”
In Europe, the Saint collected information about the
pre–Schism Saints of the West, who are honored in the West, but had been
forgotten in the East. On his recommendation, their veneration was restored and
their names took their place once more in the Ecclesiastical Calendar.
His spirituality, his facility with languages, and
above all the example of the Saint, attracted many Europeans to Orthodoxy. He
was a genuine missionary and a true witness of Orthodoxy. His attempts in
particular to create indigenous Orthodox nuclei in France and Holland with the
appropriate use of liturgical forms, language, and native clergy are
noteworthy.
He intervened miraculously to strengthen his mission,
as is shown by the following incident: Bishop Jacob of The Hague, a Dutch
convert to Orthodoxy, was sleepless one night from anxiety arising out of many
serious problems. No one was aware of this, and Archbishop John was hundreds of
kilometers away.... Suddenly, the telephone rang; it was Archbishop John!
Without asking anything at all, he said to Bishop Jacob: “Do not worry; go to
your bed and sleep. Everything will be sorted out!”
The passage of Saint John from Western Europe is
literally a story in itself; the tracks of the ascetic and wonderworking Bishop
were a radiant path that carved an indelible impression on the hearts of the
pious. We can savor the atmosphere in which the Saint lived from the following
characteristic testimony that a revered Abbess has preserved for us: “During
the reading of the Kathisma of the Psalter (in the Monastery of Lesna in
France), Vladyka always stood with his elbow resting on the analogion, giving
the impression that he was dozing off. At the back of the Church, Sister Xenia
whispered: ‘He didn’t sleep this evening; he is taking a nap now.’ Vladyka
immediately turned around and looked at her. She was ready to fall to the
ground from her astonishment. Whenever he visited England, he always stayed
with us at the Convent of the Annunciation in London. He never slept, but
rather rested, sitting in an armchair in the office adjacent to the Church. At
night we heard how often he went to the Church. A friend of our community,
Paraskeve Demetriou, was lying sick in a coma. At our request, Vladyka John
went to see her; he prayed and blessed her. The same day, she arose healthy and
with tears recounted how she had felt the sickness suddenly leaving her! Others
told me that whenever Vladyka placed his hands on someone’s head, he himself
felt the power of Grace, and the person perceived light in his soul. Vladyka
fulfilled the commandments of the Lord with sacrificial love, and the Lord
responded to his prayers....”
5. In Western America
(1962–1966)
In the autumn of 1962, Saint John arrived in his final
Diocese, San Francisco. It happened to be the Feast of the Entrance of the
Theotokos. On the same Feast, almost thirty years previously, he had arrived in
Shanghai, his first Diocese. In the beginning, he helped the elderly and ailing
Archbishop Tikhon, upon whose death (17 March 1963), the Saint became
Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America.
Here, the untiring and hardworking servant of God
encountered a half–completed Cathedral, dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos;
here also, as in China, the Church was rent by discord. The first concern of
the Saint was the completion of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, “Joy
of All Who Sorrow,” work on which had stopped because of a lack of resources
and strong disagreements over the finances, which had paralyzed the Church
community. Our Lord, in His mercy, helped His Saint, who suffered greatly from
the disagreement, to the point that he was dragged into the civil courts; but
he continued the construction with prayer and unsleeping supervision, inspiring
all to sacrifices and labors by his example.
The final years of the Saint’s life were full of
bitterness, slanders, and persecution. At times, people envied and condemned
the Saint when he dealt harshly with them in accordance with the sacred Canons
of the Church. When asked who was responsible for the disputes in the Church,
the Saint replied bluntly: “The devil.”
In 1964, the construction of the largest Church of the
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in America, with five gold domes, was
essentially completed. The placing of the magnificent Crosses on the domes,
which can be seen from ships approaching San Francisco, began with a great
procession in which a large number of the Faithful took part. In spite of the
risk that the procession would be postponed on account of rainfall, the Saint,
without any hesitation, led it with hymns on the damp streets of the city. As
soon as the procession started, the rain ceased. The Crosses were blessed in
front of the Cathedral, and when the central Cross was raised up, the sun
suddenly appeared, and a dove lighted on the gleaming symbol of Christ! This
visible triumph of the elevation of the symbols of Christ, which shone on the
hills of a contemporary Babylon, where Satanism is practiced openly, was the
victory that crowned the Saint’s earthly life.
In 1966, the Saint foresaw his repose several months
beforehand, telling a pious woman: “I shall die very soon, at the end of June,
not in San Francisco, but in Seattle.” In this final period of his earthly
life, he had attained to heights of sanctity that are hard to conceive: One
would feel fear before him, one would have the feeling that he was seeing an
Angel, and be overcome by “trembling and ecstasy.”
Accompanying the wonderworking Kursk–Root Icon of the
Most Holy Theotokos to Seattle, Saint John, after Liturgizing in the Cathedral
of Saint Nicholas, remained in the Holy Altar for three hours in prayer. It was
June 19 by the Church Calendar. Then, after he had visited some of his
spiritual children who lived near the Church and several sick people, in order
to bless them with the wonderworking Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, he went
to the room in the Church residence in which he was staying. Suddenly, the
companions of the Blessed Hierarch heard the sound of someone falling to the
floor. As soon as they had ascended the staircase, they found him on the ground
and already departing this life. They sat him up on the armchair in front of
the wonderworking Icon, and the Saint peacefully reposed in the Lord before the
Most Holy Theotokos, for whom he nurtured feelings of exceeding love and
reverence throughout his life.
At that moment, there ended the exceptionally
difficult podvig of voluntary deprivation of rest and sleep which the
Saint had imposed upon himself: They laid him on a bed that was in the room,
and thus they gave him rest and sleep after forty years of superhuman
asceticism! “Rest now in peace!” exclaimed Archbishop Averky of Syracuse and
Holy Trinity Monastery, who loved him very much. At the end of his Funeral
homily, he said: “Rest in peace, dear Vladyka! Rest from your righteous deeds
and struggles! Rest in peace until the General Resurrection!”
The official funeral of Saint John took place on June
24, 1966 (Old Style) in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, “Joy of All
Who Sorrow,” in San Francisco. The Service began at 6:00 a.m. and lasted seven
hours, because of the great multitude that came to bid farewell to their
beloved reposed Hierarch. Metropolitan Philaret presided, Liturgizing with
Archbishops Leonty (Filippovitch) of Chile and Peru and Averky of Syracuse and
Holy Trinity Monastery, and Bishops Savva of Edmonton and Nektary of Seattle,
as well as with many clergy.
The atmosphere at the funeral was intensely
compunctionate and prayerful; no one then present will forget it. Despite the
profound grief of the countless admirers of Saint John, a special joy
predominated, which inundated all the Faithful. The much–suffering body of the
Saint remained exposed in the coffin for six days, and despite the heat of the
summer season, it did not show the slightest sign of decay or hardening: his
hands were soft and supple, although nothing had been done to the blessed body
during the preparation for the Funeral. The coffin with the priceless treasure
was transferred to be buried in the crypt below the Cathedral, borne on the
shoulders of the orphans of Shanghai, who—now grown up—expressed their deepest
respect and love for their Father and protector.
But assuredly, “the Righteous live for ever” (Wisdom
5:16). Before even forty days had passed, the Saint appeared to many in a
Heavenly Light, announcing, “Tell the people that although I have departed this
life, I am not dead, but alive!” And, indeed, this is verified by his countless
miracles and by his sepulchre, which has proven to be a life–bearing spring
that gushes forth rivers of Grace and streams of healings.
6. The Translation of His
Relics and Glorification (1994)
In the autumn of 1993, the Synod of Bishops of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia instructed Archbishop Antony of San
Francisco and Western America, along with two other Hierarchs, to investigate
the Relics of Saint John.
On the evening of September 28, 1993 (Old Style),
after a Pannychida had been served at his tomb by the members of the
Commission, Archbishop Antony urged those participating in this sacred task to
forgive each other, and he himself asked forgiveness of all, and then gave a
blessing for the tomb to be opened. They removed the covering of the already
oxidized metal coffin, and opened it with fear of God and prayer. The face of
the Saint was veiled, and all immediately noticed his white and incorrupt
hands. After praying, Archbishop Antony removed the veil and revealed the incorrupt
face of the Saint Glorified by God!
At the following session of the Synod of Bishops,
Archbishop Antony reported that the sacred Relics of Saint John had been
examined by the Synodal Commission, which was composed of himself, Archbishop
Laurus of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery, Bishop Kyril of Seattle, and
twelve other persons. After hearing the report of Archbishop Antony and the
statement of the Commission, the Synod of Bishops blessed the continuation and
completion of the preparation for the Glorification of Saint John, which took
place on June 19, 1994 (Old Style), the day of his blessed repose, in the
Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” in San
Francisco.
7. “Ye are the light of the
world”
The Saints of Orthodoxy have entered “through the
narrow gate” (St. Matthew 7:14) into the Light of Grace; they have all become
Light and are, indeed, “the light of the world” (St. Matthew 5:14). They
enlighten us, they guide us on our journey towards the Light, and they welcome
us into the Kingdom of the Light, to the eternal glory of our Christ! This was
the path trodden by the newly–revealed Saint John the Wonderworker, Archbishop
of Shanghai and San Francisco: the path of joyful sorrow (charmolype),
the Cross–and–Resurrectional path of fidelity to the treasure of our Faith and
to the Fathers and Teachers of Orthodoxy.
This twofold fidelity should be given special
emphasis, because our Saint, this new ascetic Bishop, is for us not only an
unerring guide to the spiritual life, but is also a genuine paragon of zealous
adherence to the purity of our Faith. Moreover, these two things are
inseparable in our Patristic Tradition: the manifestation of the holy Orthodox
ethos derives from the continuous living–out of Orthodox doctrine. Thus, the
Blessed John took a steadfastly negative stand against Sergianism, that is,
against the cooperation of the Church with, and Her enslavement to, the Godless
and anti–Christian régime of the former Soviet Union. Likewise, he stated with
boldness and vigor his opposition to the calendar innovation of 1924 and also
to the ecclesiological heresy of ecumenism.
In his written and oral sermons, he lauded the
innumerable New Martyrs of the Russian Church, whose Martyrdom constitutes the
most astonishing spiritual event of the twentieth century. He also praised and
expressed his sympathy and support for all those Orthodox, especially in
Greece, who for their adherence to the Patristic Church Calendar have suffered
hell on earth from innovators and ecumenists.
Finally, Saint John, as a true bearer and exponent of
the Orthodox Faith and life, intensely experienced the feeling of the
culminating apostasy, of the confusion of the last times, and for this reason
he urged his spiritual children to be constantly vigilant and to struggle
uncompromisingly in witnessing to the Truth and the uniqueness of the Orthodox
Church.
In truth, then, there could be no greater gift of our
Lord to the people of our tragic era than the contemporary Saints and their
incorrupt Relics! Blessed be the Name of our Christ and Savior, which is “above
every name” (Philippians 2:9), for thus it makes the very distinct demand on us
that we live, struggle, and journey “with all the Saints” (Ephesians 3:18).
8. Miracles
“Wondrous is God in His Saints” (Psalm 67:36)! In the
thirty years since his departure to the Heavenly mansions, Saint John of
Shanghai and San Francisco has consistently manifested his Grace–filled powers
to those suffering from bodily and spiritual afflictions, thus rightly earning
him the title Wonderworker. Included here is a small but representative
sampling of his numerous miracles, which demonstrate his wonderworking love for
his fellow man, both during his life on earth as well as after his repose in
the Lord.
The power of his prayer.
Valentine Kollenka Stadnitsky graduated from the
military school of Poltava, where he was acquainted with the then Michael
Maximovitch. After World War II, Mr. Stadnitsky relocated from Yugoslavia to
Brussels, where he lived with his sister.
One day in 1959, when he was between sixty–five and
sixty–six years of age, while he was washing the windows of the apartment where
he lived, Mr. Stadnitsky fell from the second story to the street. His bones
were so fractured that the doctors had no hope of saving him.
Vladyka John arrived at the hospital with a Priest and
began to pray at the pillow of the dying man. The Priest who was with him later
recounted that for the first time he heard how the Saint conversed with God in
prayer. The following morning the doctors could not believe that the injured
man had not yet died! Not only that, but he quickly began to recover. In a
short time, he left the hospital completely healthy, and he lived for several
years afterwards.
“How is your hand doing?”
Anna Chodireva from Sacramento, California, relates
that for a long time her sister’s hand was in constant pain. She went to
doctors and used medicines, but she could not find any relief. Finally, she
decided to have recourse to Vladyka John, and she wrote a letter to him in San
Francisco, where he was then Archbishop, from Los Angeles, where she resided.
After a short time, the pain in her hand disappeared to such an extent that she
completely forgot this ordeal of hers.
One time she went to San Francisco and attended the
Divine Liturgy, which Vladyka was celebrating. At the end, when she was
venerating the Cross in his hands, the Saint, who had never seen her before,
asked her: “How is your hand doing?”
His consolation of the
suffering.
Mrs. Maria Markou published the following open letter
to make known the wonderful miracle which God in His Providence granted to her:
the appearance of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco:
“Beginning in July, 1995, I experienced serious health
problems (weight loss, high temperature, swelling of the liver and spleen,
etc.). Finally, after blood tests, I was admitted on an emergency basis to the ‘Helena
Venizelos’ Hospital in Athens, on October 18, 1995, with a diagnosis of blood
cell depletion (with leukocytes at a level of only 1,500) and a fifty–fifty
chance of having leukemia. Leaving home, I took with me, among my other
personal articles, a small paper Icon of Saint John, to whom I am particularly
devoted.
“On the evening of October 18–19, heavily burdened
mentally, tired in soul and body, frail in the face of the possibility of a
horrible illness, I fervently prayed to Saint John. With simplicity, I reminded
him that, when he was alive, as well as after his repose, he had made many
‘trips,’ from Shanghai to San Francisco and all over the world, giving aid to
any who had need of it. I asked him to come to Greece, as well, not for me, a
sinner, but for my seven–year–old daughter, who, with tears in her eyes, asked
me, as I left for the hospital, ‘Mama, are you coming back?’
“‘Saint of God,’ I said in my prayer, ‘you loved
children. In China, you protected thousands of orphans. In America, you went to
the poorest of neighborhoods to relieve their pains, and when you had nothing
else to give them, you distributed prosphora from the Divine Liturgy. I implore
you; you would not wish the eyes of my Evangelia to flow with tears. Tomorrow
they are going to make an incision in my chest, in order to diagnose my
disease. I am going to place your Icon on the place of the incision, and I believe
that you will come to my aid.’
“With that prayer, and absolutely trusting in Saint
John’s help, I went to sleep. The next day, October 19, 1995, around six
o’clock in the morning, having awakened and waiting to be taken to the
laboratory, I felt a caress on my forehead. Moving my head up, I saw the
venerable face of Saint John, shrouded in an exceedingly bright light. He was
ascetic in appearance, and his whitish gray hair fell freely over his face. He
smiled and, stooping, kissed me on the forehead. Afterwards, everything left me
and I was left with a feeling of euphoria and security. Though until then, and
for some time, I had not been able to walk without the assistance of another
person, that morning I went by foot to the laboratory room, in another building
of the hospital, underwent the incision undisturbed, and again returned on foot
to my room.
“The afternoon of the same day, the examination of my
bone marrow ruled out the presence of leukemia. Indeed, I was diagnosed with a
different illness, though not an immediately ‘life–threatening’ one, for which
I have been treated to this day at the ‘Annunciation’ Hospital in Athens.
“With regard to the eventual course of my disease,
which I do not know at this time, the appearance of Saint John was an event of
particular significance, for which I thank our merciful God. It is a living
proof of the presence of God in my life. The Saint appeared perhaps not to heal
me, but to strengthen me in the great and sudden change in my health and,
without doubt, in order to assure me in a practical way of the reality of
eternal life and to awaken me spiritually, occasioning thus my preparation for
that ‘true life.’ I thank God, imploring Him, if it be His will, that, through
the intercessions of Saint John, He leave me with my family and, in any case,
that He not allow me to depart this vain world without having been reconciled
to Him and without repentance and the fruits thereof. Amen.”
