Bishop George of Mayfield on St. Seraphim Rose (2014)

 Bishop George of Mayfield (ROCOR-MP) on St. Seraphim of Platina (2014)

 

- Your Grace, tell us about your childhood, your family, and how you came to the Orthodox faith.

- ...I was baptized in a Greek church in the city of Modesto in 1974 and was given the name Makarios, in honor of Saint Makarios the Great. Later, I began attending the nearest church of Saint Nicholas in San Jose. It was a large parish with wonderful people. Most of the services were conducted in Greek, so I followed the liturgy using an English prayer book. After that, I attended the Greek cathedral in San Francisco, as well as a Russian church. In January 1975, I visited Mount Athos, was captivated, and decided to become a monk. That same year, I visited Platina for the first time, where I met Father Seraphim (Rose) and Father Herman (Podmoshensky). They suggested I enroll in the seminary.

At that time, Fathers Seraphim and Herman were not yet priests. Visiting the monastery left an indelible impression on my heart and gave me an incomparable experience at that point in my life. Every day, I went to confession, opened my heart, and joined the brothers in the refectory in the morning and evening.

[...]

The following summer, I went to Platina for the entire summer. By that time, Father Seraphim and Father Herman were already priests. I helped them print books and worked on other obediences. The difference with Jordanville was significant: the services in Platina were conducted in English, I understood everything, and the liturgies touched my heart.

Father Seraphim was closer to me in spirit—very humble and, at the same time, very vivid; he preached wonderfully. Father Herman was entirely different—more dynamic and talkative.

- In your opinion, can Father Seraphim be called a saint of our time?

- I think so, but whether he will be glorified by the Church is another question. Personally, he made a great impression on me; he was truly different: he led a strict, ascetic life. Frankly speaking, I could not live under the conditions he lived in. Platina is a very remote place. The first time I went there, the brothers were digging their own well, and before that, they would go to the river, use a hand pump to draw water into containers, and carry it back to the monastery. That was the only water they had. There was no heating in the cells. At that time, there were 6-7 people living in the monastery. After Father Seraphim passed away, most of the brothers dispersed, and now completely different people labor in the monastery.

 

Russian source: https://www.unification.com.au/articles/2687/