San Francisco, July 3, 2019
Photo: synod.com
On June 28-29, 2019, the ROCOR Cathedral of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in San Francisco hosted the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the canonization of St John (Maximovich) of Shanghai and San Francisco the Wonder Worker.
The following is a description of events from the website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, in a news post complete with beautiful photos:
Heading the festivities was His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, along with His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Grace Bishop Irenei of Richmond and Western Europe; His Grace Bishop Paisie of Lugoj (Romanian Orthodox Church); His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle; His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, the cathedral’s clergymen and clerics of other Local Orthodox Churches. The Archbishop’s Choir sang joyously under the direction of Vladimir Krassovsky; the cathedral was filled with a multitude of parishioners.
Photo: synod.com
During the minor entrance at Divine Liturgy, Abbot James (Corazza) was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, Priest Sergey Kiryukhin was granted the golden pectoral cross from the Synod of Bishops. Bishop Irenei delivered a sermon before Holy Communion. After the service, a moleben to St John was performed, followed by a procession of the cross around the cathedral.
The archpastors, clergymen and worshipers then shared a festive banquet at San Francisco’s Russian Center, sharing memories of the holy man and his life and miracles.
Saint John of Shanghai is one of the greatest saints of our times, as the ever-memorable Bishop Alexander (Mileant) said in his account of the Saint’s life. Few 20th century Saints are so beloved and universally venerated by all across the entire Orthodox world, transcending ethnic boundaries, while still intrinsically associated with Holy Rus’.
His life is one which also attests to the unity of the Russian Church, emphasizing how it is more than simply the church on the territory of the modern Russian Federation, but a Church which actively serves the faithful in many lands near and far, spreading its mission and the Gospel of Christ to the farthest reaches of the earth.
Saint John was born on the territory of what is now Ukraine, in the village of Adamovka, then in the Kharkov governate of the Russian Empire, not far from Svyatogorsk Lavra in the long-suffering Donbass, Ukraine.
Svyatogorsk Lavra in the Donbass, Ukraine. Photo: Wikipedia
He was born to an extremely pious Little Russian family1; in those days, Little Russian was a term for Ukrainian, as used by the great Russian/Ukrainian Orthodox writer Nikolai Gogol, who was born in Mirgorod, Poltava province, Ukraine.
Saint John received his secondary education in the Poltava Cadet Academy, a famous Russian Imperial military school, and he is to this day extremely venerated by believers in Poltava. In 2016 at the request of His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and Mirgorod (UOC), His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America (ROCOR) arrived in Poltava to bring the people a most precious gift—an icon with a relic of their own countryman, Saint John.
Saint John with a young Archbishop Peter in the front. Photo: Orthochristian Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Chicago and Mid-America is a hierarch who possess great authority on subjects relating to the life of Saint John, because Vladyka Peter’s family was very close to him, and Vladyka personally knew and served with Saint John for the last three years of the saint’s life.
Archbishop Peter was his spiritual son, just as Saint John was the spiritual child of the great Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky of Kiev and Galicia, later the First Hierarch of ROCOR, and so the spiritual legacy carries on.
For this reason, one of the most fascinating articles about Saint John on Orthochristian is this article written by Vladika, in which he recalls many stories that only a person who knew Saint John so well could tell. It is a rare opportunity to hear from not only a person who knew such a Holy Hierarch, but one who himself has become, through the prayers of Saint John, an incredibly honored and pious Hierarch in his own right.
Archbishop Peter serving a liturgy in Dormition Cathedral of Kiev Caves Lavra. Photo: Lavra.ua
Saint John deeply loved and frequently wrote about Russia, and many times predicted the great restoration of Christianity which we have seen come to pass with our own eyes. A very interesting quote from St. John was compiled in an article entitled “The Future of Russia and the End of the World” by the Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of blessed memory:
“Shake away the sleep of despondency, O sons of Russia! Behold the glory of her suffering and be purified; wash yourselves from your sins! Be strengthened in the Orthodox Faith, so as to be worthy to dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and to settle on His holy mountain! Leap up, leap up, arise, O Russia, you who from the Lord's hands have drunk the cup of His wrath! When your suffering shall have ended, your righteousness shall go with you and the glory of the Lord shall accompany you. The peoples shall come to your light, and kings to the shining which shall rise upon you. Then lift up your eyes and see: behold your children come to you from the West and the North and the Sea and the East, blessing you in Christ forever. Amen.”—Saint John of Shanghai.
Through the darkest times and brightest moments, vast amounts of testimony to his miracles shows that John has always remained with his flock, regardless from where they hail.
