Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky)

Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky) (1869-1939)

Antonin may be spelt Antoninus.

Pokrovsky may be spelt Pokrovskiy.

Early life of Aleksei Fedorovich Pokrovsky

On 17 March, 1869, Aleksei Fedorovich Pokrovsky was born into the family of a deacon in the village Bogoslovskoye, in the Orel Governorate (province) of the Russian Empire.

The city of Orel is situated by the Oka River, about 368 km (229 mi) south-southwest of Moscow.

Aleksei Feodorovich was raised and formed as an Orthodox Christian in his family and in his parish, within the Russian Orthodox Church.

Higher education

Aleksei Fedorovich entered the Orlov Theological Seminary, of the Orel Diocese at Orlov in the Orel Governorate.

In 1893, after the completion of his studies, he graduated.

Orlov (Oryol, Orel) Theological Seminary

Marriage, 1893

In 1893, Aleksei Fedorovich Pokrovsky was married.

There is no readily available information on the internet with regard to his wife.

However, it is known that on 8 September, 1894, they received from the Lord a son, Alexander Alexeievich Pokrovsky, who was born in Orel.

Diaconal ordination, 1893

After he graduated from the Orel Theological Seminary, on 6 August, 1893, Aleksei Fedorovich Pokrovsky was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Misael (Krylov) of Orel.

Diaconal service

Deacon Aleksei Pokrovsky served as a deacon in the Orel Diocese for 3 years.

Presbyteral ordination, 1897

Deacon Aleksei was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in the Saint Nicholas Temple in Panikovczy (Panikovets) by Bishop Mitrofan (Nevsky) of Orel in 1897. This Temple was later destroyed (as were all the others in the village) after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

Pastoral service

The Priest Aleksei Pokrovsky served in several parishes of the Diocese of Orel.

He was then assigned to serve as a chaplain in the Imperial Russian Navy.

Later, he was transferred to serve as a chaplain in the Imperial Military School of Aviation.

Bereavement

At some time, the wife of the Priest Aleksei Pokrovsky fell asleep in the Lord.

There is a suggestion that she reposed during their son's childhood. However, it could have been later.

For a time, Father Alexei Pokrovsky was a voluntary listener (auditor) at the University of Saint Petersburg.

Meanwhile, Father Alexei was helping his son Alexander to enter the Imperial Navy training school. Alexander was able to enter at age 14.

World War I (1914-1918) ; military chaplaincy

Before, and during World War I, the Priest Aleksei Pokrovsky served as a chaplain in many military units at the front line and in the rear.

At that time, his son, a second lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, was engaged in many military battles.

He received numerous military and civil awards for his faithful services.

In 1917-1918, the Priest Aleksei Pokrovsky served in the Holy Trinity Temple of the Bakhrushin Orphanage in Moscow.

Holy Trinity Temple, Bakhrushin Orphanage

On 10 May, 1919, the Priest Aleksei Pokrovsky was elevated to the dignity of archpriest by Archbishop Nikandr (Phenomenov) of Vyatka. (This was in the Vyatka Province, which is now the Kirov Oblast, 949 km/590 mi northeast of Moscow).

Bolshevik Revolution, 1917

After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, on 29 February, 1920, Archpriest Aleksei Pokrovsky was assigned as a chaplain to the White Army’s military hospital, which was then evacuated from Novorossiysk in the Black Sea Governorate to Cyprus.

In 1921, Archpriest Aleksei Pokrovsky was assigned by Archbishop Anastassy (Gribanovsky) to serve in the Gorna Russian Orthodox Women's Monastery at Ein Karem, southwest of Jerusalem in Palestine.

Meanwhile, his son Alexander had escaped death by a group of Bolsheviks, and he escaped along the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok and then to Harbin, China. It was there that he had managed to be reunited with his wife, Alexandra, from whom he had been separated for a long time because of the war and the revolution, and she had likewise managed to escape.

From there, they were both able to emigrate, sail across the Pacific Ocean, and to arrive safely in Seattle, Washington, in 1923.

Gorna Monastery Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Theotokos, Ein Karem

Monastic tonsure, 1921

On 5 December, 1921, Archpriest Aleksei Pokrovsky was tonsured to be a monk by Patriarch Damian (Kasatos) of Jerusalem, and he was given the name Antonin.

At the same time, on direct request of Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) of Moscow, he was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

Transfer to North America, 1923

In 1923, Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) arrived in North America at New York City, USA. He was received into the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (ROGCCNA) from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem by Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky).

Archimandrite Antonin then served briefly in the New York region under the blessing of Metropolitan Platon.

Service in Canada : Vancouver, British Columbia, 1924

Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) was first assigned to serve the newly-established Temple of the Holy Resurrection in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.

He was the first priest to serve in this parish.

It was during this first year in Vancouver, that Archimandrite Antonin was able to be reunited with his son and daughter-in-law, whom he had not seen since 1917. From that time, Alexander Alexeievich was sometimes helping his father with secretarial work.

In his memoirs, a parishioner of Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, Anatole E Portnoff, mentions Archimandrite Antonin repeatedly with the highest respect.

Archimandrite Antonin was very ready to help newly-arrived immigrants to Vancouver to find accommodations and work. A E Portnoff wrote specifically about this help in the case of his family when they arrived in 1925 from Harbin, China.

On 25 November, 1928, a prayer service (moleben) was held on the occasion of the laying of the cornerstone of the new Temple dedicated to the memory of the Dedication of the Holy Resurrection Temple in Jerusalem.

Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) blesses the cornerstone, 1928

During the second part of 1930, Archimandrite Antonin was transferred to the USA.

Episcopal ordination, 1930

On 11 October, 1930, at Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco, California, Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by bishops of the "Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America" (ROGCCNA) : Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York and North America ; Bishop Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of Chicago ; Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) of Winnipeg and Canada ; Bishop Aleksei (Panteleyev) of San Francisco, and Bishop Paul (Gavrilov) of Detroit.

Bishop Antonin (Pokrovsky)

Episcopal service

After his ordination, Bishop Antonin was assigned by Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) to be the Bishop of Washington DC and Alaska.

In the Diocese of Alaska, he vigourously continued the missionary works of his predecessors, and he visited the remote settlements of the diocese.

During his time in Alaska, Bishop Antonin was twice in serious danger. While sailing from one parish to another in small tugboats, he was caught by storms, but each time he escaped, by God's mercy.

On 24 January, 1933, Bishop Antonin was sailing in a small ship ("Umnak Native") on the North Pacific Ocean. With him were Aleut Deacon Michael, and Priest Michael T Tatiskoff (the priest who served in Saint Nicholas Church on Umnak Island. The were were shipwrecked during a fierce gale at Inanudak Bay on Umnak Island. There had been 12 survivors who had made it to shore. Three Aleuts walked the 97 km (60 mi) to the nearest village in order to find help. Father Michael and Deacon Michael perished from the cold, as did the other survivors. Then, on 14 February, Bishop Antonin alone was found alive on the shore of the bay on Umnak Island. He had survived, but he suffered frostbite on both legs, and the lack of food for all this time. By that time, several American, Russian and other newspapers had posted reports of the death of Bishop Antonin and they had published obituaries. The rescue of Bishop Antonin may be regarded as miraculous.

About this rescue, Vladyka Antonin wrote :

 Perhaps my rescue doesn’t appear to all as the clear evidence of God’s work.  His will 
 that I be saved was a call to all Orthodox to recognise and glorify God’s Divine Name.

Saint Nicholas Church, Umnak

Bishop Antonin made several trips to Washington, DC, where he was received in the White House by President F D Roosevelt. He spoke with the president about several spiritual and secular concerns. During these trips, his son (by then known as Alexander Alexei Pokrovsky-White) accompanied him, and it was through these visits that he decided to move to that city and find work there in 1935.

On 1 June, 1933, Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) made an announcement about the "temporary autonomy" of the North American diocese (which was marked by a break in communion with the Moscow Patriarchate). When Bishop Anonin learnt about this, he went to Metropolitan Platon in April, 1934, in order to express his disagreement with the situation, and to try to persuade him to change his mind. However, Metropolitan Platon reposed in Christ on 20 April, 1934.

Move to the Russian Exarchate, 1934

In 1934, after the death of Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky), Bishop Antonin (Pokrovsky) decided to transfer to the North American Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate.

There, he was assigned to be the Bishop of Washington, DC.

Then he was transferred, and he moved to San Francisco, California, where, with Father Peter Kotlyarov, he established Saint Nicholas Cathedral in the Russian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, San Francisco

Soon after this, Vladyka Antonin was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

During the following years, Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky) travelled more than once to Alaska.

In 1937, Vladyka Antonin became a naturalised citizen of the USA.

By 1939, Vladyka was feeling unwell because of a heart malfunction, and he was sent to rest for a time in Calistoga, not far north of San Francisco.

Repose, 1939

On 2 May, 1939, Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky) reposed in Christ, in Calistoga, California. He had suffered a heart-attack.

On 7 May, 1939, the Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were led by Archbishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov) (the Moscow Patriarchate Exarch for North America). He was assisted by Archpriest Peter Kotlyaroff of San Diego, Priest Theodore and Priest Kochetoff of Saint Nicholas Cathedral. The funeral arrangements were in the care of the San Francisco Funeral Service.

After completion of the Funeral services, his body was interred in the Greek Cemetery (Greek Orthodox Memorial Park) of San Francisco at 1148 El Camino Real, Colma, California. At the interment, Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou) was also present, since he was visiting California for the sanctification of a Temple.

Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky) was survived by his son Alexander Alexei(evich) Pokrovsky-White, and his daughter-in-law Alexandra Pokrovsky-White, of Washingon, DC.

They later moved to California, and at the end they were interred beside Archbishop Antonin.

Grave marker (2 views)

— Bishop of Washington, DC, and Alaska (ROGCCNA) 1930-1934. Preceded by : Bishop Amphilochiy (Vakulsky). Succeeded by : Bishop Alexis (Panteleyev).

— Archbishop of Washington, DC (MP Exarchate) 1934-1939. Preceded by : See was created. Succeeded by : ___.

Reflections

References

Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

Vancouver Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor biography by Anatole E Portnov

Biography from the newspaper "Novaya Zarya" 3 May, 1939, on the web-site of the San Francisco Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Biographical note in "Russian Religious Leaders Abroad"

Additional information :

Archdiocese of Canada — Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).

Buyevsky, A S, 'Antonin (Pokrovsky)', in "Orthodox Encyclopedia", vol. 2, p. 687

(Fokin) Archimandrite Paul, « Жизненный путь архиепископа Вашингтонского и Аляскинского Антонина (Покровского), его личные воспоминания и переписка. Миссионерское служение. Исторический очерк » ["The life of the Archbishop of Washington and Alaska Antonin (Pokrovsky), his personal memories and correspondence. Missionary service. Historical sketch"] (Moscow : GLAS Publishing House, 2007). ISBN : 978-5-903031-08-5. (In Russian)

(Lemeshevsky), Metropolitan Manuel, “Russian Orthodox Hierarchs from the Period from 1893 to 1965” (inclusive) (Erlangen, 1987)

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Tyspin, Archpriest Vladislav, “History of the Russian Church : 1917-1997” (Moscow : Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery Publishing House, 1997). ISBN : 5-7302-0815-4.

"FPS", I, no. 255, pp. 10, 4, pp. 1, 5, no. 22.

"Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate" (JMP), no. 3 (1955), pp. 73-74.

OCA article about the early days of the "Metropolia"

Rescue from shipwreck in Alaska

OCA article on Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church, Vancouver, British Columbia

Orthodox Canada article on Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver, British Columbia

OCA article about the Russian Orthodox Church in North America

Departed Bishops in/of Canada

An article about Alexander Alexei Pokrovsky was published in the "Washington Evening Star" on 18 October, 1937.

Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin)

Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

Archbishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov)