Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov)

Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) (1888-1955)

Joasaph is the English spelling of the Russian name “Ioasaph”.

Ivan may be spelt Ioann, John.

Early life of Ivan Skorodumov

Ivan Skorodumov was born on 14 January, 1888, in the village of Rebovichi, in Tikhvin county (“raion”), in the Novgorod diocese and province (northwest Russia, approximately 200 km east of Saint Petersburg) of the Russian Empire. Ivan had a twin sister, and they were children in the family of a rural priest.

He was ascetically inclined from childhood, and he imitated both the great ascetics, and his best teachers. He was to become a spiritual friend particularly of Saint John Chrysostom.

Higher education

Ivan was first educated at the Dormition Monastery in Tikhvin, and at the Seminary in Novgorod, from which he graduated in 1902.

He then studied at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1912.

Monastic tonsure, 1912

After his graduation, Ivan travelled to Astrakhan (in the Volga Delta, at the Caspian Sea), where, on 13 November, 1912, Bishop Feofan (Bystrov) tonsured him to be a monk. He was given the name Joasaph (Ioasaph), after Saint Joasaph of Belgorod.

Ordinations, 1912

Soon after the tonsure, Bishop Feofan ordained Monk Joasaph (Skorodumov) to the Holy Diaconate and then to the Holy Priesthood.

Hieromonk Joasaph (Skorodumov)

Pastoral service

Hieromonk Joasaph (Skorodumov) was assigned to be assistant inspector in the seminary in Yaransk in the Vyatka Governorate of European Russia (now the Kirov Oblast), and then in Poltava, Poltava Governorate, in Ukraine, in 1913. Both these and all other assignments were undertaken by him in obedience as a monk.

During World War I (1914-1918), he served as a chaplain in the Imperial Russian Army. Then, during the Civil War that followed the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, he engaged in pastoral activities in the ranks of the White Army.

By 1920, Hieromonk Joasaph (Skorodumov) was in Crimea, where he was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite on 19 April.

At the same time, he became a preacher at the headquarters of General Pyotr N Wrangel.

Exile, 1920

Having fled from Crimea along with the White Army, Archimandrite Joasaph went to Constantinople (Istanbul), where he was assigned to serve in the Russian military hospitals with the Chief Chaplain, Bishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov).

In a few years, he, with many others, travelled to Serbia in the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia).

There, he settled first in a village monastery, but he soon was given teaching responsibilities in several different regions.

He then became a teacher and chaplain to a cadet corps that was being trained in view of a hoped-for return to recover Russia.

Transfer to Canada, 1929

In their memoirs, Archbishop Theodosius (Samoilovich) and Archimandrite Amvrosy (Pogodin) tell us that a group of believers, thinking collectively, decided to open a parish in Montréal, Québec, Canada. This new parish was the Church of Saint Nicholas. They invited Archimandrite Joasaph to be rector of this parish by assignment of Archbishop Apollinary (Koshevoy). However, a visa for him could be obtained only after a year. Thus, in 1929 Archimandrite Joasaph arrived in New York, New York State, USA. From there, he travelled to Montréal, Québec, in December of the same year.

At the border, it was seen that not all the documents were properly executed in accordance with the Canadian government’s requirements. Therefore, he had to return to New York, where stayed for more than 2 months. He arrived again in Canada on 6/19 February, 1930.

Nevertheless, Archimandrite Joasaph had to leave again a few months afterwards, at the summons of the Synod Abroad in Karlovci, Yugoslavia. On 29 May (11 June), he had been elected by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) to become the Bishop of Montréal, and he was summoned by the bishops to return to Belgrade.

In Yugoslavia, on the eve of the day of the episcopal ordination (on Saturday, 28 September/11 October), Archimandrite Joasaph (Skorodumov) made the formal Confession of Faith before the bishops. Then, he presented his words of accepting the nomination.

Address of Archimandrite Joasaph at his Nomination to the Holy Episcopate (short form)

Two questions have particularly occupied me in life.

The first is the study of the ways of God’s mercy. I have observed the inexpressible Grace
of God, first of all in the richly endowed nature, and I have explained this to myself by
the fact that nature is subject to the inevitable/unavoidable laws of nature.

I began to observe human life ; and even where free will had turned to evil, I always found
the mercy of God.

Then I decided to turn to that which is most sinful, most evil ; and I turned to my own
heart to my inner life. It seemed that there was no room for God’s mercy there, because
there was nothing good there. But even there I found the mercy of God, and I remembered the
words of the Psalmist : ‘Lord, where could I go from Your Spirit, or flee from Your face ? If
I go up to heaven, You are there ; if I go down to hell, You are there’ (Psalm 138:7-8).

Then I was finally convinced that God’s mercy on Man is limitless and boundless.

The second question that I have sought to resolve is whether the Last Judgement is coming
soon. I could sense from signs in external nature, from the condition of mankind, and
finally from myself that the time was near, and that I must hurry to do God’s work and
to preach His Kingdom. And now, standing here on the threshold of my new episcopal ministry,
I ask myself the question whether God’s infinite, boundless mercy is once again being poured
out on me. And I think : ‘O Lord, pacify the waves of Your Grace’.

If the Lord wants to chastise me, a sinner, and grants me the Grace of the episcopal
ministry, in order to exact more from me afterwards, I accept it. May His Holy Will be done.
If the Lord desires through me, the unworthy one, to bring good to others and to lead them
into His Kingdom, I accept this and object to nothing. If the Lord sees something good in me
and rewards me with the lot of the episcopacy for the salvation of my soul and the souls of
the Faithful, I thank the merciful Lord, and I humbly accept His great mercy.

And so, dearly beloved archpastors, the entire holy Sobor, and the pious laity, I ask that
you pray for me, that the Lord may make me worthy of the Grace of the episcopal ministry that
is bestowed upon me.

Episcopal ordination, 1930

On Sunday, 29 September (12 October), 1930, in “the Russian Church” in Belgrade, at a huge gathering of clergy and lay people, the solemn ordination to the Holy Episcopate of Archimandrite Joasaph (Skorodumov) took place during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

The ordaining bishops were : Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky) ; Archbishop Hermogen (Maximov) ; Bishop Mitrophan (Abramov).

At the conclusion of the service of the episcopal ordination, Vladyka Antony (Khrapovitsky) gave these words :

Exhortation to Vladyka Joasaph at the giving of the Pastoral Staff

Of course, you know today’s Gospel teaching about the Lord’s disciples catching fish. They
did not catch fish right away ; they worked all night and caught nothing. But then the Lord
instructed them to lower the net from the right side of the boat ; and in obedience to God’s
will, they caught so many fish that their boat began to sink.

Obedience to the will of God should be the chief virtue of someone who is a worker of the
Church, and only under these conditions will the catch that the Church gets in its nets be
reliable. You have always been distinguished by a deep devotion to the Church ; and you are
going to a country where God has long been forgotten, and where almost all good deeds stem
from pride, which, if it [pride] favours anyone, humiliates him. This is how Dostoevsky
portrayed the moneylender who, wishing to confer a great favour on a poor girl, married her,
but drove her to such an extreme state by his arrogance that she threw herself out of the
window with an icon in her hands, and she fell to her death.

This spirit of pride, which has saturated America and Europe, is not present at all in
Russia ; our people do not know what ‘pride’ means ; they realise that there is only devilish
pride. You are free from this vice ; but you are going to people who have long lived with
ideas that have nothing in general to do with Christianity. Bring them however the message
of humility. Accept this staff as a staff of goodwill ; and, blessing the people before you,
be transported mentally to the flock that loves you.

Episcopal service

Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) was assigned to be the Vicar-Bishop of Montréal, of the North American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (which, at that time, included the administrations of both the Russian Orthodox Outside Russia and the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America).

Vladyka Joasaph served Vespers and Matins daily from that time until the end of his life.

He returned to Montréal to face the chaos and turmoil of Orthodox Church life in Canada as it was at that time.

The new vicariate had no assets, and no organised parish life. Having come to Canada nearly penniless, Bishop Joasaph had no salary, but he managed to live on donations. He was subjected to hardship and adversity. Nevertheless, he set to work to establish better order in the areas of his responsibility.

From 1934, he served under Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) for the administration of the North American and Canadian Diocese.

In 1936, Vladyka Joasaph was listed as being Bishop of Montréal, and he lived at 1477, rue Cartier Street (6 or 7 blocks from Saints Peter and Paul Church. At this time, the North American Metropolia and the ROCOR were a united administration ; however, there were some areas of overlap, which did not help to make everything clear.

Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) was in the process of being transferred to the USA, but he was still active in Western Canada until 1937.

Soon, Vladyka Joasaph moved from Montréal to Edmonton in Alberta.

At that time, the diocese had no material property or security, nor proper organisation. There seemed to be many obstacles to the spread of the Orthodox Christian Faith in these parts. The situation was complicated by some animosity between jurisdictions because of tumultuous historical events.

Bishop Joasaph took up the cause vigorously. Constantly, he travelled most of the length and width of Canada (by train, by road, and even on foot). Everywhere, he built, baptised, crowned marriages, and arranged services. Constantly, he taught and preached. He lived exclusively on private donations, and he never worried about tomorrow.

Western Canada

Due to the fact that there were few Orthodox flocks in Eastern Canada at that time, Vladyka Joasaph moved to Western Canada, where most Orthodox Ukrainians and Russians lived at that time.

Calgary

In 1932, Vladyka Joasaph became a resident of the city of Calgary, Alberta. He blessed the construction of a new, specially constructed Temple in the city (the congregation had a previously-used Protestant building).

In 1934, the Temple of All Saints was sanctified. Unofficially, but effectively, this Temple became the cathedral, even though Vladyka’s title had not been changed.

All Saints Temple, Calgary (the second building)

Windsor

In Windsor, Ontario, there were controversies regarding the nature of the direction of the Orthodox Christians in Windsor. As a consequence, Vladyka Joasaph (through his blessing) caused the establishment of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church as distinct from Saint John the Divine Russian Orthodox Church. Both Temples are on Drouillard Road in Windsor.

Reconciliation of the “Metropolia” and the ROCOR

As a consequence of the reconciliation of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (ROGCCNA) with the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) in November, 1935, there was soon a change in the diocesan organisation.

On 29 May, 1936, by the decision of the unified Synod of Bishops in North America, Canada was divided into the West Canadian Diocese, and the East Canadian Diocese. Bishop Joasaph was assigned to serve in Western Canada, and Bishop Jeronim (Chernov) was assigned to serve in Eastern Canada.

Edmonton

On 16/29 May, 1936, Vladyka Joasaph was assigned to serve as Diocesan Hierarch of Western Canada.

In 1936, the city of Edmonton, Alberta, became the diocesan centre.

Establishment of Saint Vladimir’s Cathedral, Edmonton, 1938

In 1938, Bishop Joasaph acquired the building of a former Protestant congregation in Edmonton, which he designated as the cathedral. It was named for Saint Prince Vladimir, and its attached quarters served as the bishop’s office and residence.

Temple of Saint Vladimir, Edmonton

Living-quarters attached

Change in episcopal oversight, 1937-1940

On 11 October, 1937, Bishop Jeronim (Chernov) was transferred to the USA, to the Diocese of Detroit and Cleveland. No replacement was found for him.

Therefore, by a decision of the Holy Synod of the North American Region in June, 1940, the 2 dioceses in Canada were merged into one, with its centre in Edmonton, and with Bishop Joasaph as the ruling hierarch.

Character of pastoral service

The 20 years spent in Canada by Vladyka Joasaph were full of spiritual and physical labour. The Orthodox Christian Faith was renewed, refreshed, and strengthened. Parishes and communities had to be built up anew ; opposition had to be struggled with ; often, Temples and monastic sketes had to be built up with his own hands. More than one Temple was fully furnished by Vladyka Joasaph himself, and he often painted the icons himself.

Pastoral service presented difficulties, obstacles, and challenges. The following provides an account of such situations :

In the memory of people who knew Vladyka Joasaph, there are several incidents of his
life in Canada, that were told by him in Argentina, or reported by his admirers from
Canada. Vladyka did not like to recall sad, difficult incidents, so almost everything
known to us has a cheerful, even humorous colouring, which corresponds to the kind,
joyful character of our archpastor. Here are some of them :

Vladyka Joasaph's self-sufficiency

Vladyko would visit the parishes (of which there about 60 by the end of his stay in Canada)
not waiting for an invitation, nor expecting remuneration, but when it was more convenient
for him, often without warning ; and sometimes he visited for weeks at a time. Once,
he was invited by a parish in Saskatchewan.

When he arrived at the railway station, 40 miles from the parish, no one met him. Not
thinking about this for long, he put his suitcases on his shoulder and walked on. [...]

Soon after his arrival in Argentina, when he saw the churches full of praying people,
which made a most gratifying impression on Vladyka, he involuntarily remarked, ‘I never
saw such a thing there in Canada.

On the contrary, it often happened that I would be serving the Divine Liturgy on a
Sunday or on one of the twelve feast days, and there would be no one in the church except
one pious old woman. At the exclamation of “Peace be with all”, I would turn and say :
“Peace be with you”, and she would reply, “And to your spirit”’.

Vladyka said that it was not uncommon that he would have to serve ‘skete style’.
For example, he would say the entire Great Litany, or the Litany of Fervent Supplication,
and then he would be the one to sing ‘Lord, have mercy’ 12 times. He would have to do
everything himself : light the candles ; light the censer ; and even read the Hours.
Vladyka usually baked the prosphora himself.

Vladyka Joasaph's humility

Vladyka Joasaph did not have even a shadow of the slightest ambition. Vladyka was
always of the opinion that a monk should not only not seek, but even desire any
honours, awards, or promotion.

Therefore, when on 16/29 Occtober, 1945, at the behest of the Synod of Bishops of the
Russian Church Abroad, Vladyka was elevated to the rank of Archbishop, half-jokingly-half-seriously,
he remarked : ‘Why me ? I will not leave for another jurisdiction if I don’t get it’. [...]

Vladyka Joasaph, always first a monk

Vladyka, like a child, was gentle and pure in heart, and the Lord heard his prayers.
One summer, there was a severe drought, threatening crop failure.

At the request of his parishioners Vladyka Joasaph performed a service for the
blessing of water in the field, and he asked the Lord to send rain on the earth. And,
oh miracle ! No sooner had those who were praying reached the house of the owner, a
rich farmer, in whose field the prayer service had been held, than a heavy, torrential
rain fell.

In his humility, Vladyka attributed the miracle to the faith and prayer of his flock. [...]
Vladyka had a rule : Never to take any supplies of food on the road, and never to eat
or drink until he reached his destination.

Once Vladyka Joasaph happened to be travelling by rail from Edmonton to San Francisco.
The journey lasted three days.
‘I made myself comfortable at the window’, said Vladyka, not without humour, ‘and so I sat
for three days without getting up. I sat and admired how the green fields, forests,
villages, and farms were rushing towards the fast-running train. And myself, I was
praying, fingering my prayer rope [чётки, chotki].

And how good and joyful in soul it seemed it would have been if I could have sat like
this for my whole life without leaving the carriage.

On the third day, I noticed that the conductor of the carriage, passing by me, looked
in my direction several times with some curiosity and even worry. At last, he ventured
to make some conversation with me, apparently offering his services. I replied that I
did not understand English. Then he went away, and he soon returned with a stranger.
You, Father, maybe you are Russian ?’ he addressed me in Russian with a strong Jewish
accent.
‘Yes, I am Russian’, I replied.
‘Hello !’, he said, extending his hand to me. ‘Perhaps, Father, you need something ?
Just say the word. I'll arrange everything for you. Maybe you want something to eat ?’
‘I thanked him for his attention and flatly refused everything. After that I was left alone’, he laughed.

Vladyka Joasaph fed the spiritual sheep with love

One priest wrote :
There was a shortage of priests. That is why Vladyka often had to travel around his
Diocese himself because of various requests for church services. During these trips,
according to Vladyka, he often had to meet and encounter blatant ignorance about the
Faith, and complete wildness in the life of the Church.

‘I was once invited to the family of a prosperous farmer, a native and immigrant from
Volhynia’ said Vladyka, ‘in order to perform the sacrament of marriage.
“Tomorrow”, they said to me, “you will marry Manka and Olga”’.
From further conversations it appeared that Olga, the eldest daughter, was already
baptised, but Manka was not.

‘How can we marry her ?’ I asked. ‘First we must baptise her ; but before we baptise
her, we must prepare her and teach her about the Orthodox Faith’.
“But what about the guests ?!” the parents asked, almost in tears. “It would be
better to do the service tomorrow”.

‘I understood them well : they were working people, and every day was important to
them. If we leave things like this […], they would go to the sectarians.
“Okay !” I decide. “Do you have a clean barrel ? Bring it over here and fill it with
water !”’

Until late at night, Vladyka sat with the whole family. He talked, he briefly outlined
the essence of the Orthodox Faith, and he prepared the young lady to receive holy
baptism. After midnight, almost with the first crow of the rooster, he baptised her
in the prepared ‘font’ ; and the next day, in the morning, he crowned her. [...]

And he went on his way. He hurried wherever he was called, bringing the light of the
Gospel teaching to people. He taught ; he instructed ; he healed wounded souls ; and
he looked amongst the people to see whether there was among them a candidate for
ordination to the priesthood.

Vladyka Joasaph, a bold and practical archpastor

Thus, during one of his visits to Vancouver, Vladyka Joasaph met a young professional
artist-singer. They became acquainted. The young man turned out to be a former
seminarian.

‘I need priests’, Vladyka told him, ‘but here you are a seminarian, and singing some
stupid songs’.

'Thank God, I heeded his words’, recalled Father Alexander Znamensky, who passed away
not so long ago : ‘I gave up singing “stupid songs” and accepted ordination from
Vladyka’.

Holy Protection Monastery, Bluffton, Alberta, 1935

Within 10 years, there were 40 parishes under his omophor, and the Holy Protection Skete in Bluffton, Alberta had been established. His hard work (in the context of very few resources) nurtured further development (along with further immigration), and 20 more parishes were eventually added to his responsibility. However, such long-term poverty, sparse living-conditions, and hard work often produce illness, and it did so with Vladyka Joasaph.

Aerial view of the monastery

Views of the monastic dwelling

Aerial view of the cemetery

Holy Dormition Monastery, Granada, Alberta

With regard to the establishment of the Holy Dormition Monastery at Granada, Alberta, there is preserved a conversation about it which was kept in a book about him that was written in Buenos Aeres, Argentina, from his own recollections.

When Vladyka was asked about the skete Temple, “Who built it ?” Vladyka answered, laughing merrily : “There were four of us : Father Ilya and me, me and Father Ilya”.

Vladyka Joasaph at work and building

Winter view of the skete

Vladyka building his own kellia (cell)

Vladyka Joasaph and his kellia

Vladyka Joasaph and a co-worker

Observing the work and labours of Vladyka Joasaph in Western Canada, Archbishop Vitaly (Ustinov) figuratively called Vladyka’s skete "Saint Sergius Pustin".

During his tour of Canada, the Canadian missionary V A Konovalov, when approaching this skete, elaborated on the same idea further :

Recollections about the Granada Skete

When I approached this skete, it seemed to me that I was approaching the Skete of the Optina Pustyn ;
for I, by the Grace of God, had often been in the Optina Pustyn, and I had on a
continuous basis visited its Skete and its Elders. [This was the Skete dedicated to Saint
John the Baptist which was attached to the Optina monastery, and where monks lived a more
austere life. Many of Optina’s famous elders lived in this Skete.] A small new pine Temple
with a blue dome, and monastery buildings are visible all around. When I entered the Temple,
I was struck by its cleanliness and coziness. The entire floor of the Temple is covered with
linoleum, the walls are covered with plywood, there is a beautiful iconostas, a spacious altar, and
everything is furnished in the spirit of a monastery. There is no gold and silver here. But there is
a monastic spirit here. Further on, there is the cell of Bishop Joasaph – made of wood, pine, with
a new hut in the old Russian style, and the same simple furnishings, corresponding to a monk,
and hermit. The house for the brethren is two-storeyed, also wooden pine, with 8 rooms for 8-10
monks, an icon-painting room, and all that is necessary for the necessary monastic services.
[This was the property out by Wildwood, Alberta.]

In the skete, there is a material constraint and even poverty, that is noted by all. It is
the same in the diocesan city of Edmonton, in the 'podvorye' Temple of Bishop Joasaph. [This
is Saint Vladimir’s Temple in Edmonton.] The Temple at the 'podvorye' is beautiful. In the
church building there is a living quarters of 5 rooms, of which the bishop occupies three :
the first small room - the library of the bishop ; the second - a larger room which serves
also as a bedroom ; and the third – an icon-painting room, where Vladyka, as an iconographer
and artist, himself paints icons. There is also a reception hall for receiving visitors and
a kitchen-room for the residence of the deacon and cell attendant/'keleinik".

Thus, out of nothing, out of poverty, with God’s help, a centre of our Holy Orthodoxy is
being created by the labours and zeal of the ascetic Bishop in distant Canada, which reminds
us of our temporarily lost homeland.

In the memoirs of M G and B P, the same gracious self-sacrificing figure of the Bishop-Ascetic Joasaph, a true enlightener of Canada, emerges. His struggle, sometimes heroic, in defending the rights of the Church Abroad in those regions is striking : his hardships, his endless moral and physical labours in the process of restoring Church and religious life among the old residents, natives of Russia, who by that time had become spiritually wild due to many years of life without pastoral care, are astonishing.

These people, whom Vladyka had to deal with, were mostly immigrants from Volhynia, often of pro-Communist sentiment, and sometimes not giving due attention and respect to their Ruling Hierarch. Despite everything, Vladyka Joasaph worked without complaint and with diligence in the Field of the Lord. He had to have a lot of angelic gentleness, patience and love for Man in order to instruct and teach people to recognise and distinguish good from evil, of which the modern world, apostate and God-fighting, is so full.

For this purpose, Vladyka travelled up and down the whole of Canada both by train and by wagon, and even on foot. Wherever he went, he baptised both children and adults ; married people ; performed funeral services for them ; conducted Divine services ; instructed tirelessly, and he preached sometimes several times a day.

The following excerpt from his biography written in Argentina describes his life in Canada :

More recollections about life in Canada

In the memory of people who knew Vladyka Joasaph, there are several incidents of his life in
Canada, that were told by him in Argentina or reported by his admirers from Canada. Vladyka
did not like to recall sad, difficult incidents, so almost everything known to us has a
cheerful, even humourous colouring, which corresponds to the kind, joyful character of our
Archpastor. Here are some of them :

‘I arrived one day at one of the railway stations, where a wagon was supposed to be waiting
for me, so as to continue my further journey on it’, Vladyka explained with his usual
cheerfulness. ‘I see some man of ours walking nearby and looking at me attentively. Then,
taking his time, he comes up to me and asks : [the man is speaking a dialect of Ukrainian]
“By any chance, are you Vladyka Iosafaniy ?” “Yes, I am”, I answered, guessing who he was
talking about. “And what of it ?” “I've been looking for you for a long time, let’s go !”
and he led me to his horses, which he had left almost half a ‘verst’ from the station.

‘We set off. We begin talking. I have two suitcases with vestments and books as well as a
leather bag over my shoulder. “Listen, brother”, I said, no longer able to bear it, “Could
you carry these suitcases for me ?” “Why not”, he answered calmly, and took one of my
suitcases from me’.

Vladyko would visit the parishes, of which there were about 60 by the end of his stay in Canada,
not waiting for an invitation, nor expecting remuneration, but when it was more convenient
for him, often without warning, and sometimes visited for weeks at a time. Once, he was
invited by a parish in Saskatchewan. When he arrived at the railroad station, 40 miles from
the parish, no one met him. Not thinking about this for long, he put his suitcases on his
shoulder, and he walked on.

Soon after his arrival in Argentina, when he saw the churches full of praying people, which
made a most gratifying impression on Vladyka, he involuntarily remarked : ‘I never saw such a
thing there in Canada. On the contrary, it often happened that I would be serving the Divine
Liturgy on a Sunday or on one of the twelve feast days, and there would no one in the church
except one pious old woman. And at the exclamation of ‘Peace be with all’, I would turn and
say : ‘Peace be with you, Avdotya’, and she would reply : ‘and to your spirit’.

Vladyka said that it was not uncommon that he would have to serve ‘skete style’. ‘For
example, I would say the entire Great Litany or the Litany of Fervent Supplication, and then
I would be the one to sing “Lord, have mercy” 12 times. I had had to do everything myself :
light the candles, light the censer, and even read the Hours’, Vladyka usually baked the
prosphora himself.

Elevation to archbishop, 1945

On 16 October, 1945, at the suggestion of Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of All America and Canada, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the North American Church elevated Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) to the dignity of archbishop.

ROCOR, 1946

In 1946, the “Metropolia” and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) separated from each other. The separation had to do with the relationship (or lack thereof) with the Moscow Patriarchate. Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) remained with the ROCOR.

Once again, there was a re-organisation of the Church within Canada.

In 1947, the ROCOR established Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) as the archbishop of its new Western Canadian Diocese.

By the end of his 20-year service in Canada, Archbishop Joasaph was leading about 40 parishes, including the Edmonton cathedral, and the skete in Bluffton, Alberta. As Archbishop Kyrill (Dmitrieff) later noted,

 From nothing, from poverty, with God’s help, to distant Canada (so reminiscent of Russia), by the 
 labour and prayer of the ascetic-bishop, a hotbed of holy Orthodoxy was created.  He really was a 
 Canadian educator !

Transfer, 1950

On 25 November (8 December), 1950, Archbishop Joasaph was sent temporarily by the Synod of Bishops to head the Widowed Diocese of Argentina. Shortly before this, he had been stricken with a grave illness, which seemed beyond cure, and he had undergone a serious operation. However, accustomed as he was to follow unquestioningly the dictates of duty and to fulfil his monastic obedience, Vladyka, who was not yet physically strong, left the Canadian Diocese, which he had "become home to him", and he flew to Buenos Aires.

In 1950, when he had become aware of the impending transfer, Archbishop Joasaph transferred the ownership of the Bluffton Protection Monastery to the Women’s Monastery to a women's monastery in San Francisco, California.

Transfer to Argentina, 1951

On 10/23 July, 1951, Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) was assigned to serve as Ruling Hierarch of Buenos Aires and Argentina.

However, this assignment coincided with a major deterioration in his health. Nevertheless, he persevered, and in Argentina he worked on the development and organisation of the flock of mostly new-arrivals, refugees. His labours bore fruit.

His new flock greeted him with great joy, and the first service was held in the Cathedral of the Resurrection, located at that time in a leased basement. Vladyka Joasaph referred to it as “the catacombs”. It was not long before the people of the diocese grew to love Vladyka Joasaph. His love for his flock, his sincere concern for the parishes and for prayer, and his constant joyous countenance won their hearts. Under his guidance, construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral began in 1952, which was a joy to all.

However, it seemed the old jurisdictional disputes had followed Archbishop Joasaph from Canada to Argentina. His duties were not confined to disputes, disagreements, administrative work, orders and sanctions. He was not primarily an administrator, and always forgave his subordinates any offense. Some condemned him for this, and Vladyka answered them, saying, “The police, among others, are employed to make sure orders are enforced ; the Bishop only advises that it would be best to carry out an order”. It seemed that the heartfelt love and gentle treatments towards his flock were more effective than unrelenting strictness and imperious commands.

Little by little, the life of the diocese was regularised : parish churches that had belonged to private persons and “brotherhoods” were property of the diocese as of June 1952, and in August 1953, the diocese was registered with the proper ministry, thus legalised in Argentina. Visitors would often find Vladyka reading the Holy Fathers in his cell, which was, indeed, a monastic cell : a narrow, hard bed, an analoy with a prayerbook lying on it ; a few icons, a lampada, and an epitrachelion hanging on a nail in the wall.

Personal recollections about Vladyka Joasaph

Vladyka Joasaph was an exceptionally interesting conversationalist and storyteller,
and he took part gladly in ordinary conversations.

When he had already been in Argentina for some time, he often recalled and loved to talk
about Canada which had become dear to him, where he had spent about 20 years of his
Archpastoral life (which had been full of labours and great ascetic efforts), and
about the country, which by its nature and climate reminded him very much of our
Russian north, where he himself was from. [Vladyka Joasaph was born 14 January, 1888,
in the village of Rebovichi, Tikvin District, which is east and slightly north of
Saint Petersburg.]

If a conversation was held at his '[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Metochion
metochion]', he liked to accompany his fascinating
stories with what he called 'illustrations' (countless amateur photographs that he
brought with him as memories of Canada). These photographs are now a kind of visual
document that testify to the labours and monastic ascetic efforts ('podvigs') of the
late Archbishop.

There are many photos that could be called 'Vladyka Joasaph at work'. In one of them,
we see the small yard of the Archbishop’s metochion in Edmonton. In the foreground,
in an old working cassock, Vladyka stands with a large axe in his hands, near a huge
pile of wood he had cut and chopped. [In the book, there is a photo of Vladyka
working in this garden while pushing a wheelbarrow. But unfortunately, the photo of
him with the axe is not included.]
'I had to do everything myself, I didn't hire anyone', explained Vladyka. 'Well, I had
the strength'. [...]

On the other hand, he also also making a wide swath. He cut the grass in the forest
clearing, which was cut at one time, and he cleared it of stumps by himself. Now,
this clearing serves as a roadway leading to the monastery. At the end of the
clearing there is a lake. Showing the photo, Vladyka explained : 'I needed a road, so
I built it myself'. [This is evidently the property at Wildwood which has a lake off
in the distance and also was a kind of simple monastery up through the 1990s.] Here
he is, bent low, working over a plowed field, which was maybe even dug by him for the
future vegetable garden, levelling and loosening the ground with an iron rake ; in the
next picture you can see Vladyka with a wooden wheelbarrow, on which he diligently
throws excess soil and debris, to take it somewhere, away from the log walls of the
newly built hermitage.

Or here he is : with bare head and in a singlet, under the gentle rays of the spring
sun, our Vladyka stands in the open fresh air, close to the hand-built table made by
him, and prepares lunch for the 'brethren'. In another photo with these same brethren
(neighbouring farmers), Vladyka is carefully examining a large fishing net, whether it
has torn, for the referred to skete is located on the very shore of a lake with fish !

And here is another rare photo full of heartfelt emotion, reminding us all of the
well-known pictures from the pages of the Holy Gospel : Vladyka Joasaph performing a
moleben [prayer service] for the blessing of water right on the shore of a picturesque
lake, and Vladyka himself (in a short half-mantya and epitrachil) stands in the boat
and reads the Gospel, while the Faithful are on the shore and listen attentively to
the reading.

Then we see Vladyka Joasaph, with his kind smile, standing almost knee-deep in snow
and holding a large snowball in his hands ; in another photo, he is shovelling the
deep snow with a large wooden shovel near the bishop’s metochion.

And here is another, a marvellous northern landscape : century-old pines, covered with
hanging clumps of snow, stand in a dense wall, and in the foreground one can see not a
stump, or the roadside, but only a slightly bent low pole under a huge cap of snow,
looking like a large white mushroom.

Next are a few photos taken at different times of the year of the so-called 'Vladyka’s
Skete' with a small log church and belfry ; the skete that Vladyka lovingly called 'Kitezh'.

While he was still in Canada, Vladyka fell seriously ill. He had to undergo surgery, and his strength was undermined.

Like Solzhenitsyn’s Kostoglotov, Vladyka himself studied his illness from medical books he had obtained somewhere and became convinced that he had cancer. However, this did not make him despondent ; but he accepted his illness with worthy Christian humility and submission to the will of God (which was reflected partly in the canon he compiled to Saint Joasaph of Belgorod) [This canon may not be the "official" canon, but it was composed by the archbishop.] In Argentina, he said laughingly, with his characteristic humour : “Doctors in Canada have already sentenced me that I will live no more than 2-3 months ; but I deceived them, I’ve been living for several years now !” After the second operation, already in Argentina, he was mainly depressed not by the disease itself, not by the suffering, but by the inability to serve. After the operation, Vladyka was full of energy for about 2 more years ; and keenly, he delved into all the affairs of the diocese. Especially, he rejoiced in church-building, which he encouraged in every possible way.

In mid-March 1955, he suffered the first blow, which was repeated with greater force a week later ; the patient’s situation became critical. The news of Vladyka’s illness spread quickly throughout the city and its environs. Everyone rushed to the Temple. It was the Saturday of the Cross. Prayers for health were served in crowded Temples. Rarely has such the power of prayer been felt as then ! Already on Sunday afternoon, Vladyka felt a little better ; and then, slowly but surely, things began to improve. Already on Palm Saturday, although with difficulty, Vladyka was able to tonsure his cell attendant (his last tonsure), Father Anastasiy. A special consolation for all believers was the Paschal service, which was led by the bishop. Disregarding the doctors’ prohibition, he remained to serve the Divine Liturgy, and everyone could not believe that he had recently been on the verge of death. Everyone looked at him as though he were some sort of miracle, and they were inspired by the hope that he would recover and serve again.

Once, Vladyka advised the elder that he, as a Canadian subject, had the right to be buried in an English cemetery, where at that time it was still possible to buy a place for 99 years.

During those anxious days of Vladyka’s illness, parishioners of all parishes tried in every possible way to show their love and care for him. In later days, young people, his beloved subdeacons, were on duty at night with him. Just shortly before his death, a priest came to visit him. Congratulating him on his upcoming Name-day, Vladyka said : “I won’t spoil your name-day. I’ll die later”. And so it happened - Vladyka reposed in the Lord 5 days later.

During these 3 months, Vladyka had received Holy Unction, and he had received Holy Communion often. Various services were performed at his home. Over the course of a month, Vladyka felt both better and worse. On hot, stuffy days it became especially difficult for him. Five days before his death, the fourth blow occurred, which was the last.

On 22 November, he, barely speaking, confessed and received Holy Communion. The last words clearly associated with them were : “Christ save you all”. Some hoped that he meant not only those nearby him, but also all of us, his spiritual children in Canada and Argentina. Then Vladyka no longer was conscious ; his breathing gradually subsided, until the Lord was pleased to accept his bright soul.

Repose, 1955

At 6:40 a.m., on Saturday, 13/26 November, 1955, Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) fell asleep in the Lord at Buenos Aires. This was the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom, the day on which he had been tonsured to the Lesser Schema. Some describe this as "the mystery of death".

His body was prepared according to the prescribed manner, and Vladyka Joasaph was present (although lying in the coffin) in the midst of Diocese of Caracas and South America Holy Trinity Cathedral during the Saturday evening Vigil. All the local clergy were present.

On Sunday, 27 November, 1955, the Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Cathedral in Buenos Aeres, was served in accordance with the order of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. All the local clergy served.

Immediately following the Divine Liturgy, the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Monk was served. Again, all the local clergy served together.

During the service, those present could recall from the text of the service, the words repeated frequently by Vladyka Joasaph at every opportunity : “The main thing is to save yourself !” Before the “Last Kiss”, the rector gave a warm, heartfelt funeral eulogy, in which he listed all the Beatitudes. He showed that the deceased archbishop had fulfilled all of them.

Following the funeral obsequies, his body interred in the English Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

— Bishop of Montréal 1930-1936. See was created. Succeeded by : Bishop Jeronim (Chernov).

— Vicar-Bishop of the North American Diocese 1930-1945.

— Bishop of Edmonton and Calgary 1936-1945. Succeeded by : Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk)

— Archbishop of Edmonton 1945-1946. See was dissolved.

— Archbishop of Edmonton and Western Canada (ROCOR) 1947-1951. Preceded by : See was created. Succeeded by : Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) ; and then Bishop Vitaly (Ustinov).

— Temporary Administrator of Argentina 1950-1951.

— Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Argentina (ROCOR) 1951-1955. Preceded by : Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk). Succeeded by : Archbishop Athanasy (Martos).

Reflections

Although they were co-workers in the same spiritual field, and on the same physical territory, and at a time (during the 1930s) when they both belonged to the same ecclesiastical administration, Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) is not mentioned in the published documents. This does not mean that the 2 bishops had no correspondence nor collaboration. Rather, it reflects the tensions that existed in the Orthodox Christian Church in Canada, in North America, and also in Europe, both during the time of their labours, and for decades afterwards. Both bishops were regarded by many as being holy men, both during their lifetimes, and afterwards. Neither has yet been declared officially to be so in 2024.

Long after Vladyka Joasaph’s repose, those who had known him often remembered the words of their arch-pastor :

 Do not judge.  You do not know ; maybe God has already forgiven the one you have condemned.

Teacher Anna Ezering sent her recollections about Vladyka Joasaph, which are excerpted below.

Vladyka Joasaph was the founder of our parish of Holy Trinity in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
As our Ruling Hierarch, he came to visit us from time to time for services, and he
also sometimes visited us while on his way to New York.

With his blessing, we had a 'Russian Literacy School', which I attended for many
years, beginning in 1934. It was then that I saw in Vladyka Joasaph an intelligent,
observant, straightforward spiritual father, a teacher, a good hearted person, and who
loved children. Vladyka considered it a duty to visit our School every time, and [he
would stay] not for 5-10 minutes, as simply fulfilling his duties, but for the whole
of the lesson. He would observe the course of my lessons, and then he would address
the children with questions, examine them, give them some explanations himself, and
tell them something that would be interesting to the children and joke with them.

One had to see the attention the children paid to him and during these moments his
kind clear eyes. To this day this picture is still alive in my already elderly eyes :
he was not a 'boss', rather he was a sincere friend of the children who were present
at the lessons. We, the older ones, could boldly turn to him with our everyday
questions and concerns and always receive from him direct, kind and intelligent
advice'.

At first glance, the life of Vladyka Joasaph in Canada seems like it was full of hard work
and physical deprivation, struggle with slanderers and enemies of the Church Abroad, but
still it brought joy and satisfaction in the creation of sketes, monasteries, parishes, in the
enlightenment of people who were losing faith, and in helping those in need of the Word of God
and pastoral love. [...] It was not for nothing that, as already mentioned, he earned the title of
'Enlightener of Canada'.

But his naturally cheerful character and deep, pure, childlike faith, hid from others
what trials, and what sorrows Archbishop Joasaph bore all his life. However, he never
darkened the lives of those around him. He was always outwardly joyful and friendly,
and it was easy to live with him. His sincere faith in man was often subjected to
severe trials and yet it did not fade, thanks to his high spiritual qualities.

In Canada, there were many trials that hurt Vladyka’s pure heart. For example,
blindly, with child like belief in man, he ordained someone to the priesthood whom the
flock spoke ill of. But Vladyka believed in the possibility that this person could correct
himself, and he ordained him. A little more than a week later, he joined another jurisdiction.

A second case. Before the ordination of another person, whom many people also had
doubts about, Vladyka said to a parishioner : 'He also will play false, he will become
a betrayer'. And then, as though guessing about what would happen, he said to himself :
'Will he or won't he be a betrayer ?' And when this person soon after his ordination,
did become a betrayer, he only said : 'So, he ended up being a betrayer after all'.
Yes, his child like naivety and gullibility brought him much grief. But this child-like
faith, naivety and love were among the many wonderful qualities of the beautiful soul
of Archbishop Joasaph.

The unbearable 20 years of physical and spiritual labour eventually undermined even
the robust health and strength of Vladyka.

Many people have strongly expressed the opinion that the holiness that they see in Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) should be officially recognised. Amongst Canadians, there were already reports of his sanctity while he was with them. As the Grace of the Holy Spirit continued to be poured out through his service, and healings occurred, these reports continued for the rest of his days. Indeed, such reports continued after his repose as well.

Following are reports of wonders which came about through the intercessions of Vladyka Joasaph :

Testimonies of the Artist M M Chrysagog about Archimandrite Joasaph and the
Miracles Performed by His Prayers

The article 'Batiushka' was responded to by the artist M M Chrysagog, who sent a
letter from Caracas (Venezuela), dated 18 March, 1960. Here are excerpts from that
letter :

Dear author of 'Batiushka'. You have painted such a vivid and accurate image of
'Father Joasaph', who was so close to us all, and so well described the nature/
character of Gorazhda, Goražde, and the Donskoy Emperor Alexander III Cadet Corps,
and highlighted our life in it, that irretrievable memories of it will probably
resurface, not only for me, but also for all our comrades in the Corps, that your
interesting article will get into the hands of, and, of course, most of all, who
experienced there 'the childhood, adolescence, and youth', always associated with the
best memories of the past. [...]

By the way, let me clarify a few things about our/my friendship with Vladyko. I admit
to you that Vladyka was the first person with/to whom I confessed again after a long
break. [...] Our/My friendship rested not only on really marvellous walks with boxes
of paints and easels through the mountains, and conversations on various interesting
topics, but mainly on faith in the Lord God, faith in miracles and God’s Providence.
Whenever any issue was discussed, this fact was mutually felt. Vladyka Joasaph was
truly an ascetic !

I will reveal to you miracles that were accomplished by the prayer of Vladyka Joasaph :

Once an old Muslim woman was brought to the Temple on a stretcher. Vladyka asked her
‘do you believe in the power of prayer to Christ ?’. As you know, Muslims honour Jesus Christ
as a prophet. When the woman answered that she believed, Vladyka prayed, and the
Muslim woman got up from the stretcher and returned home on her own.

There were several such cases with Vladyko in Gorazhd, but he did not like, nor would
he dare tell anyone about this because of his meekness. Only when he was already
Bishop, and I was at that time painting a portrait of Metropolitan Antony in Sremski Karlovtsi,
did I tell the Metropolitan several cases of healing by the prayer of Vladyka Joasaph.

It was touching to see how Vladyka Antony, from the fulness of his feelings, shed hot
tears, saying : 'There are still believing people in the world !' [...] I also wept with him
because of the tender feelings and faith of Vladyka Antony.

He appeared in white vestments to many people in their dreams. There were cases also of Vladyka’s rendering help from the other world. But one of the most striking testimonies of his holiness comes from the lips of the gardener gatekeeper, D Carlos, of the English cemetery in Buenos Aires where Vladyka Joasaph is buried :

 Once when it was already dusk, I noticed that in the chapel they had forgotten to turn off the 
 electric light, and I went there.  Before I had reached it, my attention was attracted by a powerful 
 light at the left side of the chapel.  But when I came closer, I saw that on the grave of your 
 archpastor there was such an enormous light.  At first, I was frightened ; but then I thought, what 
 can the dead one do to me, and I decided to come closer.  There was no chance that it could be a 
 reflection from the vigil light on the grave, since the light was blue like the moonlight.  It was 
 something enormous ('fue algo enorme').  I became terrified, although I am an atheist.

References

“Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) : in the Memory of his Contemporaries”, Igumen Raphael (Vereshack), translator (Buenos Aires, 1979).

Fatheralexander.org biography Миссионерский Листок #A 42 (Missionary Leaflet #A 42)

Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Biography on "Russian Orthodoxy" site (in Russian)

'Enlightener of Canada – Archbishop Ioasaph' in “Orthodox America” (March-April, 1968)

Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography

Moss, Vladimir, II. ‘Archbishop Joasaph of Canada and Argentina’ in “The Golden Chain” (2010). pp.53-56.

Woerl, Michael, '‘Archbishop Ioasaph (Skorodumov, d. November 1955) of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Paraguay’ in “ROCOR Studies” (14 January, 2011)

Additional information :

Sollogub, Count A A, “Russkaia Pravoslavnaia Tserkov Zagranitsej 1918-1968” [Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] , vol. 2 (New York, 1968), pp. 808-809, 1187.

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.

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia web-site

Wikipedia article about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Montreal and Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia web-site

Monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Monastery of the Holy Protection, Bluffton, Alberta

Saint Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church 1946, Edmonton, Alberta

All Saints Russian Orthodox Church, Calgary, Alberta

ROCOR Communities in the Province of Alberta

Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky)

Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky)

Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky)