Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish)

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) (1892-1981)

John may be spelt Ioann, Ivan, Evan, Johannes.

Ireney may be spelt Irene, Irénée, Irenaeus.

Early life of Ivan Dmitrievich Bekish

Ivan Dmitrievich Bekish was born on 2 October, 1892, in Mezhirech, in the Lublin Governorate (province), in the Russian Empire. Today, it is in the Biała Podlaska County of the Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus (Byelorus).

Higher education

After completing his primary and secondary education, including the "gymnasium", Ivan attended the Kholm (Chełm) Theological Seminary, and he graduated in 1914.

Chełm Theological Seminary

Marriage, 1914

After his graduation, Ivan Dmitrievich and Xenia Sokol were crowned in marriage.

Ivan Dmitrievich was then employed as a reader at the parish in Chełm (Kholm) in the Diocese of Lublin-Chełm for the next 2 years, until 1916.

Ordinations, 1916

In 1916, Ivan Dmitrievich Bekish was ordained to the Holy Diaconate, and then to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Seraphim (Ostroumov) of Belsk.

Pastoral service

The Priest Ioann (Ivan) Bekish was assigned to be assistant rector of the Lublin Cathedral, and also to be a chaplain to the military clergy. During the next several years, Father Ioann served successively at a number of parishes including Guscha in the Lublin province, Lishnevka in the Kovel county of Volyn, Belskoye in the Sarna county, and Poliza (Polisia) also in the Sarna region.

On 11 December, 1928, the Priest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the Dean of the Second Deanery of the Sarna County.

On 1 May, 1934, the priest Ioann Bekish was assigned to be the Dean of the First Kamen-Kashirsk County Deanery.

In 1934, the Priest Ioann Bekish was elevated to the dignity of archpriest.

During his period of service in Kamen-Kashirsk, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the dean of the Sarna and Kamen-Kashirsk regions.

On 1 January, 1935, as a successful administrator, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned also to the consistory (central office) of the Polish Orthodox Church.

On 1 March, 1935, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was transferred, and assigned to serve as the district dean of the Third District of the Pinsk Region in the Polish Orthodox Church. (Pinsk is now in Byelorus.)

On 1 January, 1936, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the assistant rector of the Saint Barbara Cathedral in Pinsk.

Saint Barbara Cathedral, Pinsk

In 1937, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was awarded the palitsa.

On 26 August, 1938, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the rector of the parish in Luninets, and as the district dean of the Luninets Deanery.

On 1 October, 1938, the Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the chairman of the Luninetz Missionary Committee. This was 11 months before the Nazis and Soviets invaded Poland.

In 1940, Archpriest Ioann Bekish was awarded the Jewelled Cross.

Archpriest Ioann (Ivan) Bekish

Displacement, exile, 1944

In July, 1944, as the Soviet Army (which was now fighting the Nazis) approached, Father Ioann was evacuated with his family from Pinsk and Luninetz to Germany. There, he ministered to Orthodox faithful in the Displaced Persons’ camps until after the end of World War II.

In October, 1944, Archpriest Ioann Bekish was elevated to the dignity of mitred archpriest (an award given to priests primarily by the Russian Orthodox Church).

Father Ioann and his family were then transferred to Belgium.

On 19 October, 1947, he came under the authority of Metropolitan Vladimir (Tikhonitsky) of Paris, head of the Russian Exarchate in Western Europe under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

On 1 August, 1948, Mitred Archpriest Ioann Bekish was assigned to serve as the rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Charleroi, Belgium. Soon afterwards, Father Ioann was also given the responsibility of serving as the district dean.

Mitred Archpriest Ioann Bekish, Liège, Belgium, 1949 (third from right, standing)

Mitred Archpriest Ioann Bekish, Liège, Belgium, 1949 (first on right)

Transfer to North America, and to the “Metropolia”, 1952

In March, 1952, with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir (Tikhonitsky), the Mitred Archpriest Ioann Bekish was transferred, and he moved with his family to the USA, where he was admitted into the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (ROGCCNA) by Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich). The familiar and short term for the ROGCCNA between 1924 and 1970 was "Metropolia", because it was a "metropolitanate".

On 8 May, 1952, Mitred Archpriest John Bekish was assigned to serve as the rector of Holy Trinity Church in McAdoo, Pennsylvania.

Holy Trinity Temple, McAdoo, Pennsylvania

Bereavement, 1953

On 31 March, 1953, Father Ioann's wife Matushka Xenia reposed in the Lord.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person were offered at Holy Trinity Church in McAdoo, Pennsylvania.

After the funeral services, her body was interred in the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cemetery in McAdoo.

On 15 May, 1953, Mitred Archpriest John (Bekish) was chosen by the Holy Synod of Bishops to be the Bishop of Tokyo, Japan (at that time, Japan was a diocese in the “Metropolia”).

Monastic tonsure, 1953

On 28 May, 1953, Mitred Archpriest John (Bekish) was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Ireney.

The Hieromonk Ireney (Bekish) was immediately elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

Episcopal ordination, 1953

On 7 June, 1953, Archimandrite Ireney (Bekish) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), with other hierarchs of the "Metropolia", in the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City.

Episcopal service ; transfer to Japan, 1953

Bishop Ireney (Bekish) was immediately assigned to be Bishop of Tokyo and Japan.

After having made his way to Japan, Bishop Ireney (Bekish) of Tokyo began to lead the Japanese Orthodox Church during its recovery from the great damage it had suffered during World War II.

However, the Korean War also ended just at this time, on 27 July, 1953.

Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Tokyo

At Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Tokyo

in Tokyo

In 1954, Vladyka Ireney re-opened the seminary at the Holy Resurrection Cathedral (“Nikolay-do”) Cathedral. It had been closed from the beginning of World War II.

In addition, under his leadership, Temples were rebuilt, communities were restored, and the number of converts to Orthodoxy began to grow again. He also brought back Victor Pokrovsky as the choir director for the cathedral.

In 1954, Bishop Ireney (Bekish) ordained the Priest Boris Moon Yee-Chun of Korea at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo. This was an important event for both the Japanese and Korean Orthodox Churches.

It was a particularly difficult situation at that time, since there were no diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea until 1965. Travel for the purpose of this ordination had to be specially arranged between Vladyka Ireney and the US Military in Korea. The responsibility of the Japanese Orthodox Church for the Korean Orthodox Church had passed to it from the Moscow Patriarchate in 1921. This came as a consequence of both the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 (which followed a previous treaty of 1905), and the activities of the government of the USSR after 1917.

During the post-war years, there had developed a division between those who supported Bishop Nicholas (Ono), and those who supported the North American "Metropolia". After the end of World War II, the jurisdiction over most of the communities of the Japanese Orthodox Church had been taken up by the ROGCCNA (the "Metropolia") with the assignment of Archbishop Benjamin (Basalyga) in 1946. However, a minority, under the leadership of Bishop Nicholas had aligned itself with the Moscow Patriarchate.

On 27 May, 1954, Bishop Nicholas (Ono) was reconciled with the Japanese Orthodox Church. Bishop Ireney (Bekish) was instrumental in bringing about this reconciliation during April, 1954. Fruit from this unity was borne later in 1970, when the Japanese Orthodox Church became an Autonomous Church under the Moscow Patriarchate.

In late 1955, the spiritual mission in Korea passed (with the blessing of the Council of Bishops in New York) from the Omophor of Bishop Ireney to the Omophor of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The activities of Bishop Ireney (Bekish) in that mission had prepared the way for this transfer.

Bishop Ireney (behind Metropolitan Leonty) with other bishops (Metropolia and others) in New York

On 9 May, 1957, Bishop Ireney was raised to the dignity of archbishop by the Great Bishops' Council of the ROGCCNA.

Transfer temporarily to the USA, 1960

On 14 June, 1960, Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was transferred back to the USA.

At that time, he was succeeded briefly in Tokyo by Archbishop Nikon (de Grève), who served first as the Vicar-Bishop of Kyoto, and then as Archbishop of Tokyo.

Bishop of Boston and the Diocese of New England ; assistant to Metropolitan Leonty

Archbishop Ireney was assigned to serve as the Archbishop of Boston and the Diocese of New England. He was also made a special assistant to Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), who was by this time aged and ailing.

In parallel, he briefly served as administrator of the Canadian Archdiocese.

Return to Japan as Archbishop of Tokyo, 1962

By the synodal decision of 9 October, 1962, Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was again assigned to be the Archbishop of Tokyo and Japan (in addition to his other responsibilities). However, he remained in the USA, and the actual administration of the Japanese flock was entrusted to the newly-elected Bishop of Kyoto, Vladimir (Nagosky).

Release from Japan ; return to the USA, 1964

In 1964, Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was released from his responsibilities in Japan, and Bishop Vladimir (Nagosky) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Tokyo and Japan.

After the repose of Metropolitan Leonty in 1965, Archbishop Ireney was appointed to be the “locum tenens” of the metropolitan see by the Great Council of Bishops, pending the election of a new metropolitan.

Metropolitan of All America and Canada, 1965

On 23 September, 1965, at the 12th All-American Sobor of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America, Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was chosen and enthroned to be the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All America and Canada.

Autocephaly, 1970

Metropolitan Ireney’s time in office provided one of the momentous events in the history of the North American Church. At that time, the first tentative conversations developed into negotiations which finally became agreements that resolved the decades of tensions and disagreements between the Mother Church, the Church of Russia, and the offspring American “Metropolia”. These differences had arisen as a consequence of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the oppression of the Church in Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church issued a Tomos (a small book containing a major announcement) confirming and proclaiming “The Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America” to be an Autocephalous Church named “The Orthodox Church in America”. This tomos was given on 31 March, 1970 (the Feast-day of Saint Innocent (Veniaminov)).

The official giving of the Tomos of Autocephaly, 1970

With the change in status of the Church came a change in title of address for the first hierarch.

On 9 June, 1970, at a session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of The Orthodox Church in America in that same year, the Holy Synod of Bishops gave the title “His Beatitude” to Metropolitan Ireney, since he was now the primate of an autocephalous Church.

Metropolitan Ireney, the Holy Synod and staff, at the chancery

Chancery Offices, Oyster Bay Cove, Long Island, New York

Glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska, August, 1970

Shortly thereafter, on 8-9 August, 1970, Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) hosted the ceremonies in Alaska marking the glorification (canonisation) of one of the original Orthodox missionaries to Alaska, the well-known and well-beloved Elder Herman of Alaska.

This event was significant in part because it was the first time a North American had been entered into the Orthodox calendar of saints.

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) presided at the services of the Glorification. Archbishop Paul (Olmari) of Finland was the honoured guest of The Orthodox Church in America. Archbishop Paul had himself been a monk of Valaam Monastery at Lake Ladoga, and the New Valamo Monastery (Valaam Monastery had been evacuated to central Finland in 1940) was in his diocese in Finland. It was from Valaam Monastery that Saint Herman and other missionaries had been sent to Russian-America as missionaries in the "Russian Mission" in North America.

Primatial Divine Liturgy during the Glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska

Archbishop Paul (Olmari) of Kuopio and All Finland ; Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) of New York and All America ; Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) of Sitka and Alaska, serving in Holy Resurrection Sobor, Kodiak

Service on Spruce Island at the transfer of the Holy Relics

Glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska

Procession with the Relics of Saint Herman

First All-American Council, October, 1970

Beginning on 20 October, 1970, Metropolitan Ireney presided over a meeting of the Church that would be known as the 14th and last All-American Sobor of The Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America, and the 1st All-American Council of The Orthodox Church in America. This assembly took place at Saint Tikhon's Monastery at South Canaan, Pennsylvania.

Over the next several years Metropolitan Ireney led the administration in making the adjustments needed to put into practice the new status of the Church.

By 1974, age (and years of hard work and stress) began to take its toll on Metropolitan Ireney. Early that year, Metropolitan Ireney requested that the Holy Synod select a temporary administrator for the day-to-day business of the Church.

On 15 May, 1974, Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) of Montréal and Canada was given this responsibility. In addition to his other responsibilities in Canada, he began working together with Metropolitan Ireney, who would approve all important actions and decisions. Otherwise, Archbishop Sylvester was in charge of, and responsible for the daily operation of the central office of The Orthodox Church in America.

Retirement, 1977

On 9 March, 1977, as his health deteriorated, Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) announced that he intended to retire on 25 October, 1977, the opening day of the 5th All-American Council.

After this Council, at which Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) was chosen to be the new metropolitan, Metropolitan Ireney retired to live in the Saints Cosmas and Damian Adult Home on Staten Island, New York, an institution that he was instrumental in founding. There was no time during his service as primate that Metropolitan Ireney had a direct responsibility regarding Canada. Rather, during the period of his physical fragility, it was the Canadian Archbishop Sylvester who was actively supporting him and his administration of The Orthodox Church in America.

Saints Cosmas and Damian Nursing Home

Repose, 1981

Metropolitan Ireney reposed in Christ from a heart attack on 18 March, 1981.

On Thursday, 19 March, 1981, at 6:00 p.m., a Memorial Presanctified Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral at 5, East Second Street in Manhattan. Presiding at this and at the other services was Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor), the successor of Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish), along with other bishops and many clergy and Faithful.

On 20 March, 1981, at 6:00 p.m., the Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were offered at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City.

After these services, on Sunday, 21 March, 1981, his body was taken from New York, and interred in the cemetery at Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.

Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral, New York City

— Bishop of Tokyo Archbishop of Tokyo and Japan 1953-1957. Preceded by : Archbishop Benjamin (Basalyga).

— Archbishop of Tokyo and Japan 1957-1960, 1962-1964. Succeeded by : Archbishop Nikon (de Grève), and then by Metropolitan Vladimir (Nagosky).

— Archbishop of Boston and the Diocese of New England 1960-1965. Preceded by : Archbishop Dimitry (Magan). Succeeded by : Bishop Stephen (Lasko).

— Archbishop of New York (ROGCCNA ; OCA) 1965-1970/1970-1977.

— Metropolitan of New York, All America and Canada (ROGCCNA) 1965-1970. Preceded by : Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich). Succeeded by : The see name was changed with Autocephaly to "Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada"

— Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA) 1970-1977. Preceded by : Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich). Succeeded by : Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor).

— Former Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada 1977-1981.

Reflections

Under Vladyka Ireney's leadership, the central administration of The Orthodox Church in America had continued to mature. The negotiations which resulted in the granting of autocephaly had also been able to resolve many of the ill feelings that had developed between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Metropolia-Orthodox Church in America since the Bolshevik Revolution. Perhaps this healing-reconciliation-mutual forgiveness was even more important than the actual granting of autocephaly.

Much indicates that Vladyka Ireney in his episcopal service was more of a diplomat and an administrator than a monk. Considering the context of his life, this is understandable ; but he was, regardless, a pastor. Perhaps it is true that his episcopal activity in Japan was marked more by achieving external effects, rather than internal growth. However, future internal growth was enabled by his wise and competent deeds and decisions at the time. Metropolitan Ireney, having played a key role in strengthening and restoring Church life in Japan, in overcoming the divisions of the Orthodox flocks of Japan and America, and in the reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate, became known in history as a bishop of peace.

Awards :

• Nabedrennik and Skufia (1917)

• Kamilavka (11 December, 1928)

• Gold Pectoral Cross (1929)

• Palitsa (1937)

• Pectoral Cross with Jewels (1940)

• Mitre (1947)

References

Tarasar, C. J. ed., 'Orthodox America 1794-1976: Development of the Orthodox Church in America' (Syosett, NY : The Orthodox Church in America, 1975).

OCA chronological biography by A P Liberovsky

Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Russian Wikipedia biography (in Russian)

Drevo Enclopaedia biography

Biography at "Dictionaries and Encyclopaeidas at dic.academic.ru

Biography at Orthodox Encyclopaedia

Wikipedia biography

Additional information :

Prokurat, Michael ; Golitzin, Alexander & Petersen, Michael, eds., “The A to Z of the Orthodox Church” (Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 2010), pp. 59-60. ISBN : 978-0-8108-7602-6.

Shoji, John, “The Orthodox Church of Japan, 1912-1954 : A Time of Troubles” (Masters Thesis at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 2007)

Orthodoxresearchinstitute “Former Hierarchs of The Orthodox Church in America”

The Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Wikipedia article about The Orthodox Church in America

"Primatial Elections in the OCA" by OCA Archivist, Alexis Liberovsky, Director of the Department of History and Archives

"Orthodox Christians in North America (1794-1994)"

"New York Times" obituary

Drevo encyclopaedia article about the ROGCCNA

Drevo article about the ROGCCNA (in Russian)

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) on the site "Religious leaders of the Russian emigration"

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) on the site “Russian Orthodoxy”