Mitred Archpriest Andrew A and Matushka Maria Kokolsky

Mitred Archpriest Andrew Kokolsky (1878-1979)

and

Matushka Maria Kokolsky (born Rudiak) (1887-1971)

Andrew may be spelt Andrei, André, Andrej, Andrey, Andriy, Andreas.

Kokolsky may be spelt Kokolski.

Early life of Andrew

On 29 August, 1878, Andrew A Kokolsky was born to Alexander and Justina Kokolsky, in the town of Tovste. At that time, this region was in the province of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now in the Ternopil Oblast. He was raised as an Orthodox Christian in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.

His early education was in his home town.

Higher education

After having completed his primary and secondary education, Andrew travelled to Vienna, Austria, where he pursued higher studies.

Andrew was then taken into military service, where he served as a lieutenant in a cavalry division under the Emperor Franz-Joseph.

Once he had completed his military service, in accordance with his heart’s desire, Andrew immediately began theological studies so that he could serve the Lord in the Church.

After having completed his studies, he returned to Tovste and his parental home.

Marriage

In his home village, Tovste, Andrew A Kokolsky was married to Maria Rudiak.

Emigration to the USA 1912

In 1912, Andrew and Maria Kokolsky emigrated to the USA. They landed in New York.

Ordinations, 1912

Soon after their arrival in New York, Andrew Kokolsky was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and then to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky).

Pastoral service

Transfer to Canada, 1912 : missionary service

Father Andrew was immediately assigned to serve in some of the communities in Saskatchewan in Canada. However, his wife was not able to follow him until 1914.

In time, they received 3 children from the Lord : John, Stella and Grace.

Father Andrew was sent to serve as a missionary first in the Mikado area (near Canora), and the Moose Jaw area in Saskatchewan. It was at about this time (1913) that Holy Trinity Church in Moose Jaw was established.

In 1918, Father Andrew was sent to Canora. There, he personally organised the community and then supervised the architecture and the construction of the first Orthodox Temple in that town. He was able to be involved in the architecture and construction in part because he had taught himself about architecture earlier in his life.

In 1923, Father Andrew was transferred to Mundare, Alberta. For 4 years, he served the parishes of Saint Jacob, Saint Elias, Saint John (Farusy), Chipman, Shishkovstsi and Warwick (Boian).

While he cared for the parishioners in Chipman, he physically helped to build the second Temple of Saint John the Baptist in that village in 1924. A fire in 1923 had destroyed the first Temple. This second Temple was designed by Father Andrew, and it had the very distinctive features of a large central dome and a high bell tower over the west entrance of the Temple. The Temple was sanctified in 1925.

In 1927, Father Andrew was sent to Smoky Lake, Alberta. There, he served the Holy Trinity parish, and also Saint Pokrova in Edwand, Saint Elias in Pakan, and Saints Peter and Paul in Chahor.

On the Feast of Pascha, 1928, a disastrous fire completely destroyed Holy Trinity Church in Smoky Lake. Immediately, Father Andrew galvanised the reconstruction. He prepared the plans, and he supervised the construction. The Temple remained intact and standing thereafter. In this case, Father Andrew personally elevated and installed the large iron Cross which since then stands on the peak of the main cupola.

In 1930, Father Andrew was transferred, and his family established a residence in Edmonton, not far from Saint Barbara’s Church. From there, for the following 30 years, he continued to visit a large number of rural communities for which he was pastorally responsible.

Transfer to the Russian Exarchate of North America

At some time in the following years, Father Andrew moved from the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America to the North American Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. For a time, he served as the secretary for the Canadian Section of the diocesan council of Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov).

During his more than 50 years of pastoral service, Father Andrew had served in the parishes in Athabasca, Barrhead, Calmar, North Star, Peno, Redwater, Spirit River, Star and Thorsby. He also served occasionally at Saint Barbara’s Church on occasions when there was a need. These are in addition to the ones previously mentioned. He was an energetic man and a dynamic speaker. He organised new communities and strengthened those he served.

In 1959, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was assigned by the Moscow Patriarchate to be the Archbishop of Edmonton and Canada. From that time, he began to improve the order and pastoral service for the communities and clergy under his authority. However, only 9 years later, the archbishop reposed in the Lord.

Retirement, 1963

In 1963, Father Andrew A Kokolsky retired at the age of 85. Nevertheless, he continued to be present and participating in services as often as possible.

Archbishop Panteleimon elevated the Priest Andrew Kokolsky to the dignity of archpriest. He also awarded Father Andrew with the right to wear the mitre (an award to priests given primarily by the Russian Orthodox Church).

Father Andrew had not come to this advancement long before this in part because he had been living and serving through many decades of jurisdictional confusion and frequent absence of active bishops in Canada.

In 1970, the Moscow Patriarchate gave autocephaly (independent self-government) to the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America (ROGCCNA). At the same time, the Moscow Patriarchate dissolved its Russian Exarchate and its diocesan structure and replaced it with an administration of its parishes, one for the USA and one for Canada. The names became "Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Canada", and "Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA".

Bereavement, 1971

On 24 July, 1971, Matushka Maria Kokolsky fell asleep in the Lord.

After the funeral services at Saint Barbara’s Cathedral, her body was interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery on the “south side” of Edmonton.

After this, their daughter Grace continued to look after the daily needs of her father for the following 8 years. Those who knew the family considered her service to have been exemplary.

Repose, 1979

On 7 May, 1979, the Mitred Archpriest Andrew Kokolsky fell asleep in the Lord in Edmonton. He was 100 years old.

On Wednesday, 9 May, 1979, the evening panikhida (memorial service) was offered at Saint Barbara's Cathedral in Edmonton. The reading of the Holy Gospels followed this service.

On Thursday, 10 May, 1979, the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Presbyter were offered at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Barbara's Cathedral in Edmonton. At that time, there was no bishop present in the city. Therefore, the services were led by the Archpriest John Margitich, He was assisted by Archimandrite Germogen (Cherkasin), Igumen Dimitriy (Shchur), Archpriest Peter Vlodek, Priest Arseny Melnyk and Priest Nikanor Shimko (these last 3 priests were newly-arrived in Edmonton at that time).

After the funeral services, his body was interred next to that of his wife at Mount Pleasant Cemetery on the “south side” of Edmonton.

Grave marker

Reflections

The facts that Father Andrew Kokolsky was able to speak 6 languages, and that he had taught himself about architecture and construction were valuable elements in his pastoral service. Both factors helped him greatly in his work with his parishioners, and in his missionary labours.

This Christ-loving priest and his Christ-loving wife worked together in harmony in their service to the Lord, and this love produced considerable visible and invisible fruit in the parishes they served. The invisible fruit is in the spiritual lives and the hearts of the parishioners. However, even this became visible in the practice of their loving lives and labours in Christ. Father Andrew and Matushka Maria were neither above nor apart from their spiritual children. Rather, they were in their midst, and co-labourers with them.

They served together for many decades in Canada (the majority of time in Alberta), and they set a good example as Orthodox Christians about how properly to live in Christ. As an Orthodox Christian pastor, Father Andrew himself set a good example as well for other clergy.

References

‘In Memoriam Right Rev. Archpriest Andrew Kokolsky’, in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger”, no. 1 (1979), pp. 20-22. [This "Canadian Orthodox Messenger" is a journal formerly published in Edmonton, AB, by the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada.]

“The Russian Mission in North America”

Additional information :

The obituary for Archpriest Andrew Kokolsky was published in the “Edmonton Journal” on 10 May, 1979, p. 64.

Saint Barbara’s Cathedral

"Roots of Community", early reports

Orthodoxwiki parishes in Canada

"Ancestry" reference to Matushka Maria's grave

"Ancestry" reference to Father Andrew's grave

Findagrave reference for Matushka Maria Kokolsky

Findagrave reference for Father Andrew Kokolsky

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk)

Bishop Job (Smakouz)