Ottawa ON †Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission 1980-1987

Ottawa, Ontario, †Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission, 1980-1987

Prehistory

The origin of the Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Christian Mission was in the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This parish, led by the Mitred Archpriest Oleg Boldireff, was very hospitable and had welcomed the Scratch family into their midst. However, the Scratch family had been Anglicans, and the community was primarily Russian-speaking, and the services were offered mostly in the Slavonic language.

After further conversations with Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) of Montréal and Canada (the diocesan bishop of the Archdiocese of Canada), in the spring of 1979, Clare, Suzanne, and their 6 young children were received into the Orthodox Christian Church in the parish of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa, under the omophor of Archbishop Sylvester. When the conversion to the Orthodox Church had been accomplished, Clare was given the name John, after the Holy Evangelist John the Theologian. However, certain tensions developed, since the newly-converted Scratch family and other young people included many children, and they all received the Holy Mysteries frequently. All this was not what the older generation was accustomed to.

At about this time, there had developed in Montréal, Québec, the predecessor element at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Sign of the Theotokos Orthodox Church as a mission. There, Father John Tkachuk had begun to to lead English-language services, and he initiated retreats in what was to be called "the Orthodox Theological Institute" (OTI). There were participants from Ottawa from the beginning.

An early OTI retreat in Montréal

Establishment of the English language mission, 1980

Eventually, Father John Scratch and a small group of others went to visit Archbishop Sylvester in Montréal, Québec. Without proposing anything in particular, the small group simply asked his direction and his blessing. To their surprise, Vladyka Sylvester succinctly responded, in effect, “You have a priest, and you have a small but sufficient congregation. You also have the motivation. You have the blessing to establish an English-language mission in Ottawa”.

This spurred them all to work quickly to form a community which would worship completely in English. A great part of the motivation in the founders was the concern for nurturing the Orthodox Christian Faith in the children, and for growing in their own understanding of their Faith.

Thus, in the winter of 1980, Father John and Matushka Suzanne Scratch, along with a small handful of people, founded the first English language Orthodox Christian mission in Ottawa, Holy Transfiguration Mission. Some people consider that the beginning was as early as 1978, but the official beginning was a little later.

Because of his devoted care for the mission, Father John and his wife both worked in secular jobs in order to support their large family. This offering to the Lord of their resources and time enabled the stable growth of the mission. Father John found work as a security guard. Later, his wife also found work with the Canadian government. Nevertheless, there were times when the family would be eating "Irish soda-bread", hand-made by Father John, because the cupboards were described as being similar to those of "Mother Hubbard" (that is, "bare").

Development of the mission

The mission met in the living room of a house at 160, Forward Avenue in the “Mechanicsville” district of Ottawa. This room was quickly dedicated completely to the mission and its worship. The home belonged to the family of Dia Mirochnitchenko’s husband Konstantin, and the family of one of their daughters, Helen and her husband Geoff Derry (who later served as a deacon for a time), lived there. Their lives became completely involved with the life of the mission. It was not long before the “chapel” room became too small, and another, larger room was dedicated to fulfil that function instead. “Joy” may be an adequate word to describe the atmosphere of this small community of Orthodox Christians.

During many of the years of the mission, Helene Culhane sang in the choir (as did her daughter Anna), and she also served as the treasurer of the mission. Her son Matthew sang in the choir and served in the Altar.

Holy Transfiguration Mission, 1982

Contributions of the Hieromonk Gregory (Papazian)

A frequent visitor to the mission during its formative years was the Hieromonk Gregory (Papazian). He was a hermit, who lived with a disciple near the top of a remote mountain (called "la Colline des Porcs") in the Eastern Townships of Québec, near Fitch Bay (Stanstead County). Father Gregory helped the nascent community to learn the fundamentals of the “Typikon” (the book which guides the worship services). He helped most particularly with the services of the greater feasts, and of Holy Week and the Feast of Pascha. The parishioners soon assembled for a full cycle of services, and they learned to love both being in the Lord’s Temple and worshipping the Lord.

The Divine Liturgies served early in the morning on weekdays for feast-days were very frequent and well-attended. They were offered early so that attendees could go to work in time. The little community also quickly became competent in serving Vespers, Matins, and other canonical hours. Orthodox handicrafts also began to develop amongst the faithful.

Father Gregory also knew iconography, and through his example, he inspired at least two others to begin. Michael Stowe was one who did some iconography, besides helping to lead the singing. When he and his family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, he developed his talent in the direction of secular art.

Heather MacKean became not only a student of Father Gregory in iconography, but she also continued to study and she became a "full-time", master iconographer. This can be seen at her web-site. There are examples of the early iconography of each of them in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Ottawa.

Iconographer Heather MacKean, 2010

Heather's work in particular is the Cross in the place of the Panikhidas (memorial services). She also made the royal-door panels which now hang on a wall of the Ottawa cathedral's sacristy.

Holy Cross written by Heather MacKean

The singing of the services was generally led by Matushka Suzanne Scratch, by Helen Derry and also by Michael Stowe. Although there were some more prepared singers, the services were generally sung as a congregation by anyone who wished to sing along. Thus, parishioners could learn by heart the words of the regular services and of the feast-days.

Other persons participating in this mission included : Gregory Dahms ; Marilyn Kroll ; Bob and Anne Volkhov ; Tom and Audrey Woodward ; Michael Zurovsky.

During this time (mostly because of an inheritance), the Scratch family was able to purchase a modest home in the hamlet of Ventnor, near Spencerville, in the Township of Edwardsbugh-Cardinal. The hamlet is about 45 minutes’ drive south of Ottawa. From there, both Father John and Matushka Suzanne commuted by car to Ottawa for work and for services.

Father John, Matushka Suzanne, a child, Geoff Derry

Health challenge, 1987

In February of 1987, because of a cerebral aneurysm, Matushka Suzanne suffered a major stroke. The consequent disability which Matushka Suzanne suffered forced Father John into semi-retirement in order to care for her and for their children. In the midst of all this, Father John was still able to shepherd the flock he cared for into an eventual amalgamation with its mother parish.

Change of direction, dissolution, amalgamation, 1987

The amalgamation was, in fact, envisaged at first only as a co-operative effort. The original intention was to make things economically easier for both communities, and also to give the mission a much-needed increase in space. Therefore, in 1987, the Holy Transfiguration Mission left the house on Forward Avenue, and returned to their “mother parish”, of Saint Nicholas.

At the beginning, the Divine Liturgy in particular was served separately. The English language service was offered early in the morning, and the Slavonic language service was offered later. The weekday serving of Vespers and an early morning Divine Liturgy in English continued. However, under the leadership of Boriss I Mazikins (the last president of the Church of Saint Nicholas), most of the Russian-speaking parishioners understood that they, themselves, were in a seriously weakened condition. For instance, there were few remaining active parishioners because of age, illness and death. They comprehended that they were no longer able to sustain the costs of even the small Temple at 55, Clarey Avenue in “The Glebe”.

The appearance of many children in the Temple brought joy and hope and consolation to the senior parishioners of Saint Nicholas. A further “nudge” had been given to the mission to persevere in achieving the amalgamation, since it became known that the Forward Avenue house was to be sold, demolished and replaced by a new structure.

With the help of Nikita and Mary Ann Lopoukhine (on the part of the mission) and Boriss Mazikins (on the part of Saint Nicholas), this amalgamation reunited the 2 communities under the protection of the Mother of God in the Annunciation to the Theotokos-Saint Nicholas Cathedral. All this was accomplished under the blessing and with the help of Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) (who was at that time the "locum tenens" of the Archdiocese of Canada), with the help of the Vicar-Bishop Seraphim (Storheim).

Both the parish councils were in accord and agreement about the amalgamation.

This unique re-union and reconciliation of communities had far-reaching effects, not only on the now-combined community, but elsewhere as well. The new name reflected the concern that the community be under the protection of the Mother of God, and also of the Holy, Wonder-working Bishop Nicholas of Myra. The feast-day of the Holy Transfiguration remained as a special, but not official parish day.

Parish particular information

This mission was part of the Ontario Deanery of the Archdiocese of Canada, of The Orthodox Church in America. The bishop was Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns).

This mission followed the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of the Mission was the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, 6 August.

The founding and only priest of the mission was the Archpriest John Scratch.

First Address :

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission

160, Forward Avenue

Ottawa, Ontario

K1Y 1K9

Second Address :

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission

55, Clarey Avenue

Ottawa, Ontario

K1S 2R6

Reflections

It has not been uncommon in North America that English-speaking (or sometimes French-speaking) missions may develop from a parish which uses some other language for worship in particular. However, there often lingers a sense of animosity or resentment between the two entities. As a result, such a reconciliation as this one, which was a true reconciliation, is not very common.