Saint Vasily Martysz

New Hieromartyr Vasily Martysz (1874-1945)

and

Matushka Olga Martysz (born Nowik) (187?-1943)

Vasily may be spelt Vasili, Vasiliy, Vasile, Basil, Wasyl, Wasyly, William

Early life of Vasily Martysz

Vasily Martysz was born on 20 February, 1874, in Teratyn, in the Hrubieszów region of southeastern Poland.

His father, Alexander Martysz, was a judge within the Russian Empire. His son reported in his diary that his father served in Molczyce, in the region of Pinsk, which is now in Byelorus. At that time, this was within the territory of the Russian Empire. After his retirement, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood, and he became the rector of a parish in what seems to be a Romanian eparchy/region. This would likely be in the region of Bukovina, which at that time was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1884, at the age of 10 years, Vasily made a brief trip to New York with his father. His beautiful singing during a church service attracted the attention of Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov). This hierarch prophesied that young Vasily would become a priest, and he promised that he would invite him to his diocese in North America once he was ordained.

After returning to his homeland, he remembered the bishop’s words, and he decided to follow the words of Bishop Vladimir, and to prepare for the Holy Priesthood.

Higher education

He began his theological education at the seminary in Kholm (now Chełm), Poland, where the rector was Bishop Tikhon (Belavin), the future Patriarch of Moscow and the Church of Russia. He completed his studies there and graduated in July, 1897, according to his diary.

After graduation, he taught in 2 different parish schools until he was re-assigned by Bishop Tikhon (Belavin), on 1 June, 1898, to be the cantor at Saint Nicholas’ Church in Łuków. Later, he was also given a teaching position (as a catechist) in a parish school in the same city.

Marriage, 1899

In July, 1899, Vasily Martysz was crowned in marriage to Olga Maksimovna Nowikova.

Diaconal ordination, 1900

On 6 December, 1900, Vasily was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop German (Ivanov) of Lublin.

Presbyteral ordination, 1900

On 10 December, 1900, Deacon Vasily Martysz was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop German (Ivanov) of Lublin.

Pastoral service : North America

During that same month, the new priest and his wife sailed from Bremen for North America, to which they had been given the blessing and the transfer in order to serve in the mission-field.

Alaska (Afognak, Kodiak), 1900

The young couple expected to be assigned to a parish in New York. Instead, as often happens, the Lord blessed a different work for them. Father Vasily was assigned to serve in a parish in Alaska. He and his wife began their missionary service under the omophor of the newly-assigned Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) in the “land of Saint Herman”. This is an appropriate term, since his pastoral responsibilities were on Kodiak and nearby islands.

Orthodoxy had arrived in Alaska with the coming of the monastic mission from the Valaam Monastery in 1794. At the beginning of the 20th century, the climatic and social conditions in this vast territory remained difficult. In his pastoral work, Father Vasily met descendants of Russian settlers, and also the indigenous inhabitants of the region, Eskimos and Aleuts. He also encountered “gold rush” prospectors quite often. Some such prospectors remained permanently in the region.

Father Vasily’s first parish’s territory covered great distances (on several islands), and it required much travel over the water. He was headquartered on Afognak Island, but he was also responsible for the people on Spruce and Woody Islands near Kodiak. There were several small wooden chapels scattered on these islands.

In 1901, as a result of his efforts, the Temple of the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin was built at Afognak. Although the village was completely destroyed in the earthquake and tidal wave of 1964, the church building survives to this day.

Because of the long distances and the severe climate, Father Vasily’s priestly work was extremely difficult, and it required many sacrifices. Often, travelling in a specially constructed kayak, he would leave home for several weeks at a time. During these absences, he would celebrate the Divine Liturgy and other services. Just as in all parish responsibilities, he would also hear confessions, baptise, marry the living, and bury the dead. He was doing what Saint Innocent (Veniaminov), Saint Jacob Netsvetov, and many others had done during the preceding century.

Even when he was at home, Father Vasily had very little time to devote to his family. Besides celebrating the services in the Temple of the Nativity of the Theotokos, he served the needs of his parishioners ; he taught in the parish school, and he worked in 2 church homes for the poor. His family bore the arduous conditions (especially the climate) with some difficulty. His wife Matushka Olga, who had given birth to 2 daughters, stayed home with them. The older daughter, Vera, was born at Afognak in 1902. Their second daughter was born 2 years later, after they had moved to Kodiak.

During the time of his missionary service in Alaska, Father Vasily kept a diary. It has survived to this day as one of the few records of his personal life. Fragments of the diary have been translated from Russian and published in Polish.

The severity of the Alaskan climate in this region consists primarily of the pronounced humidity, strong storms, and sudden temperature changes. These conditions especially affected Matushka Olga. Therefore, because of the stress on her health, and out of concern for the education of their children, in 1906, the Martysz family was transferred to the contiguous continental United States (now often called “the lower 48”). As a farewell statement from Alaska in that year, Father Vasily wrote the article, “The Voice from Alaska” for the “Russian Orthodox American Messenger”. In this article, he appealed to Orthodox Christian Faithful across the USA to support the building of Orthodox Temples in Alaska.

Transfer to Pennsylvania, 1906

The family then settled in Osceola Mills in central Pennsylvania. Their first son, Vasily, was born that same year.

Then, in 1908, they moved to Old Forge, Pennsylvania, where their youngest child, Helen, was born. Old Forge is not very distant from Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, which had been founded in the previous year, and whose abbot was Igumen Arseny (Chahovtsov). Father Vasily served there from December, 1907 until February, 1910. He then was transferred to Waterbury, Connecticut, and then to West Troy, New York.

In 1910, Father Vasily celebrated his 10th anniversary of service in the priesthood. His prolific and loving pastoral activity endeared him to his flock, and his pastoral service produced rich spiritual fruit. The ecclesiastical authorities considered him to be a very effective, devoted and talented priest. In every place where he served, the faithful parishioners loved him sincerely, and they greatly valued his modesty and his kindness.

Transfer to Canada, 1910

Then, Father Vasily (along with his family) was transferred to Western Canada. He was assigned to Saint Barbara’s Church in Edmonton, Alberta, and then to Holy Trinity Church in Vostok, Alberta. Other nearby rural Temples of a similar age are Saint Nicholas in Wostok-Bukovina and Holy Transfiguration in Star, Alberta.

There also, Father Vasily was assigned to serve as the dean of the new (since 1905) provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and also Manitoba.

Despite their now relatively comfortable life, and the relatively large Orthodox community which they served in Western Canada, the couple began to long for their homeland. They feared the loss of their ancestral identity, and they requested permission to return to Poland.

In 1912, after having served for nearly 12 years in North America, Father Vasily and Matushka Olga Martysz and their children left North America, and they returned to Europe.

Return to Poland, 1912

Upon their return, Father Vasily and his family lived at first with relatives in Sosnowiec. As with others returning anywhere from abroad, it takes time to “fit in” again. Here, he eventually became rector of the parish and instructor in religious education at the local girls’ high school.

World War I, 1914

The peaceful life they enjoyed there lasted barely one year, and then the outbreak of the First World War disrupted the lives of thousands of people. Clergy were considered by the Imperial Russian Government to be civil servants. Thus, they were ordered to evacuate their homes, and to move to safety inside Russia.

At this critical time, Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov), their archpastor and friend from their time in Alaska, offered the Martysz family refuge in a small apartment within the Saint Andronicus Monastery in Moscow. From this monastery, Father Vasily commuted daily to the distant parish (at Valdai midway between St Petersburg and Moscow), where he taught religious education classes.

Bolshevik Revolution, 1917

When the Bolsheviks seized power, he lost this employment, and he was forced to earn a living unloading goods from railway wagons. His life was endangered because Red Army soldiers often treated the clergy with distinct brutality.

Move to Warsaw, 1919 ; establishment of Orthodox Military Chaplaincy

In 1919, at the end of the war, Polish refugees were granted permission to return to their former residences. Father Vasily and his family took this opportunity to return to Sosnowiec. They moved back into their former apartment, which had survived the devastation of the war.

However, they did not remain there long, because during the following September, Father Vasily was assigned to a position in the newly-organised Polish Army. He was assigned to be in charge of Orthodox Affairs in the Religious Ministry of the War Department. The whole family then relocated to Warsaw. Father Vasily started the wearisome but important work of forming an Orthodox military chaplaincy.

In 1921, Father Vasily was promoted to the rank of colonel, and he was given the responsibility to be the head of the Orthodox military chaplaincy.

In 1921 also, the Church elevated him to the dignity of archpriest.

Father Vasily served as the chief of Orthodox chaplains for the next 25 years. Within the Ministry of the Interior, he had his own cabinet, and was directly responsible to the Minister himself.

Assassination of Metropolitan George (Jaroszewski), 1923

Father Vasily was also a chief advisor and close colleague of Metropolitan George (Jaroszewski) of Warsaw and all Poland. He participated in preparing all the meetings of the Holy Synod. He also assisted Metropolitan George in his efforts to obtain autocephaly for the Polish Orthodox Church. This meant that the Polish Church would move away from the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate and into that of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

He accompanied the metropolitan on the painful day of 8 February, 1923, when the metropolitan was assassinated. Recent information reveals that the assassin was a fanatical supporter of the Moscow Patriarchate, and he was perhaps not mentally stable). The assassin had planned to kill Father Vasily as well, but he was captured before he could succeed. Father Vasily remained under police protection for some time, but he nevertheless attended to all the details of the metropolitan’s funeral, in which the First Regiment of the Szwoleżers Regiment participated under orders from the Polish Head of State, Marshal Józef Piłsudski.

Chaplain Archpriest Vasily Martysz

In addition to his work as the chief military chaplain, Father Vasily devoted much time to organising pastoral service and care in the Ukrainian refugee internment camps. These were largely persons who had fled westwards after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 and the subsequent Civil War (1918-1923). The refugees included soldiers of the Ukrainian independence movements as well. Nevertheless, it is useful to keep in mind that even the Ukrainian minority which had been resident on this territory for a very long time was accepted by some Poles and rejected by others.

In February, 1921, Father Vasily appointed Father Peter Biton as chaplain for the camp in Aleksandrów Kujawski. He, himself, visited the interned Ukrainians, and he helped to arrange the establishment of chapels in the camps. On 8 July, 1921, Father Vasily celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language for over 5,000 prisoners, while he was visiting this camp. His sermon, delivered in Ukrainian, greatly improved the morale of the prisoners. He also assisted in organising training courses for chaplains in other Ukrainian army camps.

Autocephaly, 1924

Father Vasily zealously participated in the subsequent process of obtaining autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in Poland, which was granted during the tenure of the next metropolitan, Metropolitan Dionysius (Walednski). The autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Poland was granted by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in his Tomos of 13 November 1924.

Father Vasily became the closest advisor and confidant of Metropolitan Dionysius (Walednski). He often accompanied the metropolitan, and he acted as liaison with Marshal J Piłsudski. He was often invited to attend cabinet meetings at Belweder Palace, near the Royal Castle, where he regularly signed the guest book on holidays.

The Polish Secretary of the Army, Lucjan Żeligowski sent a congratulatory letter to Father Vasily on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination, on 7 December, 1925. In the letter, he drew attention to the fact that a high order had been conferred upon him, as he stated :

 The virtues of this remarkably talented, conscientious and diligent servant, completely devoted to the Polish 
 nation, are expressed in his receiving a high distinction, the Order of Polonia Restituta, which is 
 conferred upon him for his efforts in securing the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Poland.

‎ Father Vasily Martysz blessing the waters for the soldiers, 6 January, 1931, Warsaw

Retirement ; return to Teratyn, 1936

Father Vasily retired from his government position in 1936. The couple decided to leave Warsaw and return to their home region, Hrubieszówszczyna. They built 2 houses in Teratyn, one for themselves, and another for their widowed mothers. However, they did not enjoy this peaceful life for very long, although Father Martysz spent all the difficult war years in Teratyn.

World War II, 1939

In 1939, the German Army invaded Poland. The village gradually declined. Both their mothers fell asleep in the Lord.

Repose of Matushka Olga, 1943

Matushka Olga herself did not live to see the end of the war. Instead, she reposed in Christ in 1943.

After this, Father Vasily’s youngest daughter, Helen, moved into his house with her husband and daughter in order to support him in his advancing years.

Martyrdom, repose, 1945

Then, on 4 May, 1945 (Great and Holy Friday), a few days before the surrender of Nazi Germany, his house was attacked. A female acquaintance had warned him of the danger, but he had responded :

 I have done no harm to anyone and I will not run away from anyone.  Christ did not run away.

The assailants broke into the house by breaking a window. With great cruelty, they tortured Father Vasily simply because he was an Orthodox priest. They locked his daughter Helen's young daughter Irina in the attic and they then beat Helen, who was pregnant, and caused her to miscarry. They continued to beat Father Vasily for 4 hours. Whenever he lost consciousness, they revived him by throwing water on him. Having been mercilessly tortured, Father Vasily Martysz was finally murdered by a gun-shot.

The criminals threatened to shoot Helen as well ; but when she knelt before the Icon of Christ and began to pray the “Our Father”, then the communist man’s hand fell paralysed, the aim and resolve of the murderers weakened. As they left the house, they threatened again to return and kill her.

Helen took her daughter Irina, and she escaped to the home of a neighbour. When her husband (who had been absent and looking for work) returned the next day, he could not recognise Father Vasily’s body because of the ferocity of the torture.

On Great and Holy Saturday, Father John Lewczuk celebrated the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Priest for Father Vasily Martysz in Chełm.

After the completion of the services, the body of Father Vasily Martysz was interred at the local cemetery in Teratyn.

Teratyn Cemetery (the precise grave-site is as yet unknown)

Glorification, 2003

In October, 1963, the earthly remains of Father Vasily Martysz were exhumed and brought to Warsaw, and then solemnly re-interred in the Orthodox cemetery in the Wola district, next to his wife and mother-in-law.

The Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland promulgated the official Act of Glorification on 20 March, 2003. Then, in June, 2003, his holy relics were uncovered (exhumed), and they were placed in a new coffin in the Cemetery Temple of Saint John Climacus in Warsaw.

The official rites for the glorification of the New Hieromartyr Vasily Martysz were celebrated in Chełm on 7-8 June, 2003.

It was declared that the date of commemoration would be 4 May, the date of his repose.

Since the official glorification, Orthodox Christians in the Polish Army have taken Saint Vasily Martysz as their heavenly patron.

Reliquary of Saint Vasily at Saint John Climacus Church, Warsaw

Feast-days

The Feast-day of the New Hieromartyr Vasily Martysz is 21 April/4 May.

He is also included in the Feast-day of the Synaxis of Holy Martyrs of Chełm and Podlaskie, on the first Sunday in June.

Tropar Tone 4

O Holy Hieromartyr, Father Vasily,

missionary teacher in Alaska and North America,

you were a pastor and guide of Orthodox Christians

in Poland and in North America.

O soldier of Christ our God and heroic champion of the Orthodox Faith,

you offered your life in service to God and His Holy Church.

You suffered torture and death

for the Lord who suffered for us willingly.

Intercede with the Lord on our behalf

that He give peace to the world,

and to our souls His great mercy.

Kontak Tone 3

O Holy Hieromartyr, Father Vasily,

we honour your suffering.

Willingly, you drank from the Chalice of Christ.

You did not fear ; you did not flee.

On Great Friday, the day of the Lord’s Crucifixion,

you shed your blood in an ordeal surpassing nature.

Now, as you rejoice with the angels,

intercede with Christ our God on behalf of us all.

Saint Vasiliy Martysz

Reflections

It is useful to keep in mind, first, that the attack was not random, but planned, since Father Vasily had been warned. Second, Polish society at this time was in turmoil. Mere days before the official end of the war, Poland was suffering from civil war, and those involved included the UPA, Polish nationalists, the NKVD, and the Polish People’s Army (a communist puppet army). Each of these groups was against the Church, and particularly against her presence in Poland.

Father Vasily did not fear, and he did not flee from his attackers. He faced them bravely, in a Christ-like way, as he accepted the crown of martyrdom. The attackers, ostensibly seeking gold and money (which detail could also be understood to be looting), had no respect for his rank as a colonel in the Polish Army, nor for his priestly vestments.

The death of Father Vasily was, truly, martyric. In addition to this, the murder occurred on Great Friday. It is a customary understanding of Orthodox Christians that to repose on such a day is a blessing in itself.

Award

Officer’s Cross of the “Order of Polonia Restituta” (2 May, 1923) [“Order of the Rebirth of Poland”]

Writings

Writings by Saint Vasily Martysz

• ‘On Three Islands’ in “Russian American Messenger”, no. 15 (1906), pp. 298-305.

• ‘Travel Journal of the Priest of the Afognaksky Parish Vasily Martysh for 1901’ in “Russian American Messenger”, no. 19 (1902), pp. 410-412 ; no. 20, pp. 430-434.

• ‘Travel Journal of the Priest of the Afognaksky Parish Vasily Martysh for 1902’ in “Russian American Messenger”, no. 1 (1904), pp. 12-15 ; no. 2, pp. 32-34.

References

Charkiewicz, Jaroslaw, “The Holy Marty St Basil Martysz of Osceola Mills, Old Forge, PA, America and Canada and New-martyr of Poland”, translated and edited by Archpriest Michael Oleksa.

‘Holy Martyr Vasily Martysz’ in “The North Star” (Anchorage, AK : Diocese of Alaska), vol. 4 (2005), pp. 8-11.

Orthodox History biography

Mystagogy web-site biography

Orthodoxwiki biography

Polish Wikipedia biography

OCA web-site biography

Russian Orthodox Parishes in Canada biography

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada biography

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

“New Martyr Archpriest Vasily Martysz”

“The Russian Mission in North America”

Additional information :

Charkiewicz, Jaroslaw, “New Martyr Vasily Martysz”

(Kapalin), Clement, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk, “The Russian Orthodox Church and the Development of the Pacific North in the 18th-19th Centuries (based on materials from Alaska)” (Moscow, 2014), pp. 77-78.

......, “Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska until 1917” (Moscow : OLMA Media Group, 2009), pp. 326, 396, 400, 469-470.

Mironowicz, A, “The Orthodox Church in Poland in the 19th and 20th Centuries” (Białystok : Publishing House of the University of Białystok, 2001). ISBN : 83-7431-046-4.

Oleksa, Archpriest Michael, “New Information and Biography about Saint Vasily Martysz given at Saint Barbara’s Patriarchal Cathedral, Edmonton, Alberta”

Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin, Afognak, Alaska

Holy Cross Orthodox Church, Osceola Mills, Pennsylvania

Saint Michael’s Orthodox Church, Old Forge, Pennsylvania

Church in Waterbury, Connecticut

Church in West Troy, New York

Saint Barbara Russo Orthodox Cathedral, Edmonton, Alberta

Holy Trinity Church, Wostok, Alberta

Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, Wostok-Bukovina, Alberta

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, Star, Alberta

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada (OCA)

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America (OCA)