Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn)
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Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) (1903-1981)
Nicholas may be spelt Nicolas, Nikolai, Nikolay, Mikolai, Mykolai, Mykolay, Mikola, Mykola.
Although he is mostly referred to in this article as Archbishop Nicholas, he was, in fact, generally referred to by his name in Ukrainian, that is, Mykolai.
Early life of Mykola Debryn
On 9 September, 1903, Mykola Debryn was born in Chornoguzy village, near the city Vyzhnytsia in the Province of Bucovina, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire). This region, near the Cheremosh and Vizhenka Rivers, is very near the territory of Galicia (which at that time was in the Kingdom of Lodomeria and Galicia. Bucovina was at that time part of Moldavia in the Kingdom of Romania.
Mykola was raised within the bosom of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and he received his primary and secondary education in his home region.
Higher education
He studied at the University of Iași, Romania, where he earned a diploma in engineering. His studies qualified him also to teach law, which he did in both in Cernăuți and in Chișinău.
Then, from 1932, he worked as an agronomist.
In Iași, he was a co-founder of a Ukrainian student "community", which included a choir in which he sang. He also performed as a soloist with the "Don Cossack" ensemble during their tour in Romania.
Marriage
At some time during or following his studies in Iași, Mykola Debryn was married to his wife Katherine.
From this marriage, they received from the Lord a daughter, Nadezhda, and a son, Maxim.
Exile, 1940 ; emigration to Canada, 1949
During World War II, Mykola Debryn and his family became exiles, beginning in 1940. With the arrival of the Nazi German army beginning in 1939, very many people were moved (involuntarily, or sometimes voluntarily) to Germany. Many became forced-labourers there. As with many others, at the conclusion of the war, Mykola and his family became stateless and they applied to emigrate abroad. As a result of their applications, they were able to arrive in Canada in 1949.
For a time, Mykola worked as a farm labourer near Waterford, Ontario.
He then became a member of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada (now the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.
In 1959, he began his theological studies at the Faculty of Theology at Saint Andrew’s College in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Presbyteral ordination, 1959
In 1959, Nicholas (Debryn) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.
Pastoral service
After his ordination in 1959, Priest Nicholas Debryn was assigned to serve in Saint Mary's parish near Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 1962, Priest Nicholas was transferred, and he was assigned to serve the Holy Trinity parish in London, Ontario.
Bereavement, 1974
In 1974, the wife of Father Nicholas Debryn, Dobrodika Katerina, fell asleep in the Lord.
Election to the Holy Episcopate, monastic tonsure, 1975
On 6 July, 1975, during the regular Sobor of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, Archpriest Nicholas Debryn was elevated to the dignity of protopresbyter.
In 1975, at the same Sobor in July, Father Nicholas Debryn was chosen by the consistory of the UGOCC to become a bishop.
After the election, and after the conclusion of the Sobor, Protopresbyter Nicholas Debryn was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Nicholas.
He was immediately elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.
Episcopal ordination, 1975
In 1975, at Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, Archimandrite Nicholas (Debryn) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy).
Episcopal service
Bishop Nicholas (Debryn) was assigned to serve as the “Bishop of Saskatoon” (Saskatchewan).
In 1978, Bishop Nicholas (Debryn) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Toronto and the Eparchy of Eastern Canada.
Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, continued to be the cathedral seat.
In June, 1978, the Government of Canada awarded the University of Toronto $300,000.00 for the purpose of establishing a Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the university. Bishop Nicholas participated in the festive dinner and concert which was associated with the reception of this endowment.
Bishop Nicholas and the Ukrainian Studies Committee, 1978
In 1980, Bishop Nicholas (Debryn) was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.
He served in this capacity until his repose.
In the spring of 1981, Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) went to Rochester, New York, in order to visit his daughter, Nadia Tratch. During this visit, he became ill unexpectedly.
Repose, 1981
On 30 March, 1981, Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) of Toronto reposed in Christ in Rochester, New York, in the home of his daughter. His body was returned to Toronto, Ontario.
On Tuesday, 7 April, 1981, at 7:00 p.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Bishop was served in Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral in Toronto.
On Wednesday, 8 April, 1981, at 10:00 a.m., the Memorial Divine Liturgy was served, and afterwards a Litya for the Departed. The services were led by Archbishop Boris (Yakovkevych) (representing Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada) ; Bishop Wasyly (Fedak) of Winnipeg ; Archbishop Mark of Carteret, New Jersey ; and the Priest John Nakonachny, pastor of Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Maplewood, New Jersey. More than 30 priests attended the Divine Liturgy. In addition, Bishop Isidore Borecky, the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop of Toronto, was present for the services.
Representatives of many Ukrainian organisations, including the Canadian Ukrainian Committee, were also present.
After the conclusion of the funeral services, the body of Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) was interred in the Ukrainian section of York Cemetery in Toronto.
— Bishop of Saskatoon 1975-1978. Succeeded by : Bishop Wasyly (Fedak)
— Archbishop of Toronto 1978-1981. Preceded by : Archbishop Michael (Khoroshy). Succeeded by : Archbishop Wasyly (Fedak).
Reflections
Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) was survived by his daughter, Nadezhda Tratch and her family, of Rochester, New York, USA, and by his son Maxim Debryn and his family, of Vancouver, British Columbia.
References
The obituary of Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn) was published in “The Province” (Vancouver, British Columbia) on Wednesday, 8 April, 1981.
Additional information :
‘ODUM holds 30th Jubilee Rally’ in “The Ukrainian Weekly”, no. 17 (21 September, 1980), p. 1. [Archbishop Debryn of the Eastern Eparchy awarded a plaque containing a carved replica of Ukraine’s national symbol, the tryzub. ODUM is the Ukrainian Democratic Youth Association in London, Ontario]
Obituary in “Ukrainian Weekly”, no. 16 (19 April 1981). p. 5.
Protopresbyter Oleg Krawchenko's article, “History of the UOCC: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
Wikipedia article about the Eastern Eparchy
Eastern Eparchy history article
Cathedral seat of Archbishop Nicholas (Debryn)
Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy)
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Wikipedia article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Wikipedia article about the Central Eparchy
Wikipedia article about the Western Eparchy
Web-site of Saint Volodymyr's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Toronto
Findagrave reference to York Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario
Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine