Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk)

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) of Edmonton (1898-1968)

Petr may be spelt Peter, Pëtr, Pyotr, Petro.

Rudyk may be spelt Rudik, Rudick, Rudyck.

Early life of Petr Rudyk

Petr Petrovich Rudyk was born on 16 June, 1898, in Maidan Lipovets Village in Peremyshlyany County, L'viv Province, in the area of Galicia. At that time, this region was in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, a "crownland" of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was born to Petr and Anna Rudyk, who were peasants, and very faithful Greek-Catholic Christians. However, his father was a strong promoter of the Orthodox Christian Faith. In those days in that region, this was not a favoured attitude in the eyes of much of local society.

At that time, the province of Galicia was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Galicia was a region which often was governed by Poland, Germany, Austria or Lithuania. As a consequence, many of the historically Orthodox people had become either Roman Catholics or Ukrainian Greek-Catholics. In this region, pressure was constantly exerted on the Orthodox believers to leave the Orthodox Church, and to become subject to the Roman Catholic Church in one or another manner. If they were Greek-Catholic, and desired to move to the Orthodox Church, there were many obstacles.

Pochaiv Lavra, 1912

In 1912, when he was 14 years old, and with the blessing of his parents, Petr Petrovich followed the example of his elder brother Stepan Petrovich, and he crossed the Austrian-Russian border (at that time, it was near to Pochaiv) in order to get to the Pochaiv Dormition Lavra. In the lavra, by the blessing of Bishop Antony (Khrapovitsky), Bishop of Zytomyr and Volyn, Petr Rudyk was accepted as a postulant member of the lavra brotherhood, with the right to wear the cassock.

Petr Rudyk finished the Elementary Church School in the Pochaiv Lavra.

Pochaiv Dormition Lavra

War-time displacement, 1915-1918

During World War I (1914-1918), the line of the Austro-Hungarian front was approaching the lavra. Therefore, in 1915, together with the brothers of the lavra, Petr was evacuated to the Monastery of the Sviatogorsk Dormition Hermitage in the Kharkiv Diocese (since 2004, this Sviato-Ouspenskaya Lavra has been a part of the Donetsk Diocese).

Bereavement

During World War I, the father of Petr Petrovich Rudyk was arrested by the Austrian authorities. This was associated with his Russophilic attitude, and with it his Orthodox inclination. Petr Rudyk was interned in the Talerhof Camp near Graz, Austria, where he reposed in Christ.

It was in this camp that Saint Maxim Sandovich and his whole family were interned, and where Saint Maxim was executed in 1914.

Monastic tonsure, 1920

In 1920, after his return from evacuation, by the blessing of Bishop Dionysiy (Valedinsky) of Kremenets, the 22-year-old Petr was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Panteleimon in honour of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

At that time, the bishop of Kremenets supervised the life of the Pochaiv Dormition Lavra.

Higher education

In 1922, Monk Panteleimon completed the full course of the Monastic-Theological School at the Pochaiv Monastery.

Ordinations, 1922

In 1922, the Monk Panteleimon (Rudyk) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in and for the Lavra.

On 21 July, 1922 (the Feast of the Mother of God of Kazan, Old Style), the Hierodeacon Panteleimon was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service and obediences

After his education and ordination, Hieromonk Panteleimon worked hard to restore the Orthodox Christian Faith to this region, and to the region of Galicia.

Further education : Warsaw and Lviv, 1925

In early 1925, after finishing the theological courses at the Volyn Orthodox Seminary in Kremenets, the Hieromonk Panteleimon was sent to the newly-opened Orthodox Theological Faculty at the Warsaw University.

From 1925, the Hieromonk Panteleimon served as the Rector of the Saint George Cathedral in L’viv (at that time, it was an Orthodox Christian Temple) while he pursued his studies in Warsaw. The young Hieromonk Benjamin (Novitski) from Byelorus became his trustworthy helper. Together, they opened a Missionary School for preparing missionaries from amongst local personnel in order to educate Uniats about the Orthodox Christian Faith.

In 1928, the Hieromonk Panteleimon graduated from the Theological Faculty of the Warsaw University.

Because of his labours, the Hieromonk Panteleimon (Rudyk) was also elevated to the dignity of igumen (abbot).

In 1929, Igumen Panteleimon (Rudyk) was raised to the dignity of archimandrite.

Also in 1929, Archimandrite Panteleimon became the Rector of the Zagaetsky Monastery of Saint John the Merciful in Volyn (at the present time, this is part of the Shumsky region in the Ternopil Oblast).

Pochaiv Lavra, 1933

In 1933, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Rudyk) was assigned to be the Vicar-Abbot ("namestnik") of the Pochaiv Dormition Lavra. A vicar-abbot serves as a sort of lieutenant, who acts in the person of and in the place of the archimandrite who is the official abbot but who is mostly absent. In this case, the official abbot was in those days the bishop of Kremenets.

In this responsibility (he was one of the youngest to serve as abbot), Archimandrite Panteleimon paid special attention to the strict observance of the canons, and to the revival in the Catholicon of the “Kyiv Chant”. He vigorously resisted attempts to transfer the Pochaiv Lavra to the Unia (this was a constant threat, and remains so nowadays as well).

In 1934, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Rudyk) opened a theological school with a 6-month course for the monks at the Pochaiv Dormition Lavra. While serving as the Vicar-Abbot of the Pochaiv Lavra, he organised and strengthened monastic life there, and in other areas of Volyn.

World War II, 1939-1945

World War II began on 1 September, 1939, and western Ukraine became a Soviet territory.

At that time, Archimandrite Panteleimon, the Vicar-Abbot of the Pochaiv Lavra, lived through an additional attack : all agricultural machinery, stock, grain, etc. was confiscated from the lavra by the Soviets. The Soviet representatives also dragged Archimandrite Panteleimon through the attics of the monastery buildings in their search for weapons. The existence of children’s shelters and church schools came to an end, and all life at the monastery stopped functioning. Most of the monks were forced out of the lavra. Only the elderly were allowed to remain. The number of brethren of the Pochaiv Lavra was thus diminished from 300 to 80.

While he was still in Pochaiv, Archimandrite Panteleimon negotiated with the Germans the re-opening of Saint Volodymyr’s Sobor (which had been closed by the communists) in Kyiv. The return of this large Temple to service brought him great gratitude from the faithful people of Kyiv, but hatred from the communists. It was (and is) in this Temple that the incorrupt relics of the Great-martyr Barbara rest. They had been brought to Saint Volodymyr’s (which now served as the cathedral of the Metropolitan of Kyiv) from Saint Michael’s Monastery before it was destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

Saint Volodymyr Cathedral, Kyiv

Exarchate of Western Ukraine and Byelorus, 1940

On 28 October, 1940, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church organised the Exarchate of Western Ukraine and Byelorus. Archbishop Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Volyn and Lutsk (1891-1961), a well-known preacher, was appointed to be the Exarch.

In February, 1941, Vladyka Nikolai visited L’viv on an archpastoral visit. In his report to Metropolitan Sergei (Stragorodsky), the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, he wrote about the pressing need for having a bishop for the L’viv Diocese in order to continue the apostolic work amongst the Uniats, and to maintain the visible presence of the Orthodox Church in Galicia ("Halichina"). He suggested that Archimandrite Panteleimon be the candidate for becoming the bishop of the L’viv Diocese, since he, more than anyone, had worked for the success of the Orthodox Mission in Galicia.

In 1941, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church acknowledged that Archimandrite Panteleimon (Rudyk) was the most worthy candidate to be the bishop to serve in the old and historic see of L’viv, which had been vacant since the 18th century. This long vacancy was a consequence of the anti-Orthodox policies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and of Poland, on whose territories L’viv and Halychina had subsisted for several centuries. It is to be recalled that at that time, the Orthodox Christian Church was considered to be both heretical and schismatic by the Roman Catholic Church. The populations of both Austria-Hungary and Poland were predominately Roman Catholic.

In 1941, by a decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archimandrite Panteleimon was released from his duties as the Vicar-Abbot of the Pochaiv Dormition Lavra.

Episcopal ordination, 1941

On 27 March, 1941, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Rudyk) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate in the Elohovsky Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. This ordination was served by Metropolitan Sergei (Stragorodsky), the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, and assisted by Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Volyn and Lutsk (Exarch of Western Ukraine and Byelorus), Metropolitan Sergei (Voskresensky) of Litovsk and Vilnius (Exarch of Estonia and Latvia), Archbishop Aleksey (Gromadsky) of Rovno and Kremenets, Bishop Antoniy (Marchenko) of Kamen-Kashira, Archbishop Simon (Ivanovsky) of Ostrog, and Archbishop Nikolai (Mogilevsky) of Orlov (who was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000).

It was in June, 1941, that the Nazi German Army invaded Ukraine, and it soon occupied a considerable amount of its territory. Although they were at first welcomed by many, the negative attitude of the Nazis towards the Slavs soon altered this attitude of acceptance.

Episcopal service

Bishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was immediately assigned to be the Bishop of L’viv. However, because of circumstances, he continued to serve as Vicar-Abbot of the Pochaiv Lavra for about 2 months.

On 2 June, 1941, by a decree of the Moscow Patriarchate, he was released from his obedience to the injunction to stay permanently in L’viv, where he was preparing a residence.

Despite the difficulties and complications regarding his actual move to L’viv, the assignment of Vladyka Panteleimon to this city constituted the revival of an Orthodox Christian diocese in L’viv. This city had been dominated for several centuries by Roman Catholics and by Ukrainian Catholics, in particular since the Union of Brest-Litovsk.

Continuation of war-time turmoil

The Ukrainian Autocephalic Schism accompanied the declaration by the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists of the independence of Ukraine on 30 June, 1941, which was led by Stephan Bandera, Yaroslav Stetsko and Kost Levitsky of L’viv. The act of proclamation was broadcast by Yaroslav Stetsko over the radio in L’viv, which helped many to believe that it was supported by the advancing German troops. This was, however, not entirely the case. Nevertheless, the act was supported by several Ukrainian ecclesiastical officials such as Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and Bishop Hryhoriy Khomyshyn of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Metropolitan Polikarp (Sikorski) of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The Nazi government, which had at first accepted the declaration, suddenly changed and treated it as an attempted coup. It opposed this attempt at independence, and it began actively suppressing the movement. The leadership were sent to a concentration camp in Germany.

On 18 August, 1941, after the German occupation of Ukraine during World War II, Vladyka Panteleimon (Rudyk) attended the Episcopal Meeting in the Pochaiv Lavra. The members of the meeting called it a “Sobor”. Because of the impossibility of any communication through the front line with the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, at this Meeting-Sobor, Vladyka Panteleimon, together with the other Orthodox hierarchs, declared a temporary creation of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The members of the Meeting-Sobor based the canonical position of the Autonomous Church, within the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the decision of the All-Russian Local Sobor of 1917-1918, regarding the granting of an autonomous status (which decision was later cancelled by Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin), perhaps under duress). This cancellation was not mentioned in the resolutions of the hierarchs of the Pochaiv Meeting. It is possible that such a declaration was somewhat in the spirit of the permission given earlier by Saint Patriarch Tikhon concerning the organisation of the Church outside the Soviet Union. It would be difficult to determine all such details with precision, because of the turmoil of the times.

Archbishop Aleksey (Hromadsky) of Volyn (the oldest in ordination) was chosen to be the Primate of the temporarily Autonomous Church, with the title metropolitan. Although this Autonomous Ukrainian Church did not cut canonical ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, its autonomous status was not acknowledged by Metropolitan Sergei, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, nor by the Metropolitan of Kyiv and Exarch of Ukraine, Nikolai (Yarushevich). Nevertheless, the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were not considered to be schismatic, and there were no canonical interdictions imposed. The ecclesiastical leaders on all parts were in a very difficult situation because of the dangerous political situation in which the Church had to subsist, whether under the fascists or under the communists.

Bishop Panteleimon

Kyiv, 1941

On 18 December, 1941, Bishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) arrived in Kyiv.

As Administrator, Vladyka Panteleimon led the Diocese of Kyiv of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

In 1941, Bishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

In Kyiv, during the years of World War II, as the Archbishop of Kyiv and Galicia, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) stood firm on the position of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church, as opposed to the Ukrainian Autocephalic Schism (1941-1943). As a diocesan bishop, Vladyka Panteleimon was in canonical communication with the Schema-Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze), who lived in Kyiv, and who was the only archbishop of canonical ordination of the Synodal period in the whole of Ukraine under the Soviet power.

Re-opening the Kyiv diocesan administration

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) re-opened the diocesan administration, and he temporarily organised his residence in a building of the newly re-opened Holy Protection Women’s Monastery. With the help of his assistants, Vladyka Panteleimon began sanctifying newly re-opened Temples, assigning clergy and giving antimensia (the special cloth with the blessing of the bishop, on which the Divine Liturgy is served). Originally, Archbishop Panteleimon served the Divine Liturgy every day, as much as it was possible, in the lower Temple of the Nikolaev Monastery Sobor, because the upper Temple had not been cleaned up from all the machinery of the godless communist government of the 1930s. Vladyka Panteleimon ordained many men into the Holy Diaconate and into the Holy Priesthood, so that they could serve in the newly-opened Temples of Kyiv and its suburbs.

Re-opening Temples and monasteries ; provision of clergy

With the blessing of Vladyka Panteleimon, the Verifying-Commissions were organised. These commissions consisted of people with theological education who chose and examined candidates for the Holy Priesthood. Most of the candidates attended short courses (1 to 6 months). It was only in the autumn of 1943 (when the Soviet army was moving closer to Kyiv) that Archbishop Panteleimon was given permission to organise a theological seminary. However, there would be no time to realise this plan.

In 1942, through the blessing and labours of Vladyka Panteleimon (Rudyk) in the See of Kyiv, 318 Temples and 8 monasteries were opened. In Kyiv alone, 6 monasteries with 760 monastics dwelling in them were rebuilt : 3 of them were male monasteries (Kyivo-Pecherskaia Lavra, Ionovsky, Mikhailovsky) ; the other 3 were female monasteries (Pokrovsky, Florovsky, Vvedensky).

Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church bishops in 1942-1943

In 1943, there were already 500 Temples open. Of these, 28 were in Kyiv itself (by the autumn of 1943, the number of Kyivan Temples had risen to 40). By this time also, there were 434 clergy serving in the Diocese of Kyiv and under the omophor of Vladyka Panteleimon. In 1943, the number of parishes in this diocese had almost arrived at 50% of the pre-revolution level, and the number of priests had reached 70% of that level. The Sobor of Saint Volodymyr, which had been returned to the Autonomous Church, was being prepared for a solemn consecration after the godless defilement, and in progress was the construction of a consistory building (diocesan offices, meeting-rooms, chapel) on the territory of the Sobor of Saint Sophia.

Difficulties with the "Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church"

Besides exclusively diocesan matters, Vladyka Panteleimon (Rudyk) had to make decisions about Orthodox matters, and about life in the whole Ukraine. During World War II, the city of Kyiv became the second place (after Volyn) where there was a difficult struggle between the Canonical Autonomous Church and the schismatic nationalistic organisation, the so-called Autocephalic Church. This entity was created with the participation of the Metropolitan Dionysiy (Valedinsky) of Warsaw, Poland, and the schismatic actions of Polikarp (Sikorski). Vladyka Panteleimon’s attitude towards the successors of the “right grace” and towards the “metropolitans” Vasyl (Lipkiwsky) and Mykola (Boretsky), was always strictly canonical. During the negotiations with the “old-Lipkivtsi” and the “neo-Lipkivtsi” followers of Polikarp, Vladyka Panteleimon insisted on communicating with them as he would with the “renovationists” (renovationists were participants in the Stalinist so-called church which was set up in 1922 as a mock-church over against the Canonical Church on the Soviet territories and elsewhere). This meant that they would be accepted into communion only after public confession, on the condition of new ordination, and in the absence of canonical impediments. These were times of great confusion and turmoil, and it was very difficult to maintain a stable sense of direction and truth for any of those in ecclesiastical leadership responsibilities because many times, people and things were not what they presented themselves to be.

Controversy about the "Act of Union"

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk), as did all the bishops, clergy and Faithful of the Autonomous Church (who were the majority), spoke against the uncanonical union with schismatics which was signed in October, 1942, on the territory of the Pochaiv Lavra. At that time, Metropolitan Aleksey (Gromadsky) (not having authority to speak for the bishops of the Autonomous Church) had agreed with the offered Act of Union. However, he had signed this act under pressure and blackmail from the so-called “bishops” Nikanor (Abramovich) of Chygyryn, and Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nytskyi.

With Archbishop Simon (Ivanovsky) of Chernihiv and Bishop Veniamin (Novitsky) of Poltava, Vladyka Panteleimon discussed this uncanonical document which had been signed by the head of the Autonomous Church. Vladyka Panteleimon then insisted on an emergency meeting of the Sobor of the Hierarchs. This sobor took place on 30 October, 1942 ; and in an archpastoral message to all members of the Autonomous Church, the Hierarchical Sobor declared itself to be against the “Act of Union”.

Owing to the zeal of his brother-hierarchs and to their unity with the Faithful, Metropolitan Aleksey, having understood his mistake, cancelled his signature on the uncanonical “Act of Union”.

Having set himself on the path of strict Church order, Vladyka kept himself and the Autonomous Church in canonical purity. In answer to this, "nationalists" began a so-called religious war, attacking and confiscating Temples, and murdering hierarchs and clergy.

Death of Metropolitan Aleksey (Hromadsky), 1943

While travelling from Kremenets to Dubno, on 8 May, 1943, Metropolitan Aleksey (Hromadsky) was killed by Ukrainian nationalists who seem to have been close to Polikarp (Sikorski).

Organisation of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1943

Because of the interference of the German authorities, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was not able to participate in the Sobor of the Hierarchs in Kovel (in western Volyn) on 6 June, 1943. At this Sobor, the oldest in episcopal ordination, Bishop Damaskin (Maluta) of Kamenets-Podolsk, was elected to be the new head of the Autonomous Church.

The title “Senior Bishop” for Vladyka Damaskin (which was imposed by German invaders) did not appeal to Vladyka Panteleimon. He was planning to return the designation “First Hierarch” during the next Sobor, which was expected to take place on 19 September, 1943, in Kyiv, in connection with the consecration of the now-repaired Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral.

However, the liberation of the Ukrainian lands from the German aggressors, and the quickly-approaching front line of the invading Red Army interfered with Vladyka’s plans.

Displacement, emigration, exile, 1943

On 25 September, 1943, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk), together with his cell-attendant, Monk-subdeacon Dimitriy (Shchur), by order of the German authorities, were forced to emigrate during the evacuation of the civilian population. Being thus sent into exile mercifully constituted an escape from certain death, which would have been the consequence of being captured by the Red Army when it would later arrive there. Their lives were saved. On his departure from Kyiv, Archbishop Panteleimon managed to retrieve the uncorrupt right foot of the Great-martyr Barbara from Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral, and he carried this precious Holy Relic with him into exile. Those who knew him much later reported that he had told them that he felt in his heart at that time that he was being asked by the Lord to do this. Because it was a very small portion of her body, he understood that he would very likely be able to transport this precious relic secretly with him to safety, so that at least something would remain should the worst occur (that is, the destruction of her whole incorrupt body). There truly was a danger that the incorrupt body of the Great-Virgin-Martyr Barbara could have been destroyed when the communists returned in force. Such things had frequently happened elsewhere since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

After his departure from Kyiv, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) stopped for a time in Warsaw. The Metropolitan of Warsaw Dionysiy (Valedinskii), had learnt that the head of the Autonomous Church, Archbishop Damaskin (Maluta), had been arrested by the soviets in Kamenets-Podilsk. Therefore, on his own, he gave the title “First Hierarch of the Ukrainian Autonomous Church” to Vladyka Panteleimon in April, 1944. However, soon after that time, as a result of the arrival of the Red Army, the existence of the Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church was ended.

Archbishop Panteleimon was then sent west to exile in Germany by the German authorities.

At the same time, after the liberation of Ukraine from the fascists and the re-establishment of the hierarchical structures of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine, the hierarchs and clergy of the Autonomous Ukrainian Church who remained in Ukraine were returned in their pre-existing ranks to the Moscow Patriarchate (the “Mother Church”, as she would usually be described).

After World War II ended, Archbishop Panteleimon helped in the displaced persons’ camp in Germany, at Schleissheim near Munich (now a suburb of Munich) in Bavaria, where there were more than 7,000 refugees. The name Schleissheim indicates a pair of towns (Upper and Lower Schleissheim) north of Munich, not far from the Dachau concentration camp. Each town had a sub-camp of the main Dachau camp during the war.

Acceptance into ROCOR, 1946

On 5 April, 1946, there was a decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) in Munich, chaired by Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky) concerning displaced bishops. Thus, the ROCOR adopted Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) (along with 12 other former bishops of the Ukrainian and Byelorussian Autonomous Churches) into the Church Abroad, and in their existing ranks. The Monk Subdeacon Dimitriy (Shchur) was accepted along with him.

Assignments in Argentina, Persia, North Africa, 1947-1951

In 1947, Vladyka Panteleimon was sent to serve in Argentina as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Argentina. He arrived in Buenos Aires in early 1948. The cathedral, the diocesan administration and the archbishop’s house had to be established in rented rooms. Archbishop Panteleimon excelled in the organisation and development of the diocesan centre. However, because of the intrigues of the local Roman Catholic clergy (who, having no correct understanding of Orthodoxy, would have considered the Orthodox as schismatics or even heretics), Vladyka Panteleimon was not able to “get along with” the Argentine authorities, and so he was soon forced to leave the country.

In the first half of 1950, Vladyka Panteleimon was sent to serve in Persia (later called Iran), where there were yet many Russian-speaking people, many of them being refugees.

In 1951, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was sent to Tunisia, in order to organise parishes in North Africa, where, after World War II, there was a sufficiently large Russian “colony”. However, this appointment was made by the ROCOR without a prior agreement with the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Therefore, the Patriarch of Alexandria Christopher II forbade his clergy to concelebrate with those priests of the ROCOR who were subordinated to Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk). In the context of his North African service, Vladyka Panteleimon often had to serve as a priest because of the illness of the igumen who was responsible.

Transfer to Canada, 1952

In 1952, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was transferred to Canada to serve as Bishop of Edmonton and Western Canada.

In 1954, he was moved to Eastern Canada and the Montréal diocese.

Vladyka Panteleimon in Montréal

In 1957 (no later than August according to the archival data), Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was retired, after he had been subjected to a “smear campaign”. According to the Archpriest Mitrophan Znosko-Borovsky, the chief prosecutor was Archpriest George Grabbe. The unfair prosecution believed the accusations. However, Archbishop Panteleimon was believed by Bishop Sava (Saračević), the Archpriest Mitrofan Znosko-Borovsky, his long-time cell-attendant, the Archdeacon Dimitry (Shchur), and numerous spiritual children.

Removal from ROCOR, transfer to Moscow Patriarchate, Edmonton, 1957

In 1957, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) moved from the ROCOR to the Moscow Patriarchate, at first unofficially. He moved from Montréal, Québec to Edmonton, Alberta, where he spent the remainder of his life. He lived in very modest circumstances. In this situation, he shepherded the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Alberta and Saskatchewan. His cathedral was that of Saint Barbara the Great-martyr in Edmonton (where one may now find the incorrupt foot of the Great-martyr). In that year, this Temple was taken from the “Metropolia” and was taken into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. During his years serving in Edmonton, Archbishop Panteleimon found that his chief co-worker and builder of Orthodox Christian life in the region was the Archpriest John Margitich, the rector of Saint Barbara's Cathedral. He was a hard-working pastor, who cared for everyone without distinction.

On 5 March, 1959, after bringing a statement of repentance to the Moscow Patriarchate (this was with regard to any voluntary or involuntary separation from communion with the Moscow Patriarchate and the Canonical Orthodox Church from the time of the German invasion of Ukraine), Archbishop Panteleimon was officially admitted in his rank into communion with the Russian Orthodox Church. Archbishop Panteleimon became established in a modest house in west-central Edmonton, where Archdeacon Dimitriy (Shchur) occupied one portion of the house.

On 8 August, 1959, Archbishop Panteleimon was assigned to be the Archbishop of Edmonton and Canada. This responsibility was undertaken within the context of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of North America. In the beginning of his service in the newly-formed Moscow Patriarchal Canadian Diocese of Edmonton, there was a lack of clergy. Besides Archbishop Panteleimon, there were only 3 priests. In accordance with the petition to Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), the President of the Department of External Church Relations, the DECR began sending priests to Canada, usually from the Ukrainian Exarchate, in order to care for their compatriots.

On 31 July, 1960, when the construction of the new Temple was competed, Archbishop Panteleimon presided over the sanctification of the cathedral.

Saint Barbara's Cathedral

Pilgrimage to Russia and Ukraine, 1961

On 7 September, 1961, Archbishop Panteleimon began a visit to his native Mother-Church, which was living through the difficult time of Nikita S Khrushchev’s persecution (1958-1964). During his 2-week visit in the Soviet Union, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky), he served in the Temples of Moscow, at Saint Sergius-Holy Trinity Lavra, and at the Saint Alexander Nevsky-Holy Trinity Lavra in Saint Petersburg. He was able to venerate the sacred places, and he prayed for all the Faithful, and for all the Russian Church. At that time, he also visited with Metropolitan Boris (Vik), the Patriarchal Exarch in America, and with Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), the Head of the patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations.

On 11 May, 1963, Archbishop Panteleimon was awarded the Church’s Order of Saint Vladimir (1st degree) by Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky), in commemoration of the 50 years of the Patriarch’s service as a bishop, and in remembrance of the joint service on that occasion.

Blessing of the foundation-stone of a new Temple in Chipman, 1965

In 1965, the Russo Orthodox Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Chipman, Alberta, began the construction of a new Temple. The basic design was repeated in the parish in Nisku, Alberta. In the spring of 1965, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) blessed the foundation-stone, after which construction began. In this case, construction took several years (because of costs).

Sanctification of the new Temple at Nisku, 1966

On 19 June, 1966, the newly-constructed Saint Mary’s Russian Orthodox Church at Nisku, Alberta, was sanctified in a traditional and beautiful service by Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) of the Russian Exarchate in Edmonton, assisted by the resident priest, the Archpriest Constantine Stakhowsky and other diocesan clergy. The design of this Temple is similar to that of the Temple of Saint John the Baptist in Chipman, Alberta.

Pilgrimage to Russia and Ukraine, 1967

In 1967, by the invitation of Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky), Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) visited the lands of Rus’ one more time. On this visit, he was accompanied by some faithful people in Canada as pilgrims. From 24 May to 22 June, he visited the holy places of Moscow, such as the Saint Sergius-Holy Trinity Lavra, and also some of the open Temples in Saint Petersburg, Kyiv, Odessa (where he met Archbishop Sergei (Petrov)), L’viv, the Pochaiv Lavra, and the Koretsky Holy Trinity Women’s Monastery in Rivne. During this visit, a meeting was arranged between Archbishop Panteleimon and Archbishop Benjamin (Novitsky), who also had served in the Orthodox Church in the territory of occupied Ukraine, and who had served a sentence of 10 years in Stalin’s camps.

Pilgrimage to Mount Athos, 1968

On 25 July, 1968, by the invitation of the Patriarch of Constantinople Athenagoras (Spyrou), Archbishop Panteleimon visited the holy Mount Athos, so that he could pray on the domain of the Holy Theotokos, and also so that he could support the scarce numbers of Russian monks on the Holy Mountain at that time.

It is written that at about this time, the clergy and the faithful of the Edmonton diocese decided to petition Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow and All Russia to grant Archbishop Panteleimon the rank of Metropolitan for his zealous service for many years. Only the sudden death of the Archbishop prevented this sincere desire from being fulfilled. However, the exactness of such a reported quest is in doubt. Were the request to have been blessed, that would have meant that Vladyka Panteleimon would have had to move elsewhere, since this title is associated with a particular territory and a responsibility. Edmonton and Canada were and are too small for such a dignity, title and responsibility.

Repose, 1968

On Tuesday, 2 October, 1968, in the morning, in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Archbishop Panteleimon reposed in Christ. His repose followed complications from a heart-attack.

On Sunday, 6 October, in Saint Barbara’s Cathedral in Edmonton, after the Divine Liturgy, the funeral service for Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was begun. It lasted from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the Funeral Service of the Burial of a Hierarch were led by Archbishop Jonathan (Kopolovich) (1912-1988), the Archbishop of New York and the Aleutians.

As he wished, Archbishop Panteleimon was buried away from the noisy city, in the cemetery of the Temple of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos at Rabbit Hill, near Nisku, Alberta (16 km/10 mi south from Edmonton). His body rests nearby the Temple that had been sanctified by him.

Nativity of the Theotokos Temple, Nisku

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was survived by his brother, who had become Metropolitan Stefan (Rudyk), of Warsaw and All Poland, of the Polish Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Stefan (Rudyk) reposed in Warsaw in 1969.

Grave-Cross

— Bishop of L’viv, Galicia, 1941-1942. Preceded by : Joseph (Shumlyansky).

— Archbishop of L’viv, Galicia, 1942-1945. Succeeded by : Archbishop Makariy (Oksiyuk).

— Administrator of the Diocese of Kyiv, Ukraine (then in the Soviet Union) (Moscow Patriarchate)1941–1943. Preceded by : Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich). Succeeded by : Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich).

— Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Argentina (ROCOR), 1947-1950. See created. Succeeded by : Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov).

— Archbishop in Persia (ROCOR), 1950. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Archbishop of North Africa in Tunisia (ROCOR), 1951. See created. Succeeded by : Bishop Nathanael (Lvov).

— Archbishop of Edmonton and Western Canada (ROCOR), 1951-1954. Preceded by : Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov). Succeeded by : Bishop Vitaly (Ustinov).

— Archbishop of Montréal, Québec, and Eastern Canada (ROCOR), 1954-1957. Preceded by : Archbishop Grigory (Borishkevich). Succeeded by : Archbishop Vitaly (Ustinov).

— Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta, (1959-1968) Preceded by : See created (Moscow Patriarchate) (however, some consider him to follow Archbishop Adam (Philipovsky)). Succeeded by : Bishop Mark (Shavykin) and Archbishop Makariy (Svistun) of Zaraisk.

Reflections

Following are reminiscences about him and about Bishop Sava by Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of New York (ROCOR), from an interview about his own life :

Church services made a deep impression upon me. Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) would often come to
perform divine services ; he was under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate. Our farm was
located not far from Spirit River [northern Alberta, Peace River district]. Among the Ukrainian
farms there was Holy Trinity Church, but it did not have a regular priest. Clergymen of various
jurisdictions would alternate performing divine services and services of need.

The idea of a bishop fascinated me. As a six-year-old, I viewed him as someone from heaven.
Coming home, I would gather icons and candles and would ‘play the priest’. When I was eight, I
went to the woods near the house and set up my own secret ‘church’, adorning it with icons and
praying there.

As an adolescent I loved to listen to religious broadcasts on Canadian radio ; I would order
Orthodox literature, journals and books. Vladyka Panteleimon would sometimes give me an icon, or a
booklet, and predicted ‘You will be a priest’. All through high school I felt in my heart that it
was just a preparation for seminary and priesthood.

In Edmonton, I met Bishop Savva (Sarachevich) of the Russian Church Abroad, a person of lofty
spirituality and rare kindness. I would tell him about my desire to go to seminary, and Vladyka
inspired me with his stories of monasticism.

With his blessing, I went to America [USA], to Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville. This was in
November, 1967. Among the picturesque farmhouses, woods and lakes was a snow-covered monastery
with a wondrous golden-domed church and a large monastic building — a little part of Holy Rus. At
first it was very difficult for me. I even began to despair, and wrote to Vladyka Savva asking him
to receive me in Canada as a novice. He replied that if I have the desire to become a real monk, I
must remain in seminary and patiently endure all tribulations. I was consoled by his response.

When my studies concluded, I didn’t want to leave because I came to love the monastery so much, the
monks, Archbishop Averky (Taushev), the seminary rector, whose cell-attendant I was the last few
years of his life. This was a man of profound faith and unusual erudition. We were all amazed at
the purity of his soul and his kindness.

Awards

• Order of Saint Vladimir, 1st degree (1963)

Writings

‘My Trip to the Patriarchate’ in “Canadian Orthodox ‘Visnik’” (1963), part 1, pp. 12-15.

Writings by various authors about Archbishop Panteleimon :

• Abbess Marionilla, Abbess of the Kremenets Epiphany Convent, “Memoirs”

• Abbess Ambrosia (Martens), “Testimony”, dated 14 September, 2009

• Alekseev, V I, and Stavru, F, ‘Russian Orthodox Church in German-occupied Territory’, chapter 5, Ukraine, in “Journal "Russian Revival”, no. 16 (1981) vol. IV

• Archbishop Jonathan, and Sokolovsky, Archpriest Alexy, Archpriest, ‘Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk), Edmonton and Canadian obituary’ in “JMP”. M., 1968. - no. 12 (1968), pp. 26-30.

• Dallin, Alexander, “German Rule in Russia” (Dusseldorf : Droste, 1958), p. 497.

• Fotiev, K, and Svitich, A, “Orthodox Church in Ukraine and Poland in the 20th Century 1917-1950” (Moscow, 1997), pp. 72, 271.

• Fotiev, Protopresbyter Kirill, ‘Attempts at Ukrainian Church Autocephaly in the twentieth Century’ in “Ukrainian’ Disease of the Russian Nation” (Moscow, 2004), pp. 283-284.

• Grigoriy, Archpriest Boris, ‘Holy Image of Vladyka Archbishop Panteleimon’ in “Canadian Orthodox Visnik” (Memorial vidannya in memory of the reposed archbishop Panteleimon), no. 4 (1968), pp. 3-4.

• Heyer, F, “The Orthodox Church in Ukraine” (Cologne : Braunsfeld-Muller, 1953), pp. 168, 175, 177, 180, 190, 191, 195, 197, 208, 209, 216, 219, 222, 224.

• Ivanov, I, ‘Church Affairs in Tunisia’ in “Russian Thought”, no. 402 (Paris, 1951), p. 4.

• Kireev, Protodeacon Alexander, “Dioceses and Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1943-2002” (Moscow, 2002), pp. 314-316.

• (Kolupaev), Abbot Rostislav, “Russians in North Africa Dissertation” (ch. 3, "Parish life in Tunisia")

• Konstantinov, D V, “Through the Tunnel of the XX Century”, ed. A V Popov (Materials for the history of Russian political emigration, Issue III) (Moscow : IAI RGGU, 1997), p. 396-397.

• Minenko, Archpriest Timofiy, “Orthodox Church in Ukraine before the Hour of the Other Holy Day (1939-1945)”, 3 volumes, (Winnipeg-Lviv : Lviv Museum of History of Religion "Logos", 2000), vol. 1 – Volinsky period, pp. 189, 192.

• Nikolaev, K N, “Eastern Rite” (Paris : YMCA Press, 1950), p. 297.

• Petrushko, Vladislav, “On the Attempts of Uniate Proseletism in the Soviet Union on the Eve of the Great Patriotic War, 2002”

• Ranevsky, S, “Ukrainian Autocephalous Church” (Jordanville, NY : Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 1948), pp. 14, 15.

• Seide, G, “History of the Russian Church outside Russia” (Munich : Otto Harrassowitz Publishers, 1983), pp. 421, 465.

• Shapka, R, ‘A brief Outline of the History of the Rusyns in Canada’ in “International Historical Journal ‘Rusin’”, no. 3 (2007), pp. 146-156 www.rusyn.md/14pdf

• Shkarovsky, M V, “Nazi Germany and the Orthodox Church (Nazi policy towards the Orthodox Church and religious Revival on the Territory of the USSR)” (Moscow : Krutitskoe courtyard; Society of Lovers of Church History, 2002), p. 517.

• ......, “Orthodox Church in the Reichskommissariat ‘Ukraine’”, part 2.

• ......, “Russian Orthodox Church and the Vlasov Movement”

• (Smakouz), Bishop Job, ‘Church Ministry of the faithful Son of Galician Russia, Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) : On the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Edmonton-Canadian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate’ in “Rusin”, no. 3 (2009), pp. 96-119.

• Sokolovsky, Protopresbyter A, ‘In Memory of the Death and Burial of His Eminence Panteleimon, Archbishop of Edmonton and Canada’ in “Canadian Orthodox Visnik”, no. 4 (1968), pp. 5-10.

• Svitich, Alexander K, “The Orthodox Church in Poland and its Autocephaly” (Buenos Aires, 1959), pp. 194, 202.

• Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

• Vlasovs'kyj, I, “Narys istorii UPC” [“History of the UPTs”], vol. IV, p. 2, passim.

• ‘Return to the Bosom of the Mother Church of Archbishop Panteleimon’ in “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” (JMP), no. 6 (1959), pp. 40-42.

• “One Church”, no. 6 (1968), p. 5-7.

• OCA Archives, Box 20.

• Documents from the Archives of the Office of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada.

• “Memoirs of Archbishop Nikolaev and Voznesensk Pitirim”

• Collection of Church Documents of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1941, pp. 67, 73.

• “The Truth About Religion in Russia” (Moscow Patriarchate, 1942), p. 63.

• “FPS” I, no. 288, p. 12 ; III, p. 6 ; IV, p. 6 ; V, no. 149.

• “FAM” 14.

• “JMP”, no. 6 (1959), pp. 40-42 ; no. 10, pp. 6, 11, 13 ; no. 1 (1960), p. 18 ; no. 3, pp. 6, 23 ; no. 11, p. 15 ; no. 1 (1961), p. 16 ; no. 10 (1963), pp. 3-4 ; no. 6 (1963), p. 10 ; no. 12 (1968), pp. 26-30.

• “Church Messenger”, no. 11 (1968), pp. 8-10.

• “Orthodox Russia”, no. 24 (1959), p. 11 ; no. 17 (1960), p. 16.

• “Std0”, no. 9 (1967), p, 14 ; no. 10, p. 9 ; no.9 (1968), p, 14 ; no. 1 (1969), pp. 26-29.

• “IKZ”, no. 50 (1960), p. 6.

• ‘Chronicle of Church Life in Tunisia’ in “Russian Thought”, no. 369 (Paris, 1951), p. 5.

• “From the Acts of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (held 18 October-14 November, 1959 in New York, USA” (Jordanville, 1960), pp. 134-135.

• “Canadian Orthodox ‘Visnik’”, no. 3 (1964), p. 20 ; no. 4, p. 17.

• ‘Desecration of the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church’ in “Canadian Orthodox Visnik” (1965), part 2, p. 16.

• “Tserk. Zhizn” [“Church Life”], nos. 3/4 (1984), pp. 56ff.

• (Znosko-Borovsky), Bishop Mitrofan, “Chronicle of one Life (Memoirs)” (Moscow, 1995), p. 280.

• “A Century of Faith : Saint Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral (1902-2002)” (Edmonton : St. Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 2002), pp. 34-38, 68, 70. ISBN-10: 0973117400 ; ISBN-13: 978-0973117400.

• ‘Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra, chapter 19’ in “Reunification, War, Post-war Years (1939-1959)”

References

Russian Wikipedia biography

Пантелеимон (Рудык)- Википедия : Russian Wikipedia biography (in Russian)

Ukrainian Wikipedia biography (in Ukrainian)

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) biography

'Life path and archpastoral ministry in Canada of Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) (On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Edmonton-Canadian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate)' at "Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada"

Mitropolit.kiev.ua Biography

Lviv Diocese biography

Biographical summary in "Russian religious leaders abroad"

Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyck Peter) (Russian religious leaders abroad biography, in Russian)

Additional information :

Kireev, Protodeacon Alexander, "Dioceses and Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1943-2002" (Moscow, 2002).

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

From the interview with Metropolitan Hilarion in 2013

Доктор истории С. Суляк (Молдавия) (in Russian)

Panteleimon (Rudyck): on the site “Russian Orthodoxy” (web-site in Russian)

List of Kiev metropolitans and archbishops

Article by V O Pashchenko and Y V Voloshin about the Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church (1941).

Article, "Church Life in Ukraine at the Time of the Second World War (1939-1944) : The canonical state of the Orthodox Church on the eve of the war (1939-1941)"

Article by O V Loginov about the history of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church after the death of Metropolitan Alexei (Gromadski)

Article by Andrei Smirnov about the Pochaev Sobor, 18-23 April, 1941

Panteleimon (Rudyck) : Online South American Diocese

Panteleimon (Rudyck Peter) / / Russian International in France (1919 - 2000) : Biographical Dictionary in three volumes (web-site in Russian)

Panteleimon (Rudyk) : Archbishop Job (Smakouz) The life and pastoral ministry in Canada Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) (the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Edmonton Canadian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate) (web-site in Russian)

Life of Metropolitan Nikolai (Mogilevsky)