Johnstown ON †Archdiocesan Centre, Fair Haven 1988-2012

Archdiocesan Centre Fair Haven aerial view 2.png

Johnstown, Ontario †Diocesan Centre of the Archdiocese of Canada Fair Haven 1988-2012

Introduction

This overview of “Fair Haven” is written for the purpose of helping the reader to understand some of the history of the former archdiocesan centre of the Archdiocese of Canada (The Orthodox Church in America), and to show how from the beginning “Fair Haven” (as it was named) seemed to have been given by Divine Providence and Divine Assistance to the Archdiocese of Canada for various future purposes.

That the property would serve as the site for the office and for the archives for the archdiocese (as well as a residence for the diocesan bishop) was considered to be only the beginning. It was understood that the details about future possibilities were unknown and unforeseeable.

The greatest difficulty and obstacle during its existence was that no coherent budget or management plan about the Fair Haven property was ever developed. Of course, this situation actually impeded development. However, the means for developing such a plan were lacking. This is to say that there were insufficient persons available with the necessary vision and talents who could have had a sense of what could be done and could formulate a plan. It may be added quickly that because of the vastness of the geography of the archdiocese, most of the parishioners had contact with this particular place only through word-of-mouth sharing, or through articles in the "Canadian Orthodox Messenger" periodical. It is a sort of paradox that although the bishop professed to be ready and willing to receive contributions of ideas and perception regarding the property and its development, the people themselves seemed to be reluctant to come forward. There were several who sensed the potential, but they had no means of attracting the needed resources.

Nevertheless, the property was viewed as being a long-term investment on the part of the diocese (partly because of the steady growth of the local regional population with respect to Ottawa-based commuters).

Property purchase, 1988. Why Fair Haven ? Some historical events and facts

The original purchase of the property had been undertaken by the Archdiocese of Canada (The Orthodox Church in America) in 1988 at the direction of Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor), Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. After the retirement (in 1981) of Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) of Montréal and Canada, Metropolitan Theodosius had been the Locum-tenens bishop of the Archdiocese of Canada. He was concerned that the future bishop of the archdiocese be able to live in a place that was distinct from any particular parish of the archdiocese. Since the establishment of the diocese in 1916, the bishops and their offices had always been dependent upon one or another parish for living quarters and office space.

The main portion of the property was purchased in 1988 to be the Diocesan Centre and Offices, and it was at that time named “Fair Haven”.

The name was given in accordance with the traditional custom of naming a place, or home, and it did come to serve as an identification of the property. Of course, it was pointed out that it more correctly should have been known as “Fair Havens”, because of the intended reference to the Scriptures. “Fair Havens” is referred to in the Acts of the Apostles 27:7-12 as one of the stopping-places of the Holy Apostle Paul, as a prisoner on his way towards Rome. Still there today, this village, in Greek "Kaloi Limenes", is the site of an active natural harbour and port on the south coast of Crete, at the southernmost point. However, the property was a different entity, hence the slight variation in the title.

Like that harbour, the territory of "Fair Haven" was from the beginning a place of refuge. It came to be perceived to be so by many of the persons who visited, and by many of the persons who stayed there for shorter or longer periods of time. They frequently commented about this. This special blessed “atmosphere” was felt by some of those who first visited the property even before its purchase, and afterwards as well. Of course, as with human beings, there are always other opinions.

The year 1988 was before the See of Ottawa was officially proclaimed by the Holy Synod. Bishop Seraphim (Storheim), ordained in Edmonton to the Holy Episcopate in 1987, was, as Vicar-Bishop of Edmonton, (Alberta), assigned to be rector of the Temple of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa, Ontario, in that same year (although he was officially the Bishop of Edmonton, and he served as the Vicar-Bishop). He moved to Ottawa, Ontario ; and from July, he lived in the self-contained attic apartment in the home of Olga Jurgens. This apartment had belonged to her late mother. He lived in this attic until November of 1988.

In 1990, the nomination by the Saskatoon Assembly of the Archdiocese resulted in the election and installation by the Holy Synod in October, 1990, of the first ruling Bishop with the title of Bishop of Ottawa.

Purchase and description of the property

A search was engaged in 1988 in order to find a suitable place that could be purchased with what little money was available. The search took a long time because the money available was indeed limited. Adequate and acceptable sites available for this small amount of money were not available in the city, nor near it. In the city itself, it would have been possible to purchase only a one-bedroom condominium apartment in a section of the city that had a poor reputation for safety. Such a one-bedroom apartment might have served for the bishop’s private quarters, but it would not have been possible to accommodate the development of the also-needed offices for the diocese. Purchasing an adequate apartment in those days would have cost over $350,000.

A house in the city was by far beyond the available funds. Houses in outlying areas of Ottawa cost even more, and all available properties in the price-range envisaged (at first this was about $65,000) would have required immediate and considerable repairs which would have cost much more money than was available. This was the case even with houses that were available at greater distances. A further complication in such sites was their relative inaccessibility to people from Ottawa and from other parts of the diocese.

It was only in the middle part of 1988 that the finally-chosen property came to be available in its entirety. The original intention was to purchase 5 acres (2 hectares) from the owner (a former principal of a Roman Catholic school in Prescott), but his health was poor and he had decided to sell all instead of parts of the land. He accepted the offer of $95,000 for the whole property, which was considered at the time to be a reasonable price for both the house and the land.

Although this property was at a distance from Ottawa (about 80 km/50 mi from the house to the cathedral), it was easily accessible not only to Ottawa, but also to Montréal, Kingston and Toronto. It was 4 km (2 mi) north of Highway #401 (the main highway between Montreal and Toronto) ; it adjoined Highway #416 ; it was 5 km (3.1 km) from the nearest bridge-crossing to New York State in the USA, and thereby gave good road access to some regular USA destinations ; it was 9 km (5/6 mi) from the nearest town and village ; it was less than an hour’s drive to the Ottawa airport, and less than 2 hours to the Dorval airport in Montréal. These factors were considered to be benefits. When the property was purchased, there were many who considered that all this had been Providentially directed.

The purchase of the original property of about 11 hectares (28 acres) was made possible first because Metropolitan Theodosius had earlier established a fund to prepare for this development, and $64,092.35 had been collected. However, this amount proved to be insufficient. The only possibility was that the Diocesan Council borrow from within its own funds. The Diocesan Council had previously determined to establish a Scholarship Fund with the funds received in a 1984 bequest to the diocese by Theodore (Feodor) Goldwyn of Saint Nicholas’ Church in Ottawa. The original bequest was $24,475.00, and by 1988 it had grown to $32,798.78. The purpose of this fund was intended to support seminarians in some small way. The diocese borrowed this money from itself for the purchase, thus making up the required amount. The Diocesan Council then determined that it would replenish the fund over the course of time.

Description of the property

The property consisted of a masonry farm-house more than 170 years old, and about 14 hectares of wooded land with a marsh. Near the house, there was also a work-shed, and a substantial old barn. The diocese was only the third owner of the property. It had been farmed originally by a man who had been given the land as a grant upon retirement from military service in the army of the British Empire. After the War of 1812, there had continued to be skirmishes along the border (the Saint Lawrence River) until the 1830s.

Aerial view of much of the property (below Newman Road)

The purchased property stretched almost the whole length of the south side of what was then called Pruner Road from County Road #44 (on the east side) to Highway #416 (on the west side). At the time of purchase, the main highway was smaller (#16) and it had only 2 lanes. Ultimately (after the construction of the expressway was completed), there was added a portion of property which let the owned property include the whole of the south side of this road (later renamed "Newman Road", and also known as the Third Concession Road). For a time, because of a donation, the diocesan property also included a 1-acre lot across from the centre, on the north side of the road. There remained a small acreage at the southeast corner of the property which belonged to someone else.

On the property, the main house stood on higher ground than the surrounding land. The oldest part of the existing house dated from about 1850. The refectory room was from about 1870, and it had been originally a “summer kitchen”. The area which later served as the kitchen, laundry and WC was the result of a renovation of several small older additions (a cistern, an entrance-room, an early garage). The area which became the office was a much more recently-built garage, added at some time in the 1950s. The large north entrance-hall and the chapel were added in the mid-1990s. The 3-season room beside the kitchen was built over a formerly open patio, and it was completed also in the 1990s.

With regard to the out-buildings, the barn was nearly as old as the house ; and the nearby shed was likely built after World War II. The shed had been used as a storage-space, a workshop, and a place for animals.

The barn in spring

The barn being renovated, in summer

The storage shed, being renovated

A 5-minute walk south into the woods, and across a creek, there was a one-room hermitage named for Saint Sabbas of Palestine. It was built in about 1995 by Father Pierre (Vachon), a monk who resided there for several years. He subsequently established the Hermitage of Saint Anthony (north of Kingston, near Westport).

The whole property was mostly wooded land, which had formerly been cleared and used for pasture and some minimal crops. Next to the barn there was also a 2-hectare (5-acre) marsh-swamp, drained by a creek (when there was any water). At the north-east corner, at the junction of County Road #44 and Newman Road (the road which gave access to the property), there was a 2½ hectare (5 acre) area of grass that was kept mowed. The land in general was not suitable for growing anything for commercial purposes, because where there was any depth of soil, it was mostly sand. Otherwise, the land consisted of a thin layer of top-soil over limestone, the characteristic foundation of most of the nearby area. There were trees and shrubs growing on most of the property. Over the years some trees from other parts of Canada had been added as a subtle but visible link between this land and the whole of the diocese.

Creek near the highway, spring flowers

Renovations and "Metamorphosis"

The main house was slowly renovated, whenever the financial resources became available. Besides the voluntary work of a few persons, the main source of this work of improvement was the energy, vision, and ability of Dr. John Hadjinicolaou of Montréal, beginning in 1991.

The financial resources for these works also came largely through his personal contacts, through contributions of many members of the Sign of the Theotokos Parish in Montréal, Québec, and from others in the diocese. The process was organised by Dr Hadjinicolaou under the title “The Metamorphosis Project for the Bishop’s Residence and Archdiocesan Centre Fair Haven”. The word “metamorphosis” was well-chosen. This word is a close relative in meaning of the word “transfiguration”. Not only is this change into light, beauty, and goodness the implication of the project, but it is also the main process of our life of repentance in Christ ; and it is the most common dedication-name of Orthodox Christian monasteries throughout the world.

Several “phases” of this project were organised.

Regarding the development of the office itself within the structure, it is useful to remember that from 1988 until 1993 the site of the Diocesan Office was first of all in the old “summer-kitchen” area which later became the refectory. Its second site was a glassed-in porch that adjoined that room. Because the area was uninsulated, during part of the winter, office-work was often being done on a table, near a wood-stove in the former “family room” area that later became part of the kitchen.

Olga Jurgens and Helene Culhane

When the bishop was not away on pastoral rounds or at meetings, intrepidly, and on a completely voluntary basis, Olga Jurgens and her sister Helene Culhane drove once a week from Ottawa to the office. They did this in order to help the bishop with the necessary office work, letter-writing, with the necessary establishing and maintenance of a proper filing-system, and with the establishing and maintenance of the mailing-list of “The Canadian Orthodox Messenger”. This mailing-list served also as a foundation for future mailing-lists for other purposes. Fur-coats were sometimes worn indoors by Olga and Helene to enable the possibility of office-work on winter days. Work was also regularly taken home by them. There were so many aspects of the supportive help of Olga and Helene regarding the office and administration that is not possible to list them all. For more than 20 years they continued to drive together from Ottawa to the office almost every week until 2010. At that time, they retired.

Phase I

The first phase of the Metamorphosis, completed in 1992, allowed for the improvement of some of the plumbing and wiring in the building, and for the transformation of the west-side conglomerate of additions to the older structure. Thus, there came into being a 2-piece lavatory, an adjoining laundry area, and a larger and much more functional kitchen. The former wood-heater was replaced by a second-hand wood-burning cooking stove. This stove allowed for supplementary cooking surfaces when needed, and for extra heat in the winter when needed. This stove was a particularly important asset during the 10 days of no electricity in January of 1998, at the time of the famous ice-storm.

The old wood-burning cooking stove

Phase 2

The second phase of the Metamorphosis project, completed in 1993, brought about the transformation of the former garage into a modern and functional office. The office then presented a visible and accessible door to the north-west, where the drive-way entrance approached it directly. It had a continuous counter-table along 2 walls, with work-stations set out by shelving and drawers. There was also interior access to the office from the kitchen. The garage-building was slightly extended for this purpose. It was possible to include in this transformation an additional room beside the kitchen to serve as a pantry, and a little passageway from the kitchen which afforded extra storage-shelving, as well as a sound-filtre between the office and the house. Doors that were mostly glass began to be installed throughout the public areas of the house for the sake of visibility in both directions, and for the sake of insurance concerns. The office-space was heated by electric base-board heaters, because these electric heaters were the simplest, easiest, and least expensive to install. Because of subsequent budget constraints for the diocese, after the winter of 2010-2011, the use of these base-board heaters was reduced and then eliminated.

Phase 3

The third phase of the Metamorphosis project, completed in 1994, covered the remaining expenses of construction, and refined the necessities of the office. By this time also, a rudimentary collection and organisation of archives was being established. The office had begun to receive some files and articles from the estate of the recently-departed Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns). Upon his withdrawal from serving as the diocesan chancellor (and before that as secretary and treasurer) for many years, Archpriest John Tkachuk also contributed his diocesan files.

Slowly, further necessary office-equipment was acquired. All furniture and cabinets were obtained from second-hand sellers. During this phase also, it became obvious that a better filing-system was required. The number of files had steadily been increasing as the record-keeping became more systematised. This necessary and proper filing-system was established by Matthew Culhane, a graduate of the University of Toronto in Information Systems. His systematising of the files provided for better maintenance of the necessary information, and enabled quicker retrieval of information when it was needed. There was a period of time after this, in which Father R Cyprian Hutcheon, because he was then able to manage the time, would drive from Ottawa or Montréal to the office in order to help with the office-work and with planning. His contributions were always valuable, whether he was physically present or not. At this time, he was serving as the secretary of the diocese, and as a special assistant to the bishop.

Phase 4

The fourth phase of the Metamorphosis project began in 1994. This concerned the construction of a domestic chapel in the name of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos. This chapel had already been in existence for some time, at least on paper.

In 1990 and 1992, Bishop Seraphim with some others had visited Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) at Saint John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, United Kingdom ; and he had received the blessing to use the name of Saint Silouan for this chapel.

Liturgical services were from that time being conducted in the refectory that had not yet been renovated. It had been hoped that there would soon be a place for the chapel. In due time, the site for this was blessed with the participation of Archbishop Mark (Petrovtsiy) of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in Canada. People present on that occasion already commented on the “special” atmosphere of the place. In a documentary video from about that time, the word “holy” was used to describe the place, and the perceived presence of angels was mentioned. Many would agree to the use of these words, despite all difficulties that were faced. Following the custom of the time, it was to this chapel that clergy who had no specific assignment or pastoral responsibility were technically attached.

At the blessing of the chapel foundation

Photos from the Autumn, 1998, "Canadian Orthodox Messenger"

The actual chapel was then constructed ; but because of local county rules for the existence of such a chapel, another structure also had to be built which would make a physical connection between the chapel and the main house. This complication was somewhat costly. However, the offerings of many volunteers (galvanised mainly by the children of Archpriest John and Matushka Suzanne Scratch made the work (which took some time) become possible. This construction provided for a formal entry to the building, and also could serve as a “narthex” to the chapel. The services that were being conducted (often the Divine Liturgy) periodically in the older main house, were most often offered on a week-day, and of a Saturday when the bishop happened to be at home amongst his many journeys. The items for worship were mostly “improvised”. These services began to be attended by people who lived in the nearby parts of the County of Leeds and Grenville. Amongst these were Romanian- and Greek-speaking people living in that county, who would attend when services in their own parishes were not available. Then Orthodox Christian people began to cross the river from New York State. In time, there were also baptisms and chrismations into the Orthodox Christian Faith amongst the various persons who began to find the chapel, and to attend. There were also a few marriages, and one funeral. With the establishment of a new, distinct chapel, many more people began to arrive and to participate actively.

Chapel of Saint Silouan ; main entrance

View of the chapel towards the entrance (soon after construction)

The Chapel of Saint Silouan during the Paschal Triduum, 2014

Monastic Community of Saint Silouan the Athonite

By this time, there were 2 nuns living in the main house, which also housed the bishop (in separate parts). Their presence enabled the bishop to receive and give proper hospitality to many more people. Their personal visibility in the County of Leeds-Grenville drew yet more attention to the presence of the Archdiocese of Canada and its head-office. Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) was the first to arrive, and she took up the main responsibility for giving warm hospitality to all who arrived at any time and for whatever reason (and this despite her fragile health). Of course, she also prayed for many people ; and she had a wide correspondence with people who turned to her. She continued doing this, making this offering of love to the Lord, until very close to the time of her repose in 2004.

Mother Sophia (Zion) arrived somewhat later than Mother Dorofea ; and she accepted the main responsibility of organising daily services, and accumulating texts and music for them. She also took care of many of the daily organisational and administrative needs of the household ; and she gave supplementary assistance with some details of the diocesan office from time to time. One of these was the taking, keeping, and producing of the minutes of Archdiocesan Council meetings, and also the co-ordinating of the minute-taking and production at Archdiocesan Assemblies. Her most challenging and time-consuming work was the quarterly production of the “Canadian Orthodox Messenger”. She was involved also in other publications work, as well as in grounds-maintenance and cleaning. She continued this work at Fair Haven until about 2005, when family concerns and responsibilities called her away from being physically present. She continued to edit the “Messenger” until 2010.

Occasionally during this time there were priests who spent longer and shorter periods of time at Fair Haven. This began to allow, for some periods, the serving of the Sunday cycle of services (Vespers on Saturday evening, and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning). It was also during the time of the presence of the nuns, beginning in the early 1990s, that the Monastic Community of Saint Silouan the Athonite was established.

Apart from the nuns and anyone who happened from time to time to be assigned to live in Saint Tikhon’s House (the name for the main and large house), this community was not an actual functioning monastery. Rather, it served as a means by which the various anglophone monks and nuns living in solitude around the country could have a spiritual home. Most of these monks lived and continued to live in solitude. A similar community had been organised for the francophone monks in the country, a community led by Igumen Irénée (Rochon). Monks, nuns, and other persons associated with both communities commented on the good “fruit” that came from the pastoral and personal links that existed in them. The monks and nuns themselves had a spiritual link to an altar where they were prayed for ; this served as to remember to pray for each other.

Phase 5

The fifth phase began in 2000 when the small house across the road from the main house (later named for Saint Arseny (Chahovtsov)) became available for sale. This approximately one-acre property included a two-storey three-bedroom house. At the north, that property abutted the same nearby marsh. After a short time, someone donated $25,000, which enabled a speedy purchase without debt. Generally, it was felt that the overall main property would be better protected if this house were owned by the diocese : it directly faced the main house, across from the end of the driveway. Owning this house also opened a greater flexibility of usage of the overall facilities.

Because there were two nuns now living and working at Fair Haven, it was felt that it would be more appropriate if the bishop could live in a separate house. The bishop expressed the opinion that it could be good to have a small distance between himself and the actual office. This arrangement worked well, overall, once it was established. The house was purchased for such a small amount because it was an unfinished structure, and the existing structure had some difficulties.

In addition to the bishop, a priest-monk (and occasionally others) lived for a few years in the building in the condition that it was received. Some completion of the upper floor’s three-and-a-half rooms was managed by a few volunteer workers over some time. When the priest-monk moved away, there was a major renovation undertaken on the main floor. This was done mostly by a couple of volunteers amongst those residing on the property. There was also a focussed renovation of the kitchen and bath-room, largely enabled by Cathedral parishioners, some of whom contributed money, and a large amount of their time and talents towards this improvement of the house. Other volunteers, both local and cathedralite, contributed their work over a longer period of time towards a more “finished product”, as it were. One of the rooms on the second floor (a cell/bed-room) was renovated through contributions (and some labour) by some parishioners of the Sign of the Theotokos in Montréal. A resident also contributed much labour. This house served well, according to the need at the time.

Saint Arseny House before renovation

Archives and Library

Phase 6

The sixth phase began almost at the same time as the fifth phase. Dr. John Foreman, a retired ophthalmologist who had long worked in Montréal and then retired to London, Ontario, offered to donate a portion of his historical icon-collection to the archdiocese. In order to receive such a donation, some remodelling of the main house was required so as to be able to accommodate this collection. Furthermore, in order to do this and to provide the requested tax-receipt, an attempt had to be made to organise and incorporate a private museum for the purpose. This museum did not actually come into being because of the complexity of the regulations involved in such an establishment. The financial and physical and personal resources could not manage either to establish or to sustain such an official museum. Regardless, many of the less valuable icons were donated to the Archdiocese of Canada ; and these icons and other items were installed in the Chapel and the entrance-hall of the archdiocesan centre. The majority of the valuable collection was donated to large and established museums.

Saint Arseny Archives

However, in the course of the attempt to accommodate the proposal, 2 spaces adjacent to the entrance-hall and the refectory were remodelled and extended in order to establish the Saint Arseny Archives of the Archdiocese. This new archives-space allowed for the protection of a few of the other historical items that had been collected by Dr. Foreman ; and it also provided space for the files and records and other historical items of the Archdiocese which had come from Archbishop Sylvester’s estate following his repose. Kathryn Szalasznyj of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, made many visits to Fair Haven in order to organise the documents and items. Mrs. Szalasznyj prepared a good foundation for collecting and preserving historical documents.

In addition to the archival items, for a long time, there had been developing an Archdiocesan Library, which had arrived with the bishop, and which became diocesan. This library of several thousand volumes occupied much of one room of the house-complex, and a large portion of another. Jane Szepesi of Ottawa, a professional librarian, spent very many days over several years travelling to Fair Haven in order to catalogue the volumes. This was anything but a small work, since this library has so many volumes, and consists of books in many languages. An electronic programme was acquired to help her do this work. It was not the best of such programmes, but it was better than a card-system.

After the dissolution of the centre and the sale of the property, this library was eventually re-assembled in a room of the Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa. The main purpose of the library before this was to serve both as a monastic library, and as a reference library. During the years of its presence at the diocesan centre, many people borrowed books from the collection (and as is usually the case, not all the books returned).

Part of an archives shelf

Phase 7

The seventh phase began in 2003 when the family next to the small house that had been purchased, indicated their desire to sell their own small house towards the west. This particular venture came to naught, however, because the family’s disposition was too variable : the price was far too high, and there was finally no possibility of agreement. Soon after that, matters providentially took another direction. With the completion of Highway #416, the extra properties that had been kept in reserve in case of need by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation began to be sold. One of these was immediately adjoining the main and original diocesan property on the south side of Newman Road. These supplementary 7 hectares (18 acres) were purchased in order to protect the main property, because there had been a strong rumour that someone intended to buy it for the purpose of doing auto-wrecking there. The result was that, except for a 1-acre lot with a house on the south-east corner, the Archdiocese of Canada owned, in a complete unity, all the land on the south side of Newman Road from Highway #44 to Highway #416. This ownership was covered by 2 deeds in the name of the Archdiocese of Canada. A third deed covered the acreage north of the road.

Saint Silouan parishioners and visitors, 2006

Poem by Archivist Katya Szalasznyj about Fair Haven

Fair Haven in Summer, 2006

Life sings a simple, quiet song

Of sunlight on the gold brocade

On cross and hops beyond the pane

On fowl clucking midst the green

On basil, mint and leaves unseen.

Long-legged flowers bow and nod

And goldenrod awaits the rain.

Maintenance difficulties

It was at about the same time that the bishop, ever travelling in the diocese and to meetings in the USA, began to be called upon to travel yet more on behalf of the Church in one capacity or another. These increasing absences put extra stress on the limited resources of all persons involved.

Furthermore, the words of Olga Jurgens in her 1992 article in the "Canadian Orthodox Messenger" still applied :

 Sadly, in the three years that have elapsed since, the Archdiocesan budget has not been 
 able to provide for the proper maintenance, let alone upgrading [...]

One of the persistent difficulties in maintaining the Fair Haven property was the limited personal and financial resources. Another was that maintenance never made it into the budget in a clear way. There never was a proper plan developed concerning the management of the property. Most likely this had to do with the multitude of concerns faced by the Diocesan Council and its executive as the diocese was rapidly developing. There was for a time, however, a monthly allowance provided that supported the cost of a cleaning-lady on a weekly basis, and much of the cost of a person to cut the acres of grass in the summer and to remove snow in the winter. The allowance also helped with other details such as electrical and plumbing repairs. The 1992 “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” article mentioned :

 In most human undertakings many factors usually influence decisions.  Often more than one  
 option is available and choices have to be made even though these may be limited when human 
 and financial resources are scarce.

With this travelling, the bishop was also relying on the goodwill of other persons to try to keep the property in reasonable condition. Limited resources did not go very far, but the attempts continued to be made. In the course of 15 years, whether paid for by the diocesan budget or by others, all of the roofing on all of the sections of both houses was renewed with new shingles or metal.

By 2009, the absences of the bishop were more frequent and longer than ever, which caused not only the piling up of undone work in the office and on the Fair Haven property, but also the inability to take proper pastoral care of the diocese itself. For the sake of maintenance and repairs, the bishop found that it was necessary continually to rely on, and even to lean on others. As he, himself, came to understand it, this dependency seemed to have become an unintentional taking advantage of the goodwill of others. He was aware that the situation enabled some people to believe that it could truly be so. There seemed to be no obvious or easy solution.

Volunteer bishop-helpers

There was a period during which volunteer helpers were solicited and organised for aiding the bishop. This series of volunteers, young men from around the diocese, would usually spend 3 months or so at Fair Haven (one-at-a-time). They were given free room-and-board, and their expenses were covered.

They would drive the bishop as needed, and sometimes they would accompany him on a longer trip. They would help with necessary jobs at Fair Haven in accordance with their personal talents. They learned how to manage the bishop’s vestments, and how properly to fold them. They also learned about serving a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy more correctly. On their travels, they met many other Orthodox Christians. Sometimes they would meet other bishops and clergy and other persons serving the Church as they drove the bishop to meetings. Their presence made for safe and less stressful travel for the bishop, and they gave him time to work and pray while travelling (something impossible while doing his own driving). They were also able to save him time by running errands, and sometimes they were able to help in the office.

Saint Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards

Eventually, the “Saint Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards” (STAS) group was formed in order to encourage proper and responsible stewardship amongst the members of the parishes of the Archdiocese of Canada. This group was led by several sons of Father John and Matushka Suzanne Scratch, along with others in the diocese who were sincerely desirous of strengthening the ability of the archdiocese so that it could fulfil its responsibilities more effectively.

At the Archdiocesan Council meeting held at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Montreal, on 3-4 November, 2006, a small focus-group presented a preliminary needs assessment report about what they had undertaken throughout the diocese, as they had been blessed to do by the bishop. During the God-directed conversations at the council-table, the perennial need of the archdiocese for stable funding to fulfil its service was highlighted. The focus-group was given a task, along with its ongoing mandate to develop “an administrative vision for the Archdiocese, that ministers to the present and future needs of the Church in Canada”. That task was to establish a funding strategy that would support this vision effectively .

On this basis, a plan soon developed into the “Saint Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards” programme. This programme was published quickly in order to enable committed persons across the Church in Canada to give to the archdiocese in a straightforward, intentional, and meaningful way. The programme had used the "Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards" of the OCA and the "Order of Saint Ignatius" of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America as examples. Thus, the type of giving is above-and-beyond the regular parish stewardship of the contributors, and is a sacrificial investment in the mission of the Orthodox Church in Canada.

The plan received the wholehearted endorsement of the Archdiocesan Council at their Spring meeting at Holy Resurrection Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in April, 2007.

There were benefits in this work for parishes, deaneries, and the diocese as a whole.

In addition to raising money towards supporting seminarians and missions, this group eventually managed to raise enough funds for there to be a special secretary for the bishop, the Episcopal Secretary. Then a search was engaged, which resulted in finding a suitable candidate.

Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko

In September, 2008, Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko and his family arrived in Ottawa as he took up his employment as the Episcopal Secretary in the Archdiocese of Canada. There was a report about this development in the Autumn, 2008, issue of the “Canadian Orthodox Messenger”. After having settled in his new home, he began to take up his responsibilities by learning from the various volunteers about the history of the office, about the filing system, about the archives, and about other components of the administration of the diocese. Olga Jurgens and Helene Culhane were his principal sources of long-term information. In due time, having learnt what was necessary, he began to make suggestions as to how to improve the record-keeping and the filing-system. Steadily, many adjustments and improvements were made to the method of operating, making many things more efficient.

The work of Protodeacon Nazari very much supplemented the work of the bishop. His work made it appear to some that it was almost unnecessary to keep asking for volunteer workers. Although there was some truth to this, volunteers were to remain necessary in one or another manner.

Such volunteers are part of the overall “diocesan historical memory”. Their practical experience and their assistance helped to enable very many things to be done in less time, and frequently at less cost. One of the reasons for having a programme of volunteering young men to help the bishop practically was that this period of service enabled them to find ways to serve the Lord in one or another way in the Church’s life, wherever they might live. Another reason was that because the diocese continued to grow and to develop (albeit that the financial resources lagged far behind), such volunteers were of great help not only to the bishops, but also to the Secretary and even to the Treasurer.

Vicar-Bishop Irénée (Rochon), 2009

It was after this time that the ordination of the Vicar-bishop Irénée (Rochon) of Québec came to be possible, and this was accomplished in 2009. The ordination of a Vicar-Bishop for Canada was the culmination of a very long, complicated process that sought to achieve this. This ordination came “not a moment too soon”.

Of course, with the ordination of a Vicar-Bishop came more fiscal demands and economic strains for the budget of the diocese as the responsibilities towards its pastoral leadership increased. Bishop Irénée (Rochon) continued to live in Québec, and to serve the diocese from his home there. It remained the responsibility of the diocese to do its best to provide for this leadership so that his leadership and service could feed the faithful of the diocese.

Bishop Irénée (Rochon) of Québec City

Vladyka Irénée began immediately to develop various communities both in the Province of Québec and in the Maritime Provinces, in addition to his visitations to parishes in other parts of the country. His work bore fruit quickly.

Transfer of the diocesan office to Ottawa, 2009

It was at this time, in 2009, that a decision was taken by the Archdiocesan Council to move the office from the Archdiocesan Centre, Fair Haven, into the city of Ottawa, and into the new facilities of the Annunciation-Saint Nicholas Cathedral. Soon after all this was achieved, the house that is next-door to the Cathedral was offered for sale, and it was an obvious requirement that the opportunity be seized. This act enabled the move of the office, once again, into the new house in Ottawa.

On 11 July, 2009, Archpriest Dennis Pihach (chancellor of the archdiocese) was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name of Alexander. He was elevated to the dignity of igumen.

Igumen Alexander (Pihach)

On 1 September, 2009, Igumen Alexander (Pihach) was assigned to serve as the Interim Dean of Annunciation to the Theotokos Cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario. At the same time, he remained in his responsibility as rector of Saint Herman’s Sobor in Edmonton, Alberta. As a result, he divided his time between the 2 communities.

In Ottawa, he lived in an apartment at the cathedral, and he was able to develop the operation of the office there as well. This arrangement continued until 2011.

These decisions reflected an opinion which prevailed, that since the cathedral itself had, since 2005, moved into a very much larger and accommodating structure, and since this move had given both the cathedral and the archdiocese a “face” in Ottawa, it was appropriate to move the archdiocesan office into a visible, yet still independent, proximity.

This move did have its advantages for the archdiocese. The archbishop himself, however, was now in a position of having once again to commute frequently to Ottawa from his residence. Instead of doing so in order to give pastoral care to the cathedral parish as was done until after 1990, it was now for the sake of the office-work also.

With the move, there had been a suggestion that the archbishop might move to Ottawa as well. However, this was not very practical, mainly because the purchased house could serve very well as an office, but it was not big enough to serve as a residence as well (because rather more than his personal belongings were involved). The new house absorbed not only the office itself from the Archdiocesan Centre (with its files and records), but also the archives. After the move of the office, the many boxes of archival documents, files, records, photos and books that make up the Saint Arseny Archives occupied the whole basement of that new house.

New archdiocesan office site in Ottawa

Retirement of Olga Jurgens and Helene Culhane, 2009

In the midst of all the changes which were taking place, Olga Jurgens and Helene Culhane came to understand that this was an opportune moment for them to retire from their voluntary office-support that had continued for 25 years.

It was impossible for the archbishop adequately or accurately to express gratitude to them for their labour of love for the archdiocese, a labour which had borne much fruit. Of course, they remained available to be consulted about various matters ; but they were now able to rest.

Uncertainty about the subsequent purpose of Fair Haven

The relationship between the archdiocesan administration and the Fair Haven property had little opportunity to be thought-through thoroughly or to be given a more systematic consideration. The exception to this had been the period in which the Metamorphosis Project was active. However, when this project was deflated by exterior circumstances, that vehicle for considering these matters was removed.

The problem was not lack of good intentions, but rather the lack of clear leadership, lack of a plan, and the activity of confusing exterior influences. Yet another of these factors seems to be that, during the same period, attention was being given over to the risk that the ruling bishop could possibly become the next metropolitan. He did not desire this at all, despite the interest in it being shown by some people. Regardless, the questions continued to increase about what was truly the relationship between the archdiocesan administration and Fair Haven. Strong personalities and differing opinions were involved (as is usual in Church life).

What was the spiritual and physical value and purpose of the property ? The fact that it had been the primary residence for the ruling bishop was not always taken as a priority in conversations about the property ; nor were people recalling the original considerations which had brought about the purchase of this property, Fair Haven.

Opinions were expressed that the bishop might live elsewhere, perhaps in the house in Ottawa. Had there already been a considered and accepted plan and policy, then it is likely there would not have arisen confusion, mixed opinions, and general lack of a sense of direction (since the moving of the office). However, despite the contribution of Denis Lessard previously, and the visionary contributions of Dr. John Hadjinicolaou, serious reflection about the situation and about the real potential of the Fair Haven property does not seem to have been taken up. For various reasons, people seemed simply to have come to the conclusion that the property was a liability rather than an asset. The ruling bishop at the time felt that mistakes similar to previous mistaken decisions were made.

Fair Haven Goats

Nevertheless, during the last years of the existence of Fair Haven, certain difficulties had arisen. There had been a significant problem in the main house with the large room adjacent to the kitchen. This occurred because of a roofing leak, which resulted in some mould. Much of the room had to be taken apart, and this was done. Then a local person contributed his expertise (with financial aid from local parishioners of the Saint Silouan Chapel). The leak was stopped, and new wood and shingles replaced the damaged ones. The previous old wood-burning stove came to the end of its service ; and in 2010, there was purchased and installed a new and very efficient wood-burning cooking-stove. In 2012, a difficulty concerning the small house arose in particular because the near-neighbour’s disposition had changed negatively towards the monks. He complained about the septic system of the Saint Arseny house to the Health Department. The result was an order to replace the system, and this produced discussion of alternative possibilities regarding the house (although the required change was completed).

Monastery of Saint Silouan the Athonite, 2012

At the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in 2012, the 4 resident monastics decided that it was time for there to be a true monastery on the site. The “Monastery of Saint Silouan the Athonite” was thus formally incorporated on 13 March, 2013. The monastery's resident members consisted of the retired Archbishop Seraphim (Storheim), Igumen David (Edwards), Igumen Luke (Majoros), and Schemamonk-Reader Father Seraphim (Black).

The Refuge and the Chapel of Saint Silouan

In addition to having been the site of the Archdiocesan Office from the beginning, the property served as a refuge of sorts. Most persons who spent any time at Fair Haven commented that the time spent there enabled some healing to occur, at least interiorly. This serving as a refuge and place of healing had very much to do with the presence of the Chapel of Saint Silouan, which was the focus of the main building.

However, the sort of healing that occurred in this place is interior and spiritual, and it is something that takes a longer time in most cases. It is not that there was any so-called “therapy” applied. There was not. Rather, it is that the Lord brings this about through the person’s encounter with Him, and through the inter-personal exchanges that occurred in daily life and prayer with the other persons present.

Certain persons spent time at Fair Haven while passing through immigration processes ; then they went on to serve in the diocese and/or elsewhere. Certain persons spent periods of time at Fair Haven on a needed extended retreat. Certain persons spent a period of time at Fair Haven because of having suffered a personal catastrophe, and having nowhere else to go at the time. In fact, there are many other reasons why people stayed sometimes at Fair Haven. God knows, and He guided people to go there. All who spent time there contributed to the maintenance and cleanliness of the facilities through their prayer, and through their voluntary work in accordance with their skills and gifts.

The Chapel of Saint Silouan served various purposes from the time of its establishment, even in the early days, when it existed only on paper and in the dining-room of the house. It was a focus of local prayer. It was a place to which Orthodox living in the nearby regions could come for sacramental nourishment. Until the changes came about that allowed for a different and more logical practice, it served also as the Altar to which the clergy who had no particular parish assignment or responsibility for a time were attached ; those who were on medical or study leaves for periods of time ; the clergy of the Monastic Community of Saint Silouan (and its predecessor, the Missionary Brotherhood of Saint Silouan the Athonite). Several monks were even tonsured to the monastic habit at that provisional Holy Table. Amongst the monks was occasionally heard the comment : “I was tonsured at the bishop’s dining table”. This was from the time before the building of the distinct chapel-building. When the 2 female monks Dorofea and Sophia came to live at the Centre, daily prayer-services became a more regular and predictable feature of life there. Their particular personalities attracted the attention of many others who needed someone to turn to on certain occasions.

Saint Silouan Monastery's Igumen Luke (Majoros), Igumen David (Edwards), Monk Seraphim (Black), and some attending parishioners

The refectory at Saint Silouan Monastery

Renovation that added a new lavatory

During the times when there was no priest resident, the bishop, when he was at home, would customarily serve the Divine Liturgy of a Saturday morning ; and those who were in the household and those who were nearby and available would attend. Sometimes the attendance would be meagre, sometimes numerous. Afterwards, food would be communally taken in the refectory. When someone resident was available to cook, this person would provide the foundation for the common meal. Otherwise, those who arrived would bring food, and it was shared.

During the course of all those years, there were Orthodox persons who lived in the northern part of New York State who would participate regularly and frequently in the services at the chapel. The cities of Ogensburg, Canton and Potsdam are all less than an hour’s drive from the chapel.

In time, there grew up a desire by these persons to try to develop a mission in the university area focussed on Potsdam. There were and are many students and staff both in Potsdam and in Canton who do not have a passport, or who do not qualify for a visa to enter Canada. For those New York residents, the nearest possible place for them to get to an Orthodox Church (besides Saint Silouan’s Chapel) was at least 120 kilometres (74.5 mi) distant. For some, it was closer to 200 kilometres (124 mi). Therefore, sometimes there were services offered in New York State by a priest from the community.

When Igumen David (Edwards) was, with the blessing, able to take up residence at Fair Haven, he was asked, and he agreed to begin making regular visits to Potsdam in order to serve the Divine Liturgy. These twice-monthly visits enabled considerable progress towards the formal establishment of a mission in Potsdam, within the Diocese of New York and New Jersey ; and then with the support of its Mission Department. The regularity was beneficial.

Not long afterwards, Igumen Luke (Majoros) also arrived, with the blessing, to stay at Fair Haven. With his arrival came the possibility for predictable, weekly serving of the Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of Saint Silouan, on an every-Sunday basis. Once again, week-day Divine Liturgies were offered on feast-days several times a month. These services were attended also by some Greek-speaking persons in the region when there was no service available in their own parish. That Father Luke was capable of communicating in several languages proved to be an immense pastoral benefit in the region. It was noticeable that once regular services became known-about, the number of people appearing and supporting increased steadily.

For a time, a reader-monk lived at Fair Haven. Despite his very poor health, he provided a foundational focus for daily prayer life and monastic environment for the bishop and others besides. A daily rhythm of services was established which was possible for the monks living at Fair Haven to manage. This rhythm, which was focussed on the life of the monks, also involved and affected the other residents of this property. These daily services began with Vespers at 4:00 p.m., and concluded between 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. On festal eves and Saturday evenings, only Vespers was served at 6:00 p.m. Besides these, there were other services offered in the chapel by one or another of the monks, within the context of their own monastic rhythm, and in the context of their health. On some greater feasts there could be offered a night-vigil by some of the monks. It is useful to keep in mind that daily, the monks spent time in the chapel and in the cells praying for the diocese and its clergy, and also for the many persons whose names were being given with requests for prayers.

At the time of the closure of the monastery, there were resident 4 tonsured monks : a bishop, 2 igumens, and a reader-monk. Resident also were 3 lay-men, who either worked or lived on a pension. In addition to their contributions to the domestic economy, some made regular or sporadic identifiable financial donations to the Archdiocese. They all contributed to the maintenance of the existing structures as their personal talents allowed. For a time, there was resident also a nun who did “yeoman’s work” of cleaning in the kitchen area of the main house. In later times, the monks managed to organise a separate bank-account in the name of the brotherhood, which became called the Hermitage (or the Skete) of Saint Silouan the Athonite. There began also the initial interior conversation about establishing this hermitage on the basis of some sort of corporation and eventual relationship with the CRA (Revenue Canada). Those who were resident at Fair Haven were ready and willing to try to take up as far as is feasible the responsibility of bearing the costs of the operation and maintenance of the property ; and they were ready to discuss this with the appropriate persons at an appropriate time. However, that conversation was never taken up by the authorities.

Many years ago, in 1997, Denis Lessard wrote a full report to the Diocesan Council about the possible use of the land and buildings of Fair Haven. At that time he was serving as a Québec representative on the Diocesan Council. In his report, he had suggested that the facilities could provide a refuge for some persons, and that it could possibly be developed also as a place of retirement for some clergy. It was a visible need that was never fulfilled. There was a brief article by Denis in the winter 1997-1998 issue of the "Canadian Orthodox Messenger". A year before this report, Michael W-Krieger of Montréal had made a presentation to the Diocesan Council about the needs of the more senior clergy. Although nothing was ever clearly decided about pursuing the recommendations and suggestions of this report, nevertheless some of these came about providentially anyway. Nevertheless, after that time, some retired monks and priest-monks were resident for some periods of time.

Conclusions, 2015-2017

The property, including both the land and the buildings, represented an excellent long-term investment on the part of the Archdiocese of Canada, and these assets did have a great future potential. This investment had not only to do with fiscal value.

Despite theories regarding any potential sale of the properties, the economic climate was not at all propitious for selling. The Archdiocese of Canada did sell the property, but only after a long wait, and after a substantial fiscal loss. Indeed, it seems that most of those who discussed the property had little or no direct experience and relationship with these properties.

In 2015, the situation of the monks began to change because of external circumstances and because of health concerns. The bishop who had been resident since 1988 had to move away. By this time, the health of the resident monks had begun noticeably to weaken. It became much more difficult to maintain the property.

It was on 21 August, 2015, that Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) appointed Igumen David (Edwards) to be the first (and only) abbot of the monastery. He fulfilled this responsibility until his retirement on 1 February, 2017. During this time, attempts continued regarding refining the recognition of the monastery by the CRA ; and various attempts were made to improve the conditions in the facilities. However, the health concerns of the monks continued to increase and to make impossible the longer-term survival of the monastic community.

Archimandrite David (Edwards)

In due course, through a decision of the Archdiocesan Council, it was decided that the property would not and could not any longer be maintained, and that it would be necessary to sell. Thus, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) closed the monastery. The monks moved away to several different places, and the property was sold by the Archdiocesan Council.

Spring flowers

Trilliums near the kitchen

Saint Silouan Icon at parking entrance

Saint Silouan Monastery main door Spring, 2014

References

Saint Arseny Archives

The brochure from about 2004 by Dr. John Hadjinicolaou.

Chapel of Saint Silouan the Athonite in Johnstown, Ontario, 1992-2016

The Monastery of Saint Silouan the Athonite in Johnstown, Ontario, 1990-2016

‘The Metamorphosis Project for the Bishop’s Residence and Archdiocesan Centre “Fair Haven”’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Spring, 1992), pp. 7-8.

‘Metamorphosis of Bishop’s Residence a “Small Miracle”’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 1994), pp. 1-3.

Additional information :

Archdiocese of Canada — Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).

“Canadian Orthodox Messenger”

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.

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in Canada

Saint Silouan the Athonite

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor)

Metropolitan Herman (Swaiko)

Metropolitan Jonah (Pauffhausen)

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard)

Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns)

Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

Archpriest Cyprian R A Hutcheon