Mitred Archpriest John and Matushka Maria Diachina

Mitred Archpriest John Diachina (1904-1976)

and

Matushka Maria Simeonovna Diachina (born Ivanoff) (1910-1995)

— from the article by Larisa Myers (his daughter), in a column 'Remembering our Recent Past', from the "Canadian Orthodox Messenger", Summer, 1993 (edited).

John may be spelt Ioann, Ivan.

Early life of John Diachina

In 1904, Ivan (John) Markovich Diachina was born to Mark and Dominica Diachina in the Kremenets Uyezd, in Volyn (Volhynia), in the Russian Empire. At other times, this region belonged to Poland.

Ivan Markovich was the youngest of 3 children. He and the others were raised as Orthodox Christians in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church, and even as a young boy he was interested and involved in the services and the life of the Church. By the time he was 7 years old, he was singing in the choir. In his youth, Ivan Markovich became a proficient church reader, who was often called upon to take part in the services.

Emigration to Canada, 1927

As a young man, Ivan Markovich was in the reserve army. Fearing that war was imminent, and that he would be called to duty, he decided to emigrate to Canada. Ivan did not wish to be forced to take up arms against another human being.

In 1927, Ivan and his cousin Leonty arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His first job was working for a railway in Fort William, in Ontario. Fort William is now a part of Thunder Bay. When the Diachina cousins had made enough money, they returned to Winnipeg, and they sought out the local parish of the Russian Orthodox Church. This was Holy Trinity Cathedral in North Winnipeg.

Theological education

It was Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) who suggested to the young John (Ivan) that he be ordained, since priests were badly needed in that part of Canada. Because he had always loved the Church, he agreed to train for the Holy Priesthood. This training began at the Monastery of the Holy Ascension in Sifton, Manitoba.

At that time, the Holy Ascension Monastery also served as a pastoral school for training clergy and readers. The hieromonks and students served in rural and village churches nearby, up to a distance of 100 km (62 mi) from the monastery. In those years, and for many decades afterwards, there were strong family connexions between parishioners in north-eastern Saskatchewan (not far from Sifton) and those in south-western Saskatchewan.

Early life of Maria Simeonovna Ivanoff

In 1910, Maria Simeonovna Ivanoff, was born to the Archpriest Simeon Ivanoff and his wife. Father Simeon lived and served in the village of Kayville, Saskatchewan. Kayville is south of Moose Jaw. In fact, Father Simeon reposed in the Lord in Kayville, and his grave and that of his wife are at Holy Trinity Church, Kayville.

Marriage, 1929

In 1929, John (Ivan) Markovich Diachina met Maria Simeonovna Ivanoff, and later that year they were married in Kayville, Saskatchewan. They received from the Lord 2 daughters, Pauline and Larisa.

Ordinations, 1929

Later in 1929, John (Ivan) Markovich Diachina was ordained by Bishop Arseny to the Holy Diaconate and then to the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service

During his long years of service, Father John served in many places, for shorter or longer periods. He began in Gardenton, Manitoba (1929-1933). Then he served in Holy Trinity Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (1933-1935), in Saints Peter and Paul’s Church in Saint Walburg, Saskatchewan (1935-1936), and in Holy Trinity Church in Kayville, Saskatchewan (1937-1941).

By this time, following the retirement of Vladyka Arseny, the pastoral school at Sifton had closed, since it had depended directly on the person of the bishop in order to function properly (he had been transferred to the USA in 1936).

Finally, Father John was assigned to serve as the rector of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, in 1941. He arrived there on 9 March, 1941.

When he arrived, Father John found that he was inheriting a community that had endured a period of instability since 1936, when the priest of that time, the Archpriest Alexander Pyza was transferred away to Detroit, USA. Subsequently, the parish was served by a succession of several priests and some of the parishioners moved away (they left the city for various reasons). The effects of the Great Depression were great, and World War II had caused further difficulties. The community was struggling to pay for the Temple on Glen Morris Avenue which had been bought in 1930.

Shortly after his arrival, Father John gathered the parishioners together. Despite the absence of many active members of the parish (because of war), he restored the sisterhood, the choir, the bazaar organisation, and the parish school. The life of the parish once again normalised.

Post-war immigration

In 1947, the first post-war Russian immigrants from Western Europe and from the Philippines (most having first fled from China) started arriving to Toronto and the Temple was filled with worshippers during every Sunday service. Indeed, the majority of Russian-speaking immigrants, who settled in Toronto at the end of the 1940s and beginning of the 1950s, passed through the doors of Christ the Saviour Cathedral. Many of those immigrants were able to come to Canada thanks to the efforts of Father John Diachina, and of Mr. Oleg V Rodomar-Vukotich.

Grand Duchess Olga

Also in 1947, the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, sister of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, arrived to Toronto. She and all the members of her family became devoted parishioners of this Temple. The Grand Duchess and her husband, Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky were constantly present at services, and they showed great care about the Temple’s decoration and the well-being of the parish. Therefore, the Grand Duchess herself created icons for the second level of the iconostas (Grand Duchess Olga was an able and competent artist). The Grand Duchess also donated a “shrine” for the Icon of the Mother of God which the parish had recently received.

Toronto as the diocesan seat (1952-1958

From 1952 until 1958, Bishop Nikon (de Grève) lived and served in Toronto as the Bishop of Toronto and the Archdiocese of Canada. From Toronto, Bishop Nikon made his pastoral visits to various parishes in Canada, and Father John assisted him in the administration of the archdiocese. At the end of 1958, Bishop Nikon was transferred away to Tokyo, the capital of the Empire of Japan. He was assigned to serve as the Archbishop of Tokyo and the Japanese Orthodox Church.

Required move from Glen Morris Avenue to Manning Avenue

Then, at the beginning of 1966, the government announced that it was going to expropriate several buildings and houses, including the building of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral on Glen Morris Avenue for the needs of the University of Toronto. Compensation was given for this action. Providentially, at this same time, the Anglican parish of Saint Cyprian, located at the corner of Manning and Follis Avenues, was being closed down. Thus, on 1 June, 1966, the parish of Christ the Saviour acquired a large Temple and an adjoining parish hall. Immediately, the repairs, the reconstruction, and the arrangement of the internal premises began. It is necessary to note the unusual level of help and sacrifice of both priest and parishioners, who worked hard and spared no effort and time. The Temple was sanctified on 30 October, 1966. At this same time, the parish hall adjoining the Temple was named in honour of the Grand Duchess Olga. Such was the respect and love for her personally by the parishioners.

Vladimir Handera wrote :

 Through the zealous efforts of Father John Diachina, Christ the Saviour parish moved from 
 4 Glen Morris Street to its present location at 823 Manning Avenue in the summer of 1966. 
 The first liturgy was celebrated on September 24, 1966. The parish has been one of the 
 original pavilions of Metro Caravan, receiving thousands of visitors who have become 
 familiar with the life of the Russian community in Toronto.

In 1967, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (predecessor of The Orthodox Church in America) awarded Father John with the mitre (an award given to priests primarily by the Russian Orthodox Church) because of his zealous work for the church.

Multi-ethnic Metro Caravan

From the beginning of "Metro Caravan" in 1969, and under the leadership of Father John, the parishioners began to participate in this multi-ethnic festival, which also benefitted the parish in fundraising. This festival continued for several decades afterwards, and the parishioners continued to be active participants.

Autocephaly, 1970

Then, in 1970, there arrived both a blessing and a disturbance. The “Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America” (the “Metropolia”) was given autocephaly (self-government) by the Russian Orthodox Church. The "Tomos" was given on 31 March, 1970, by Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky). (A "tomos" is a special decree.)

However, there were many parishioners who would not accept this new status and relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. This was because of the communist Soviet State in which the Russian Orthodox Church subsisted, and the fact the at the Metropolitan, the bishops and the whole Orthodox Church in America came into Eucharistic Communion with that Church. Thus, they left for the "Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia" (ROCOR), which at that time was in schism from the Moscow Patriarchate.

It is useful to understand that, during his service in Toronto, in effect, Father John worked double-time for the sake of enabling the development of the parish. He also had a small convenience-store business by which he supplemented his family’s income.

Father John Diachina loved music, particularly the music of the Church, and the liturgical choir was always dear to his heart. He attended the choir-practices faithfully, and he joined the members in their singing. He had a voice with a wide range, and he could sing tenor or bass according to the need at the time. Matushka Maria also sang in the choir for many years, as did their daughters, Pauline and Larisa.

Father John enjoyed living out his calling as a priest, a fact which was evident in his homilies and in his dealings with his parishioners. He had a good sense of humour, and he was always ready with a joke so as to put people at their ease.

Despite his advancing age, Father John periodically returned to Western Canada to participate in major parish and diocesan events.

Father John (centre lower) with Fathers E Moseychuk, M Andruchow, S Balevich in Sandy Lake, Manitoba, 1977

Father John (his arm, on the far right) with Father M Andruchow, Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk), Father V Ostashek

In his last years, when he felt that his health was deteriorating, Father John repeatedly asked to be relieved of his responsibility as pastor of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Toronto.

In November, 1975, Father John told Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) that he would stay until the mortgage of the Temple would be paid off (in October, 1976), and that he would then retire : “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace” (Luke 2:29). However, he did not live to see this come to pass.

Repose of Father John, 1976

On 17 January, 1976, the Mitred Archpriest John Diachina fell asleep in the Lord in Toronto.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Presbyter were offered at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario.

After the funeral services, Father John's body was transported to the York Cemetery, where it was interred.

Mitred Archpriest John Diachina

Repose of Matushka Maria, 1993

On Wednesday, 27 October, 1993, Matushka Maria Diachina fell asleep in the Lord in Toronto, Ontario.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person were offered at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, by the Priest Nicolas Boldireff.

After the services, her body was transported to the York Cemetery, where she was interred with her husband.

Matushka Maria Diachina

Many decades later, the memory and the good reputation of both Father John and Matushka Maria Diachina remain alive in the parish.

May their memory be eternal !

Grave-marker

Repose of Larisa Myers (born Diachina), 2015

On Monday, 1 June, 2015, Larisa Myers (born Diachina) fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly in Toronto, Ontario. She was the daughter of Father John and Matushka Maria. A teacher, she had sung in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral choir for many decades.

Larisa was predeceased by her parents, and by her sister Pauline Skrinnikov (born Diachina). She was mourned by Stan Myers, Tatiana Skrinnikov, and Janet Thomas, as well as her children Kathryn Ann and John Joseph.

On Thursday, 4 June, 2015, a Panikhida (Memorial Service) was served for her at the Jerrett Funeral Home Chapel.

On Friday, 5 June, 2015, the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was served for the newly-departed at the Jerrett Funeral Home Chapel.

Following the funeral obsequies, the body of Larisa Myers was interred at the York Cemetery.

Reflections

Father John Diachina has been described as one of the most remarkable priests in North America during his lifetime.

Vladimir Handera wrote :

 March 9, 1941 saw the arrival of Father John Diachina – a very personable, strong, loving man 
 who helped everyone, especially newcomers arriving from Europe suffering the scars of the world 
 war and of persecution in the Soviet Union because of their Orthodox Faith. Father Diachina 
 helped them get settled and find work. He was loved by all, and no one can ever forget Father 
 John coming to bless their home on the holy day of 'Jordan' – the feast of Christ's baptism in 
 the River Jordan.

During the years of his service, in continuity with his life’s experience, and motivated by a Christ-loving heart, Father John provided opportunities in Toronto for the training of several priests.

Father John served as a priest of the Canadian diocese for 47 years, and he did this quite often under very trying and difficult circumstances. He was a man of vision and devotion, always faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church, never wavering or compromising with the truths of the Orthodox Faith.

Matushka Maria could be called an ideal priest’s wife.

She was Father John's constant companion and helper. She often accompanied him on his pastoral duties, whether it was visiting parishioners, or helping him as a singer during a panikhida. She always took an active part in the life of the church, and she was a tireless worker in the sisterhood (women’s auxiliary).

Matushka Maria remained an active and visible participant in the life of the parish into her great old age, and she showed her loving care for others.