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Vladyka Seraphim: /* Repose, 1953 */

2022-03-14T16:25:21Z

Repose, 1953

New page

'''Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) (1869-1953)'''

Antoniy may be spelt Anthony, Antonios, Antonii.

==Early life of Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev==

On 13 August, 1869, Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev was born in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogilev Mogilev], in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogilev_Governorate Mogilev Governorate] of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Empire Russian Empire]. This city and region are now part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus Byelorus (Belarus)].

After graduating from the city school, he was sent to a technical school, from which he graduated in 1886.

In 1886, Andrei Alexandrovich was admitted to the [https://www.rw.by/en/corporate/structure/mogilev_division/ Mogilev district] of [https://www.rw.by/en/ Byelorusian Railways], where he worked in various positions.

==Marriage==

At some time (likely during the period of his work in the Mogilev region), Andrei Alexandrovich was married. However, there is at present no detailed information available about this.

==Higher education==

In 1914, while he was in the civil service, he entered and took courses in the [https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP&refd=www.bing.com&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fru.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2f%25D0%2590%25D0%25BD%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%28%25D0%2592%25D0%25B0%25D1%2581%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BB%25D1%258C%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B2%29 Moscow Archaeological Institute] in [https://www.britannica.com/place/Moscow Moscow]. When he graduated from the Institute, he defended a thesis about [http://factsanddetails.com/russia/Arts_Culture_Media_and_Sports/sub9_4a/entry-5038.html Russian Ecclesiastical Art]. By this time, he was about 40 years old.

==Exile, 1920==

In 1920, Andrei Alexandrovich went into exile, and he emigrated with his family to [https://www.britannica.com/place/Bulgaria Bulgaria].

Soon afterwards, he and his family moved to [https://www.britannica.com/place/France France]. The majority of people who moved to France in their exile settled in [https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris Paris].

==Bereavement, 1935==

In 1935, in France, the wife of Andrei Alexandrovich fell asleep in the Lord.

==Move to Canada, 1936==

In 1936, Andrei Alexandrovich emigrated to [https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada Canada], where he settled in [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/toronto?gclid=CjwKCAiAqJn9BRB0EiwAJ1SztZCICVK4UtAwpzoTH9yNdlldMlEQhtpxc2XFMvzyAorUPcDM3BazmxoCHj8QAvD_BwE Toronto], [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ontario Ontario].

==Monastic tonsure, 1936==

In 1936, Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev was [https://orthochristian.com/101607.html tonsured] to be a [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Monk monk] at [[Toronto ON Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox Sobor 1915 |Christ the Saviour Church]] in Toronto. He was given the name Antoniy.

==Ordinations, 1936==

In 1936, the Monk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was ordained to the Holy [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Deacon Diaconate] and then to the Holy [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Presbyter Priesthood] in Toronto, Ontario. It is likely that he was ordained by [[Saint Arseny (Chahovtsov) |Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov)]].

==Pastoral service==

In 1936, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieromonk Hieromonk] Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to serve in Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox parish in Toronto, Ontario.

[[File:Glen Morris Building 2 .jpg]] '''Christ the Saviour Temple, Toronto'''

In 1938, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred by [[Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) |Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov)]] to [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vancouver?gclid=CjwKCAiAqJn9BRB0EiwAJ1SztYa-9v9iQkdm8jvMgNiY5fTZARwzQMCw6yg25IW7QAyF0MRCXqFEmxoCrv4QAvD_BwE Vancouver], [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia British Columbia], where he was assigned to serve as the rector of the [[Vancouver BC Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor 1924 |Holy Resurrection Temple]].

[[File:Holy Resurrection Church Vancouver 1924 1.jpg]] '''Holy Resurrection Temple, Vancouver'''

In 1940, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred by Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) to [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/windsor-ont Windsor], Ontario, where he was assigned to serve as the rector of the [[Windsor ON Saint John the Divine Orthodox Church 1914 |parish of Saint John the Divine]].

[[File:St John Reconstruction and repairS.jpg]] '''Saint John the Divine Temple, Windsor'''

In 1940, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was elevated to the dignity of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Igumen Igumen].

==Transfer to USA, 1941==

On 3 December, 1941, [[Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]] of all America and Canada assigned Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) to serve as rector of the [https://www.oca.org/parishes/oca-wp-stuhxc Transfiguration parish] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steubenville,_Ohio Stubenville], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio Ohio].

However, Igumen Antoniy was not soon able to take up this assignment, because it took a long time to receive a visa to enter and serve in the [https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States USA].

He therefore remained in Windsor until 1943.

==Move to the Russian Exarchate, 1944==

In July, 1944, Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) was reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church through the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Exarchate_of_North_America Russian Exarchate of North America], which at that time was led by [[Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]].

Apparently, it is not known at this time precisely why Igumen Antoniy took this decision, and the reason for his decision has not been stated. However, at that time, there were many and various opinions about the relationship between the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church_in_America Orthodox Church in North America] and the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Russia Moscow Patriarchate], which was still subsisting under the regulations of the government of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] (USSR).

From 18 July until November, 1947, [https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP_ct&dl=en&rr=HE&a=https%3a%2f%2fru.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2f%25D0%2593%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B3%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%28%25D0%25A7%25D1%2583%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%29 Metropolitan Grigory (Chukov)] of [https://www.britannica.com/place/St-Petersburg-Russia Leningrad] was in the USA as the authorised representative of [[Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky)]]. (Metropolitan Grigoriy had already been in Paris, France, on a similar mission following the repose of [[Metropolitan Evlogiy (Georgievsky)]].) Metropolitan Grigoriy had been sent with the purpose to discuss with [[Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]] "conditions for reunification of his orientation" with the [https://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Russia Russian Orthodox Church]. This attempted conversation was in part in the wake of the decisions of the [https://www.oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor 7th All-American Sobor of 1946] in Cleveland, Ohio.

It is to be kept in mind that, as [https://www.oca.org/history-archives/contact-archivist A P Liberovsky] wrote : "At the Seventh Sobor, the Metropolia’s pain in her estrangement from the Church of Russia and her ardent wish to see this division healed were clearly evident. However, the North American Church also expressed a vision to continue her unencumbered development as charted by previous councils and foreseen by the early [http://orthodoxcanada.ca/The_%E2%80%9CRussian_Mission%E2%80%9D_in_North_America North American missionaries]". This correct statement refers to the labours of many missionaries, and in particular to the life and work of [[Saint Tikhon (Belavin)]] from the time when he served as a missionary bishop in North America.

In the context of complexities (which involved sensitivity regarding the level of influence of the government of the USSR in the process), Metropolitan Grigoriy failed to obtain a personal meeting with Metropolitan Theophilus, and he rejected the proposed project of Metropolitan Theophilus and of the "Metropolia" (the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America and Canada) for the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Autonomy autonomy] of the North American Church.

It seems that the decisions taken in Moscow with regard to Father Antoniy were in some manner related to the aim of the visit of Metropolitan Grigoriy (Chukov) to the USA. There is not at this time information on the internet which might confirm that Metropolitan Grigory led the episcopal ordination.

==Bishop of Montreal and Canada (MP), 1947==

On 5 November, 1947, according to the decree of [[Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky)]], Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) was elevated to the dignity of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Archimandrite archimandrite].

He was then ordained to the Holy [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Episcopate Episcopate].

By his time, he was nearly 80 years of age.

==Episcopal service ==

On 5 November, 1947, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to serve as Bishop of [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/montreal?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-rj9BRCAARIsANB_4AC9X5qIMtp1NQDzvDyMnoLLzcChP9oZB3Nyvb1eieYI4_tPYtHQR_caAscLEALw_wcB Montréal] and Canada ([https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Orthodox_Church_in_Canada Moscow Patriarchate]).

However, at that time, there was no parish in Montréal that belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate (although there were some parishes in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Canada Western Canada].

Moreover, in September, 1947, the newly-ordained Bishop of Montréal (of the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church_in_America Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America]), [[Bishop Anthony (Tereshchenko)]] had suddenly and unexpectedly reposed in Christ in Montréal, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec Québec].

==Bishop of San Francisco and California (MP), 1947==

Later in 1947, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred, and he was assigned to serve as the Bishop of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco San Francisco] and the Diocese of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California California] ([https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Orthodox_Church_in_the_USA Moscow Patriarchate]).

[[File:Saint Nicholas Cathedral San Francisco 1.jpg]] '''Saint Nicholas Cathedral, San Francisco'''

After a time, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) seems to have developed a desire to return to his homeland.

Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) applied for a move to the USSR. The petition was granted.

==Transfer to the USSR, 1952==

On 4 June, 1952, Bishop Antoniy arrived in [https://www.britannica.com/place/Moscow Moscow], and he was received by Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky).

==Retirement, 1952==

On 24 June, 1952, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was retired.

At first he served various Temples in Moscow.

On 18 July, 1952, on the Feast-day of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Sergius_of_Radonezh Saint Sergius of Radonezh], he visited the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Holy_Trinity-St._Sergius_Lavra Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra].

Soon afterwards, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to live in [https://www.britannica.com/place/Odessa-Ukraine Odessa], [https://www.britannica.com/place/Ukraine Ukraine], in the [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%25D0%25A3%25D1%2581%25D0%25BF%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BD%25D1%2581%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%25D0%25BC%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%25D1%2581%25D1%2582%25D1%258B%25D1%2580%25D1%258C_(%25D0%259E%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D1%2581%25D1%2581%25D0%25B0)&prev=search&pto=aue Holy Dormition Monastery].

[[File:Holy Dormition Monastery, Odessa, Ukraine 2.png]] '''Holy Dormition Monastery, Odessa'''

There, where he peacefully spent the days of his life, he prayed ; he read, and he attended services in the Odessa Temples and at the [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%25D0%259E%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D1%2581%25D1%2581%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B0%25D1%258F_%25D0%25B4%25D1%2583%25D1%2585%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%25D1%258F_%25D1%2581%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BC%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D1%258F&prev=search&pto=aue Odessa Theological Seminary], where he loved to talk with both mentors and students.

==Repose, 1953==

On 18 December, 1953, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) fell asleep in the Lord in Odessa, Ukraine.

On 19 December, 1953, a [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Memorial_Services Panikhida] (Memorial Service) was served at the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Dormition Holy Dormition] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katholikon Catholicon] of the monastery.

On 20 December, 1952, the Memorial [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Divine_Liturgy Divine Liturgy] was served in the Holy Dormition Catholicon of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa, followed by the [http://www.archbishop-of-ottawa.org/content/burial-services-over-presbyter-or-over-bishop Funeral Service for the Burial of a Hierarch].

After the conclusion of the funeral, the body of Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was interred in the cemetery of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa.

[[File:Holy Dormition Catholicon Odessa Dormition Monastery 1.jpg]] '''Holy Dormition Monastery Catholicon, Odessa'''

[[File:Odessa Holy Dormition Cemetery 3.jpg]] '''Holy Dormition Monastery Cemetery, Odessa'''

— Bishop of Montreal and Canada 1947. Preceded by : See created. Succeeded by : See dissolved.

— Bishop of San Francisco and California 1947-1952. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by : ____.

— Former Bishop of San Francisco 1952-1953.

==Reflections==

Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) served in the Orthodox Christian Church in North America during a particularly confusing and tumultuous period of time in North America.

After arriving in Canada both in exile and in mourning, he had accepted the obedience to serve in the Church in North America as a hieromonk (priest-monk). It must be remembered that he was not a young man.

The environment in which he had to serve in Canada and in the USA was one of confusion and suffering : first, as a consequence of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution 1917 Bolshevik Revolution] ; second, because he arrived in the midst of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution Great Depression]. Although this environment existed also in France, where he had lived for a long time, the situation in North America affected him more directly, since he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and to the Holy Priesthood soon after his arrival in Canada. In addition to the tensions amongst the groups of Orthodox Christians with the development of nationalistic dioceses in North America, there were also both ecclesiastical and political tensions amongst the refugees who had fled the Russian Empire at the time of the revolution. There were also international political tensions with regard to the Soviet Union, which were intensified from 1939 with the beginning of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II World War II]. These tensions affected him directly when he was assigned to the USA and he was then for a long time not given a visa to cross the border from Canada to the USA.

Vladyka Antoniy's life was mainly concerned with trying to serve the Lord and with striving to do God's will. There were good fruits that arose from his pastoral labours (which he had accepted in obedience at an advanced age), and people responded with love to the love which he conveyed in Christ.

==References==

[https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP&refd=www.bing.com&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fru.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2f%25D0%2590%25D0%25BD%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%28%25D0%2592%25D0%25B0%25D1%2581%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BB%25D1%258C%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B2%29 Russian Wikipedia biography]

[https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP&refd=www.bing.com&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fdrevo-info.ru%2farticles%2f18585.html Drevo Open Orthodox Encyclpaedia biography]

[http://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP_ct&dl=en&rr=DC&a=http%3a%2f%2fzarubezhje.narod.ru%2fav%2fa_051.htm Russian Religious Leaders Abroad : Bishop Antony (Vasiliev)]

'''Additional information :'''

Krivovoy, N A, ed., “[https://www.amazon.com/Commissars-patriarkha-pravoslavnoy-komissarov-Publikatsii/dp/5824312591 Letters of Patriarch Alexius I to the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council of the People’s Comissars – the Council of Ministers of the USSR 1945-1970]” (Moscow : Russian Political Encyclopedia, 2009). ISBN 10 : 5824312591 ; ISBN 13 : 978-5824312591. (In Russian : “Pisma patriarkha Alexiya I v Sovet po delam Russkoy pravoslavnoy tserkvi pri Sovete narodnykh komissarov Sovete ministrov USSR 1945-1970”)

Kuznetsov, V A, Biographical reference in "Russian Orthodox Foreign Monasticism in the 20th Century" (Ekaterinburg, Russia : Barracuda, 2014).

[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://statearchive.ru/assets/files/Pisma_patriarha_2/titul.pdf&prev=search&pto=aue Lavinskaya, O V & Lyashenko, K G, associate compilers of “Letters of Patriarch Alexius I to the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council of the People’s Comissars – the Council of Ministers of the USSR 1945-1970”]

(Lemeshevsky), Metropolitan Manuel, “[https://www.amazon.com/Mitropolit-Lemeshevskij-pravoslavnye-Metropolitan-Lemeshevsky/dp/B071HNCDRG Russian Orthodox Hierarchs 1893-1965]”, 6 vols. (Moscow : Sretensky Monastery, 2002-2004). ASIN : B071HNCDRG.

[http://ahilla.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Pisma-patriarha-Aleksiya-I-v-Sovet-po-delam-Russkoj-pravoslavnoj-tserkvi.-1945-1970-gg.-Tom-2.-1954-.pdf Orlova, Yu G, ‘Letters 1954-1970’ in “Russian Political Encyclopedia”]

Pospielovsky, Dmitry Vladimirovich, “The Russian Church Under the Soviet Regime 1917-1982”, 2 volumes (Crestwood, NY : Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1984), vol. 1. ISBN : 0-88141-015-2.

Radkovsky, Priest N, 'Celebration in the Monastery of Saint Sergius' in "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate", no. 8 (1952), p. 6.

Tsypin, Archpriest Vladislav, “History of the Russian Church 1917-1997” (Moscow : Valaam Monastery, 1997).

'Chronicle of Church Life' in "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate", no. 2 (February, 1954).

“Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” (JMP), no. 1 (1948), pp. 15-17, 9-24, 11 ; no. 8 (1952), pp. 22, 61-63 ; no. 2 (1954), p. 19.

[https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP&refd=www.bing.com&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fdic.academic.ru%2fdic.nsf%2fruwiki%2f1730288 Biographical reference in "Academics", Russian Academic Dictionary]

[http://statearchive.ru/ State Archives of the Russian Federation : History of Russia 19th-21st Centuries]

[http://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=ru&to=en&ref=SERP_ct&dl=en&rr=HE&a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.holyres.org%2f%3fpage_id%3d58%23Antony List of Clergy on the web-site of Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver, British Columbia]

[[Saint Tikhon (Belavin) |Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin)]]

[[Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky)]]

[[Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]

[[Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]

[[Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]]

[[Saint Arseny (Chahovtsov) |Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov)]]

[[Archbishop Joasaph (Skorodumov)]]

[[Toronto ON Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox Sobor 1915 |Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox Sobor in Toronto, Ontario]]

[[Windsor ON Saint John the Divine Orthodox Church 1914 |Saint John the Divine Orthodox Church in Windsor, Ontario]]

[[Vancouver BC Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor 1924 |Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor in Vancouver, British Columbia]]

[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%25D0%25A3%25D1%2581%25D0%25BF%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BD%25D1%2581%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%25D0%25BC%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%25D1%2581%25D1%2582%25D1%258B%25D1%2580%25D1%258C_(%25D0%259E%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D1%2581%25D1%2581%25D0%25B0)&prev=search&pto=aue Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa, Ukraine]

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Orthodox_Church_in_Canada Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Patriarchal Parishes in Canada]

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Orthodox_Church_in_the_USA Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Russia Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Russia]

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church_in_America Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America]

Please send your suggestions, additions, corrections or contributions to this address :

info@orthodoxcanada.ca

[[Category:Bishops]] [[Category:MP]] [[Category:ROGCCNA]] [[Category:ADOCA]]

Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) - Revision history

Vladyka Seraphim at 23:09, 2 July 2024

Vladyka Seraphim: /* Repose, 1953 */