Igumen Vladimir (Tobin)

Igumen Vladimir (Tobin) (1942-2025)

Early life of Vincent McBain Tobin

On 22 May, 1942, Vincent McBain Tobin was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Michael John Tobin and Lena McBain Tobin (née Mosher). He was raised as a Christian by his Roman Catholic father, and his mother of Jewish heritage.

He passed through the usual years of primary and secondary education in Halifax.

Early in his life, Vincent demonstrated exceptional talent in learning languages and playing piano, and he received numerous scholarships and awards.

Higher education

In the course of his further studies, Vincent earned a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in Classics, and an MA (Master of Arts) in Patristics from Dalhousie University ; an MDiv (Master of Divinity) from the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax ; a doctorate in Old Testament and Egyptological studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Dr. Vincent Tobin served as a professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at Saint Mary's University from 1965 to 2005.

He introduced the Egyptology programme to Saint Mary's University in Halifax, and he was described as “one of the last great Egyptologists”. His book “Theological Principles of Egyptian Religion (1989)” is still taught at major universities worldwide.

By the time of his publishing this work, Vincent had added the name "Arieh" as a middle-name.

He was widely travelled, having lived and studied in Russia, Greece, France, and Israel.

During these years, after his receiving the Master of Divinity degree (MDiv), he was ordained as a deacon and then as a priest of the Anglican Church of Canada in the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

During this time, he came to know Father Ronald Parsons who, as he, eventually entered the Orthodox Christian Church through the parish of Saint Antonios in Halifax, a parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

Ordinations

Vincent Tobin was ordained to the Holy Diaconate, and then to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Antoun (Khouri) of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

Priest Vincent Tobin was attached to Saint Antonios Antiochian Orthodox Church in Halifax, along with Priest Ronald Francis John Parsons, under the rectorship of Priest Maximos Saikaly.

1996, 1999 : English mission development, Halifax

From 1996 onwards, Saint Vladimir’s Mission met at first in the Liturgical Centre of Saint Mary’s University.

Father Vincent had inherited the home of his parents, in which he lived for very many years. In this home, he continued to nurture the small and developing English-speaking Orthodox Christian community, and he fostered the development of a monastic community as well.

At this time, the mission and its priest were part of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, and the parish of Saint Antonios in Halifax, whose pastor was Priest Maximos Saikali.

In 1999, the community dissolved itself as an Antiochian entity.

In the context of the steady development of the local community in Halifax (after the dissolution as an Antiochian entity, and a later petition to the Archdiocese of Canada (Orthodox Church in America (OCA)), and after the necessary foundational steps of organisation had been fulfilled), it became possible that this local community be recognised formally.

Formal beginning of the Saint Vladimir Prince of Kyiv Mission, 1999

In the context of the steady development of the local community in Halifax (and after the necessary foundational steps of organisation had been fulfilled), it became possible that this local community be recognised formally. Therefore, in August, 1999, Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) of the Archdiocese of Canada gave the blessing that the community be known as the Saint Vladimir Prince of Kyiv Mission in Halifax, Nova Scotia within the Archdiocese of Canada (OCA).

Then, in late August, 1999, Priest Vincent Vladimir Tobin was canonically received from the Antiochian Archdiocese into the Archdiocese of Canada. Then he was assigned to be the pastor of the Saint Vladimir Mission.

Ancillary monastic beginnings

Nearby, a small monastic community developed from the parish.

In 2000, Monk Roman (Bonnel) purchased a house next to the local house-church of the Saint Vladimir Prince of Kyiv Mission in Halifax, where the germinal monastic community established itself in a visible place. The monastic chapel, which was also established there, was included within the limited space available at the time, and it was named for Saint Sergius of Radonezh. Although the community was established and blessed as a monastic community in 1999, it remained a part of the Saint Seraphim Skete and the French monastic brotherhood in Rawdon, Québec.

Later, the community moved to the chapel of the Monastic Community of Saint Sergius of Radonezh in its house in Halifax. Then the monastic community relocated to a rural setting near Bridgewater, and it became officially known as the Hermitage of the Holy Annunciation, formally blessed in 2003. This property is situated abut 5 km (3 mi) from New Germany, located in Lunenburg County, near Bridgewater. There, the existing house and barn were supplemented by the construction of the Chapel of Saint Sergius nearby, but detached. The monastery became known officially as the Hermitage of the Holy Annunciation.

Services in the parish hall of Saint George's Anglican Church in central Halifax

Meanwhile, the growing community moved to 5429, Cornwallis Street, into a ground-level portion of the church hall of Saint George’s Anglican “Round Church”. This historical building was constructed in 1812. The nearby parish hall is almost as old.

In 2004, the mission was blessed by Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) to be a parish church, with the name "Church of Saint Vladimir, Prince of Kyiv".

During these years of steady development, Father Vincent also made pastoral visits to Newfoundland (where many relatives reside), and he gathered Orthodox Christians from time to time for worship services. An eventual consequence was the development of the Our Lady of Vladimir Mission in Saint John’s, Newfoundland. However, after 8 years, on Cornwallis Street, the landlords (Saint George's parish) asked the parish to vacate the hall, because extensive building renovations were about to begin on the very old and historical structure.

There followed a search for new accommodations.

Monastic tonsure

In about 2008, at the request of Archbishop Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa and Canada, Priest Vincent-Vladimir Tobin was tonsured to be a stavrophore monk by Archimandrite Zacchaeus (Wood) at Saint Catherine in the Fields Orthodox Church in Moscow, Russia. At that time, he was given the monastic name Vladimir. Later, he was elevated to the dignity of igumen.

The Temple on Purcell's Cove Road, 2013

After a short time, there appeared a blessed opportunity to move into a former Anglican church, Saint Philip’s stone church on Purcell’s Cove Road. This move presented many challenges. Once very extended conversations had been completed, it became possible to begin the necessary renovations, and worship began.

The first Divine Liturgy was served in the renovated building on 17 February, 2013. Since then, the congregation continued to grow and develop.

On 17 January, 2016, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) made an archpastoral visitation to the parish. During this visit, on the Feast of Theophany (OS), 19 January, he ordained Pavlo Slavinskyi to be a Subdeacon ; and Deacon Alexander Treiger to the Holy Priesthood.

In May, 2016, Saint Vladimir's parish received an iconostas from the old Saint Antonios Antiochian Orthodox Temple in Halifax, along with many other liturgical implements and pieces of liturgical furniture. These were quickly installed at the Temple of Saint Vladimir, and they added greatly to the appearance and the functionality of the interior of the building. (Later, they were removed and replaced as the parish sought to improve and renovate the interior of the church with the help of Father Vladimir).

Father Vladimir was assisted in his service to the parish by Father Alexander Treiger. Following his ordination to the Holy Priesthood in 2016, in addition to his professorial work, he served the parish faithfully, including its missionary ventures. His assistance is greatly appreciated by all.

In January, 2017, Deacon Dr. Kurt E Jordan was transferred to Saint Aidan's Orthodox Church in Cranbrook, British Columbia. He had been attached at Saint Vladimir's Church for several years while he was completing his medical studies in Moncton, New Brunswick. In January, he joined a medical practice in Creston, British Columbia.

Father Vladimir preaching

Retirement of Igumen Vladimir (Tobin)

In 2019, Igumen Vladimir (Tobin), the founding priest of the parish came to the time of his retirement. For some time, he had already found it difficult (because of his declining health, and a surgery) to manage the long drive from his home in New Germany to Halifax. Furthermore, it had become very difficult to find enough reliable transportation for him to be driven to and from Halifax on a regular and predictable basis.

On 25 August, 2019, some of the parishioners who were able (this was summer-time) gathered to fete him after the Sunday Divine Liturgy. After this, Father Vladimir settled into his retirement at his home at New Germany, and he was able to serve in the domestic chapel which he had established in his home there.

Some parishioners at the 2019 retirement of Father Vladimir

Father Vladimir by the door to his domestic chapel

Father Vladimir in his domestic chapel

Repose

On Tuesday, 22 April, 2025, Igumen Vladimir (Tobin) fell asleep in the Lord in the South Shore Hospital at Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

On Tuesday, 29 April, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., at Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church, 1146 Purcell’s Cove Road, Halifax, the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Priest was offered by clergy of the Archdiocese of Canada, of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada. A reception followed.

On Wednesday, 30 April, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church, the Memorial Divine Liturgy was offered by the clergy of the Archdiocese of Canada, of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada.

Following the completion of the funeral obsequies, the body of Igumen Vladimir (Tobin) was transported to the Pinehurst Cemetery, 3448 Highway #10, New Germany (near his residence in retirement) where it was interred at 2:30 p.m.

References

OCA In Memoriam

Obituary

Additional information :

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Atlantic School of Theology

Dalhousie University

Saint Mary’s University

Wikipedia article about the Anglican Church of Canada

Wikipedia article about the Church of England

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

The Orthodox Church in America

Archdiocese of Canada

Saint Vladimir Prince of Kyiv Orthodox Church

Metropolitan Philip (Saliba)

Bishop Antoun (Khouri)

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor)

Metropolitan Herman (Swaiko)

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard)

Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

Wikipedia article about Egyptology

Saint Vladimir, Prince of Kyiv, Orthodox Church

Saint Antonios Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church

Our Lady of Vladimir Orthodox Church

Hermitage of the Annunciation

Saint Catherine the Great Martyr Church, Moscow

Youtube Video : Homily, 25 November, 2018

Youtube Video : Homily, 7 April, 2019

Youtube Video : Homily, 27 October, 2019