A Chronological History of the Archdiocese of Canada, Part 1

A Chronological History of the Archdiocese of Canada, Part I

Introduction

Within The Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the Archdiocese of Canada is the legitimate inheritor in Canada of the fruit of the evangelical work of the missionary societies of the Russian Empire in North America, as originally blessed by the Holy Synod of Russia in Saint Petersburg in 1793.

As here presented, the history of necessity includes reference to the development of other Orthodox Christian parishes and dioceses within Canada, since all these developments are related in various ways to the history of the Archdiocese of Canada. This relationship is similar to that of the original ”Russian Mission” which began in Alaska and then spread southwards and eastwards through the United States of America. The “Russian Mission” laid the foundation upon which all other Orthodox Christian communities in that country would eventually established (even though many would be reluctant to admit that this was so). It is simply a fact of historical development, and the development of the Orthodox Church in Canada itself is not only a product of that pattern of development, but it is itself the same sort of foundation for the establishment and development of the Orthodox Church in Canada.

That mission formally began in North America in 1794 in Alaska, when the first monks arrived from Valaam Monastery in Russia. The missionary band had trekked and then sailed for a year from Saint Petersburg, Russia, to Kodiak Island, Alaska.

However, the development of missionary work actually began some time earlier, with the activities of laymen who lived and worked in Russian America (Alaska) (the eastern frontier of the Russian Empire) as fishermen and fur-traders. That activity began after the discovery of the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea by Vitus Bering in 1727 and under orders from Tsar Peter I of the Russian Empire. The first of these, Emelian S Basov, began his work in 1743. Soon more such trappers and fishermen, called “Promyshlenniki”, began to do hunting, fishing and trapping round about the Bering Sea and its various islands : the Aleutian Islands, the Commander Islands, the Kuril Islands, the Diomede Islands, the Pribilof Islands, Saint Lawrence Island and others. In 1782, the Shelikov-Golikov Company was formed in order to develop a more systematic trade system. This was followed by the founding of the Russian-American Company in 1799.

During these years, there were amongst the traders some believing and faithful men who were Russian Orthodox Christians. These drew some of the indigenous peoples to Christ through their example. As laymen, when asked by the people to do so, they baptised many of the indigenous people. It was primarily this baptismal activity, besides the need for the spiritual care of the workers in the Russian-American Company, which brought about the request that monks be sent from Russia to Russian-America.

Nevertheless, there were aspects of the entrepreneurial activities and work of the Russian-American Company which caused misery in the lives of the Alaskan indigenous peoples, who were exploited mercilessly (by certain persons and administrators of the company). This factor in the life of the indigenous peoples became a major concern of the monks who were sent to Russian America.

In July, 1792, just before Empress Catherine II of Russia commissioned the first missionaries to go to Russian America in 1793, Captain George Vancouver dropped the anchor of the ship “Discovery” a few kilometres south of the site of what now is known as the City of Vancouver, British Columbia. He sailed north to explore the coast, turned to the east at the cliffs of today’s Point Grey and he travelled down the inlet and through the First Narrows into the future Inner Harbour of Burrard Inlet. This was the discovery of the site of the future city of Vancouver.  

Missionary beginnings in North America

After having heard various reports and requests, the Empress Catherine II of Russia ordered the formation of a missionary “team” which would travel to Russian America. At that time, the territory called Russian America, on the west coast of North America, included all lands in what is now Alaska, and into parts of what is now British Columbia, Canada. In this territory, the monks would care for the spiritual needs of the many traders and entrepreneurs there, and also those of the indigenous peoples who were already slowly becoming Orthodox Christians.

From the beginning, this missionary effort encountered many obstacles and many a difficulty. It took the missionary group almost a year to walk across Russia and Siberia and then sail to Alaska in (North America).

The first missionaries arrive in Russian-America (Alaska), 1794

The missionary work officially began in September, 1794, with the arrival of the missionaries on Kodiak Island, at the site of the present City of Kodiak, then called Pavlov Harbour. With the arrival of the missionaries, one may begin to use the term “Russian Mission” for the evangelical labours of these monks in North America in particular, and of those who would follow them. At the same time, it is useful to keep in mind that there were no clear distinctions about territory as such in those early days. Therefore, although the concern here is about missionary work in North America, this work was not distinguished in any particular way from the work that was happening in the Russian far-east : in Kamchatka, in Irkutsk, and then in Yakutsk.

The members of this historic mission were : Archimandrite Joasaph (Bolotov) ; the Hieromonks Juvenaly, Makary, Athanasy ; the Hierodeacons, Nektary and Stephan ; and the Monks Joasaph and Herman. Their journey from Saint Petersburg to Kodiak Island became the longest known missionary journey in the history of the Orthodox Christian Church, a total of about 9,050 km (5,624 mi). The last 3,500 km (2,175 mi) was the distance across the north Pacific Ocean from Okhotsk to Kodiak Island, and the settlement which became the town of Kodiak.

Saint Herman teaching

First martyr, 1796 ; loss of the first bishop, 1799

In 1796, one of the priest-monks, Father Juvenaly (Govorukhin), became the first Orthodox Christian martyr and therefore the first saint of North America. During his missionary voyage on the West Coast of Alaska, a group of indigenous perceived him to be a threat, and they killed him and his companion.

Martyrdom of Saint Juvenaly

In 1799, the first bishop, Bishop Joasaph (Bolotov), one of the missionaries, perished with other monks in a shipwreck on his return after his ordination to the Holy Episcopate in Irkutsk to be the Bishop of Kodiak. This disaster occurred not far from Kodiak Island, along the southwest coast of mainland Alaska. There were, and there continue to be speculations about the nature of this disaster. Because of the circumstances of the time, and one of the tasks allegedly assigned to Bishop Joasaph, there are suspicions of foul play.

As will be seen later, there was no further movement to ordain a bishop for North America until 1840. This seeming inactivity was a consequence of these deaths and of other difficulties locally and in Saint Petersburg.

In 1799, Aleksandr A Baranov established the first settlement at Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka Island). It was later called Baranof Island.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the affairs of the Spiritual Mission had fallen into a dysfunctional state. This was largely due to the sudden loss of Bishop Joasaph (Bolotov) and other monks in 1799, and from the perpetual tensions and difficulties between the monks and the Russian-American Company. Until 1816, there was just one priest in the whole of Russian America, Hieromonk Athanasius of Kodiak, and he was able to serve only in the main village of the island. He was not able to engage in extended visits to the baptised indigenous people in the rest of Alaska in order to give further instruction in the Faith. To a limited extent, Monk Herman (who had become head of the mission in 1807) was able to do some of this, and to improve relationships with Mr. Baranov, the head of the Russian American Company.

From 1808 to 1816, there were no services at all in Novo-Arkhangelsk, the capital of Russian America on the island of Sitka. Anything that was possible to be done without a priest (such as baptisms and burials) were performed by a certain Mr. Belyaev, an employee of the Russian-American company.

Pressure against the monk-missionaries by Russian-American Company personnel

After less than a decade spent in Alaska, there began a persecution against the monks because they were perceived as being instigators of resistance and revolt amongst the indigenous workers against the Russian-American Company. In 1800, a letter from Aleksandr Baranov was given to the steward, Father Herman. In this letter, the monks were forbidden to have any contact with the indigenous people. Furthermore, Mr. Baranov would not permit the indigenous peoples to pledge allegiance either to the (Emperor Paul, or to his successor, Emperor Alexander I) which the monks were asking them to do, since they were citizens of the Russian Empire. The monks wished to enable the local people to be citizens of the empire just as anyone else. It was their right to be citizens. The company desired to have control over non-citizens. There was a very heated exchange with Mr. Baranov, after which the monks were placed by him under the equivalent of house-arrest. It was not possible then to offer any services in the local Temple for over a year, and the people and the monks were not permitted any contact. It was this situation which provoked the monks to send a letter of complaint in 1801 to the Most Holy Synod in Saint Petersburg.

In June, 1802, there was a massacre of the Russian inhabitants of Novo-Arkhangelsk by the Tlingit people of the region. This came about largely because of the abusive behaviour and deceptive land-dealings of the Russian-American Company’s fur-traders.

In 1804, the Tlingit settlement was destroyed by the Russian-American Company at Novo-Arkhangelsk, and a new fort was constructed. It became the centre of commercial activity in the Russian-American region.

In 1808, a small chapel was erected on Unalaska Island to provide a place of worship for the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

In 1812, Fort Ross was established and operated by the Russian-American Company in California, somewhat north of San Francisco. The fort was established in part for the purpose of trade, in part for fishing, and in part for growing fruits and vegetables that were not grown in the Alaska region.

First indigenous martyr, 1815 ; first missionary priest, 1816

In 1815, Saint Peter (Cungagnac) the Aleut became the first youth martyr and the first indigenous martyr of the Orthodox Christian Church in North America. This occurred in the Alta California province. He had been taken onto a trading ship as a worker, and he was captured with others in California by Spanish soldiers who tried to force him and his companions to become Roman Catholics. Peter resolutely refused, as did the others. Consequently, Peter was tortured, during which he bled to death.

Holy Martyr Peter

In 1816, Priest Aleksei Sokolov was the first missionary priest assigned from Russia and sent to Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka) in Russian-America. He was the first to extend regular sacramental care to the Orthodox Christians who lived far to the south from Kodiak and the now-reduced number of monastic missionaries.

Priest-missionary John Veniaminov (Saint Innocent) arrived in Unalaska, 1823

From 1823 until about 1867, Father John Veniaminov (Saint Innocent) served in Russian America and in the Russian Far East, first as a missionary priest and then as a bishop. His missionary activities increased not only the number of clergy and other missionaries, but also the number of Scriptural and liturgical texts available to the indigenous peoples in their own language (much of this through his own efforts).

In August, 1834, Father John Veniaminov was transferred from Unalaska to Novo-Arkhangelsk.

Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov), 1840-1867

In 1840, Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov), newly-ordained in Saint Petersburg, was assigned to serve in Russian America as the Bishop of Kamchatka and the Kuril and Aleutian Islands.

Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov)

In 1844, Bishop Innocent sanctified the Cathedral of Saint Michael (which he had himself constructed) in Novo-Arkhangelsk (later Sitka), and there were 50 native priests participating. By 1860, the indigenous Orthodox Christian population numbered about 12,000 souls.

Archpriest Jakob Netsvetov (Saint Jakob) began pastoral missionary service, 1828

From 1828 to 1864, Archpriest Jakob Netsvetov, as one of the co-workers and energetic missionary labourers of Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov), shared the missionary work as a priest and a translator in Alaska. His work and that of Saint Innocent spread the Orthodox Christian Faith both to the Alutiiq and the Yup’ik Peoples of southwestern and central Alaska, and also to the Tlingit People of what is now northern British Columbia and southern Yukon. This work proceeded eastwards from Kvikhpaq (Russian Mission) along the Yukon River. The Inland Tlingit people (of what is now northern British Columbia and southern Yukon) also encountered the Coastal Tlingit who had earlier embraced the Orthodox Christian Faith during their trading treks on the Chilkoot and White Pass routes over the mountains from what is now Juneau and Skagway. (The Tlingit people are distant relatives of the Haida.) Later, these treks included regular visits to the Orthodox Christian Temple within their reach. The missionary work was by no means limited to these 2 significant persons (Bishop Innocent and Father Jakob), but they do serve as notable examples. The names of most of the other clergy are either not known, or they are very difficult to discover.

Saint Jakob Netsvetov

More than a century later, there continued to be some such visits (although the journey was very much easier, and the numbers of Orthodox Christian Faithful had declined somewhat because of Protestant proselytism).  

Expansion of settlement to the south, on the West Coast of North America

In the earliest days, the Russian entrepreneurs travelled extensively along the western coast of North America, and some of them eventually settled in San Francisco. They acquired some holdings on the Russian River, 129 km (80 mi) to the north of San Francisco and in 1812, they built a chapel to Saint Helen in the place which is now known as Fort Ross. During that period, and in the early days of the colony in British Columbia, their ships stopped occasionally in Victoria. It is averred by some that there could well have been a few celebrations of the Divine Liturgy there, even though this might have occurred on one or several of the Russian ships while at anchor in the harbour. It would have been a normal part of life on such vessels.

By the Grace of God, from this mission in Alaska, the presence of the Orthodox Christian Church spread southwards to California, where its diocesan centre was established in San Francisco. It then spread eastwards towards New York City (and from there to other cities) with the arrival of more and more immigrants from Europe.

Beginning of immigration of Orthodox people from Europe into the contiguous USA, 1850

The arrival of immigrants from Europe to the USA was also an increasing phenomenon in Canada. This influx was not unrelated to events in Europe. In 1848, there was a series of revolutions in Europe. This phenomenon became known as “Springtime of Nations”, or “Springtime of the Peoples”. Before this, the activities of liberal reformers and of radical politicians were reshaping governments in the context of excessive royal absolutism and of industrial development. Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Galicia, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, Ireland, and Spain were directly affected. Others were, of course, influenced indirectly.

Whether those emigrating to North America at the time came directly because of the turmoil, or for another reason, many of them were bringing with them the early expressions of nationalistic sentiments. Such nationalistic sentiments had generally been developing before and after the revolutions of 1848 under various influences (the so-called “Enlightenment” and the ideas of the German philosopher G W F Hegel). These ideas and philosophies influenced the perceptions of Orthodox Christians, albeit their spirit was contrary to Orthodox Christian ecclesiology. Another term used for this phenomenon is “tribalism”.

Later, in 1872, there was a Pan-Orthodox Synod in Constantinople which condemned “ethno-phyletism”. The presence of these sentiments amongst the people began to complicate the work of the Orthodox pastors whose concern and responsibility was to feed all the rational sheep without distinction. Following God’s revelation of His will to the Holy Apostles (see Acts, chapters 2, 10, 15), the Orthodox Christian Faith is for everyone, everywhere, at all times, without distinction.

In 1850, the United States of America (USA) established the State of California as its 31st state, following the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Other territories were also added. California had been part of the former Province of Upper California (established in 1804) of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain. New Spain had been founded in 1535, but this territory became the territory of Mexico in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821).

Bishop Peter (Ekaterinovsky), 1859-1866

In 1859, Bishop Peter (Ekaterinovsky) became the Vicar-Bishop of Novo-Arkhangelsk (later called Sitka), and he served there until 1866.

Bishop Peter (Ekaterinovsky)

Year 1867 : major changes in North America

British North America Act and Canadian Independence, 1 July, 1867

On 1 July, 1867, the former colonies in British North America were given independence within the British Empire, and they became the Dominion of Canada. This major step forward (independence given in a gradual and peaceful manner) allowed Canadians to begin to decide for themselves regarding the government and administration of their own territory. However, some matters continued to be decided in London while this process of developing local competence continued.

With regard to the life of the Orthodox Church in North America, the decision on the part of the Parliament of Britain not to purchase the territory of Alaska when it was offered for sale by the Tsar of Russia had many long-lasting effects on Orthodox Christians in Alaska and elsewhere on the continent.

Sale of Russian-America (Alaska) to the USA, 1867

On 18 October, 1867, the territory of Russian-America (Alaska), having been sold by the Russian Empire to the USA, was officially transferred to the USA.

As mentioned previously, this territory had been offered to the British Empire (since the territory was adjacent to the already-existing Canadian lands). However, Parliament in London, England, had expressed disinterest in the acquisition. Even the USA was at first reluctant to make this purchase.

Bishop Paul (Popov), 1867-1870

From 1867-1870, after the sale of Russian America to the USA, Bishop Paul (Popov) was the Russian Orthodox Vicar-Bishop of Novo-Arkhangelsk. Soon after that sale, Novo-Arkhangelsk was renamed Sitka. American government policies regarding both indigenous peoples and the remaining Russian elements brought about a serious depopulation of Sitka and an increase in obstacles to the development of the Orthodox Christian Mission in Alaska. The name of the diocese was established as the Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska.

Vladyka Paul (Popov) had already served for 6 years as Vicar-Bishop of Yakutsk in the Kamchatka Diocese before he was transferred to Novo-Archangelsk. He arrived during the year of the sale of Alaska to the USA, and he had to help the rational sheep of his territorial flock to endure the violence that accompanied the occupation of Novo-Archangelsk (Sitka) and the rest of Alaska upon the arrival of the military forces of the USA. Life became perilous for the indigenous.

Bishop Paul (Popov)

Oppression of the Russian Mission in Alaska by the government, by Protestants, and by others

The change in government made fundamental societal changes. No longer was the Orthodox Christian Church in Alaska protected by the state, as it had been within the Russian Empire. Now, it was forcibly transformed into being a Russian Church mission on foreign (American) territory. Further, it now became both oppressed and persecuted in the new society. The new owner of this territory sent many Protestant missionaries to Alaska in order to try to remove the indigenous Orthodox Christians from the Russian Orthodox Church (since it was likely perceived that their Orthodox Christian Faith constituted a political link to Russia). Roman Catholic missionaries were also admitted into this region in order to complicate the situation further. These activities were initiated and maintained by Sheldon Jackson, General Agent of Education of the Alaska Territory (and himself a Presbyterian minister and missionary).

Bishop Paul was in Alaska only for the beginning of what may be called a "decade of terror" under the military occupation of Sitka. During the period 1867-1877, and especially in Sitka, raping, pillaging and looting were commonplace. At the time of the change of government, most of the ethnic Russians returned to the Russian Empire. Many of the indigenous people fled to the interior.

With the multitude of changes that this transition caused, the years of Bishop Paul's leadership were marked by great difficulties.

Nevertheless, it was during this period that Bishop Paul (Popov) initiated a move that prepared for the transfer of the diocesan see from Sitka to San Francisco, which would come later. It is very likely that he had taken these steps as a consequence of the sale of Alaska to the USA and of the wholesale destruction of life in Sitka which followed. Soon after his arrival, Vladyka Paul assigned the Priest Nikolai Kovrigin to San Francisco in order to serve the spiritual needs of the Slavic population in the San Francisco area. Father Nikolai arrived in San Francisco in late March, 1868. He served his first Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Pascha in a residence on Mission Street. He noted in his report to Bishop Paul that the Holy Gospel had been read in 4 languages : (Greek, Slavonic, English, and Russian) at the Paschal services. He also reported that the next day, he had served the Divine Liturgy in Greek for the Greek-speakers living in the city. Father Nikolai also advised that he had held services in Sacramento. Father Nikolai's last Divine Liturgy in San Francisco before returning to Alaska was on Sunday, 19 May, 1868. He was then assigned to serve the new community in San Francisco, and he was their first priest.  

Year 1868

In 1868, Archbishop Innocent (Veniaminov) was enthroned as the Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna.

Metropolitan Innocent

Bishop John (Mitropolsky), 1870-1877

From 1870-1877, Bishop John (Mitropolsky) became first ruling hierarch assigned to the Russian Orthodox Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska. He was at first the Bishop of Novo-Arkhangelsk, but he then became Bishop of San Francisco when he moved the cathedral see there in 1872 (with the blessing of the Most Holy Synod in Saint Petersburg).

Bishop John (Mitropolsky)

In 1877, after the departure of the US Army, Sitka had been reduced to a population of only 20 families (5 of them being Russian).

Bishop Nestor (Zakkis), 1877-1882

From 1877-1882, Bishop Nestor (Zakkis) became the Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. From San Francisco, he made lengthy pastoral visits to the Alaskan parishes. On his second tour, he included the Kwikhpak missions along the Yukon River and at Saint Michael's Redoubt on the west coast. However, he suddenly reposed in the Lord in an accident at sea, and his body was interred at Unalaska.

Bishop Nestor (Zakkis)

Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov), 1888-1891

From 1888-1891, Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) served as the Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. Already, he was supporting the use of the English language with his assignment of the very active missionary Hieromonk Sebastian (Dabovich) to be the “English preacher” in San Francisco. Vladyka Vladimir visited many of the developing Orthodox Christian communities throughout the USA during 3 transcontinental pastoral journeys.

Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov)

Sporadic Orthodox Christian presence and activity in Canada

It is useful to keep in mind that for most of the time included in this pre-history period of the Orthodox Christian Church in Canada, the whole of Western Canada, and the territories north to the Arctic Coast, were governed by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). In this context, until 1846, the territory of Washington was claimed in part by Britain through the HBC and the North West Company. This was the case also with the territory of Oregon. In 1849, British Columbia officially became a British colony centred in Victoria on Vancouver Island, but this was still related to and involved with the HBC. Moreover, the Spanish traders had also maintained their interests along the western coast.

By the Grace of God, from the Russian Mission in Alaska, there had developed by this time a presence of the Orthodox Christian Church in the contiguous United States (often now called “the Lower 48”) from the west coast to the east coast of North America, and also south to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

In fact, all this activity is associated with the beginning of the Orthodox Christian presence in Canada. This Canadian beginning was principally in the west of Canada, with support from San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis. However, there also seems to have been an early, brief period of activity far to the east of our usual sense of the beginnings of the Orthodox Christian presence in Canada.

Beginning of migration of Orthodox peoples to Canada, 1870s

In the 1870s (and perhaps earlier), there was a migration of Orthodox Christians who had emigrated primarily from Syria in the Ottoman Empire into Eastern Canada, specifically into the Eastern Townships of Québec. It is not known concretely, but it is not unlikely that the arrival of people from Syria at that time had something to do with the continual pressure within the Ottoman Empire on Orthodox Christians to become Muslims. In addition to this, there was the 1860 civil war in the Mount Lebanon region and the massacre of Christians in Damascus. Refugees arrived in the USA at about the same time for similar reasons. Thereafter, a priest arrived occasionally in Eastern Canada from the USA, and services were provided at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Québec.

Within the archives of the university there is a Presentation Gospel Book which was inscribed and signed by Tsar Alexander II of the Russian Empire, in gratitude for the hospitality of the university. The services would likely have been offered in Church Slavonic. There is currently no evidence, however, that these services persisted for very long.

Year 1880

Nevertheless, it was in the 1880s that emigrants from the region of Syria began to arrive in greater numbers in North America, and to a much lesser extent in Canada. Halifax, Charlottetown and Montréal were the first cities in which they settled.

Year 1890 : settling of Western Canada

Although a few persons are reported to have arrived earlier from Eastern Europe, it seems that they were assimilated and became unidentifiable. However, in about 1890, there began a serious influx of peoples from Eastern Europe. From their homelands lying within the Austro-Hungarian Empire (where living conditions were very difficult), there emigrated to North America a large number of Rusyns, Bukovinians, Galicians and Carpatho-Russians. Many of them eventually settled in Canada, particularly in the western provinces (especially the prairie provinces), where large areas of land were still available for farming.

Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) (1891-1898) ; beginning of Canadian missionary development

From 1891-1898, Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) served as the Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. As Mr. Matthew Namee wrote,

 The diocese in 1891 was centred in Alaska, with only 2 parishes in the contiguous United States (San Francisco  
 and Minneapolis).  While not neglecting Alaska  (he was a great advocate for the Orthodox Christian natives), Bishop 
 Nicholas oversaw dramatic growth in the rest of the US, with an average of about 2 new parishes founded every year.  
 Whereas the diocese was tiny and weak in 1891, by the time of Nicholas’ departure in 1898, it was thriving and 
 healthy.  St. Tikhon, Nicholas’ successor, was able to accomplish so much because he was a genuinely great man, but 
 also because he took the reins of a diocese made strong by Bishop Nicholas.   

On 29 September, 1890, Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) was ordained to become the Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. He thus became the ruling bishop of the Russian Orthodox Mission in North America. He arrived to take up his responsibilities in 1891.

It is with the arrival of Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) that the beginning of the work in Canada of the “Russian Mission in North America” may be associated.

Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov)

Change in pastoral focus

Since the time of the 1867 sale of Alaska, and despite the concern of the bishops and clergy to make the Orthodox Christian Faith known to all in North America, the arrival of many peoples to North America from various traditional Orthodox Christian homelands began to force a change in focus. The missionary imperative remained, but the need to care for newcomers to the continent perforce began to take precedence.

Despite the fact that there continued to be receptions of others into the Orthodox Christian Church, this activity was so much overshadowed by other concerns during the coming decades that within a century an exasperated Antiochian Orthodox Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) would complain that the Orthodox Christian Faith had become the best-kept secret in America.

Years 1891-1896 : First Ukrainian settlers arrive in Western Canada

The first known pioneers to arrive and to remain in the Canadian North-West Territory (in what became Alberta) were Ivan Pylypow and Wasyl Eleniak. A group of Bukovinians, upon their arrival in Canada, had at first requested their own metropolitan in Chernovtsy, Metropolitan Sylvester (Andreevich-Morar) to send a priest. It is worth mentioning that he had told them to address their request to the local Orthodox hierarchy – that of the Russian Mission.

Early recorded Orthodox Christian activity in Canada

Meanwhile, in 1893, Holy Transfiguration Church was established in the Star-Edna Block Settlement (or “Colony”) northeast of Edmonton in the North-West Territories (later Alberta). This community consisted of a mix of Orthodox Christians and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Uniats. Because the only clergy locally were Roman Catholic, there was strong pressure to establish the parish under the local Roman Catholic diocese, despite the fact that most of the time the people were simply gathering to worship using the readers' form of services. However, a legal dispute later determined that the community belonged to the Orthodox Church.

The ultimate determination that the Holy Transfiguration parish was an Orthodox Christian parish made this parish in retrospect the first Orthodox Christian parish in Canada.

In 1896, the Greek Orthodox Community of the Annunciation first organised itself in Montréal, Québec.

Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) received several requests from some Orthodox Christian Faithful in Canada’s North-West Territories (in the western part of Canada) to have a priest sent to them.

Year 1897 : beginning of the establishment of Orthodox Christian parishes and temples in Canada

In 1897, Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) acceded to the persistent requests for clergy and he organised missionary visitations with priests from elsewhere in the North American diocese. A certain Priest Mihailo Malyarevsky visited parishes in Manitoba and Assiniboia (now Saskatchewan).

By 1900, priests from Minneapolis were able to make pastoral visits to these parishes on a regular, although infrequent, basis – usually once every 6 months.

From this beginning began the development of parish communities in Canada. Of these, the great majority that were formed before 1918 belonged to the North American Diocese (later Archdiocese) of North America and the Aleutian Islands of the Russian Mission.

First Orthodox Christian services in Western Canada, 1897

After receiving letters of request from pioneers in Western Canada, Bishop Nicholas also sent Priest Dmitri Kamnev from Seattle to visit the faithful in the North-West Territories (in what is now Alberta). It is he who celebrated what is generally believed to be the first Divine Liturgy on Canadian soil on 12 June, 1897, at the farm of Theodore and Katherine Nemirsky (located not far from the village of Wostok (meaning “east”), north-east of Edmonton). The settlement nearby the Nemirsky farm became known as “Stary Wostok” (meaning “old east”), and it was situated to the northeast of the settlement of Saint Michael. Father Dmitri and his deacon, Vladimir Alexandrov, converted the entire population of the Wostok area (some 600 Galician Uniats) to the Orthodox Christian Faith.

Site of the first Divine Liturgy, the Nemirsky homestead, 1897

During the early missionary travels between Seattle and Edmonton, the missionary clergy stopped in New Westminster and Vancouver, British Columbia (from where they travelled by railway to Calgary and Edmonton). There, before proceeding eastwards, they spoke with and ministered to the small number of Orthodox Christian believers who already lived in this region.

Priest Dmitri Kamnev

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church was established at Wostok (later called Stary Wostok) in 1897. However, the nearby settlement at Star, established in 1893, which was (as were many communities at that time) constituted of a mix of Orthodox and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Uniats, remained technically Uniat under the local Roman Catholic bishop, who claimed it. When Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin, the local Roman Catholic Bishop in Saint Albert heard of the conversion of Wostok, he sent his new assistant bishop, Émile-Joseph Legal and a priest to Star in order to try to prevent that parish of Holy Transfiguration from succumbing to the same fate.

At that time, the Uniat population everywhere in Canada was cared for by the local Latin (Roman Catholic) hierarchy. It would be more than a decade before the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Uniats had an organised presence in Canada. Meanwhile, the event in Wostok and the lack of Uniat clergy led to fears of enforced latinisation. Bishop Émile tried to rectify the situation by procuring land for his parishioners ; but the fact that the land was registered in the name of the local (Latin) diocese exacerbated the situation. Many Uniats in Star were increasingly attracted by the Orthodox parish in Wostok. Ultimately, a sizeable number of them wanted their own parish to rejoin the Orthodox Church.

As a consequence, a court case ensued over the legal ownership of the Temple and property of Holy Transfiguration Church at Star. This process dragged on from 1900 to 1907. Ultimately, the parish in Star was awarded to the Orthodox Christians by the Privy Council in London, England. At that time, Holy Transfiguration Temple at Star became the oldest Orthodox Christian Temple in Canada.

In addition to and in harmony with this presence and activity, there was in 1897 a celebration of the Divine Liturgy south of Edmonton at Rabbit Hill (near Nisku). This was on the farm of Theodore and Anna Fuhr. In this region, there was a similar development of a move of Ukrainian Greek Catholics desiring to return to their ancestral Orthodox Christian Faith.

In 1897, Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) became the first Orthodox Christian hierarch to visit Canada. He was the first bishop of the Russian Mission to pay a visit to some of the Faithful who had settled in central Canada, in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Access would have been from the south, through Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In 1897, Bishop Nicholas commissioned Nicholas B Orlov to translate the Horologion and the General Menaion into English for use by the Diocese of the Aleutians and North America.

Parish development, 1897

In 1897, Holy Trinity Russo Orthodox Church was founded at Stary Wostok (northeast of Edmonton) in the North-West Territories (Alberta).

Year 1898 : return of Bishop Nicholas to Russia ; arrival of Bishop Tikhon

In 1898, Bishop Nicholas was recalled to Russia. The leadership of the North American Diocese was then given to Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) (the future patriarch of Moscow) who was assigned as the Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

Bishop Tikhon (Belavin)

In May, 1898, Father Kamnev and Deacon Alexandrov visited Canada again, and they returned a further more than 600 Uniats to the Orthodox Christian Faith.

Parish development, 1898

In 1898, Nativity of the Holy Virgin Russo Orthodox Church was established at Kysylew, a little northwest of Andrew, North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Ascension Temple was founded near Nisku, North-West Territories (about 30 km/19 mi south of Edmonton) ; Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Temple was founded at Skaro, (west of Andrew) North-West Territories (Alberta). The parishes of Kysylew and Skaro were and are both northeast of Edmonton ; Saint Michael’s Orthodox Church was founded at Gardenton, Manitoba (about 112 km/70 mi southeast of Winnipeg), Manitoba.

Parish development, 1899

In early 1899, Archimandrite Raphael (Hawaweeny) established the Saint Nicholas Syrian Orthodox Mission in Montréal, Québec (it was the ancestor of 2 parishes in the city : Saint Nicholas and Saint George). To this mission, Hieromonk Ephrem (Debs) was immediately assigned to serve as the first priest. Hieromonk Ephrem had recently arrived from the region later known as Lebanon. However, the climate caused him to suffer health difficulties which required him to return to Lebanon after only a brief period of service.  

In 1899, Saint Demetrius Orthodox Temple was established at Gardenton (southeast of Winnipeg), Manitoba ; Holy Assumption (Dormition) Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Shandro (139 km/86 mi northeast of Edmonton), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Church was established at Rabbit Hills (near Nisku, about 40 km (25 mi) south of Edmonton), North-West Territories (Alberta).

Year 1900 : diocesan developments ; increasing missionary activity in Canada

On 9 February, 1900, the title of the North American diocese was changed from the “Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska” to the “Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America”. At that time, the headquarters of the diocese remained in San Francisco, California.

On 1 September, 1900, Priest Jacob Korchinsky, Canada’s first permanent priest, was assigned to serve at Stary Wostok, northeast of the Saint Michael settlement. Not long afterwards, Father Jacob moved to Edmonton, North-West Territories (Alberta). There, he purchased a house with space for both a chapel and living quarters for himself and his wife. The mission which was established before the end of the year was named for the Holy Great-Martyr Barbara. Father Jacob worked at building up the Body of Christ in the North-West Territories (Alberta) by visiting as many communities as possible, by helping to build Temples, and by encouraging the reunion of Uniats with the Orthodox Christian Church.

Parish development, 1900

In 1900, Saint Barbara’s Russo Orthodox Temple was established in Edmonton, North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saint Michael the Archangel Temple was established at Sachava (south of Andrew), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saint Nicholas Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Bukovina-Wostok(just east of the settlement of Wostok), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Ascension Orthodox Temple was established at Rhein (southeast of Canora), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan) ; Saint Nicholas Orthodox Temple was established at Sandy Lake (northwest of Brandon), Manitoba ; Holy Resurrection Temple was established at Sifton (northeast of Dauphin), Manitoba.

Years 1901-1902 : beginning of more frequent archpastoral visits

In 1901, during an archpastoral visit, Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) sanctified 3 Temples, including the newly-constructed Holy Trinity Church at Stary Wostok. Despite such activity, there were as yet very few clergy available to care for the rapidly-increasing population of immigrating Orthodox Christians. Therefore, the clergy found themselves to be constantly travelling from one community to another in order to baptise, marry and bury parishioners, to hear confessions and to celebrate the Divine Liturgy wherever and whenever possible.

During 1901, Bishop Tikhon began his attempt to incorporate the diocese federally in the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada.

Parish development, 1901

In 1901, Saint Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Temple was established at Boian (northeast of Edmonton) , North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saint Jakob’s Russo Orthodox Temple was established near Mundare (east of Edmonton), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Wasel (northeast of Edmonton), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saint Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Temple was established in Regina, North-West Territories/Assiniboia (Saskatchewan).

In March, 1902, Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) visited Manitoba and the part of the North-West Territories region later known as Saskatchewan. At that time, it was called Assiniboia.

Incorporation attempt, 1902

In 1902, Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) made an attempt to incorporate the bishop-and-diocese in the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. This attempt was unsuccessful. There was opposition to the bill (an item of legislation in process) because the bishop was a “foreigner”. (Even in those days, the English-speaking majority held an anti-Russian/Ukrainian prejudice which extended, in fact, to all the regions from which Orthodox Christians were immigrating.) There were other strong prejudices against anyone who was non-British at that time. When the bill was finally in its last stages, the house rose, and the bill “died on the order paper”.

Parish development, 1902

In 1902, Saint Elias Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Pakan (northeast of Edmonton), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saint George Romanian Orthodox Temple was established in Dysart (northeast of Regina), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan) ; Holy Trinity Temple was established at Verbitsky (east of Canora), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan)  ; Holy Assumption (Dormition) Temple was established at Rhein (southeasst of Canora), North-West Territories ; Saint Nicholas Orthodox Temple was established at MacNutt (southeast of Yorkton), North-West Territories ; Holy Assumption (Dormition) Temple was established at Stenen (north of Canora), North-West Territories ; Saint Elijah Romanian Orthodox Temple was established at Lennard (northwest of Winnipeg and Brandon), Manitoba.

Year 1903 : incorporation of the bishop-and-communities in the North-West Territories

In 1903, Bishop Tikhon succeeded in incorporating the Church in the North-West Territories (which in 1905 was divided into the North-West Territories, and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan). This incorporation was that of the bishop and the parishes that existed under his blessing. As a result, many of the early parishes in Western Canada were enabled to have a legal, corporate status.

Subsequently, the characteristic description "Russo Orthodox" was associated with the incorporation of most of the early parishes in the western regions. This term was coined by Bishop Tikhon in order not to use the more specific term "Russian", which referred and still refers to a particular region and language. Rather, the term "Russo Orthodox" is an inclusive term which could include Ukrainians, Byelorusyns (Belarusians), Ruthenians and Rusyns, who, together with Russians, owe the origin of their Faith to the Baptism of Rus' in 988 in Kyiv, Rus'.

In 1903, Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) visited Canada again. During this visit, he sanctified Saint Barbara’s Temple in Edmonton. (This was the building that was constructed after the first house-church, and which itself was replaced in 1956 by a new and larger structure.)

On 6 May, 1903, Archimandrite Raphael (Hawaweeny) was ordained to become Bishop of Brooklyn (New York). He was the first Orthodox Christian bishop to be ordained in North America. He exercised a decisive and helpful influence on Syrian parishes in Canada.

Bishop Raphael (Hawaweeny)

Schism of the impostor “Metropolitan” Seraphim, 1903

In 1903, there began a series of years during which the life of the Church in Canada, particularly in the western provinces, was disturbed by the machinations of a cunning profiteer Stephan Ustvolsky, who called himself “Metropolitan Seraphim (Ustvolsky)”. This imposter, who arrived from Europe, settled in Winnipeg. He brought with him forged documents attesting to his consecration by the ecumenical patriarchate as “bishop and metropolitan of the Orthodox Russian Church for all North America”. The shortage of clergy, the low level of education amongst the immigrants and the imposter’s claim to be the head of the local, independent Orthodox Church, attracted many of the Faithful to him. He “ordained” some 50 so-called priests and sent them all over Western Canada. He then went to Saint Petersburg (capital city of the Russian Empire) in an attempt to receive official recognition.

In 1903, during the absence of “Metropolitan Seraphim”, a group of 18 “priests” and some laity under the leadership of “Father” Ivan Bodrug, Ivan Negrich (editor of the newspaper “Canadian Farmer”) and Cyril Genik, established the so-called “ Independent Greek Church” as part of a secret agreement with the Presbyterian Church in Canada. In this new “church”, the externals of the Orthodox Christian liturgy remained, but a Calvinistic spirit was gradually introduced.

When this entity eventually came to its end after 1907, many of the parishes and clergy were re-organised and educated by the canonical Orthodox bishop and clergy.

This situation was the source of the writing and performing of a play by Nick Mitchell, “The Tin Can Cathedral”, in 1993.

"Tin-can Cathedral"

Parish development, 1903

In 1903, Saint Mary Protectress Orthodox Temple was established at Saint Julien (northeast of Saskatoon), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan) ; Saint John the Baptist Russo-Greek Orthodox Temple was established at Farusy (south of Andrew), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Dormition of the Theotokos Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Shishkovtsy-Shandro (north of Willingdon), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Protection Orthodox Temple was established at Edwand (east of Smoky Lake), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Trinity Orthodox Temple was established at Hampton (north of Yorkton), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan) ; Saint Elias Orthodox Temple was established at Rhein (northeast of Yorkton), North-West Territories (Saskatchewan) ; Saint Peter and Paul’s Romanian Orthodox parish was founded a few kilometres south of Canora, North-West Territories (Saskatchewan).

Year 1904 : continued establishment of parishes and Temples

Further activity of "Metropolitan Seraphim, 1904"

During 1904, “Metropolitan Seraphim” returned from Europe only to discover that his excommunication by the Most Holy Synod was public knowledge and that his “church” was widely considered to be a fraud. His successor, Makary Marchenko, was in some respects an even more colourful figure, having proclaimed himself to be “Arch-Patriarch, Arch-Pope, Arch-Tsar, Arch-Hetman, and Arch-Prince”. However, both he and the Seraphimovites soon disappeared. Most of the parishes served by the Seraphimovite “clergy” were taken over by the Presbyterian-inspired and considerably successful Independent Greek Church” (which was not independent, nor Greek, nor the Church).

Parish development, 1904

In 1904, Saints Peter and Paul Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Chahor (northeast of Smoky Lake), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Temple was established at Arbakka (southeast of Winnipeg), Manitoba ; Saint John the Baptist Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Farusy-Andrew (southeast of Andrew), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Archangel Michael Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Peno (northwest of Andrew), North-West Territories (Alberta) ; Holy Trinity Russo Orthodox Temple was established and sanctified in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Year 1905 : further diocesan development ; 2 new provinces ; other Canadian developments

In 1905, the episcopal see of the Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America was transferred by the Most Holy Synod (at the request of Bishop Tikhon) from San Francisco to New York City. Bishop Tikhon was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

In 1905, the North-West Territories region of Canada was divided by the Government of Canada. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were established, and the Northwest Territories (afterwards written Northwest Territories) remained only in the far north.

On 31 July, 1905, Saint Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, was founded by Hieromonk Arseny (Chahovtsov) (Bishop of Canada 1926-1937).

Hieromonk Arseny (Chahovtsov)

Parish development, 1905

In 1905, Holy Trinity Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Sunland (northeast of Andrew), Alberta ; Saint John the Baptist Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Dickie Bush-Wahstao (southwest of Smoky Lake), Alberta ; Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Temple was established at Calder (southeast of Yorkton), Saskatchewan ; Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Temple was established at Fenwood (southwest of Yorkton), Saskatchewan ; Saint Elias Orthodox Temple was established at Hubbard (southwest of Yorkton), Saskatchewan ; Saint George Antiochian Temple was established in Montréal, Québec.

In 1905, the first gatherings were convened, which soon led to the formation of the first Greek Orthodox Church in Montréal, the Greek Orthodox Temple of Evangelismos (Annunciation).

Year 1906

In 1906, there were still only a few priests serving full-time in Canada under the omophor of the Russian Orthodox North American Diocese (almost all Orthodox Christians in Canada were a part of the “Russian Mission” prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917).

Parish development, 1906

In 1906, Saints Peter and Paul Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Dickie Bush (southwest of Smoky Lake), Alberta ; Saints Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Temple was established at Kayville (southwest of Moose Jaw), Saskatchewan. In this year, the Platon Greek Day-school was established in Montréal, Québec.

Year 1907 : arrival in Canada of Archimandrite Arseny (Chahovtsov)

The year 1907 marked the beginning of the end for the “Independent Greek Church”. Its clergy were placed directly under the control of the Presbyterian synod and they were directed to introduce Presbyterian teaching and practices. Now that the Protestant influence was no longer hidden, many of the clergy and the majority of the laity left the entity. Several court cases over the ownership of church buildings followed. The verdict in each was in favour of the Presbyterians who, although pleased to take over the Orthodox buildings, were somewhat chagrined to find them nearly devoid of parishioners.

In 1907, Archimandrite Arseny (Chahovtsov) was assigned to serve as administrator of the Orthodox Christian parishes in Canada. After having been brought to North America in 1902 by Bishop Tikhon (Belavin), Father Arseny had devoted great energy both to evangelical parish labours, and to the establishment of the first Orthodox Christian Monastery in North America. As previously mentioned, Saint Tikhon’s Monastery had been established and then blessed at South Canaan, Pennsylvania, in 1905. Father Arseny, as the first igumen of the monastery, also organised an orphanage there (a very common arrangement in Eastern Europe at that time), and he organised the monastic farm for the self-support of the monks.

Now, in Canada, Archimandrite Arseny devoted the same energy and love to his missionary labours. At that time, his main focus was on the parishes in and around Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Edmonton, Alberta.

Parish development, 1907

In 1907, Saints Peter and Paul Temple in Montréal, Québec, was founded by Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) and Priest Theophan Buketov. It began in a house-chapel, but its rapid growth soon required the construction of a permanent edifice.

Also in this year, Saint Mary Orthodox Temple was established at Szypenitz (Shepenitz) (northeast of Vegreville), Alberta ; Saint Demetrius Orthodox Temple was established at Lady Lake (northwest of Canora), Saskatchewan.

First All-American Sobor, 1907

On 5-7 March, 1907, the First All-American Sobor (Council ) was held in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, under the chairmanship of Archbishop Tikhon (Belavin). Later in March, Vladyka Tikhon (Belavin) departed for Russia, since he had been recalled to Russia to serve there. He left the archdiocesan administration in the hands of Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky) until September, 1907.

Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky)

Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

In September, 1907, Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) arrived to take up the duties and responsibilities of Archbishop of the Aleutian Islands and North America. Bishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) had been elevated to the dignity of archbishop by the Most Holy Synod on 8 June, 1907, when he had been given this assignment. He skilfully guided the continuously growing North American Church for the next 7 years. Many new parishes were established in the North American Diocese during his first episcopal assignment on this continent. The seminary established by Saint Tikhon in Minneapolis in 1905 was relocated to Tenafly, New Jersey, and renamed in honour of Archbishop Platon’s patron saint.

Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

Year 1908

In 1908, the Patriarch of Constantinople issued a decree giving episcopal oversight of the Greek Orthodox Christians in the Americas to the Church of Greece.

Parish development, 1908

In 1908, Dormition of the Theotokos Russo Orthodox Temple was established at MacNutt (southeast of Yorkton), Saskatchewan ; Saint Nicholas Orthodox Temple was established at New Kiew (northeast of Vegreville), Alberta ; Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Temple was established at Rhein, Saskatchewan (northeast of Yorkton) ; Saint Basil Orthodox Temple was established at Gorlitz (north of Yorkton), Saskatchewan.

Year 1909

The first Greek religious organisation in Montréal (which had first organised itself in 1896) was granted a charter by the Legislative Assembly of Québec on 7 May, 1909, under the corporate name The Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church Montréal, Québec. Religious services in the Greek language and an interim council of trustees are said to have existed as early as 1906 or 1907.

Parish development, 1909

In 1909, Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Temple (South) (Michalchuks) was established near Arbakka (southeast of Winnipeg), Manitoba (see 1904) ; Saint George Greek Orthodox Church was established in Toronto, Ontario ; Saints Peter and Paul Temple was established at Dickie Bush (northeast of Edmonton), Alberta.

Year 1910

In 1910, Vicar-Bishop Raphael (Hawaweeny) visited Montréal, where he attempted to settle an internal dispute within the city’s Syrian community.

In 1910, the ecclesiastical corporation of Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church constructed the first Greek Orthodox Temple, “Evangelismos” (“Annunciation”) on a vacant lot at 753, boulevard Saint-Laurent, on the west side of Saint-Laurent Boulevard between Milton and Prince-Arthur (where the Cinema Ex-Centris and Softimage company offices were later located, just north of Sherbrooke Street).

Parish development, 1910

Saint Onuphrius the Great Russo Orthodox Temple was established at Foam Lake, (east of Saskatoon) Saskatchewan ; Saint Cyril and Methody Macedono-Bulgarian Temple was established in Toronto, Ontario.

Year 1911

Parish development, 1911

In 1911, Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church was established at Hairy Hill (east of Edmonton), Alberta ; Saints Peter and Paul Russo Orthodox Church was established at Insinger (east of Saskatoon), Saskatchewan (the community name was later moved to Regina) ; Saints Peter and Paul Temple was established at Flintoft (south of Regina), Saskatchewan ; Saint Nicholas Temple was established at Narol (north of Winnipeg), in the Saint Clement Rural Municipality, Manitoba ; Saints Peter and Paul Temple was established at Redwater (north of Edmonton), Alberta. During this year also, in association with the Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Temple in Montréal, Québec, a building was purchased at 753-755, rue Clark, in order to house the Platon Greek School.

Years 1912-1913

In June, 1912, Bishop Raphael (Hawaweeny) arrived in Montréal to visit the 2 Syrian Orthodox Christian parishes.

Closure of the "Independent Greek Church"

In 1912, the Presbyterian Church of Canada closed down its “Independent Greek Church” after a five-year-long decline. The remaining 21 “Greek” priests became Presbyterians. Other Protestant groups were not slow in trying to make inroads into the large population of Ukrainian immigrants in the west, particularly the Methodists and (later) the United Church of Canada. However, these attempts at proselytisation produced little success.

At this time, several Uniat parishes pushed for a return to the Orthodox Christian Church, mostly, it seems, because of distrust of the local Latin hierarchy and fears of forced latinisation. At the same time, Ukrainian nationalism was growing, in certain situations to fanatical and divisive proportions. This growing nationalistic sentiment gave impetus to the call for an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Appearance of the first Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishop in Canada, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1912

In December, 1912, the Uniat Bishop Nykyta (Butka), who had been ordained in October, was assigned to be the first Ukrainian Catholic Bishop in Canada. He established the headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at Saints Vladimir and Olga Cathedral.

In 1912, Igumen Amphilokhy (Vakulsky) in Alaska was assigned by Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) to serve as dean of the parishes in Canada. (In 1914, Igumen Amphilokhy was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.)

Parish development, 1912

In 1912, Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church was established in Regina, Saskatchewan ; Saints Peter and Paul Temple was established at Glaslyn (west of Prince Albert, northeast of Saskatoon), Saskatchewan ; Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox Temple was established at Shepenitz-Malin (northeast of Edmonton), Alberta ; a Russo Orthodox parish was established at Ardill (southwest of Regina), Saskatchewan.

In 1913, early in the year, Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) visited parishes in Ontario and Manitoba.

Parish development, 1913

In 1913, Holy Trinity Temple was established in Moose Jaw (west of Regina), Saskatchewan ; Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church-School Congregation was established in Hamilton, Ontario.

Year 1914 ; World War I

In June, 1914, Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) returned to Russia, where he had been transferred to serve as Archbishop of Chişinãu (Kishinev) and Bessarabia (later, Moldova). He left Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky), Vicar-Bishop of Alaska, as the temporary administrator of the North American archdiocese.

Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky)

Bishop Alexander led the whole North American Diocese for nearly a year, until the arrival of the next ruling bishop, Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky), in May of 1915.

Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky)

Parish development, 1914

In 1914, Saint Michael Ukrainian Greek Orthodox parish was founded in East Selkirk (north of Winnipeg), Manitoba ; the Orthodox Holy Trinity parish was founded in Mamaestie (Brosseau) (east of Edmonton), Alberta ; the Holy Ascension parish was founded in Maple Creek (west of Regina), Saskatchewan ; Saint George Romanian Orthodox Temple was established in Regina, Saskatchewan ; Saint John the Divine Temple was established in Windsor, Ontario.

World War I

In 1914, with the beginning of hostilities in Europe (World War I), the call went out across Canada for volunteers in the military service. More than 2,000 Russian and Ukrainian Canadians signed up, and a great many served at the front lines.

Father John Ovsyanitsky served as chaplain to the battalion formed from these volunteers. He was the first Orthodox Christian cleric to serve in this manner in Canada.

Despite these signs of loyalty to the Crown and to the Dominion of Canada, there also began an ugly persecution of Slavs (which would be repeated in the next world war against Japanese Canadians).

Internment of Ukrainians/Rusyns, 1914-1920

With the beginning of World War I, there also began a period of internment of Ukrainians and Rusyns in Canada. This occurred because many of those who arrived as immigrants in Canada had lived in territories which at that time belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria-Hungary). This empire, together with the German Empire, had become enemies of the British Empire (including Canada) during this war. Apparently not understanding that these Slavic immigrants had nothing to do with such hostilities, and that they, themselves, represented peoples (mostly from Galicia and Bukovyna) conquered by Austria-Hungary, the Government of Canada effectively imprisoned about 8,500 persons as being potentially dangerous to Canada. Some were Canadian-born or naturalised British subjects. They were held in 24 receiving stations and internment camps across the country — from Nanaimo, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Many were used as labour in the country’s frontier wilderness. Personal wealth and property were confiscated and much of it was never returned.

Parishes in Canada, 1914

In 1914, the following parishes were listed by the North American Diocese in Canada. Not all belonged yet to the Canadian Deanery, and some USA parishes belonged to the Canadian Deanery :

 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Montreal, Quebec (Deanery of New York), Priest Vladimir Sakovich  
 •  Saint Nicholas Church, Montreal, Quebec (Syro-Arab Mission), Hieromonk Agapius (Ghulam) 
 •  Saint George Church, Montreal, Quebec (Syro-Arab Mission), Hieromonk Euthymius (Ofeish)
 •  Arbakka, Manitoba, Saint Nicholas Church (together with Saint Elias Church), Priest Nikita Kobzarev
 •  Arran, Saskatchewan, Holy Trinity Church
 •  Saint Mary Church, Boian, Alberta, served together with Soda Lake and Shepenitz-Malin (Ispas)
 •  Holy Dormition Church, Clayton, Saskatchewan, served together with Holy Transfiguration
 Church at Crooked Lake, Hieromonk John (Zlobin)
 •  Holy Protection Church, Borovich, Alberta
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Chahor, Alberta
 •  Archangel Michael Church, Clayton, Wisconsin, USA, Priest Nikita Gress
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Dickie Bush, Alberta
 •  Saint Barbara Church, Edmonton, Alberta (lacked a priest that year)
 •  Holy Protection Church, Edwand, Alberta
 •  Saint John the Baptist Church, Farusy, Alberta
 •  Saint Onuphrius the Great Church, Foam Lake, Saskatchewan
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Flintoft, Saskatchewan
 •  Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fort William, Ontario, Hieromonk Joasaph (Marchenko)
 •  Saint Michael Church, Gardenton, Manitoba
 •  Archangel Michael Church, Gimli, Manitoba, Priest Matthew Stepakhin
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Glaslyn, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Nicholas Church, Gonor, Manitoba
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Insinger, Saskatchewan
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Hampton, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Demetrius Church, Lady Lake, Saskatchewan
 •  Holy Dormition Church, MacNutt, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Nicholas Church, MacNutt, Saskatchewan
 •  Protection of the Theotokos, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Priest Vasily Vasiliev (with attached chapels : 
 Cemetery Chapel in Minneapolis ; in the state of Minnesota, Holdingfords, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, 
 Hieromonk Joseph (Sviridov), Psalmist Andrei Tarasar ; and in Chisolm, Togo, Duluth, and Owatonna ; 
 in the state of Wisconsin, in Huron, Saint John the Baptist, in Lublin ; Great Martyr Demetrius,
 and in Cornucopia - Vvedenskaya ; in Lehr, North Dakota,  Holy Ascension ; in Leona, South. Dakota ; 
 in Mason City, Iowa (Serbian).
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint James Church, Mundare, Alberta
 •  Holy Apostle James, Mundare, Alberta, Priest Panteleimon Bozhyk (together with churches in 
 Seredyaki, Farusy, Sochava, Shishkovtsy, Warwick, Miriam, Pakan, and Edwards)
 •  Nativity of the Theotokos, and Holy Ascension Chapel, Rabbit Hill (Nisku), Alberta, Dean Igumen Amfilochy
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Redwater, Alberta
 •  Holy Ascension Church, Rhein, Saskatchewan
 •  Holy Assumption Church, Rhein, Saskatchewan
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Rhein, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Elias Church, Rhein, Saskatchewan
 •  Holy Protection Church, Saint-Julien, Saskatchewan
 •  Saints Peter and Paul Church, Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, Hieromonk Ignatius (Falovsky) (together 
 with the church in Calder, and Saint Elias Church in Logburg)
 •  Saint Nicholas Church, Sandy Lake, Manitoba
 •  Holy Dormition Church, Shandro, Alberta, Priest Philip Pechinsky, together with the church in Verenki
 •  Holy Dormition Church, Sheho, Saskatchewan (lacking a priest that year), together with the churches in Tudor, Insinger, and Drobot) 
 •  Holy Resurrection Church, Sifton, Manitoba, Priest John Kushvara, together with the church in Ethelbert
 •  Holy Ascension Monastery, Sifton, Manitoba
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Smoky Lake, Alberta, Priest John Puchalsky.
 •  Holy Archangel Michael Church, Kotzman, Smoky Lake, Alberta
 •  Saint Demetrius Church, Gardenton/Stuartburn, Manitoba, Priest Pavel Razskazov
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Sunland, Alberta
 •  Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, Toronto, Ontario, Hieromonk Theophilakt (Mallin) (Bulgarian)
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Valley River, Manitoba, Priest Vasily Blonsky
 •  Archangel Michael Church, Wachaw, Saskatchewan, Priest Joseph Shekaley (with an attached chapel)
 •  Saint John the Divine Church, Windsor, Ontario
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Assistant Dean Priest Mitrofan Poplavsky, together with Saint Nicholas Church, Narol/Gonor
 •  Holy Trinity Church, Stary Wostok, Alberta, Priest Kosma Gorbachev, together with Saint Nicholas Church
  in Bukowina ; Holy Transfiguration Church in Star ; Holy Protection Church in Beaver Creek (Skaro) ; 
 Saint John the Baptist Church in Chipman ; Nativity of the Theotokos Church in Kisselevo (Kysylew) ; Archangel Michael Church in Peno ; a chapel in Cookville
 •  Archangel Michael Church, Veregin, Saskatchewan

Also, the following parishes had been established besides :

 •  Saint George, Romanian Orthodox Church, Dysart, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, Hairy Hill, Alberta
 •  Saint Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church, Regina, Saskatchewan
 •  Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, Regina, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint George Romanian Orthodox Church, Regina, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, Hamilton, Ontario
 •  Saint Elijah Romanian Orthodox Church, Lennard, Saskatchewan
 •  Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, Toronto, Ontario

Year 1915

On 14 February, 1915, Bishop Raphael (Hawaweeny) reposed in Christ in New York City. He had previously blessed the first “Syro-Arab” communities in Canada, and the Syrians in eastern Canada were amongst the bereft. There followed a period of uncertainty and confusion with regard to who would succeed him.

At the end of 1915, Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) began a three-month visit to parishes in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This trip resulted in the opening of new parishes, as well as a reduction in the conflicts between pro- and anti-Russian groups from various parts of the country.

During 1915, Father Vladimir Sakovich founded a theological seminary in Montréal. Although the seminary remained open only one winter because of financial and other difficulties (not the least of which was the war), it enabled the ordination of 3 more clergy for the Church.

During this pre-revolutionary period, the efforts of the Faithful to establish a solid base for the life of the Church in Canada met with mixed results. All attempts to found monasteries ultimately failed. On the other hand, a few schools for Orthodox Christian children were opened in various parts of Western Canada.

Missionary activity continued, principally amongst the Uniats, but also amongst the Doukhobors who had settled in Saskatchewan (and then in British Columbia). People from both groups embraced the Orthodox Faith, although the number was much greater amongst the Uniats.

The Doukhobor settlers were a members of a sect which had originated in the 17th century in South Russia. They were a non-liturgical group that differed greatly from the Orthodox Christian Faith. They were radical pacifists who rejected secular government, and they were very individualistic in comparison with the corporate nature of the Orthodox Church. They had emigrated from various parts of Russia under the leadership of Peter V Verigin. With the support of Leo Tolstoi, they had come to settle in Canada, in the midst of Orthodox Christian homesteaders in the region near Canora, Saskatchewan, who had arrived at about the same time (before and after 1900).

Parish development, 1915

In 1915, Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox parish was established in Brinsley-Khreschatyk (near Two Hills, east of Edmonton), Alberta ; Saint Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church was established in Kayville (south of Regina), Saskatchewan ; Holy Ascension Temple was established at Hubbard/Goodeve (northeast of Regina), Saskatchewan ; Holy Ghost Romanian Temple was established at Hamlin (northeast of Edmonton), Alberta ; the “Adam Kotsko” Student Bursa (ancestor of Saint Andrew’s College) was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Year 1916 : Diocese of Canada

The Most Holy Synod in Petrograd (the Russified name of Saint Petersburg, adjusted at the beginning of World War I) received a report from Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) about the desirability of the formation of another vicariate diocese, this one in Canada.

In 1916, the Most Holy Synod of the Church of Russia established the parishes in Canada as a separate bishopric (a “vikariat”, vicariate) within the North American archdiocese under the omophor of the Russian Mission. The Most Holy Synod directed that Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) (the Vicar-Bishop of Alaska who had been responsible for overseeing Canadian affairs since 1913) be transferred to Holy Trinity Church in Winnipeg, and that the parish was elevated to cathedral status.

Officially, on 6/19 July, 1916, by a decision of the Most Holy Synod, Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) was released from his responsibilities in Alaska, and he was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Vicar-Bishop of Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) (head of the Diocese of North America and the Aleutians, the "Russian Mission").

This decree and act officially established the Diocese of Canada. The previous missionary territory became a missionary diocese.

First resident Orthodox Christian bishop in Canada, 1916

Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) thus became the first resident bishop of the Orthodox Christian Church in Canada. He devoted his energies at once to organising the affairs of the Diocese of Canada, and he began to convoke assemblies of clergy and laity. The diocese very slowly began to develop its own identity.

Bishops before Bishop Alexander, who cared for Canada from Alaska and the USA

Nevertheless, all the bishops who had preceded Bishop Alexander had had responsibility directly or indirectly for the Church in Canada. Besides Bishop Joasaph (Bolotov) (1799) and Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov) (1840-1853), there also had been Bishop Peter (Ekaterinovsky) (1859-1866), who was followed by Bishop Paul (Popov) (1867-1870). He was followed by Bishop John (Mitropolsky) (1870-1877). Bishop John had moved the see to San Francisco, California, from Sitka, Alaska, in 1872. Bishop John (Mitropolsky) (1870-1877) was succeeded by Bishop Nestor (Zakkis) (1870-1882), and Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) (1888-1891), and then Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) (1891-1898). After him came Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) (1898-1907). During his service, the name of the diocese was changed to the Archdiocese of the Aleutians and North America, and he was elevated to the dignity of archbishop in 1905. He was followed by Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) (1907-1914). His successor was Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) (1914-1918).

In 1916, Archimandrite Amphilokhy (Vakulsky) was released from his duties as dean of the parishes in Canada.

At about this time, the first Orthodox Christian parishes began to appear in Ontario, such as in Ottawa, Toronto, and other cities.

Parish development, 1916

In 1916, the parish of Christ the Saviour was established in Toronto, Ontario. The first 13 or so years of its existence were rather unstable.

The Petro Mohyla Institute was established in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ; Holy Transfiguration Temple was established in London, Ontario ; Saint Michael the Archangel Temple was established at Kotzman (north of Smoky Lake), Alberta.  

Year 1917 : February Revolution in Russia

The February Revolution in the Russian Empire took place in Saint Petersburg on 24-28 February/8-12 March, 1917. This brought about the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, and ultimately the end of the Romanov Dynasty. At this time, a Provisional Government was installed, which attempted to restore order and peace in the empire (insofar as possible, considering that World War I was still very much in progress).

Convening an All-Russian Council (Sobor), 1917

The All-Russian Church Sobor had been being prepared long before 1917. When Tsar Nicholas II released the manifesto of freedom of religious conscience on 17 April, 1905, this act undermined the authority of the Church in Russian society. This manifesto deprived the Church of her special status, and it gave greater freedoms to other religious groups. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the subjects of the emperor were Orthodox Christians, as were the emperor and most of his family, the Russian Orthodox Church had been subjected to the state, reduced to the level of a department of government, deprived of a patriarch, governed by an episcopal committee overseen by the imperial "ober-prokurator" and similar authorities who were required to be consulted. This Lutheran-style of control had been imposed on the Church by the so-called Church Reform of Emperor Peter I between 1700 and 1721.

The last patriarch had fallen asleep in Christ in 1700, and the changes were promulgated in 1721. Until then, the relationship between the Church and the Tsar had been similar to that of the East Roman Empire, in which the Church was distinct and acted as a conscience for the government (this is not to say that bishops did not sometimes die because of their speaking out). After 1905 (during which there had been a serious uprising), the Church was further denigrated. Various persons and groups within the Church engaged in various studies and preparations for that unknown day when the Church might be able to assemble and take decisions about important matters.

Therefore, when the February Revolution occurred, it was determined that despite the unrest that followed the first revolution, the assembly must take place. Because of this revolution, this was the first time since the "reforms" of Tsar Peter I that the Church was free to act on her own. The last Great Synod of Moscow, presided over by Tsar Aleksei, had met in 1666-1667. Now, after the end of the Imperial Romanov Dynasty, it was perceived to be particularly important that the Church be freed from the anomaly of the phenomenon of government by the "Most Holy Synod", that the patriarchate be restored, and that the government of the Church return to the normal format of a patriarch who leads the Church in consultation with and in harmony with the Holy Synod of Bishops. The pre-conciliar commissions of 1906-1907 and 1912-1916 which had been blessed by the emperor prepared a foundation for the hoped-for assembly.

Almost immediately, the matters of concern were discussed in the religious journals. A reconstituted Holy Synod of Bishops established the Pre-conciliar Committee on 19 April, 1917, and it formulated the rules and procedures for preparing and executing the coming assembly. Diocesan assemblies were convened to discuss the situation, to consider possible reforms, and to elect delegates to the council. In May and June, 1917, the All-Russian Congress of Church School Leaders was followed by the All-Russian Congress of Clergy and Laity. These forums explored matters, discussed differences, and, especially in the Congress of Clergy and Laity, served as a preparatory commission that discussed reforming the Church on principles of sobornost (conciliarity).

On 5 July, 1917, the Holy Synod announced the convoking of an All-Russian Church Council in August, 1917. The All-Russian Church Council was convened on 15/28 August, 1917 (the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos). The opening services for the feast-day were offered in the Holy Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

The sessions which followed included the consideration of the nature organisation of future general Church assemblies ; of diocesan organisation within the Church (including the size of dioceses and the grouping of them into "metropolitan" districts) ; of internal diocesan concerns ; of the re-establishing of the patriarchate ; of institutionalising the concept of "sobornost" (conciliarity).

Restoration of the patriarchate in the Church of Russia, 1917

The high-priority matter of considering the restoration of the patriarchate began to be considered on 11 October, 1917, and there were many speakers. There was not complete unanimity.

October Bolshevik Revolution, 1917

Then the October Revolution took place on 25 October/7 November, 1917.

Choosing the patriarch ; further work of the council

Since the October Revolution had begun, discussion about the patriarchate ended and a decision was required. On 28 October, 1917, the Church Council decided that the Church of Russia would be again led by a patriarch

 who is to be considered the 'first among equal bishops' and who is subordinate and accountable to a national Sobor which 
 retained supreme legislative, administrative, judicial and inspection power in the Church. 

From 30 October to 4 November, the procedures were established for determining who would become the patriarch. On 5 November, 1917, nominations produced 3 names. From these, a "starets" (elder) drew a lot, which was for Metropolitan Tikhon (Belavin), the former missionary Archbishop in North America. On 21 November, 1917, at the Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) was enthroned as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin)

On 7 December, 1917, the Council established the new twelve-member Holy Synod of Bishops. The decisions enabled a wide representation of the Church of Russia. On 8 December, 1917, the Council defined the functions and competence of the Synod. The Synod was to have responsibility for administering the internal life of the Church under 4 areas of competence : religious doctrine, divine services, education, and administration and discipline.

The Council established a fifteen-member "Supreme Church Board" which would include 3 bishops, 1 monk, 5 secular clergymen, 6 laymen. The patriarch would be the chairman.

The Council charged the Board with administering economic and social matters in 5 areas : administration, economics, education, inspection and supervision, and legal advisory matters. The Council also pointed out that areas including spiritual and secular concerns needed joint consideration by the Synod and the Board.

The Council further gave direction regarding the provision of diocesan bishops and the administration of dioceses ; the establishment of metropolitanates with the dioceses they included ; the organisation and regulating of parish life (liturical services, homiletics), the behaviours of both clergy and laity, preaching, the typikon, the sale of items within the sanctified space of the Temple not related to the services, the observance of fasts, calendar reform, marriage and divorce, celibacy, and marriage concerns. There was also consideration of Church-State relations. Many of the considerations and decisions were directly affected by the decisions of the Bolsheviks at that time.

The All-Russian Council continued to meet until 20 September/4 October, 1918. By this time, the repressions of the Bolshevik government had destroyed the Church's new-found freedom from government control. Nevertheless, one main reason for closing the sessions at that time was that there was no longer enough money for its continuance. During the months following the October Revolution, the arrest, imprisonment, exile and martyrdom of bishops, clergy, monastics and lay-persons began to take place. This was a constant danger throughout the remaining months during which the Council pursued its agenda.

Session of the All-Russian Sobor

Consequences of the Revolution in North America

One of the North American representatives at the assembly was Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky). Before his departure from North America, he appointed Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) to administer the North American Archdiocese in his absence.

This absence was expected to be only temporary. Therefore, Bishop Alexander left Archimandrite Adam (Philipovsky) in charge of the affairs of the Canadian vicariate, and he travelled to New York City in order to take up his new duties. This transfer of Bishop Alexander, of course, deprived Canada of the physical presence of its first resident bishop.

This situation would ordinarily have lasted only a few months, but it ultimately lasted for some 10 years. This was because the October Bolshevik Revolution in Russia inhibited the return of Archbishop Evdokim to North America. Certain members of the Council took many months to find a way to return to North America (due to the Civil War, the turmoil and the confusion that affected the whole of society).

The “Great October Socialist Revolution” (as the Bolshevik coup was euphemistically renamed by its proponents), was a major disaster for the Orthodox Christian Church in North America, and one from which the Church never fully recovered. The unexpected nature of this event made it all that much harder to bear, since the Church in North America was so very dependent materially and spiritually on the mother Church in Russia.

Suddenly, there were no more clergy available to serve as missionaries, nor any supportive funds forthcoming from Russia. This caused a severe clergy shortage, financial hardship and calamitous disorganisation.

Benefits of the events of 1917-1918

Although the consequences of the revolutions were mostly negative (even disastrous), there were some positive effects. The chief benefit of the first revolution was that the Russian Orthodox Church was set free from the prison it had been forced to inhabit for well over a century as a department of the imperial government. Although this freedom was brief (the Soviets used the same model to return the Church to an as-it-were slavery), much was accomplished for the sake of the future.

The patriarchate had been restored. Although there was a period of extreme pain, the patriarchate returned step-by-step to the sense of "symphony" with the government which it eventually came fully to experience again, but with greater freedom and independence than had been possible for many centuries. At the end of the Russian Empire, the Russian Orthodox Church

 not only had tens of thousands of churches, and over a thousand monasteries, in its own territory, using Slavonic and a ‘standard’ 
 practice also taught in the seminaries and academies ; there were dozens of missions to tribes of many languages, as well as 
 extensive foreign missions, including that to North America.  Each of these served in the local language, generated liturgical 
 and catechetical material in these languages, and recruited and trained local indigenous clergy.
 (Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), The Orthodox Church in America)

The government of the Church herself was returned to canonical norms. She was enabled to act more authentically as the Church. The normal educational and evangelical activities of the Church (together with the care of the needy and the ill) began again to appear, even though this was often accomplished surreptitiously. For several decades, martyrdom of the Faithful became the regular experience of the Church. Nevertheless, as always, the blood of the martyrs brought freshening life to the Church. The acts of the All-Russian Council of 1917-1918 became a standard towards which not only the Russian Church tended, but so also did her missionary children abroad (some of whom became so because of exile), and so also did other Orthodox Churches throughout the world. This is so simply because the decisions re-enforced the canonical standard by which the Church normally lives out her life everywhere. Thus, in Canada, the USA and Mexico, the parishes and dioceses of the Church have tended to try use these decisions as a pattern by which to organise Orthodox Christian life locally.

Development of the Ukrainian Orthodox movement in Canada

For some time, relations between the Ukrainian Uniats and the Latin Catholic hierarchy had been deteriorating in Canada (and also in the USA). This was mainly because the Ukrainians sought – and were unable to obtain – a guarantee that their own bishop and clergy (and therefore parishes as well) would remain Ukrainian in culture (identity) and language. The perceived threat to their identity led many to incline towards the Orthodox Christian Faith. Indeed, very many people who had emigrated from Eastern Europe had already entered the Orthodox Church through the missionary activities of the clergy of the Russian Mission in Canada. All were quite aware of the strong positive appeal of the Orthodox Christian Faith, and of the benefits that had arisen in the USA through the missionary work of Protopresbyter Alexis Toth.

Protopresbyter Alexis Toth

This was not the only reason that Ukrainian Catholics began to consider returning to the Orthodox Christian Church. Many, aware of their history in Europe, were ready to embrace their original mother. That is, they were aware that in Eastern Europe, in the regions of Eastern Poland, Lithuania and Galicia in particular, the Orthodox Christian Faith had existed from the 10th and 11th centuries until the forced Union of Brest-Litovsk in 1595-1596. After that date, the Orthodox Faithful were forced into a union with the Roman Catholic Church, and their way of worship was either greatly adjusted and “latinised”, or replaced. Leaders of this developing movement of returning to the Orthodox Church were Osip Megas, Wasyl Swystun, Myroslaw Stechyshyn and A T Kibzey.

In December, 1917, a second “Ukrainian National Congress” had met to discuss these questions. Then, on 19 July, 1918, at a secret meeting of the Ukrainian intelligentsia in Saskatoon, 150 delegates unanimously agreed to an independent Ukrainian “Orthodox” Church of Canada, for which purpose they organised the Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox Brotherhood of Canada. This meeting had consisted mostly of disenchanted lay Ukrainian Greek Catholics from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Parish development, 1917

In 1917, All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox parish was established in Kaleland, Alberta ; Saint Nicholas Temple was established at Desjarlais (northeast of Edmonton), Alberta ; Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox parish was established in Winnipeg, Manitoba ; Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church was constructed in Hamilton, Ontario.

Year 1918 : turmoil and confusion come to North America after the 1917 revolution ; influenza epidemic

In October, 1918, the Ukrainian Brotherhood announced the opening of a seminary in Saskatoon. The Brotherhood asked Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) to take them under his omophor temporarily, until such a time as it could locate an ethnic Ukrainian bishop. In fact, on a visit to Winnipeg in 1917, Bishop Alexander had made the observation that he was himself a Ukrainian by virtue of his place of birth (Volyn Province).

Influenza, 1918-1919

In 1918, with the return of soldiers to Canada after the conclusion of World War I (11 November, 1918), there arrived also an H1N1 influenza virus, popularly named "Spanish Flu". Particularly during 1918-1919 (and to a lesser extent until about 1925), this virus raised havoc throughout the country because so many people died (mostly from the pneumonia which followed it). About 50,000 Canadians died from this virus, which, because of its wide spread, became known as a "pandemic" (it affected millions of people throughout the world). Parishes throughout the country were affected. In particular, a large number of young men and women died ; this situation severely affected both rural and urban families and parishes.

Establishment of the Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox Church of Canada (UGOCC) Sobor, 1918

A council (sobor) of the newly-formed Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox Church of Canada (UGOCC) was called for 28 December, 1918, but Bishop Alexander was unable to attend.

In the context of the chaos brought on by the Russian Revolution, the disintegration of the Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America into separate ethnic jurisdictions began. It is necessary to note, however, that not all Orthodox Christian parishes in Canada were under the Russian mission’s omophor prior to the revolution. At least 4 Greek and 6 of the 10 Romanian parishes in the country were not.

The Romanians were under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Moldavia, but otherwise co-operated closely with the Russian Mission and turned to it for ordinations.

In 1918, there were some 64 parishes and 47 clergy in Canada under the omophor of the Russian Mission. These included 2 Serbian, 1 Bulgarian, 2 Syrian and 4 Romanian parishes. The remainder were either Russian or Ukrainian.

At that time, the Canadian diocese was divided into 4 deaneries.

For some years after 1918, in the wake of the departure to the USA of Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky), the Diocese of Canada lacked a resident bishop.

Parish development, 1918

During this year, 1918, the Greek Orthodox Community of Holy Trinity in Thunder Bay, Ontario, was established ; Holy Trinity Bukowinian Orthodox parish was established in Ottawa, Ontario ; Saint Michael the Archangel Temple was established in Winnipeg, Manitoba ; Saint John Ukrainian Orthodox Institute was established in Edmonton, Alberta.

Second All-American Sobor

The Second All-American Sobor (Assembly) of the (Russian) Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America was scheduled to be convened in 1918, but the post-revolution financial crisis delayed the assembly. Moreover, there was the matter of clarifying who was now the ruling bishop. The sobor was delayed until early 1919.

Years 1919-1920

The Second All-American Sobor was finally able to assemble on 25-28 February, 1919, in Cleveland, Ohio. This meeting dealt primarily with the local consequences in North America of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia. At this time, Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) was chosen to be the ruling archbishop. His election was confirmed by Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) in September of 1920.

At the Second All-American Sobor, Bishop Alexander, who had originally consented to take the UGOCC under his protection, faced considerable opposition to doing so, notably from the pro-Russian Carpatho-Rusyns who were very numerous in the north-eastern USA. The opposition had in part to do with the fact that the Carpatho-Rusyns themselves did not have a distinct diocese such as was being proposed for the Ukrainians (themselves numbering many Rusyns from various areas of Galicia).

As a consequence of the decisions of this meeting, and of other pressure, in September, 1919, Archbishop Alexander wrote in a pastoral letter that “Ukrainians are not a separate people and not a nation, but only one of the Russian political parties”. This statement, needless to say, offended the UGOCC leaders, who then broke off their relationship with the Russian Mission. They began to look elsewhere for hierarchical protection.

Second UGOCC Sobor, 1919

The UGOCC found the desired hierarchical protection in the person of a certain Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadeh), Metropolitan of Seleucia (Maaloula, Baalbek and Zahlé) in Syria (in the Ottoman Empire), a bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch. He was at that time in the process of founding his own eparchy in North America against the wishes of his patriarch (Patriarch Gregory IV (Haddad)).

Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadeh)

On 27 November, 1919, while he was present during the Second Sobor (assembly) of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadeh) took the UGOCC temporarily under his omophor.

In 1919, in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War in Russia, Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky returned to the USA, this time as a refugee.

Parish development, 1919

In 1919, Saint John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox parish was established at Shell Valley (north of Lennard and Russel, on Highway #1), Manitoba.

Parish development, 1920

In 1920, Saint Peter and Paul’s Romanian Orthodox parish (originally founded in 1903) was established at Canora (north of Yorkton), Saskatchewan ; Holy Trinity parish was established at Thorsby (southwest of [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/edmonton Edmonton), Alberta.

In Yorkton, Saskatchewan, a rooming-house was purchased on Betts Avenue in Yorkton. A few rooms were appropriated for Ukrainian Cultural Studies and related functions. One room was used for worship. Priest S Hrebeniuk performed the first church service there.  

Year 1921, Third UGOCC Sobor ; Year 1922

In November, 1921, at the UGOCC’s Third Sobor (assembly), it was decided to enter into communion with the self-proclaimed Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which was based on the so-called “Alexandrian” method of ordination (a euphemism for the ordination of a bishop by the presbyters in the absence of an ordaining hierarch). This method was and is rejected by most Orthodox Christians. Archbishop John (Theodorovych), who had just been ordained in the “Alexandrian” manner, arrived in the USA from Ukraine, and he soon became the head of the UGOCC.

The America Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was founded in 1921 (and officially recognised by the State of New York in 1922). Its beginning was under the omophor of the Archbishop of Athens, Greece, Meletios (Metaxakis). However, soon afterwards, when Archbishop Meletios became Patriarch Meletios (Metaxakis) of Constantinople, it was transferred to the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Parish development, 1921

In 1921, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, the group of people who had established in 1920 the House for Ukrainian Cultural studies purchased another lot, on First Avenue. From re-used materials, they built a building for Ukrainian Orthodox religious and cultural needs, which they named “Ukrainian Reading Society”. They also established the Holy Transfiguration Parish of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada.

Year 1922

On 11 May, 1922, the recently-enthroned Patriarch Meletius (previously Archbishop of Athens) revoked the decree of 1908, and he organised the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. At that time, he appointed Bishop Alexander (Demoglou), Titular Bishop of Rodostolou, to be his Patriarchal Exarch in North and South America.

In 1922, the enormous difficulties resulting from the Russian Revolution proved to be too much for Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky). Despite his courageous efforts to lead the North American Archdiocese under these most difficult circumstances, he had become overwhelmed by the situation. in addition to the political and ethnic struggles within his diocese, he also had to cope with the greatly increasing Church debt that developed as a result of the loss of funds from the Russian Church. He felt that he was forced to mortgage Church property in order to pay the creditors. He decided that, for the good of the Church, he would remove himself as ruling hierarch. He subsequently departed to Europe. Upon leaving, he asked Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) to take over the administration of the Archdiocese of North America. Archbishop Platon had previously served as archbishop of the diocese from 1907 to 1914.

Third All-American Sobor, name-change for the North American diocese, 1922

The choice of Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) was ratified by the Third All-American Sobor held 7-9 November, 1922, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The final approval from Patriarch Tikhon arrived a year later.

At the time of the 1922 election, he was the first to be given the title “Metropolitan of All America and Canada”.

Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

Division

However, Bishop Stephen (Dzubay) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a former Uniat priest, opposed the appointment of Archbishop Platon, and he declared himself to be “acting head” of the archdiocese. He was already Bishop of Pittsburgh, and senior Vicar-Bishop to Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky). He did not accept Patriarch Tikhon’s oral appointment of Archbishop Platon as being authentic and authoritative because it was not in writing. He therefore followed what he considered to be the usual practice under “normal” circumstances.

On 26 October, Bishop Stephen and a certain Bishop Gorazd (Pavlik) of Moravia and Silesia in Czechoslovakia ordained Archimandrite Adam Philipovsky) to be Bishop of Winnipeg and Canada.

Bishop Adam (Philipovsky)

Bishop Adam (Philipovsky) functioned rather irregularly as a bishop over the next 4 years, after which he went to the USA to head a group of independent Carpatho-Russian parishes. (He returned to the descendant of the Russian Mission in 1935, but in 1943, he submitted himself to the Exarch of the Moscow Patriarchate in North America, Bishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov). It was largely because of the activity of Bishop Adam that some parishes in Alberta and Saskatchewan later joined the Russian Exarchate.)

Establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, 1922

In 1922, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was established (the incorporation was made in 1921) and recognised by the State of New York. In this year, the Patriarch of Constantinople took the Greek Orthodox Faithful in North and South America away from the Church of Greece, and placed it under his own omophor. In 1922, the Patriarch of Constantinople Patriarch Meletius IV (Metaxakis) assigned Archbishop Alexander (Demoglou) to serve as the first archbishop.

Renovationists establish the “Living Church” in the USSR, 1922 ; Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky), 1923

In 1922, in the Soviet Union, a splinter group known as the “Living Church” (“Renovationist Church”) gained official state recognition in place of the canonical Russian Orthodox Church.

On 16 June, 1922, Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) (formerly Archbishop of North America) officially joined the Renovationist movement in the Soviet Union, and he became “episcopal” leader of the movement for a short time.

Parish development, 1922

In 1922, the Temple of Saint Andrew the First-Called was established in Edson (west of Edmonton), Alberta ; the Temple of Saint John the Baptist was established in Vegreville (east of Edmonton), Alberta.

Year 1923

In February, 1923, Bishop Apollinary (Koshevoy) arrived in the USA from Jerusalem (by that time, part of the “British Mandate for Palestine”).

Bishop Apollinary (Koshevoy)

In September, 1923, Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow confirmed the assignment of Metropolitan Platon to the Church in North America.

Renovationist schism arrived in North America, 1923

In 1923, former priest John (Ioann) S Kedrovsky participated in the Renovationist Assembly in Moscow. The Renovationist (or “Living”) Church was a political and secular schism from the canonical Orthodox Christian Church, which was orchestrated by the atheist-communist government of what was now the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). By mid-October, he had been “ordained” a bishop and then elevated to the dignity of “metropolitan”, and he was sent to North America by the foreign department of the Renovationist church administration. His presence then brought about considerable turmoil, confusion and disruption of Church life in North America. In part, as an agent of the USSR, he attempted to wrest the ownership of parishes from the local parishioners and to transfer the ownership and the parishioners to the “Living Church”. Such an activity gave the government of the Soviet Union a base of influence in North America, and certain clergy and other persons co-operated with this.

The government of the USA did not comprehend clearly the situation, nor did the judicial system. The cunning machinations of the renovationists, with fiscal support from the USSR, brought about the forced transfer to the renovationists of some properties from the North American Diocese of the Church of Russia. As one of the consequences, Archpriest Leonid Turkevich and his family were evicted onto the street in New York City.

Although it had begun to occur already after 1919, it was after 1923 that Ukrainian Orthodox parishes began more rapidly to be established. Very often these communities were constructed quite near pre-existing parishes that belonged either to the "Russian Mission", or to the Romanian Orthodox Church. Two examples of this occurred in 1923, one in Edmonton, Alberta, and one in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It would be the case again in 2 years in Montréal, and in 3 years in Toronto.

Parish development, 1923 

In 1923, at Kayville, Saskatchewan, Holy Trinity Parish was formally established outside the village. It had been informally organised in 1915.

On 17 September, 1923, Saint Mary’s (Dormition) Ukrainian Orthodox Church was organised at South Slawa, (northeast of Vegreville and of Myrnam), Alberta.

In 1923, Saint Mary the Protectress Temple (UOGCC) was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba ; Saint John the Baptist Temple (UGOCC) was founded in Edmonton, Alberta.

Situation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1923

In 1923, the Orthodox Church in Canada was facing significant challenges.

Abroad, the situation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was passing through a difficult period as well. This year followed the end of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Turkish_War_(1919%E2%80%931922) Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).

This included the Turkish delegation's demand at the subsequent Lausanne Peace Conference that the Ecumenical Patriarchate be removed from Turkey, and also internal schisms amongst various Orthodox ethnic groups.

It was in this year that the infamous exchange of populations occurred between Turkey and Greece. Following the Treaty of Lausanne, the Greek-speakers in Turkey were expelled to Greece, and the Muslim Turks in Greece were expelled to Turkey. As a consequence, there were many who emigrated to Canada (and to the USA, and Western Europe).

The Ecumenical Patriarch was under house arrest, and the Turkish delegation proposed a compromise to remove the Patriarchate from Turkey, preferably to Mount Athos. The Turkish delegation's proposal was met with resistance, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate remained in Constantinople. However, it was stripped of all political and administrative authority. This state of affairs affected the Greek-speaking newcomers to North America, and particularly in Canada.

Moreover, it was during this year that Patriarch Meletius IV (Metaxakis) convened a conference, during which the Revised Julian (New) Calendar was imposed on many Orthodox Christian countries, a move which resulted in various schisms.

[End of Part I ]

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