Archimandrite Gregory (Moiseyevsky)
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Archimandrite Gregory (Moiseyevsky) 1896-1993
Gregory may be spelt Grigoriy.
George may be spelt Georges, Georgi.
Moiseyevsky may be spelt Moiseevsky, Moiseevskiy.
Early years of George Moiseyevsky
On 13 March, 1896, George Moiseyevsky was born to Basil and Matrona Moiseyevsky in Kortilisy, in Volyn’ Oblast, in the Russian Empire, in what is now Ukraine. George Moiseyevsky had 4 brothers and 2 sisters, from whom he was separated after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Not long after the birth of George, the Moiseyevsky family moved to Vladimirovo, near Novgorod, where the young boy attended church services and began his schooling. His love for God and desire to serve the Holy Church was evident from his youth and it was noticed by the local clergy.
Already at the age of 8, George was given the responsibility of ringing the church bell.
After finishing school, George began working as a mailman for the railway.
Exile, 1923
As a result of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the fall of the Russian Empire, and the following civil war (1919-1923), George, like millions of other Russian refuges, found himself outside his fatherland.
In 1924, George was now in the Caribbean, in Cuba, and working on the land.
In 1931, George was able to move to France. There, after completing electrician’s courses, he began to work for a living as an electrician. George gave all his free time to the Church.
At the beginning of 1946, after 17 years in France, George moved to England, where Archimandrite Vitaly (Ustinov) and his small monastic brotherhood were stationed.
Monastic tonsure, 1947
George entered the brotherhood as a novice, and he was later tonsured a monk. He was given the name Gregory.
Ordinations
Soon after his monastic tonsure, the Monk Gregory (Moiseyevsky) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate, then to the Holy Priesthood.
Monastic and pastoral obediences ; move to Brazil ; move to Canada, 1952
In 1951-1952, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) transferred the newly-ordained Bishop Vitaly and his monastic brotherhood to Brazil, where they continued their mission of gathering the Russian community around the Church, while they also printed and disseminated spiritual literature.
In 1954, Bishop Vitaly was transferred by the Synod of Bishops, and he was assigned to Canada where he was assigned to be the Bishop of Edmonton and Western Canada. His monastic brotherhood moved with him.
While Vladyka Vitaly was there, he established a small monastic community in Wildwood, Alberta, not far from Edson. There was yet another small hermitage established near Smoky Lake.
Winnipeg, 1957
In 1957, the Hieromonk Gregory was assigned to be the rector of the Church of the Resurrection in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he served for almost 12 years.
With this assignment, he had become a monastic parish priest.
In 1968, the Hieromonk Gregory (Moiseyevsky) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.
Ottawa, 1969
Between 1969 and 1970, Archimandrite Gregory served as the rector of the Protection of the Mother of God parish in Ottawa, Ontario.
Toronto, 1970
In 1970, Archimandrite Gregory was assigned to serve as the rector of the Holy Resurrection parish in Toronto, Ontario.
Edmonton, 1972
In 1972, Archimandrite Gregory was transferred to Edmonton, Alberta, and he was assigned to serve in Saint Vladimir’s Church.
Dean of Alberta parishes
Later, he was also given the responsibility to serve as the dean of all the ROCOR parishes in Alberta.
In his work, Father Gregory dedicated himself completely to God and to the Church. He filled in for sick and absent priests ; he visited the faithful in the far corners of Alberta and British Columbia ; he never left a dying person without communing them with the Holy Mysteries. Along with celebrating the regular Divine Services, which he tried to do as often as possible, Father Gregory spent much of his time praying, often late into the night.
In the beginning of the 1980s, Father Gregory’s eyesight began to fail. To make it possible for him to continue serving the Divine Liturgy, a special service book with a large type face was published by the Brotherhood of Saint Job of Pochaev in Montréal. Nevertheless, Father Gregory’s eyesight continued to fail.
Disability ; retirement, 1987
By 1987, Father Gregory was no longer physically able to officiate at the church services.
Because of his failing health, after 1989, Father Gregory spent the last 4 years of his life in a nursing home.
He had spent the last 10 years of his life earnestly searching for his lost siblings, now that it had become more possible, but to no avail.
Repose, 1993
Archimandrite Gregory (Moiseyevsky) fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 96, on 21 October, 1993. This is day when the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Pelagia (8 October on the Old Calendar).
His funeral service was conducted on 23 October, 1993, with the participation of the parishioners and spiritual children of the reposed. With the blessing of Metropolitan Vitaly, Archimandrite Gregory’s funeral was performed according to the Service of the Burial of a Priest. Father George Primak and the Hieromonks John (Hess) and Bartholomew (Vorobiev) presided at the service.
After the funeral service, the reposed was taken to the Holy Protection Monastery near Bluffton, Alberta, where his body was interred in the monastery cemetery.
On 21 October, 2013, the 20th anniversary of the repose of Archimandrite Gregory Moiseyevsky was marked. He had been a priest of the Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for over 40 years. He had served in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton. He was a bright example of humility and simplicity. A teacher of young people, a lover of church services, the Church-Slavonic language, church music, he was a man of prayer as well as a true pastor to many faithful members of the Canadian ROCOR diocese. Saint Paul’s words, “remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God” (Hebrews 13:7) motivate prayers for the reposed servant of God, Archimandrite Gregory.
The main source of information about Archimandrite Gregory (Moiseyevsky) is an article by the Priest George Primak in “Pravoslavnaia Rus’”.
Reference
Primak, George, ‘20th Anniversary of the Repose of Archimandrite Gregory Moiseevsky’, in “Pravoslavnaia Rus’”, no. 6 (1994), p. 13.
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