Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev)

Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) (1869-1953)

Antoniy may be spelt Anthony, Antonios, Antonii.

Early life of Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev

On 13 August, 1869, Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev was born in Mogilev, in the Mogilev Governorate of the Russian Empire. This city and region are now part of Byelorus (Belarus).

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

In 1886, Andrei Alexandrovich was admitted to the Mogilev district of Byelorusian Railways, where he worked in various positions.

Marriage

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

Higher education

In 1914, while he was in the civil service, he entered and took courses in the Moscow Archaeological Institute in Moscow. When he graduated from the Institute, he defended a thesis about Russian Ecclesiastical Art. By this time, he was about 40 years old.

Exile, 1920

In 1920, Andrei Alexandrovich went into exile, and he emigrated with his family to Bulgaria.

Soon afterwards, he and his family moved to France. The majority of people who moved to France in their exile settled in Paris.

Bereavement, 1935

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

Move to Canada, 1936

In 1936, Andrei Alexandrovich emigrated to Canada, where he settled in Toronto, Ontario.

Monastic tonsure, 1936

In 1936, Andrei Alexandrovich Vasiliev was tonsured to be a monk at Christ the Saviour Church in Toronto. He was given the name Antoniy.

Ordinations, 1936

In 1936, the Monk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and then to the Holy Priesthood in Toronto, Ontario. It is likely that he was ordained by Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov).

Pastoral service

In 1936, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to serve in Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox parish in Toronto, Ontario.

Christ the Saviour Temple, Toronto

In 1938, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred by Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was assigned to serve as the rector of the Holy Resurrection Temple.

Holy Resurrection Temple, Vancouver

In 1940, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred by Bishop Joasaph (Skorodumov) to Windsor, Ontario, where he was assigned to serve as the rector of the parish of Saint John the Divine.

Saint John the Divine Temple, Windsor

In 1940, Hieromonk Antoniy (Vasiliev) was elevated to the dignity of Igumen.

Transfer to USA, 1941

On 3 December, 1941, Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of all America and Canada assigned Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) to serve as rector of the Transfiguration parish in Stubenville, Ohio.

However, Igumen Antoniy was not soon able to take up this assignment, because it took a long time to receive a visa to enter and serve in the USA.

He therefore remained in Windsor until 1943.

Move to the Russian Exarchate, 1944

In July, 1944, Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) was reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church through the Russian Exarchate of North America, which at that time was led by Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov).

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

From 18 July until November, 1947, Metropolitan Grigory (Chukov) of Leningrad was in the USA as the authorised representative of Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky). (Metropolitan Grigoriy had already been in Paris, France, on a similar mission following the repose of Metropolitan Evlogiy (Georgievsky).) Metropolitan Grigoriy had been sent with the purpose to discuss with Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky) "conditions for reunification of his orientation" with the Russian Orthodox Church. This attempted conversation was in part in the wake of the decisions of the 7th All-American Sobor of 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio.

It is to be kept in mind that, as A P Liberovsky wrote : "At the Seventh Sobor, the Metropolia’s pain in her estrangement from the Church of Russia and her ardent wish to see this division healed were clearly evident. However, the North American Church also expressed a vision to continue her unencumbered development as charted by previous councils and foreseen by the early North American missionaries". This correct statement refers to the labours of many missionaries, and in particular to the life and work of Saint Tikhon (Belavin) from the time when he served as a missionary bishop in North America.

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

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

Bishop of Montreal and Canada (MP), 1947

On 5 November, 1947, according to the decree of Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky), Igumen Antoniy (Vasiliev) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

He was then ordained to the Holy Episcopate.

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

Episcopal service

On 5 November, 1947, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to serve as Bishop of Montréal and Canada (Moscow Patriarchate).

However, at that time, there was no parish in Montréal that belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate (although there were some parishes in Western Canada.

Moreover, in September, 1947, the newly-ordained Bishop of Montréal (of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America), Bishop Anthony (Tereshchenko) had suddenly and unexpectedly reposed in Christ in Montréal, Québec.

Bishop of San Francisco and California (MP), 1947

Later in 1947, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was transferred, and he was assigned to serve as the Bishop of San Francisco and the Diocese of California (Moscow Patriarchate).

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, San Francisco

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

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

Transfer to the USSR, 1952

On 4 June, 1952, Bishop Antoniy arrived in Moscow, and he was received by Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky).

Retirement, 1952

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

At first he served various Temples in Moscow.

On 18 July, 1952, on the Feast-day of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, he visited the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra.

Soon afterwards, Bishop Antoniy (Vasiliev) was assigned to live in Odessa, Ukraine, in the Holy Dormition Monastery.

Holy Dormition Monastery, Odessa

There, where he peacefully spent the days of his life, he prayed ; he read, and he attended services in the Odessa Temples and at the Odessa Theological Seminary, where he loved to talk with both mentors and students.

Repose, 1953

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

On 19 December, 1953, a Panikhida (Memorial Service) was served at the Holy Dormition Catholicon of the monastery.

On 20 December, 1952, the Memorial Divine Liturgy was served in the Holy Dormition Catholicon of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa, followed by the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Hierarch.

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

Holy Dormition Monastery Catholicon, Odessa

Holy Dormition Monastery Cemetery, Odessa

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

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

— Former Bishop of San Francisco 1952-1953.

Reflections

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

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

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

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

References

Russian Wikipedia biography

Drevo Open Orthodox Encyclpaedia biography

Russian Religious Leaders Abroad : Bishop Antony (Vasiliev)

Additional information :

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

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

Lavinskaya, O V & Lyashenko, K G, associate compilers of “Letters of Patriarch Alexius I to the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council of the People’s Comissars – the Council of Ministers of the USSR 1945-1970”

(Lemeshevsky), Metropolitan Manuel, “Russian Orthodox Hierarchs 1893-1965”, 6 vols. (Moscow : Sretensky Monastery, 2002-2004). ASIN : B071HNCDRG.

Orlova, Yu G, ‘Letters 1954-1970’ in “Russian Political Encyclopedia”

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

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

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

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

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

Biographical reference in "Academics", Russian Academic Dictionary

State Archives of the Russian Federation : History of Russia 19th-21st Centuries

List of Clergy on the web-site of Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver, British Columbia

Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin)

Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky)

Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky)

Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov)