Bishop John (Mitropolsky)

Bishop John (Mitropolsky) (1836-1914)

John may be spelt Ioann, Ivan.

Early life of Stephan Mitropolsky

On 27 September, 1836, Stephan Mitropolsky was born in the Kaluga Governorate of the Russian Empire. He was born into the family of a sexton. The names of his parents are not available.

Stephan was raised by his family as an Orthodox Christian within the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church. He received the customary primary and secondary education in his home town.

Higher education

Stephan Mitropolsky studied at the Kaluga Seminary, from which he graduated.

Then, in 1858 he entered the Moscow Theological Academy in Moscow, from which he graduated in 1862 with a candidate of theology degree.

In graduating from the Moscow Academy, he was in the first category, 3rd master of the 23rd (1858-1862).

Monastic tonsure

On 29 August, 1961, during the course of his studies, Stephan Mitropolsky was tonsured to be a monk. At that time, he was given the name Ioann (John).

Ordinations, 1962

On 21 June, 1862, the Monk Ioann (Mitropolsky) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate.

On 29 June, 1862, the Hierodeacon Ioann (Mitropolsky) was ordained the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service

On 28 September, 1862, Hieromonk Ioann received a master's degree in theology.

Then, Hieromonk Ioann taught at the Moscow Theological Academy, first in the department of Church Archeology.

From 11 January, 1863, Hieromonk Ioann (Mitropolsky) taught in the Department of General Church History.

On 17 May, 1864, Hieromonk Ioann was assigned to serve as assistant librarian of the Moscow Academy.

From 26 September, 1864, Hieromonk Ioann was assigned to serve in the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery’s sobor of the “Don Icon of the Mother of God”.

In 1862, Hieromonk Ioann published his work, “On Christian Virginity”. This work testified to his knowledge of patristic literature, not only in Russian translations, but also in the original Latin and Greek languages. In this work, he gave an apology regarding virginity as a New Testament virtue. Moreover, he considered the main objections against it, including those medical literature, and the distortions of Christian ideal of virginity in various parties and sects.

On 27 October, 1868, Hieromonk Ioann (Mitropolsky) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

On 3 May, 1869, Archimandrite Ioann (Mitropolsky) was assigned to serve as Assistant Inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy. Then, from 31 January until 20 June, 1870, he was given the responsibility of Inspector.

During this period of service, Archimandrite Ioann wrote his well-known work, a review of the acts of the Ecumenical Councils on the basis of the sources most used in the study of this topic. He used primarily the works of the ancient church historians Eusebius, Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, and Bishop Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and publications on this topic by K Y Gefele, and others. The first issue of this work, devoted to the First to Third Councils, was published in Moscow in 1871.

In 1867, the government of the Russian Empire decided to sell Russian America (Alaska) to the USA. This event ended the direct connexion between Russian America and the Russian Imperial resources, and it changed the nature of the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America.

Diocese of Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka) and the “Russian Mission”

In 1870, Bishop Paul (Popov) was succeeded in Alaska by Bishop John (Mitropolsky), who had been assigned to serve as his successor.

On 5 July, 1870, the Archimandrite Ioann (Mitropolsky) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate. Bishop John (Mitropolsky) was then assigned to be the first ruling hierarch of the newly formed Diocese of Novo-Arkhangelsk and the Aleutian Islands. Its see city was Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka).

When he had arrived in North America, Bishop John (Ioann) was accompanied by his brother, Nicholas Egorevich Mitropolsky. Nicholas Egorevich and his wife later had a son, Nicholas Nikolaievich Mitropolsky ; and later, both father and son served the Orthodox Church in North America as priests.

By the time of his arrival in Sitka, Bishop John found it to be already in the process of destruction and depopulation. In some ways, the situation was not unlike what would follow much later both in Russia and in North America, after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Therefore, he soon presented a request to the Most Holy Synod of the Church of Russia to make the move of the diocesan centre away from Sitka, very likely with the understanding that the Faithful in all the parts of Alaska would be able to be cared for from a stronger and more financially viable population centre, such as San Francisco, California. This city, along with other mainland USA centres, had already begun to experience immigration of Orthodox Christians from Eastern European and Mediterranean countries.

Because of the deterioration of the overall situation of the Church in Alaska, Bishop John faced many difficulties in that territory, and not many of his attempts to further the missionary work there were fruitful.

In Belkovsky, a village on the far western tip of the Alaska Peninsula, Bishop John blessed the construction of a new chapel. Then, in 1875, it was separated from the Unalaksa parish, and it became known as the Temple of the Holy Resurrection, Belkovsky.

In Sitka, where besides Saint Michael's Cathedral, there was also the Holy Trinity Temple, Bishop John became aware quickly that there was no longer a sufficient population either of Russians or of Tlingits to support the existence of this Temple. Therefore, in 1872, he directed that this building be dismantled (it could not be left abandoned, since this would inevitably bring the vandalisation and profanation of a holy place).

In 1871, Bishop John transferred both the diocesan administration and the missionary school to San Francisco. There, up to 16 pupils received instruction. The bishop taught the Holy Scriptures and Slavonic Language. Until 1873, there was also a Saturday school for the children of parishioners.

In 1872, he received approval of the move of the diocesan administration, mission school, and of the episcopal see from Sitka to San Francisco.

In 1872, with the move of the see to San Francisco, Bishop John initiated the construction of the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at 915, Jackson Street.

Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, 1872

In 1873, Bishop John obtained permission for the construction of a new Temple of the Holy Resurrection in Kodiak, Alaska. The previous building had become decrepit because of age and weather, and it had to be replaced.

In 1874, Bishop John completed the move of the Temple of Saint Alexander to a larger building on Pierce Street in San Francisco. This structure was designed to accommodate not only the cathedral Temple, but also the bishop's residence. These were the ancestors of the Holy Trinity Cathedral which would be established later.

In 1874, the new staff of the cathedral clergy was approved. The organisation, “Greek, Russian, Slavonian Orthodox Eastern Church and Benevolent Society” (Greek-Russian-Slavic Orthodox Eastern Church and charity) bought the land for the cemetery, which was then sanctified.

There was a lack of clergy ; and in 1875, 4 singers of the Slavic choir who arrived in San Francisco, who had studied in theological seminaries, were ordained by Bishop John to the Holy Priesthood. The English language began to be introduced into worship services.

In 1875, a Gospel Book was presented by the Ambassador of the Russian Empire to the USA to Bishops University in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Québec. This Gospel Book is in the archives of that university, and has occasionally been on display. The inscription, dated 1875, is written by Tsar Alexander II. The emperor expressed his gratitude for the hospitality that was given through the use of the university chapel that had been provided to the priest for services for Syrian immigrants from the Ottoman Empire who settled in that region. The precise length of this service to the recently-arrived Syrians, who the Syrians were, and what became of them is unknown ; but the presentation of the Gospel Book suggests that 1875 marked approximately the conclusion of the series of services provided for them from the USA. This arrangement would necessarily have been made with the knowledge and blessing of Bishop John. Any arrival of Syrians in Canada at such an early date implies that they may have fled the Druze-Maronite clashes in the Syrian region of the Ottoman Empire during the previous decade. That the immigrants of that period are perhaps now impossible to find suggests that either they simply moved elsewhere in Canada and became assimilated into Canadian society at that time, or they moved to another country. For instance, at that time, South America was an appealing destination for many Syrian emigrants.

Having studied church history in his academy days, Bishop John had developed a concept for his missionary work in North America that would convey the truths of Orthodox Christianity to the heterodox in North America.

With his fluency in the English language he used a scholarly approach to argue the truths of Orthodoxy and to defend them. He was able to debate the heterodox in the press, and his accomplishments are recorded in his book, "About the History of Sects in America". He gave attention in general to the main directions of American Protestantism, and he gave an overview of Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians. He also published 3 sermons in English, and he translated into English and printed the “Akathist to the Saviour”.

Bishop John maintained a positive overall disposition that he demonstrated towards the work of bringing the Orthodox Christian Faith to North Americans. However, he outlined the challenges that faced any missionary in America then (and now), in a letter to his homeland in 1871 :

 They attend temples of all confessions equally, if only the organ is good, the singing is good or the sermon 
 is good.  The church service is a spectacle for them, and they are calculating where it is more pleasant for 
 them to spend half an hour or an hour of their free time.  

About the responsibility of the Bishop of San Francisco, Professor S Kazansky of the Moscow Theological Academy in 1914 reported that when Bishop John had been proposed to become the Bishop of San Francisco, Bishop John had commented that :

 The post of bishop in San Francisco is more diplomatic than pastoral, and the representative of our Church there 
 should possess, if not scholarship, then secular dexterity and influence [...].

He had considered himself to be unworthy of the responsibility, but when he embraced it, he fulfilled both the challenging pastoral and diplomatic aspects of his office well.

On 12 April, 1877, the time of service of Bishop John (Mitropolsky) in North America came to an end when he was transferred and assigned to the staff of the office of the Most Holy Synod in Moscow, Russia.

About this period, Archimandrite Sebastian (Dabovich) wrote :

 In the summer of 1870, San Francisco parishioners were granted the joyous opportunity of seeing two Orthodox bishops.  As far as I 
 can remember, it happened in September, when the newly-ordained Bishop John (Mitropolsky) arrived from Europe via New York.  At the 
 same time, the Right Reverend Paul, the last Vicar Bishop of New Archangel in the far-flung Amur Diocese, was leaving America for 
 Siberia from San Francisco.  
 
 In 1871, the Alaskan Spiritual Consistory, which is still in existence, was established in San Francisco.  At the same time the bishop's 
 school was transferred here from Sitka.  In that year, the Russian Temple in San Francisco occupied a more suitable space than before, 
 at 915 Jackson Street.  The bishop took up residence in the same house.  
 
 From the time of the arrival of the Right Reverend John, priests, after his example, began to proclaim the word of truth to the flock 
 in San Francisco.  A Saturday school for the children of parishioners was opened where they were taught the Catechism and the Russian 
 language.  Here, under this bishop served : Archpriest Paul Kedrolivansky, as Reader and later Deacon and Priest ; Nicholas Mitropolsky 
 (Vladyka's brother) ; Deacon Michael Netzvetov ; Deacon Basil Shishkin ; Reader Moses Salamatov ; Priest N Kovrigin ; Deacon M Salamatov ; 
 Deacon Basil Kashevarov and Reader Peter Kashevarov.  Michael Vladimirov was choir director and singing teacher.  He also taught 
 mathematics at the school.  Besides the clergymen that taught at the school, Vladyka himself also had seven classes a week, in Holy 
 Scripture and the Slavonic language.  A native Greek, Dimitrios Frankiades, from the University of Athens, was teacher of the Greek and 
 English languages.  
 
 At the time of the Right Reverend John, as many as sixteen pupils studied at the bishop's school in San Francisco.  Of that number, five 
 are now serving in various positions in the local diocese.  The Right Reverend John loved his school, one might say, with a singular love.
 
 The Temple on Jackson Street was small : it was located in two rooms with sliding doors.  It was named for the Holy Orthodox Prince 
 Alexander Nevsky.  The iconostasis for this church and the majority of vessels, vestments, liturgical books and other items 
 had been donated by His Imperial Highness, the Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich, from one of the ships of the Russian Navy.  What was yet 
 lacking for hierarchical services, was supplied by the reserves of St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Sitka.  In 1873 the bishop's 
 church with all its various institutions was moved to another part of town, to the west, and namely to the huge house of Mr. Casebolt on 
 Pierce Street between Vallejo and Green Streets (Green street was not yet laid out then), near the military base and Fort Presidio.  
 Members of the clergy lived, as usual, in private apartments, with the exception of the school superintendent, who lived in the bishop's 
 house.  Although it was inconvenient and far for the parishioners to travel to services, they nevertheless attended, approximately 40 people 
 in number every Sunday.  At that time the Saturday school for parishioners' children was discontinued.  But the location was healthy and 
 peaceful, and quite suitable for the diocesan school.  
 
 In 1874, the authorities established a new personnel list of San Francisco Cathedral Clergy, i.e. 1 Cathedral Dean with a salary of 
 2,600 rubles plus 600 rubles living expenses, 1 Priest with a salary of 2,300 rubles plus 500 rubles living expenses, 1 Deacon with a salary 
 of 1,200 rubles plus 400 rubles living expenses, 2 Subdeacons with a salary of 1000 rubles each a year plus 300 rubles living expenses and 
 2 Readers with a salary of 800 rubles each a year plus 300 rubles living expenses.  In the same year of 1874, the “Greek, Russian, Slavonian 
 Orthodox Eastern Church and Benevolent Society” purchased land to be used as a cemetery, which was then consecrated by Archpriest P Kedrolivansky.
 This cemetery was adjacent to the Odd Fellows Cemetery, well known in the city.  With the arrival in San Francisco of cathedral clergy, the 
 upkeep of the church and priest by the Society was discontinued, and the Society itself began to tend towards disintegration.  
 
 In 1875, five singers of the famous Slavonic Choir arrived in San Francisco.  Since they were all seminary trained, they were received 
 into the clergy.  The Bishop was very gladdened by their arrival, because he was in great need of people.  Priest Nikolai  Mitropolsky 
 left for a position in Sitka in 1874.  In that same year, Deacon V Shishkin was appointed a priest for Alaska.  In 1875, Deacon M Salamatov 
 received a similar appointment to Alaska.  In 1875, a priest from Montenegro, Father Sabbas Matanovich, arrived in San Francisco.  He was 
 received into the Bishop's house and served two or three Liturgies, but as he was not assigned a position, he went back home after several 
 months.  At the present time, the honourable Father Matanovich is an archpriest in Cetinje.  
 

In the autumn of 1876, Bishop John (Mitropolsky) was called back to Russia, and the Diocese was left widowed. He was followed in the diocese by Bishop Nestor (Zass/Zakkis).

Return to Russia, 1977

In 1877, Bishop John (Mitropolsky) returned to Moscow ; and on 12 April, he was assigned to serve as a member of the Moscow Synodal Office.

On 26 March, 1881, Bishop John was assigned to serve as Rector of the Moscow Simonov Monastery.

Bishop of Aksai, 1889

On 12 August, 1889, Bishop John was assigned to serve as Bishop of Aksai, Vicar-Bishop of the Rostov-on-Don Diocese.

He resided at Rostov-on-Don, about 15 km (9.3 mi) distant from Aksai, the cathedral see.

Bishop John (Mitropolsky) of Aksai

Retirement, 1910

On 9 April, 1910, at his own request, Bishop John (Mitropolsky) was retired from active service.

He was assigned to serve as administrator of the Protection/Intercession-Boldinsky Monastery in Astrakhan.

Part of the modern Protection-Boldinsky Monastery

On 8 November, 1913, Bishop John was released from his responsibility as administrator of the monastery.

Repose, 1914

On 2 May, 1914, Bishop John (Mitropolsky) fell asleep in the Lord after a long illness.

The Funeral Service for the Burial of a Bishop was led by Bishop Innokenty (Kremensky) of Tsarevsky. He was assisted by members of the spiritual consistory, Archpriests N Palmov ; I Savinsky ; T Berezin ; Dean of the priests, N Borovkov ; abbot of the monastery, Abbot Vasily ; representatives of the city clergy and monastics of the monastery.

Following the funeral obsequies, the body of Bishop John (Mitropolsky) was interred at the monastery cemetery.

– Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska 1870-1877. Preceded by : The diocese was created. Succeeded by : Bishop Nestor (Zass/Zakkis).

– Bishop of Aksai at Novocherkassk 1889-1910. Preceded by : Bishop Augustin (Gulyanitsky). Succeeded by : Bishop Hermogenes (Maksimov).

– Vicar Bishop of the Don Diocese

Writings

Academic/Scientific activities

The main works of Bishop John :

• “From the history of religious sects in America” (“Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment”, 1875-1878 )

• “History of the Ecumenical Councils” (Novocherkassk, 1896 )

• “The Fall of the Western Church from the Eastern Church” (Novocherkassk, 1899)

• “For lovers of the word of God” (ibid., 1893)

• “Sacrifice to the true God according to the teaching of the word of God” (ibid., 1895)

• “Rationalistic theology before the court of Orthodoxy” (ibid., 1899).

• Translation of the Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus.

Essays

• ‘About Christian virginity’ in “Soulful reading”, vol. 2 (1864)

• Speech at the meeting in Bose about the late Archpastor, His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, delivered in Holy Trinity Cathedral, 26 November, 1867, in “Moscow. Ved.” No. 263 (1 December, 1867)

• From the history of religious sects in America, in 4 books (ibid.) 1876-1885 (1-2 “Methodism”, 3 “Presbyterians”, 4 “Episcopal Church”, 5 “Congregationalists”).

• “Sacrifice to the True God according to the teaching of the Word of God”( Novocherkassk, 1895).

• For lovers of the word of God in the Slavic dialect, experience in explaining incomprehensible words of the Bible (Novocherkassk, 1890) (1893?) (“Don EVs”. 1890, 3).

• ‘An Open Letter on the Question of the Anglican Hierarchy 1st and 2nd.’ In “Theological Bulletin” (1897, March) p. 543, (July) p. 68 (1, 3, III, 7).

• ‘The Fall of the Western Church from the Eastern Church’ in “Don Episcopate Ved.” (1897-1899) (Novocherkassk, 1899)

• ‘Rationalistic theology before the court of Orthodoxy” in “Don E Epsicoapte Ved.” (1899) ; (Novocherkassk, 1899)

• ‘Unfair reproach’ in “Theological Messenger” (March) p. 638.

• ‘History of the Ecumenical Councils’ (St Petersburg, 1906) (2nd edition, Novocherkassk, 1906)

Awards

• Nabedrennik (July, 1864)

• Order of St. Vladimir III degree (9 April, 1889)

• Order of St. Anna, 1st degree (6 May, 1901)

• Order of St. Vladimir II degree (1905)

• silver medal on the Alexander ribbon (1895, in memory of Emperor Alexander III)

• Honourary member of the Kazan (from 1897) and Moscow (from 1902) Theological Academies .

Writings by others about Bishop John (Mitropolsky)

• “Church. Ved.” 1889, No. 35, p. 329, 1901, No. 18, p. 108, 1910, No. 18, p. 144.1913, No. 46, p. 519.

• “Arr. to “CV” 1906, No. 45, p. 2963.

• “Russian Pilgrim” 1889, No. 36, p. 434.

• “Ms. Kalend.” 1907, p. 134.

• “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” (JMP) 1950, No. 7, p. 75.

• “Right. Social security.” 1899, January, p. 8 (report), 1914, November, p. 8.

• “Theologian. Vestn.” 1915, X-XI-XII, p. 885.

• “Church Messenger” 1895, No. 47, p. 1507.

• “The Wanderer” 1872, volume I, p. 12.

• “Samar. Ep. Ved.” 1878, No. 23, p. 477.

• “Izv. Kaz. Ep.” 1879, No. 21, p. 614.

• “Russian Archive” 1903, No. 7, book. 2nd, p. 466.

• “Russian. Right Church.”, p. 154.

• “Prot. zas. owls Kaz. YES." for 1898, p. 30.

• “Composition of the Holy Rules Vser. Syn. and Ros. Church Hierarchies for 1894, p. 24, 1903, p. 58, 1905, p. 50, 1906, p. 48, 1910,” pp. 114-115.

• “Lists of bishops of the All-Russian Hierarchy” St. Petersburg, 1896, No. 419, p. 60.

• Bulgakov, p. 1394, 1400.

• Tolstoy, p. 52/419.

• BES vol. I, stb. 768.

• BEL vol. VII, stb. 156, 159.

• NES vol. XX, stb. 107 and additional t. 1a, p. 851.

• Anniversary collection. M. 1914, p. 563, 564, 566, 567, 573.

• “Bibliographic index of Russian monastic spiritual writers for the 18th, 19th centuries and half of the 20th century”, compiled by V Volkov (Zagorsk, 1961) Part 1.

References

Orthodox Church in America Archives biography

Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography (in Russian)

Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography (in English)

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography (in Russian)

Drevo Enchclopaedia biography (in English)

Russian Wikipedia biography (in Russian)

Russian Wikipedia biography (in English)

Academic Dictionary and biography reference (in Russian)

Academic Dictionary and biography reference (in English)

Azbyka.ru biography (in Russian)

Azbyka.ru biography (in English)

Additional information :

Chibisova S P, “History of the Don (Rostov-on-Don) Diocese in the Biographies of Archpastors” (Rostov-on-Don : Publishing House of the Rostov-on-Don Diocese, 2006), p. 141-143.

(Dabovich), Hieromonk Sebastian, ‘The Russian Church in California. The Church in San Francisco with the Bishops’ in “American Law. Vestn.” (1898) No. 15, pp. 458-460

Frawley, Archpriest Joseph, ‘Bishops for America’ in “The Orthodox Church” (1993), Sept./Oct., p. 1.

Grigoryev, Archpriest D, ‘From old Valaam to the New World : Russian Orthodox Mission to North America’ (Moscow, 2007).

Willow, L. ‘His Grace Bishop John, ex-Vicar of the Don Diocese’ in “Astrakhan EB” (1914), No. 13, (10 May), pp. 331-333.

[Obituary] ‘His Grace, Bishop John, former vicar of the Don Diocese’ in “Astrakhan Diocesan Gazette” (1914), No. 13, pp. 331-333. ‘Consecration of St George in Novocherkassk on Kolodeznaya Street’ in “Don EB” (1897) No. 28, pp. 619-624 ; No. 29, pp. 647-653.

Petrov, Archpriest V M, ‘Alexander Nevsky Church in Novocherkassk’ in “Don Church. old time” (1909), Issue 2, pp. 37, 41.

‘Farewell to the Archpastor John from the Don flock’ in “Don EB” (1910) No. 14, pp. 355-360.

‘Correspondence of Professor P S Kazansky if the Moscow Theological Academy with A N Bakhmetev’ (Published by Archpriest A A Belyaev) in “At the Trinity Academy : 1814-1914 : Anniversary” (Sat M., 1914), pp. 510-589.

‘His Grace, John, ex-Bishop of Aksai’ in “Don EB” (1914), No. 14 (11 May), pp. 568-569.

‘His Grace, John, ex-Bishop of Aksai’ in “PribTsVed” (1914), No. 18/19, p. 877.