Edmonton AB †All Saints Russian Orthodox Church 1963-1998

Edmonton, Alberta, †All Saints Orthodox Church, 1963-1998

Prehistory

The beginning of the Church of All Saints as a canonical Orthodox Temple was the result of certain turns of events in the parish of Holy Trinity Canadian Orthodox Church in the centre of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Foundation of the parish, 1963

This community was formed as a result of the desire of the parishioners and the first priest to continue parish life within the “Metropolia” (Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America, now The Orthodox Church in America). The parish was founded near the beginning of the archpastoral service of Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) in Montréal, Québec, and with his blessing.

Founding priest

The first priest was the Priest Michael Andruchow (and his wife Tina).

Archpriest Michael Andruchow

The first Sunday Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the Feast of All Saints, 23 June, 1963, by the Archpriest Michael Andruchow, who served the parish as a loving father for the rest of his life.

The parishioners were a small, dedicated and very enthusiastic group of Orthodox Christians, people of great vision. They were intent on establishing a visible Orthodox Christian presence in northeast Edmonton.

Purchase of the Temple, 1963

The former Bethlehem Lutheran Church was purchased for $33,000.00 with a $5,000.00 down-payment, which came from 7 families of the parish. The first parish council included :

 Priest Michael Andruchow , Mr. William Cholak, Mr. Nick Demkiw, Mr. Steve Nikiforuk.

Mr. Steve Pooke, who was one of the founders, but who was yet participating at Holy Trinity Church, was tragically killed in a car accident, and he never attended a Divine Liturgy in the new Temple.

Incorporation, 1966

Gradually, the church building was transformed to reflect the beauty of the Eastern Orthodox Faith.

In 1963, the parish was named "All Saints Russo Greek Orthodox Catholic Church of Canada". The parish was incorporated and registered as a legal entity under the Religious Societies’ Lands Act of Alberta on 8 August, 1966, about 3 years after its establishment.

With many young families joining the parish, several organisations were established to meet various needs.

The registration for the Church/Sunday School indicated an enrolment of 23 children by September, 1964.

As well as the Church/Sunday school, a Ladies' Aid Society was further organised, and a youth group was formed.

Various fundraising efforts were undertaken, and a catering service in 1963 (spearheaded by the Ladies' Aid) brought in funds of $676.00. To provide this amount of money, the ladies of All Saints were offering a full course meal at a cost of 50 cents per plate during these formative years. This amount seems nowadays to be impossibly cheap, although in those days, it was a low, but fair price. It is not easy nowadays to appreciate the amount of work involved at that time, when such conveniences as are now available had not yet come into existence. Further, one need only calculate how many meals had to be provided at that rate to come to $676.00 after a year.

As early as 1966, one Divine Liturgy per month was conducted entirely in the English language. The use of English was unheard of in other existing Orthodox parishes in the City of Edmonton at this time. The members of All Saints were not only concerned about fulfilling their own spiritual needs, but they were also concerned about the needs of those younger people who would follow.

Repose of Archpriest Michael Andruchow, 1975

Father Michael and Matushka Tina served the parish from its foundation on 23 June, 1963, until Father Michael's sudden and untimely repose in the Lord on 14 June, 1975.

On 17 June, 1975, the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Priest were served at All Saints' Temple in Edmonton. The services were led by Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton, and he was assisted by Priest J Reschko.

Following the funeral obsequies, the body of Father Michael Andruchow was interred in the Evergreen Memorial Gardens.

2 priests from the USA

After this, there was a struggle to find a priest to serve them. After a short time, the Priestmonk Benedict De Socio from the USA was assigned by Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) in New York to serve for a year. He introduced a yet greater use of the English language. It was during his pastorate that the Archpriest John Meyendorff (of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York) was invited to Edmonton by the University of Alberta in order to give lectures about Orthodoxy and iconography. Events such as these increased in many parishioners the desire to use more English, and it kindled a strong desire in them to live life as Orthodox Christians in a serious way.

In 1977, Father Benedict was recalled to New York, and the Priest Jaroslav Roman of New Jersey (a recent graduate of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary) was assigned by Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) to serve the parish in 1977.

However, there arose difficulties because Father Jaroslav increased the amount of the English language used in the services. He also began to press people to go to confession and to receive the Holy Mysteries more frequently. The tensions between the 2 factions in the parish became so sharp that both groups became intransigent, and Father Jaroslav and his disciples were ejected from the parish.

Ejection of one group of parishioners, 1977

The ejected group then went elsewhere in order to establish a community that used only the English language and that followed the ways of the liturgical revival that was yet in its early days in Canada. The community that was formed was Saint Herman of Alaska's Church. The small group met in a basement of one family, and then they very quickly found a small acreage to the south of Edmonton on Ellerslie Road, which they managed to purchase.

Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) attempted without success to effect a reconciliation. He was also unable to find another priest who would serve under the current circumstances at All Saints Church. Therefore, the parish leadership independently searched for local clergy of other jurisdictions who were willing to serve the parish on one or another occasion. This situation lasted for 5 years.

Move to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), 1982

Then, in 1982, an agreement was made by the parish council with Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto to provide a priest. This agreement produced tensions between Bishop Sotirios and Archbishop Sylvester, since Vladyka Sylvester had not agreed to the arrangement.

Priest (Archimandrite) Theodore Gove, 1982-1998

Nevertheless, the Priest Theodore Gove began to serve the parish as its rector in 1982. He continued to serve the parish until December, 1998, when he was transferred and assigned to another community. By this time, the membership had dwindled to just a handful of faithful. The parish leadership decided to petition Metropolitan Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, Canada, for a new priest.

Father Joseph Royer, 1998-2016 ; move to schism in “The Autonomous True Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles”

At the same time as the petition was put forth to Metropolitan Sotirios for a new priest, Father Joseph Royer (who had left the Uniat Ukrainian Catholic Church several years prior) was received into the [ttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church Orthodox Christian Faith] at All Saints Church. Although he initially participated as a lay-person, for some reason he began to celebrate Divine Liturgy as a priest at the Holy Table, along with Father Theodore Gove, who (it was believed) was introducing his replacement to the parishioners of All Saints.

There followed a rather difficult meeting between the parish council and Metropolitan Sotirios in late 1998. As a result, the parishioners were in such grave conflict with the bishop that they withdrew from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto.

The parish leadership then asked Father Joseph Royer to stay on as their priest and he officially began his service and stewardship on the Holy Feast of Theophany in January of 1999. It was written about him that "he gave his life to one person : God".

As a result of this move, the parish moved into a schism (split) from the Canonical Orthodox Church, and it became a non-canonical entity. This non-canonical state arose because apparently, Father Royer (despite his devotion to the Lord) had not been properly ordained. Subsequent to this action, there came the development of an "independent" diocese and diocesan structure which was not in communion with any of the canonical Orthodox Christian patriarchs. Then, Father Joseph Royer became a "bishop" of this entity, somehow.

The "Archdiocese of Edmonton" is an archdiocese of “The Autonomous True Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles”, an Old Calendarist entity under the omophor of Metropolitan Archbishop John (LoBue) of New York and New Jersey, First Hierarch of the Metropolia. Vladyka Joseph (Royer) was appointed by the Holy Synod as Bishop of Edmonton, and Exarch of Western Canada in 2012.

The exarchate was elevated to become the Archdiocese of Edmonton and Canada by the Holy Synod in 2014, and Bishop Joseph was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

Despite the irregular canonical status of the jurisdiction with regard to world Orthodoxy, Bishop Joseph was able to guide this community in a constructive manner.

Repose of Vladyka Joseph, 2016

On 19 December, 2016, Vladyka Joseph (Royer) fell asleep in the Lord in Edmonton.

The metropolitan from the USA arrived in the city for the funeral services and for the interment on 5 January, 2017.

On Tuesday, 27 December, 2016, at 7:00 p.m., a Panikhida (Memorial Service) was offered at All Saints' Church.

On Wednesday, 28 December, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., the Memorial Divine Liturgy and the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were served at All Saints Church by Metropolitan John and other clergy.

After the funeral services, the body of Vladyka Joseph Royer was interred at Evergreen Memorial Gardens.

Vladyka Joseph was survived by his parents Paul and Elsie ; by his brothers Arnold (Sandi) and Les (Sheli) ; by his sisters Charlene Laurette (Bob), Carolyn (Mell), Christine (Barry), Colette (Garry), Leanne (Gavin), and other relatives.

Vladyka Joseph Royer

After the repose of Vladyka Joseph, the parish continued to be served by various clergy whose names and affiliations were not published or not available.

All Saints Temple, 2020