Saint John (Maximovitch)
Saint John (Maximovitch) (1896-1966)
Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonder-worker
Mikhail may be spelt Michael.
John may be spelt Ioann, Jovan.
Maximovitch may be spelt Maximovich.
Early life of Mikhail Borisovitch Maximovitch
In 1896, Mikhail Borisovitch Maximovitch was born in the village of Adamovka in the Kharkov Governorate (in present-day northeastern Ukraine). His parents were the pious aristocrats, Boris and Glafira Maximovitch. He was given the baptismal name Michael, after the Holy Archangel Michael. In his youth, Mikhail was sickly and had a poor appetite, but he displayed an intense religious interest. His family was of the same Serbian origin as that of Saint John of Tobolsk, whom he was said to resemble in several respects. Mikhail visited the relics of the holy Archbishop Melety (Leontovitch) in the Protection Monastery in Tobolsk, Siberia. (Archbishop Melety (Leontovitch) was glorified by the Church of Russia in 1978. The relics were moved to Kharkov in 1948.) Mikhail's later life reflected the life of the holy Archbishop Melety in several ways. Thus, he grew up and he was formed in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Higher education, 1907-1925
While he was studying, Mikhail Borisovitch is said to have spent more time reading the Lives of the Saints ("Synaxarion") than attending classes ; nevertheless, he was an excellent student.
From 1907 to 1914, Mikhail Borisovitch attended the Military School of Poltava, in the Poltava Governorate. He received a degree in law from Kharkov Imperial University in 1918.
In 1921, he, his parents, and his brothers and sister fled their country during the Russian Civil War as the Bolshevik revolutionaries descended on the country. His family brought him to Belgrade (Beograd), Yugoslavia (the land of his family's origin), where he continued his studies.
Student Mikhail Maximovitch
In 1924, Mikhail Borisovitch was tonsured to be a reader by Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky), in Belgrade.
Metropolitan Antony had arrived in Serbia in 1921 as an exile, as did other bishops who had found themselves exiled from their homeland by the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. These bishops were given shelter and protection by Patriarch Dimitije (Pavlović) of Serbia. In Serbia, they continued the temporary administration of the Russian Orthodox Church outside the borders, which soon (perhaps as early as 1921) became the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).
Metropolitan Antony became the spiritual guide of Mikhail Borisovitch until Metropolitan Antony's repose in 1936.
In 1925, Milhail Borisovitch Maximovitch graduated from the University of Belgrade with a degree in theology. While he was a student, he worked for his living by selling newspapers.
Monastic tonsure, 1926
In 1926, he was tonsured to be a monk by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), and he was given the name John (Ioann, Jovan), remembering Saint John of Tobolsk.
Diaconal ordination, 1926
Soon afterwards, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky).
Presbyteral ordination, 1926
Later, on 21 November, 1926, the Hierodeacon John was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Gabriel (Chepur) of Chelyabinsk.
Pastoral service
Subsequent to his ordination, Hieromonk John (Maximovitch) entered upon several years of an active life of teaching in a Serbian high school and serving Divine Services, at the request of local Greeks and Macedonians, in the Greek language.
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Hieromonk John (Maximovitch), 1926
He also worked as a tutor. Hieromonk John worked as a religious teacher in the Gymnasium of Velika Kikinda between 1925 and 1927.
In 1929, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church assigned him to serve as an Instructor of Theology in the seminary in Bitola. The principal of that seminary was Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović). Father John remained in this responsibility until 1934.
After the repose of Archbishop Simon (Vinogradov) of Beijing, China (who lived in Shanghai) in 1933, Archbishop Victor (Svyatin) (who led the Russian Mission in China after him) sent a request to the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) in Sremski-Karlovci, Serbia, for a new bishop for Shanghai.
Episcopal ordination, 1934
On 3 June, 1934 (despite his own protests), the Hieromonk John (Maximovitch), at the age of 38, was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky), together with many other Russian hierarchs and Serbian delegates, such as his contemporary, Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović) of Ochrid.
Bishop John (Maximovitch)
Episcopal service
Shanghai, China, 1934-1949
Bishop John (Maximovitch) was assigned to be the bishop of the Diocese of Shanghai, China, and Vicar-Bishop of the Archdiocese of Beijing and China. Bishop Dimitry (Voznesenkiy) in Harbin, Manchuria, had been requested to go to Shanghai, but he had responded with regard to Bishop John,
This little, frail man, looking almost like a child, is in actuality a miracle of ascetic firmness and strictness in our time of total spiritual enfeeblement.
On 4 December, 1934, Bishop John arrived in Shanghai (through Beijing), on the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple (21 November/4 December, 1934). There were about 50,000 Russian refugees living in the city and region by then. Most of them were stateless because they were in exile as refugees. Bishop John was able quickly to settle the differences between the Orthodox parishes, which had been deeply divided along ethnic lines. He also found that the cathedral's construction was incomplete.
Under Bishop John, the construction of the Saint Nicholas Temple, a memorial Temple to the Martyr Tsar Nicholas II, was completed in 1935. In 1936, he opened the monastery of the Beijing Women's Shrine, where 15 nuns were housed. Other temples in Shanghai were also constructed.
He was active not only in the Temple with serving the daily Divine Liturgies, but also in the local society, where he became known as a benefactor and where he served as a trustee in various philanthropic societies. With his blessing, and with his personal participation, a hospital, a shelter, a gymnasium, a nursing home, a public canteen, and a commercial school were constructed in Shanghai.
Vladyka John personally gathered abandoned, sick and starving children from the streets, and he personally founded an orphanage and home for the children of indigent parents in the name of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
The need for such orphanages there included not only the local children, but particularly also the children of the many refugees from Russia, whose parents had been lost. The Orphanage of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, which he established, began with 8 children. Before the Communists forced the closure of the orphanage, the children numbered 3,500.
His favourites were the children he so willingly kept with him. He was always interested in them, speaking to them, sending them postcards and bringing gifts. He could look them in the eye for a few minutes with that warm radiant light that penetrated into the depths of the soul, and it was like a mother's hug for a baby. This look was unforgettable. The body of this ascetic was like a dried bark of a tree, but everyone who met him with a glance felt like the most beloved being on earth.
The matron of the orphanage was Mrs. Maria Alexandrovna Shakhmatova, who was the mother figure for hundreds of teenagers. She had to be firm, but it was clear that she loved them. She had witnessed Vladyka John's ascetic exploit in Shanghai almost from the very moment of his arrival there, on the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple in 1934. Father Herman (Podmoshensky) wrote :
She had had a difficult marriage, and joined Archbishop John's orphanage in Shanghai almost at the very start. She had children of her own who were also part of the orphanage. She saw Archbishop John crucify himself in both founding and managing the orphanage, which he dedicated to his favorite saint, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, from whom he drew the initial inspiration for it. Living conditions were terrible, and the needs of the children, whose parents had escaped Communism, were overwhelming. The young Bishop, almost from the start, gathered concerned ladies from his parish, asked them to found a committee, rented a house and opened up a hostel for orphans or children whose parents were in need. The chapter of St. Tikhon's Orphanage has never been written. The amazing way in which Blessed John gathered and fed the children requires an able writer to capture it for posterity. The children would be underfed, abused and frightened, until Archbishop John would come and very often take them personally into his orphanage and school. Each child and there were over three thousand who went through the orphanage had a traumatic story. [...]
Vladyka John and Mrs. Shakhmatova, the matron of the orphanage
There was, for example, a boy named Paul who had witnessed his father and mother being killed and chopped into pieces by the Communists, right in front of his eyes. Because of the trauma, the boy had become mute and could not even pronounce his own name. He was like a trapped animal, afraid of everyone, and trusted only his fists and spitting. He was brought into the orphanage at a time when it was packed and had no place for him. Due to the fact that Paul was so frightened, the ladies there thought that he was abnormal and refused to accept him lest he scare the other children. When Archbishop John found out about him, he demanded that the boy be admitted. Upon hearing words of refusal, he insisted on immediately dropping everything and going to meet the boy personally. They did not even know that he was a Russian boy and spoke Russian, for he only mumbled and hissed like a caged animal. When Archbishop John arrived, he sat down before the boy, who was still trembling, and said to him the following : 'I know that you have lost your father, but now you have found one in me', and he hugged him. This was said with such power that the boy burst out in tears, and his speech returned to him.
In the slums of Shanghai, there were cases in which dogs would devour baby girls who had been thrown into garbage cans. When the newspapers announced this, Archbishop John told Mrs. Shakhmatova to go and buy two bottles of Chinese vodka, at which she cringed in horror. But her horror increased when he demanded that she accompany him into these very slums, where it was common knowledge that grown-up people would be murdered. Fearless as ever, the young Bishop insisted on going there, walking through dark alleys in the worst neighbourhood. She recalled what horror seized her heart when they, in the darkness of night, walked and encountered only drunkards, shady characters, and growling dogs and cats. She held the bottles in her hands, following him with trepidation, when suddenly a growl was heard from a drunken man sitting in a dark doorway and the faint moan of a baby was heard from a nearby garbage can. When the Bishop hastened towards the cry, the drunkard growled in warning. Then the Bishop turned to Mrs. Shakhmatova and said, 'Hand me a bottle'. Raising the bottle in one hand and pointing to the garbage can with the other, Blessed John, without words, conveyed the message of the proposed sale. The bottle ended up in the hands of the drunkard, and Mrs. Shakhmatova saved the child. They say that that night he returned to the orphanage with two babies under his arms. This fearlessness, however, had not been acquired without a deep inner struggle.
Vladyka John was a strict bishop who led a life of simplicity and asceticism, and he was known especially for the ascetic feat of abstaining from sleep. He was known to spend nights on end standing motionless, with lifted arms, deep in prayer. Here, he first became known for miracles attributed to his prayer. Because he was a very public figure, it was impossible for him to conceal completely his ascetic way of life.
Father Herman wrote that Vladyka John never ate during the day. He would liturgise or commune every day, after which he would spend an hour in silence in the Altar, thoroughly washing the holy vessels. Then, without fail, he would go to each of the city's hospitals and would locate and visit the Orthodox Christians there as well as the many non-Orthodox who also needed him and were eager to see him. He would give Holy Communion, often serving the Holy Gifts to mentally sick ones. Sometimes he even served Divine Liturgy in hospitals, in various languages as the situation demanded : Greek, Arabic, Chinese, and later English. He would eat dinner only after midnight and would never lie down to sleep ; he never even allowed himself to lean on the back of a chair. Of course he often dozed off because he wore himself out so much. But in his vigilance he always prayed for whomever would ask him, and often his prayer would be answered immediately. Hence, he was known already as a miracle-worker.
He added another anecdote of Mrs. Shakhmatova :
Once during the war, the poverty of the orphanage reached such immense proportions that there was literally nothing with which to feed the children, and there must have been at least ninety of them at that time. Our staff was indignant because Archbishop John kept bringing new children, some of whom had parents, and we were having to feed someone else's children. Such were his ways. One evening when he came to us worn out, tired, cold and silent, I could not resist telling him off. I said that we women could not tolerate this any longer, that we could not bear to see hungry little mouths and not be able to put anything into them. I could not control myself and raised my voice in indignation. I not only complained, I was full of wrath at him for putting us through this. He looked sadly at me and said, 'What do you really need ?' I said, right off the bat, 'Everything, but at least some oatmeal. I have nothing to feed the children with in the morning. Archbishop John looked at her sadly and went upstairs. Then she heard him making prostrations, so vigourously and loudly that even the neighbours complained. Pangs of conscience bothered her, and that night she couldn't sleep. She dozed off in the morning, only to be awakened by the doorbell. When she opened the door, there stood a gentlemen of English extraction who said that he represented some cereal company and that he had a surplus of oatmeal ; and he wanted to know whether they could use it since he heard that there were children here. They began to bring in bags and bags of oatmeal. While this was going on, with the commotion of banging doors, Blessed John began to descend the staircase. Hardly could Mrs. Shakhmatova utter a word to him when she saw his glance. He said no word, but with his eyes, with one single glance, he reproached her for her unbelief. She said she could have fallen on her knees and kissed his feet, but he was already gone to continue his prayer to God, now of thanksgiving.
Vladyka John paid a lot of attention to religious education ; he visited prisons ; he visited patients in a psychiatric hospital. Already during this period, numerous cases of healing of hopelessly ill people from his prayers became known.
Japanese occupation of Shanghai, 1937-1945
After a battle with the Chinese government from 1932-1937, the Japanese Army took over Shanghai and began to control life there.
Vladyka John continued his pastoral labours throughout this occupation. Despite his actions during the Japanese occupation, when he routinely ignored the curfew in pursuit of his pastoral activities, the Japanese authorities never harassed him. During his time of service in Shanghai, he oversaw the completion of the construction of the cathedral, which was dedicated to the icon of the Theotokos, “Surety of Sinners”. The construction was completed in 1937. The construction of this large edifice included the construction of a bell-house and a large parish house.
Holy Theotokos Surety of Sinners Cathedral, Shanghai
Additionally, Vladyka John inspired many other activities : the building of churches, hospitals, and orphanages amongst the Russians and the other Orthodox of Shanghai. He was intensely active, constantly praying and serving the daily cycle of services, while also visiting the sick with the Holy Gifts. He often would walk barefooted, even in the coldest days. In order to avoid the appearance of secular glory, he would pretend to act the fool.
[On 15 May, 2013, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the restored cathedral building for the first time in over 50 years by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) ].
2013 Patriarchal Divine Liturgy
In 1945, after the occupation of Manchuria by the Chinese Eighth Army, the Orthodox bishops in China, formerly part of the jurisdiction of the ROCOR, recognised the spiritual and ecclesiastical authority of Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky). In this situation, for some time, Bishop John (Maximovich) commemorated in the services both the Patriarch of Moscow and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky). Nevertheless, the ROCOR was now not an entity acceptable to the Chinese Communists, in part because it still strongly supported the possibility of monarchy on the territory of the Soviet Union, the ally of Communist China.
On 20 June, 1946, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (which met on 20 May, 1946, in Munich), West Germany, issued a decree announcing the decision to form the Shanghai Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, headed by Bishop John (Maximovitch) to "allow the management of the Shanghai Diocese". The same decree excluded Archbishop Victor (Sviatin), who with many other bishops and clergy had entered the Moscow Patriarchate during 1945. The news from Munich declaring the Shanghai Vicariate to be an independent diocese came as a surprise to Bishop John, but he accepted it. In the diocese of Bishop John, there were 12 priests and 3 protodeacons. With the announcement of the formation of the new diocese, the Orthodox population of Shanghai was divided into 2 jurisdictions : the Patriarchal diocese, with a population of up to 10,000 people, and the ROCOR diocese under Bishop John, numbering up to 5,000 people.
In 1946, Bishop John was elevated to the dignity of archbishop by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR.
He was also named “Archbishop of China”.
Archbishop John (Maximovitch)
In 1949, as the Communist Chinese army advanced towards Shanghai, the Russian colony was forced to flee. The International Refugee Organisation (IRO) asked several governments to provide temporary shelter to refugees, as well as Russian emigrants and persons of some other nationalities who lived permanently in Shanghai. Only the Philippine Republic responded to this call, and it allocated an uninhabited part of the island of Tubabao for the temporary settlement of refugees from China. The evacuation of refugees from Shanghai to Tubabao began in January, 1949, and ended in early May of the same year.
Initially, Vladyka John helped some 5,000 refugees travel first to the refugee camp on the island of Tubabao. This number included the 3,500 orphaned children, and besides them about 2,000 others who were under his omophor. The sojourn in the Philippines lasted 27 months.
Vladyka John himself arrived at the camp on Tubabao a few days before Pascha, 1949, which was an event of exceptional importance in the spiritual life of the camp. According to the memoirs of A N Knyazev,
Bishop John of Shanghai arrived at Tubabao in a jeep and he immediately proceeded to Saint Mary's Cathedral, where he was met by Jerome Modeste, the Priest Filaret Of Astrakhan, the Protodeacon Konstantin Zaniewski, and the choir led by G Agafonov. The cathedral was overflowing with those who loved and served the Lord. After the prayer and a cup of tea, Vladyka proceeded to the Saint Serafim Temple, where he was also greeted by a bell ringing ; and in the Temple, by the Archpriest Athanasiy Shalobanov, the Priest Nikolai Kolchev, the Hieromonk Nicholas and the Deacon Pavel Metlenko. The choir was led by I P Mikhailov. After a brief service, Vladyko went to the Archangel Michael Temple, and here he was greeted by bell-ringing, and by the Archpriest Matvey Medvedev and the Priest David Shevchenko, and the choir led by M A Shulyakovsky.
Vladyka John with refugees on Tubabao Island
Vladyka John's sojourn in Tubabao lasted about 3 months, during which he devoted himself to meeting the spiritual needs of his flock and getting to know the daily life of refugees.
Archbishop John left the camp on 12 July, 1949 (the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, Old Style), and he travelled personally to Washington, D.C. in order to ensure that his people would be allowed to enter the USA, and to become permanent residents there. He successfully lobbied the Members of Congress for the amending of the law so that it would allow these refugees to enter the USA.
It was during this visit that Vladyka John took time to establish a parish in Washington dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner.
After this work of Vladyka John, the refugees again travelled, mainly to the USA. A smaller number travelled to Australia, and settled there.
On Tubabao Island, the place of their sojourn, and where many strong typhoons sweep over the islands, the camp was unaffected while they were there ; however, after their departure, the next typhoon destroyed the camp completely.
Western Europe, 1951-1962
On 27 November, 1950, by the decision of the Bishop's Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Archbishop John (Maximovitch) was assigned to serve as the Archbishop of the West European Diocese. Meanwhile, he retained the responsibility for administering the remaining parishes of the Shanghai Diocese (in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.). Prior to his arrival in the diocese, it had been temporarily administered by Bishop Leontiy (Bartosevich) of Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1951, Archbishop John was assigned to the Archdiocese of Western Europe. His first see was in Paris, and later it was in Brussels. Thanks to his work in collecting lives of saints, a great many pre-Schism western saints became known in the Orthodox Church and continue to be venerated to this day. Two of these are Saint Genevieve of Paris, and Saint Patrick of Ireland.
During his time there, he also served as the archpastor of the "Orthodox Church of France", whose restored Gallican liturgy he studied and then celebrated. He was the principal consecrator of the Orthodox Church of France's first modern bishop, Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) of Saint-Denis. He also ordained to the Holy Priesthood the man who would become its second bishop, Germain (Bertrand-Hardy) of Saint-Denis.
In Western Europe Vladika took a deep interest not only in the Russians in the diaspora, for whom he exerted himself tirelessly in labors similar to those for which he had been known in Shanghai, but also in the local inhabitants. He received under his jurisdiction local Dutch and French Orthodox Churches, protecting them and encouraging their Orthodox development. He celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Dutch and French, as before he had served in Greek and Chinese, and as later he was to serve in English. — Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
During the time of his service, Vladyka John supported and developed monasteries and parishes in Holland, Belgium, France, and elsewhere. He supported the faithful people in their desire to follow Christ. Amongst his activities, Vladyka John received some Benedictine monks from the Roman Catholic Church. They were led by Abbot Adrian (Akkersdijk), whose brother Jakob (Akkersdijk) was also one of the monks. In 1954, they established the Monastery of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist in The Hague in Holland (Netherlands). This became a community of female monastics.
1952, Archbishop John reading the Gospel : Uncreated Light visible
His charitable and pastoral work continued on as it had in Shanghai, even amongst a much more widely-scattered flock. Many people who would later emigrate to Canada met Archbishop John during these years. Throughout their lives, they would speak of their experiences of him.
Vladyka John (Maximovitch)
San Francisco, 1962
In 1962, Archbishop John was transferred and assigned by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR to the see of San Francisco, California. In taking this pastoral responsibility, he succeeded his long-time friend, Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky). Here too, he found a divided community and a cathedral in an unfinished state. The cathedral, on Geary Boulevard in the Richmond district, is dedicated to the icon the Theotokos, Joy of all who Sorrow. He did facilitate the completion of the construction of this cathedral (usually called "Holy Virgin Cathedral") which was accomplished in 1965, and he brought some measure of peace to the community. However, the cathedral was finally and officially sanctified in 1977 (the delay was partly due to the needed finishing work and payment of bills).
Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral
However, he became the target of slander from those who became his political enemies, who went so far as to file a lawsuit against him for alleged mishandling of finances related to construction of the cathedral. He had to sit with his lawyer (a longtime friend) in a court while the evidence was presented and analysed, and while his defence was presented. He was exonerated ; but of course, the whole procedure had been a great cause of sorrow to him.
Archbishop John vested and serving
It was during his years of service in San Francisco that many Canadian Orthodox Christians in Vancouver, British Columbia, encountered Archbishop John. They would meet him during a pastoral visit either to Seattle or to Vancouver. Regardless of jurisdiction, the Russian Orthodox believers in Vancouver (all 3 parishes) respected Archbishop John.
Deeply revering Saint John of Kronstadt, Archbishop John played an active role in the preparation of Saint John’s glorification as a saint.
Saint John's cell, office and prayer-corner
Saint John at work at his desk
Repose, 1966
On Saturday, 2 July, 1966 (Revised Julian Calendar) / 19 June (Julian calendar), Archbishop John (Maximovitch) fell asleep in the Lord while he was visiting Seattle at a time and place he was said to have foretold.
Just previously, he had served the Divine Liturgy for the last time at Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In Seattle, Washington, on the day of his repose, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy which he had served in Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Archbishop John lingered in the altar for 3 hours, where he had been praying (but longer than usual). When he emerged, he went to his room in the parish house next to the cathedral. He was heard to fall ; and, having been placed in a chair by those who ran to help him, he breathed his last peacefully, and with little evident pain. This took place in the presence of the Wonder-working Kursk Icon of the Sign of the Theotokos.
At that moment, his extraordinarily difficult struggle of depriving himself of rest and sleep ceased. They laid him on a bed that was in the room, a blessed berth, giving him rest and sleep after 40 years of abstinence. 'Sleep now in peace !' cried Archbishop Averky of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery, who zealously loved him. In the conclusion of his homily during the funeral he said : 'Sleep now in peace, O our dear, beloved Vladyka. Rest from your righteous works and struggles. Rest in peace until the General Resurrection'.
The body of Vladyka John lay in the coffin in the heat of summer for 6 days, with no smell and, according to eyewitnesses, the hand of the dead man remained soft. Further, his body had not been embalmed (nor had anything else been done at the mortuary), and the coffin was kept open.
At the time of his funeral, many people of different Orthodox jurisdictions were being drawn together.
On 24 June, 1966 (Old Style), the solemn Funeral services for the Burial of a Hierarch were served at the Holy Protection Cathedral in San Francisco by bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The evening portion began at 6:00 p.m., and finished after 1:00 a.m., as a result of the multitude of people who came to bid farewell to their reposed archpastor.
On 25 June, 1966 (Old Style), Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) officiated at the funeral's Primatial Memorial Divine Liturgy, in concelebration with Archbishops Leonty (Bartosevich) and Averky (Taushev), Bishops Sava (Saračević), and Nektary (Kontsevich) and a multitude of clergy.
Funeral of Saint John
After the funeral services in San Francisco, he was entombed in a sepulchre beneath the altar of the Holy Virgin Cathedral he had seen to completion in San Francisco.
— Bishop of Shanghai, China (ROCOR) 1934-1946. Preceded by : Bishop Victor (Svyatin). Succeeded by : Bishop Symeon (Du).
— Vicar-Bishop of the Archdiocese of Beijing and China (ROCOR) 1934-1946.
— Archbishop of Shanghai and China (ROCOR) 1946-1949.
— Bishop of Western Europe (ROCOR) 1951-1962. Preceded by : Bishop Nathanael (Lvov). Succeeded by : Bishop Anthony (Bartosevich).
— Archbishop of San Francisco (ROCOR) 1962-1966. Preceded by : Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky). Succeeded by : Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev).
Saint John (Maximovitch) wearing the mantiya
Glorification and veneration, 1994, 2008
The glorification of Archbishop John (Maximovitch) took place on 19 June/2 July, 1994 (on the 28th anniversary of his death) at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in the city of San Francisco, where his unembalmed and uncorrupt relics were revealed when his sepulchre was opened. His glorification was later recognised for universal veneration by the Patriarchate of Moscow on 2 July, 2008.
He was a pastor and spiritual father of high reputation and a reputed wonder-worker to whom were attributed great gifts of prophecy, clairvoyance and healing. He is often referred to simply as "Saint John the Wonder-worker".
Incorrupt relics of Saint John
Feast-day
The liturgical commemoration is on the Feast-day of Saint John (Maximovitch) : 19 June (Old Style), 2 July (New Style).
Tropar Tone 5
Your care for your flock in its sojourn
prefigured the supplication which you ever offer up for the whole world.
Thus we believe, having come to know your love,
O Holy Hierarch and Wonder-worker John.
wholly sanctified by God through the ministry of the all-pure Mysteries
and yourself ever strengthened thereby,
you hastened to the suffering,
O most gladsome Healer.
Hasten now also to the aid of us who honour you with all our heart.
Tropar Tone 6
O Holy Hierarch, Father John,
glorious apostle to an age of coldness and unbelief,
Divinely-illumined seer of Heavenly Mysteries,
you were inspired with the Grace-filled power of the saints of old.
Feeder of orphans,
hope of the hopeless,
you kindled on earth the fire of love for Christ
in the times preceding the Day of Judgement.
Intercede now that this sacred flame
may also rise up from our hearts.
Tropar Tone 5
O Holy Hierarch John, our beloved shepherd,
spiritual day-star in the firmament of Heaven,
you encompassed the whole world,
and you enlightened the souls of mankind.
Thus, your name is glorified in the East and the West.
You shone with the Grace of the Sun of Righteousness.
Unceasingly intercede with Christ our God
that He have mercy upon our souls.
Kontak Tone 4
O Holy Hierarch, Father John,
your heart goes out to all.
We remember the struggle of your whole industrious life,
and your painless and easy repose.
With love, we entreat you, O faithful servant of the all-pure Directress
Kontak Tone 8
O Holy and Glorious Hierarch, Father John,
you pour out in the latter times
inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude of miracles.
With love, we sing a hymn of praise about you, and we cry out to you :
“Rejoice, O chosen wonder-worker and exemplary servant of Christ”.
Interpretation of Saint John rescuing children in Shanghai
Reflections
It has been frequently reported that the help given through his intercession after his repose has been irrespective of jurisdictional distinction.
Saint John (Maximovitch) was known to be a wonder-worker even in his lifetime. A woman was once thrown off her horse. She hit her head on a rock and lost consciousness. In this condition, she was taken to the hospital. She was considered a hopeless case by the doctors, and it was not likely that she would live until morning. Her pulse was almost gone ; her skull was fractured in places so that small pieces of the skull were pressing on the brain. The prediction was that in such a condition she would die on the operating table. Even if her heart would tolerate surgery and the result were successful, she would still remain deaf, dumb, and blind. Her sister begged Vladyka John to go to her, which he did. He prayed alone with her for a time, and then he called the chief doctor and asked him to examine her again. The physician was naturally surprised to discover that her pulse was normal. He agreed to perform the surgery immediately, but only in the presence of Archbishop John. The operation was successful, and the doctors were amazed when, after the operation, the patient regained consciousness and asked to drink. Soon she was released from the hospital, and she lived a normal life for many years afterwards.
When he was in Shanghai, a voice teacher taught Vladyka the proper method of breathing and pronunciation of words, thus helping him to better his diction. At the end of each lesson Vladyka paid her with one standard bank-note in currency circulating in China. Later on in France, in 1945, before the end of the war, this teacher was gravely wounded and happened to be in a French hospital. On a very stormy night, feeling that she might die, she began asking the nurses to call Vladyka John (who was in France at that time) so that he would give her the Holy Mysteries (Holy Communion). The nurses refused since the hospital was closed and locked during the night due to the war-time conditions. She was beside herself, and she kept calling for Vladyka. Suddenly, at about eleven o’clock in the evening, he appeared in the ward. Unable to believe her eyes, she asked Vladyka whether this was a dream, or had he really come to her. Vladyka smiled, prayed and administered the Holy Mysteries to her. Following this she calmed down and slept. The next morning she felt that she was cured. No-one believed the woman when she insisted that Vladyka had visited her that night (because the hospital was tightly secured). However, her ward-neighbour substantiated the fact that she also had seen Vladyka. The greatest surprise was that under the woman’s pillow was found one standard bank-note of the same value as before. Vladyka had himself left material evidence of his visit.
Not a few persons speak of their experience of his “clairvoyance”. The Holy Spirit gave him the gift, when needed, to be able to know without being told what problems, sin or suffering people faced, and also to know what could be done to resolve or heal the matter. He had this gift in common with many other holy persons we may encounter in "The Synaxarion". He had this gift in common also with persons who are holy, but not yet known to "The Synaxarion".
There are many persons who were deeply influenced by him (primarily in Shanghai), and who then emigrated to Vancouver and to Ottawa in Canada. More than once they shared their memories and experiences of him. A Canadian parishioner reported that a woman healed through Saint John’s prayers (even when he was physically far away) was one of her relatives. Some persons in The Hague, Holland, spoke recently of him with great respect. These persons knew him as a very strong man, a strong leader, sometimes even scarily so. Nevertheless, they recognised the work of the Lord in all that he was doing, and in his consequent boldness. They recognised his great breadth of spirit and his understanding in Christ. His bravery in the face of all sorts of adversity is very moving. Even more touching is his open-heartedness which recognises and tries to maintain the visible unity of the Church.
Vladyka John visited the prisons. He would celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the convicts on a primitive little table. Perhaps the most difficult task for a pastor is to visit the mentally ill and the possessed — and Vladyka sharply distinguished between the two. Outside Shanghai there was a mental hospital, and it was only Vladyka who had the spiritual strength to visit these terribly sick people. We can recall that this was before more modern and refined treatments. Vladyka gave them Holy Communion, and they listened to him. They always looked forward to his visits, and they met him with joy.
After the 1949 Communist revolution in China, confusion and terror seized the Russian “colony”, and at that moment Vladyka John (despite warnings from the Russians who were collaborating with the Japanese) declared himself to be the temporary head of the Russian “colony”. During the Japanese occupation it was extremely dangerous to walk on the streets at night, and most people took care to be home by dark. Vladyka John, however, continued to visit the sick and needy at any hour of the night, and he was never touched. It is probable that he (with others) was able to be so bold and so courageous because of the purity of his heart. Unfettered by fear, he would know in his heart what the Lord willed, and he would do it, knowing that the Lord is with him and protecting him. As with many others we read about, he was not worried about saving his own life ; he was concerned about the welfare and needs of others. In so being and doing, he continually found that the Lord always met his needs.
Archbishop Saint John was a man of strong character, and he was an ascetic who lived fully in the way of the ascetics, wherever he was. He slept little, and only in the sitting position. In fact, he was acutely aware of everything around him, even when he appeared to be sleeping. There are stories about his seeming to be asleep while sitting with others. There would be a conversation, and he would open his eyes at appropriate moments, make a constructive comment, and then close his eyes again. This also means that he lived always in awareness of the presence of our Saviour.
There are reports of childless couples who have appealed to Saint John for help. The reports continue that through his prayers, the childless couple conceived and received a child from the Lord.
Writings
Partial bibliography of writings by Saint John (Maximovitch) :
• "The Decline of the Patriarchate of Constantinople" (from Saint John Maximovitch's report to the 1938 All-Diaspora Sobor of the ROCOR)
• Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky
• “Dostoevsky's Concept of Spiritual Rebirth” (Dewdney, BC : Synaxis Press, 1980). ASIN : B0022YBFX.
• “How the Holy Orthodox Church Honoured and Honours the Mother of God” (Ladomirova, Slovakia : Printing House of the Monastery of St Job of Pochaev, 1932).
• “Let the Russian Land be Renewed” (Moscow : Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2006) (contains articles, sermons, and reports by St John (Maximovitch))
• “Letters” (from Saint John (Maximovitch))
– My dear students, 1927
– Your Eminence, dear and respected Vladyka, Shanghai, 16 September, 1947
– In relation to the idea of the monarchy, 1950
– Your Eminence, dear Bishop Leontiy, 1950
– Dear Father Leontiy, 18 February, 1951
– Beloved Flock in the Philippines, 1951
– Dear Vladyka Leontiy, 23 May, 1951
– Letter to the pupils of the orphanage of Saint Tikhon of San Francisco, 21 November, 1952
– Your Eminence, dear and respected Vladyka,
– Dear Praskovya Sergeyevna and Marya Alexandrovna
– Dear Respected Evgenia Nikolaevna, 20 December, 1952
– Dear Children, 7 January, 1953
– Dear Children, 8 August, 1953
– Dear Fellows, 3 December, 1953
– Dear Children of St Tikhon of Zadonsk, 7 February, 1954
– Suffering Olga, 24 February, 1954
– Dear Children, 13 August, 1954
– Letter to the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Bishop Meletius of Regia, 1955
– Dear Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Philip and Hermogenes, 5 October, 1955
– Letter to the King of Belgium, 1956
– Holy Christmas Night, 1956
– Oleg E. Levitsky, 8 October, 1958
– Regarding relations with a Uniate priest, 1959
– Letter to boy Sasha Tsybrook, 1962
– His Holiness Patriarch Herman of Serbia, 1964
• “Materialism before the Court of Existence and Consciousness : Anthropological Essay"
• "On Prayer"
• “The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God”, ed. Father Seraphim Rose (Platina : St Herman Brotherhood, 2012). ISBN : 9781887904261.
• “The Power of the Living Cross”
• "Report by Bishop John of Shanghai : 'The State of the Orthodox Church after the War'", 1938
• “The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad: A Short History” (Jordanville : Holy Trinity Publications, 1997). ISBN-13 : 9780884651253.
• “The Teaching of Sophia, the Wisdom of God”
• Two Letters written to the rector of the St Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, 1936 & 1964
• “Words of Hieromonk John (Maximovitch) when he was named Bishop of Shanghai”, 27 May, 1934 in Belgrade
Some homilies by Saint John (Maximovitch) :
• “Homily on the Feast of All Saints of Russia” (delivered before the fall of the Soviet regime)
• “On the Occasion of the Glorification of Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt”
• "Sermon on the Memory of St Seraphim of Sarov"
• Speeches and Sermons (in Russian, here)
• “Selected Sermons of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco”, 1946-1956
• “The Cross, the Preserver of the Universe”
• “The Error of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin”
• “Homily on the Feast of the Lord’s Theophany” (Bitol, Serbia, 1928)
• “Homily on the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist”
• “Meat-fare Sunday : Sunday of the Last Judgement”
• “On the Building of Churches”
• “On the Holy Water of Theophany”
• “On the Occasion of the Glorification of Saint John of Kronstadt”
• “On the Parable of the Prodigal Son”
• “Why the Good Thief was pardoned”
• “Will these Human Bones come to Life ?”
Partial bibliography by various authors about Saint John (Maximovitch) :
• Devyatova, S, “Blessed John (Maximovich, Orthodox Elders of the 20th Century”
• (Donskov), Mikhail, Archbishop of Geneva and Western Europe, “Memories of St John of Shanghai”
• Kuksa, Anna, “Saint John (Maximovich) : Modern Russian Holy Man”
• Lednev, E & Lukyanov, E, “Prelate of the Russian Diaspora and Ecumenical Wonderworker”
• Mileant, Bishop Alexander, “St John of Shanghai : ‘Responsive to human needs’”
• Moser, Father David, “Glorification of St John Maximovich of Shanghai and San Francisco”
• Perekrestov, Archpriest Peter, “Man of God : Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco” (Jordanville, NY : Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society, 1994). ISBN 10 : 187906605X ; ISBN 13 : 978-1879066052.
• (Rodzianko), Bishop Vasily, “About Bishop John”
• Rose, Hieromonk Seraphim, “Blessed John the Miracle Worker” (Platina, CA : St Herman Press, 1987). ISBN 10 : 0938635018 ; ISBN 13 : 978-0938635017.
• Sanidopoulos, John, “Saint John (Maximovitch) Resource Page”
• Saračević, Bishop Sava, “Blessed John : The Chronicle of the Veneration of Archbishop John Maximovich” (Platina, CA : Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1979). [in Russian : “Летопись почитания архиепископа Иоанна (Максимовича)”]. [biography]
Akathist to Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
Akathist to the Holy Hierarch John (Maximovitch)
Kontak 1 (Tone 8)
O chosen wonder-worker and superb servant of Christ, who poured out in the latter times inexhaustible streams of inspiration and multitude of miracles, we praise you with love, and we call out to you :
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Ikos 1
An angel in the flesh were you manifested in the latter times by the Grace of God who ever cares for men. Seeing the beauty of your virtues, we your children now cry out to you :
Rejoice, you that lived in virtue from earliest childhood.
Rejoice, you that always lived in fear of God and did His holy will.
Rejoice, you that manifested the Grace of God in numberless virtues.
Rejoice, you that mystically heard the distant prayers of those in distress.
Rejoice, you that were filled with love for your fellow men and did all possible for their salvation.
Rejoice, you that bring joy to all who pray to you in faith and love.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 2
Seeing the abundance and variety of your virtues, O Holy Hierarch, we see in you a living source of God's wonders in our time, you refresh with your love and miracles all who cry out in faith to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Being filled with love you were also filled with theology, O holy Father ; and in you the knowledge of God flowed forth again in love for suffering men. Teach us also to know the true God in love as we call out to you in admiration :
Rejoice, firm stronghold of Orthodox truth.
Rejoice, precious vessel of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, righteous accuser of impiety and false doctrine.
Rejoice, ardent doer of the commandments of God.
Rejoice, severe ascetic who gave yourself no repose.
Rejoice, loving shepherd of the flock of Christ.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 3
By God's mercy you were manifest as a father to orphans and instructor of the young, raising them in the fear of God and preparing them for the service of God. Therefore, all your children look to you with love, and cry out with gratitude to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Dwellers in heaven should be praising you and not we on earth, for our words are feeble beside your deeds. Yet, offering to God what we have, we cry out to you thus :
Rejoice, you that protected your children by your constant prayer.
Rejoice, you that ever guarded your flock by the sign of the Cross.
Rejoice, you for whom love knew no bounds of country or race.
Rejoice, bright luminary beloved by all.
Rejoice, model of spiritual meekness.
Rejoice, giver of spiritual consolation to those in need.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 4
Bewildered by your deeds of piety and love, we know not how to praise you worthily, O Hierarch John. You travelled to the ends of the earth to save your people and to preach the Gospel to those in darkness. Thanking God for your apostolic labours, we cry out to Him :
Alleluia.
Ikos 4
The people of many lands beheld your life and marvelled at God's mercies even in these latter times. Thus, we also, marvelling, cry out in awe :
Rejoice, enlightener of those in the darkness of unbelief.
Rejoice, you that followed your people to the farthest East and West.
Rejoice, fountain of miracles poured out by God.
Rejoice, loving chastiser of those who have gone astray.
Rejoice, speedy comfort to those who repent of their sins.
Rejoice, support of those who go on the right path.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 5
You were manifest as a vehicle of God’s power to stop the destructive forces of fallen nature, O holy Hierarch, preserving your people on the island from the deadly wind and storm by your prayer and the sign of the Cross. Therefore, preserve us also who cry out in wonder unto God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 5
All who have trusted in your help in desperate circumstances and adversities have found deliverance, O bold intercessor before the Throne of God. Therefore, we too, place our hope in you to protect us in dangers by your prayers before God as we call out to you :
Rejoice, you that stopped the powers of nature from doing harm to your flock.
Rejoice, you that provide by your prayer for all in need.
Rejoice, inexhaustible bread for the hungry.
Rejoice, abundant wealth for those who live in poverty.
Rejoice, consolation for those in sorrow.
Rejoice, quick uplifting for those who have fallen.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 6
You were manifest as a new Moses, leading his flock out of slavery, O Hierarch John. Deliver us also from slavery to sins and from the enemies of God as we cry out to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 6
You did the impossible and persuaded the authorities of this world to have pity on your flock, O good shepherd. Pray for us now that we may live in peace and quiet, saving our souls as we gratefully cry out to you :
Rejoice, helper of all who call upon you in faith.
Rejoice, you that deliver from death and disaster.
Rejoice, you that preserve from lies and slander.
Rejoice, preserver of the innocent from bonds.
Rejoice, you that foil the attacks of the unrighteous.
Rejoice, destroyer of lies and exalter of truth.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 7
O lover of the saints of East and West, you restored to the Orthodox Church the saints of the West, of lands which had fallen away from the truth. Now with these saints you pray for us to God as we on earth cry out to Him :
Alleluia.
Ikos 7
O fervent venerator of the holy Hierarchs of Gaul, you were manifest in the latter times as one of them, exhorting your flock to preserve the same Orthodox Faith that they confessed, and astonishing the peoples of the West by your holy life. Now preserve us in that same Faith as we cry out to you :
Rejoice, new Martin by your miracles and ascetic feats.
Rejoice, new Germanus by your confession of the Orthodox Faith.
Rejoice, new Hilary by your divine theology.
Rejoice, new Gregory by your love for God's saints.
Rejoice, new Faustus by your gentle love and monastic fervour.
Rejoice, new Cæesarius by your firm yet loving rule of the Church of God.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 8
At the end of your life, O holy hierarch, you were called to the New World, to offer there your witness of ancient Christianity and to suffer persecution for your righteousness, thus perfecting your soul for Heaven. Now marvelling at your patience and long-suffering, we all cry out to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 8
O labourer of Christ's vineyard who knew no rest even at the end of your much-toiling life, help us now as we strive to be faithful to Christ, crying out in praise to you :
Rejoice, you that endured to the end and so attained salvation.
Rejoice, you that were deemed worthy to die before the icon of the Mother of God.
Rejoice, you that kept your faith and courage in the midst of unjust persecution.
Rejoice, you that laboured to the end for your flock and met death sitting as a hierarch.
Rejoice, you that returned through the air to be buried amidst the flock.
Rejoice you that work wonders for those who come to your sepulchre with faith and love.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 9
All angel-kind rejoiced at your soul’s ascent to their celestial home marvelling at the wonders you performed on earth through the action of the Holy Spirit, to whom we sing :
Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Orators find it impossible to describe your life of sanctity with their many and eloquent words, O righteous John ; for you became a living house for the power of the ineffable God. Yet, unable to fall silent at the wonder shown to our age of feeble faith, we glorify you :
Rejoice, divine palace whence the counsel of the Good King is given.
Rejoice, small and humble abode containing the spacious beauty of angels mansions.
Rejoice, you that gained a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Rejoice, infirmary wherein all manner of diseases are divinely healed.
Rejoice, closet wherein your holy labour of prayer was hidden.
Rejoice, blessed temple of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 10
Wishing to save the world, the Saviour of all has sent a new saint amongst us ; and through him, He has called us out of the dark recesses of sin. Hearing this call to repentance, we unworthy ones in turn cry out to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 10
You are a wall sheltering us from adversity, O Hierarch John, for through your heavenly intercessions we are delivered from the attacks of demonic passions and from afflictions which beset us on earth. Before your firm support of prayer, we cry out with faith :
Rejoice, sight to the blinded.
Rejoice, strength and life to those on the bed of death.
Rejoice, God-revealed advice to those in doubt and confusion.
Rejoice, refreshing water to those perishing in the heat of sorrow.
Rejoice, loving father to the lonely and abandoned.
Rejoice, holy teacher of those who seek the Truth.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 11
Your life was a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity, surpassing others in thought, word and deed, O most blessed John ; for with much wisdom you explained the precepts of the true Faith, and you taught us to sing with faith, hope and love to the one God in Trinity :
Alleluia.
Ikos 11
We see you as a radiant lamp of Orthodoxy amidst the darkness of ignorance, O God-chosen pastor of Christ's flock, our Father John ; for even after your repose you speak the truth to the ignorant and give instruction to those who seek guidance, and to all who cry out to you :
Rejoice, radiance of divine wisdom to those in ignorance.
Rejoice, rainbow of quiet joys for the meek.
Rejoice, thunder to stubborn sinners.
Rejoice, lightning of the zeal of God.
Rejoice, rain of God's dogmas.
Rejoice, shower of theological thoughts.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 12
Grace has been poured out in the last days upon us all. Beholding this Grace come forth from a holy hierarch who once did walk amongst us, let us receive it with reverence and thanksgiving, crying out to God :
Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Singing in praise to God, the heavenly choir of saints rejoice that He has not forsaken the fallen and unbelieving world, but has manifested His almighty power in you, His meek and humble servant. O blessed John, with all the saints we greet you and give honour to you :
Rejoice, new star of righteousness shining in heaven’s firmament.
Rejoice, new prophet who was sent before the final unleashing of evil.
Rejoice, new Jonah warning all of the wages of sin.
Rejoice, new Baptist drawing all to a life of prayer and repentance.
Rejoice, new Paul suffering to preach the gospel in the spirit of truth.
Rejoice, new apostle whose miracles instil in us faith and awe.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 13
O holy and most wondrous Hierarch John, consolation for all the sorrowing, accept now our prayerful offering that through your prayers to our Lord we may be spared Gehenna and by your God-pleasing intercession we may cry out eternally :
Alleluia. (Sing the kontak three times)
Ikos 1 and Kontak 1 are read again :
Ikos 1
An angel in the flesh you were manifested in the latter times by the Grace of God who ever cares for men. Seeing the beauty of your virtues, we your children now cry out to you :
Rejoice, you that lived in virtue from earliest childhood.
Rejoice, you that ever live in fear of God and do His holy will.
Rejoice, you that manifested the Grace of God in numberless virtues.
Rejoice, you that mystically heard the distant prayers of those in distress.
Rejoice, you that were filled with love for your fellow men and did all possible for their salvation.
Rejoice, you that bring joy to all who pray to you in faith and love.
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Kontak 1
O chosen wonder-worker and superb servant of Christ, who poured out in the latter times inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude of miracles. We praise you with love, and we call out to you :
Rejoice, O Holy Hierarch John, Wonder-worker of the latter times.
Prayer to the Holy Hierarch John Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco
O wondrous hierarch John, we honour you. You stretched your heart to encompass within it a multitude of people from amongst diverse nations and peoples. Look upon the humility of our words, which we offer out of love for you. Help us, O holy one of God, to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, so that we may labour for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling. What shall we offer to you for that joy which we have felt, beholding your Holy Relics in the holy Temple and glorifying your memory ? Truly, we have nothing to offer you, except that we begin to correct our lives, and become the New Man instead of the Old Man. Be an intercessor for us of this Grace of renewal, O holy John. Help us in our weaknesses ; heal our sicknesses ; cure our passions by thy prayers. You departed this temporal life unto life eternal, to which the All-pure Lady, the Directress of the Russian diaspora, guided you by her wonder-working Kursk-Root Icon, whose companion you were on the day of your repose. You now rejoice in the choir of the saints who glorify the one God, who is worshipped in Trinity : the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
References
Perekrestov, Peter, "Man of God: Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco" (Bethlehem, PA : Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society, 1995) 2nd edition. ISBN 10 : 1879066068. ISBN 13 : 978-1879066069.
(Puhalo), Archbishop Lazar, “Vladika : the Life of Antony Khrapovitsky Metropolitan of Kiev” (Dewdney, BC : The Canadian Centre for Patristic and Biblical Studies, 2009). ISBN : 919-67248-5.
‘A Brief Life of Saint John, Wonder-worker of Shanghai and San Francisco’ in “The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad : A Short History by Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco” (Jordanville, NY : Holy Trinity Monastery, 1997). ISBN : 9780884651253.
Holy Virgin Cathedral, San Francisco, biography
“Life of Saint John of Shanghai”
Saint John in Shanghai biography
Saint John Maximovitch : Eastern Orthodox web-page
Russian Alphabetical list of Russian clergy biography
Additional information :
Hendry, Subdeacon Gregory, “My Days with St John the Wonderworker”, [parts 1-6] (AFR podcast)
Hieromonk Damascene, “Father Seraphim: His Life and Works”, 3rd edition (Platina : St Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2010). ISBN : 1-887904-07-7.
Loukianoff, Bishop Peter, "Remembering Vladika John" (AFR podcast)
(Mileant), Bishop Alexander, "Life and Miracles of Saint John Maximovich"
Perekrestov, Archpriest Peter, “Vladyka John is a Saint of the Russian Diaspora”
Rose, Father Seraphim & Abbot Herman, “Blessed John the Wonderworker: A preliminary Account of the Life and Miracles of Archbishop John Maximovitch”, 3rd edition (Platina : Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1987). ISBN : 0-938635-01-8.
Serfes, Father Demetrios, "Life of Saint John Maximovitch the Wonderworker"
"San Francisco Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the Mother of God, 'Joy of All Who Sorrow'"
Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Quotes by Saint John the Wonderworker : Orthodox Church Quotes web-site
”Opening of the Relics, and Glorification of St John Maximovitch”
Orthodox Calendar articles about Saint John
"Akathist to our Holy Hierarch John"
Video in English “The Glorification of St. John Maximovitch (1994)”
Video : The Life of Saint John Maximovitch (2016)
Video with the voice of Saint John (in Russian]
Video about Saint John (in Russian)
Video in the series "Elders" about Saint John (in Russian)
Images and voice over of Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
Video in Romanian "Canonizarea Sfântului Ioan Maximovici"
PS Video in Romanian "Ambrozie despre Sf. Ioan Maximovici şi Vlădica Averchie"
Video : Saint John Maximovich's church in downtown Shanghai
Official report about the uncovering of the relics
"Life, Miracles and Sermons of Saint John", by Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
Orthodox Christianity article about Saint John, 2018
Orthodox Christianity article about Saint John's image in Ukraine, 2018
Orthodox Christianity article about a new Holy Table sanctified in Romania, 2018