Winter, 2004
the O R T H
Faith in Action Rev. David Lowell
In the steamy east coast heat of July, a number of us from the
Diocese of the West were presenters at the “Faith in Action”
Conference held at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
The Very Reverend George Gray, from St. Nicholas Ortho-
dox Church in Portland, Oregon, was the keynote speaker on
the second day of the conference. In his talk, “Fanning the
Flame of Christian Witness and Service”, Fr. George presented
a scriptural overview of liturgical life and evangelism , includ-
ing the fruit this bears through charitable works to those around
us who suffer and need help.
Fr. George also outlined from scripture the various minis-
tries within the Church, and how a proper understanding of
this variety helps us guard against the prideful temptation to
judge, envy or exalt when the real flame of Christ leads us to
serve in a lively humility. The full text of Fr. George Gray’s
keynote address can be found on the St Nicholas parish website
( stnicholaspdx.org ).
Throughout the conference, a number of workshops were
held. Fr. George Gray was also a presenter in two workshops,
one on Parish Nursing ministries, and the other on End of Life
decisions.
Sarah Elisabet Oftedal, the director of Martha and Mary
House, spoke about her ministry helping young women to
choose birth over abortion, and the various options available
for mothers. Martha and Mary House, which is located in
Escondido, California, can help mothers choose a loving Chris-
tian adoptive family, or receive skills and support counseling if
the mother chooses to accept the responsibility for parenting
her baby.
Matushka Deborah Tomasi, from the mission of “Joy of All
Who Sorrow” in Culver City, California, gave a presentation
on running an Orthodox Bookstore. Rev. John Tomasi and
Deborah started their mission with a bookstore and chapel and
have eight years of experience now. In addition to helping pay
some of the costs of their public meeting space on a main street
in Culver City (Washington Blvd.), the bookstore has been a
very interactive ministry with the public at large.
I also led a workshop on institutional ministries, presenting
Raphael House of San Francisco’s shelter ministry for homeless
families, and introducing other similar ministries from the East
Coast . I was glad to see that five former live-in volunteers
from Raphael House are now at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Cer-
tainly this is one of the reasons I try to represent Raphael House
nationally. Our Orthodox staff here in San Francisco come
from all over the country.
Katherine Vitko helped organize the Faith in Action Con-
ference and it was good to see her again .The Vitkos remain
homeowners in the Diocese of the West and will return here
O D O X
eventually , after the Deacon John Vitko, finishes up his work
with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington,
D.C.
Rev. Eric Tosi, Rector of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Las
Vegas, Nevada, is the Chairperson for the OCA’s Department
of Evangelization; as such, he organized the 2003 Evangeliza-
tion Conference for Missions held at our own Life Giving
Springs Retreat Center in Boulder City. This year the Evan-
gelism Conference held at St. Vladimir’s Seminary on August
28 – September 1, 2004 and Fr Eric again served as the orga-
nizer and moderator for the event. Other speakers from our
Diocese included the V.Rev. Joseph Hirsch , who is the Dean
for our Rocky Mountain Deanery , the V. Rev John Pierce
who serves as Dean for the Pacific Northwest, and the V.Rev.
Matthew Tate representing our very active Mission Deanery.
You can find some of the presentations given at this confer-
ence on the OCA website (www.oca.org )
Our mission in Fremont, California, has grown steadily over
the years, but not necessarily in the same geographic direc-
tion. The Very Reverend Leo Arrowsmith continues to be
the Rector for the St. Innocent Mission, while a new mission
is being formed under the pastoral leadership of the recently
ordained Priest Yuri Maev. Fr. Yuri was ordained to the Priest-
hood this past June by His Grace Bishop Tikhon at Holy
Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco. Writing on behalf of the
service work done by both missions, Bonnie Prescop has writ-
ten an article (see below) on the experience they’ve gained by
serving homeless families in their area. Our thanks to Bonnie
for submitting this article, and I hope it inspires you to write
something about the work in your parish as well.
Kathy Pieracci also responded to our request in the last
Orthodox Vision for parishes and missions to share with us
their own charitable activities . Kathy writes on behalf of the
Elevation of the Holy Cross Parish in Sacramento where the
Very Rev.Ian MacKinnon serves as Rector. They run the St
Michael’s Food Closet to provide supplemental food to fami-
lies in their area and the St Xenia Project to provide help to
the mentally ill. Kathy describes each ministry as follows :
ST. MICHAEL’S FOOD CLOSET
Each week approximately 30 families in need arrive at the
Elevation of Holy Cross to pick up groceries that have been
distributed by volunteers. This is a charity that was started
years ago by a couple at Holy Cross. Each week volunteers
arrive at Senior Gleaner and make a selection of various items
from their warehouse. Foods such as dairy products, meats,
canned fruits and vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables, breads
and cereals are purchased.
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4

To further assist these families, monies were collected from

Elevation of Holy Cross parishioners and used to purchase over
60 complete Thanksgiving meals. Our goal for next year is to
In This Issue
include complete meals for both Christmas and Pascha. Volume 10, Number 2
The youth at Elevation of Holy Cross are also getting in-
volved with those in need by raising funds from bake sales and
“Sunday-Sundaes”. The youth during Christmas break come Faith in Action
and help each week with a special hot-cocoa and Christmas Inside Cover
cookie greeting during the holidays. They are also there over
the summer break. For further information about St. Michael’s Serving People who are Homeless
Food Closet please see the article on the OCA web-site,listed by Bonnie Prescop
in the Community Service section of the Resource Handbook. 1

ST. XENIA PROJECT Learning from the Pioneers

As most of us think of the poor, hungry and children, we at by Gregory Cooke, Tacoma, WA
Elevation of Holy Cross also started sponsoring the mentally 3
ill of our community. Care packages of toothpaste and brushes,
shampoo, socks, hats and pens and pencils are delivered to Historical Perspective: Orthodoxy in Seattle
them once a month. During Christmas, special presents are 4
purchased, wrapped and delivered to them along with a group
of our own Christmas Carolers celebrating with them. St. Mary’s Holy Dormition to Celebrate 100 Years
Each month a gift is sent to other organizations such as Save by Fr. Lawrence Gaudreaugh
the Serbian Children and Christian Children’s Fund. Next 9
year we will also begin a fund to help Support a Mission Priest
and get our youth involved in other fund raising ideas, such as Merced Mission Breaks Ground for New Complex
a car wash. 10
I’m hoping that as you read this article, some of you are
thinking why isn’t our parish’s activity mentioned in this article ? News
That’s a most excellent and provocative question. Drop me a 11
note about what your mission or parish is doing and I’ll in-
clude it in our next issue. Diocesan Assembly Hears Bishop TIKHON’s Thoughts on
Thank you all! Retirement, Adopts 2005 Spending Plan
by Dmitri Solodow
Rev. David Lowell 12
Raphael House, San Francisco
1. Sutter St. Announcements
San Francisco , Ca. 94109 14
( dlowell@raphaelhouse.org )
Ask Fr. Joseph
15
Martha and Mary House
Orthodox Christian Maternity Home
Obituaries
P.O. Box 1680
16
Escondido, CA 92033
Phone: (760)741-7050
Stewards of the West 2004
marthaandmaryhouse@hotmail.com
18

Serving People who are Homeless From His Grace

19
by Bonnie Prescop
Members of the new Orthodox Mission in Fremont have
been serving lunch at their local homeless shelter every month Cover Photo: the Cross planted firmly in Calhan,
for several years. Feeding people without homes—caring for Colorado (story, page 9).
the poor face-to-face—is an eye-opening, spiritually reward-
(Continued on page 2)

1
the O R
The Official Publication of the
Diocese of the West of the
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of the West
650 Micheltorena Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026-3612
Publisher
His Grace Bishop TIKHON
Bishop of San Francisco and
the Diocese of the West
650 Micheltorena Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026-3612
Phone: (323)666-4977
Fax: (323)913-0316
Address all stories & comments:
Editor-in-Chief
Priest Isaac Skidmore
475 N Laurel St.
Ashland, OR 97520-1112
Phone: (541)488-3748
Fax (establish voice contact first): (541)488-3748
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Send All Address Changes to:
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Email: m_caetta@sbcglobal.net
The Orthodox Vision is published three times a year by the Diocese of
the West. It is free to all parish members and outreach within the Dio-
cese.
The articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Diocese or the editors. The advertisements contained herein
are not necessarily endorsed by the Diocese or Editorial Staff.
T H O D O X
(Serving Homeless, continued from page 1)
ing charitable activity, which can be done by anyone from 5
to 95! We would like to give the good people in other par-
ishes answers to some FAQ’s we have learned over the years,
so they can consider giving hands-on help to people who are
homeless too.
Who are the Homeless?:
Most people staying at our local Tri-City Homeless Coali-
tion Shelter work full time. They have families. The chil-
dren go to school. Many go to church regularly. Most love
cheeseburgers, barbeque chicken, fresh fruit, and brownies.
Most are grateful for a good meal.
Homelessness affects men, women and children. I have
met people at shelters who are past retirement age, and I have
seen three-day-old infants. Some people who are homeless
have medical or physical disabilities; some people have prob-
lems with drugs or alcohol; some people have suffered crises
or emergencies—but most people without homes are simply
unable to pay ever-increasing rents or mortgages, especially
during this economic downturn.
What are Homeless Shelters like?
There are many different types of Homeless Shelters. Drop-
in shelters and winter refuges provide shelter one night at a
time. They are usually big, serving 100-300 people, and lo-
cated in National Guard Armories or other large gymnasium-
like structures. They provide a mat on the floor, a hot meal,
and bathroom facilities. Kitchen facilities are usually very
limited. Most people using drop-in shelters are adults, and
many have underlying physical or mental problems. Drop-
in shelters usually ask for adult volunteers only, and food
preparation usually has to be done off-site. Feeding 100-300
drop-ins is hard work, but very rewarding.
Rotating shelters are smaller, (around 15-30 people) and
provide short-term shelter. Shelter rotates from one church
to another, in a different location every month. Most people
using rotating shelters are adults, and most work. The par-
ishes that offer shelter also provide most meals, but welcome
help from other charitable organizations. Rotating shelters
are good places to offer one-time help.
Transitional shelters are shelters that house people for longer
terms, ranging up to a year and a half. Transitional shelters
take in families with children, as well as single adults. These
shelters provide counseling, education, job-training, and other
resources to help families get back on their feet for good. Tran-
sitional shelters, like our own local Tri-City Homeless Coali-
tion shelter, and like Raphael House, are generally clean and
have helpful staff members and residents. They may sign up
volunteer groups that commit to serving a lunch or dinner
once a month. The shelter staff will advise new groups, and
the shelter will often offer some training in food handling, or
allow new groups to observe a lunch or dinner, to see how it
is done. Youth-groups and children old enough to be of help
are usually welcomed volunteers at transitional shelters.
Some shelters provide help to certain specific types of people,
2
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
such as young people, or battered women. Battered Women’s “If a brother or a sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food,
Shelters are always grateful when church groups collect and and one of you says to them, ‘Go in Peace, be warmed and
donate useful items like non-perishable foods and personal- filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body,
care items, but they do not allow church groups to volunteer what does it profit?” (James 2:15-16)
in the shelter, because the location where battered women are
sheltered is kept secret for the women and children’s safety. This article was written by a member of the Orthodox Mis-
What can we do to help? sion in Fremont, California. This new mission doesn’t yet have
The first rule for helping people, is give them what they need. a building of its own, but it can always be found by contacting
If there is a shelter for homeless people in your area, call and Fr. Yuri Maev at (510) 793-5465 or email:
ask what kind of help they can use. Some shelters need school iereiyuri@comcast.net Visitors are welcome!
supplies, others need trial-size toothpastes or socks. Some des-
perately need people to cook food, others need people to do
paperwork. Ask the staff—they will help you help them.
Learning from the Pioneers
Helpful Tips for food preparation: by Gregory Cooke, Tacoma, WA
1) Check out the kitchen facilities. Be prepared. Is there an
“So far Orthodoxy in America has not reflected upon itself and
oven; a grill; a refrigerator? How big? Do they work? Is there
upon its situation here.” (Fr. Alexander Schmemann) (1)
room to keep left-overs? Does the shelter provide food sup-
plies? Spices, salt and pepper, or oil? Is there a working can
It is an axiom of history that to know where one is going
opener? You should know all the answers to these questions
one must know where one has been. For the Orthodox in
ahead of time. Remember that it can take a long time to de-
America there are large gaps in our knowledge of the historical
frost and heat up large pans of food.
path of Orthodoxy in North America—and we are only now,
2) Use food-service rules. Wear gloves and aprons. Wash
slowly, recovering those forgotten stories of faithful Orthodox
your hands carefully. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
from the past centuries. Only a few will probably be revealed
Avoid foods that spoil easily, like eggs and mayonnaise.
as saints like Herman, Juvenaly, Raphael and others. God will
3) Keep it simple and familiar. The favorite meal we ever
reveal them in His own time. But we also need to know about
made at a shelter was grilled cheeseburgers, chips, and fresh
the “ordinary” Orthodox who struggled to maintain their faith
fruit. “Shake and Bake” chicken, soup with lunch-meat sand-
in the midst of a land. Their lives can give us hope and help us
wiches, sloppy joes, pizza, spaghetti, and burritos are also popu-
understand the path of faith on this continent. Only the Lord
lar. Keep spices mild—salsa, barbeque sauce and hot peppers
knows how their actions, prayers and lives have affected the
can all be available on the side, when appropriate.
course of sacred history, and the least we can do is do all in our
Know the ingredients, so you can tell people what is in the
power to recover their stories and details of their lives. Then,
food if they ask. People can be allergic to anything. Allergies
we can properly commemorate them so they are no longer
to nuts are especially dangerous, so nuts of all kinds should be
forgotten. We can also share their lives with a world ignorant
avoided.
of the Orthodox way.
4) Foods to avoid: Nuts, alcohol, cooking wines, and poppy
Orthodox history here in North America is a story of
seeds. If you are serving pork (including ham, bacon, most
struggles, some external and some self inflicted. These his-
sausages and hot dogs), have something different for Jews and
torical themes are lived out in communities by families and
Muslims. Have a vegetarian option for people who don’t eat
people—therefore Orthodox history, like Orthodox theology,
meat. (Conversely, if you are serving a meal during Great Lent,
is incarnational and not merely theoretical. For this reason we
make something with cheese or eggs. The guests at the shelter
need to learn the stories of the Orthodox who went before us
do not have to observe your own fasting periods.)
here on this continent. Fr. Schmemann spoke prophetically
5) Make enough food. A rule of thumb is to bring about _-
about the “providential” meeting of America and Orthodoxy.
1/3 pound of beef or _ pound of chicken or turkey (counting
He also noted that Orthodox Americans “belong to the Or-
bones and skin) per person. It is easier to know how much
thodox Church, but we do not belong to an Orthodox culture
food to cook and serve when you have an easily-identifiable (2)
”. Since he wrote these words in 1968 there have been some
serving. If your local shelter houses 100 people, it is easy to
changes. There is much promise now, and many problems
count 100 hamburger patties, burritos, or 100 chicken legs. If
surmounted; other problems remain too well-known to need
you are serving casseroles, have serving spoons that provide
mentioning. Orthodoxy in America is growing with thou-
standard-sized servings.
sands of converts, Orthodox seminaries are solid, and monas-
6) Relax! The people you are serving are happy to see you
tic life has begun to flourish on North American soil.
and grateful for a good meal. If your meal is running late, if (Continued on page 8)
you drop a plate, if someone has special needs or requests—it’s 1. Father Alexander Schmemann, The Mission of Orthodoxy (Ben
ok! Talk to the residents, ask for help from the staff if you need Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press, 1994), p. 9.
it, be friendly, and you will have a good experience. 2. Ibid., p. 2.

3
the O R T H O D O X
Historical Perspective
Orthodoxy in Seattle
The following, the second of several parts to be featured in The Vision, was prepared in 1985, on the occasion of Seattle’s
St. Spiridon’s Cathedral’s 90th anniversary.
Father Nicholas Mitropolsky replaced Father Vyacbeslavov people to throw these villains out of the church. “Don’t,” he
in 1924 and remained in Seattle until 1930. During his tenure, said, and the three of them quickly walked into the altar, and
talks abort the need for a new church building began but were then through the side entrance and corridor toward the office
postponed because of the decrease in parish membership and and parish house.
the onset of the Depression. 4 Also, the overture to the parish’s Father Nicholas Mitropolsky was there, and Alexandroff
future conflict with representatives of the “Living Church” was shoved two papers into his hands. No one was in church or at
written at this time. the house. I dashed outside and ran into an émigré Russian
...I arrived in Seattle on 9 August [1924] for the purpose of colonel. I told him what had happened. The colonel suggested
ordaining Innokentii Semoff to the diaconate...An hour and a that we call the police immediately...more Russian people be-
half before Vigil, I went to the church to make sure that every- gan to gather in the church. Meanwhile, the scoundrels ran
thing was in order...the children out of the parish house, jumped
finished cleaning the church and into their automobile and drove
left, and three subjects appeared, away... 5
standing near the threshold of Early in 1930, Father
the church. I began to fix a vigil Mitropolsky was transferred to
light on the left side of the Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Fa-
iconostasis [kliros]; I saw these ther Vasily Kuvshinoff and his
three men move toward me. family were transferred from
One of them approached me Saint Paul to Seattle. Saint
and said, “Do you remember Spiridon’s parish, fraught with
me? I met you here around thir- internal divisions, was on the
teen years ago.” edge of collapse. The newly ar-
“No,” I answered. “I don’t re- rived rector found the parish
member. I don’t know you.” sharply divided into two fac-
He responded, “I want to talk tions:
with you.” 1) the Parish Council, which
“So,” I answered. “Excuse me, had secured a State Charter, 6
but I don’t have time.” consisted of members Sergei N.
He began explaining that [he] ...was V[ladimir] Alexandroff. Gorny, Chairman; Victor L. Loosanoff, vice-Chairman;
His mug became familiar. Suddenly the scoundrel asked me, Anatole G. Usov, Treasurer; Nicholas N. Mihailoff, Secretary;
“Are you ordaining a deacon here?” Peter L. Byely, Starosta; Constantine A. Novikoff, Nikifor G.
“Yes, I am,” I answered. “What’s it to you?” Vashchenko and Makarii D. Demovoi, members;
“You better not do it,” he answered, “Because the archbishop 2) an administrative committee, part of the New York based
is here, I and my church.”
“You!” I answered. “An archbishop! Get out of here!” 5 Letter from Bishop Amphilokii to Metropolitan Platon, 12
August 1924 (on file in the Archive Collection of the Orthodox
[He]...noticed that I planned to sound the alarm and get the
Church in America, Syosset, New, York).
6 Incorporation of a parish and the registration of church prop-
4 The set of correspondence between the ruling bishops. Father erty in the name of local “Russian Societies” rather than in the name
Nicholas Mitropolsky, and the two parish councils describes a very of the diocesan bishop were common practices among Orthodox
complicated and fragile political arrangement in the parish. Because parishes at this time, as the jurisdictional problem, resulting from
the description of the situation in Father Vastly Kuvshinoffs history the Russian Revolution and subsequent administrative chaos within
differs so much from the content of the original correspondence on the Russian Mission in North America, made it unclear who owned
file at the OCA Archives, and because there was not time to analyze Russian Mission church property, the Soviet government or the lo-
the situation adequately before going to press, we have chosen to omit cal parish. Rulings on this question varied from state to state; the
a superficial discussion of the subject. majority of cases ruled in favor of the Soviet government.

4
V I S I O N
organization, “Defense of the Russian Church” [ . . . ] con-
sisted of Peter S. Troitsky, Chairman; Nicholas P. Andreev, trea-
surer; Leonid V. Romanov, Secretary.
There was a third group of parishioners, apparently of a more
peaceful character, but quite inactive; the group kept to the
side and closely watched the goings-on in the church.
The difficult work of appeasement and gathering together
of the separated parts of the church into a single whole began.
The difficulty of this task was intensified by the arrival of yet
another point of view in the parish-a wave of Karlovtsy Synod
adherents came to Seattle. A wandering monk began to serve
liturgical services in a private residence on the outskirts of the
city and encouraged some of the young people to organize a
new parish. Father Vasily’s arrival slightly slowed this tendency
toward division.
During these dark times, the necessity of a new church build-
ing became a central question. The old
church had become so dilapidated that
no repair could help; at one Liturgy, it
was feared that if any more worshippers
entered the church, the building would
collapse. With Father Vasily’s arrival, the
Parish Council got down to this task and
attempted through the civil court to se-
cure for the parish its own property-the
land, the church building, the parish
house.
Father Vladimir Alexandrov (priest of
Saint Spiridon’s at the turn of the cen-
tury), now representative of the “Living
Church”, arrived in Seattle and claimed
the church’s real estate. 7 After a six-week
court trial, Father Alexandrov was
awarded the Saint Spiridon’s church
property, and the Orthodox Community
of Saint Spiridon moved, during Bright
Week, 1932, to the shelter of Saint
Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, 1932 Fed-
eral Avenue East, where it remained un-
til 1938.
Father Vladimir Alexandrov could call
in the power of a King County Superior Court and take pos-
session of the parish property, but all he got was real estate—
an empty church building and the land. When the parishio-
ners moved to their new, temporary place of worship in the
shelter of Saint Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, they took with
them most of the church icons and the altar pieces. The
7 The “Living Church” came into being in 1922, when the So-
viet government assisted a group of Orthodox clergy in their efforts
to suppress the newly re-instated Patriarchate in return for social
and political collaboration with the Soviet Government. In 1923,
after Patriarch Tikhon’s famous statement, most parishes in Russia
returned to the Patriarch; however, the Soviet government contin-
ued to support the Living Church into the 1930’s.
5
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
iconostasis could not be removed, so a new one was built for
the temporary location; when the present church opened in
October 1938, this iconostasis was in place, a familiar old
sight in a brand new building. The current iconostasis is its
replacement.
Not all of the Saint Spiridon’s parishioners moved to the
shelter of Saint Barnabas’ Episcopal Church. A breakaway
group moved to a store front at Eleventh and Madison Av-
enue that became their house of worship; they had decided to
throw in their lot with the bishops at Karlovtsy.
In 1936, there was a chance to reunite Saint Spiridon’s Par-
ish. Metropolitan Theophilus of America traveled to Karlovtsy
at the invitation of Patriarch Varnava of Serbia. He agreed to
unite with the émigré bishops at Karlovtsy while preserving
the autonomy of the American Metropolia. In May 1936,
after Metropolitan Theophilus returned,
the American Council of Orthodox
Bishops ratified the unification. And in
October 1937, the Sixth All-American
Sobor took a wait-and-see position while
formally supporting their Metropolitan.
In Seattle, hopes for a reconciliation
ran high. During the months of March-
June 1936, the Saint Spiridon’s parish
at Saint Barnabas did all that could be
done through letters, petitions, conver-
sations, and gestures of good will to
bring the break-away group back. Noth-
ing worked. The initiatives all came from
the side of Saint Spiridon’s Parish, Fi-
nally, late in the year, a unity move in
the form of a Peace Group, under the
leadership of Alexis M. Ozerov, had
picked up momentum. A meeting of
volunteers brought out ninety-two
people on December 6.
Eighty-six said they wanted just one
Orthodox Church in Seattle. On the
very next day, the group meeting at Elev-
enth and Madison started laying the
foundation for the present Saint Nicho-
las’ Church on their recently purchased plot.
In December of 1935, the Parish Council of Saint Spiridon
asked the Parish Council of Saint Nicholas to refrain from
blessing the cornerstone of the construction; this was also the
desire of Metropolitan Theophilus expressed in a telegram
from him. The request was not taken into consideration and
the cornerstone was blessed. The second attempt by Saint
Spiridon’s Parish Council to invite Saint Nicholas’ Church
Council to join a General Commission took place in March
of 1936; the response was a four month Spiridon’s Parish
Council organize a General Meeting for a report on the pre-
ceding attempts at negotiation and the resulting decision to
(Continued on page 6)
the O R T H
(Orthodoxy in Seattle, continued from page 5)
purchase land for construction of a new church. It was made
clear at the meeting that even at this point the desire for unity
would remain a higher priority than purchase of new prop-
erty should Saint Nicholas parishioners reconsider.
At the 15-28 June 1936 general meeting, the parishioners,
having chosen a piece of property at the comer of Harrison
Street and Yale Avenue North, collected $731 for the pur-
chase of the property. Archbishop Tikhon’s suggestion that
the property not be purchased until the full amount of pur-
chase price had been collected was adhered to. Sufficient funds
were collected by August 6; the property was purchased. Arch-
bishop Tikhon congratulated the parish on the speedy collec-
tion of funds and encouraged the parishioners to keep on
friendly terms with the parishioners of
Saint Nicholas despite the existence of
two Russian Orthodox parishes.
On September 10, the parishioners
requested permission of Archbishop
Tikhon to bless the property on the feast
of the Elevation of the Holy Cross. Arch-
bishop Tikhon granted permission on
September 14, pledged $10 toward the
new building, and encouraged Father
Vasily to follow through on his idea of
inviting the clergy of Saint Nicholas par-
ish and other local clergy to participate
in the festivities. On September 27/14,
over 400 people gathered after Divine
Liturgy for the Blessing of the Waters.
Assisting Father Vasily was Father
Stephen Foutridis, priest of Saint
Demetrios Greek parish. Saint Spiridon’s
choir, under the direction of A. M.
Prisadsky, sang in Greek and Slavonic.
The three-bar Russian cross was blessed
with holy water and anointed with
chrism. The parish Sisterhood, dedicated
to the Protection of the Theotokos,
hosted a Lenten dinner for 250 people in the parish hall of
the nearby Saint Demetrios church. Speeches were made by
N.S. Ross,vice-president Of the Parish Council, parishioner
P. S. Troitsky, and Sunday School teacher N. F. Kulikova. A
telegram was mailed to Archbishop Tikhon.
Long before the purchase of the property, the Parish Coun-
cil had studied the question of choosing an architect who
would know how to draft plans for a truly Russian- style
church. Each parish council member understood that a church
architect must be an honest, honorable person of integrity
who would respect his medium. Saint Spiridon’s solved its
problem successfully and found a Russian Orthodox archi-
tect, Ivan M. Palmov. He had been educated at a Saint Peters-
burg technological institute and participated in the White
Army march across Siberia. Mr. Palmov graduated from the
6
O D O X
University of Washington School of Architecture and began
to work for Seattle City Light and as a draftsman for federal
agencies. His ability to speak Russian greatly aided the efforts
at formulating a first plan for the church.
The groundwork for construction began on 28/15 July 1937;
the cornerstone was laid on 26/13 of September. After Arch-
bishop Tikhon blessed the cornerstone with holy water and
anointed it with holy chrism, Father Vasily read the official
Act of Foundation of the parish:
This church is founded to the glory of our great wonder-
worker, Saint Spiridon, Bishop of Trimithun, during the ad-
ministration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United
States; His Grace, Tikhon, Archbishop of Western America
and Seattle; His Beatitude, Theophilus, Metropolitan of All-
America and Canada, in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen. 8
The Act was signed by the Archbishop;
the clergy, the members of the Parish
Council and notable women of the par-
ish, and stamped with the parish seal. A
list of all donors was affixed to the Act
and the cornerstone was sealed. Over 500
people representing the Serbian, Greek,
and Slav fraternal organizations, and the
Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Mark, were
present. After the ceremony, the Sister-
hood sponsored a gala dinner, and
speeches were presented by Archbishop
Tikhon, Father Vasily, Mr. Pulakis, a rep-
resentative of the Greek brotherhood of
the Greek parish, A.M. Prisadsky, and oth-
ers. A special collection netted $288.64.
The nine crosses and bell were blessed
and raised on 26/13 July 1938. Again, not
only parishioners, but also the Seattle
community took part in the service. The
crosses and bell, decorated with wreaths
of fresh flowers, were placed at the south-
ern end of the newly constructed building. Father Vasily and
Father Stephen Foutridis performed the blessing; the dean of
Saint Mark’s Cathedral was present. While the choir sang, “Save,
O Lord, thy people...,” the main cross was raised to its posi-
tion on the largest cupola, and the newly installed bell struck
its first notes. The church building had finally become a temple
of the Lord. The newly “baptized” church was feted by its
members. At the dismissal, each member rang the bell, as a
symbol of a physical sacrifice in the building of the church,
and then kissed the blessing cross. Again, a festive dinner and
reading of many congratulatory telegrams and letters from
around the United States followed the service.
The final Divine Liturgy was served at Saint Barnabas’ chapel
8 V. Kuvshinoff, p. 131.
V I S I O N
on 2 October 1938. The fond memories of services in the chapel,
the warmth of the chapel’s parishioners, made the parting diffi-
cult. Metropolitan Theophilus, Archbishop Tikhon, and Bish-
ops Alexis, Leonty, and Benjamin had served in the chapel. Visi-
tors to Seattle who had prayed with the parishioners in Saint
Barnabas’ included N. Rerikh and son, Mr. and Mrs. G.D.
Grebenshchikoff, Irina Baranov, Tamara Riabushinsky, and V.T.
Zarochintseff, various Alaskan missionaries and many others.
The funerals of A.G. Usoff, P.P. Bely, V.A. Kovalevsky, P.S.
Troitsky, M.M. Morekhodoff, Igor Baranov, P.A. Kolesnik, G.M.
Dubrovin, A.V. Rutkovsky, P.I.Tellason, N.A. Zadkoff, P. Shvets,
V. Larionoff and others, had been held in the chapel. Russian
children had been baptized, young people had been married in
this comfortable and familiar environment.
After the Divine Liturgy, a Service of Thanksgiving was held
as a good-bye to the chapel. After the Molieben, the parishio-
ners began to disassemble the church and packed the icons,
candlestands, and liturgical ves-
sels into waiting trucks and cars.
Saint Barnabas’ was given a
parting cleaning, and the pro-
cession moved to the shiny, new
red brick church of Saint
Spiridon. The iconostasis was
painted ivory white to contrast
with the light blue walls. A.A.
and A.K. Borisoff paid for the
paint and for the gilding of the
iconostasis. A path for proces-
sions around the church was
dug and filled with cement.
Electricity, water, and gas lines
were connected; while parish
women decorated the interior of
the church, Efim M. Minko
conducted choir rehearsals in
the new choir loft. Father Vasily’s opinion and advice were con-
stantly solicited. The parish unity at this moment had never
been greater; the morale was at its highest.
The first Great Vigil, Lesser Blessing of the Waters, and Di-
vine Liturgy were celebrated by Archbishop Tikhon, Father
Vasily , and Father Stephen, on October 8 and 9, 1938. Again,
a grand banquet, with the sharing of many reminiscences of
Russian colony life in Seattle, followed the service. A congratu-
latory telegram was sent by the Parish Council to His Emi-
nence, Metropolitan Theophilus:
The Parish Council, on the day of the blessing of the new
Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Spiridon, in Seattle, Wash-
ington, congratulates your Eminence on the entrance of an ex-
cellent church, in terms of architecture as well as furnishings,
into your Metropolia. This church is indeed a great monument
on this 950th anniversary of the Christianization of Russia, and
is an Orthodox gateway to Alaska. The new immigration, in-
herited the small church on Lakeview Boulevard but lost it in a
7
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
court case with the “Living Church”; in response, it has built a
fantastic new church, a gift to all Russian Orthodox people for
the glory of the Orthodox faith and for the pride of the Rus-
sian Orthodox Church in America. Accept this pearl, dear pi-
lot of our heavenly ship; in it we will pray for all mankind, and
especially for you, under whose omophorion we, the founders,
benefactors, who do good works, who labor and who sing in
this holy temple, and who gather in faith, in love and in the
fear of God, to pray. Eis polla eti despota. 9
[One-hundred and seventy-two families and individuals who
contributed their physical, moral, and financial support toward
the building of the the new Church of Saint Spiridon are listed at
this point in the original document, including local donors, bene-
factors from Alaska and elsewhere.]
Over fifty parishes and even
Metropolitan Theophilus con-
tributed financially and
supportively to the new
church.
On December 13, 1941, the
Lesser Synod of Bishops des-
ignated Saint Spiridon’s church
in Seattle a cathedral.
Father Vasily Kuvshinoff
continued his tremendous pas-
toral work at Saint Spiridon’s
through the years of World
War II. He initiated funds for
the completion of the new
church on Yale Avenue North
and Harrison Street according
to original plans—painting the
outside walls, installing a new
iconostasis, acquiring the adjacent lot for a parish house and/
or school. He served as spiritual father for Orthodox service-
men stationed in the area for the duration of the war. He sup-
ported the publication of “The Russian Fields” [ . . . ], whose
editor, Ludmilla V. Kuvshinoff, beginning in 1932, recorded
the history of the Russian community in Seattle, explained the
teachings of the Church, marked church feasts and kept a
chronicle of parish events. This weekly bulletin won many
friends for the parish, inspired many contributions to the church
building fund and made the name of the parish known through-
out the Orthodox world, since copies of it were sent as far
afield as Saint Sergius Seminary in Paris, Saints Alban and
Sergius Society in London, to the various churches and sub-
scribers in Alaska, and throughout the United States.
[To be continued in next edition.]
9 V. Kuvshinoff, p. 134.
the O R T H
(Learning from Pioneers, continued from page 3)
Now it is time to commence a serious dialogue about what
it means to be American and Orthodox. “The evaluation of
American culture in Orthodox terms requires first a knowl-
edge of Orthodoxy, and second a knowledge of the true Ameri-
can culture and tradition,” wrote Fr. Schmemann. Because,
“one cannot evaluate that which one does not know, love, and
understand (3).” I want to look at the story of Samuel Jerisich
to help in this quest. First and foremost Samuel Jerisich was
an icon of God like all of us; secondly he was an embodiment
of Orthodox themes and struggles here in America.
A Life
Samuel Jerisich was born in Kotor, Montenegro, in 1833.
Little is known of his life there. Montenegro had fought for
centuries to keep the Ottoman Turks at bay; the Balkans seethed
with revolutionary passions during the 19th century. Jerisich
left the coastal region of his birth and sailed for America in
1854. He ended up in San Francisco and worked onboard a
number of ships before moving to the Pacific Northwest in
1867. He and his Canadian-Indian wife Anna Willetts Jerisich
were pioneers in an area of Puget Sound now known as the
city of Gig Harbor. The couple raised a number of children
and successfully fished the waters near their home. Samuel
died in 1905; Anna in 1926. The couple were considered
founders of the city of Gig Harbor and were the first perma-
nent settlers there. Gig Harbor named part of the waterfront
after him. These are the bare facts of Samuel Jerisich’s life, but
they are far from the full story.
The full story touches on many important points: struggles
to remain faithful and worship, co-existence with the non-
Orthodox, outreach to native peoples, the amazing lives of
Orthodox priests in the early days, all set against a colorful
and exciting backdrop of growth in the American church.
Jerisich and his family were apparently the only Orthodox in
the Gig Harbor area. Other fisherman from the Dalmatian
coast settled there, but they were Roman Catholic Croats.
Nonetheless, they and the Jerisich family got along well. As
the century progressed priests from the West Coast Orthodox
center in San Francisco traveled to minister to the Orthodox
scattered throughout the region. Eventually these efforts and
local, grassroots fundraising led to churches being built to serve
multi-ethnic groups of believers. In the Puget Sound region
there were churches in Seattle (St. Spyridon) and Wilkeson
(Holy Trinity, in the foothills around Mt. Rainier) by 1900.
The Jerisich family traveled to Seattle by boat, no easy task
given the vagaries of weather in Washington.
Anna Jerisich, who came from the Kuper Island Reserve in
the waters between British Columbia’s mainland and Vancouver
Island, adopted her husband’s faith. According to Father
Michael Andreades (more on him in a bit) she was baptized—
and by implication chrismated—by the missionary
Archimandrite Sebastian Dabovich, a Serbian-American priest
3. Schmemann, p. 10.
8
O D O X
based in San Francisco (4). She was another in a long line of
First Nations people to embrace the faith brought from “the
Old World.” Sadly, the Jerisich children married outside the
faith and seem not to have continued in Orthodoxy.
Historical Context
During this time there were great changes in the Orthodox
situation in North America. The most notable one was the
decision of thousands of Uniates to re-embrace the Orthodox
faith. Although the hierarchy was primarily Russian, the Ameri-
can Orthodox were from all sorts of backgrounds: Greek,
Carpatho-Rusyn, Serbian, Arab. That is the abiding Ameri-
can way--foreigners come to this land seeking opportunity and
freedom. In America at the beginning of the 20th Century
Orthodox parishes were often multi-ethnic. The Orthodox
Church in America was faced with ministering to the faithful
in a variety of languages. Fortunately God raised up his ser-
vants for the task. Two of those servants were Fathers Sebastian
Dabovich and Michael Andreades. Fr. Dabovich was a native-
born American of Serbian parents; Fr. Andreades was a Greek
from Asia Minor who spoke Russian. Both these men minis-
tered to the Jerisich family: Fr. Dabovich baptized Mrs. Jerisich,
and Fr. Andreades ministered to Mr. Jerisich in his final ill-
ness. “I heard his confession and gave him Holy Commun-
ion,” wrote the priest in his diary, “after which we spoke for a
long while. He faced death bravely and with hope, as all good
Christians must.” (5)
Fr. Andreades’ visit to Samuel Jerisich displayed a missionary’s
devotion. In the morning he traveled from Seattle to Wilkeson
and celebrated the liturgy. He received a telegram about
Jerisich, but had to travel on foot nearly five miles (receiving
help along the way from an Orthodox family) to get to a train
going to Tacoma. Once he got to Tacoma he needed to take a
boat across Puget Sound to reach Gig Harbor. It is a story that
illustrates faith and puts in perspective our casual modern atti-
tudes about punctuality and church attendance.
The ruling hierarch at that time was Bishop Tikhon Bellavin,
later canonized as St. Tikhon. Before he went back to Russia
to serve as metropolitan of Moscow and then Patriarch of Rus-
sia, St. Tikhon worked tirelessly to strengthen the foundations
of Orthodoxy in America: he consecrated Archimandrite
Raphael Hawaweeny (later St. Raphael) as auxiliary bishop,
advanced the translation of liturgies and texts into English,
and encouraged church and parish building across the conti-
nent. Indeed, he consecrated Holy Trinity in Wilkeson with
his own hands, and today the parish is blessed to have an icon
of the saint holding the church. He incarnated the pioneer
spirit of the times and combined the depth of Russian faith
with the energy of the New World.
(Continued on page 10)
4. Brigit Farley, “Russian Orthodoxy in the Pacific Northwest: The
Diary of Father Michael Andreades, 1905-1906,” Pacific Northwest
Quarterly, Summer 2001, p. 128.
5. Ibid., p. 128.
V I S I O N
St. Mary’s Holy Dormition Church to celebrate 100 years: A History
Priest Lawrence Gaudreau
The history of St. Mary’s Holy Dormition Orthodox Church
is not only a history of time and place, but also of the people,
and their descendents, who today worship, work and live in
much the same manner as that of their ancestors who came
from Europe in the last part of the Nineteenth century. Most
of the faithful immigrated to this country from the Austro-
Hungarian Empire during the great age of immigration from
1880 to 1917.
Many of the Church’s ancestors first lived in Pennsylvania
and worked in the coal mines and steel mills. The area north of
Calhan, Colorado was settled by the Slovak people who took
advantage of farmland being offered as a result of the 1862
Homestead Act. Many also immigrated west to work in the
steel mills in Pueblo, Colorado after the completion of the rail-
roads in 1888.
Each settler received
160 acres to farmland
to develop. To gain
clear title to their plot
of land they would
have to be resident of
the property for five
continuous years and
pay a registration fee of
$30.00. If the home-
steader desired, the title
could pass into their
hands after six months
residence and the pay-
ment of $1.25 per acre.
Early life for these
Slovak settlers was dif-
ficult at best. The first “homes” were dug out of the earth or
were made of blocks of sod and rock. Wells had to be dug by
hand. The water level at that time was around 60 feet. Our
well today is 832 feet deep.
The people grew wheat, potatoes and raised cattle for beef
and milk. Life on the prairie had an assortment of other chal-
lenges as well such as floods, hail, winter storms, drought, the
“dust bowl” and invasions by grasshoppers. In the winter of
1913 a storm deposited 45.5 inches of snow on the days of
December 4th – 6th. Winds reached up to 50mph producing
drifts up to 30 feet. On December 7th, the sun shown and the
storm ended. Livestock valued at thousands of dollars per-
ished and damage to buildings was devastating. Homesteaders
shoveled snow to form paths from the house to the barns and
grain storage buildings tying ropes around their waists to make
sure they could find their way back to the house. From that
point, only 7.78 inches fell between December and April of
1914. The people of St. Mary’s are certainly no strangers to
9
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
drought as they endured the Dust Bowl and many droughts
over the years. The drought of 2002 was the worst in recorded
history. The community today is still recovering from that
difficult year.
In 1903, Archbishop TIKHON, consecrated the ground for
St. Michael’s Church in Pueblo, Colorado. Many of the faith-
ful from Calhan were present. By 1904, the Slovak people
organized themselves to build their own church. In 1905,
Archbishop TIKHON traveled to the very isolated area north
of Calhan and consecrated the ground on which the first St.
Mary’s Orthodox Church would be built. Fr. Ina Kibikoff who
would be the first priest to serve St. Mary’s was also in atten-
dance. The church was completed on July 4th,1905 and con-
secrated on August 28th, 1905. The first church, affection-
ately know as the
“Church on the Hill,”
of course did not have
electricity and a coal
stove was used for heat.
Two cemeteries, St.
Mary’s and St.
Michael’s, were even-
tually established next
to the church and
across the road.
In 1928, a fire de-
stroyed St. Mary’s.
Shortly after the fire
there were “misunder-
standings” in the com-
munity. A portion of
the community set out
to establish a new parish with its church on the cross roads of
North Calhan Highway and Ramah Road, just down the hill
from the original church. The original church was rebuilt in
1932 and the “new parish” finished their church in 1933. With
the completion of the new parish church, the “misunderstand-
ings” that split St. Mary’s in two was finally healed and the
community was united in the new church, which is the one
we are in today. On June 11th , 2000, the “church on the hill”
was again destroyed by fire and only the shell and bell tower
were rebuilt. We use the bell tower today during funerals as
we process up North Calhan Highway from the “new church”
to our cemeteries next to the original church.
St. Mary’s had a succession of priests, many finding it diffi-
cult to deal with the isolation and hard life of the prairie. Many
of the early priests could not drive and were unable to go much
beyond their own rectory. This changed in 1956, with the
assignment of a permanent priest. It was during this time that
(Continued on page 10)
the O R T H
(St. Mary’s Anniversary, continued from page 9)
several significant changes took place. The introduction of
English language Liturgies, and the establishment of a regular
Sunday school program. In 1982, St. Mary’s switched over to
the “Revised Julian” or Gregorian Calendar by a parish vote of
61 to 40.
In the summer of 1995, at the parish’s 90th Anniversary, His
Beautitude, Metropolitan THEODOSIUS and His Grace,
Bishop TIKHON rededicated the church on the hill as a chapel
dedicated to St. TIKHON, the founder of St. Mary’s Holy
Dormition Orthodox Church.
My family and I feel blessed to be a part of this community.
The people are honest, hard working and have tremendous
pride in what they and their ancestors have accomplished in
witnessing to Christ and in continuing the legacy of St.
TIKHON. The community has made us so much apart of
their family that we feel that their history is our history. We
will be celebrating 100 years of struggle and success on the
weekend of August 20th-21st, 2005. We are looking forward
to visits from His Grace, Bishop TIKHON, and His Grace,
Bishop BENJAMIN for this historic weekend. Of course,
Merced Mission Breaks Ground for New Complex
On Saturday, September 25, 2004, the mission of St. Mary
Magdalene Orthodox Church of Merced, California hosted a
Groundbreaking Celebration, beginning her two phase con-
struction project for a church campus. The office of the “In-
voking of the Holy Spirit for the Beginning of a New Work,”
along with the Groundbreaking itself, was accomplished at the
congregation’s beautiful 17 acre lo-
cated in north Merced, just minutes
away from the new University of
California (UC), Merced campus
slated to open in fall, 2005. Merced,
called the “Gateway to Yosemite
[National Park]” and located in in-
land central California south of Sac-
ramento, is situated in an area pro-
jected to be the fastest growing re-
gion in California in the next twenty
years.
His Grace, Bishop BENJAMIN
presided at the service and ceremo-
nial groundbreaking. Vladyka was
assisted by St. Mary Magdalene Mission clergy, the Priest David
Thatcher, Rector and Deacon Gabriel Seamore. Brother clergy
representing local parishes of the Central Valley also
concelebrated: Protopresbyter Jon Magoulias of the Annun-
ciation Church, Modesto; Priest Jim Pappas of St. George
Church, Fresno; and Priest Russell Radoicich, together with
Protodeacon Brad Matthews and Deacon Norman Shultz of
St. Peter the Apostle Church, Fresno. Also present was Priest
10
O D O X
everyone in the Diocese is invited to attend and participate.
Fr. Lawrence is the current rector of St. Mary’s, with wife,
Katherine, and their 1 & 1/2 year-old son, Michael.
(Learning from Pioneers, continued from page 8)
A Montenegrin immigrant, his Indian wife, a Serbian-Ameri-
can archimandrite, a Greek priest and a Russian bishop: Only
God fully knows how these Orthodox American pioneers have
made an impact on the heavenly kingdom and events here on
Earth. Are we in the 21st Century an answer to prayers ut-
tered on American shores in the 1800s? As faithful Orthodox
Christians we must remember and recover the names of the
faithful departed so we can commemorate them by prayers,
and we should invoke the aid of the North American saints.
But most of all, we must live out the life in Christ so as not to
disgrace their legacies. May their memory be eternal, and may
we be found faithful when the Lord calls us to account for the
gifts entrusted to us.
Gregory Cook is a member of Holy Resurrection Church in
Tacoma, WA.
Thomas Zell, pastor of St. James Mission, Modesto, and edi-
tor of Again Magazine. All in all, Central Valley Orthodox clergy
representing the Greek, Serbian, and Antiochian jurisdictions
were present, a joyful expression of our Orthodox unity in
Christ.
The Groundbreaking Celebration marks the spiritual begin-
ning of Phase One of St. Mary
Magdalene Mission’s building pro-
gram, which features a 7800 square
foot multi-purpose hall including
a temporary chapel, fellowship hall,
Christian education classrooms,
church offices, and a professional
kitchen. This facility will give the
Merced community a “base of op-
eration” in which not only worship
may be conducted, but also from
which ministry and outreach may
staged. It is hoped that Phase Two,
a village style church temple and
adult baptistery, will follow shortly
after the completion of the steel building framed hall. Because
of the blessing of an abundance of land (17 acres) the Merced
community envisions various ministry possibilities, including
the construction of retirement housing and an Orthodox Chris-
tian student house for UC Merced and local college students.
St. Mary Magdalene Mission was also pleased to host at the
Groundbreaking Celebration representatives of the Mindala
(Continued on page 13)
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4

San Anselmo Church Bp. BENJAMIN visits

Hosts Musical Event Portland’s St. Nicholas’
On Saturday, October 16th, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church His Grace began his visit to St. Nicholas’ by administering
of Anselmo, CA offered a choral excursion through five cen- the sacrament of Holy Communtion to some of the parish’s
turies of a cappella music from cultures influenced by the “Byz- shut-in faithful. He then celebrated the Vigil Service for the
antine Commonwealth.” Beheading of the Forerunner on Saturday, August 28th. This
The program, presented free of charge as a gift to the com-
munity, was a rare collage of 16th-20th century chants and
compositions from Greece, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Roma-
nia and America.
The concert was in conjunction with the Annual BAZAAR
<http://stnicholasmarin.org/bazaar.html> and Open House.
The events included a rummage sale, traditional Russian foods,
church tours and Byzantine Icon exhibits.

S.F. Race for Orthodox Unity

On May 22 San Francisco was the site of a race for
Orthodox Unity. The runners followed a 10-mile course
between three Orthodox churches of different jurisdic-
tions.
Archpriest Bazyl Kalinowski, Rector of Church of Christ
the Saviour (Orthodox Church in America) blessed the
runners at the starting line. The first leg was one mile to
the Cathedral of the Blessed Mother of God Joy of all the
Sorrowing, which contains the
relics of St. John of Shanghai and
San Francisco. This was an easy
run for both children and adults.
From this cathedral of the Rus-
sian Church Abroad to St.
Nicholas Cathedral (Moscow
Patriarchate) the road led
through Golden Gate park and
then over the hills. After vener-
ating the icon of St. Nicholas,
the runners returned to the
Church of Christ the Saviour.
The whole event lasted an
hour and a half. First to the fin-
ish line was Anton Tremsin, a
physicist by profession. His day
job is research and teaching at UC Berkeley. “This event
was our way of expressing support for the ongoing talks
between the different branches of Orthodoxy. Before leav-
ing for Moscow as a member of the delegation of the
Russian Church Abroad, Archbishop Kirill expressed his
support for our initiatives. That was doubly welcome,”
said race participant Alexei Tcherkassov.
was followed by a supper with the Parish Council, parish clergy
and members of the choir at Fr. George and Daria Gray’s home.
Immediately before the Sunday Hierarchial Divine Liturgy His
Grace tonsured Kyrion Gray and Alec Wilson as Readers. On
behalf of His Grace, Bishop Tikhon, Bishop Benjamin pre-
sented a Gramota to Barbara Nectaria Eng. The Gramota
commended Barbara for her good work as ecclesiarch, chanter,
chorister, visitor to the sick and shut-ins and general good coun-
sel to many within the parish community. In attendance for
the weekend were Deacon Kirill Sokolov, from St. Vladimir’s
Seminary and Subdeacon Timothy Kreta, from St. Anne’s Par-
ish in Corvallis — both of whom provided invaluable liturgi-
cal assistance and support. A brunch consisting of BBQ shrimp
was catered by George and Chrisoula Papas of Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church. The meal was served in the newly-
renovated parish hall which is due to be fully completed by
November 1, 2004. Bishop Benjamin received a donation for
his discretionary account from one of the St. Nicholas parish-
ioners in memory of the Macedonian community of Portland.
Additionally, the parish presented His Grace with a new panagia
/ engolpion from Russia as a token of thanks for his visit. We
look forward to future visits from His Grace as a blessing to
the life of our parish.

11
the O R T H O D O X
DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY HEARS BISHOP TIKHON'S
THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT,
ADOPTS 2005 SPENDING PLAN
By Dmitri Solodow
The Diocesan Assembly, meeting at Holy Virgin Mary Ca- charitable work. If the cash flow problem is very severe, the
thedral in Los Angeles, heard an address from His Grace, Bishop Diocese's basic operations are impacted. It is therefore very
TIKHON, in which he made clear his wish to be allowed to important that parishes plan their budgets so funds are avail-
retire by next year's Assembly or by the 2006 Assembly, at the able and paid for this purpose.
latest. Such Hierarchical arrangements are subject to the deci- Each year, there is a meeting held during the Assembly be-
sion of the Holy Synod of Bishops and His Beatitude, Metro- tween the clergy and the Hierarchs. This year during that time,
politan HERMAN. the Lay Delegates and Observers gathered to hear from Fr.
In his address, His Grace reflected on the peaceful situation Matthew Tate, Dean of the Missions Deanery. Fr. Matthew
in which the Diocese finds itself; on the spirit of love, coopera- presented a well-received overview of the Vision of the Diocese's
tion and support with which our parishioners and institutions Missionary activities, a summary of activities in the last year
act; on the significant growth in parish life, especially in the and a detailed explanation of how Mission priests are selected
building up of new Missions; and in the many ways our Stew- and prepared for their assignments. Delegates were also invited
ardship activities touch the lives of so many people. His Grace to the annual Mission retreat, to be held from Feb. 21-23, 2005
expressed his thanks to God and at the Diocese's Life-Giving
to all in the Diocese for this Spring Retreat Center in Boul-
happy state of affairs. der City, NV. The featured
Following the Hierarchical speaker will be Fr. Paul Lazor of
Liturgy which opened the As- St. Vladimir's Orthodox Semi-
sembly, His Grace Bishop BEN- nary. The group also heard from
JAMIN, on behalf of Bishop Sarah Oftedal of Martha and
TIKHON, presented a Gramata Mary House and Carmella Biggs
of appreciation to Fr. Ian of Raphael House, both of
MacKinnon for his many years whom described for the Del-
of service to the Diocese as a egates the activities and services
priest, Mission Dean and Chan- they provide.
cellor. At last year's Assembly, the
The Diocesan 2005 Budget subject of Diocesan Communi-
was adopted by the Assembly. It cations was discussed in detail,
Assembly graced by both bishops
anticipates Operating Income of and many worthy suggestions
$297,434, with $40,000 planned from Stewards of the West. made. Fr. Eric Tosi, head of the DOW Communications De-
This latter amount is earmarked for the Diocese's Outreach partment, Fr. Peter Tobias, the Webmaster and Fr. Isaac
activities, which include support for seminarians, charities, the Skidmore, Orthodox Vision Editor, with the help of many
Martha and Mary House for unwed mothers and their chil- Clergy and Lay members, have taken these suggestions and
dren, the Raphael House Programs for homeless families, youth totally revised the Diocesan communications vehicles. Fr. Pe-
activities and our Missions Department. ter presented the Delegates with a visual review of the soon-to-
Income from the Diocesan Percentage Assessment and other be-up Diocesan Website, and Fr. Isaac discussed new elements
non-Stewardship allows the Diocese to stay open: Episcopal of the Vision. It was announced that Fr. Eric will step down as
salaries and benefits; office and legal fees; travel; and the work Department Director, to be succeeded by Fr. Peter.
of our Communications Department (the Diocesan website SS Helen and Constantine Parish in Colorado Springs was
and the Orthodox Vision magazine). Also shown in the Bud- selected as the site of the 2005 Assembly.
get is $209,100, which is the Diocese's Fair Share amount to A special word of appreciation was given to the Clergy and
support the activities and administration of the National Parishioners of Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral for hosting this
Church. This figure is apportioned to our parishes, but must year's Assembly and to the Parishioners of St. Innocent Church,
be paid by the Diocese when due regardless of whether it has Tarzana, who hosted the first night's Reception.
been received from the parishes. If any parish is late in their All reports and the budget can be found on the Diocesan
payments, the effect is to create a serious cash flow problem website, at http://www.ocadow.org/announcements.htm
for the Diocese, and negatively impact its ability to fund its

12
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4

Fall Matushka Retreat held in Boulder City Workshop for Deacons

by M. Joanna Isenberg, Holy Apostles Mission, Portland, OR and Subdeacons
Diocese of the West
The seventh annual Diocese of the West Matushka Retreat February 18 – 20, 2005
was held in October in Boulder City, Nevada from a Thursday Life-Giving Spring Retreat Center
evening through Sunday after Divine Liturgy at St. Paul’s in 701 Park Place, Boulder City, NV 89005
Las Vegas. Several wives of Diocese priests and deacons once (702) 293-7208
again gathered at the Life Giving Spring Retreat House for a Archdeacon Vsevolod Borzakovsky
weekend of contemplation, conversation and sharing. The Deacon Kirill Sokolov
women represented parishes from California, Nevada, Oregon PRESENTING
and Washington.
These few days have become a wonderful opportunity for Cost Per Participant: $225
the “matushki” to spend time together renewing friendships,
This workshop is intended to help the deacons and
sharing news about their parishes and gathering wisdom on
subdeacons of the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox im-
how to better serve their congregations.
prove their liturgical skills. Please submit name, address, phone
Fr. Matthew Tate, Mission Dean presided over the sessions
and parish name, with a $100 deposit before January 15, 2005
and there were several opportunities to hear His Grace Bishop
if you would like to participate. Please mail to:
Benjamin who resides at the Retreat Center.
Fr. Matthew led four formal sessions about experiences of Workshop for Deacons, LGS
the deaths of several parishioners: their own conversion expe- 701 Park Place, Boulder City, NV 89005
riences, their and their families’ preparations for their deaths Phone Bishop Benjamin for further information:
and the ministry involved in assisting and serving them in this (702) 277-1857
most crucial time. These experiences included personal prepa-
rations, family involvement, final days and moments, and fu- Schedule
neral arrangements. While the priest is integral in providing Friday, February 18:
the sacraments, Christians must remember that we are all 7:30 – 8:00 p.m.Arrival/Reception and Regis-
“bound in the priesthood of Christ” and therefore called to tration
offer aid, consolation and prayer to those suffering loss. 8:00 p.m. Opening Remarks by Bishop
The group also participated in a very intensive session re- Benjamin
Liturgical Instruction: The
garding Proverbs 31 that reminds all women of the strength
Parish Vigil
and balance and courage that are found in a virtuous woman.
There were informal sessions that allowed each matushka to Saturday, February 19:
share the events of her past year, to build a reading list, movie 8:00 a.m. Breakfast
list and prayer list, and to plan the next retreat. Several ideas 9:00 a.m. Liturgical Instruction: The
were brought up, including a prosphora making session, book Hierarchical Liturgy
review, or music practice. There are even hopes for a one day 10:30 a.m. Break
session in the Pacific Northwest early in 2005. 10:45 a.m. Liturgical Instruction: The
The next annual retreat in 2005 is scheduled at the Life Giv- Hierarchical Liturgy
ing Spring Retreat Center from Thursday October 20 through (continued)
Sunday October 23. (Thursday is a travel, optional attendance 12:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Depart for St. Paul Church, Las
day.) Matushka Susanne Senyo and Matushka Judith Waisanen
Vegas
will be the coordinators. All wives of priests and deacons from 2:30 p.m. Liturgical Instruction: The
the diocese are eligible to attend and are heartily welcomed! Hierarchical Liturgy
(Merced Breaks Ground, continued from page 10) 5:00 p.m. Dinner Break
Family Foundation, which is sponsoring the project with a 6:00 a.m. Vigil
grant. Present were Jim and Jodi Mindala, together with John 8:00 p.m. Return to Life-Giving Spring/
and Kathy Mindala, who assisted in the proceedings. Free Time
The year 2005 marks a hopeful and joyful twentieth anni-
Sunday, February 20
versary for the Merced mission. Plans are being laid for the
8:30 a.m. Depart for Las Vegas
ribbon-cutting opening and dedication of the multi-purpose 9:00 a.m. Hierarchical Liturgy at St. Paul,
hall next year. While at one time the prospects for the “Eastern Las Vegas
Orthodox Mission of Merced” were grim, God in His mercy Followed by Coffee Hour/Lunch
has seen fit to bless this Eucharistic community beyond all hope. 12:30 p.m. Final Session
May we be faithful to His calling!

13
the O R T H O D O X
Please continue to remem- past spring, Fr. Yuri and his family moved to California where
he now serves the new mission.

ber those who are in military APPOINTMENT OF vice-chancellor

The Very Reverend Archpriest Ian MacKinnon, Rector of
service. the Holy Cross parish of Sacramento, California, is appointed,
in addition to any and all other previous appointments in ef-
Fr. Paul
fect, Vice-Chancellor, Diocese of the West. This appointment
Schellbach is cur-
is indefinite and is effective November 15, 2004.
rently at Fort
Jackson, SC
through Novem- Fr. John Strickland, a recent graduate of St. Vladimir’s Or-
ber for further thodox Theological Seminary, is the new acting rector of St.
chaplaincy train- Katherine Orthodox Mission in Kirkland, Washington.
ing. He may be Fr. John converted to Orthodoxy while living in Saint Peters-
returned to Balad burg where he met and married Yelena. After moving back to
Air base in Iraq the United States they began attending Holy Myrrhbearing
after that until Women Church in West Sacramento, California. He also had a
March. seminary internship at Holy Ghost Orthodox Church in Bridge-
His e-mail is port, Connecticut. Before attending St. Vladimir’s, he studied
leslie.schellbach@ history as an undergrad. He is presently working on establish-
Photo taken 5/29/04 ing an Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Seattle University,
us.army.mil.
where he teaches history.

Announcements Fr. John’s wife, Yelena, is currently working on a graduate

degree in counseling psychology. Their daughter, Elizabeth, is
two-years-old. Please pray for them and the St. Katherine Mis-
On Wednesday, October 12th, at 10:19 p.m., Dn. Kirill sion.
Sokolov (son of Fr. Victor Sokolov) and his wife Sophia were
blessed by the birth of their son, Nicholas Vladimir, who
weighed in at 7 lbs 2.4 oz, 20 inches.

New Mission Erected in Fremont, California

Effective June 15th, 2004, upon the petition of local Faith-
ful and the recommendations of the Diocesan Chancellor and
Dean of the Missionary District Deanery, a new Mission of
the Diocese of the West was erected in Fremont, California.
This mission is a daughter mission of the Saint Innocent Mis-
sion of Fremont, which has re-located to Fillmore, California. Subscriptions:
On that date, the Missionary District Dean was appointed P.O. Box 16021
Priest-in-Charge of this Mission. Portland, Oregon 97292-0021
On July 20th, 2004, upon his ordination on that date to the emmausjournal@juno.com
Holy Priesthood, July 20, 2004, the Priest Yuri Maev, was
Call Toll-Free at: 1-866-783-6628
appointed Acting Rector or this Mission. Glory be to God!
On November 4, 2004, the Mission was placed under the
heavenly protection of the Holy Martyr Christina, commemo-
rated on July 24.
Address of the Mission is:
Saint Christina of Tyre Mission
PO Box 14636
FREMONT CA 94539
Fr. Yuri, Matushka Olga, and their ninenteen-year-old
daughter were all baptized in Russia. After moving to the
United States, he and his family began attending St. Nicholas
of Zeca and South Canaan Church in Billings, Montana. Fol-
lowing graduation from St. Tikhon Theological Seminary this

14
V I S I O N
Ask Fr. Joseph: The Rector of Denver’s Transfiguration Cathedral and dean of
the Rocky Mountain District, Fr. Joseph Hirsch, answers your questions.
Q. Fr. Joseph, I’ve read, and also asked my priest, to explain the Trinity to me. I’m still hopelessly confused. Also, I
understand there’s a difference between the ways the churches in the East and West understand this. Can you explain?
Do these differences matter?
A. It is not surprising that you are confused. As you state to
be your predicament, you are seeking an explanation of God
Himself and of His Essential Being. I am sure that you have
heard this before, but this is the most profound of all Myster-
ies. Now, when we Orthodox use the word “mystery”, we do
not mean a riddle or a problem to be solved. We mean a pro-
foundly mystical reality, which can only be “Experienced” and,
certainly, cannot be understood (comprehended). The most
spiritual and Godly-wise of theologians have taught us that
God can only be known in His acts of Self
revelation but, by no means, in His Essence
or Being.
For this reason, we Orthodox Christians
prefer to confine our conversation about
God to those things, which God Himself
has taught us about Himself in the Holy
Scriptures and in the unbroken Apostolic
Tradition. It is this tradition, which is stated
in the “Symbol of Faith” (The Creed) as
adopted by the first two Ecumenical Coun-
cils.
1. That God is one.
2. That God is Eternal (Without
beginning in time or end of days.)
3. That God is and always has been
a Community (A Trinity) of Persons, each
equal and each eternal.
4. That the Unity of the Divine Trinity is found in the
relationship of the Eternal Son and the Eternal Holy Spirit to
the Eternal Father. (This is sometimes called “Divine Monar-
chy”)
5. That all that exists in creation was brought into being
from nothingness by the Father through the agency of the Son,
“By Whom all things were made and without Whom was not
anything made that was made”.
6. That all creation is sustained by and we are made Holy
by the “Life-creating” Holy Spirit.
7. That the Son is Eternally “Begotten” of the Father
and that the Holy Spirit is eternally sent forth: “Proceeds from”
the Father.
8. That in God’s economy of salvation: in how God
works in creation, the Father sends the Holy Spirit through
the Son and the Spirit draws creation back through the Son to
the Father.
15
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
As far as I know, we dare not say more than this about the
Most Holy Trinity.
Now, we turn to your question about the Western (Roman
Catholic and daughter Protestant sects) beliefs about the Trin-
ity. Where the Orthodox Church has steadfastly avoided mak-
ing assertions or logical speculations about God beyond that
which He has chosen to tell us, others have not felt constrained
by this scruple. It only seemed “Logical” to Arius, for example,
and to his followers, all steeped in the
“Emanation” language of Platonism, that
the Father is eternal and that the Son and
Holy the Holy Spirit came forth as the
first acts of creation. Thus, where the fa-
thers of the First Council state the Apos-
tolic Doctrine that Our Lord is “Of one
Essence (One in Being) with the Father”,
the Arians held that “There was a time
when He (God the Son) was not”. And
described Him as being of “Similar es-
sence” with the Father.
In about the sixth century, a change
began to take place in the Western (Latin)
part of Christendom. In place of the Or-
thodox reluctance to “Speculate” about
God beyond that which He has chosen to
reveal to us, the Western Church adopted
the “Doctrine of Interpolation”. Accord-
ing to this kind of thinking, theology is developed over time
and, thus, in time, some ill-conceived efforts to combat heresy,
combined with some misapplication of the poetic musings of
St. Augustine of Hippo, resulted in a part of the Western Church
adding a clause “Filio que” to the Creed. Thus, where the fa-
thers had taught that the Son is eternally begotten of the Fa-
ther and that the Holy Spirit is Eternally proceeding from the
Father, it was now asserted that the Son was Begotten of the
Father and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father “and
the Son”. At first, the Church of Rome was appalled and an-
gered by the presumption of this local “council”. The Pope
even had two silver plaques engraved with the original Creed
in Greek and Latin and placed on either side of the altar in St.
Peter’s. Nonetheless, by the time of Charlemagne, not only
had the modified “creed” become ubiquitous among the Frank-
ish Churches but the belief was abroad that the filio que was in
(Continued on page 16)
the O R T H
(Ask Fr. Joseph, continued from page 15 )
the original Creed and the “Greeks” had taken it out.
Now, it is neither my purpose nor your suggestion that I
argue the question here, but, allow me to suggest that the
scenario put forth in St. Augustine’s musings, in which the
Father begat the Son and the Father and Son looked upon
each other in love and that “Love” became the Holy Spirit
sounds an awful lot like the emanation philosophy of Arius.
In fact, we have compelling evidence that the clause, while
introduced into the Latin Church in a furtive attempt to com-
bat Arianism, had, in fact, originally appeared in the “creed”
of the Gothic Arian church.
I should also mention, in passing, that the Protestant sects
which split from the Roman obedience, for the most part,
carried the Filio que doctrine along with them. One peculiar
development in recent time has been the gradual drift of com-
mentary on the Filio que from application to the “Essential
Trinity” (God in His Being) to the “Economic Trinity” (God
as He works in Creation. In the 1970s, the Roman Catholic
Catechetical Directory for the United States was published. It
contained an explanation of the Creed to the effect that “We
say that the Spirit proceeds from the Father because Jesus says
that he proceeds from the Father and we say that He proceeds
from the Son because Jesus says, ‘I will send you the Holy
Spirit’”. Now, as you may notice, this applies the clause to
God’s working in the world rather than to God’s Essence or
Being. In 1976, I pointed this out to Fr. Alexander
Schmemann, of blessed memory, and asked if he thought that
Memory Eternal!
Helen Benigsen
DENVER, CO [OCA Communications] — Mrs. Helen
Benigsen, 86, wife of the late Mitred Archpriest George M.
Benigsen, fell asleep in the Lord here on Thursday, July 15,
2004.
Born Helen Ivanovna Kraubler, she married the future Fa-
ther Benigsen in Estonia in 1937. Both had been active in the
Russian Christian Student Movement. In the early 1940s, the
Benigsens relocated to Riga, Latvia, where he was ordained to
the holy priesthood. Shortly thereafter they moved to Pskov,
Russia, which at the time was under German occupation,
where under extremely harsh conditions they organized a
school for 200 students and an orphanage for 40 children who
had lost their parents in the war.
In 1944, the Benigsens fled to Germany, where they minis-
tered to the growing number of displaced persons. By sheer
miracle, they avoided compulsory repatriation to the Soviet
Union, as the secretary of the American commandant at that
time was a schoolmate of Father Benigsen. For the next two
years they ministered in various displaced persons’ camps, until
he was appointed to Saint Seraphim Church at the Home of
Mercy in Munich.
16
O D O X
this represented a movement of the Roman communion to-
ward Orthodox Trinitarian Doctrine. His immediate response
was, “No, dear Father! It simply represents the fact that they
no longer understand their theology”.
So, you can see that you are not alone in feeling “Hope-
lessly confused” about the Holy Trinity. But the good news is
that you don’t have to understand it because you can’t under-
stand it. After all, to understand means to “Stand under” to
“comprehend” or “apprehend” something and who can ex-
pect to surround or grab onto the reality of God in His Di-
vine Essence. All you have to do is to accept the Holy Ortho-
dox Church and to accept the Creed as the statement of the
Faith of the Orthodox. I recall an adult class I was conducting
over twenty years ago. It consisted both of catechumens and
of cradle Orthodox. One of the, people preparing to enter the
Church asked me, “What real difference does it (the Filio
que) make?”
As I began to develop an answer similar to the one I have
just given you, an elderly pious Greek gentleman who was
attending the class, slammed has fist on the table and, ad-
dressing me, exclaimed, “Father, don’t do that!”. Then, turn-
ing to the Catechumen he continued, “Ask not! Believe or
believe not!” Taso’s advice is still good advice for both of us.
Don’t allow yourself to feel “Hopelessly confused” but remain
hopefully devoted to “The Faith, once and forever, delivered
to the saints”.
Yours in Christ,
Archpriest Joseph
In November 1950, the Benigsens arrived in the US. Two
months later they were assigned to Saint John the Baptist
Church, Berkeley, CA. In December 1951, Father Benigsen
was appointed Dean of San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral.
In February 1960, the Benigsens were transferred to Holy Trans-
figuration Church, Denver, CO, where Mrs. Benigsen orga-
nized a choir and assisted in strengthening the life of the par-
ish. In 1964, they were transferred to Berkeley, CA, where they
organized an Orthodox student center and a chapel dedicated
to Saint Joseph of Arimathea. Subsequently, they were trans-
ferred to Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral, New York, NY in
1967; Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Montreal, PQ, Canada,
in 1968; and Saint Nicholas Church, Saratoga, CA in 1970. In
every instance, Mrs. Benigsen served as choir director and as-
sisted with educational and camping programs. In 1980, they
were reassigned to Holy Trinity Cathedral, which Father
Benigsen served until his retirement the following year.
In retirement, the Benigsens served Holy Assumption Mon-
astery, Calistoga, CA, until Father Benigsen’s death in 1993.
His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of Berkeley, presided at funeral
services at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, CA on Tues-
day, July 20, 2004.
V I S I O N
Matushka Isabel Anderson
On October 13, 2004, Matushka Isabel Anne Anderson (age
79) peacefully departed in Christ to her eternal reward after a
full life as a wife, mother, grandmother, matushka, missionary,
and educator. To many in the O.C.A. she was affectionately
known as “Matushka Isabel”; but to her students at All Na-
tions Orthodox Day School in Southern California, she was
known simply as “Mrs. A”. A wonderful helpmate to her hus-
band of fifty-six years, the Rev. Dr. John W. Anderson, Isabel
bore and raised children in Africa and in the United States. In
addition to her eight children, Isabel was also the grateful grand-
mother of eighteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1925, the daughter
of Henry Oscar and Cora Kraft (Jones) Scott, Isabel was of
Pennsylvania Dutch, Scotch-Irish and Welsh ancestry. She
completed her education at Temple University in Philadelphia
with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and later, a
Masters in Education as well.
Isabel and Fr. John were married in York, PA, on November
26, 1947. Despite her varied and many talents, Isabel saw her-
self primarily and foremost as a wife and helpmate for her hus-
band. She fully shared in his pastoral calling and ministry,
never seeking a separate “career” of her own. She assisted him
in his 23 years as a Lutheran pastor, 15 of which were spent as
missionaries in Liberia and Sierra Leone, West Africa.
After their conversion to the Holy Orthodox Church in
Tarzana, California, in 1977, and after Fr. John’s subsequent
ordination as an Orthodox priest in 1980, Matushka Isabel
faithfully followed and assisted her clergy husband for 24 more
years of pastoral ministry. Wherever she went, she touched the
lives of many with her quiet Christian love.
For a while (1989-1994), Isabel and Fr. John were instruc-
tors at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South
Canaan, PA. Matushka Isabel at that time also served as the
Chair for the Department of Religious Education for the Dio-
cese of Eastern PA. Her main course of instruction at the semi-
nary was the Religious Education class, though she and Fr. John
loved to help out with St. Tikhon’s Summer Camp. When a
seminary student once asked her how, as a priest, he was to
educate the children of his flock in the Orthodox Faith,
Matushka Isabel replied: “You expose your children to the Faith,
until they ‘catch it’ like they catch chicken pox or the flu.”
Matushka Isabel was a regular contributing author for the
Eastern PA “Alive in Christ” magazine, and her articles (geared
towards a youthful audience) were compiled into a book for
children printed by St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press in 1996: “Build-
ing to Last: Stories for Families to Read Together in their Daily
Prayer Time”.
Fr. John and Matushka Isabel were big advocates of Chris-
tian education, both parochial and home-school, which they
saw as the best way to train children in the Orthodox Christian
worldview. Together they started and ran two small Orthodox
day schools and home-schooled their own children at various
times.
17
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4
In 1994, Fr. John and Matushka Isabel retired from St.
Tikhon’s Seminary and moved to Billings, MT, where they con-
tinued to be involved in many aspects of church life.
In serving God and her husband, Matushka Isabel had trav-
eled the world: from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, Wisconsin,
North Dakota, Mexico, Liberia and Sierra Leone (West Af-
rica), Kenya (East Africa), California, and Montana. Once she
was asked how she was able to put up with this missionary life
of constant travel. Her response was that she tried to live out 1
Peter 5:6 — “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty
hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” Through-
out her life, Isabel strove to put herself humbly into God’s
Hands, to trust it all to Him, and to obediently go where He
called.
She never complained. Indeed, she practiced what she
preached: “If you don’t have anything good to say, then say
nothing at all.” Matushka Isabel was always an inspiration to
those around her. Many felt that for them she was a “second
mother”—
a real “matushka”—and that they could easily confide in her.
To get an idea of exactly how powerful her quiet impact was on
her fellow Christians, please read this tribute to her life, writ-
ten by a parishioner in Billings, MT, who knew her very well.
Please visit, http://www.ocadow.org/announcements.htm.
On Wednesday, October 13, 2004, Isabel quietly fell asleep
in the Lord with her family by her side, after fighting cancer
for 19 months. Five priests, including her son, the Rev. An-
drew J. Anderson of Wilmington, Delaware, served at her burial
service on Monday, October 18, 2004, in Billings, MT.
Matushka Isabel leaves behind her husband, the Rev. John
W. Anderson, and six of her children: Christina Soueidi of Bill-
ings, Montana; Eric Anderson of Billings, Montana; Per Seth
of Harbor City, California; Sara Johnson of Dodge Center,
Minnesota; Elizabeth Brewer of Mission Viejo, California; and
the Rev. Andrew J. Anderson of Wilmington, Delaware. Her
daughter Julie and son John Mark had preceded her in death.
May these two children now be rejoicing in Heaven with their
mother, Isabel. May her Memory be Eternal!
Written in loving memory by her son, Rev. Andrew J. Ander-
son.
Father Amvrossy
The learned Archimandrite Ambrosius (Pogodin) reposed at
Spring Valley on October 31st. The Funeral was held Wednes-
day, November 3, in the Nativity of the Virgin parish in Menlo
Park, CA.
Father Amvrossy was a prolific writer, translator, and scholar,
as well as a talented concert pianist. He regularly contributed
articles and translated works of the Greek Fathers to various
learned Russian periodicals and also published translations into
Russian (books) of other Greek historical material. He served
parishes in ROCOR, in the MP, and in the OCA. His longest
term of service was in the Nativity of the Virgin parish in Menlo
Park, California. He also previously served at the ROCOR
(Continued on page 18)
the O R T H
(Obituaries, continued from page 17)
parish in Rome and was an official ROCOR observer at Vatican
II.
Father Amvrossy was also a great lover of cats, especially
Siamese.
Many remember him for his essay on the history of the prac-
tice of the reception of converts from the beginning centuries
until now <http://www.holy-trinity.org/ecclesiology/pogodin-
reception/reception-ch0.html>.
Memory Eternal to the newly-fallen asleep Servant of God,
Ambrosius, Archimandrite!
Isaac Nash
Nov. 9, 1939 – Nov. 24, 2004
Isaac Joseph Nash reposed in the Lord on November 24 at
Raphael House in San Fransisco. Isaac came to Holy Apostles
Orthodox Parish in Northwest Portland in 1995 in search of
the true faith. He was baptized on Holy Saturday, 1996. Isaac
was much beloved in the Portland Orthodox community for
his willingness to serve, especially in the kitchen where his tal-
ents as a professional chef were widely appreciated. He was also
beloved for his gracious and generous spirit, and his friendship
to all.
In May of 2000, Isaac
married Maria Letten,
daughter of Fr. Nicholas
Letten, the rector at Holy
Apostles. Isaac and Maria
moved to San Francisco
where they lived and
worked at Raphael House.
Isaac worked as the cook, as
well as with the women and
children in crisis, and with
people living on the streets
of San Fransisco. He be-
came a valued and treasured
friend to all the staff at
Raphael House.
Isaac was diagnosed with liver cancer in May of 2004. His
humble acceptance of God’s Providence through his illness was
a strong witness to all around him. His wife Maria cared for
him at home, with the help of friends and hospice care. He
passed from this life on the night before Thanksgiving, which
seemed fitting, given his thankful spirit and gift of hospitality.
His body was prepared for burial by family and friends, and
taken to the Raphael House chapel where the Psalter was read
continually. The funeral service was Friday night, followed by
Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning. Fr. Jonah celebrated the
funeral with Fr. Nicholas, Fr. David Lowell and Fr. Thomas
Allesandroni while the monks chanted beautifully “Grant Rest
to the Soul of thy Servant.” That day, Raphael House contin-
ued to serve the poor as 150 people were served a Thanksgiving
dinner.
His body was laid to rest at the Monastery of St. Herman of
18
O D O X
Alaska in Platina, California. Isaac is dearly missed by his wife
Maria, his children, Lawrence, Connie, Pamela, and Alan, as
well as many dear friends. May his memory be eternal!
Stewards of the West, 2004
The Diocese of the West thanks the following for their contribu-
tions to the Stewards of the West program for 2004. Your gifts
allow the Diocese to support our seminarians and our charitable
institutions such as the Martha and Mary House, Raphael Houses
in Portland and San Francisco and The Life-Giving Spring Re-
treat Center in Boulder City. Steward of the West are direct par-
ticipants in the Diocese’s charitable work.
Torch Bearers ($1,000.00 per year or more): •Anderson,
Bradley •Caetta, Mary Louise •Diederich, Brian & Cristina
•Protection of the Holy Virgin Church
Standard Bearers: ($500.00 to $999.99 per year): •Carey,
Robert •Evans, Andrew •Geis, Lyman •Hartman, The Rev.
Kirill •Hughes, Robert P. & Olga R. •Kasperovich, Vitaly &
Natalia •Nowik, Eugene & Dorothy •Paez, Andre •Prescop,
Alex & Bonnie •Roubal, Ivan •Sayre, Craig •Schwalbenberg,
Peter
Sustaining Members ($100.00 to 499.99 per year):
•Adelman, Nikki •Alessandroni, Fr. Thomas •Alexander,
Cathy •Ambroziak, Demitro •Armstrong, Fr. John & Stacy
•Arrowsmith, Fr. Leo & Matushka Rafaela •Artemoff, George
& Svetlana •Ballas, George & Sunday •Baranoff, M/M
Constantine •Becker, Kevin & Mildred •Beld, Marina
•Bennett, Alexander •Berg, Mr. & Mrs. Rodney •Bishop
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topher & Ruth •Cardenas, Michael & Tatiana •Chach, Ann
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Somov, Madeleine •Dirks, John & Camilla •Duncan, Cary
•Duncan, Matt & Whitney •Eliades, Peter & Marie •Fabula,
Dn David and Janet •Flynn, Micah & Mary Anna •Foat/
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& Irene •Hajdu-Cronin, Yvonne •Harmon, Nectarios &
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& Elizabeth •Kerns, Deacon Joseph •Kharitonoff, Alexander
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Nicholas & Barbara •Lewis, Christopher & Macrina
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4

•Lien, The Rev. Kevin, & Elizabeth •Lisenko, Fr. Alexander Margarita •Clements, Chelle •Cordero, Alexander & Irene
•Los Angeles Orthodox Club No. 155 •Lowell, Fr. David & •Crawford, Randal W. •Danielsen, Patrick & Gabriela •Denda,
Elaine •Lozano, Anna •Lupu, Alexandria •MacKinnon, Fa- Samuel •Diaz, Paul & Patty •Dubovik, Anthony & Claudia
ther Ian & Nina •Macrides, William & Shirley •Marvel, Mela- •Duffy, Kevin & Sinead •Eanes, Scott & Inga •Eich, Frank &
nia •Merculief, Kathi & Joe •Michaelis, Steven & Kristen Gail •Eriksen, Daniel •Evangeline, Joseph & Virginia
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dox Church/Delta •St. Barbara Mon- •LaCondo, Rosemary •Lansville,
astery •St. Herman Orthodox Church/ Michael & Christine •Leonoff, Irene
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dox Church/Berk •St. Nicholas Rus- •Lindgren, Eleanor •Lowell, Gregory
sian Orthodox Church/SD •Stagner, •Lukoyanova, Tatyana •Lump, Ed-
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topher & Sara •Stefero, The Rev. John Ann •Marich, Maria •Maruschak, John
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Nadine •Worobey, John & Ann •Worth, Erik & Diane •Young, •Sirpis, Alexander & Catherine •Smith, Dennis & Kathleen
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Donors ($1.00 - $99.99): •Aaron, Ed and Stacy •Afonina, •Stanciulescu, Maria •Storebo, Robert & Rhetta •Story, Dea-
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& Mrs. John •Aristov, Andrey & Karin •Azrael, Julia Timothy •Trojanovich, Forest •Tulintseff, Helen •Tweedell,
•Bahleda, Olga •Baker, James & Eva •Baldwin-Thanos, Robert & Susanna •Vasilev, Natalie •Von Sonn, Natasha
Cynthia •Beal, Seraphim & Michael •Belikov, Vladimir •Berk, •Waddell, John •Welsh, Donald & Carolyn •Wingate, Davi
Eugene •Bouzinekis, Kathy •Brown, Martin •Cahenzli, •Zadorozny, Helen
Michael & JoAnn •Calderon, Bernard Thomas •Cearnetchi,

19
 the O R T H O D O X
FROM HIS GRACE: The Following
Testament circulated widely in the Russian emigration during WWII, and came to
us in America with the ever-memorable Archbishop John (Shahovskoy) who re-
ceived it when he was Rector of the Russian Church on Nachodstrasse in Berlin.
Not until the recent publication of the life of our Venerable Father Seraphim of
Vyritsa was it attributed to one individual. Those who knew Staretz Seraphim be-
lieve it was written by him and addressed to an imprisoned hierarch.

“This Came from Me

Did you ever realize that whatever concerns you concerns Me too? For what con-
cerns you concerns the apple of My eye. You are dear in My sight, of great value, and
you are My beloved; therefore, bringing you up is a task close to My heart.
When trials confront you, if the enemy is approaching like a river, I want you to
know that THIS CAME FROM ME, so that your frailty would be in need of My
strength and that your security would be confined to your giving Me the possibility
to fight for you.

Do you find yourself in difficult circumstances among people
who don’t understand you, who have no consideration for
what you like and don’t like, who push you aside? THIS
CAME FROM ME. I am God, and I have arranged your
circumstances. You didn’t find yourself by chance in your
present situation: this is the situation I predetermined for you.
Didn’t you ask Me to teach you humility? I’ve immediately
put you in that school where such a course is taught. Your
surroundings and those living with you are fulfilling My will.
Do you find yourself in financial difficulties? Is it hard to
make ends meet? THIS CAME FROM ME. I outfitted your
purse. I want you to run to Me and be dependent on Me. My
riches are inexhaustible; I want you to be certain of My faith-
fulness and My promises—so that you would not be able to
say to yourself when in need, “You didn’t trust the Lord your
God.”
Are you undergoing a night of sorrowing? THIS CAME
FROM ME. I am the Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
I allowed this so that you would turn to Me and could find
everlasting comfort.
Were you let down by a friend to whom you had opened
your heart about something? THIS CAME FROM ME. I
arranged this disappointment for you so you would get to
know that your best friend is the Lord. I want you to bring
everything to Me and to trust Me.
Did someone slander you? Leave this matter to Me and cling
more tightly to Me, your refuge. I will bring forth your righ-
teousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.
Were your plans wrecked? Are you wilted and tired in your
soul? THIS CAME FROM ME. You put together your plans
and brought them to Me to be blessed by Me. But I want you
to leave it to Me to arrange your circumstances, and then the
responsibility for everything will lie with me...for this is a little
too much for you: you can’t fix everything yourself; you are an
instrument, not the main character.
Have you dreamt of doing something special for Me and,
instead of that, found yourself lying in bed sick and weak?
THIS CAME FROM ME. When you were buried in your
work I couldn’t attract your thought to me, and I want you to
be taught My deepest thoughts and your work to be about
Me. I want you to learn to acknowledge that you are nothing.
Some of My best coworkers are those who were cut off from
outer activity in order for them to learn to be masters of un-
ceasing prayer.
Have you been called upon to occupy a difficult and respon-
sible position? Come, relying on Me. I entrust this difficulty
to you. For this the Lord God blesses you in all your doings, in
everything done by the labor of your hands. On that day I will
give into your hands that vessel of holy Oil—My blessings:
use it freely, My child. Let every difficulty that comes up, ev-
ery insulting word, every obstacle in your work that might
give rise to feelings of disappointment in you, every revelation
of your own impotence and incapability be anointed with that
Oil. Remember that every obstacle is a Divine exhortation.
Every sting becomes weak if you have been taught to see Me in
everything that concerns you. Therefore, store up in your heart
every word that I have made known to you today. I am not
giving you something empty, this is your life.”
$7.00 per lb.

20
V I S I O N W i n t e r, 2 0 0 4

A perfect gift many more - are

for any season. found in this
Approximately cookbook. The
300 recipes - in- cost is only
cluding ethnic, $10.00 plus $2.00
lenten, large shipping.
groups and Checks should
be made payable
to:

St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral

San
San Jose
Jose Candle
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Company 1310 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109
(206)624-5341
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Supplies Since
Since 1947
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Information on all parishes, institutions and depart-
ments
Archived issues of The Orthodox Vision
Complete letters of instruction from His Grace O who loves Nicholas the saintly,
O who serves Nicholas the saintly,
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Holy Father Nicholas!
He who dwells in God’s holy mansions,
Is our help on the land and oceans,
He will guard us from all ills,
Keep us pure and free from sins
Holy Father Nicholas!*
Holy Saint, hearken to our prayer,
Let not life drive us to despair,
All our efforts shall not wane,
Singing praises to your name:
Holy Father Nicholas!

21
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