History of St. Vladimir's Russo-Greek Orthodox Church

Introduction

As the Cathedral of the Diocese of Edmonton and Western Canada, St. Vladimir's has been blessed with a succession of remarkable prelates, who guided the diocese according to their talents and inspiration while playing leading roles in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Accordingly, this history is organized by their tenures.

1937-1953: Archbishop Ioasaph and the Beginning of St. Vladimir's

In 1930 Bishop Ioasaph (1888-1955) was consecrated a bishop in Belgrade by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), and assigned to Western Canada. Despite considerable hardship, after ten years he had established more than 40 parishes, a monastery at White Fish Lake and a convent at Blufton, and the Cathedral Church of St. Vladimir's in Edmonton with living quarters for several clergymen.

During his many years in Canada Bishop Ioasaph had to struggle with the schism of Metropolitan Platon, who rejoined the Church Abroad as the first hierarch of the Americas only to again break off relations with Metropolitan Anthony in order to seek closer ties to the Moscow Patriarchate at the height of Stalin's reign. Recognizing the folly of such a path Bishop Ioasaph continued to commemorate Metropolitan Anthony, refusing to sacrifice Orthodoxy for political expediency, though this left him isolated with only Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), and Bishop Tikhon, in North America.

After many years in Canada, Bishop Iosaph was raised to the rank of Archbishop and appointed to South America around 1953.

1954-1957: Metropolitan Vitaly as Bishop of Western Canada

In 1954 Bishop Vitaly of Montevideo (1910-2006) was appointed Bishop of Western Canada and moved here with his entire brotherhood. While St. Vladimir's remained his diocesan Cathedral, Bishop Vitaly also founded Dormition Skete 75 miles west of Edmonton, and organized it under Abbot Seraphim, one of his brotherhood. In 1957 Vladika Vitaly was raised to the rank of Archbishop of Montreal and all Canada, and left St. Vladimir's under the care of Archimandrite Gregory, another member of his original brotherhood. Nevertheless, Vladika Vitaly often returned to visit Edmonton, especially during the 1990's in his later years, and after the repose of Bishop Savva, Edmonton was once again part of Vladika Vitaly's diocese.

1958-1973: Bishop Sava of Edmonton

Bishop Sava (1902-1973) was consecrated by Archbishop Vitaly in the Synodal Church in New York City on September 15, 1958, as Bishop of Edmonton, vicar bishop of the Canadian diocese under Archbishop Vitaly. A native of Serbia, Bishop Sava had previously served as a judge in Belgrade, before fleeing communism to Buenos Aires where he later became a monk. From the pages of the diocesan journal "Orthodox Russia", Bishop Sava called all to awareness of the faith, and warned against the loosening morals of the times and the danger of losing their Holy Orthodox Faith through negligence and carelessness. In his first years as a bishop, he called for the formation of “Brotherhoods of Spiritual Renewal” to revivify the spirit of Holy Russia. In his later years he called all to pray and redouble their prayers for suffering Russia.

Bishop Sava was also embraced by the Serbian community of Edmonton as their bishop, and many Serbians still remember his sermons; St. Vladimir's Serbian connection probably goes back to Bishop Sava's efforts. However, Bishop Sava was not an exclusive slavophile, and maintained a wide correspondence with English speaking converts across North America. Bishop Sava had known Archbishop John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco very well, and following his repose undertook to work for the glorification of St. John, examining his life and cataloguing the miracles associated with him. This was finally accomplished in 1994, 21 years after Bishop Sava's repose on January 30th, 1973.

With the years in which Bishop Sava lead the diocese being disastrous for the moral and spiritual well being of so many in North America, Bishop Sava's tenure was oriented towards the retrenchement of a disappearing Orthodox Christian way of life. Unwilling to compromise on questions of morality or discipline, Bishop Sava was sometimes at odds with parishioners who either lost touch with their faith or had been spiritually damaged by the wars and emigration. However, it was his strident moral firmness and constant effort to rekindle the spirit of ancient Christianity that ultimately shaped the character of the parish, and when those who got lost in the '60s and '70s came to recognize something missing from their lives, they were able to return to a church continuing in traditional Orthodoxy.

1973-1990

To be completed.

1993-2002: Renovation Under Metropolitan Vitaly

To be completed.

2002-2007: Bishop Bartholomew

To be completed.