Русская Версия

December 18, 2009
Boston, MA: Archimandrite Joasaph, Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, reposed in the Lord

Archimandrite Joasaph (McLellan), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, who had been undergoing treatment in a Boston hospital, quietly and peacefully passed away this morning.

Father Joasaph was born Francis McLellan, Jr. in Boston on January 24, 1962. His parents are Francis (James) McLellan, Sr. and Polina B. (Runi) McLellan.

Archimandrite Joasaph attended school in Boston, including Roxbury Latin, graduated from Commonwealth School, and received his baccalaureate in Theology at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, where he graduated at the top of his class and was given the honor of delivering in English the parting address to professors and seminarians. At Brown University, Archimandrite Joasaph received his master’s and candidate of sciences degrees in Slavic Language and Literature, which he later taught at Missouri, Columbia, and Princeton universities. His dissertation was entitled "The Hilandar Gospel and Its Place in the Textual History of the Church Slavonic Tetraevangelion."

At the request of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla), Fr. Joasaph left his teaching position at Princeton and was tonsured a monk in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. On December 7, 2008, Fr. Joasaph was ordained a Hieromonk. At the beginning of this year, Fr. Joasaph was appointed Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite, and served in the Russian monasteries on the Mount of Olives and in Gethsemane.

Since August of this year, Fr. Joasaph has been undergoing treatment by Dr. Jeffrey Clark at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died this morning.

Divine services for his repose will be served in Epiphany Church in Boston. The funeral and burial will take place at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. The times and further information are available here.

www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws