December 1, 2011
"We will maintain our prayerful connection with our heavenly intercessor – St. John of Shanghai" ‒ An Interview with Archpriest Yaroslav Belikow

On Saturday, October 22, Archpriest Yaroslav Belikow, cleric of the Cathedral of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow, in San Francisco was accepted into the Eastern American Diocese and appointed rector of St. John the Wonderworker Church in Framingham, MA. According to the official parish website, Fr. Yaroslav and his Matushka and son spent November 15-21 in Framingham getting to know his new parish and flock.

During his visit to the parish, Fr. Yaroslav undertook a great deal of work, taking part in a session of the parish council and holding a meeting with members of the parish’s building committee. Fr. Yaroslav familiarized himself with the parish’s state of affairs. Also discussed were issues relating to the parish’s finances, school, fundraising, Christmas pageant ("Yolka"), and much more.

On Saturday, November 19, Fr. Yaroslav gathered the parish children for prayer, followed by a rehearsal for the Yolka. During a break in the rehearsal, the rector led a discussion with the children, after which he spoke with parents and teachers about plans for the school and its programs.

On Sunday, November 20, the church was filled with worshipers for Liturgy. Many communed of the Holy Mysteries. In his sermon, Fr. Yaroslav compared the parish to a large family, where every member fulfills a particular role and, in the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, if one member is ailing, then the whole Church body is ailing; if one member rejoices, then all rejoice; but all are united in a bond of love. Without love, it is impossible to make a life, especially in a parish.

After the Liturgy, everyone was invited to a luncheon prepared by the sisterhood, during which parishioners were able to speak with Fr. Yaroslav and Matushka Larissa in an informal setting.

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On Wednesday, November 30, Fr. Yaroslav gave an interview to Diocesan Media Office correspondent Reader Peter Lukianov, answering questions about his visit to Framingham and sharing his impressions of the recent rite of re-vesting of the relics of St. John of San Francisco. The interview with Fr. Yaroslav is available to our readers below.

Father Yaroslav, please tell us about yourself.

I was born in Argentina, where I was raised and went to high school. I got my theological education at Holy Trinity Monastery – the citadel of our Church Abroad. After seminary I also got my Master’s Degree in philology at Syracuse University and immediately married Larissa Seraphimovna, née Gan. When I asked Larissa’s father for her hand in marriage, my future father-in-law told us to pray at the tomb of Archbishop John (then yet to be glorified) and see if the holy hierarch would bless our marriage. Thus began the mystical connection between our life and St. John.

The ever-memorable Archbishop Anthony of San Francisco offered to ordain me for a parish in Monterey, CA. In June 1989 I was ordained a priest, and served in Monterey until the glorification of St. John in the beginning of July 1994, when I was transferred to Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco. Here, at the wonderworker’s incorrupt relics, I served almost 17 years, taught in two schools, and carried out pastoral work.

When are you planning to move to Framingham?

In mid-December my son finishes his fall semester at school, at which point we will then move to the East Coast. Officially I begin my service there on January 1, which this year will fall on a Sunday, so I assume I will be serving the Vigil the preceding evening, as well. By the way, I recommend that anyone who wishes to greet the New Year with a glass of champagne do so on Moscow time, so that they can prepare for Communion without any hindrance.

As the new rector, how do you foresee the parish’s future?

It is a bright one! The parish can’t be called large, but in Boston and its environs there are several tens of thousands of Russians, and St. John the Wonderworker Church is the second largest Russian Orthodox Church in the Greater Boston area. Unfortunately, many Russians are not believers – communism’s legacy. But there are plenty of believers. What is most important is that one strives for a spiritual life centered around the church. Unbelievers and the uninitiated, on the other hand, we will have to work with. Right now our parish has a large piece of property with a small house, where we perform the divine service and parochial school classes. With God’s help, we will build a church and, with time, a school.

How do you plan to fortify the connection between the parish and its heavenly patron?

The parish of St. John was founded with the blessing of Metropolitan Laurus in 2007 – it is a young parish. In 2009, a group of parishioners, headed by Hieromonk Roman (Krassovsky) performed a pilgrimage to San Francisco. During its early years, the parish was nourished by Fr. Roman, but he would not come from Holy Trinity Monastery every week. The parishioners received a blessing to read the akathist to the hierarch every Wednesday, and from that point forward, priest or not, the akathist is read every Wednesday. This has since become parish tradition. And, now that the divine services will be performed regularly, we will maintain our prayerful connection with our heavenly intercessor – St. John of Shanghai. We hope in the future to carry out further pilgrimages to his relics and other places connected to his life.

You recently took part in the process of re-vesting the relics of St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco. Could you share your impressions of this remarkable event?

These intimate moments of the spiritual life are difficult to describe. In a few words, we felt awe and deep spiritual emotion. It was a triumph and simultaneously a recognition of one’s own unworthiness, when our hands touched the saint’s relics. We all prayed, and it felt as though these prayers were heard all the more. Such concentrated prayer by gathered clergy is rare to see, even in the altar.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese