July
31, 2010
"In line
with the legacy of St. Seraphim, Vladyka Laurus strove to acquire the
spirit of peace, he restored unity in the Church, and as a result,
thousands of souls are being saved." An interview with Archpriest
Seraphim Gan
Archpriest
Serafim Gan, personal secretary of the present First Hierarch of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence, Metropolitan
Hilarion, and of his predecessor, His Eminence, Metropolitan Laurus,
never suspected the role he was to play in the process of
reestablishing the lost unity within the Russian Church.
Born
in California, he grew up in the diocese ruled by Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev),
a great spiritual friend and hero of Vladyka Laurus’ and a hierarch
of the old "Anthonite" school, tonsured by Metropolitan
Anthony (Khrapovitsky). Archbishop Anthony began his monastic life in
Milkovo Monastery, a monastery that had given the Russian Church
Abroad ten hierarchs, including St John of Shanghai.
Fate
was to lead Fr. Serafim to serve in the church founded by his
grandfather, and now to be the rector of a parish founded by the
spiritual father of his mother. The church is dedicated to St Seraphim
of Sarov, the heavenly protector of Fr. Serafim.
-
Fr. Serafim, you serve in a church built on American soil dedicated to
St. Seraphim of Sarov, who is revered by Russians in the homeland and
abroad…
- Long Island, in
New York State, where our church is located, has a large Russian
colony. People long for Russia, and find her in our churches.
We have
parishioners from Morocco, Paris, descendants of old émigrés and
many new émigrés. On Pascha night I noticed that some 70 percent of
the people in attendance were new arrivals. Our churches here have
become Orthodox missions of Russia: here people feel at home, they
find peace and consolation.
People are being
"churched," they find the support they need to live in the
difficult conditions of a foreign land.
Our parish was
established by a good pastor, Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko-Borovsky,
+2002). He began his priestly service in Brest, then found himself in
Morocco, where my mother grew up. She remembered him well – she made
her first confession to him.
I am glad that at
the beginning of my priestly career I came to know my family from
Harbin, and later learned about the places my mother remembered.
I found myself in
this parish unexpectedly. The position of rector became vacant, and
Vladyka Laurus asked me to temporarily minister to its parishioners.
In January, 2005, a
feast day of St. Seraphim, I came to perform services here. Since
then, the parish has become like a family to me. This is very
important, because if you view your parish as a family, then you come
to respect them, and care for them. If conflicts arise, then, just as
in a family where the members do not cease to love each other,
parishioners will likewise tolerate flaws and love each other to the
end. Then the parish holds together. I immediately sensed this
familial spirit.
"Bear ye one
another’s burdens," said Apostle Paul, "and so fulfil the
law of Christ." The parish should strive for this. If the whole
parish bears one another’s burdens and fulfills the law of Christ,
this would be the best witness to Orthodoxy and Christianity in
general. Then people will feel comfortable and come to church. Christ
said "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another." And this love must be cultivated in
people; it must be encouraged and supported.
Our parish
supported the process of achieving unity with the Russian Orthodox
Church from the very beginning. They understood when I needed to leave
for meetings, and of course, they supported Vladyka Laurus in his
service.
-
Fr. Serafim, your spiritual growth began, one might say, with the
blessing of your eminent grandfather, Archpriest Rostislav Gan,
renowned in China and Australia…
- My grandfather,
Archpriest Rostislav Gan, was born in 1911 on the China-East Railroad.
Graduating from Harbin Polytechnic Institute, he was ordained to the
priesthood and served in Shanghai together with the future saint,
Bishop John (Maximovitch).
He was of one
spirit with Vladyka John. My grandfather was interested in Church
history and the works of the Holy Fathers, he corresponded with the
monks of Mt. Athos and was himself partial to the monastic life: he
often celebrated Divine Liturgy, partook of the Holy Gifts of Christ,
and led an ascetic life. When he was transferred to Harbin, he parted
with Vladyka John, who often said that he lost a bit of his heart
then.
Soon, my
grandfather and his family moved to Australia, at the same time that
many Russians were returning to the USSR. Among them was my
grandfather’s cousin, Archbishop Yuvenaly (Kilin, +1958). In Harbin,
he was the rector of the Kazan Mother of God Monastery; he headed the
publishing concern, and was editor-in-chief of the Orthodox journal
Khleb Nebesniy, "Bread of Heaven." At the time, there were
many monks at the monastery. Among them were monastic laborers
renowned for their foresight: Schema-Abbots Ignatius and Seraphim and
Schema-monk Michael.
Archbishop Yuvenaly
was given the Izhevsk cathedra. Interestingly, even in the 1950’s he
had good relations with the [communist] Deputy for Religious Affairs.
Vladyka Yuvenaly
loved to perform divine services, and to preach. Vladyka traveled to
parishes a great deal and the Deputy did not stop him. They said that
he even had a lamp burning before an icon, and that Vladyka Yuvenaly
had a good influence on him and persuaded him that God exists and
affects our lives.
When Vladyka
Yuvenaly died, they found his will, in which he requested to be buried
under the left wing of Izhevsk Cathedral and that the wing be
consecrated in the name of St. John the Theologian. But the new bishop
decided to consecrate it in the name of another saint. The Deputy,
incensed by this, managed to have that bishop removed.
-
What was the fate of your grandfather, Fr. Rostislav, in Australia?
- Fr. Rostislav
built a cathedral in honor of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother
of God in a suburb of Sydney, Cabramatta, which was painted with
frescoes in the ancient Russian style. He ministered a great deal to
youth, especially those Russians whom he sponsored to come from China
to Australia, and was the president of a committee to help Russian
refugees.
A huge home for
seniors was built at the church with 200 cots, which exists to this
day; he organized theological discussion groups and pastoral courses,
and spent a great deal of energy tending to the education and training
of the next generation of clergymen. Almost all of those priests who
serve in Australia today were sent by Fr. Rostislav to Holy Trinity
Seminary in Jordanville, NY. Grandfather also wrote articles on
liturgical topics, and Vladyka Laurus, at the time heading the
Jordanville printing house, would print them in Pravoslavnaya
Rus’ and published his book on the church law. In this way, our
family already came to know the future Metropolitan Laurus.
When I began
studies at the Seminary, Vladyka Laurus gave me a missionary task: he
had me send religious literature to Russia.
Many reporters have
asked me when the process of reestablishing unity began. In my
opinion, on our part it began when Vladyka Laurus printed books in
Jordanville and sent them to Russia. We would send the book by St.
Theophan the Recluse, Analysis
of Holy Scripture, and other books beneficial to the soul.
Vladyka Laurus
always took care to provide literature to those who could not find it
themselves.
I graduated
Seminary in the rank of deacon, and I was sent to serve at the
cathedral in Chicago, and a half a year later, at the request of the
parishioners of my late grandfather, I was given blessing to go to
Australia already in the rank of priest.
I was 21 years old,
and accepted my assignment with a great deal of fear. I feared
pastoral service, but I was consoled by the words I found in my
grandfather’s diary: "One must hear out a person completely,
then give them words of consolation. The main thing is not to judge
anyone, not push them away but to support them." Also, the words
of St. Nicholas of Japan: "One must first conquer love, then
carry the word." One must first establish good relations, come to
love one’s parish, and only then bear the word of Christ.
These thoughts
calmed me and guided my service in one of the largest parishes of the
Church Abroad.
-
What is most memorable to you about the Australian Diocese?
In my opinion, the
Australian Diocese is the most prayerful diocese of the Russian
Diaspora. We often conducted divine services, parishioners often made
confession, partook of Communion, and preserved all the pious
traditions.
Weddings were
celebrated for three days: matrimony was performed on Friday, on
Saturday and Sunday they would invite the guests, though they did not
miss Sunday services. This is very heartwarming: Russian people moved
to China, and then, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, to Australia, and
lived the Russian church life there.
A great deal had
changed in Russia at the time, but they lived the old life, as their
parents and grandparents had. Every parish there was a virtual piece
of old Russia. It was fascinating, and I was constantly being enriched
with new knowledge.
I served in
Australia until 2001, when Vladyka Laurus became the First Hierarch
and called me to serve as his secretary.
-
Fr. Serafim, already then, in the early 2000’s, would you hear from
Vladyka Laurus of his desire to restore unity between the Church
Abroad and the Church in the Fatherland?
- At the time,
Vladyka Laurus already made the firm decision that it was time to
restore unity within the Russian Orthodox Church.
I remember the
first measure taken after the Metropolitan met with Vladimir Putin.
This was the All-Diaspora Pastoral Conference held in Nyack in
December 2003. This was the first project that Vladyka assigned to me;
it was the beginning of the dialog with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Before the opening of this conference, Vladyka told me that this is
the will of God for the Russian Church, for us all to be together. And
four years later, the Act of Canonical Communion was signed.
Those were
difficult years, and I saw that this process drew out all the
"juices" of Vladyka Laurus. After the signing of the Act, he
began to fade. In fact, for the sake of unity, he sacrificed his
health, his life.
-
That is, the pressure from the opposition and attacks were so great?
- Everything was
exceedingly complicated. The Metropolitan was attacked, and both
clergymen and laypersons were rude to him. Yet many of those who were
opposed at the time no longer doubt the benefit of unity. People
understood that in order to remain Russian, it was necessary to
maintain living, stable bonds with good forces in Russia. If the
process of rebirth passed us by, this would have been a great sin,
because we would have been turning away from Russia, from those
positive changes occurring there. We absolutely must insert ourselves
into this process and enrich ourselves spiritually and intellectually
through contact with Russia.
-
Despite the earlier division, Vladyka Laurus had traveled extensively
throughout Russia…
- He traveled
incognito, and of all the active figures of the Church Abroad he
understood Russia more than anyone, because during his numerous
visits, he did not avoid meeting or talking to representatives of all
types of people.
When we were in
Diveevo Convent, at the relics of St. Seraphim, Vladyka was welcomed
by the local nuns, and he, in his own laconic way, told them how the
veneration of this saintly elder supported Russian émigrés in
Germany during the years of strife. Many miracles had occurred through
the prayers of St. Seraphim.
Vladyka also
visited places connected with the memory of the Royal Family. He did
not display any emotions, but it was visible to me what a joy it was
for him to pray at those sites.
Vladyka Laurus
visited Pochaev, went to the holy places in Ukraine. There he met
Metropolitan Onoufry of Chernovitsy and Bukovina. I think that they
immediately felt a kinship, because both possessed a genuine monastic
spirit. They did not speak of the division; they spoke of monasticism,
and prayer. I saw Vladyka Onoufry beaming with joy as they spoke, for
he saw in Vladyka Laurus a kindred spirit. Despite the fact that
Metropolitan Laurus lived in America, he viewed him as a Russian
hierarch and monk first and foremost.
I remember even
before my arrival to the US from Australia that I had the opportunity
to attend a Patriarchal service in Moscow. When I came to His Holiness
Patriarch Alexy II for blessing, His Holiness said to me that if
Vladyka Laurus becomes Metropolitan, we could then resolve many
issues, that "we can work with him; they know him in
Russia."
-
Fr. Serafim, you decided to fresco the church and dedicate the images
to the restored unity of the Russia.
- The notion to
paint frescoes in the church originated when Metropolitan Laurus died,
because we wished to preserve his memory and the memory of the great
deed to which he devoted his life. Soon afterwards, His Holiness
Patriarch Alexy II died. So the painting of frescoes in the church
will be dedicated to those who restored unity and those who helped
show us the true path. Also, it will display the history of the
Russian Church; this history will be depicted beginning with the
Baptism of Russia until the historic reunification of the Russian
Church.
The first phase of
the frescoes is complete; we plan on consecrating the altar portion in
August. That section depicts saints connected with the memory of those
people thanks to whom reconciliation occurred: St. Alexius of Moscow,
Holy Martyr Laurus, and the heavenly protectors of the fathers who
took a sober approach to our division and never considered the Church
in the Fatherland to lack grace – Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky)
of blessed memory and Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky). On the
basis of their statements and their teachings on the Church, we were
able to find the proper path to unity.
For instance, when
in the 1950’s they were discussing the glorification of St. John of
Kronstadt by the Church Abroad (even Orthodox Serbs appealed to our
Synod with this request), Metropolitan Anastassy replied that "we
are only a part of the Russian Church and do not have the right to
perform such acts."
Also, certain
statements by Hieromartyr Metropolitan Kyrill (Kazansky) helped both
sides find the true path to unity.
We hope that when
the frescoes in our church are completed, it will become a memorial
church to the reestablishment of unity within the Russian Church. I
consider this very important, because in unity, the aspirations of
many people on various continents, people who awaited the rebirth of
Russia, her emancipation from the godless regime, were fulfilled.
The frescoes are
being painted by Priest Paul Akmolin, a student of renowned
iconographers of the Russian Diaspora, Archimandrite Cyprian (Pyzhov)
and Hieromonk Andrei (Erastov). I like Fr. Paul’s style: the faces
he depicts remind one of those painted by St. Andrei Rublev: they are
soft, kind. It is easier for contemporary man to pray before such
images, in my opinion; they give one hope.
-
It has been two years since we lost Metropolitan Laurus. Fr. Serafim,
what is it first and foremost that your heart preserves of the memory
of your abba?
- His prayerful
character, the light which he poured upon everyone he met.
What always made a
strong impression on me was that Vladyka Laurus accepted everything as
a gift from God; he took everything as coming from the kind, loving
hand of God, which always leads to good. This was his attitude towards
events in his personal life, his service, in the monastery – all was
a gift from God. And when things were difficult for him, when he was
attacked as a result of the reconciliation talks, the signing of the
Act, he took all of it as a gift. Even some of those whom he loved,
whom he knew from their childhood turned away from him, and he
accepted this calmly, as a gift from God.
He always recalled
the words from the panihida, which I had never really thought about:
"Thou only Creator Who, with wisdom profound, mercifully orderest
all things, and givest that which is useful to all men," that is,
the Lord with profound wisdom orders the life of man and his
salvation, as He orders the life of the Church and our service to the
Church – with deep wisdom and love. That is why he accepted
everything with faith in Divine Providence, he was always calm; one
sensed his inner peace.
I wouldn’t say
the Vladyka would not worry or sense his colossal responsibility for
the Church. But when others became irritated and began to grumble,
spread rumors, and go against each other, he accepted everything as
being the will of God. And if such is the will of the Lord, then it is
good and salvific for us. It will become much easier for us to live if
we accept things that happen in our lives and believe that over us is
the firm hand of the Lord, as the Apostle Peter said. St. Seraphim
would also speak of acquiring the spirit of peace, from whom thousands
around us would be saved.
Vladyka Laurus acquired that spirit of
peace, and restored peace in the Church, as a result of which
thousands are now being saved. But this salvific step of restoring
brotherliness, unity, and peace required enormous courage and abundant
love. And everyone merged with this stream of love as a result of the
reestablishment of unity.
Tatiana
Veselkina, New York
www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws
