Life Of Saint John (Maximovitch) The Wonderworker, Of Shanghai and San Francisco.

 What better description could be found to portray the essence of a man whose love for Christ drew him to such heights of spiritual perfection that he enkindled the faith of thousands from East to West? The life of Archbishop John Maximovitch demonstrates more vividly than any words that true Christianity far exceeds the bounds of human "goodness". Here is a shining reflection of the supernatural love of God, which works miracles, a living proof that the burning faith of the early Christian saints still warms the earth at a time when the love of many has grown cold. Archbishop John did not isolate himself from the world, but he was not of this world. First and foremost he was man of prayer. He completely surrendered himself to God, presenting himself as a "living sacrifice", and he became a true vessel of the Holy Spirit. His work continues even now today.


This holy man of God was born 4 June 1896 in the province of Kharkov in southern Russia. At baptism he was given the name Michael. As a child he was serious for his years and he later wrote: "From the first days when I began to become aware of myself, I wished to serve righteousness and truth. My parents kindled in me a striving to stand unwaveringly for the truth, and my soul was captivated by the example of those who had given their lives for it."

Following the desire of his parents, he entered law school in Kharkov. He was a naturally gifted student but spent more time reading Lives of Saints than attending academic lectures. "While studying the worldly sciences," he wrote, "I went all the more deeply into the study of the science of sciences, into the study of the spiritual life."

After the Revolution in Russia, he was evacuated together with his family to Belgrade where he entered the school of theology at the University. In 1926, a year after his graduation, he was tonsured a monk and given the name John, after his own distant relative who was a canonized saint in Russia and he was known as St. John of Tobolsk (Archbishop John was buried with an icon of his saintly relative). In November of that same year, he was ordained hieromonk. Soon he became a teacher at the Serbian Seminary of St. John the Theologian at Bitol. More than once the bishop of that diocese would say, "If you wish to see a living saint, go to Father John."

It was his own students who first became aware of Vladika's great feats of asceticism. At night they noticed that Vladika would stay up, making the rounds of the dormitories and praying over the sleeping students. "Finally, it was discovered that he scarcely slept at all, and never in a bed, allowing himself only an hour or two each night of uncomfortable rest in a sitting position, or bent over on the floor, praying before icons." This ascetic feat he continued for the rest of his life, bringing his body "into subjection" according to the holy Apostle Paul, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (I Corinthians 9:27).

At the age of 38 he was elevated to the episcopate and sent to Shanghai. There he restored Church unity, took an active interest in the religious education of youth, encouraged and participated in various charitable organizations, founded an orphanage, and himself gathered sick and starving children off the streets. He always wore clothing of the cheapest Chinese fabric and often went barefoot, sometimes having given his sandals away to some poor man. Vladika celebrated Holy Divine Liturgy and received Holy Communion daily, as he did for the rest of his life.

In Shanghai it became evident that Vladika John was not only a righteous man, but a true ascetic, a man of prayer and a wonderworker. "Once in Shanghai Vladika John was asked to the bed of a dying child, whose case had been called hopeless by the physicians. Entering the apartment, Vladika John went straight to the room in which the sick boy lay, although no one had managed yet to show him where this was. Without examining the child, Vladika immediately 'fell down' in front of the icon in the corner, which was very characteristic of him, and prayed for a long time. Then, assuring the relatives that the child would recover, he quickly left. And in fact the child became better towards morning and he soon recovered, so that a physician was no longer needed."

Vladika John loved to visit the sick and if the condition of a patient would become critical, he would go to him at any hour of the day or night to pray at his bedside. There were cases when patients would cry out to Vladika in the middle of the night from the hospital beds, and from the end of the city Vladika John would come without even being called by phone.

With the coming of the communists, the Russians in China were forced once again to flee, most through the Philippines. At one time 5,000 of the refugees were living in an International Refugee Organization camp on the island of Tubabao, located in the path of typhoons. When one Russian mentioned to the Filipinos the fear of typhoons, they replied that there was no reason to worry, because "your holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night." They referred to Vladika John, for no typhoon struck the island while he was there.

In trying to resettle his flock in Christ our Lord, Vladika John went to Washington D.C. Bishop Constantine of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist told this story about Vladika John's presence in Washington at the Cathedral: Vladika John had a meeting before the Senate, to appeal for the Russian refugees, and he had to be at that meeting at a certain hour. However, the pious Vladika John said he would go to the meeting after he celebrated the Divine Liturgy. When the Liturgy was over, he went to the Senate on behalf of the Russian refugees, and he was late! When the little of stature holy man Vladika John entered the Senate, they had already moved on to another agenda, since Vladika John did not arrive on time. Everyone in the Senate stood up out of respect, for they had noticed a holy man of God had entered the room. They then wanted to hear his appeal on behalf of the Russian refugees in the Philippines. After Vladika John gave his report before the Senate Committee, the refugees were able to come to America and live in San Francisco, California, under the supervision and direction of Vladika John. All of the Russian refugees, through the intervention of Vladika John, were miraculously able to come to America - including all the children in his orphanage, which he later reestablished in San Francisco, and which became known as St. Tikhon Orphanage.

In 1951 Vladika John was sent to Western Europe as a Bishop. Here too his reputation for holiness spread - and not only among the Orthodox. In one of the Catholic churches of Paris, a priest strove to inspire his young people with these words: 'you demand proofs; you say that now there are neither miracles nor saints. Why should I give you theoretical proofs, when today there walks in the streets of Paris a saint - St. Jean Nus Pieds (St. John the Barefoot).'

On 19 June (2 July new style), 1966, during an Archpastoral visit to Seattle, Washington with the wonder-working Kursk icon of the Mother of God, Vladika John peacefully gave his soul to the Lord. After Vladika John had served Holy Divine Liturgy, a parish member asked Vladika to serve a 'Memorial Service', which he did. After a light meal in the Church hall, he went to rest in a private room provided for him (but it's really not known if he actually rested). Suddenly someone heard a noise from his room, and Vladika John was found on the floor before the holy icon of the Mother of God of Kursk. Without any doubt Vladika John gave his sweet soul to the Lord whom he served so faithfully during his earthly life.

His unembalmed body was flown to San Francisco, California, where for six days it lay in the cathedral in an open coffin. It was said that His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret (reposed in the Lord, 21 November 1985), wanted to attend the funeral service in San Francisco, and Vladika Philaret was at the time in New York. Due to the fact that Vladika Philaret had heart problems, it was not suggested that he fly to San Francisco by plane, and so instead took a train. This of course delayed the funeral for the newly - reposed Vladika John. However, this did not matter, because when Vladika Philaret arrived at the Joy of All Who Sorrow Russian Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco for the funeral, Vladika John had no sign of decay. It was said that Vladika John looked pure, and that a sense of spiritual beauty was felt when anyone approached his coffin during his funeral at the Church.

From the first day of the vigil it was apparent that this was to be no ordinary farewell to the newly departed in the Lord Vladika John, not even for a Hierarch. There was a sense of being present at the unfolding of a mystery: the mystery of holiness, that still exists until this day. "Those present were devoutly convinced that they had come to bury a saint."

Since the repose of Vladika John, many of the faithful called him Blessed John, and for these many years his tomb or sepulcher (Blessed Vladika John was buried under the Church of the Cathedral of the Joy of All Who Sorrow, in San Francisco, California, on Geary, Blvd.), had been a place for pilgrimage for thousands and thousands of Orthodox Christians throughout the world, before his holy Canonization on 2 July, 1994. Let us all humbly ask St. John to pray for us poor sinners. Amen.

From The DIOCESAN NEWS of the Greek Orthodox Denver Diocese in January 1994. Holy Hierarch John Maximovitch, Bishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, is known throughout the world for his holiness and the many miracles worked by God through his intercessions. The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia canonized Archbishop John on the 28th anniversary of his death, 2 July 1994. In preparation for this glorification, the tomb containing his relics was opened. When the sepulcher cover was removed, the metal coffin was found to be in a poor state of preservation due to moisture. Rust had eaten through the coffin and the cover was rusted tightly shut. Inside, the Gospel Book over the remains had virtually disintegrated, the blessing cross in the Archbishop's hand was corroded, an icon was heavily deteriorated, and the hierarchical vestments were mildewed and falling apart. The relics of Saint John, however, were found to be totally incorrupt. His skin was white and soft, and upon lifting out his body it was found to be very light due to dehydration but was totally intact. Those who came forward to venerate the relics discovered that they exuded a sweet fragrance. Exposure of a body to the amount of moisture that deteriorated metal and other objects would surely have caused rapid decomposition. There is thus no basis to argue that Archbishop John's body had undergone some sort of mummification. The incorruptibility of a saint's relics is a sign of God's special favor and grace. It is also a testimony of the eternal blessedness that awaits the elect of God. It is clear from Holy Scripture (read in the Old Testament the 2nd book of Kings chapter 2 verse 14, and chapter 13 verse 21, and in the New Testament read Acts chapter 19 verse 12) that God has manifested miracles through His saints, from ancient times even to our own age.