St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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Barbara
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St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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I have been meaning to post this for a long time. It's marvelous !

One can see the dear St John arriving at the door of the Sea Cliff property, then blessing with the cross, then finally going into the altar. He turns around to look over his shoulder at the camera as the clip ends.

Perhaps there is a continuation of this video still to be released ? One greatly hopes so.
One also wonders what the Saint was thinking. Was he surprised to see the camera rolling after he had finished the service ? Was he displeased ? Or did not mind ?

There is so little footage of St John Maximovitch extant that one suspects he did not encourage movie cameras during any services. Anyone have any idea about this question?

What is exceedingly special is that the camera gets close enough to capture the look in the Saint's eyes as he holds the cross for clergy and laity. That is deeply moving for us to see some 60 years later : A REAL TREAT !

One wonders whether more old footage from the movie cameras popular in that era might emerge in the houses of old Russian emigre families.

At the time of the film, this newly constructed Sea Cliff Church was in the hands of Old Rocor. Apparently many Russians lived in that hamlet of Long Island, including various members of the nobility. Hence the plan to build a church to accommodate them. I don't know how many Russians live in that area today, or what the character of this enclave has turned into. It seems that the local contingent at that time, 1953 - 59, was highly motivated and enthusiastic. The footage captures the entire process from cleaning out the ground to lay the foundation to putting the golden dome atop the Church.

Hierarchs such as Archbishop Averky, whose 40th anniversary of repose is just around the corner in 2 weeks, can be seen at various stages blessing the process.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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Today is the day ! Archbishop Averky's 40th anniversary of repose.
Just reminding anyone who did not happen to remember the landmark occasion.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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Thank you very much for the video, Barbara. Much appreciated.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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Funny that I was feeling today that it was time to look at this video again. I really enjoyed watching the building process, as well as the music.
Best of all naturally was the segment of St John. It must be the longest one featuring him up close in existence [ at least, so far til more people clean out those closets of their relatives who lived around St John ].

Then I happened upon this, which shows almost the full St John sequence. If anyone prefers to go right to that
footage, then this is a good alternative, as that mesmerizing section appears near the beginning of this NEW video explaining the programme for the jubilee 50th anniversary events planned. Rocor-MP's celebration will take place July 1-2, 2016 in San Francisco.

The editors of this clip chose to cut out the very last glimpse of St John, where he gives a penetrating look at the camera. I liked that scene, because one can understand an important quality of our Saint.
One sees how aware and alert he was at all times. Despite living on a high spiritual plane which we can not comprehend, seemingly detached from the practical world, St John was clearly as sharp as a tack, as the expression goes. He didn't miss a thing !

Anyway, this video is a way, too, for anyone devoted to the Saint to recall some of the scenes where St John lived, worked and even reposed [ the cell in St Nicholas Cathedral, Seattle is shown, now converted to a chapel as most people know.]
There are other changes, such as the building on the right of Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco. I didn't even recognize it in its new paint scheme ! This is the church hall which used to be the same glistening white as the Cathedral.
The bookstore is on the end of that building, too. That, too, has been completely renovated.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

Post by Maria »

Thank you for posting this video.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

Post by Barbara »

Glad you enjoyed it. I want to watch both of them again.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Averky's 40th anniversary of repose was commemorated by Rocor-MP's East Coast clergy at the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in New Jersey.

A short bio of him for any readers here is included in the report of that event :

"Archbishop Averky (in the world Alexander Pavlovich Taushev) was born on October 19, 1906 in Kazan’, Russia, to an aristocratic family. After 1920, the Taushevs found themselves exiled, and the future hierarch’s youth was spent in Bulgaria. In 1926, he graduated from the Russian school, and in 1930 received a degree in Theology from the University of Sofia. He was a student of Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev – glorified on February 3, 2016). He served in Carpathian Rus’, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Germany, and taught Law of God in the Displaced Persons camps.

"In 1951, at the invitation of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), Archimandrite Averky moved to the U.S., where he became a professor at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY. In 1952, he became the permanent rector of the seminary, and the editor-in-chief of "Pravoslavnaya Rus’" ("Orthodox Rus’") magazine. He was an academic and theologian, author of renowned exegeses on the New Testament.

"On August 17, 1961, he was elevated to Archbishop of Syracuse & Holy Trinity. From 1964 on, he served as a permanent member of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad. He reposed on April 13, 1976, and is buried in a crypt beneath Holy Trinity Cathedral at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville.

The report continues with a short mention of comprehensive memories of Abp Averky unfolded by a Rocor-Mp senior priest who one hopes will write these all down for future generations, perhaps in a short book :

"After Liturgy, all were invited to lunch, which was followed by a film, in which Fr. Valery Lukianov shared many of his detailed recollections with the viewers. Fr. Valery knew Archbishop Averky well, and worked alongside him. Upon completion of the film, he shared more interesting and spiritually nourishing facts about Archbishop Averky’s life and service, calling him "a true laborer of the Church Abroad,"...

http://eadiocese.org/News/2016/apr/40yrs.en.htm

Finally came the announcement of a biography released in Russia called "The Holy Hierarch Averky of Jordanville."
Unfortunately, it would only be in Russian, I am sure, at this point.
If any of our TOC people happen to read it, maybe they could let us know their opinion of the book.

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Re: St John Maximovitch captured on film 1953 or so !

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In case anyone feels like watching the historic video footage again, here is a reminder now that we are only 2 days away from the momentous 50th Anniversary of the Repose of St John Maximovitch. I enjoyed watching the whole video again. It seems the classic footage at the beginning was made a little clearer from the original video. Maybe not. But it is very easy to see here in the Rocor-MP Western American Diocese's press release clip announcing the grand celebration.

[ I also thought I saw a Catholic nun close to the front of the line venerating the Cross - but the film moved too quickly to look. I assume it wasn't ! Most likely just the black and white headcovering of a Sea Cliff, Long Island parishioner. ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... FezXxDDjxo

A well-made production. I missed the first time through that a film is being made by the Western American Diocese covering St John's life journey. I am not sure whether this means a DVD to be offered for sale, or just a quicker version to be presented at the Symposium taking place Thursday evening, June 30 and all day Friday, July 1, across Geary Blvd from Holy Virgin Cathedral. The film calls the building the Scouts Hall - it's officially called the St George Pathfinders Hall, it comes to mind.

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