St. Herman’s Guardian – Archimandrite Gerasim Schmaltz

[Barbara]

Good item to bring here ! Thank you, Haralampopoulosjc

I always enjoyed reading everything I could find about the life of Archimandrite Gerasim

He was a TRUE MONK, one can EASILY feel how the sincere monks were in the old days of Holy Russia. One could say they MADE Holy Russia what it was.

[Barbara]

Don't everybody fall apart, but I see Archimandrite Gerasim as a candidate for possible sainthood - BUT
I see his indirect student, fr seraphim rose, as completely ineligible for glorification.

It was Fr Herman who was the direct link to Fr Gerasim, because when still a layman, Fr Herman went up to Alaska hoping to speak with him, traveled all the way to Spruce Island and learned from his new mentor there.

It was there that he venerated the relics of St Herman of Alaska, not yet canonized and heard a mysterious voice issue forth from the sepulchre "Make a wish !"

Fr Herman wished to start a Brotherhood dedicated to canonizing St Herman, and I think he expressed that.

Then the Jordanville Seminary graduate heard the voice, seemingly of Fr Herman the future Saint say : "Make another wish !"

So Fr Herman asked for another soul to help out. He said later he was thinking of a potential wife when he said that request.

But it turned out differently.

Fr Herman thought it was the future fr seraphim rose who was sent by Heaven in answer to his fervent request at the tomb that day.

But who knows really ???

I think we need to return to some of these events to trace what truly happened, not just go along with every assumption made at the time.

[Barbara]

WH-A-A-T ??? I just saw this post now, sorry.

A member of the OCA ?? So this is yet ANOTHER important that St Hermans Press HID from readers in their several books about him, plus perhaps a few Orthodox Words.

I read everything I could find about his life, since it captured Old Russia as a personal experience.

But though I remember that he got into conflict I think it was during his early years in Alaska with the OCA bishop there, nowhere that i know of did the publications state that Archimandrite Gerasim stayed on as an OCA clergyman all the many years he lived in that state !

One got the idea that he supported Rocor. I remember numerous places in his letters where he strongly stated that he took the side of Rocor figures in various controversies. These Rocor hierarchs were always the most traditional. St John Maximovich was among these whose stance Fr Gerasim commended.

There was one place, however, that he called out someone in Rocor. I'll remember later who it was. It was a fair criticism.

Otherwise, the books made it sound clear that Archimandrite Gerasim was caught between jurisdictions and chose Rocor. If not directly joining Rocor, the reader understood that ALL the hermit's sympathies were with the Church Abroad.

So are you saying that he never did switch but stayed in the OCA all his life ? Any more information to shed light on this topic, which seemingly was deliberately kept obscure ?

[Barbara]

Oh !! Very helpful. Would you guess that he didn't have a CHOICE ? Or is that idea NOT true, and he could have gone under the omophorion of a Rocor Hierarch outside the state ?

What WERE his options for commemoration ? He couldn't commemorate nobody, but he would have had to have switched jurisdictions.
Would THAT have been possible under his circumstances, would you think ?

Incidentally, today i was looking in a corner I haven't gone to for a couple years. THERE was : the blac and white pic of Archimandrite Gerasim outside his cell, where he is looking off to one side and the roof is behind and above him. Remarkable !

[Barbara]

Thank you for answering the various questions, Haralampopoulos. What about the era when Fr Herman of Platina sent up Fr Gerasim [Eliel], named in honor of but not directly for Archimandrite Gerasim plus a crew of monks to build St Michael's Skete up there ?

I remember there was a protest supposedly by the locals.

But what was THAT all about ?

Fr Herman was POST-Rocor at the time, but seemingly favoring the Rocor ways if not all the ecclesiology ? He was pro-MP of course

How do you interpret all that era ? What really DID happen ?

[Barbara]

What happened to St Michael's Skete ? Are there still monks from Platina there, if you have any idea at all ?

There was another skete where the St Xenia nuns [nearby Platina] were living, if I remember.

Are both of these monastic institutions still active ? Are there many monastics in them, I wonder ?

[Barbara]

Good to hear : monasticism anywhere is a good thing, even World Orthodox.

So why doesn't the OCA glorify Fr Gerasim ? We all agree here that Matushka Olga's canonization was the most ridiculous thing.

It made the OCA look even more fake than it is already !

So they could retrieve a little honor by glorifying Archimandrite Gerasim.

Do you agree, haralampopoulos ?

Have they canonized anybody else except Fr Herman, which as we all know was a joint glorification with Old Rocor, though in different locations but at the same time, right ?