† Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor, Vancouver

The Hieromonk James (McLuckie) 64, former priest, who was attached to the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor (Vancouver, BC), fell asleep in the Lord at the Retirement home in Kamloops, BC on July 22, 2009.
Fr. Michael Fourik visited Fr. James in Kamloops for two days a week before his death. During this time Fr. James received the Sacraments of Confession, Holy Unction and Holy Communion; he also had an opportunity to talk to Vladyka Seraphim, Fr. Andrew Somow, Raisa Kolesnikoff by phone.

Funeral service for Fr. James, with the Rite of Burial of a Priest, was lead on July 23rd 2009 at the local funeral home by Archpriest Michael Fourik and Priest Michael Pozdak of the UOCC- Kamloops. Matushka Elena Fourik sang the responses.

Family of Hieromonk James invited all to a memorial dinner at the close of the services.

Memory Eternal!

Biography:
Father James McLuckie was a priest of outstanding missionary work experience and a talented iconographer.
Fr. James came from a typical dual Canadian ethnic background. His maternal great- grandfather, great-grandmother and children emigrated from western Ukraine in 1890 and homesteaded in the Beausejour area of Manitoba. However, his father was born in Scotland and as a young boy came to Canada with his family in 1929.
Fr. James was born in Trail, and his parents moved 20 miles north to Castlegar where he spent his school years, graduating from high school. Having received his BA in Sociology with a Philosophy minor from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. he continued his theological studies in that institution. He further noted that throughout his formative years due to his Ukrainian heritage, he acquired a continuing and growing interest in the Eastern Orthodoxy, especially in iconography, slowly starting to write icons. In his seminary years Fr James travelled extensively to study early Christian and Byzantine art.

Shortly after becoming a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, STB, he was received into the Orthodox Church by Chrismation in 1971. He continued post-graduate studies at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY until 1973 through the Antiochian Archdiocese. During those years He taught High School in Washington DC, and did a considerable voluntary work in Orthodox Christian education at his home parish in Washington, DC. He was ordained as a Deacon, and elevated into Priesthood by Patriarch Elias IV of Antioch in July 3, 1977. He was assigned as an assistant pastor in San Francisco. Later on, he started St. John the Evangelist and Theologian Orthodox Church, in Orinda CA, near Oakland.

Fr. James was transferred into the Orthodox Church in America in 1989. At the same year he was asked to establish another church, namely St. Innocent Mission Parish in Fremont, CA. (In this very spot St Innocent visited Mission San Jose in 1836, and served regular services.).

He studied Russian language and Russian culture at San Francisco State University for a number of years.
On July 2, 1995, Fr. James received a sudden, unexpected massive heart attack, following through bypass surgery. The story is brief, post -op complications, then followed by a str oke . Fr James returned to British Columbia, under-going rehabilitation therapy, etc. In the past years he has been doing active volunteer work with recovering addicts and alcoholics in the Prince George area until he moved to Vancouver.

After the next heart attack in July 2006 Fr. James spent a long time at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, and from October 2006 till January 2009 he lived in the Home for the Elderly in Haro St, Vancouver.

Glory be to God for All!