† Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor, Vancouver

1914 – 2000. Memory Eternal!

Archbishop SYLVESTER (Haruns), retired ruling hierarch of the OCA Archdiocese of Canada, former temporary administrator of the Orthodox Church in America and Vice-Chairman of the Holy Synod, fell asleep in the Lord quietly at 2:00 a.m. on May 18, 2000, at the age of eighty-five. He had received Holy Communion and had been anointed just two days before his repose. The funeral was served on Tuesday, May 23 at SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in Montreal. Bishop SERAPHIM of Ottawa and Canada, in concelebration with ten priests, presided.

As he had wished, the Archbishop s funeral was served according to the rite for monastics.Bishop Seraphim’s eulogy emphasised Vladyka s patience and obedience to God s will, virtues for which monks struggle so hard, and which for the Archbishop bore so much fruit in the Archdiocese of Canada. Later in the afternoon, Vladyka was laid to rest in the beautiful St. Seraphim s Cemetery in Rawdon, Quebec, which had been expanded and embellished of the many years through his timeless efforts.

Ivan Antonovich Haruns was born on October 19 November 1, 1914 in Dvinsk, Latvia. While pursuing his secondary education, he became involved in the activities of the Russian Student Christian Movement, and inspired by the lectures there of such luminaries as Fr Sergius Chetverikov, he decided to devote his life to serving the Church. Upon completing his secondary education, he wished to study at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris to prepare himself for ministry. His parents were opposed to this and hoped he would enrol at a local university, but he refused. He was so determined to attend St. Sergius that a year later, his parents blessed his departure for France. He would never again see his homeland or his family, most of whom would perish after the Soviet takeover of Latvia.

Prior to graduation from St. Sergius, Ivan Haruns was tonsured a monk by Metropolitan EVLOGIUS (Georgievsky) with the name Sylvester (March 8, 1938), and ordained to the diaconate (March 9, 1938) and to the priesthood (April 10, 1938). He was soon assigned to serve in eastern France. With the advent of World War II, he ministered to Orthodox servicemen in the French armed forces, who were stationed in that area. Beginning in 1941, thousands of Russians were brought to northwestern France from the Soviet Union by the Germans as prisoners to serve in labour camps. Fr. Sylvester felt a call to minister to them, and having obtained official permission from the authorities to do this, he, with the bishop s blessing, left his parish to devote himself completely to this mission, which was to be a kind of itinerant ministry in many locations under often difficult conditions.

After the war, Fr. Sylvester was appointed to serve a large parish in Paris. Here he developed an extensive education program for youth and the parish became known for its excellent church school. At this time, he also headed the Missions Department of the Russian Orthodox Diocese in Western Europe, as well as the Immigrant Aid Society. He was, additionally, co-editor (with Fr. Alexander Schmemann) of the Diocesan Herald. When Fr. Alexander left for America in 1951, Fr. Sylvester would remain the publications sole editor for another five years.

Throughout his life, he continued his active involvement in the Russian Student Christian Movement, and in the post-war years, he was particularly active in youth ministry, and had devoted following among young people. After his Episcopal consecration, he was affectionately nicknamed Bishop of all the youth. From 1963-79, he was the Chairman of the Russian Student Christian Movement, and was actively involved in its publication efforts (particularly the Vestnik). His consecration as Bishop of Messina within the West

European Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople by the Exarch Metropolitan VLADIMIR (Tihonitsky), together with Bishop CASSIAN (Bezobrazov), took place on April 27, 1972-81, making several trips to Australia to nourish spiritually the flock there.

In the late 1960s, the Church in America began negotiations with the Moscow Patriarchate, which would eventually lead to the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America. Archbishop Sylvester was able to pacify inflamed passions and to clarify numerous misunderstandings among the clergy and faithful regarding autocephaly, which he viewed as the correct canonical structure for church life in North America; but, in his personal vision of autocephaly.

On May 15, 1974, he was appointed Temporary Administrator of the Orthodox Church in America, in order to assist the ailing Primate, Metropolitan IRINEY (Bekish). In this position, he ably fulfilled many functions of the Primate until October 25, 1977, when Metropolitan Iriney retired and Metropolitan Theodosius was elected to succeed him at the 5^th All-American Council. Archbishop Sylvester was then appointed vice-chairman of the Holy Synod, a position he held until his retirement from active Episcopal service.

With turbulent changes taking place in society and in church life, and with a new generation of hierarchs and clergy assuming leadership positions, Archbishop Sylvester decided that it would be best for him to relinquish his hierarchical responsibilities. He retired on July 1, 1981. For many years thereafter, he continued to serve as pastor of SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in Montreal and St. Seraphim Church in Rawdon, Quebec. He especially rejoiced at the arrival of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and they flocked to him for spiritual nourishment. As weakness and illness overtook him in the last couple of years of his life, he was no longer able to serve, which caused him great anguish.

Archbishop Sylvester was a faithful and loving archpastor, in firm adherence to the teachings of Christ. He was also a true monastic in his personal piety. May our Lord justly reward him in His Heavenly Kingdom, may his memory be eternal, and may his selfless life devoted to serving Christ inspire us all! – Based on the notes of Alexis Liberovsky, OCA Archivist, a native of Montreal and a spiritual son of Archbishop Sylvester.

Canadian Orthodox Messenger 11:4 Autumn 2000