This entry was posted on Thursday, December 29th, 2016 and is filed under Church News.

In Memoriam: Schemamonk Hierodeacon Father Theophanes

On December 25, 2016, Father Theophanes Schemamonk of Edmonton formerly of Mount Athos, Greece, passed away at the age of 67 years.

Father Theophanes is survived by his brothers, John, Dr. Wallace and Leo; as well as numerous Brother Clergy, and his spiritual son, Priest Raphael.

Father Theophanes spent 30 years on the Holy Mountain, Athos, where he was raised a monk of the Great Schema and Great Lavra (Kafskoklyvia Skete). He returned to Canada in 2014 and served at St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Cathedral and was ordained Deacon July 2016.

Prayer Service Friday, December 30 at 7:00 p.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, 9709 – 111 Avenue, Edmonton.

Funeral Service Saturday, December 31 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 10105 – 96 Street, Edmonton T5H 2G3. His Grace Iov, Bishop of Kashira and assisting Clergy officiating with interment in St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Cathedral Cemetery, Nisku. In lieu of other tributes, donations may be made to the Church and Cemetery.

ARCHPASTORAL WORDS CONCERNING THE PASSING OF SCHIHIERODEACON THEOPHANES

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Dear Fathers, brothers and sisters!

We are gathered here today in order to respectfully and sincerely say goodbye to Fr. Theophanes, born in Edmonton, whom with the blessing of his spiritual father Metropolitan Kallistos (Wear), for more than 30 years, in great schima, laboured on Mt. Athos. He returned to his birthplace for healing and in the Altar of this cathedral found spiritual peace and was ordained to the ‘Holy Diaconate’.

Monks have an ancient rule: “Memento to Mori – remember about death”. They prepare themselves all their lives for death. They say that the first step a newborn infant takes is towards the grave. This is not indolence, nor is it scary, nor sad, but on the contrary– it is joyful, because it kills death. Monks who live like St. Seraphim of Sarov or St. John of Kronstadt are full of joy and are not afraid of death. For them death is not ‘the end’ but rather ‘the beginning’ of a new and better life.

Many monks regret, that the Lord for a long time deprives them of a “visa” to the new spiritual world. Eventhough they regret leaving behind their beloved task, their service, they are convinced that in Heaven they will receive a thousand times more. No one will be disturbing their relationship with their most loved Lord…Here they are distracted from prayer by some meaningless wordly trivialities; but there, undistubed will realise the fullness of love towards God and people. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh compared the preparation of a christian for death as that of a preparation for a wedding. “A christian should meet Christ, after death, in the same maner as a groom meets his bride”. Now the soul of the newly departed Fr. Theophan is feasting in Heaven. That which it was unable to know, and could only guess, is now open to it: he now sees God face to face. He knows, that there is no death!! There is only new birth.

The funeral of a monk has certain edifying meaning for all christians. In Greece on the Holy Montain, because of lack of space for cemetaries, the ritual concerning the burial of the deceased has, since long ago, its peculiarities. The deceased is buried without a coffen on the day of his death. According to tradition on Mt. Athos, the body of the dead monk is clothed in the schima, an icon of the Theotokos is placed on his chest, and he is layed on a special stretcher. If it is a hieromonk, then he is also clothed in a epitrakhelion, and the Holy Gospel is placed in his hands, and his face is covered with the ‘Air’. A hierodeacon is clothed with an orarion and his face is covered with a vail. In his hands a candle is placed as a sign of his continual prayer for the whole world. After a three year period, the grave is dug out and the skull and bones removed. If the body of the deceased has decayed completely, then the bones are clean and have a yellowish colour, then it is understood to be a sign of particular spirituality and righteousness of the deceased. The skull and bones are usually washed in water and wine and taken to a cript where bones are kept and placed on a shelf. With slavic monks, it is the tradition to write the name and year of passing on the skull with black paint. In the cript, visible to all, is a sign: “We were like all of you. You will be like us”.

The last path of Fr. Theophanes towards God began on the morning of December 24th, when he left his appartment/kelia towards the temple to serve God during Liturgy. But he suddenly slipped and felll. When he was taken to the hospital and no serious problem was found, he called Fr. Igor in the evening, asking him to give me a message, that he would soon be serving again. But God called him for continued service in a better place, in Heaven!. It is of great happiness to die on the way to church or from church. Now the soul of the newly departed Fr.Theophanes is released from the body, and has received real freedom and joy in Christ in Heavenly Homeland.

Let us ask Fr.Theophan to pray for us, his co—celebrants, and his spiritual son Fr.Raphael, that God may grant us enough time for repentance. His soul will see us and everyone, with whom it is seperated from. Our prayers and goodwill shall bring him joy.

This is why, parting with you, Fr. Theophanes, we believe that the compationate Lord will repose your immortal soul with the saints. May your Memory be Eternal!!!

On behalf of Fr.Theophanes I thank all priests and clergy and Roman the president of our cathedral, all those who made an effort in organizing his funeral, all those whom today served the Holy Liturgy and prayed for him on this important day of his.

Iov, Bishop of Kashira, Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes in Canada