1. Canada in its time received many new-comers from Ukraine, Russia, and other places. Do they keep their love and historical memory of their motherland, their traditions, and does this flock from "cradle" Canadians. And how does the American Orthodox Church help them to preserve their identity ?

In Canada, we have received now at least five waves of immigrants, beginning with those of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires more than a century ago. Until now, the majority of immigrants have arrived from Ukrainian territories. Then, recently, the majority came from Russian-speaking territories of the Russian Federation. The first and the fifth waves of immigrants arrived primarily for economic reasons. The others arrived mostly for political reasons. Many, including some nobility, arrived as refugees. The Grand Duchess Ol’ga Alexandrovna (Romanov) lived in Toronto during the last part of her life. Among the early immigrants, it was always important that they build the Church near where they would live — often even before building their own houses. In every case, there has been required finding a balance between remembering the homeland, and living in the newly-adopted country. Some have gone to extremes. Some have not accepted the move, and have lived in enclosed communities, and have avoided adapting to Canadian society. Some have abandoned completely their heritage, and, sometimes changing their names also, tried to live as British-descended Canadians. In no case has the adjustment been easy, because the contrast between Canadian ways and Russian Orthodox ways in life are very, very different. Both, however, have similar recent histories, particularly secular and materialist. In earlier years, Canadian society was very unfriendly to Continental European immigrants, and to Slavs in particular. Now, there is far greater readiness to accept new-comers, as we like to call immigrants now.

Maintaining this "own identity" is difficult in this culture, although Canada is officially a multi-cultural society. One has to understand what is essential. For Russian immigrants, this must include Church life. Without it, there would be only some meaningless details associated with food, dancing, and some music. Therefore, the Church in Canada has encouraged parishes that are accepting new-comers to keep the Old Calendar (this Archdiocese has a great majority of parishes on the Old Calendar). We encourage the singing of carols, and spiritual songs as much as possible. We encourage the making, eating, and selling of traditional foods, and we certainly encourage parents to teach their children to speak Russian or Ukrainian well. We also bless the publishing of Russian- and Ukrainian-language journals and papers to help the people understand their Orthodox faith better. We also try to help people remember, and keep the traditional customs associated with baptisms, marriages, burials, and other important moments of life. There is no perfect way to help the Russian-speaking new-comers keep their faith, and culture. However, I must say that many seem to do so well, and they begin to reinforce the faith of the older immigrants.

2. What kind of missionary work is done in the Canadian Orthodox Church ? What is its form?

The biggest challenge in missionary work among the new-comers is for our Churches to be able to be found. And when they are found, the believers must remember to behave in a Christian, loving, welcoming manner. Orthodox Christian hospitality is also always the way that missionary work is to be done among the local Canadians, as well. It is the love of Christ that brings people to the Church. Slowly we have been trying to support the priests who are trying particularly to care for the new-comers. In several cases, large numbers of new-comers have truly found the love of Christ, and there have been many baptisms. In many cases, Russian-speakers have felt at home in English-speaking communities, because they were able to hear some Slavonic, and they were able freely to speak to each other in Russian.

3. We know that your family comes from Finland. The Finish Orthodox Church especially venerates the holy Valaam startsi, new, and old. What can you share about New Valaam ?

It is a mistake to think that I am of Finnish descent. My father came to Canada from Norway a hundred years ago, and my mother was born in Canada of Scottish parents. However, I did live in Finland for a year, at the New Valaam Monastery, in the year 1980. Finland did, and does greatly respect, and love the saints of Valaam. When I lived in this monastery, I had the blessing to know, and to serve with Archimandrite Simforian. He was the last monk to leave the Island during the War. As they left, he rang the great bell that had to remain there because of its weight (it was broken by soldiers). When I knew him, he had a great reputation as a staretz, and on one occasion the then Metropolitan Alexy (later Patriarch) came from Tallinn to visit, to serve with, and to speak with him. There was also a very old monk from the Trifonovsky Monastery of Pechenga who lived there. Even at age 107, he could be heard at midnight in his cell as he sang "Heavenly King" to begin the Midnight Hour. This monastery suffered much from the dislocation caused by the Soviets and the War, but it never has forgotten its connexion with the Valaam Islands. Finns wanted very much to help in the earlier days when there was a great hunger at the newly-reopened Monastery, and I know priests who love to travel there. There is also great support for Konevits.

4. You have a special responsibility in the Department of External Affairs and Inter-church Relations. What is the first priority in your work ?

With regard to my work in the Department of External Affairs and Inter-church Relations, I see the first priority to be being obedient to the Metropolitan, and to keep clear communication with him about everything. This is because, as Head of our Church, he is the first in responsibility for all external contacts, as well as for leading us internally. Besides this, I have always tried to support every kind of loving, brotherly relationship with our sister-churches that I could. And it is sincere love.

5. What saints do you especially venerate in Canada ?

In Canada, there are three particularly known holy persons, who are particularly loved. St Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow served as Archbishop in North America a century ago. It was he who incorporated this Archdiocese for the first time civilly. He was a great missionary worker in Canada, and he consecrated the Holy Tables of many Churches, mostly in western Canada. For him, it would have been like travelling in Siberia. Another is Archbishop Arseny of Winnipeg. He was an early co-worker with St Tikhon, both in the USA, and in Canada. He founded monasteries in both countries, pastoral schools in both countries, and he established several Russian-language publications. He was a charismatic leader, and he was such a preacher that people called him "the Canadian Chrysostom". I have heard many stories about his holiness by people who knew him in the 1930s. The third is a missionary priest, who worked mainly in eastern Canada, including Montréal. This is the priest-martyr Alexander Hotovitsky. He served also in the United States, in New York, and many other places, again as a co-worker with St Tikon. He was killed by the Soviets in Russia.

6. You are often in Russia. What holy places have you been blessed to visit ? What do you say in Canada about this to your flock ?

It is true that the Lord has blessed me to travel often to Russia, and also to Ukraine. In Russia, my visits have been limited mostly to the Moscow and St Petersburg areas, because I have been in Russia mostly for meetings, and special celebrations. I have, however, been able to visit Sergeiev Posad, Optina, Valaam, Novgorod, and Krondstadt. Every time I have travelled like this, I have written an account of my journeys, and published them in the Archdiocesan newspaper, and/or on the website (www.archdiocese.ca). I do this, both to help my people share the experience, and also to help them understand that even if I go for official reasons, I treat each visit as a pilgrimage. I have always been blessed to be able to venerate the relics of the saints in the places I have visited. It has always been a great blessing, and a refreshment for me to do so. People always say that when I return from Russia I look refreshed in a particular way. So, I always say, Glory be to God for everything. Because the land of Russia has been so blessed with so many saints, and in the last century so many martyrs, I believe that the Lord bestows also a special grace, and blessing to the Russian believers, and to those who meet them. Again, Glory be to God for everything.

Original Russian Text published in the Russian Orthodox jounal "Pravoslavnaya Beseda"(or, Orthodox Conversations), number 4, 2009
Translation into English - from the web site www.st-catherine.ru