Saint Ioasaph (Skorodumov)
of Edmonton and Buenos Aires.

Novgorod the Great nourished and formed the future hierarch-enlightener of Canada, as Vanya Skorodumov was born on January 14, 1888, the son of a village priest. His mother died when he was six. At age ten his father brought him to Tikhvin, a town famous for its miraculous Icon of the Mother of God, where he completed the seminary preparatory school before entering Novgorod Seminary.

Under the influence of his teachers, young Vanya was introduced into the art of prayer, which he practiced so well that he remained joyful for the rest of his life; his academy thesis was called "Monasticism according to St. John Chrysostom," and that saint had a deep permanent influence on his spiritual life.

After completing studies at Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, where he was strongly influenced by Bishop Feofan (Bystrov), he followed this bishop to Astrakhan. On November 13, 1912, the feast day of Saint John Chrysostom, Ivan Skorodumov was tonsured a monk by Bishop Feofan and given the name Ioasaph after the recently canonized Saint Ioasaph of Belgorod; he was soon ordained as hierodeacon and hieromonk.

The Holy Synod appointed him as Assistant Inspector of seminary preparatory schools in Yaransk, Viatka province, and then in Poltava, Ukraine. At first he was sent to teach in a seminary in northern Russia, but was transferred back to his Abba, now in Poltava, where he served as an army chaplain.

Archimandrite Ioasaph was appointed as Bishop of Montreal on April 29/June 11, 1930, as vicar to the North American Diocese, and in September 1930 was summoned to Yugoslavia for his consecration to the Episcopate. He was elevated to Archbishop on October 16/29, 1945. At the 1950 Council of Bishops, he was appointed ruling bishop of the Diocese of Argentina.

Having come to Canada nearly penniless with no salary, living on donations and subjected to hardship and adversity, everyone seemed worried—except Bishop Ioasaph, who trusted in God. After ten years, there were 40 parishes, a Cathedral in Edmonton, a monastery at Whitefish Lake, and the Holy Protection Skete near Bluffton, where his friend Viktor Konovalov became the abbot.

At the 1950 Council of Bishops, he was appointed ruling bishop of the Diocese of Argentina; he accepted this assignment despite having undergone serious cancer treatment before leaving Canada. He died a righteous death on November 13/26, 1955, and was buried in the English cemetery in Buenos Aires. He reposed exactly 43 years to the day after his monastic tonsure, on the feast of his beloved Saint John Chrysostom.

After his repose he appeared to many people in their dreams, and there were cases of him giving help from the other world.

During his ministry in Canada from 1930 to 1950, he founded forty parishes and two monastic sketes. St. Vladimir's parish in Edmonton was established in 1932 by Saint Ioasaph, who built part of the church and resided there until he was sent to Argentina in the 1950s. The Monastery of the Holy Protection was originally founded as a small men's community in 1935 by Archbishop Ioasaph.

On July 21, 2024, the glorification/canonization of Saint Ioasaph of Edmonton and Buenos Aires was celebrated at the church of St. Vladimir, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. On the weekend of July 20-21, 2024, pilgrims from various parts of North America gathered in Edmonton to honor the sanctity of Saint Ioasaph of Edmonton and Buenos Aires.

A striking testimony of his holiness comes from the gardener-gatekeeper of the English cemetery in Buenos Aires, D. Carlos, who witnessed an enormous light on the grave of Archbishop Ioasaph: "Once when it was already dusk, I noticed that in the chapel they had forgotten to turn off the electric light, and I went there. Before I had reached it, my attention was attracted by a powerful light at the left side of the chapel. But when I came closer, I saw that on the grave of your archpastor there was such an enormous light."

Life and Ministry

Archbishop Ioasaph was born on January 14, 1888, in the village of Rebovichi, Tikhvin District, Novgorod Province of the Russian Empire, to a priest's family. His mother died when he and his twin sister were just five years old. At age ten, his father brought him to Tikhvin to prepare for seminary, and he graduated from the Tikhvin Spiritual School in 1902 with high marks, earning a place at Novgorod Theological Seminary.

He completed studies at Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, where he was strongly influenced by Bishop Feofan (Bystrov). On November 13, 1912, the feast of Saint John Chrysostom, he was tonsured a monk by Bishop Feofan and soon ordained as hierodeacon and hieromonk. He served as assistant inspector at seminaries in Yaransk in northern Russia, and then in Poltava, Ukraine.

During World War I, he served as a chaplain in the Imperial Russian Army, and during the Russian Civil War he engaged in pastoral activities in the ranks of the White Army. In May 1920 he was elevated to Archimandrite in Crimea, and from December 1920 to February 1921 he was assigned to Russian Military Hospitals in Constantinople. He then settled in the 14th-century Serbian Monastery of Vratna and taught in various seminaries in Yugoslavia.

Ministry in Canada

In 1929, Archimandrite Ioasaph was invited to serve in Canada by Viktor Konovalov, a long-time friend; after document difficulties required him to return to New York, he was able to return to Canada in February 1930 with a two-year visa. On April 29/June 11, 1930, he was appointed Bishop of Montreal as vicar to the North American Diocese, and in September 1930 he was consecrated to the Episcopate in Belgrade.

Bishop Ioasaph came to Canada on a thorny path with numerous rival jurisdictions, no organized parish life, and having come nearly penniless, he had no salary but lived on donations. After ten years, there were 40 parishes, a Cathedral in Edmonton, a monastery at Whitefish Lake, and the Holy Protection Skete near Bluffton; by his later years in Canada he had about 60 parishes under him. He was elevated to Archbishop on October 16/29, 1945.

Ministry in Argentina and Repose

At the 1950 Council of Bishops, he was appointed ruling bishop of the Diocese of Argentina, accepting this assignment despite having undergone serious cancer treatment. He died a righteous death on November 13/26, 1955, and was buried in the English cemetery in Buenos Aires. This was the Feast of Saint John Chrysostom, the day on which he had been tonsured to the Lesser Schema.

Glorification

On July 21, 2024, the glorification/canonization of Saint Ioasaph of Edmonton and Buenos Aires was celebrated. The glorification took place in the church of 'St. Vladimir,' Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.