A Saint in Our Midst How hatred and jealousy can transform a man into a saint

A Saint in Our Midst
How hatred and jealousy can transform a man into a saint

Much of how I struggle to live my life today, I base on my formative years as a monk. My beloved Elder and Spiritual Father, Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, was a true saint in every way, and perhaps the humblest man I have ever encountered.

When I first asked the Elder to be my spiritual father, I was warned by a dear priest friend that I would be tagged by many other clergy in a negative way, since he was not liked by many. Soon after having established a father-son relationship with the Elder, I witnessed the jealousy of many other assemble clergy. During a Hierarchical Liturgy, although he outranked every other serving priest, they all let him serve way down the list in rank. The serene look on his face revealed his holiness, as he approached that celebration just as he did every Liturgy, as an encounter with the Living God.

The Elder was disliked by many clergy because they saw him as “just a foolish old monk”. This view of Father Dimitry was based on the culture of envy and abuse that sometimes can overtake even priests. Many of these clergy resented the fact that many of their people sought his spiritual guidance, rather than their own. It was, in the end, a power struggle, and these poor “men of God” were so caught up in their own self-importance, they could not see the greater picture in God’s plan for their service as servants of the people of God.

Father Dimitry’s early formation as a monk took place under the famous Archimandrite Chariton of Valaam Monastery, the compiler of “The Art of Prayer”.  The Elder Chariton later became the first Abbot of New Valaam Monastery in Finland, where the monastic brotherhood had fled as the Soviet army moved to take Valaam, furthering their planned destruction of monasticism in Russia.

Father Dimitry was known for his gift of clairvoyance, as well as his ability to behold the Holy Fire that comes down to consume the Holy Mysteries during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Many priests shared with me of seeing Father Dimitry transformed, as he witnessed this holy event.

Once when I was staying at the Kazan Skete in Santa Rosa, where he served as spiritual father to Abbess Susanna and her holy nuns, a young woman came to the door, seeking spiritual advice. Abbess Susanna was unavailable, so I invited the woman to sit in the reception room, and proceeded to hear her pour out her heart. Father Dimitry came into the room, and although he did not speak English, he sat with us, showing his hospitality to this guest.

As the young woman bared her soul, and shared her struggle with depression and anxiety, the Elder lifted his two hands to heaven, looking over her head. She turned toward him, and his hands want down. This continued for some minutes. Seeing she was somewhat disturbed by his actions, I explained that he was likely calling upon an angel to comfort her, so she continued talking. Father Dimitry continued lifting his arms to heaven until I noticed the woman got a look of joy on her face, the anxiety having departed from her.

Another time I went to see my Elder in order to talk to him about a deep depression that had taken hold of me. Mother Susanna sat in on the conversation, serving as translator. As is common in such situations, I shared my heart to the translator, finding myself not looking at the Elder. At one point, Father Dimitry lifted his right fist into the air, over my head,  obviously rebuking a demon that was attacking me. In a few moments I felt the depression leave me. He then lifted both his hands into the air, and as he looked into the space above my head, I knew he was now gazing upon the angel who had come to my assistance.

Abbess Victoria, another nun who knew the Elder well, told me of the occasion when monastery had received a distressing call from a woman who had witness Father Dimitry being maligned by her parish priest, at the end of the Sunday Liturgy. This priest told his people, including children in the midst, that they should avoid visiting the monastery, since “Father Dimitry was living in sin with the nuns”. As the nun told the Elder what had been said at the parish, she admitted to becoming very upset as she witnessed Father Dimitry calmly stand up from his desk, cross to the other side of his study, and silently wind an old wall clock. When she asked how he could remain so calm after hearing of such scandalous slander, he quietly responded with the words, “many sins have been forgiven because of this”. Truly the words of a saint.

The Elder Dimitry countlessly gave witness to the centrality of Christ in his life, and never failed at following his heart, despite the hatred of so many clergy, some of whom welded great authority over him. He always received whatever came his way as the will of God for him. In witnessing his humility and meekness, those of us  around him recognized we had a saint in our midst, and made attempts, often feeble, to emulate him.

Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa, pray to God for us.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photos: Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, and Archimandrite Chariton of Valaam. Myself, holding the icon of Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa.