The YouTube Channel 'Roots of Orthodoxy' presents a one-hour interview with Fr John Valadez, priest at St Timothy Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese) in Lompoc, California, speaking about Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose.
Of the many recent videos about Father Seraphim done by a variety of channels, this is one of the most significant and helpful interviews yet presented, as Fr John is the "second generation" editor and publisher of the Death To The World 'zine, and has been deeply impacted by Fr Seraphim's life and "leaven." He relates aspects of Fr Seraphim's life, teachings, and pastoral approach clearly and with appreciation, sharing the impact of Fr Seraphim on his own life and his conversion to Orthodoxy.
Perhaps because of his punk background and the remarkable intervention of Father Seraphim during his conversion, Fr John Valadez "keeps it real," and always draws the listener back to Fr Seraphim's pastoral heart, to the "one thing needful," to the "Royal Path," and "God's Revelation to the Human Heart."
Remembering Hieromonk Seraphim Rose on the feast (July 2) of his mentor and spiritual father, St John (Maximovitch), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco
Fresco of St John Maximovitch, Brother José Munoz & Fr Seraphim Rose, Holy Dormition Church in northern Moscow, Russia.
Another theme we see with saints, often times they come in pairs. St. Gregory of Nyssa was a disciple under his brother St. Basil the Great. St. Augustine was the disciple of St. Ambrose of Milan. St. Justin Popovich was the disciple of St. Nikolai Velimirovich. St. Sophrony was the disciple of St. Silouan the Athonite. St. Ephraim was the disciple of St. Joseph the Hesychast. There’s countless more examples.
Who was Fr. Seraphim Rose a disciple of? St. John Maximovitch.
The connections between St John and Fr Seraphim began early in then Eugene's life in the Orthodox Church:
“Gleb, as we have seen, had been much more privileged than Eugene in having known a whole host of great “living links” with Orthodox tradition. In December of 1962, however, Eugene met the greatest of them all: the future Saint, Archbishop John Maximovitch. Interestingly, Archbishop John arrived in San Francisco one year to the day after Eugene had first met Gleb: the Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple.” [1]
After Archbishop John's arrival in San Francisco, “Eugene was immediately aware of the change." As Hieromonk Damascene describes it in his epic biography of Father Seraphim:
When he attended services in the Cathedral, he saw the new bishop wholeheartedly taking part, sometimes pulling out services to relatively unknown saints, especially those of Western European lands. There was something unearthly in this tiny, bent-over old man, who by worldly standards seemed hardly “respectable.” Archbishop John’s hair was unkempt, his lower lip protruded, and he had a speech impediment that made him barely intelligible. He sometimes went about barefoot, for which he was severely criticized. Instead of the glittering, jeweled mitre worn by other bishops, he wore a collapsible hat pasted with icons embroidered by his orphans. His manner was at times stern, but a playful gleam could often be seen in his eyes, especially when he was with children. Despite his speech problem, he had a tremendous rapport with children, who were absolutely devoted to him... [2]
Archpriest Paul Baba, of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, relates a powerful story of how a troubled youth was brought to repentance and hope through the miraculous intervention of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim.
See below for more reflections on Bl Hieromonk Seraphim by Fr Paul Baba.
For more of Fr Paul Baba's recollections of Blessed Father Seraphim, see the following:
Monday, September 2, 2024, marked the 42nd anniversary of the repose in the Lord of Hieromonk Seraphim of Platina.
"Over one hundred pilgrims arrived at the hillside desert monastery of St. Herman of Alaska, co-founded by Fr. Seraphim (Rose). All wished to prayerfully commemorate the day of Fr. Seraphim’s repose in the Lord. Serving the Liturgy were Hieromonk Paisii of St. Herman Monastery, Priests Gregory Schultz, and Nectarios Rozadilla, and Deacon Benjamin." - From the photo essay at OrthoChristian.com, shared by the Platina Brotherhood.
To further honor the anniversary, a second interview (embedded below) with Archpriest Paul Baba sharing more of his recollections of Father Seraphim, has been posted on YouTube. His first interview from September 2023 was wonderful, and filled with insights from and about our beloved father among the saints, Hieromonk Seraphim Rose.
Archpriest Paul Baba, a spiritual son of Fr. Seraphim Rose, shares his thoughts on the anticipated glorification (canonization) of Fr. Seraphim Rose and his significance for us today.
"What's the hesitation?...I believe it’s time to glorify this holy, righteous man!... There are many saints, but here is one right here for us. It’s time, and the people are longing for it.” - Fr. Paul Baba
This talk by His Grace, Bishop Gerasim (Eliel) of Fort Worth, Texas, was delivered in person at the recent Luminaries Summit in Akhalkalaki, Georgia.
The transcript is available for download in English, Russian and Georgian, on the Summit's Google Drive. For more info, videos and links to transcripts of the many presentations at the Luminaries Summit see my earlier post.
The Ecclesiology of Fr Seraphim Rose: Praxis and Teaching
Some videos are already being posted, and over a dozen transcripts and texts of the talks are available for free download. Our thanks to Metropolitan Nikolozi of Georgia for posting this wealth of material, and to OrthoChristian.com for sharing the news and links.
UPDATE 09/30/23: Some of the conference talks specifically about Blessed Father Seraphim are being posted by the podcast, Homilies of Fr Seraphim Rose.
Conference dedicated to Fr. Seraphim Rose, Fr. George Calciu, other Modern Saints, held in Georgia
An international conference dedicated to modern holy men and women was held earlier this month in Georgia.
The Luminaries Summit, dedicated to Fr. Seraphim (Rose), Fr. George Calciu, Matushka Olga of Alaska, Br. José Muñoz Cortés, Abbot Gregory (Zumis) of Docharious Monastery, and others was hosted by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolozi of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo, and Kari, in Akhalkalaki, September 15-16.
Met. Nikolozi locally canonized Fr. Seraphim in his diocese in February, and has openly spoken about the need to canonize Br. José and others.
The conference gathered a number of speakers, including spiritual children of Frs. Seraphim, George, and Gregory, and others whose lives have been touched by the holy men and women of our times.
Greetings on the Anniversary of the Repose of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose!
I was delighted to find in my email this morning a message from the YouTube channel, Orthodox Wisdom, announcing the Premiere of a new video, Experiences with Fr. Seraphim Rose, by Archpriest Paul Baba.
From the Orthodox Wisdom video description:
Archpriest Paul Baba shares his experiences with his spiritual father, Fr. Seraphim Rose, during his over 100 visits to Platina before Fr. Seraphim's repose in 1982. Also, he reveals the heavenly visitations from the great saint after his repose. We also hear about Fr. Paul's bookstore in San Francisco, St. John Maximovitch's miraculous help and visitations, and how Fr. Seraphim has influenced Fr. Paul's experience as a parish priest. Lastly, Fr. Paul tells us his thoughts on the anticipated canonization of Fr. Seraphim Rose and his significance for us today.
Unlike most videos from Orthodox Wisdom, this is an interview where you hear Fr. Paul himself, not the narration by Timothy Honeycutt as in other videos.
The complete description includes helpful, time-stamped headings. Other helpful links, including to Fr Paul's parish church, are included.
Fr. Paul's comments on Fr Seraphim's eventual glorification as a saint of the Orthodox Church are transcribed below the time stamps, and they are so edifying that I reproduce them here:
“I believe it’s time to glorify this holy, righteous man!... There are many saints, but here is one right here for us. It’s time, and the people are longing for it.
“Somehow, by God’s grace, the heavens came upon him and filled this man with wisdom. This Southern Californian, good looking man, who had all the attention. He could have been a famous actor, a celebrity. He opens up a bookstore on Geary Boulevard, because he found God and discovered the purpose of life. He acquires the Holy Spirit and spent his whole life doing it, and everyone’s jumping on that bandwagon with him. Arabs, Greeks, Russians, Serbians, you name it! Atheists are coming on board…atheists! ‘I read his writings and I could touch this man’s heart. I could see it, how pure… I want that!’”
In this recent talk, Bishop Gerasim (Eliel) discusses Fr Seraphim Rose in the context of the times in which he lived, wrote and served the Orthodox Church. Vladyka Gerasim provides helpful insights into how some of Fr Seraphim's books were written and why, and also briefly discusses the process of glorification of a saint in the Orthodox Church, which begins organically, on the local level.
UPDATE May 2, 2023: The original podcast recording seems to have been deleted from the podcast channel feed. However, I did find it on YouTube, and am embedding it immediately below.
Bishop Gerasim: Fr Seraphim Rose - Truth and Legend (24th March, 2023)
See also this podcast interview with then Abbot Gerasim, from the 25th anniversary of Fr Seraphim's repose:
Bishop Gerasim, of the OCA Diocese of the South, shares his reminiscences of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim, and discusses the importance of understanding Fr. Seraphim Rose's work correctly, dispelling common misunderstandings about his talks and writings.
Recorded at St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California, on Friday, September 2, 2022, the 40th anniversary of the repose of Fr. Seraphim Rose. Bishop Gerasim was abbot of the monastery from 2000 to 2009, and a spiritual son of Fr. Seraphim Rose from mid-1981 until the time of the latter's repose on September 2, 1982.
Special thanks to Punks and Monks YouTube Channel for posting this and other videos connected with the 40th Anniversary Pilgrimage of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim.
