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."
Fr Peter Heers: On the Veneration of Saintly People Not Officially Glorified
Orthodox Ethos, Nov 4, 2024 — Excerpted from Lesson 25: The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle & Evangelist John the Theologian, Rev. 20:11 (Series 4), by Fr. Peter Heers
Fr Peter answers a viewer's question about "praying to" righteous departed Orthodox who have not been formally glorified by the Church. Of course, he discusses Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim:
Fr. Seraphim Rose leads a group of students in singing 'Christ is Risen!' Recorded at UC Santa Cruz, May 1981, immediately prior to his talk, "Signs of the End of the World."
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.
This recent episode of Ancient Faith Today LIVE, with Fr. Thomas Soroka, was recorded Tuesday, October 24, and in addition to the interview, features His Grace's responses to numerous questions sent in during the show by viewers and listeners.
Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth: On Reading Fr. Seraphim Rose in Context (VIDEO)
His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth, Auxiliary Bishop of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the South, joined Fr. Thomas Soroka on his Ancient Faith Today Live podcast yesterday to talk about Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), who is greatly beloved throughout the Orthodox world.
Bp. Gerasim personally knew Fr. Seraphim during the last two years of his life. He became a monastic under the influence of Fr. Seraphim and lived under his guidance as a novice.
In yesterday’s show, he spoke with Fr. Thomas about reading Fr. Seraphim in context. Bp. Gerasim addresses several issues, including the availability of Orthodox material and Divine services in English in Fr. Seraphim’s time, ROCOR’s and Fr. Seraphim’s view of the OCA, including Fr. Alexander Schmemann, the teaching of the toll houses, Fr. Seraphim’s popularity throughout Eastern Europe, and more.
My thoughts and response:
The format and time constraints of the podcast format did not allow Fr. Thomas and Bp. Gerasim to further explore some of the topics covered, so I would like to offer the following brief observations, in an effort to amplify just a bit what was an immensely helpful and authoritative "inside look" at the life and writings of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim by one who was "right there" the last two years of Fr. Seraphim's life.
Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth (OCA) to appear on Ancient Faith Today LIVE with Fr. Tom Soroka
This will be a major episode on Ancient Faith Today. His Grace Bishop Gerasim is just the sober, knowledgeable voice needed to help provide a grounded hagiographical context for Blessed Father Seraphim Rose, as we approach his hoped for glorification and his entry into the calendar of saints.
This will be another major episode on Ancient Faith Today. His Grace, Bishop Gerasim (Eliel) is one of Blessed Father Seraphim's most significant spiritual children, having entered St Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California, a little over a year before the repose of Father Seraphim.
After Fr Seraphim's death, he remained at the monastery and was soon tonsured a monk, and became deeply involved in the St Herman Brotherhood's publishing ministry. He helped Abbot Herman re-establish Orthodox monasticism on Spruce Island, Alaska, in the mid 1980s, and would later help lead the monastery back into canonical Orthodoxy around the year 2000.
After that pivotal event he served as abbot for a number of years before proceeding to St Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary where he graduated as valedictorian. He has served in a few key roles roles since then, including as Administrator of the OCA Diocese of the South, before being consecrated Bishop of Fort Worth and continuing as auxiliary bishop and administrator under Archbishop Alexander (Golitzin) of the OCA Diocese of the South.
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
This talk by Priest John Valadez was recorded for the recent Luminaries Summit in Akhalkalaki, Georgia.
In it, Fr. John develops some of the key themes of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose's life and ministry, emphasizing humility and simplicity, raising the mind and warming the heart. The video is embedded below. The transcript is available for download in English, Russian and Georgian, on the Summit's Google Drive.
For more videos and links to transcripts of the many presentations at the Luminaries Summit see my earlier post.
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.
Dr Herman Middleton, of Protecting Veil, has posted an excerpt from his interview with Nun Cornelia Rees in which they discuss specifically Blessed Fr Seraphim's emphasis on humility.
Dr Middleton makes available a free download of the eBook edition of one of his earlier books, which is a 'must have'. The info and link is posted at the conclusion of the video.
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!’”
Orthodox news platforms OrthoChristian.com and Byzantine, Texas, are reporting on a video posted by the Punks and Monks YouTube channel, featuring Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth TX (spiritual son of Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim) and Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, Georgia, concelebrating.
In the video, Bishop Gerasim delivers a brief homily and, during his remarks, Met. Nikoloz announced that Fr. Seraphim was canonized in his diocese the week prior, and that an icon of him has been installed in their church. You can see the icon on the left side of the below frame from the video.
Full report, partial transcript and embedded video below:
Fr. Seraphim Rose locally canonized in one Georgian diocese
Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), the righteous American struggler, is greatly beloved and venerated throughout the Orthodox world and many eagerly await his canonization.
Among those who venerate Fr. Seraphim is His Eminence Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo, and Kari of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
On Sunday, the Georgian hierarch concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in the tiny Church of the Archangel Michael in his diocese with His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Forth Worth (Orthodox Church in America), who was a spiritual child of Fr. Seraphim at St. Herman’s Monastery in Platina, California.
And as Met. Nikoloz told Bp. Gerasim, Fr. Seraphim was, in fact, locally canonized in his diocese just a week prior, and an icon of Fr. Seraphim was hung in the church at that time. The icon can be seen to the left of the archimandrite at the beginning of the video from the Punks and Monks channel:
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.
