News

On Monday, 10/23 January, 2012, one of the senior clerics of our diocese – mitred protopriest Vsevolod Martysiewicz – fell asleep in the Lord

31 January 2012

VSEVOLOD LEONIDOVICH MARTYSIEWICZ WAS BORN IN KАMBARKA, RUSSIA, ON FEBRUARY 29TH,  1920, TO FATHER LEONID AND MATYSHKA ALEXANDRA. THE SECOND OF 4 CHILDREN, OLDEST BEING MICHAEL, A YOUNGER SISTER, EVGENIA, WHO PASSED AWAY AS A TEENAGER, AND A YOUNGER BROTHER ALEKSEY, WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES IN LITHUANIA.


HIS STAY IN KOMBARKA WAS SHORT AND AT THE AGE OF TWO MOVED TO WHAT WAS THEN KNOW AS BELORUS.
 
YOUNG VSEVOLOD ATTENDED SCHOOL IN VILNIUS, AND FREQUENTED “DUHOV MONASTERY”. DURING THE WAR HIS PARENTS ALONG WITH THIER SONS, IMMIGRATED TO GERMANY, (DRESDEN).

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR, WITH THE FAMILY SEPARATED AND DISPLACED, HE FOUND HIS WAS TO CANADA IN 1949, AND LANDING A JOB IN RED LAKE, ONTARIO, WORKING IN THE GOLD MINES, TO PAY FOR HIS TRIP BY BOAT, TO CANADA.



AFTER PAYING OFF HIS TRANSPORTATION DEBT, HE MADE HIS WAY TO TORONTO, WHERE HE MET FATHER JOHN DIACHINA, CHRIST THE SAVIOUR RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. TAUGHT RUSSIAN SCHOOL AND WAS ACTIVE IN THE CHURCH AND SOCIAL CLUB. FATHER VSEVOLOD ORGANIZED AND LED THE FIRST RUSSIAN SCOUT TROOP IN CANADA.


EARLY 1950 HE GOT A JOB WITH MASSEY HARRIS, WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL HE TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT IN 1972.  IN 1952 HE MET GALINA GEORGEVNA JONOV, DAUGHTER OF DISPLACED RUSSIANS (FROM YUGOSLAVIA) AND WERE MARRIED IN APRIL 1953. THEY HAVE 2 SONS, LEONID MARRIED TO CHRISTINE AND HAVE TWO CHILDREN NATALIE AGE 20 AND A SON MICHAEL AGE 16. GEORGE,  MARRIED  TO ROBIN AND HAVE TWO CHILDREN MAX 13 AND KATYA 10.


IN 1972 BECAME A RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRIEST AT HOLY RESSURECTION CHURCH IN TORONTO FOR 25 YEARS AND LATER IN HAMILTON AT HOLY VEIL OF THE HOLY MOTHER RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.
 
FATHER VSEVOLOD ALSO SERVED AT LAKE SIMCOE, LONDON WINDSOR AND EVEN AT THE BULGARIAN CHURCH IN TORONTO, ON AN ON CALL/ AS NEEDED BASIS.



FATHER VSEVOLOD RECIEVED A MITRE FROM THE BISHOP IN 2009.


FATHER WAS ILL FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH CANCER AND WAS BED RIDDEN, AT HOME, THE LAST 6 MONTHS. A TURN FOR THE WORST ON SUNDAY 22ND OF JANUARY, HE WAS RUSHED TO OAKVILLE TRAFALGAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AROUND 7 PM. FATHER VSEVOLOD PASSED AWAY EARLY MONDAY MORNING ON JANUARY 23RD, 2012, WITH HIS WIFE BY HIS SIDE.