Metropolitan Michael (Theodot Khoroshy)
Encyclopedia
Metropolitan Michael, (secular name Theodot Nykyforovych Khoroshy) was born in Fedorivka, near Chyhyryn
, in what was then the Russian Empire
, on July 10, 1885. He died in Toronto
on May 5, 1977 and is buried in the Prospect Cemetery in Toronto. He was a bishop
of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
from 1951–1977, and the Church's Metropolitan
from 1973 until his resignation in 1975.
region of Ukraine. Following that, he studied at the Theological Seminary and the Faculty of History-Philology of St. Vladimir's Seminary in Kiev
. In December 1912, Bishop Nicodemus ordained
young Theodot a deacon
. During the next few years, he translated the Liturgical Psalter
into Ukrainian. On April 24, 1920, Bishop Dimitrius (Verbytsky) ordained him a priest
, and in the following months he was appointed Dean of a church in Ternivka
, in the Cherkasy
region.
Due to his outstanding clerical work, in 1923 Fr. Theodot was appointed the Dean of the Cathedral of Cherkasy.
At this time the Bolshevik
occupation, clergy were pressured to deny their vocation, Fr. Theodot was a great soldier of Christ, and was unshaken. The communist authorities arrested Fr. Theodot in September 1929, after which he was condemned to eight years in concentration camps in the far north: first on the Kola peninsula on the White Sea, then the "Island of Death": Kond, and a year later to Solovky. In the fall of 1932 he was transferred to the camps of Ukhta-Pechersk for further punishment. Following his release in 1937, Fr. Theodot returned to the Donbas area in Ukraine and established himself in Kirovohrad.
of Kirovohrad at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kiev.
In November 1942 Bishop Michael was elevated to archbishop
of the Kirovohrad Diocese. Archbishop Michael was transferred to the Mykolayiv Diocese due to pressure from German authorities. By the conclusion of the war in 1945, Arcbishop Michael had travelled widely across Europe: to Odessa, Akerman, Galac, Vienna, Warsaw, and throughout Germany and Slovakia. He was allowed to continue his pastoral work for the Ukrainian Orthodox, particularly amongst captives, expatriated workers, and refugees. With the blessing of Metropolitan Polikarp, Archbishop Michael was given the responsibility to look after the Ukrainian Orthodox flock in Bavaria, with its headquarters in Munich.
also in 1951, the UOCC decided to use the higher ranking bishop (Ilarion) as "Metropolitan of Winnipeg and the Central Diocese, Metropolitan of all Canada, and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada." Archbishop Michael was instead assigned as "Archbishop of Toronto and the Eastern Diocese." Archbishop Michael was the first Bishop of Toronto. Under his guidance, nineteen new churches were constructed.
In 1970, Metropolitan Ilarion had become ill, and Archbishop Michael became "Acting Primate
" of the UOCC. When Metropolitan Ilarion reposed in March 1972, Archbishop Michael was elected Primate of the Church and was installed as Metropolitan
in 1973. However, during the XV Sobor in 1975, Michael resigned as Metropolitan, stating that he wished to remain as the head of the Eastern Diocese.
Metropolitan Michael died on May 5, 1977 in Toronto, at the age of 91.
Metropolitan Michael always had a keen concern for the spiritual education of his faithful and especially of the children. He wrote theological works, translated the Psalter
, the Horologion (the Book of Hours), and a number of other works into Ukrainian. He also composed music for the services of vespers
, matins
, and the Divine Liturgy
. He was a confessor of the Orthodox Faith and a zealous archpastor. Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) said at his graveside: "He was a great intercessor before our Lord God, and for his people and his Church."
Church Calendar
Chyhyryn
Chyhyryn is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. In 1648 to 1669 the city was the capital of Ukraine .- Location :...
, in what was then the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, on July 10, 1885. He died in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on May 5, 1977 and is buried in the Prospect Cemetery in Toronto. He was a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Canada, primarily serving Ukrainian Canadians. Its former name was the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada ...
from 1951–1977, and the Church's Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
from 1973 until his resignation in 1975.
Ukraine
Theodot Khoroshy began his early education in his village. Later he moved on to the pedagogical seminary in the town of Shamivka in the KhersonKherson
Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kherson Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast. Kherson is an important port on the Black Sea and Dnieper River, and the home of a major ship-building industry...
region of Ukraine. Following that, he studied at the Theological Seminary and the Faculty of History-Philology of St. Vladimir's Seminary in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. In December 1912, Bishop Nicodemus ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
young Theodot a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. During the next few years, he translated the Liturgical Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
into Ukrainian. On April 24, 1920, Bishop Dimitrius (Verbytsky) ordained him a priest
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
, and in the following months he was appointed Dean of a church in Ternivka
Ternivka
Ternivka or Ternovka is a city of oblast subordination in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast of Ukraine. Population is 29,226 .-Industries:...
, in the Cherkasy
Cherkasy
Cherkasy or Cherkassy , is a city in central Ukraine. It is the capital of the Cherkasy Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Cherkasky Raion within the oblast...
region.
Due to his outstanding clerical work, in 1923 Fr. Theodot was appointed the Dean of the Cathedral of Cherkasy.
At this time the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
occupation, clergy were pressured to deny their vocation, Fr. Theodot was a great soldier of Christ, and was unshaken. The communist authorities arrested Fr. Theodot in September 1929, after which he was condemned to eight years in concentration camps in the far north: first on the Kola peninsula on the White Sea, then the "Island of Death": Kond, and a year later to Solovky. In the fall of 1932 he was transferred to the camps of Ukhta-Pechersk for further punishment. Following his release in 1937, Fr. Theodot returned to the Donbas area in Ukraine and established himself in Kirovohrad.
Episcopacy
With the arrival of the Germans in Ukraine in 1941, religious freedom was established in the formerly atheistic state. In Kirovohrad, Fr. Theodot organized a Higher Church Government, and in March 1942 he was elected a candidate for the Episcopate. With the blessing of the Administrator of the Warsaw Metropolia in the freed Ukrainian lands, headed by Archbishop Polikarp (Sikorsky), Bishops Nikanor and Ihor, tonsured Fr. Theodot a monk on May 12, 1942. He was given the name Michael and ordained into the episcopate as the BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Kirovohrad at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kiev.
In November 1942 Bishop Michael was elevated to archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the Kirovohrad Diocese. Archbishop Michael was transferred to the Mykolayiv Diocese due to pressure from German authorities. By the conclusion of the war in 1945, Arcbishop Michael had travelled widely across Europe: to Odessa, Akerman, Galac, Vienna, Warsaw, and throughout Germany and Slovakia. He was allowed to continue his pastoral work for the Ukrainian Orthodox, particularly amongst captives, expatriated workers, and refugees. With the blessing of Metropolitan Polikarp, Archbishop Michael was given the responsibility to look after the Ukrainian Orthodox flock in Bavaria, with its headquarters in Munich.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Within a few years, with Metropolitan Polikarp's blessing, the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada invited Archbishop Michael to become her ruling bishop. On May 14, 1951, Archbishop Michael came to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (the Church's Headquarters). However, with the arrival of Metropolitan Ilarion (Ohienko)Metropolitan Ilarion (Ivan Ohienko)
Metropolitan Ilarion was a Ukrainian Orthodox cleric, linguist, church historian, and historian of Ukrainian culture. In 1940 he was Archimandrite of the St...
also in 1951, the UOCC decided to use the higher ranking bishop (Ilarion) as "Metropolitan of Winnipeg and the Central Diocese, Metropolitan of all Canada, and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada." Archbishop Michael was instead assigned as "Archbishop of Toronto and the Eastern Diocese." Archbishop Michael was the first Bishop of Toronto. Under his guidance, nineteen new churches were constructed.
In 1970, Metropolitan Ilarion had become ill, and Archbishop Michael became "Acting Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
" of the UOCC. When Metropolitan Ilarion reposed in March 1972, Archbishop Michael was elected Primate of the Church and was installed as Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
in 1973. However, during the XV Sobor in 1975, Michael resigned as Metropolitan, stating that he wished to remain as the head of the Eastern Diocese.
Metropolitan Michael died on May 5, 1977 in Toronto, at the age of 91.
Metropolitan Michael always had a keen concern for the spiritual education of his faithful and especially of the children. He wrote theological works, translated the Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
, the Horologion (the Book of Hours), and a number of other works into Ukrainian. He also composed music for the services of vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
, matins
Orthros
Orthros may refer to:*Orthros, the Matins service of the Eastern Christian Churches*Orthrus, the two-headed dog of Greek mythology*Matins, the Christian morning prayer service*Ultros, a recurring villain in the video game Final Fantasy VI...
, and the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
. He was a confessor of the Orthodox Faith and a zealous archpastor. Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) said at his graveside: "He was a great intercessor before our Lord God, and for his people and his Church."
Source
1997 Rydna Nyva-UOCCUkrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Canada, primarily serving Ukrainian Canadians. Its former name was the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada ...
Church Calendar