The Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci (AEM) is organizing a lecture titled “Saint John of Shanghai – Life, Work, and Legacy”, scheduled for this evening at 6:30 PM in the parish hall of the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Dorćol.
The speaker will be Branislav Bubalo, who lived in California for two decades and personally attended the canonization of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco in 1994 in San Francisco. The lecture will be delivered in English and is part of the AEM project “Nevsky Talks”, a series of monthly programmes. The moderator will be Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotić, Head of the AEM Missionary Department and parish priest at the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky.
AEM and Its Missionary Legacy
The Missionary Department of the Archdiocese was established by decision and with the blessing of Patriarch Porfirije. Its headquarters is located within the parish hall of the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky, a place with a long missionary tradition, exemplified by its Missionary School.
Words of Wisdom from Saint John of Shanghai
As we approach this lecture, it is beneficial to reflect on one of the many valuable teachings of the saint to whom this evening is dedicated. During his missionary work, he advised the people:
„Work and guard yourself against laziness, the mother of all vices. Above all, avoid quarrels. Forgive one another when you are offended.“
It is also worth noting that Saint John of Shanghai once lived in Serbia. Before becoming a monk, he walked barefoot through Knez Mihailova Street, selling the newsparer „Politika“, earning the affection of the peope of Belgrade.
The Life and Work of Saint John of Shanghai
In the hagiography of Saint John of Shanghai also known as Saint John of San Francisco, it is recorded that he was born in 1896 in Russia as Mikhail Maximovich. On his father’s side, he was of Serbian descent, and his family maintained the tradition of celebrating Saint Archangel Michael, after whom he was named at baptism.
During the Russian Revolution, after completing his law degree, he moved to Serbia, where he graduated from the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade.
For a time, he served at the Cathedral Church in Belgrade. Whle teaching at the Bitola Theological Seminary, he developed close friendships with future saints, Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović and Father Justin Popović.
His students noticed that he never became angry, ate only once a day, and spent his nights in prayer before an icon, all the while caring for his students. At Miljkovo Monastery, he received the monastic tonsure, taking the name John, after his ancestor, Saint John of Tobolsk.
From the time of his tonsure until the end of his life, Saint John of Shanghai never again slept in a bed, spending his nights in prayer. In Shanghai, he founded the Chinese Orthodox Church and an orphanage. Later, he served in Paris, where he was known as John the Barefoot, as he never wore shoes. He also served as a bishop in San Francisco.
In Shanghai, he founded the Chinese Orthodox Church and an orphanage. Later, he served in Paris, where he was known as John the Barefoot, as he never wore shoes. He also served as a bishop in San Francisco.
The Church in Žarkovo was the first in Serbia to depict this saint in its altar frescoes, and his image also adorns the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Dorćol. Since 2009, an icon and relics of Saint John of Shanghai have been enshrined in the Belgrade Cathedral Church and in the Church of Saint Tryphon at the Topčider Cemetery. Additionally, a church in Batajnica is dedicated to this great saint.
Saint John reposed on July 2, 1966, in Seattle, in front of the miraculous icon of the Kursk-Root Mother of God, to whom he prayed throughout his life. He was canonized in 1994.
Invitation to the Lecture
For those who have not yet had the opportunity to learn more about the life and legacy of Saint John of Shanghai, this lecture offers a unique occasion to explore his profound spiritual heritage.
We warmly invite all interested individuals to attend this event and deepen their understanding of this remarkable saint’s missionary work, asceticism, and miracles.
