A Reflection on the Life and Ministry of His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius

by Archpriest Jason Vansuch

When a priest is ordained, he is presented with a silver pectoral cross to wear as a reminder of Whom he serves and Whom he is to emulate everyday of his life and in every aspect of his priestly ministry.  On the reverse side of the pectoral cross is inscribed the following words from The Holy Apostle Paul First Letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12): “Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  These words are a reminder that one must be an example to all! His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius truly fulfilled these words in every aspect of his life and ministry as a parish priest, as a Diocesan Hierarch, and later on as The Primate of The Orthodox Church in America.

I first met His Beatitude when I was about 7 years old when my family and I went back to St. George Albanian Orthodox Church in Trumbull, CT for a parish celebration.  It was then that I realized the close connection my father – Archpriest Eugene (+of blessed memory) and my mom – Matushka Fran - have with His Beatitude.  From that moment one, I knew we would always have a close connection.  It was His Beatitude who welcomed my parents to their parish in Madison, Illinois (a parish that His Beatitude also served as a parish priest).  It was His Beatitude who was there when Matushka Katia and I got married.  It was His Beatitude who was there when I was ordained a deacon.  It was His Beatitude who was there when I was ordained a priest.  My very first services as a newly-ordained Deacon and a newly-ordained Priest were with His Beatitude and my father. Indeed services that I will never forget.

The real impact His Beatitude had on me, my life, and my ministry came when I had the distinct honor and blessing of serving him as his Personal Aide/Assistant, Subdeacon, and Driver.  This great and awesome responsibility came in 1996 when I was entering St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and I was asked by The Chancellor of The Orthodox Church in America to work at The Chancery as The Groundskeeper and Caretaker of the Property, Building, and Chapel. A responsibility that came with great honor and blessing.  I remembered when I first arrived at The Chancery, I was met by then Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick and Matushka Bette Kondratick who then showed me around The Chancery building and property.  When we went upstairs, to The Metropolitan’s Apartment so they could introduce me to His Beatitude, after receiving his blessing, he told me that he remembered meeting me in Trumbull and remembered my parents and family.  This made me feel at ease as I was nervous being called by The Church to work for The National Church caring for and assisting The Primate of Our Church.

Having worked very closely with His Beatitude for 7 ½ years as his Personal Aide/Assistant, Subdeacon, and Driver, I was able to see the full side of His Beatitude.  Most people just saw him when they attended a Liturgy he was celebrating, or at a function or event that he was also attending.  They mainly only saw one side of him – Metropolitan Theodosius (The Primate of The Orthodox Church in America).  I saw another side of His Beatitude.  Whether it was taking him to appointments, meetings, dinners, functions, to the store, or simply just spending time with him after our days work, I saw a person.  I saw an individual who enjoyed life.  I saw an individual who was honored,  blessed, and humbled to be called by The Church to serve the faithful flock entrusted to his care.  I saw an individual who also wanted to enjoy the quietness of life and all that it offers.  I saw an individual who, to the best of his ability, strove to be an example to the Clergy and Faithful of The Orthodox Church in America in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  I saw that this was not an easy task.  I saw that it was challenging at times and joyous at others.  I saw and witnessed in His Beatitude that no matter what, he loved The Lord, loved his Church, loved his people.  I had firsthand experience of witnessing the happiness, the joys, the pains, and the sorrows that His Beatitude felt as any loving and caring father would have for his children. Besides being The Primate, he was my boss.  Besides being my boss, he also became a close friend.  I never met an individual who was so meek, kind, loving, caring, and fatherly as His Beatitude. I learned a lot from His Beatitude which taking this knowledge has indeed help nurture who I am today as a priest. For this and for so many reasons, I will be forever grateful for the love, care, trust, guidance, and prayers that His Beatitude has shown me, my family,  our Church and the thousands of faithful believers around the world for not only the 25 years that he faithfully served as our Primate but also for the many years after he retired how he still was a presence in our life and in our Church.  His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius was, is, and always will be a presence in and of The Orthodox Church in America.

If there is one thing that I learned while working for and knowing His Beatitude, it is how to “Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  (1 Timothy 4:12).

May all of us – Hierarchs, Clergy, and Faithful of The Orthodox Church in America - always strive to do what we can to live by these words of The Holy Apostle Paul in his First Letter to Timothy and follow Our Lord Jesus Christ giving all Glory to The God Who loves us more than we love ourselves.