[ladleliDypenue]

Dear Friends,

This past Saturday afternoon, Protopresbyter Elias Wen reposed at the age of 110. He may well have been the oldest priest in the entire Russian Church. When biographical information on him is posted somewhere, I will add the link to this thread. For the time being, news about his funeral services and a photograph of him can be found on our Diocesan website, http://www.wadiocese.com/wad.php.

I only knew Father Elias for about 15 years (since he was 95!), but I had the joy of spending time with him on occasion when we lived down the street from each other in San Francisco. There are a few things I learned from him that will stay with me always.

Father Elias was ethnically Chinese but had grown up in a Russian colony in China. He retained many attitudes and habits from his Chinese heritage that helped him live a long life, and he was much beloved in our Cathedral community for his pastoral gifts. He continued to hear confessions until he was in his late 90s when it became clear that his hearing was no longer adequate to do this. Until about 10 years ago, he would also frequently participate in Sunday and Feastday services. Until the last few years of his life, he lived in an upstairs apartment with no elevator. He kept up his daily exercise until well after age 100. When his eyesight became really bad, his son Misha would accompany him on his daily walks. When we were neighbors, and I would encounter Father Elias on a walk or on his way to church, I would ask for a blessing, and somehow he knew it was me, although he could barely hear or see me. After Father Elias could no longer live in the apartment, I would see Misha and ask how Father was doing. Usually, Misha's reply was "luche vcyekh" (Russian for "better than everybody").

Upon hearing that Father Elias had reposed, my first thought was that he deserves a good rest and that he is probably still doing "better than everybody."

May our Lord remember our beloved Protopresbyter Elias for all eternity!

[Trikaduliana]

May his memory be eternal and may he be blessed with a rich reward for his faithful service.

Peter

[blohannaserri]

After such long service to our Lord, may his memory be eternal!

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

[rassedgesse]

Dear Anna,

May the memory of Protopresbyter Elias be eternal!

Thank you for writing about him and letting us know! You are paying such a tribute to his memory. And his is such a beautiful life and example.

I had tears in my eyes while reading what you write about this wonderful priest and thought of my dear grandmother who lived on the 5th floor without elevator and kept active until the day (at 100 years old with no health, or hearing/sight problems) when going up the stairs, with my uncle who was visiting, she tripped and fell and passed away a couple of hours later.

Thank you again for such a caring heart, Anna!

[Abebpabeniemo]

May God grant Fr Ilya - Memory Eternal! He was chief celebrant in 1995 at the Cathedral during joint Greek and ROCOR union service. May he be with St John!

[ladleliDypenue]

Thanks to all for the kind words and especially prayers for the repose of our dear Protopresbyter Elias!

Our diocesan website, www.wadiocese.com, has an update on the funeral services and some wonderful pictures of the funeral taken by Father Peter Perekrestov. There is also a beautiful photo of Father Peter plus Father Sergei Kotar with Father Elias and members of his family at his 110th birthday celebration. According to the site, he was the 8th oldest person in the world!

Here is some biographical information that has been in the San Francisco Chronicle and elsewhere: 'Protopresbyter Elias (Wén Zǐzhèng in Chinese) was born in China in 1896. At the age of seven, he converted to Orthodoxy at the Chinese Orthodox Mission in Beijing. From 1905 until 1925, he studied at the Mission school, and in 1916 at the Mission seminary. Fr. Elias was ordained into the deaconate in 1924, and the priesthood in 1931.

'In 1946, he became rector of the Cathedral of the Most-Holy Mother of God "Surety of Sinners," serving as a member of the clergy under the Archbishop of Shanghai, St John the Wonderworker. Along with St John Maximovich and others, Fr Elias have fled to Hong Kong when the Communists took power in 1949. In 1957 Father Elias was transferred to the Western American Diocese and assigned to the Holy Virgin Cathedral of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow."

'Fr Elias was the oldest living Orthodox priest to date. He had been living in San Francisco with his son Michael, an active member of the parish council at the Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard.

'Memory eternal for the servant of God Protopresbyter Elias Wen who have fallen asleep in the Lord at approximately 2:30PM PDT on Saturday, June 9, 2007 at age of 110 years old.'

It was a great blessing for me to have attended and sung the services for Father Elias. Please continue your prayers for his repose. His 9th day is this coming Sunday.