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On March the 9th we marked 30 years since miter archpriest John Margitich, who served as the rector of St. Barbara’s Cathedral in Edmonton for 35 years, passed away.
On March the 2nd, 27 years had passed since Father’s John wife Matushka Helen passed away.
The memorial service took place this year on Sunday, March 7th, after the Divine Liturgy at St. Barbara’s Cathedral.
The rector of St . Barbara’s Cathedral, Very Rev. Igor Kisil, along with the members of Father John’s and Matushka Helen’s family, and the faithful parishioners, offered their holy fervent prayers to the Lord of Life and Death for the repose of the souls of archpriest John and Matushka Helen with the saints.
May they be remembered in the Heavenly Kingdom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for their kindness, love, hard labors and achievements in the name of Orthodoxy in Canada, and may their memory be eternal!
Below you can read an article about archpriest John and Matushka Helen Margitich, which was taken from the book “A Century of Faith”, pages 79-81.
Father Igor Kisil
RIGHT REVEREND JOHN MARGITICH
Archpriest of St. Barbara’s Cathedral
May 1956 – March 1991
Rt. Rev. John Margitich
Right Reverend John Margitich was born June 1, 1917 into a family of six brothers and two sisters in Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania.
In the early forties, he was involved in the Church as a choir director in the Orthodox Church in Binghamton, New York. He was called to Passaic, New Jersey by the late Rt. Rev. Joseph Havriliak who, as pastor at the Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul there, needed an assistant.
On September 7, 1941 he married Helen Sevak who was born on March 16, 1919 in Binghamton, New York. Father John met Matushka Helen when he accepted the position of choir director of St. Michael’s Greek Church in Binghamton where Helen Sevak was the “soloist” soprano in the church choir.
On February 8, 1948, John Margitich was ordained as deacon, and on the following day, February 9, 1948, he was ordained to the priesthood.
For eight years Father John served as the assistant to FI.
Joseph Havriliak in the church in Passaic; then, in 1956, at the request of the late Metropolitan Boris of Odessa and Exarch of North America, Father John was assigned to serve St. Barbara’s Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He arrived in Edmonton on May 23, 1956, and was followed by his family, Matushka Helen and children Ilona and John JI., in August of the same year.
Since 1956, Father John had devoted all his time and energy to St. Barbara’s parish; first in the small old church (built in 1908), and later, in the new Cathedral (opened 1959). The building of the church is, of course, the achievement of his energetic activities and promotion of its construction.
He spent his whole life in the service of his church. Being
very musical, he loved and promoted the Slavonic Services; yet he was tolerant and respectful of other faiths and beliefs and recognized the rights of individuals and of ‘the young folk’ to their opinions and customs in matters pertaining to religious worship.
Shortly after arriving in Edmonton, Father John
Feb. 9, 1948 – John Margitich was ordained into the priesthood
spearheaded the drive to build today’s landmark: St. Barbara’s Cathedral – the only Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Canada. The church was completed in 1958 and remained strong in Edmonton under Rev. Margitich’s guidance.
Indeed Father John was a very special person. He was very friendly, had a great sense of humor and a compassionate sou1. He was affectionately known among nurses and interns as the ‘visiting priest’. He will be remembered fondly and gratefully for his devoted and active priestly services. He never took holidays from the church.
“My greatest joy,” said Father John, “is to have baptized a baby, then married him, and then baptize his babies.”
As a tribute to his dedication and leadership on June 7, 1981, the parishioners honored their priest, Rt. Rev. Margitich for his 25 years of continuous pastoral guidance in the parish.
Rev. Margitich was honored with four invitational visitations to the Mother Church in Russia: 1960, 1973, 1975, and in May 1978 for the glorious celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Patriarchate of Moscow (1917-1977).
Father John’s activities in public relations were known citywide, by many religious organizations and lay people. He was also recognized by many for his promotion of activities by the Sisterhood and Orthodox Fellowship Club of the parish.
Rev. Margitich passed away in an Edmonton hospital on March 9, 1991, at the age of 73. Divine Liturgy and Funeral Service were held on March 14th at St. Barbara’s Cathedral, conducted by Archbishop Makary of New York, assisted by Clergy of the Russian Orthodox Churches in Canada and United States along with members of various other religious faiths.
Sept. 7, 1941 – John Margitich and Helen Sevak on their wedding day
Father John was survived by his wife Matushka Helen, one daughter Illona (Ernest) Leugner of Sherwood Park; one son John Basil (Caroline) of Edmonton; three grandchildren, Barbara (Jeff) Zaboroski of Edmonton, David Leugner of Sherwood Park, and Sarah Margitich of Edmonton; two sisters, Helen Magas and Anna (George) Senich, all of Scranton, Pennsylvania; six brothers, Steve (Eleanor) of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Emil (Irene) of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Reverend Deacon Joseph (Matushka Mary) of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Reverend Michael (Matushka Eleanor) of Santa Rosa, California, George (Helen) of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, Basil (Mary) of Clifton, New Jersey.
Father John and the Parish were assisted faithfully by his family. Matushka Helen, in her specially
quiet and sympathetic ways, was always involved with the activities of the church, the choir and the sisterhood. While Rev. Margitich was involved with ‘day-to-day’ church duties or visiting the sick in Edmonton hospitals or promoting the Ladies’ bazaar, Matushka Helen was at home – answering the phone and recording the many messages relative to Father John’s activities. Regardless of the time of day she always awaited Father John’s ‘return’ from his pastoral duties. Besides her “secretarial” duties, for many years, Matushka was the “cantor”…singing at many funerals, weddings, prayer services and special church holidays. Matushka Helen accepted responsibility and her helpful, kind manner was not only a great asset to Rev. Margitich and his family but also to the parishioners of St. Barbara’s Cathedral. Both Father John and Matushka Helen were highly respected by the Edmonton community at large.
Matushka Helen died on March 2, 1994, and was survived by her loving family: daughter, Illona
(Ernest) Leugner of Sherwood Park; one son John Basil (Caroline) of Edmonton; four grandchildren, Barbara (Jeff) Zaboroski, David Leugner and Sarah and Jacob Margitich; one brother, Charles Sevak Jr., of Chicago, Illinois; one sister, Margaret (Joseph) Kadlec of
Binghamton, New York. Divine Liturgy and Funeral Service were held on March 8, 1994, at St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Rt. Rev. Michael Kit was the celebrant.
Rt. Rev. John Margitich and Matushka Helen rest together in St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral Cemetery, Nisku, Alberta.
To this present day their children,
1979- The Margitich Family. L-R: Daughter Illona, Matushka Helen, Father John; Son John Basil
Illona Leugner and John Margitich, continue to be actively involved in church life at St. Barbara’s Cathedral.
Daughter Illona, besides being an active member of the Ladies’ Aid, is a very devoted member of the Cathedral choir. Husband Ernest Leugner was involved with the Church as treasurer for several years. Ernest, Illona and son David continue to support with enthusiasm all church functions.
Son John was involved in his early boyhood as an altar attendant and as a choir member. Since 1965 John has led the congregation singing in the Sunday morning Pro-Liturgy services celebrated in the English language. Today, John is also lead tenor in the Cathedral choir. He married Caroline Gorgichuk and they have two children, Sarah and Jacob.
Truly, this was an “all-family involvement” by the Margitich family in the church life of S1. Barbara’s parish.
P.S. John Basil Margitich, son of Father John and Matushka Helen, passed away on November 9th, 2019 and was buried in St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral Cemetery, Nisku, Alberta.