Wayne, West Virginia, March 28, 2025
Photo: holycross.org The brotherhood of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, West Virginia (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) is requesting prayers for its beloved abbot Archimandrite Seraphim.
Fr. Seraphim, who has been a member of Holy Cross Monastery for 32 years and abbot for 10, has been experiencing various symptoms for the past month. After he spent a week in the hospital undergoing various tests, physicians believe he may have an aggressive brain tumor.
The abbot is currently back at his monastery, recovering.
The monastery writes:
For the past month or so, our abbot Archimandrite Seraphim has been experiencing certain symptoms: loss of peripheral vision, some lack of coordination etc. On Friday, March 14th he visited his ophthalmologist to have his vision checked; the doctor suspected a possible stroke and immediately sent him to the emergency room. A stroke was ruled out, but at the hospital they did discover an approximately two-inch edema in Fr. Seraphim’s brain. He was promptly admitted, and spent the last week at the hospital undergoing various tests. While we are still waiting to learn the final biopsy results, based on the MRIs and other scans performed his physicians strongly suspect an aggressive primary brain tumor.
Fr. Seraphim was discharged from the hospital on the Sunday of the Cross, and is now home recovering at the monastery. Throughout this entire process, the brotherhood has been extraordinarily moved by Fr. Seraphim’s constant cheerfulness of spirit, and even more so his patient, humble, and obedient acceptance of God’s providence in his life — even as he ascends this new and unexpected cross. Fr. Seraphim has experienced much spiritual consolation during this time, especially from the Mother of God “Softener of Evil Hearts,” our beloved patron St. Panteleimon, and the inspiring spiritual example of Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra.
The whole brotherhood is of course fervently praying for Fr. Seraphim’s health of spirit, mind, and body, and asks that all of you join your holy prayers to ours. We are planning to arrange a public moleben service (with Akathist to St. Panteleimon) as soon as possible, given the constraints of the Lenten special services as well as Fr. Seraphim’s medical appointments. We will announce a date for this service as soon as possible, and we invite everyone who wishes to come and pray alongside us for our beloved abba.
In the meantime, we ask everyone’s understanding of the fact that Fr. Seraphim is currently quite exhausted by this ordeal, and his availability will likely be limited for the foreseeable future. He has appointed deputies within the monastery to attend to his various duties during his illness. Therefore, we ask that everyone not direct any correspondence to Fr. Seraphim directly but rather to the monastery porter at (304) 849-2072 or porter@holycross.org, and the porter will pass the message along to the appropriate monk.
Fr. Seraphim wishes to express his great love for each and every one of you, and to thank you wholeheartedly for your prayers for him and for the brotherhood during this trial.
May God bless you all!
Fr. Seraphim has had survived several bouts with cancer in the past. In 2011, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In 2012, he was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer in his right tonsil. This subsided in 2012, but reappeared in October 2013. He underwent aggressive chemotherapy in 2013 and 2014 and returned to serving at Pascha 2014.
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Archimandrite Seraphim began his monastic life as a Roman Catholic Benedictine monk for nine years. Eventually he left the Roman Catholic monastery to become Orthodox, and in 1988 was baptized at the Church of St. John Chrysostom in House Springs, MO by the founder of Holy Cross, Hieromonk Kallistos (Pazalos). Fr. Seraphim was an active member of this parish for two years.
Fr. Seraphim entered Orthodox monastic life at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston in 1990 and completed the three years of the novitiate there.
In 1993 he left Holy Transfiguration because he wanted to return to the Russian Church Abroad and entered the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in House Springs, MO. By that time the founder Fr. Kallistos had reposed and only one hierodeacon remained in the brotherhood.
Fr. Seraphim was tonsured as a rassophore-monk at Holy Protection Cathedral in Chicago by Archbishop Alypy in December 1994, and was later tonsured into the small schema at the Holy Cross by Archbishop Laurus in December of 1997.
Fr. Seraphim was ordained a deacon at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY by Archbishop Laurus on Annunciation in 1998, and shortly thereafter was ordained a priesthood on Palm Sunday of the same year.
Fr. Seraphim was raised to the rank of Igumen and awarded the Gold Cross by Metropolitan Hilarion at the Holy Cross in October of 2008.
After the departure of Bishop George to Australia was announced, Fr. Seraphim was elected Abbot of Holy Cross Monastery on January 12, 2015, and was raised to the rank of Archimandrite and installed as Abbot by Bishop George with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion on Bright Monday, April 13, 2015.
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Source: Orthodox Christianity
