On September 28/October 11, in connection with the approaching glorification of Archbishop John of Shanghai and San Francisco (which is to take place June 19/July 2, 1994), with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Anthony of Western America and San Francisco, Vladika John's tomb was opened in his sepulchre beneath the Diocesan Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in the city of San Francisco.
. . . In all, three bishops, seven priests, three deacons, one reader and one layman participated in the examination. All of the participants of this sacred work observed a strict fast day that day. Several prepared through the Mystery of Confession, others by serving the Divine Liturgy and receiving Christ's Holy Mysteries.
. . . All of the archpastors and priests in turn read the Gospel over the tomb. At precisely 9:00 p.m. a panikhida for Vladika John was served by Their Eminences. After the panikhida, Archbishop Anthony gave a brief sermon calling all of the participants of this sacred work to be at peace and then, having bowed to the ground, aked forgiveness of everyone.
With reverence, vested in epitrachalia, with the singing of the troparion, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us," they began to open the sarcophagus. . . . It turned out that the coffin had rusted through in many places, including the base. Hieromonk Peter produced the key to Vladika John's coffin, which he had kept for the past twenty-seven years, but because of the rust, he was unable to open the coffin. An attempt was made to unscrew the hinges on the side of the coffin opposite the lock, but the screws had also rusted. Not wishing to apply crude force in such a sacred task, the clergy tried slowly to pry off the lid. Vladika Anthony, seeing that there was difficulty, saing, "We have no other Help . . . ," and almost immediately the lock was opened. Everyone stepped back, giving Archbishop Anthony way to the loosened lid of the coffin.
At 10:10 p.m. Vladika Anthony, with trembling and fear of God, opened the coffin with the honorable remains of the Ever-memorable Archbishop John. . . . The face of Vladika John was covered, and eveyone immediately turned their attention to his white, incorrupt hands. The white vestments and miter had turned green. Having blessed himself and reading Psalm 50, Vladika Anthony removed the aer from Vladika John's face and everyone saw the incorrupt face of the Ever-memorable Hierarch. The skin of his face was white. His beared had been completely preserved. . . . There was neither a fragrant nor an unpleasant odor. . . . After the uncovering of the face, there was an extraordinary silence. . . . In turn everyone venerated the incorrupt relics. . . .
Having cleaned the relics from the decayed lining and also from earth which had been sprinkled ovr them during the funeral, the clergy again laid the relics into the wooden coffin. . . . The wooden coffin was then lifted into the sarcophagus, which had been cleaned of rust,. The coffin was closed and sealed and then covered with the mantia. The lid of the sarcophagus was brought in and put back in place. After the clergy sang the general troparion to a hierarch: "Teacher of the Orthodox Faith and good instructor of piety . . .," a litia for the dead was served. Everyone venerated the tomb of Vladiak John and was anointed with oil from the vigil lamp on top of the tomb. At 11:15 everyone began to disperse, thanking the Lord God for His great mercy to us, revealed in the incorrupt remains of the Ever-memorable Archbishop John, of which all the undersigned are witnesses.
Archbishop Anthony
Archbisohp Laurus
Bishop Kyrill
(and signatures of the other members of the Commission)
28 September/11 October, 1993
"Report to the Synod of Bishops by the Commission which examined the remains of the Hierarch John of Shangai and San Francisco," Man of God, pp. 246, 247-249, 250.
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