On October 13, 1993, the coffin of Archbishop John Maximovitch (+ July 2, 1966) was opened. At that time, the coffin was located in the basement of the Holy Virgin Cathedral – Joy of All Who Sorrow, in San Francisco. To everyone’s amazement, the holy relics had not decayed at all, but had remained entirely intact, as if he had died just a few hours prior.
The uncovering of the relics crowned the life full of sanctity of Archbishop John, who was ultimately canonized as Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco one year later, in 1994.
On the occasion of the 30-year anniversary of the uncovering of Saint John’s relics, we are publishing two accounts. The first is an eyewitness testimony from his lifetime, while the second is a recent miracle.
Amazing anecdotes from Saint John’s travels
After Vladyka phoned me, asking if I could take him from the railway station in Antwerp (two-hour drive from Brussels), I left at once and waited for hours, but Vladyka didn’t appear. I decided to go home and wait for another call. At about 2-3 in the morning, the phone rang: “If I could come and bring Him to Brussels”. To enter this railway station, one has “to climb” 30-40 steps at least. But entering, what did I see? Vladyka sat on the steps preparing a sermon on His typewriter without taking notice of the many people looking at Him. When He had no inspiration, He made the Holy sign of the Cross, kissed one of His Friends in their Icons (in front and next to Him), and wrote again. I didn’t know what to do, I felt a bit ashamed. Finally, I went and asked for His Holy blessing and we left.
He told me also that once after the Liturgy I had to take Him to Zaventem (airport in Brussels). But Vladyka blessed many, many people and consoled them. I told Vladyka: “We must go, Vladyka, please, we will be too late, please come”, but Vladyka didn’t react at all. At the end I took Him “by force” to my car and hurried to the airport to find out that the plane was delayed for two hours or more. We waited and Vladyka didn’t complain, didn’t say anything of the unfit manner of taking Him “by force”.
Saint John saves a baby and his mother from abortion
It’s been more than a year since I have experienced this beautiful happening and I have only now started writing about it, an amazing happening which still amazes me every day. I have experienced this together with Oana, a wonderful mom whom I have met at the hospital in Bordeaux (CHU) while I was hospitalized there also. At the time she was 19 weeks pregnant and she had lost the amniotic fluid. The situation was very risky for her to get a septicaemia and even more for the baby to develop in these conditions. Despite all these risks, this mom decided to fight for the life of her baby who was hardly given any chance of survival by the doctors. They also considered that if the baby had lived for sure he would have severe handicap because the fact that he couldn’t properly develop without amniotic fluid and severe exposal to bacteria.
The doctors were advising the mom to do an abortion, they kept on pointing out the statistical facts that the chances for this baby to be born and be healthy were almost inexistent. Despite of all the pressure and the risk exposal she chose to protect this little creature and ask God for help and the power to surrender herself to God’s will. She intended to name the baby boy John (loan). Meanwhile my stay at the hospital, I have read the book «”The life and the miracles of Saint John Maximovich”», a saint so close to each of us, with so much love for the suffering people, a saint who was very dear to me, to Oana (the mom) and to Alexandra (the God-mother to be). His words «”Even if I have died, I lived still”» were giving us so much hope. One day I called at the orthodox church in San Francisco, the church which shelters the relics of St. John. It was morning in San Francisco at the time and I explained to the person who answered the call the extreme situation of Oana and her baby and I asked him to do a special pray to Saint John Maximovich for the life of this little baby and his mother. He assured me that they would do so. Later on, I have received the holy oil from the candle of this saint.
I honestly believed in the help of God and his Saint John. When Oana was sad, I would tell her: “You’ll see that he can survive and be healthy as well.” Every week the Bishop who was there at the time, father Nicolae and the deacon Adrian (meantime, father Adrian) would come to offer her the eucharist and good advice for spiritual enforcement.
At the beginning the doctors were pressuring her towards abortion, they were pointing out all of the problems she was facing and all of the terrible risks, but Oana was not giving up, though it was extremely hard for her. One of the doctors could not understand why she wants so much to keep the baby. Another one, who had faith in God, told her that the situation was so critical that it required a miracle to happen just for the baby to be born alive not to mention to keep him alive and healthy afterwards. In this society where the real values are denatured, her courage, her belief seemed to be a fullness. In this situation so complicated, she could only ask for the help of God, the Holly Mary and the interception of Saint Jean Maximovich.
One day she was watching by the window and she had a thought that she would like to have a little sign from God showing her that her decision is good because the doctors, most of them, were advising against keeping the fetus. While she was contemplating the trees in front of the hospital, she was praying to God asking Him for a sign, something in connection to those trees. In a little while, her husband came by and without knowing of her thoughts, he looked by the window and told her that someone had come to cut off some brunches of the trees which were broken because of the very strong wind that day. She was amazed by this beautiful sign from God.
At a certain time, as the doctors confirmed also, there was no more amniotic fluid left, and there was no chance for it to multiply inside the womb from a scientific point of view. The three of us were hoping for a miracle that this fluid so necessary for the baby’s development would multiply because there is nothing impossible to God. The situation didn’t change overnight, but after a certain time the doctors could see at the ultrasound that the quantity of the amniotic fluid multiplied to more than the minimum necessary for the baby to survive in the mother’s womb.
After almost 9 weeks of staying either at the hospital or at home, a period of strict indications of only lying in bed, Oana gave birth to a little baby on November 15th 2015, at 6 months of pregnancy (28 weeks). He had 1200 grams. A wonderful baby boy who was perfectly healthy. His mom said: “He is the proof that miracles happen”. After another 60 days spent at the Intensive Therapy and Neonatology, he was left to go home. Today little John (loan) is a perfectly healthy boy, full of life, and the doctors appreciate his evolution as an ideal one.
Alexandra, the godmother of John, contacted the Association of the Young Orthodox from Romania and asked them to pray for the little baby boy and his mother.
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