Makarii Marchenko

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Makarii Marchenko, born in 1864, was a Russian Orthodox priest who arrived in Winnipeg with Bishop Seraphim in April 1903. He wore many different vestments, which made it hard to tell which church or faith he represented. He had spent time on Mount Athos and in Constantinople, and he spoke knowledgeably about those places. By 1893 he was a priest with the Russian church’s ambassadorial staff in Rome.

In Winnipeg, Bodrug describes how Marchenko helped Seraphim at services. When they first arrived at the Immigration Building, Marchenko assisted in a Mass. He had previously fled Athos and traveled through Asia Minor, Southern Europe, and South America. Although Seraphim sometimes called him a fool, he remained Seraphim’s assistant in the church.

On December 13, 1903, they opened the Holy Ghost Church at the corner of McGregor Street and Pritchard Avenue. Marchenko played a role in church life, though he was known for being simple, slovenly, and not always fully sound of mind. He also helped at a mill in Sifton, Manitoba, where Seraphim and Marchenko conducted confessions. Marchenko was known to snack on wafers during services, bless people with Bible quotes, and sometimes seek money for confessing.

As time went on, Seraphim’s leadership and conduct caused concern among other priests. They persuaded Seraphim to go to Russia to obtain approval from the Holy Synod. In Seraphim’s absence, Bodrug took control of the church, which led to conflict. Seraphim returned, excommunicated the mutineers, and was himself excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Marchenko then proclaimed himself with grand titles and even excommunicated the Pope and the Holy Synod.

Marchenko’s behavior included entering homes without warning to sprinkle holy water and asking to be fed. He would offer to ordain a student for two dollars. He carved his name behind altars in Saskatchewan and Alberta churches. He travelled as far north as Gimli, serving at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, and he was said to have little real training for church work. Jacob Maydanyk, who ran a church goods store, recalled Marchenko as a beggar-like figure who would display odd behavior until he was fed.

In Winnipeg, Marchenko sometimes served at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Disraeli Street. Later in life he became blind and his mind wandered, yet many felt he carried a certain blessing beneath it all. He died in 1952 and was buried in Libau, Manitoba. Some have suggested that his odd behavior can be understood within the idea of the Holy Fool, a traditional eastern Christian role.