Funeral of Archimandrite Joasaph

December 18, 2009 (synod.com) - Archimandrite Joasaph (McLellan), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, died peacefully this morning in a Boston hospital.

Born Francis R. McLellan Jr, in Boston, to the late Francis R. (James) McLellan Sr. and Pauline B. [Rooney] McLellan on January 24, 1962, Archimandrite Joasaph attended the Boston Public Schools, Roxbury Latin, and graduated from Commonwealth School and received his BTh from Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where he was English-language valedictorian. He received his MA and PhD from Brown University in Slavic Language and Literature, which he taught at the University of Missouri at Columbia and at Princeton. Dissertation title: "The Hilandar Gospel and its Place in the Textual History of the Church Slavonic Tetraevangelion."

At the request of the late Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla), Fr Joasaph quit his position at Princeton and was tonsured at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY,becoming a priest on December 7, 2008. He was appointed Head of the Ecclesiastical Mission and served at Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane Convent. He was diagnosed with cancer last August while visiting family in Boston, and was under the care of Dr Geoffrey Clarke of Massachusetts General Hospital, where he reposed.

He leaves behind his stepmother Jolinda (Pelagia) McLellan of Roslindale, MA, and five siblings: Ann Lardas of Stratford CT and her husband the Protopriest George Lardas and their children Xenia, Nicholas, James and John; Daniel McLellan of Londonderry, NH, and his wife Amy (Elizabeth) and their children Ian, Daniel, and Madeleine; Genevieve McLellan of New York and her fiance Kevin Utter; Andrew McLellan of Roslindale, MA, and his wife Angeli (Olga) McLellan and their son David and Suzannah McLellan; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and ten godchildren.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Massachusetts General Hospital and Fr Victor Boldewskul and the parishioners and council of Holy Epiphany Russian Orthodox Church in Roslindale, MA, for their compassionate care during these difficult months. The pannikhida and parastas will be served at Holy Epiphany. Funeral and Internment will be at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

It is requested that donations in memory of Fr Joasaph be made to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem: Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Epiphany, 963 South Street, Roslindale, MA 02131-2309.