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On September 23, at 12:10 pm, the Ruling Archbishop of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence Archbishop Anthony, died. Vladyka Anthony led the Western American Diocese over the course of 32 years—not one Orthodox bishop in the USA held a cathedra for such a long period of time. With the death of Archbishop Anthony, one of the last threads connecting us to pre-revolutionary Russia has been broken, a bond to the tradition of old Russian monasticism, with a direct succession of the spirit of the founders of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Archbishop Anthony was the last bishop of the Russian Church born and raised in pre-revolutionary Russia, having assumed the monkhood at an early age, and who knew the great abba, Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of blessed memory.

So many prayers, so much love, patience, wisdom and humility was needed from Archbishop Anthony to heal the wounds, to unite everyone, and then to maintain peace and unity! The Russian writer Vladimir Soloukhin, describing his first meeting with Archbishop Anthony (see the story "Plokhoi soborЙ" [Bad Council] in the anthology Smekh za levym plechom [Laughter Over the Left Shoulder]), wrote: "The doors opened [to the residence of Vladyka Anthony—P.P.] and I saw a gray-haired, gray-bearded elder, opening his arms as though to embrace me, as though a father to his prodigal son." This is how Vladyka Anthony greeted everyone who came to seek his counsel.

Archbishop Anthony, born Artemii Sergeevich Medvedev, was born in 1908 in Vilnius and studied at the Petrovsky Poltavsky Cadet Corps. During the Civil War, he was evacuated from Sevastopol to Yugoslavia, where in the White Army he finished the Crimean Cadet Corps of the White Army. At the age of 22, he entered the Entrance of the Mother of God Monastery. He considered himself a student of the Superior of Milkovo Monatery, Schema-Archimandrite Ambrosius (Kurganov), of which he wrote the work "Nemnogoletnii starets" [Young elder] (Pravoslavniy put', 1952).

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In 1956, Archimandrite Anthony was consecrated Bishop of Melbourne, Vicar of the Australian Diocese. In Australia, he was especially close to the famous Russian liturgist Protopriest Rostislav Gan, and also to the future First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky). After the repose of Archbishop John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker, the vacant Western American cathedra was filled by Bishop Anthony. In 1968, he arrived in San Francisco and that same year was elevated to the rank of archbishop. Wherever he served, Vladyka Anthony paid special attention to work with young people and parish schools.

From 1978 on, Vladyka Anthony was a member of the Synod of Bishops and helped organize Councils of Bishops. As hegumen and archimandrite, he prepared and edited the Typikon with instructions for divine services—the addendum to the Holy Trinity Monastery Calendar. He was a magnificent scholar of the church Ustav (Rule of services) and divine services and as instructed by the Synod of Bishops, he prepared texts for the services for St Herman of Alaska, St John of Kronstadt (together with St John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker), and the prayer to All Russian Saints, and St Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg. Archbishop Anthony wrote the entire service to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Archbishop Anthony will be noted by history as the main inspiration for the glorification of the great saint of the 20th century, St John of Shanghai. Vladyka Anthony headed the examination of the remains of St John in 1993, and also performed all the preparations for his glorification, including composing most of the service to St John.

At the end of 1999, Archbishop Anthony's health began to falter. Vladyka did not spare himself for the sake of the Church, and ignored his weakness until he could no longer walk and read without great difficulty.

Vladyka Anthony's health weakened every day. He tried to conceal his great pain, but it was apparent to his visitors. Archbishop Anthony's spiritual father, Protopriest Stefan Pavlenko, administered Communion to him on Tuesday, September 19, and the last three days, one or another of his clergy spent all night in Vladyka's hospital room with him. On Thursday, Vladyka Anthony's condition worsened drastically, he reacted little to his visitors, and concentrated on his condition. On Friday, September 22, at around 11 pm, Vladyka Anthony received Christ's Mysteries for the last time. His breathing was very labored. Two priests read the Canon on the departure of the soul from the body, as the parishioners of the Cathedral who had gathered sang. After the canon, those present sang Vladyka's beloved Sticherion of the Cross, and a tear welled up in his right eye—he heard and understood everything!

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