Saint John Maximovitch of Shanghai and San Francisco

Saint John Maximovitch (1896–1966), known as Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco, is one of the most beloved and recently glorified saints of the Orthodox Church. Born in Ukraine, he was tonsured a monk and ordained a bishop, serving the Russian Orthodox diaspora in China, the Philippines, Western Europe, and finally San Francisco, where he reposed in 1966.

Saint John was renowned for his extraordinary asceticism — he rarely slept, spending his nights in prayer — and for his miraculous gifts of healing, clairvoyance, and wonder-working. He cared personally for orphans, the sick, and the destitute, and was known to appear to people in distant places to help them in times of need. His body was found incorrupt after his repose, a sign of his great holiness.

He was glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1994. His feast day is June 19. He is venerated throughout the Orthodox world as a great intercessor and wonderworker of the 20th century. Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saint John Maximovitch, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.