- Elias Wen
Chinese
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w=Wen2 Tsu3-cheng4Fr. Elias Wen (
November 19 ,1896 —June 8 ,2007 ) was the oldestclergyman of theOrthodox Church when he died at the age of 110 inSan Francisco ,California .Fr. Elias converted to the Orthodox Christian Faith at the age of 7, in
Beijing . From 1905 to 1916 he studied at the Russian Orthodox Mission school in Beijing, and then at the Seminary there from 1916 until 1925. He was ordained adeacon in 1924, and a priest in 1925.cite news|title=WEN, Protopresbyter Elias|date=June. 11, 2007|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/11/MNWENPROTO14.DTL|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle] In24 June 1935 , he became one of the founding members of the Shanghai China Orthodox Association; he served as one of three vice-chairmen of the association under chairmanYu Qiaqing (虞洽卿). [cite dictionary|encyclopedia=基督教大辭典 (Dictionary of Christianity)|title=上海中国正教协会 (Shanghai China Orthodox Association)|publisher=Fudan University |url=http://wmarxism.fudan.edu.cn/ChristDic/christContent.asp?id=3030004|date=September 2002|accessdate=2007-11-15] In 1946 he became the rector of the Surety of Sinners Russian Orthodox Cathedral inShanghai , and served under St. John (Maximovitch). In 1949, he fled China toHong Kong , as the Communists took over the mainland, and in 1957 he was transferred to the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, where he again served under St. John. He was elevated to the rank of protopresbyter in 1981. [cite news|publisher=Orthodox Church of China|last=Perekrestov|first=Peter|date=2007-06-09 |accessdate=2007-11-15|title=In Memoriam: Protopresbyter Elias Wen|url=http://www.orthodox.cn/contemporary/shanghai/frelias_en.htm] He remained at this cathedral for the remainder of his life. Fr. Elias is survived by five sons, one daughter, 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.Notes
ee also
*
Oldest people External links
* [http://www.wadiocese.com/wad.php Holy Virgin Cathedral] , San Francisco
* [http://www.orthodox.cn/history/shanghai/shanghaicathedral_en.htm Surety of Sinners Russian Orthodox Cathedral] , Shanghai
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