Presbyter
He was born on June 13, 1871, in the village of Bigildino-Surki, Ryazan province, in the family of a priest. He received his education at the Dankov Spiritual School and the Ryazan Spiritual Seminary, and later at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1895, he was ordained a priest and sent for missionary service in the Aleutian and Alaskan Diocese, where he began his ministry in Chicago.
During three years of service, 86 Uniates and 5 Catholics joined his parish. Father Ioann organized church schools and brotherhoods, and was also a member of the Censorship Committee. His labors were recognized with priestly awards.
In 1902, he was entrusted with the construction of a new church in Chicago, completed in 1903. In 1906, he was elevated to the rank of protodeacon and appointed dean of the New York district of the Eastern States. In 1907, he returned to Russia and served as a law teacher in Narva gymnasiums.
In 1916, he was appointed to the Catherine Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo. On October 30, 1917, during the shelling of the city by the Bolsheviks, he organized a cross procession. On October 31, he was arrested and shot in front of his son. His body was buried in the Catherine Cathedral, where a memorial service was later held.
On March 31, 1918, he was commemorated at the first memorial liturgy for the new martyrs. On December 2, 1994, he was canonized among the ranks of the new martyrs. In 2006, his relics were discovered, which are now located in the altar of the Sophia Cathedral.
