On March 15, the Sunday of the Cross, the all-Russian premiere of a new film about the Holy Hierarch John, Wonderworker of Shanghai & San Francisco, entitled "The Aroma of Holiness," took place at the Conciliar Chamber of St. Tikhon Orthodox University for the Humanities (PSTGU) in Moscow. Registration for the film closed a few days after the screening was announced, as all 500 seats were filled – a complete sellout – which testifies to the love and veneration of St. John in Russia.
The film’s director, Archpriest Peter Perekrestov (dean of Joy of All Who Sorrow Diocesan Cathedral in San Francisco, CA), spent over 10 years gathering material for this film, both from public sources and private archives. The film is special due to the amount of footage featuring the St. John himself. "The Aroma of Holiness" contains neither personal recollections from people who knew St. John, nor private reflections on the significance of his life and work. Instead, the movie contains only St. John’s words and teachings, rare photographs of His Eminence, as well as video footage of the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and his family, the Holy Patriarch Tikhon, the Holy Nun-Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and over 14 minutes of Vladyka John himself. In 2024-2026, the film was. shown in Poland, Switzerland, France, and at numerous parishes of the Russian Church Abroad in the United States and Canada: Washington, DC, Montreal, and Los Angeles, as well as Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, and St. Vladimir OCA Seminary in Yonkers, NY.
A guest of honor at the premiere was Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan. He and Fr. Peter Perekrestov were introduced by the President of PSTGU, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov, who is also a member of the Synodal Theological Commission and the Commission for the Canonization of Saints. Bishop Theodosius spoke first, discussing the significance of St. John in his own life and recounting a number of miracles performed by this wondrous saint. Fr. Peter shared how the movie was created and spoke of the film as "an icon in motion." He noted a number of honored guests at the movie premiere: Bishop Panteleimon (Shatov), Dr. Ivan Vasilyevich Maximovitch – a relative of St. John, and the wife of the film’s narrator, Archpriest Serge Pravdolubo (Fr. Serge recorded St. John’s texts for the film two months before his passing) – Matushka Margarita Pravdolubova. The all-Russian premiere of the film was dedicated to the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus (reposed March 16) and Archpriest Serge Pravdolubov. The gathering sang " Memory Eternal" for them.
The movie screening took place in absolute silence, amid tears and the joy of a living connection to a great saint of the 20th century, St. John. In conclusion, Fr. Vladimir Vorobyov shared his love and respect for the legacy for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and emphasized the great significance of the restoration of Russian Church unity in 2007. At the end of the evening, those gathered venerated a new icon of St. John containing a relic of his, and shad an opportunity to speak with both Bishop Theodosius and the film’s director, Fr. Peter Perekrestov.
The following day, the second screening of the film “The Aroma of Holiness” took place, this time in the Graduation Hall of Sretensky Theological Seminary. Concurrently with the screening, there was a presentation of the new edition of Fr. Peter’s book of memoirs about St. John: Pastor. Teacher. Friend: St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco in the Recollections of His Contemporaries. As on the previous day, the screening drew a huge crowd.
