Biography of His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Toronto

Bishop Spyridon, born Sergey Valentinovich Gusakov on May 25, 1959, in the city of Kropotkin, Krasnodar Region, Russia, into a military family. He was baptized in July, 1959, with the name Sergiy in the city of Kropotkino.

From 1966 to 1975, he studied at Secondary School No. 25 in the village of Loza, Sergiev Posad District, Moscow Region. From childhood, he attended services at St Sergius/Holy Trinity Lavra.

In 1975, he enrolled in Rostov Maritime College, which he graduated from in 1979, and after graduation, he worked until 1988 at the Northern Shipping Company in Arkhangelsk in various command positions.

In 1985, he married Tatyana Alexandrovna Lashchenyk and began living in Zaporizhiye. In 2012, he and his wife divorced.

In 1988, he entered Zaporizhiye State University, which he graduated from in 1993, and after graduation, he worked until 2001 in the administration of the Zaporizhiye Ship Repair and Shipbuilding Plant.

In September 7, 2001, he immigrated to Canada. His first church in Canada for several years was Holy Trinity Church (Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) in Vancouver. After moving to Canada, he began to consider leaving worldly affairs behind and growing in spiritual life. A particularly significant influence on him was a meeting in 2006 at Holy Trinity Lavra with Archimandrite Naum (Baiborodin), who became his spiritual mentor and blessed him on the path of monasticism and priesthood.

Since 2008, he began regularly attending services and serving in the altar of St Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal, Canada. From 2009, he started regularly visiting the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. In November 2010, he was ordained as a reader and subdeacon.

In 2012, he entered the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, which he graduated from in 2016. On November 20, 2016, he was ordained to the rank of deacon. In December of the same year, he was tonsured a monk. His service as a hierodeacon took place at St Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal. He participated in and assisted Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada during his visits to all the parishes of the Canadian diocese.

On August 26, 2018, he was ordained to the rank of hieromonk and assigned to serve as the rector of the Church of St John, Archbishop of Shanghai, Wonderworker of San Francisco, in Calgary (Alberta), where he has continued to serve to this day.

In January 2020 he was awarded the right to wear an epitrachelion. On April 8, 2022, he was tonsured into the Lesser Schema with the name Spyridon, in honor of St Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous.

On June 15, 2024 he was awarded the right to wear a gold pectoral cross by the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR.

At the parish, Fr Spyridon conducted regular catechism classes for those preparing for Holy Baptism and for those wishing to deepen their knowledge of Orthodox doctrine. He also established a parish school for children. In the church, the full daily cycle of services is performed every day. From the beginning of his pastoral service, Fr Spyridon organized regular pilgrimage trips to holy sites in Russia, Italy, Greece, and Mount Athos.

On December 11, 2025, he was nominated Bishop of Toronto, Vicar of the Canadian Diocese.

On Sunday, February 8, 2026, on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son and the day of the commemoration of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

On Thursday, February 12, on the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs, his episcopal ordination as Bishop of Toronto, vicar of the Canadian Diocese, was performed at the Holy Trinity Monastery.