Sebastian Dabovich

Our venerable father Sebastian Dabovic (now St. Sebastian Jackson and San Francisco) was a prominent Serbian priest in the Russian mission in America in the 1890s and early 1900s. He founded many churches and was the author of several books. He died in Serbia in 1940 and was glorified as a saint on May 29, 2015. His holiday is celebrated on November 30th. Born John Dabovic (Jovan Dabovic) in San Francisco, California, June 21, 1863, the parents of Serbian immigrants from Sassov, Serbia, archimandrite Sebastian grew up in a church in San Francisco, where his parents ran a store. After graduating from high school, he served in his ward as a reader and teacher. In 1884, he was appointed assistant at St. Michael’s Cathedral on Sitka, Alaska, before being sent to Russia to prepare for life as a missionary priest. After three years of study at the St. Petersburg and Kiev Theological Academies, John was tonsured a monk in 1887 by the name of Sebastian and ordained a deacon. Following his ordination, Days Sebastian returned to San Francisco, where he served as a deacon in the Cathedral of San Francisco. He also taught at a pastoral school in San Francisco.