Mitrofan of Voronezh biography. Saint and wonderworker Mitrofan of Voronezh
Saint Mitrofan was born in 1623 in the Vladimir province. From his will it is known that he was of clergy, had a wife and children and was called Mikhail. Widowed at the age of forty, he entered the Zolotnikovsky monastery near Suzdal, where he was tonsured a monk under the name Mitrofan, and was soon ordained a priest and appointed abbot of the Yakhroma monastery, which he ruled for ten years. Afterwards, Saint Mitrofan was transferred to the Makaryevsky Zheltovodsky Monastery on Unzha, where he stayed for seven years, being loved and revered not only by the brethren, but also by all the surrounding residents, who appreciated his humility, selflessness, hard work and vigilant concern for the organization of the monastery and the construction of a new church in it. .
When the Voronezh diocese was formed in 1682, Saint Mitrofan, personally known to Tsar Feodor Alekseevich, was appointed Bishop of Voronezh and ordained in Moscow, where he was present at the crowning of the kings John and Peter, and also participated in the council in the chambers of the Moscow Kremlin, convened , during the mutiny of the Streltsy, for a dispute with the representative of the new generation of ideologists of the schism, Nikolai Pustosvyat. Arriving in Voronezh, the new bishop zealously set about organizing his diocese, was available to everyone, helped the poor, visited the sick and prisoners in prison, consoled the suffering and addressed the district message to the priests who depended on him, exhorting them and calling on them to serve as an example for the flock not only preaching and prayer, but also own life. At this time, Emperor Peter I often visited Voronezh, where the Russian fleet was being built to conquer Azov. Saint Mitrofan, fully sympathizing with this great cause, helped the emperor as much as he could, explained to the people the good intentions of the tsar, collected money for the construction of the fleet and donated his own meager funds for necessary work on shipbuilding. But this devotion of the bishop to the young king did not prevent him from telling Peter the truth in his face and denouncing those actions of the sovereign that were contrary to the rules of piety. The following story vividly depicts the relationship of the Saint to Peter I. The wooden palace that the emperor occupied in Voronezh was decorated on the outside with statues depicting pagan gods. One day, going to the king, Saint Mitrofan saw these statues and returned back. He, offended by this act of the bishop, again sent for him. “Until the sovereign orders the overthrow of the idols that seduce the people, I cannot appear in the palace before his royal eyes,” Saint Mitrofan answered the messenger. The king sent for him three more times, but the answer remained the same. Enraged by this, the emperor ordered to tell the bishop that if he did not immediately appear at the palace, then he, as a disobedient to the royal will, would be executed. “My life is in the power of the king,” answered the bishop, “but for me it is better to die than to violate the duty of the priesthood.” “It is better for me to die than to express my consent with my presence or fearful silence to the installation of pagan fools who seduce the simple hearts of the people.” There was no answer to these words, and Saint Mitrofan, not knowing the final decision of the formidable autocrat, began to prepare for death, and ordered all the bells to be rung, calling the people to the all-night vigil. “What kind of holiday is tomorrow?” asked Peter. “There is none,” they answered him. He sent to ask the bishop about this. “I, as a criminal, have been destined for death by the royal word, and therefore I want to make a conciliar prayer for the forgiveness of my sins, so that the Lord will show His mercy over me.” Immediately, Peter I sent to reassure the Saint and ordered the removal of the statues of pagan gods.
Saint Mitrofan ruled the Voronezh diocese for twenty years. Before his death, he accepted the schema and died quietly on November 23, 1703. Peter the Great, having learned about the illness of the holy elder, hastened to him and arrived in Voronezh on the very day of his death, but no longer found him alive. He closed his eyes and himself carried the Saint’s coffin to his grave. Saint Mitrophan left a will in which he gives wise advice to his flock and asks them to pray for the salvation of his soul. The residents of Voronezh fulfilled his wish, they served memorial services at his grave, asking for his prayers in illness and misfortune, and by faith they received healing from their ailments and consolation in sorrow. The relics of St. Mitrofan, soon after the canonization of the Saint by the Most Holy Synod, were discovered in 1832 and placed in the Mitrofanevsky Monastery.
About the spiritual testament of Saint Mitrofan
Anticipating in his soul and body the approach of the hour of death, Saint Mitrofan prepared an extensive spiritual testament: “Remembering death, I decided to write my last scripture, as if to create fruit for my soul and body.”
The will introduces us to the dying thoughts, feelings and last orders of Bishop Mitrofan. Not a single word, not a single hint reveals in the Saint the fear of mortals or regret about the abandonment of earthly blessings, which he had long ago renounced. He left the earthly world with a calm conscience, with the awareness of his duty fulfilled and with deep hope in the mercy of God. The saint’s heart was full of deep gratitude to God, “by whose grace he was born into the world and reached old age,” and gratitude to the people around him, to all of them he bequeathed from himself “peace and prosperity and forgiveness.”
At the beginning of the Testament, the Saint confesses his faith to everyone, briefly outlines the main stages of his life; gives private orders: about the place of burial and funeral vestments, about the departure of the magpie and about the annual commemoration. “Do mercy,” the saint asks, “do not disobey us, but fulfill us in everything.”
The rest of the will consists of an exhortation to the clergy to live piously, holyly and decently. “Honorable priests of the Most High God! Leaders of the verbal flock of Christ! You must have bright eyes of mind, enlightened by the light of understanding, in order to lead others along the right path; according to the word of the Lord, you must be the very light... teach people the word of teaching, set an example of a good life, diligently offer prayers to God for the flock entrusted to you.”
The saint teaches all Orthodox Christians wise rules of life, calls for the unshakable preservation of faith and for unswerving adherence to the teachings of the Church of Christ. “Otherwise, the rule of wise men to every person is: use labor, keep moderation: you will be rich; drink abstinently, eat little: you will be healthy; do good, run gold: you will be saved. ...May all Orthodox Christians abide in their ancestral piety, righteousness, in all goodness, in purity, in abstinence, and holiness, and repentance... For without right faith it is impossible to please God: so also except the Holy Church It is impossible for anyone to be saved by the Eastern and bright God-given teachings.”
The saint advises to be especially careful when dealing with people of other faiths, of whom there were many in Voronezh at that time during the construction of the Fleet. “Many infidels: Luthers, Calvins and Latvians are unwise, and even Christians are the leaders of the wolves over the lambs, and they commit every insult to the poor... The saint reminds that both now and in ancient times” the infidels were of little use, for they are obvious enemies of the Church and all Orthodox Christians. He calls on the flock not to accept “foreign obscene customs” and not to listen to “their flattering false teachings,” but to strengthen themselves in the fatherly faith, recalling the words of the Apostle: “Do not be carried about by every wind” (Bphess. 4:14).
In the final part of his will, the Saint once again humbly asks all people of “every rank and age of our diocese” for forgiveness and leaves his bishop’s blessing to all of them. “I entrust myself, a sinner, to God himself to the mercy and shameless intercession of my Lady, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, and to my Guardian Angel and all the saints, pleasing to God, with prayers, crying and saying to God our Heavenly Father: “Father! I commend my spirit into Your hands. Amen...."
Miracles and the discovery of the relics of St. Mitrofan, chief priest of Voronezh
St. Mitrophan's behests to his flock to pray for the repose of his soul were not forgotten by her. The image of a loving and merciful bishop was deeply etched into the soul of the people, sensitive to manifestations of holiness on a sinful earth, and many reverent admirers of the memory of the deceased saint flocked to his grave to serve a requiem mass. The generation of witnesses to the pious life of the First Throne of Voronezh was replaced by another, but the memory of him did not weaken; The ranks of those praying at the saint’s tomb did not thin out, but increased, where many, through his prayerful intercession before the Lord, received miraculous help. Soon the Lord, fulfilling the pious aspirations of the admirers of St. Mitrofan, as a saint of God, laid the foundation for his open glorification.
The Cathedral Church of the Annunciation, created by the labors of St. Mitrofan, began to collapse around 1717. The cathedral had to be broken down in order to use its material to build a new one, which was laid on a stronger foundation and in a place that did not threaten the integrity of the building. The work began in 1718, and at the same time the coffin with the body of St. Mitrofan from the lower chamber of the Archangel chapel, which was also significantly damaged, by order of Bishop Pachomius of Voronezh, was transferred to the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush,” under the wooden cathedral bell tower. Upon completion of construction, in 1735, the body of St. Mitrofan was transferred to the new cathedral and buried “in the right wing of the cathedral, near the southernmost wall, in the highest first place, towards the corner.” During both transfers, the body of the saint turned out to be incorrupt, so that the conviction of the holiness of the deceased primate of Voronezh was finally strengthened, and reverent veneration of his memory began to spread wider and wider across the face of the Russian land.
On the history of the first image of the Saint
In 1830, the Voronezh merchant Gardenin, who experienced the gracious help of St. Mitrofan and revered him as a great saint of God, found a very old portrait of the First See of Voronezh. Wanting to have an image of the Saint, Gardenin turned to the amateur artist Shvetsov to make a copy of the portrait. But the portrait was so dilapidated that it was difficult to discern the features erased by time. Fearing to distort the face of the great Saint, Shvetsov refused to fulfill Gardenin’s request. Shvetsov’s decision could not be changed by the convictions of Voronezh Bishop Anthony (Smirnitsky), who also wanted to have an image of the High Hierarch of Voronezh, whose memory he reverently honored. Once, Vladyka Anthony, after futile efforts to convince Shvetsov, told him with deep confidence:
Do not doubt: you will see the Saint in reality or in a dream.
Shvetsov believed the words of the pious Bishop Anthony and spent that entire day in prayer to God, so that He would grant him the opportunity to see St. Mitrofan. And so, the very next night Shvetsov saw the old man in a dream, but only in the dark, it was unclear, then the light dispelled the darkness.
When Shvetsov woke up, the image of the Saint was so vividly imprinted on his soul that he easily reproduced it from memory on canvas. Then he told Eminence Anthony about the miraculous appearance of Saint Mitrofan and showed him the image he had drawn. The Bishop blessed Shvetsov to paint copies of this image, keeping in mind the desire of many admirers of the memory of the First Throne of Voronezh.
The fate of the relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh in the 20th century
With the advent of the godless government, the Voronezh Mitrofan Monastery, like many Russian shrines, suffered devastation: it was closed, looted, and then demolished. The shrines stored in it were desecrated, some were destroyed; the monastics were dispersed and sent to prison; They repeatedly tried to fill up even the consecrated spring located in the monastery. But, to the surprise of everyone, each time he again made his way through the ground not far from the previous place, signifying that the spiritual spring could not be drowned out. Now it flows under the mountain on which the Mitrofan Monastery stood.
Popular legend has preserved some details of the mockery committed over the honest relics of St. Mitrofan. On February 3 (new style), 1919, before the start of the Liturgy, the leaders of the local Bolshevik cell, accompanied by a large crowd of Red Army soldiers and security officers, entered the Annunciation Cathedral of the Mitrofanovsky Monastery. They announced to the clergy, the brethren of the monastery and numerous pilgrims the decision of the “working people” - “to put an end to the priest’s fables about holy relics.”
The Red Army soldiers pushed the believers away from the large shrine of the saint and took out the cypress shrine containing the relics. The proposal to the clergy to extract the relics was rejected by him. The atheists mockingly began to pull off the robes from the holy relics, completely exposing them. At the same time, the people were shown objects that were not related to the relics, specially brought by the Bolsheviks for anti-religious propaganda. Then, for public viewing, the holy relics were raised on bayonets.
The monastery brethren and pilgrims cried, unable to stop the lawlessness. Hegumen Vladimir reassured them: “The great mercy of God was shown to the saint at the end of his earthly life - to endure martyrdom for Christ.” Having committed the desecration, the atheists drew up an autopsy report. They included the honorable remains of Saint Mitrofan in the inventory of property as “socialist property” and left them in the cathedral.
The revelation did not take place. The monstrous blasphemy of the Bolsheviks only increased the influx of believers to Saint Mitrofan, and their prayer became more fervent. But the lawless people did not calm down; they began to act more sophisticatedly. In 1922, the Bolsheviks initiated a schism in the Orthodox Church. The Annunciation Cathedral (the monastery was already closed by that time) and the relics of the saint located in it ended up in the hands of schismatic renovationists. His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon excommunicated the Renovationists from the Church. Orthodox believers, according to the plan of the atheists, had to either stop venerating the holy relics, or join the “official” Renovationist Church. Orthodox Voronezh residents found themselves in a difficult situation. But Orthodox priests from church pulpits declared how one should behave correctly: one cannot be baptized in Renovationist churches, all their sacraments are graceless, their “holy” water is not holy, but icons, and especially such a great shrine as the relics of the saint of God, are preserved grace while in captivity among schismatics. Renovation churches were empty; The treasury of the renovationist Annunciation Cathedral was empty. But the influx of worshipers to the holy relics captivated in it did not weaken.
In 1926, more than twenty thousand pilgrims and pilgrims from different places of the Voronezh province visited St. Mitrofan. In this regard, all district Councils of atheists were given a directive to “organize a mass round peasant huts with a proposal to donate to the defense of the USSR those funds that are supposed to be used for the pilgrimage.” On August 20, 1927, more than thirty thousand rural pilgrims and more than forty thousand city dwellers came to Saint Mitrofan.
But the provincial party committee did not weaken its pressure on the great prayer book of Voronezh. It was decided to hold a “Mitrofan’s Day” on the day of the glorification of the godless saint, organizing a Komsomol festivities on the cathedral square, with the involvement of club circles, circus and orchestral groups.
In 1929, seeing the futility of their struggle with the holy saint of God, the authorities decided to “liquidate the hotbed of superstition and mysticism, which is holding back the development of class consciousness, preventing the introduction of new, socialist rituals.” They acted insidiously, mocking the feelings of believers. Traditionally, on August 20, several tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to the Annunciation Cathedral. Unexpectedly for everyone, religious services were prohibited. Local atheists and party leader Vareikis arrived at the cathedral and announced that the relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh were being confiscated due to the closure of the cathedral to be used for the needs of socialist construction. The relics of the saint were taken away. It was announced to the pilgrims that they could join the Komsomol celebration. Until late in the evening, the sounds of revolutionary marches could be heard in the square in front of the cathedral. For this purpose, all five brass bands available in Voronezh were involved.
Orthodox Voronezh residents grieved the loss of a great shrine - a blessed source of miracles, and were saddened by the offensive mockery of the communists. And for the honorable remains of St. Mitrofan, a new captivity began - now in Voronezh local history museum, where the atheists assigned them. This captivity lasted six decades.
Under the conditions then existing, it was impossible to think about the return of the great shrine. The atheistic state did not abandon its plans to completely destroy the Russian Orthodox Church. Some hope for the return of the holy relics of the first Voronezh Bishop Mitrofan appeared after the Great Patriotic War.
On September 4, 1946, Archbishop Joseph (Orekhov) of Voronezh and Ostrogozh filed a petition with the civil authorities for the return to believers of the relics of the saint located in the museum. The authorities began to consider the feasibility of their return. A year later, the Bishop of Voronezh, through His Holiness the Patriarch, appeals to the Soviet government in the hope of finding a shrine for the coming 1953, the anniversary of the saint. But there was a refusal from the authorities, and Saint Mitrofan was not released from captivity.
The 250th anniversary of the saint was solemnly celebrated in all parishes of the Voronezh diocese. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Voronezh, a festive reading was held for the clergy and laity. Those present were acquainted with the saintly and patriotic activities of the first Voronezh bishop. In his word, Archbishop Joseph said: “Although we are now separated from the incorruptible flesh of our saint, we were not separated from him in spirit, and our prayer to him did not weaken. On days of holidays and in days of adversity, we always turn to him: “The chosen miracle worker and great servant of Christ, the multi-healing source and prayer book for our souls, the holy hierarch Father Mitrofan, as having boldness towards the Lord, free us from all our troubles, calling: Rejoice Mitrofan, great and glorious miracle worker.”
A real triumph of Orthodoxy was the celebration on September 16-17, 1989 of the return to the Russian Orthodox Church of the relics of the saint and wonderworker Mitrofan of Voronezh, accomplished by the grace of God and the labors of Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk.
The archbishops of Saratov and Volgograd Pimen (†1993), Ryazan and Kasimov Simon (now Metropolitan), Bishop Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow, rector of the Leningrad Theological Schools Archpriest Vladimir Sorokin, abbot of the St. John the Theological Monastery in the Ryazan Diocese, arrived for the holiday Archimandrite Abel, many clergy and believers. Local television and radio announced the upcoming celebrations in advance, and the entire city, the entire diocese participated in this significant event.
On September 16, before the all-night vigil, on one of the streets close to the Intercession Cathedral, the reliquary with holy relics was greeted by a procession of believers with a council of bishops and a host of clergy. The road was covered with fresh flowers, several thousand people with tears in their eyes and with lit candles were waiting for the shrine, and the bell from the cathedral announced to the whole city about the return of its primate, who in his time often called Voronezh “the House of the Most Pure One.” The reliquary with holy relics, covered with an ancient shroud, was placed in the altar of the Intercession Cathedral on a high place.
During the singing of “Praise the name of the Lord,” the shrine with the relics of the saint of God is placed in a specially prepared place in the middle of the temple. The glorification of the saint has a special sound. The veil is removed. The worshipers see a cypress shrine, in which the holy relics have been lying since the discovery. There were so many people wanting to get into the church that there was no room even in the courtyard, and people stood in the pre-cathedral square and listened to the service through amplifiers.
The cathedral was open all night. The people approached the holy relics, the clergy anointed the pilgrims with consecrated oil, akathists were read, and confession was conducted.
The late Liturgy was performed by the same right-Reverend bishops. The jubilant people greeted with gratitude Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk, who had worked so hard to return the relics of his holy predecessor. After the solemn prayer service, a special prayer was read, composed by Archbishop Anthony (Smirnitsky) before the discovery of the relics of St. Mitrofan in 1832, in which the blessing of the saint of God was requested for the transfer of his sacred remains. The shrine with the relics of the saint was solemnly installed in the prepared place.
Metropolitan Methodius warmly congratulated the guests and flock on the holiday, noting that the opening of churches, monasteries, and the return of shrines to the Russian Orthodox Church is a sign of our time and has not only church, but also national significance.
On behalf of the bishops participating in the celebration, Archbishop Pimen warmly congratulated His Eminence Methodius on significant event and wished that everyone would love our Lord and each other, like St. Mitrofan. His Grace Bishop Niphon conveyed to those gathered the blessing of the Primate of the Antiochian Church. After the Divine Liturgy, a gala reception was held for guests and participants of the celebration, which was attended by representatives of local authorities.
Since then, the relics of St. Mitrofan have remained in Pokrovsky cathedral Voronezh, being an imperishable testimony to the truth of Orthodoxy and teaching great consolation and help to everyone who flows in with faith. There are many known cases of miracles occurring among them today.
Every Sunday, before the relics, a water prayer service is performed with all the people singing an akathist to the great saint of the Church of Christ and the heavenly patron of the city of Voronezh.
In the Cathedrals of Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Lipetsk and Starobelsk (Ukr.) Saints
In the world, Mikhail Vasilyevich, was born on November 6 of the year in the village of Antilokhovo, Kovrovsky district, Vladimir province (now Savinsky district, Ivanovo region) into the pious family of priest Vasily and Maria.
Until the age of 40, the future saint lived in the world, was married, had a son, and served as a parish priest in the village. Sidorovsky, located near the city of Shuya.
The pious and ascetic life of Abbot Mitrofan promoted him to the post of archpastoral service.
Among the constant exploits of his episcopal service, St. Mitrofan approached the coffin. The saint left this world without sorrow; he did not grieve over the separation from earthly joys and pleasures, of which there were few in his ascetic life. He did not lay up treasures on earth. In his cell life he was simple to the point of squalor; his entire household routine was distinguished by exceptional modesty. He ate the simplest food and dressed just as simply. He used all his income for the needs of his diocese and mainly for thanksgiving. After him there was no money left even for burial, although Lately The income of the Voronezh saint was considerable. He wrote in his will: “But I don’t have cell money... the imam has neither gold nor silver in his cell to give for the remembrance of my sinful soul.”
The saint’s favorite and constant thought was the thought of death. “Mortal memory”, like a faithful guardian, protected the saint’s heart from attachment to the temporary and perishable, and instilled in him the hope of the eternal. This same constant thought about death also explains the touching feature in the life of the saint - his concern for the remembrance of all those who died unknown and bitter death who died in war and poverty, without repentance and who did not have the opportunity to commemorate themselves.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 4
The rule of faith and the image of meekness / in word and life to your flock, the humble father Mitrofan, was thou. / Moreover, in the brightness of the saints / the brightest sun shone, / crown We adorn incorruption and glory,/ pray to Christ God// our country and your city in the world to be saved.
Kontakion, tone 8
Through self-control the body was enslaved to the spirit, / having created the soul equal to the angel, / you were clothed with the holy robe, like the crown of the priesthood, / and now, before the Master of all, / pray, all-blessed not Mitrofan, // pacify and save our souls.
Prayer
O all-praiseworthy saint of Christ and miracle worker Mitrofan! Accept this small prayer from us sinners who have come running to you, and with your warm intercession, beseech the Lord and our God, Jesus Christ, that having looked upon us mercifully, He will forgive us our sins. forgiveness of both free and unwilling, and in His great mercy He will deliver us from troubles, sorrows, sorrows and illnesses, mental and physical, that support us: may the earth give fruitfulness, and all that is needed for the benefit of our present life: may He grant us to end this temporary life in repentance, and may He grant us, sinners and unworthy, His Heavenly Kingdom, in Let us, together with all the saints, glorify His infinite mercy, with His beginningless Father, and His Holy and Life-giving Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
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December 6 - memory of St. Mitrofan, in the schema of Macarius, bishop. Voronezh (1703)
August 20 - discovery of the relics of St. Mitrofan, bishop Voronezhsky (1832)
September 17 - second discovery (1964) and transfer of relics (1989) of St. Mitrophan, Bishop of Voronezh
The first Voronezh bishop, Saint Mitrofan, in Holy Baptism Michael, was born in November 1623 in the village of Antilokhovo, Vladimir province (now Ivanovo region). There is no information about who his parents were or what position they occupied. It is only known that they belonged to the clergy.
The saint of God spent half of his life in the world: he was married, had a son, John, and served as a parish priest in the village of Sidorovskoye, not far from the town of Shuya.
In the fortieth year of his life, priest Mikhail lost his wife and then decided to renounce the world. He settled in the Zolotnikovskaya hermitage of the Dormition of the Mother of God, near the city of Suzdal. Here in 1663 he was tonsured a monk with the name Mitrofan. Despite the ascetic’s efforts to hide from human glory, his strict monastic life became known to the surrounding population: after three years of desert living, Priest Mitrofan gained such immense respect among the monastic brethren that, at their request, he was appointed rector of the Kosmo-Yakhroma monastery.
A few years later, the vast Makaryevsky monastery on Unzha was entrusted to his care, as a “reverent and virtuous husband.” Under him, it quickly turned from a third-rate one into a prosperous one. In 1669, through the care of Mitrofan, a Cathedral Church was built at the local monastery in the name of St. Trinity, under whose treasures lie the relics of St. Macarius.
The Unzhensky Zheltovodsk Monastery enjoyed the special patronage of the House of Romanov and, by the will of Mikhail Fedorovich, was established “on a par with the Solovetsky Monastery,” and its abbots received personal access to the Tsar, which was important for the monastery.
The appointment of Saint Mitrofan as abbot of such a monastery shows that Patriarch Joachim highly valued him for his piety and wise stewardship. He was loved and revered not only by the brethren, but also by all the surrounding residents for his humility, selflessness, hard work and vigilant concern for the arrangement and construction of a new church in it (in just three years, a church was built in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Seeing how he wisely ruled his monastery, the patriarch entrusted him with important tasks. In 1677, by order of the patriarch, the Unzhensky abbot “supervised the holy churches in the Vetluga villages.” Soon Saint Mitrofan received a new, now permanent appointment. He was appointed ten-tenant. The king himself treated the ascetic with deep respect. But at the same time, Mitrofan was extremely simple when communicating. He did not like idleness and in the summer he worked in the fields, otherwise he would pick up an ax. It is known that he wore a hair shirt. The monasteries under him were famous for their strict adherence to the monastic rules.
Reliquary with the holy relics of the saint. The holy relics are
Vin CathedralIntercession Cathedral of Voronezh
At the Moscow Council of 1681–1682, among the measures to combat the schism of the Old Believers and in order to promote greater dissemination of Christian education, it was necessary to increase the number of dioceses and open a new see - Voronezh. St. was elected to this see. Mitrofan, as “a truly righteous and holy man,” and was ordained a bishop.
In the same year after the death of the king Saint Theodore was present in Moscow at the accession of ten-year-old Peter 1 to the throne. He witnessed the Streltsy riot. Before the eyes of Abbot Mitrofan, the bloody rampages of the archers took place, keeping both the government and the people in constant alarm throughout the entire summer of 1682. And therefore, the saint was present at the Council in the Faceted Chamber, arranged for debate with schismatics, witnessing manifestations of the unbridled fanaticism of the ignorant defenders of “antiquity.”
All these events greatly disturbed the soul of the future saint. Therefore, until the end of his days, he zealously cared for the improvement of not only the Church, but also the state.
At the end of August 1682, Saint Mitrofan arrived in young Voronezh. The region required great work, care and perseverance for its church structure. And the residents of this region were offended: the first settlers did not come here of their own free will: they were driven here by the government from different villages and cities of Russia to protect the border from attack Crimean Tatars. They were subsequently joined by fugitive peasants who left their native places due to difficult living conditions. There were many disabled people who left the army; there are many widows and orphans left without breadwinners. The schismatics built hermitages here and with particular convenience instilled in the Orthodox, if not schism, then dislike for the Church and its shepherds. And Saint Mitrophan understood this well. The great merit of the saint was that he was accessible to everyone, helped the poor, visited the sick and prisoners in prison, consoled the suffering and addressed the priests who depended on him with a circular message, admonishing them and calling on them to serve as an example for the flock not only through preaching and prayer , but also with your own life.
It is known that St. Mitrofan personally takes care of the sick. While still alive, his very body became blessed, his very clothes (mantle) miraculous. His favorite prayer was the prayer for the dead. Favorite image - image human life under the image of a mown wildflower. He constantly took care of landscaping family life their parishioners. And the bishop’s house under him always served as a refuge for the disadvantaged and humiliated.
During his administration, church construction began in the Voronezh diocese, the number of churches increased to 239, and two monasteries were founded.
At this time, Emperor Peter I often visited Voronezh, where the Russian fleet was being built to conquer Azov. He got to know the Bishop of Voronezh closely and became his friend. The hardships associated with building the fleet irritated the people, who expressed their dissatisfaction by arson and escape. Saint Mitrofan, fully sympathetic to this great cause, helped the emperor as much as he could, explained to the people the good intentions of the king, collected money for the construction of the fleet and donated his own meager funds for the necessary shipbuilding work. When there was not enough money for the flotilla, Saint Mitrofan sent four thousand rubles from himself for the construction of ships, which was suspended due to lack of money, and the next year - three thousand for the salaries of the soldiers.
Miraculous Icon-Martyr
But this devotion of the bishop to the young king did not prevent him from telling Peter the truth in his face and denouncing those actions of the sovereign that were contrary to the rules of piety. Thus, Mitrofan of Voronezh refused to go to Peter the Great’s palace, which was decorated, in the strange fashion of that time, with sculptures depicting pagan gods. The king sent for him three more times, but the answer remained the same. The angry king ordered the bishop to be told that if he did not immediately appear at the palace, then he, as a disobedient to the royal will, would be executed. “My life is in the power of the king,” the bishop answered, “but for me it is better to die than to violate the duty of the priesthood... It is indecent for an Orthodox sovereign to install pagan fools and thereby seduce the simple hearts of the people.” There was no answer to these words, and Saint Mitrofan, not knowing the final decision of the formidable autocrat, began to prepare for death and ordered all the bells to be rung, calling the people to the all-night vigil. “What kind of holiday is tomorrow?” - asked Peter. “There is none,” they answered him. He sent to ask the bishop about this. “I, as a criminal, have been destined for death by the royal word, and therefore I want to make a conciliar prayer for the forgiveness of my sins, so that the Lord will show His mercy over me.” Peter immediately sent to calm the saint down and ordered the pagan statues to be cut down from the façade of the palace.
In May 1696, the Voronezh navy, built in an unprecedentedly short time (in one year!), ensured the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov, which blocked Russia’s access to the Azov and Black Seas.
For his diligent and impeccable labors for the glory of his fatherland, Saint Mitrofan was awarded two sovereign charters, and after the capture of Azov, the tsar ordered to call the saint Voronezh and Azov. Saint Mitrofan blessed the Tsar's military campaigns and blessed the naval guns and ships of the young Russian fleet. To be fair, it is worth noting that after the victory at Azov, Tsar Peter not only poured church bells into cannons, but, under the influence of his Voronezh confessor, on the contrary, in honor of victories he poured cannons into church bells.
The prophetic words of Saint Mitrophan are amazing, which became a blessing to Tsar Peter for significant victories in the future, as well as for the founding of St. Petersburg and the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in the Northern capital. Blessing the Tsar with the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the saint said: “Take the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and it will help you defeat the evil and strong enemy. Then you will transfer this icon to the new capital, the great city in honor of St. Peter. As long as this holy image of the Most Pure Virgin remains on the banks of the Neva, the grace of God and the Protection of the Mother of God will not leave the capital city.”
Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh and Tsar Peter the Great
To this day it is still difficult for us to appreciate the spiritual significance of the influence of the godly Saint Mitrophan on the young and ardent Tsar Peter. But the fact remains: Peter’s foreign, youthfully short-sighted policy changed dramatically, and he concentrated all his further efforts not on the war with Turkey, which brought Russia so many losses and misfortunes, but on the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, for establishing Russia’s authority in Europe. It wasn’t just that Peter “cut a window” to Europe. He placed, whether he knew it or not, a strong “door” between Orthodox Russia and Catholic-Protestant Europe. With the blessing of Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh, Tsar Peter blocked the march of the Western heresy, the most dangerous for the Russian heart, into Rus'.
But the saint had an even stronger influence on the homeless poor, involuntarily gathered in Voronezh, with his truly fatherly care for them, imbued with merciful love. The poor and unfortunate were near and dear to his heart. The saint always had a rule of life: not to leave anything for himself, but to give all acquisitions to God, who gave everything, and to his neighbors, who have nothing.
All the saint's travels throughout the diocese were a true holiday for those in need. Intending to travel around the diocese, the saint takes “100 rubles of government money into the bishop’s cell to distribute in alms to those who were burned, and in prisons, and in almshouses, and on orders, and the beggars, and the poor, and those in exile, and to people of all ranks, and for distribution during the procession of bishops of male and female monasteries to monks and nuns, where the bishop of his diocese visits the cities.”
Residents of Voronezh received even more blessings and mercies from Saint Mitrofan. His bishop's house was a house of refuge for all those who mourn, a hotel for strangers, a hospital for the sick, a resting place for the poor. The saint generously gave clothes, linen, and cash benefits to wanderers and the poor from his bishop's treasury; He arranged tables for the poor. He benefited not only Russians, but also foreigners; visited prisons and convict huts, warming the embittered hearts of free and involuntary prisoners with words of sympathy and distributing alms to them.
When the saint grew old and did not have the strength to visit prisons himself, he sent alms through close people to be distributed from hand to hand, as well as money for the ransom of the “vlaznoe”, that is, a cash contribution upon entry into prison for maintenance in it. The unknown workers who died in a foreign land, if there was no one and nothing to bury them, were buried by the saint at his own expense: in some months, probably during widespread illnesses, the saint had expenses for dozens of coffins; Shrouds were bought, and sometimes money was directly given for the burial of the poor. The saint’s love did not leave them even beyond the grave: he himself prayed, and ordered that the names of those who, under the primacy of the Right Reverend Mitrofan, die “without repentance and without communion” be included in the cathedral synodik for constant commemoration.
Undoubtedly, the entire long and difficult life of the Voronezh High Hierarch was one unparalleled good deed.
Having reached the age of eighty, Saint Mitrophan accepted the schema. Feeling that the disease was fatal, he began to prepare for death. Before his death, the poor-loving and merciful shepherd intensified his concerns for the needy: he sent generous alms for distribution to prisons, according to orders, where prisoners were also kept, to almshouses; helps exiles and foreigners, forgives dues.
Even in his spiritual will, the saint made detailed orders about his burial and commemoration. Then they began to prepare a coffin for the saint. Having thus prepared for his death in a truly Christian manner, the saint rested peacefully on November 23, 1703.
The saint was buried in the Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh. Tsar Peter I himself was present at the burial, and showed the deceased unprecedented honors that hardly any Russian sovereign had ever given to a bishop. Turning to his retinue, the king said: “We will be ashamed if we do not testify our gratitude to this beneficent shepherd by giving him the last honor. So, let’s carry his body out ourselves.” With these words, the sovereign was the first to take hold of the coffin and carry it to the tomb, which was located under the platform of the cathedral side church. After the funeral service, the king, together with the nobles and officers, again raised the coffin and lowered it into the ground. At the same time, turning to his entourage “and foreigners,” the sovereign said loudly: “I don’t have such a holy elder left.”
These just words of love and gratitude in the mouth of the toiling king were the best speech over the tomb of the toiling saint. The Tsar and the Bishop were bound by love for the Fatherland, and both of them, although on different paths, worked for the good of their dear Motherland. But even beyond the grave, the saint of God does not interrupt communication with the king: praying for his soul before the throne of the Lord, Saint Mitrophan wants those who honor his memory to pray for Tsar Peter, for the repose of his soul in the righteous villages. One day Saint Mitrofan appeared to one of his admirers and said: “If you want to be pleasing to me, pray for the repose of the soul of Emperor Peter the Great.”
part of the relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh
The first Bishop of Voronezh, Mitrofan, was born on November 6, 1623 in the village of Antilokhovo, Vladimir province (now Savinsky district, Ivanovo region) in the family of priest Vasily and mother Maria (or Mavra). At baptism on November 8, on the day of the Archangel Michael of God, he was named Michael. The saint of God himself testifies to his origins in his spiritual testament: “I was born into this world from pious parents and raised in the indestructible piety of the Eastern Church in the Orthodox faith.” All that is known about his parents is that they belonged to the clergy. The basis for this assumption is the fact that in the synod of St. Mitrofan the family of the saint begins with persons invested with the priestly rank.
The saint of God spent the first half of his life in the world: he was married, had a son, and was a parish priest. The place of priest Michael's pastoral ministry was the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in the village of Sidorovskoye (now Ivanovo district, Ivanovo region). Nothing more is known about the worldly life of the saint. But his strictly Christian upbringing, subsequent godly life and selfless archpastoral activity, without a doubt, indicate that for his parish, Priest Michael was a shepherd who laid down his soul for his flock, and for his family, he was a wise leader and loving father. The saint's tender care for his son John is evident in the letters preserved from the time of his episcopal service. In the fortieth year of his life, the saint of God lost “his friend” - he became a widower. And then he began to serve the Lord in complete rejection of the world and all its delights by entering the path of monastic life.
Priest Michael settled in the Holy Dormition Zolotnikovskaya hermitage (now Teikovsky district of the Ivanovo region). The monastery was founded in the first quarter of the 17th century by the monk Jonah (Golovtsyn). At the time the future saint entered it, it enjoyed fame. It is known that in 1663 he was tonsured a monk with the name Mitrofan. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the exploits of the saint in the quiet desert. Following the teachings of Christ, he tried to hide his exploits from human gaze and made a vow to end his life and be buried in the Zolotnikovskaya hermitage - so the peaceful shadow of a modest monastery was dear to him.
But the Lord judged a different, higher lot for the saint to lead others spiritually. Three years later, the brethren of the neighboring Kosmo-Yakhroma monastery, who did not have an abbot at that time, asked to appoint the priest Mitrofan, known for his strict life, as abbot of their monastery. Despite the sincere reluctance of any primacy, Hieromonk Mitrofan was “blessed to the rank of abbot” by Metropolitan Pavel of Sarsk and Podonsk. All his life, the saint of God greatly grieved that he could not fulfill his vow of a hopeless stay at the place of his tonsure, although he did not break it voluntarily, but out of obedience. The Kosmo-Yakhroma Monastery was founded at the end of the 15th century by the monk Kosma, a tonsure of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, on the site of the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God to him.
Hegumen Mitrofan turned the impoverished monastery into a well-appointed monastery, building a large, warm, brick church and completely renovating the icon decoration and monastic liturgical utensils. Nothing is known about the spiritual leadership of Abbot Mitrofan by the brethren of the Kosmin monastery. However, his subsequent appointment as abbot of the Unzhensk monastery during an extremely difficult period of its internal turmoil indicates that, as abbot of the Yakhroma Kosmin Monastery, Hieromonk Mitrofan acquired extensive experience in leading and morally educating his flock there. The monastery - Holy Trinity Macarius-Unzhensky Convent of the Kostroma Diocese - was founded by St. Macarius in 1439. The monastery was especially revered by the royal house of the Romanovs. In 1675, by decree of Patriarch Joachim, Abbot Mitrofan “as a reverent and virtuous man” was appointed to manage the Unzhensky monastery. At this time, there was trouble in the monastery. Patriarch Joachim, in order to strengthen faith and instill peace in the troubled hearts of the brethren of the monastery, decided to send there an experienced and reliable leader - Abbot Mitrofan, whom he elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
Saint Mitrophan ruled the Unzhensky Monastery for almost seven years. Here, as in the Yakhroma monastery, through his labors a stone church with a refectory and a bell tower was built in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. The church was consecrated in 1680, three years after its foundation; Saint Mitrofan personally went to Moscow to receive the blessed letter for the consecration of the temple. Later, the gateway St. Nicholas Church and the warm Assumption Church were built. The saint's godly life attracted admirers to him, who expressed their veneration for the Abbot of Unzhensk by donating to the monastery. Saint Mitrofan put a lot of effort and labor into the arrangement of the monastery.
Instilling the spirit of piety and true faith among the brethren, he was able to convey his love to his flock. The saint deeply revered the founder of the monastery, the Monk Macarius. Before his death, accepting the schema, the Voronezh bishop wished to be named in honor of this saint of God. During the reign of Saint Mitrofan, the icon of St. Macarius, which was on his tomb, was brought, by order of the pious king, from the Unzhensky monastery to Moscow, to the palace. The Tsar “with all his blessed house” paid veneration to the honest icon, “like the great saint of God Macarius,” performing “prayer singing” before it. There is no doubt that the icon was accompanied to Moscow by the abbot of the monastery, Saint Mitrofan. Personal meetings with the saint and conversations with him sank into the soul of the pious king, and he treated the ascetic with deep respect. This is evidenced by numerous royal letters granted to the Unzhensky Monastery at that time: they either again complained or confirmed the previous benefits of the monastery.
At the Moscow Council of 1681-1682, among the measures to combat the schism of the Old Believers and to promote greater dissemination of Christian education, it was necessary to increase the number of dioceses and open new departments, including Voronezh. It initially included the following cities: Voronezh, Yelets, Romanov, Orlov, Kostensk, Usman, Sokolovsky, Ostrogozhsk. Archimandrite Mitrofan, summoned from the Unzhensky monastery to Moscow for a series of priestly services, was elected to this department. Contemporaries explain this election by the high ascetic life of the saint, “a truly righteous and holy man,” as well as by the desire of the pious king to exalt the Unzhensky monastery by elevating its abbot to the episcopal see, in whom he saw the vicar of the Monk Macarius in the abbess and his disciple in life.
On April 2, 1682, Patriarch Joachim, Bishop of Voronezh, ordained Archimandrite Mitrofan as the first Bishop of Voronezh. The saint was then 58 years old. After his consecration, Bishop Mitrofan spent the summer in the capital - the newly created diocese initially needed his care here, where the highest spiritual and temporal power was located. It was a difficult time of church and political turmoil, which resulted in an open uprising of schismatics against the Moscow government. Sad events sank deeply into the soul of Saint Mitrophan, and the saint until his grave zealously cared for both the organization of church life and the welfare of the state.
In the newly created diocese of St. Mitrofan, disorder was also expected. The Voronezh region was populated only recently. The first settlers here were involuntary, driven by the government from various villages and cities of Russia to protect the region from attacks by the Crimean Tatars; they were later joined by fugitives who, due to difficult living conditions, left their native places and sought freedom in the Don Ukraine; There were also people from the Dnieper region who were hiding from Polish oppression.
The space of the Voronezh diocese was vast, but there were few churches in it - only 182, so that in other places for 80 versts there was not a single church. Often, due to the absence of shepherds, churches stood “without singing,” and the population got used to the “non-priestly” way of life, which created here extremely favorable soil for the development of a schism.
Upon arrival in Voronezh, the saint, first of all, taking into account the difficulties of the time and the low moral state of the clergy and flock, sent out a District message throughout the diocese, in which he called on his entire flock to reform. “Honorable priests of the Most High God! - wrote the Saint. - Leaders of the flock of Christ! You must have bright, intelligent eyes, enlightened by the light of understanding, in order to lead others along the right path. According to the word of the Lord, you must be the very light: “you are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14)... Christ the Savior, when he entrusted the holy Apostle Peter with tending His sheep, said to him three times: feed (John 21:15-17) . This is obviously so that shepherds shepherd the flock entrusted to them in three ways: by the word of teaching, by prayer and the power of the Holy Sacraments, and finally, by their way of life. You diligently carry out these three types of salvation: teach people the word of teaching, show yourself an example of a good life, diligently offer prayers to God for the flock entrusted to you, strengthening them with the Holy Mysteries; Most of all, enlighten the unfaithful with holy Baptism, and bring those who have sinned to repentance. Be attentive to the sick, so that they do not depart from this life without communion of the Holy Mysteries and anointing with holy oil.”
One of the first concerns of Saint Mitrofan was the construction of a new cathedral, for the then existing cathedral church in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos was very dilapidated. To build the cathedral, the sovereigns granted the saint a mill near the Yelets River, and by the time construction was completed, they made a new donation on December 16, 1688 - a bell weighing 160 pounds. By 1692 the cathedral was consecrated. Probably, Saint Mitrofan collected a significant part of the funds for the construction of the cathedral church and for its precious utensils in Moscow from noble people who knew him before. For the newly created Voronezh diocese, the work of Saint Mitrofan was a true blessing from God. Under the wise leadership of the saint, all aspects of not only the church, but also the state life of the region experienced a beneficial change. Monks, white clergy and laity - all were equally dear to the saint, he cared about them all equally, for he realized that all, without distinction, were handed over by the Lord to his archpastoral leadership.
Tradition has preserved the story of the influence of Saint Mitrofan on the church life of the city of Yelets. On his way to the Voronezh see, he was passing through Yelets, which became the first city of the newly created diocese that the saint visited. The residents of Elsk met their archpastor with great joy and accepted his holy blessing. At the same time, the bishop drew attention to the nuns approaching him, since he knew that in Yelets there was only the Trinity Monastery for men, and asked the nuns: “Where do they stay; Where do they go to the Divine service to pray? What do they do and by what means do they get their food?” To which the monks responded that “they live in secular houses, since there is no women’s monastery in the city, they eat worldly alms, and go to the monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Divine services.”
At the same time, by decree of Bishop Mitrofan, the monks who lived in the skete of the Trinity Monastery on Kamennaya Gora were transferred to the monastery itself, and in 1683 the bishop’s decree was followed to transform the skete of the Yeletsky Trinity Monastery into a convent. Saint Mitrofan himself made a special petition to the Highest Authority for the creation of a women's monastery in Yelets, placing the spiritually experienced nun Iulita at the head of its nuns. In 1685, by royal decree, lands were transferred to the newly established women's monastery and letters of abandonment were given for them. Thus, with the direct participation of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, the history of the Yelets Znamensky Monastery began. The schismatic Old Believers, who settled in the diocese and tempted their flock to apostatize from the Orthodox Church, caused the saint a lot of trouble. Saint Mitrophan dealt with them according to the harsh laws of that time, sending opponents of the Church “to the city court.” He selected old printed books and distributed new ones, ordered the priests to ensure that their flock carried out holy fasts and fasts in a Christian manner, and also to teach them constantly in the churches of God by reading teaching books; he himself zealously preached sermons in the temple.
In various villages of the Voronezh diocese, under Saint Mitrofan, schools arose, the teachers of which were immigrants from Little Russia, often literate and bookish people. These schools helped the Church in the fight against opponents. It is known about the great friendship of Voronezh Bishop Mitrofan with Bishop Pitirim of Tambov. Heading the newly formed dioceses, the saints personified with their ascetic life good example active missionary service, which was necessary so that these border lands of the Moscow state at that time could be heard by the preaching of the Word of God. They maintained correspondence and met for spiritual conversations.
The history of the foundation of the Tregulyaevsky Baptist Monastery near Tambov is connected with the friendship of the holy archpastors. With his moral authority, mercy and prayers, Saint Mitrofan contributed to the strengthening of royal power. So, when Emperor Peter began to build ships at the Voronezh shipyard for the siege of Azov from the sea, many considered the construction of a fleet to be useless. However, the Voronezh bishop tried to help the tsar, and he did this not only with words. Saint Mitrofan collected all the diocesan money and brought it to the sovereign. “Every son of the fatherland,” said the saint, “must help the needs of the state from his income. Accept, sir, the remaining money from my expenses and use it for the good of Russia.”
He also supported the tsar's plan to found a new capital on the banks of the Neva. The Voronezh bishop is called the godfather of St. Petersburg. Taking the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the saint blessed Emperor Peter, saying to the Tsar: “It will become a cover for the new capital and all your people. The enemy will not set foot in the city as long as this icon is there.” Having founded St. Petersburg, Peter I ordered the foundation of the Kazan Cathedral, which is still visible evidence of the saint’s participation in the founding of the city. And the emperor considered the Voronezh bishop his spiritual mentor.
Only once did a conflict arise between them. Having once arrived in Voronezh, the Tsar summoned Saint Mitrofan to his place. According to foreign custom, the royal palace was decorated with statues of pagan gods. The saint, having met the statue on the threshold, returned to his place. The emperor was informed that the bishop was at the palace and left. The king was offended and ordered to send for him again. The elder answered the messenger: “Until the sovereign removes the idols that seduce the common people, I will not come to the palace. If necessary, let him come to me himself.” Hearing such a decisive answer, the king became indignant: “How dare he disobey the royal authority? If he does not appear immediately, he will be executed as a criminal of the royal will!” Despite his patriotic feelings, the saint was not afraid to tell the king the truth, even if this could cause his anger. “My life is in the power of the king,” St. Mitrofan answered this news. - but for me it is better to die than to approve paganism with my presence or fearful silence and violate the duty of a Christian shepherd. It is not fitting for an Orthodox sovereign to install pagan fools and seduce simple hearts.”
Knowing the severity of the king, Saint Mitrofan hastened to prepare for death. He ordered preparations for the service. The bells rang. Emperor Peter, having heard the good news, sent to ask about the reason. The saint answered the messenger: “I, as a criminal, have been ordained by the royal word to die. Preparing for death, I want to perform my last divine service...” When the saint’s words were conveyed to the king, he was struck by the bishop’s determination to die. Never yielding to anyone, Tsar Peter made a concession for the Voronezh bishop. He ordered the statues to be removed and sent to calm the saint. The next day, Bishop Mitrofan himself came to the king and thanked him for destroying the statues. Thus, Emperor Peter became convinced of the greatness of the spirit of the saint of Voronezh and began to respect him even more.
For twenty years Saint Mitrofan ruled the Voronezh see, reaching a ripe old age. Having truly prepared for his death in a Christian manner, the saint reposed peacefully on November 23 (December 6), 1703. Tsar Peter himself was present at the burial of the saint, who, together with senior military leaders, carried the saint’s coffin and lowered it into the grave. “I no longer have such a holy elder left,” Peter said at the funeral, “may he be forever remembered!” The Voronezh archpastor was buried in the tomb of the cathedral church. One of the remarkable monuments to the life and work of Saint Mitrofan is his Spiritual Testament. The commandment that the saint gives to his spiritual children has not lost its relevance today: “For every person, this is the rule of wise men: use labor, keep moderation, and you will be rich. Drink abstinently, eat little - you will be healthy. Do good, avoid evil, and you will be saved.”
The image of a loving and merciful bishop was deeply etched into the soul of the people, sensitive to manifestations of holiness on a sinful earth, and many reverent admirers of the memory of the deceased saint flocked to his grave to serve a requiem mass. Soon the Lord, fulfilling the pious aspirations of the admirers of St. Mitrofan, as a saint of God, laid the foundation for his open glorification.
In connection with the construction of a new cathedral, when the coffin with the body of St. Mitrofan was transferred, it turned out that the saint’s body was incorruptible. Reverent veneration of his memory began to spread wider and wider across the Russian land, and, as if in response to this, they began to increasemiraculous manifestations of God's help at his grave. Through the efforts of Voronezh Archbishop Anthony II (Smirnitsky) in 1831, the incorrupt body of St. Mitrofan was found and the following year he was glorified as a saint. With the advent of Soviet power, the Voronezh Mitrofan Monastery, like many Russian shrines, suffered devastation: it was closed, looted, and then demolished.
On February 3, 1919, even before the official decree on the organized opening of the relics, issued on February 14, a blasphemous opening of the relics of St. Mitrofan. Before the start of the Liturgy, the leaders of the local Bolshevik cell entered the Annunciation Cathedral of the Mitrofanovsky Monastery, accompanied by a large crowd of Red Army soldiers and security officers. They announced to the clergy, the brethren of the monastery and numerous pilgrims the decision of the “working people” - “to put an end to the priest’s fables about holy relics.” The monastery brethren and pilgrims cried, unable to stop the lawlessness. Hegumen Vladimir reassured them: “The great mercy of God was shown to the saint at the end of his earthly life - to endure martyrdom for Christ.”
Having committed the desecration, the atheists drew up an autopsy report. They included the honorable remains of Saint Mitrofan in the inventory of property as “socialist property” and left them in the cathedral. The revelation did not take place. The monstrous blasphemy of the Bolsheviks only increased the influx of believers to Saint Mitrofan, and their prayer became more fervent.
In 1929, the relics of St. Mitrofan were confiscated due to the closure of the cathedral to be used for the needs of socialist construction and were kept in the Voronezh Local History Museum for six decades. The return of the relics of the Church was accomplished by the grace of God and the labors of Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk in 1989. They stayed in the Intercession Cathedral of Voronezh, which was then a cathedral. Currently, the relics of St. Mitrofan rest in the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Voronezh.
Discovery of the relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh
Sources
1. The life of our holy father Mitrofan, the schemamonastic Macarius, the first bishop of Voronezh and the newly-minted wonderworker, and the Legend of the discovery and discovery of his venerable relics, and of grace-filled signs and miraculous healings. M., 1838.
2. Testament of the saint and wonderworker Mitrofan, the first bishop of Voronezh. LLC "Ronda", 2006.
3. Historical description of the Yeletsky Znamensky monastery, a nunnery on Kamennaya Gora. Comp. Hieromonk Gerontius. Yelets, 1895. Reprint.
4. Lives of saints in Russian, set out according to the guidance of the Chetya-Mineaion of St. Demetrius of Rostov. November. Nativity of the Theotokos St. Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery, 1997
5. Voronezh archpastors from St. Mitrofan to the present day. Historical and biographical essays. Voronezh, 2003.
6. Lives of saints and biographies of devotees of piety of the Voronezh-Lipetsk diocese. Book 1. Voronezh, 2003.
7. Lives of Saints Mitrofan of Voronezh and Tikhon of Zadonsk. M, Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2010.
8. Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa Sergius (Petrov). History of the Voronezh diocese from its establishment to the 1960s. Voronezh: Center for Spiritual Revival of the Black Earth Region, 2011.
9. A. Yu. Klokov, A. A. Naydenov, A. V. Novoseltsev. Temples and monasteries of the Lipetsk and Yeletsk diocese. Dace. Lipetsk, 2006.
10. L. A. Morev. A worker for the glory of the Lord and the Fatherland. Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh. Life. Akathist. Zadonsky Nativity-Bogoroditsky Monastery, 2005.
11. Stadnyuk A., prot. On the history of Orthodoxy on the Don. M., 2012.
12. A. N. Dotsenko Holy faces over Yelets. Yelets, 2006.
13. L. Shchennikova The first monastery of Abbot Mitrofan // Voronezh Diocesan Bulletin, 2007 No. 1 (76).
14. N. Chugreeva Holy Dormition Zolotnikovskaya Hermitage // Voronezh Diocesan Bulletin, 2007 No. 1 (76).
15. A. Yu. Klokov, A. A. Naydenov. Saints Mitrofan and Tikhon, and the church life of Yelets // Second St. Mitrofan Readings. Voronezh, 2012.
Based on the book: “The Cathedral of Saints of the Lipetsk Land.”
Collection of lives of Lipetsk and Yeletsk saints
Composition: prot. Nikolay Stadnyuk, A. A. Naydenov, A. I. Chesnokova. – Lipetsk, 2013.
Saint Mitrofan, the first bishop of Voronezh, was born on November 6, 1623 in the Vladimir land, presumably into the family of a priest. The worldly name of the future saint was Michael. The saint lived half of his life in the world, was married and had children. Information has been preserved about the care of Saint Mitrofan in raising his son Ivan. The future bishop was for some time a priest in the village of Sidorovskoye, Suzdal diocese. At the age of 40, he became a widower and decided to devote his life to God. He chose the Zolotnikovsky Assumption Monastery not far from Suzdal as his place of residence, where he was tonsured a monk with the name Mitrofan.
Here the saint of God began his monastic asceticism, distinguished by deep humility. His strict monastic life became known among the monastic community. Three years after entering the Zolotnikovsky monastery, the brethren of the neighboring Yakhroma Kosmin monastery, which did not have an abbot at that time, began to ask the local spiritual authorities to bring Mitrofan to them as abbot. The request was fulfilled. At first, the ascetic was ordained to the priesthood, then, despite his reluctance, he was elevated to abbot of the Yakhroma monastery.
When Patriarch Joachim of Moscow and All Rus' learned about the ascetic’s zeal, he entrusted him with the larger Unzhensky monastery, founded in the 15th century. Venerable Macarius of Zheltovodsk in Kostroma land. Here the future saint abboted for about seven years, during which the monastery achieved prosperity. A temple was built in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and many wonderful icons were painted.
The monastery of Abbot Mitrofan attracted the attention of not only the Patriarch, but also Tsar Theodore Alekseevich, who visited the monastery and often talked with the abbot. At court the saint was treated with special respect. When in 1682, by decision of the Moscow Church Council of 1681, the new Voronezh diocese was formed, Tsar Theodore proposed to appoint Abbot Mitrofan as its first bishop. The episcopal consecration on April 2, 1682 was led by Patriarch Joachim.
Saint Mitrofan had to witness the riot of schismatics in July of the same year and attend the “debate about faith” between the Old Believers and the Orthodox in the Faceted Chamber. This event made a strong impression on him and subsequently affected his episcopal affairs. Saint Mitrofan gained fame as an exposer of the schism and a supporter of the patriotic endeavors of the reformer tsar. Saint Mitrophan considered the clergy as a force capable of influencing the population in the most beneficial way. At the very beginning of his activity, the saint began to build a new stone church in Voronezh in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. Saint Mitrofan loved church splendor and invested enormous amounts of money in the construction of the cathedral. The life of the saint was more than modest.
A special page in the biography of Saint Mitrofan is his relationship with Peter I. The saint deeply and sympathetically entered into the fate of the young Tsar, and tried to promote the transformations that arose that were beneficial for the Fatherland. He approved of the construction of the fleet undertaken by Peter I in Voronezh and supported it financially. When in 1696 Russian troops won a victory over the Turks near Azov, Peter I ordered Saint Mitrofan, as if as a reward for his participation in this victory, to be called Bishop of Voronezh and “Azov”. At the same time, Saint Mitrofan could not approve of the tsar’s too close communication with foreign infidels and thoughtless acceptance of their customs. The saint refused to visit the Tsar's Voronezh palace because of the pagan statues that were in it. When the angry Peter began to threaten him with death, the saint began to prepare for it, preferring to die rather than approve pagan rituals unacceptable for an Orthodox person.
The bishop's confession put Peter to shame; as a sign of agreement with him, he removed the statues, and peace was restored. The saint of God remained at the Voronezh pulpit for 20 years, until his death.
The saint’s favorite reflection was the remembrance of death, the afterlife, and ordeals; favorite prayer is the prayer for the dead.
Not being familiar with the widespread in the 17th century. Latin scholasticism, Saint Mitrophan knew the Holy Scriptures and patristic works very well. In his “Spiritual Testament,” Saint Mitrophan edified: “For every person, this is the rule of wise men: use labor, maintain moderation, and you will be rich; drink abstinently, eat little - you will be healthy; do good, flee evil - you will be saved.” Saint Mitrofan reposed before God in 1703 at a ripe old age. Shortly before his death, the saint accepted the schema with the name Macarius. He was buried in the Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh with great honors: the tsar with his own hands helped to carry the coffin of the saint, whom he revered as a “holy elder.”
Since 1820, the number of admirers of the prayerful memory of St. Mitrophan has especially increased, and records of miracles at his tomb began to appear at the cathedral. In 1831, there was an official report about this to the Synod, according to which, on August 7, 1832, the solemn opening of the coffin took place, and then the canonization of the saint followed. From his holy relics, by the grace of God, numerous healings took place for those suffering from physical and mental ailments, the possessed, and the paralytic. In 1836, the Annunciation Mitrofan Monastery was established at the Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh.
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