Sophrony of Irkutsk life. Glorification of St. Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk and All Siberia, Wonderworker (1918). Saints Sophronius and Innocent of Irkutsk prayer

Brief life of Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Irkutsk

Saint So-Fro-niy, Bishop of Ir-kut-sky and all Si-bi-ri, miracle-creator, known under the fa-mi-li-ey Kri-stalev -sky, was born in Ma-lo-Russia, in the Cher-ni-govsky regiment in 1704. His father, Na-za-riy Fe-do-rov, was “a mature man, his bel-tsem, So-phronia, was called Stefan”, in honor per-vo-mu-che-ni-ka ar-hi-di-a-ko-na Ste-fa-na. He had two brothers and a sister, Pe-la-gay. The name of one brother is Pavel, the name of another, older one, is unknown, but there is information that he was subsequently -place-none of the Kras-no-mountainous Zo-lo-to-nosh-sko-go-on-the-station.

The childhood years of Ste-fa-na pro-ho-di-li in the me-stech-ke of Be-re-zan Pe-re-ya-from-the-lav-skogo-district of Pol-tav-skaya the province where the family settled after their father’s dismissal from service. As Stefan grew older, he entered the Kiev Theological Academy, where two other students were studying at that time. holy saints - , bishop of Bel-gorod (commemorated on September 4 and December 10), and Pavel, mit-ro-po- lit. To-bol-sky.

Having received a spiritual education, Stefan went to the Krasno-Gor-sky Pre-o-ra-zhen-sky monastery (later re-named to Po-krovsky, and from 1789 re-formed into the women’s monastery), where it was already His older brother showed up. On April 23, 1730, he took monastic vows with the name So-froniy, in honor of the saint, pat-ri-ar-kha Ieru-sa-lim- soon (March 11).

On the night after the monastic monk So-froniy heard a voice in the Pokrovsky Church: “When will you be “Soon, build a temple in the name of All Saints,” - the head of his future ministry. Two years later, in 1732, he was called to Kiev, where in the Sophia So-bo-re he-ro-to-ni-sa-li was consecrated to the rank of hierarch. di-a-ko-na, and then - hiero-mo-na-ha. About the next pe-ri-o-de life of the saint So-phronium in his form-mu-la-re go-vo-rit-sya du-u-sche: “After the ordination in this Zo-lo-to-nosh-monastery, the Kaz-na-che-re was two years, and after -tom was taken by decree of the Per-re-ya-s-lav-diocese of the Most Holy Ar-se-niy Ber-lov-va to his arch-priestly house , in which he was an eco-nominist for 8 years after the capture of Alek-san-dro-Nevsky Monastery, from which during these years in 1735 he was sent to St. Petersburg for the de-la-mi of his ar-hi-erey-ski-mi, for which in the conduct of the was two years old."

These data provide very precise evidence of the connection between the saint and his native Pokrovskaya abode. I pour. While attending his hearing with the great arch-priest in Pe-re-ya-s-la-ve, he often retired to his I eat mo-on-stay-re, passing the days in silent contemplation and work, seeming to be an example of something else de-la-niya of the brethren.

During the reign of the hiero-mo-na-kha So-froniya according to the arch-hierical de-lams in Si-no-de about him especially -pay attention. And when the need arose for the full brotherhood of Alec-san-dro-Nev-sko-mon-sta-rya in St. Petersburg -ge, then among 29 monks, summoned from various monasteries of Russia, in January 1742 he was summoned and was future saint. A year later, he was appointed to the Kaz-na-sty-rya, and in 1746 he was approved in the position of ka obi-te-li, which I have been using for more than seven years.

To help himself, he called his land-woman, a native of the city of Pri-lu-ki, hiero-mo-na-ha Si-ne-siya and began to build it with No-vo-Ser-gi-e-voy pu-sty-ni, at-pi-san-noy to Alek-san-dro-Nev-sky mo-na-sta-ryu. From this time on, the friendship of two movements - hiero-mo-na-ha So-fronia and hiero-mo-na-ha Si-ne-siya - is increasingly more strongly in a single pastoral de-la-nia, they were already inseparable until their death on the Siberian land. During these years, Saint Sofroniy worked a lot for the welfare of the abode and for the improvement of the yes-va-niya in the na-ho-div-shay-shay with her se-mi-na-rii. Together with the ar-hi-bishop Fe-o-do-si-e, he talked about the proper uk-plek-to-va-niy mo-na-styr -skoy bib-lio-te-ki.

With him there was a two-story church built: the upper one, in the name of St. Fe-o-do-ra Yaro-sla-vi-cha, elder the brother of Saint Alexander Nevsky, and the lower one, in the name of the saint.

In 1747, Bishop of Irkutsk In-no-ken-tiy II (Neru-no-vich) died. For six years, the largest diocese in the region, the Irkutsk diocese, remained without spiritual support.

Finally, im-pe-ra-tri-tsa Eli-za-ve-ta Pet-rov-na (1741-1761) by decree of February 23, 1753, re-co- menu na-st-rya So-froniya, as “a face, not only worthy of the episcopal dignity, but also quite capable of justifying the same- la-nie and na-dezh-dy go-su-da-ry-ni and Si-no-da - lift the burden of the bishop's service for a long time -not and satisfy the needs of the shepherds in a harsh country, among wild nature and pro-people."

On April 18, 1753, on the Sunday of Thomas, in the Great Assumption Council, Hiero-monk So-froniy was ordained into the bishop -sko-pa Ir-kut-sko-go and Ner-chin-sko-go.

Pre-seeing a difficult ministry in the distant Siberian region, but the appointed priest did not send -immediately to the Ir-Kut-diocese, but began to encourage educational and spiritual collaborators. At this time, Saint Sofroniy established his first Krasnogorsk monastery. He was also at the shrines of Ki-e-va, where he used the blessing of the word for his service at the Ki-e-Pecher lands. no-cov. The constant companion of the saint was still hiero-monk Si-ne-siy, who zealously de-lived his life. Unnecessary difficulties of your friend.

In Moscow, great services were rendered to the sacred hall by the arch-bishop of Moscow and Sev-sky, which took part in the chi-ro- to-nii hiero-mo-na-ha So-froniya. He gave him his father's instructions for the upcoming feat, since he was well acquainted with the special -mi Si-Bir-spirit-but-go-that, pre-pre-awaited about their own-will of the local authorities and co-ve-to-val in-do -take reliable power.

On March 20, 1754, the saint arrived in Ir-kutsk. At first he went to the Voz-sensky monastery - the place of residence of his predecessors, and prayed for mo-gi-le epi-sko-pa In-no-ken-tiya (Kul-chits-ko-go), is-great-shi-vaya from him the blessing of the word on the pre-sto- I'm moving.

Having become aware of the state of affairs in the diocese, the saint approached the pre-o-ra-zo-va-ni-yam in Du- khov-noy kon-si-sto-ria, monasteries and parishes, appealed to the Holy Si-nod with a request to send worthy people for priestly service in the Irkutsk diocese.

By the time of Saint So-Fronia’s arrival, the Ir-Kut monasteries already had almost a hundred years of history . The basis of these mo-na-sty-reys were used by the heat of something else, driven -no life. The pro-no-tsa-tel-ny saint-meant on-a-hundred-I-te-la-mi mo-na-sty-ray people of the good-che-sti-vyh, wise, efficient, with great life and spiritual experience. In 1754, the Most Holy So-fronius led his friend and promoted the movement of Hiero-mo-na-ha Si-ne-sia in ar -hi-mand-ri-ta Voz-ne-sen-sko-go-na-sta-rya. This one-hundred-of-memorable one-hundred-of-a-hundred-of-one served for thirty-three years before his blessed demise . In September 1754, the saint issued a decree, in which he became concerned about learning and restoration pi-ta-ni-em de-tey spirit-ho-ven-stva. By decree, the spirit-ho-ven-st was obliged to teach their children the Word-Ch-so-Word, Psalm-ti-ri, singing and book-va-ryu, and the teaching “should go with all the pri-le-zha-ni-em and extreme ra-che-ni-em, so that de- “You could fulfill your duties according to your standards and the deacon’s duties.”

Attentively, he studies people and the environment, in the stories and personal conversations of the saint, tirelessly -gave everyone to higher moral ideas. He paid special attention to the good and right of God's service and Ta- sacred ministries, and also monitored the moral purity of the laity, cared about po-lo -the same women in the family, protected them from injustice towards them. The saint tried to establish the statutory divine service in all places, for which he called the saint to him. Shchen-ni-kov, Dia-ko-nov, sexton and po-no-ma-rey, who during the arch-hi-herey's service to God participation in the cho-re and ipo-di-a-kon-stvo-va-li.

While touring the diocese, the saint noticed that he had not paid due attention to the churches -ve-stu and every-de-niy, and according to the instructions-behind-mi, he restored the right-to-every-day and good-news.

Called to apostolic service in this region, Saint So-phronius knew that, in addition to the enlightenment of the ru-yu-shih Christian, he will have to bring to the faith the idol-clones who would be in Siberia -lo a lot.

It was difficult to bring the pagans to the Church of Christ, since sometimes there was no one to serve in the churches, and for -no-mother-mis-si-o-ner-skoy de-i-tel-no-stuyu and a long time ago. Knowing how the arch-hierical service of God works for the benefit of foreigners, the saint not only serves lived b-go-go-vey-but, but this was also demanded from all the cliques.

Saint So-fr-niy for-bo-til-xia about the organization of life of small-nations and contributed to the development in the local -se-le-nii settled-lo-sti and kul-tu-ry, offer-la-gal to them for the se-le-niy mo-na-styr-lands and all-the-sta- I wanted to isolate myself from the influence of language. I came to the holy place and came from far away places for a lot of blessings -th-number-s-se-ti-th.

But among many worries, he did not forget about his inner, spiritual life and eternity and led the way - life. About this, the testimony of the ke-lei-n-ka saint So-froniya, who says that the saint "pi-schu used the most simple and in small quantities, served all-often, most of the night spent time in prayer, slept on the floor, whether sheep's fur, deer or honey skin and a small simple flock for a shower - here and his entire bed for short-lived sleep."

His moving spirit corresponded with the general rise of the Christian spirit in Russia as a result of his pro-glory -le-niya of the saints (commemoration of September 21), Fe-o-do-sia of Cher-ni-gov-skogo (commemoration of September 9) and especially in terms of the incorruptible relics of his predecessor - Saint In-no-ken-tiya Ir-kut-sko -th (on February 9th). This co-existence gave Saint So-fronia great strength and everything was hoped to help the saint. for In-no-ken-tiya in his work on the organization of the diocese.

Until the end of his days, Saint So-froniy kept his love for the Krasno-Gorsk Zo-lo-to-nosh monastery, which -that-heaven flew up-to-him in the days of his youth. He steadfastly contributed to the maintenance of the good-le-pium in her, by providing the necessary means for this. stva.

Feeling a deterioration in his health, Saint Sofroniy petitioned the Synod for his dismissal. But with the arrival from St. Petersburg of honey, it was difficult to immediately get to the pre- I'm not eating. Saint So-froniy spent the last days of his life in a prayer movement.

The light that shone in the good deeds of Saint So-fronia continues to witness to this day. talk about the glory of the Heavenly Father, “graciously strengthening His holy one.” And now not only in Siberia, on the site of the last movement of St. So-fronius, but also on the site of his -his actions are good, but the holy memory of him is preserved.

Complete Life of Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Irkutsk

After the first Ir-kut saint, In-no-ken-tiy (Kul-chits-kiy), rested in Bo-ze, we re-received -Who turned out to be another In-no-ken-tiy (Nehru-no-vich). He ruled the diocese for fourteen years, but in one of the voyages he suddenly died, and the department's las va-kant-noy. According to the course of the To-pain-th mit-ro-po-li-ta An-to-niya (Na-rozh-nits-ko-go), it was temporarily abolished -no-na, “so that there are more than a few thin-faced people there.” The affairs of the dioceses again moved to the ve-de-de-tion of the To-pain-sko-go mit-ro-po-li-ta, which itself ex-for-me-no-val kan-di-da-tov to the parish places. But seven years later the cathedral was re-established, and Saint Sophronius (Kristallevsky) ascended to it, moving God's crown of love for his flock was granted to the Lord as the crown of pleasing God. “De-la-mi pro-po-ve-di and the light-of-no-one love with-gree-te world of mankind, for only from love love flares up and brings with it all jealousy for God,” - this is how the Ir-Kut-spirit instructed -ven-stvo and mis-si-o-ne-ditch Saint So-froniy, that’s how he lived himself.

Blessed So-fronius (in the world Stefan Kri-stallevsky) was born on December 25, 1703 in the town of Be-re-za -not Pe-re-I-from-the-lav-skogo-yezh-da Pol-tava-gu-ber-niya. Re-pi-tan-bla-go-che-sti-you-mi ro-di-te-la-mi (his father was a Kli-ri-kom) in the spirit of the given love for To God and His Holy Church, he was sent to the Per-e-lav-spiritual family, at the end of the then he went to the Krasno-Gor-sky Po-krovsky Monastery of the Poltava diocese. After three years of obedience, he was tonsured as a monk and soon elevated to the rank of priest. As experience, but having gone through all the stages of listening and as having gained a full seminar of education , So-froniy was very soon appointed to the position of this monastery and served in this rank for three twenty years.

A moving life, strict goodness, wisdom in managing money, education fro-nia became known to them-per-ra-three-tse Eli-za-ve-te Pet-rovna, and by her will he was re-re-ve-den to-the-place no one Alek-san-dro-Nevsky Lavra. Here he served for one to ten years.

Having fallen from the quiet Red-mountain-monastery into the hundred-person Lavra, Father So-froniy immediately felt a difference -tsu in the structure of the aliens of these abo-lis. Always striving for quiet mo-na-she-movements, he arranged Tro-i-tse-Ser-gi-e-vu desert, where he himself showered -but rested, and gave-the-possibility to pass-on-listening to the ti-tiv-shim noise of a hundred-personal life -kam Lav-ry. In the life of my Lavra, my father insisted on introducing a strictly foreign way of life, and he himself set an example of a tireless work, strict adherence to the church's rules both in divine service and at mealtimes. For his high-moving life and for the diligence with which he worked for the glory of God in the hundred-personal Love- re, he received a special position named after the three, who were paradise and who lived before the Holy Sea. but-du-to-mean ar-hi-mand-ri-ta So-froniya to the Ir-kut-ka-fed-ru with elevating him to the rank of epi-sco- pa. Hi-ro-to-niya of the bliss-of-the-she-go So-fron-iya came together on April 18, 1753, and to the place of service, The saint arrived in Irkutsk only on March 20, 1754.

For about four months, the rest of the time, more than half a year, he was in accepted under the support of those whom he could rely on in the distant Ciberia. Saint Sofroniy, without a doubt, knew about those territories that co-led the apostolic path of the saint. te-lya In-no-ken-tiya, about the state of affairs in the Ir-kut diocese and for some reason we set off on our journey especially carefully -tel-no. The choice of his closest collaborators turned out to be happy for him; he identified many of them as one mo-na-sty-ray. Among them was the rector of Voz-ne-sen-skogo mo-na-sta-rya skh-ar-hi-mand-rit Si-ne-siy, pro-glorified-len- subsequently re-named to the earthly Church as our venerable representative in heaven.

Immediately after his arrival in Ir-kutsk, the saint devoted himself entirely to a lot of work in the field of Christ. howl, correcting what was omitted during the seven-year period of the closure of the department.

Great for the holiness was the co-spirit of the diocese, its educational, yes and moral level. Some priests didn’t even know how to write, part of the diocesan clergy moved away from - not at all in accordance with your calling (even those forest ones have applied to many - s-he -nie rose-ga-mi). Not at all in the di-ko-vi-well, then there was a ra-port for-ka-schi-ka (blah-chin-no-go) to the diocesan authorities about “se -che-nii without mi-lo-ser-dia.”

My other friend found himself in need of a priest. If some of the parishes had at least some kli-ri-ki, then the other part of the temples was simply empty-handed for death on -sto-i-te-lay. That's when the bloody work that the saint led in the capital, under heaven, gave its fruits I'll be working with you.

In the under-bo-re of the kan-di-da-tov in the sacred-ness of So-fr-niy, the Mongolian school at Voz-ne-Sen-sky mo-na-sty-re. Saint So-fro-niy moved her from the walls of the Monastery to the arch-priest's house to personally manage the house's -ra-zo-va-niya and re-creation of future shepherds, increased the number of pre-da-va-e-my items in it and expanded their volume. He had time for pe-da-go-gi-che-work - he himself taught Slavic and Russian languages ​​at school -ki.

For direct acquaintance with the spirituality of the vast Irkutsk diocese, the saint “does not need, but I’m pouring along Bo-ze”, diligently visiting the most distant cities from Ir-kutsk: Ner-chinsk, Yakutsk, Kirensk. Whole months, not sparing himself, he spent on the road, often moving along the Siberian deserts -Home on horses. Of course, meeting with the flock, never before having seen the ar-hi-her-evs, much less the ar-hi-herer’s service. It would have had a profound evocative effect on her. The saint entered into very close communion with the saints and the world, everyone wanted to see his mi-behind-mi, rewarded zealous servants, removed the worthless ones.

The seven-year-old widowhood of the Ir-kut-ka-fed-ry from-ri-tsa-tel-but also affected the mis-si-o-ner-skaya de-ya-tel -no-sti. The resurrection of the nav-li-vaya ca-fed-ru, the saint con-sta-viled and sent out a warning message throughout the diocese, a warning sav for-ka-schi-kam (bla-go-chin-nym) the following: “Call-to-all-sacred-to-the-idol-la-to-ditch (idol-lo -by-clones) to the knowledge of the True God: having received Holy Baptism, teach faith and right dogma -there, as briefly as possible, applying to the deeds of the apostles; If you wanted to baptize people, you would teach the top people how to read and tell them what the law is -sti-an-sky.

Before, would you like to receive Holy Baptism in a secular co-mand for the granting of benefits from the money, and in the end -si-story for information, and but-in-baptism-yes, I wish I could give you bi-years from myself.

Those who have received Baptism should be warned not to come to the sha-ma-us, not to listen to their teachings, not to have idols and not bowed to them.

All-day-but-long-lasting prayers would not be possible, just on the fourth day of holiday -we never talked, but all day long - in the morning and when we went to bed, we prayed briefly; and you pray, if possible, re-translate the news into their language and, most importantly, pray before the na-cha-ti-la, mo -lit-vu Gos-under-nu and Most-Holy Bo-go-ro-di-tse.

You wouldn't be able to do anything with any kind of bra-shen, but you'd teach with some kind of bra-nah that's all-gdash-no-possible. hold on and say that overeating and drunkenness are a great sin.

Would you like to be warned that for the whole year at a certain time, with abstinence from car- ness and with sincerity? (as possible) is-by-ve-di, partook-of the Most-pure Ta-in, and so that they will that-in-the-way they had the desire, with faith and hope, to forsake their sins.

Sick people, but most of all in a bad life, would you like to know and use more you and without al-ka-niya.

They would teach about deeds of kindness, so that everyone from what they have should give everything to their poor brother.

Would you like to see that the newly baptized do not hold on to shamanism, sorcery, sorcery and witchcraft, with -meth of happiness, the meeting of words and words without words and about superstition.

According to the communion of the Saints, Ta-in would be newly-baptized, so that they might live well, abstain but, as Christ-sti-a-us, in person.

Would you like to know if the newly-baptized ones have two wives, and whoever has one would be separated from each other? Would you like to live with a single wife, with whom you would like to marry them and finally live freely and wholeheartedly? lo-mud-ren-no.

About the obstacles that are being discussed among the idol-la-to-ditch, who should

We don’t want Holy Baptism after the conversion and exhortation of the need not to repair the thread or what threats not to make, according to the non-Christian pro-po-ve-di, love with the media lives, kro-stiyu and quietness, without the heart of a human being there can be no strength.”

The soft and heartfelt message of the saintly So-fro-niya revived the state of the mission. But the situation of the newly-baptized ones was difficult. So-ro-di-chi looked at them as if they were fathers. This is why many of those converted to Christ left their families and entered the service of the Russians or lived with the voyeurs. But were there cases when the unusual conditions of a new life and melancholy forced them to run away to their native ulus. Investigative cases have appeared “about the newly-baptized ones who found themselves in their ulu-sys on the run.” All-possible measures, with-n-mav-shi-e-spirit-to-planting-of-new-from-the-language -th influence, were not always effective. And the saint was pleased to use the power here. So, they were from-ka-za-but in exile to Baikal from-rya-ka-za-kov “for detectives on the run but-in-baptism , so that the ka-za-ki could not fraternally offend and resolve the issue.”

The blessing of the Church from the inside, that you have been in vigilant care for the flock and shepherds, many saints he spent his strength and energy on the benefit of decorating the Church from the outside - building new houses. In the Voz-ne-sen-sky monastery, a stone cathedral temple was built in the name of Voz-ne-sen-niy of the Lord, in which then in 1805 there were re-re-ne-se-ny re-powers of Saint In-no-ken-tiya, in Zna-mensky women's mo-na -a stone temple was built in the name of the Sign of God Ma-te-ri. There were four temples in the city itself, and a chapel was set up under the God-revealed Council in the name of the Kazan icon of God Ma-te-ri, in which the builder himself, the saint, was subsequently buried So-fr-ny. It was also built of a stone arch-priest's house with a stone fence around it. Kon-si-sto-ria, having been located in Voz-ne-sensky mo-na-sti-re, was re-ve-de-na in Ir- Kutsk, in a new building.

Holy-the-la-ha-else all the old-ness for the opening of new parishes, supplying the church with personal utensils, vestments, arranging a ringing bell, the best singing in the churches.

The saint loved the statutory service very much, he himself often served and always cared about the welfare and solemnity -the spirit of God's service, the hearts of those who pray for compunction, and by their example, have become laying the spirit towards the beauty and high-quality of service. This is the way-of-the-va-lo and the holy-of-the-government, until then God-pray-tsa-mi did not see- given. He was the first of the Ir-Kut-sk bishops with the hi-ro-to-nii da-ro-va-na to have the privilege of accomplishing God -service in sak-ko-se. Before this, the bishops served in ordinary holy robes.

The ar-hi-pas-tyr-works of the rulers coincided with the true-but-moving-image of his life. He ate sparingly, slept on some kind of floor, prayed incessantly and never missed a breath. -our mo-lit-ve-noe rule. Until the day of his death, he stood under the movement of his father, loving his flock. The generosity of Saint Sophronia knew no bounds. He gave all of himself away for the good of your creation - he didn’t eat a piece without having to deal with someone. His dwelling and the entire Voz-ne-sen-sky monastery would have been completely sick, without a home, orphaned. ta-mi. And truly, from such love the hearts of my fellow-men were inflamed: it was not he who looked for people in need in the right-glorious oracle, and they themselves, without distinction of tribes and faiths, went to him you and from -Walk your souls and hearts, multiplying yourselves to Christ.

March 30/April 12 - Re-establishment

For seven-ten years the lamp of faith burned on the candle of the Irkutsk church, illuminating the flock’s path to the Kingdom of Heaven, but the Lord I wish I could take the soul of Saint Sophronius, so that his incorruptible remains would reveal His glory to the world. The saint's earthly journey ended on March 30, 1771, at the second hour in the afternoon. “Being obsessed with an internal pain for quite some time,” the unforgettable saint died.

The first miracle happened after his death. After the death, coming on the second day of Holy Pascha, a covered coffin with the body of the saint for six months and ten days I stood on top of the floor in the Kazan-based village of Ir-kut-so-bo -ra. And only on October 8, 1771, his land was handed over. All this time the body remained imperishable, which, together with the progress of the Christian goodness, was everyone in pa-my-ti, convince-di-lo live Ir-kut-ska in the holiness of the hierarch. And soon, from the saint’s grave, miracles and healings of the sick began, with faith, I’m asking him for prayer for help. Such miracles, only for-pi-san-nyh and proven-nyh, even before the ka-but-not-for-the-holy-you-count- it was six past seven.

How much unseen bliss of mine has given me a guardian's soul and body after praying for my prayers Holy shit! His tomb in the Ir-kut-sky Bo-go-yav-len-sky co-reserve served for the bereaved, the unquenchable al-ta-rem for their prayers, carried out every day. Year after year, the number of people praying at the saint’s grave has increased. Not only the residents of Ir-kut-ska and Za-bai-ka-lya began to come to his mo-gi-le, but also the guards and the sick with throughout the CBC.

The growth of sacredness is also the result of repeated mastery the collection of his holy relics, which took place: in 1833, during the arch-episcopal Me-letia (during the opening of the po-la in Ka- zan-skom pri-de-le); in 1854, under the arch-episcopal Nile (also during the re-delivery of the council); in 1870, under the arch-episcopal Par-feniya, this time a special co-mis-si-ey (during the ka-pi-tal-no-go re-mont-ta); in 1887, under the arch-hi-epi-sk-pe Ve-ni-a-min.

March 8, 1909, special battle ko-mis-si-ey in the company of ar-hi-epi-sko-pa Ti-ho-na, epi-sco-pa Ioan-na Ki-ren -skogo, vi-ka-riya of the Ir-kut-diocese, river-ra of the Ir-kut-skaya se-mi-na-rii ar-hi-mand-ri-ta Ev-ge-niya , mis-si-o-ne-ra-pro-po-ved-ni-ka pro-to-i-e-reya, ko-man-di-ro-van-no-go Si-no-dom, and members of the local ka-federal-no-go so-bo-ra were pro-iz-ve-de-but official-tsi-al-noe osvi-de-tel-stvo-va -the remains of the saint, with which the following happened: after one hundred and thirty-seven years, despite the proximity to the water (near the house there is a river An-ga-ra), despite the constant dampness in the cave and under the floor -mi so-bo-ra, especially in the summer-time, the coffin, clothes and body of the saint So-phronia so-preserved- were imperishable. During the pre-examination, which lasted for about two hours, some of those present felt... there was a blessing from the relics of the saint.

June 19, 1909, the second official examination of the re-powers of the commission in the co-sta-ve ar-hi-epi-sko-pa Ti-ho-na, ka-fed-ral-no-go about-and-e-reya Fivey-sko-go, key-cha-rya Ver-no-wise- ro-va, hiero-mo-na-ha Pro-ko-pia. And again everything was found in the same form and condition as during the inspection in 1909. Re-zul-ta-you couldn’t help but make the best publicity before the review -that is the holiness of So-phronia and even more revived the belief in his holiness and the hope for his land soon -pro-glory.

By-bu-y-e-my b-go-go-vey-nym in-chi-ta-ni-em pa-my-holy-ti-la, in Si-nod with ho-da-tai - about the soon-to-be-glorified episcopal So-phronia as a pleaser of God, the hierarchs and secular authorities STI, right-glorious faith people. In 1909, the Mis-si-o-ner congress took place in Ir-kutsk, which developed a zealous desire to promote the glorification of Saint Sophronius in front of the Holy Se- but-house. In the next year, March 19, the Ir-kut ar-hi-bishop Ti-khon (Do-ne-bin) returned to Si-nod with his -by their personal management. In 1914, the ar-hi-bishop of Ir-kut Se-ra-fim made a detailed report on the life and miracles of S-no-du, is -walking from the imperishable relics of St. So-phronia. The same aspiration of you-ra-zi-lo pas-tyr-skoe-bra-nie of the spirit-ho-ven-stva of Ir-kut-sk. The city duma and the city government in their representation of the gu-ber-on-to-ru also try to support ho-da-tai-stvo.

At the 48th Diocesan Congress -kho-ven-stva of the Irkutsk diocese. One day, the Lord judged the blessed glory of the saint only in 1918. But before this joyful and long-awaited co-existence happened, faith in the holy place -you, like gold, were subjected to testing. The purpose-bo-no-nos-relics of the saint pro-dol-zha-li-to-it-sya in Kazan near-de-le Ir-kut-skogo Bo of the Leningrad Republic until April 18, 1917. God forbid, on this day, from an unknown cause, a fire erupted in the temple, destroying the living coffin. tsu and imperishable relics of the saint So-fronia. I know that this co-occurrence coincided with the day of the holy saint, which happened in 1753, and with the new holiday will be without God's power - First (April 18 according to the old style), at that time -I’m already a hundred-precisely shi-ro-ko and in my own way id-well - with drunks, fights and “reds” pe-tu-ha-mi”, like that time when it was hot. But the grief of the morning of the saint’s relics not only didn’t make any sense in his memory, what was he looking at lu-ka-vyy, watching from the side for the fruit of his business, on the other hand. The believing children of the Church have united in a union of right-glorious Christians, with the goal of protecting the inertia of the holiness of the right-of-glory, to protect them from the destruction of the enemy of the Church.

A special commission of clergy, laymen, representatives of the su-deb-government, ex-per-tov-me-di-kov and one-go hi-mi-ka osvi-de-tel-stvo-va-la ashes and bones of the holy-te-la, preserve-niv-shi-e-sya after-after- the heat, and blah-go-vey-but they put the remains in a special kov-che-zhet. A new period of earthly glory has begun.

Immediately after the heat, its number increased many times, its number increased -ni-hid, already in front of the kov-chezh. According to the ru-kam of the Bo-go-mol-tsev and earlier, there were under-written sheets with a request for speedy pro-glory -the pleasure of God, now their number has increased significantly. The number of statements about new miracles and knowledge that have been accomplished through prayer has grown. -to the representation of the holiness, and many of those who experienced such a miraculous phenomenon, de-tel-stvo-va-li about this at the Ir-Kut-sky epar-hi-al-nom congress in front of everyone with-bra-shi-mi-sya. To the address of the congress of the stu-pi-ra-sche-nii from other dioceses with the support of Ir-ku-tyan’s aspirations for glorification Holy So-phronia. The appeal is coming not only from Siberia, but also from far away Tver, Kiev and other dioceses. The Ir-Kut-diocese congress of the st-but-wil-wil-start the process through you-so-co-preo-sacred-no-go art hi-episco-pa John and from-the-wrestled representatives from the diocese about accelerating the work about the universal pro-glory-le- the establishment of the third episcopate of Ir-kut-skogo and its inclusion among the saints. This movement in front of the Holy Si-no-house was a cause-of-buzh-de-but and re-yes-but from there to the Council of All- Russian Holy So-bo-ra. In addition to the pre-holy Saint John of Ir-kut-skogo, So-bo-ru were presented We have all the information and statements with a description of miracles, proven by a special co-mission , lists with over 18,000 people, from the participants of the So-bo-ra, the doctors of Cle-ve-za-la and In-lo-bu-e-va about some of the brightest cases of miraculous works according to the prayers of the saints te-la on the basis of the data under the price. Having given praise to the marvelous one in His saints, His Lord God, the good one to show a new light ka the Russian Church as a new and great sign of its blessings of the Right-glorious Church and na-ro -du-Russian, and taking into account that all pre-va-ri-tel-nye acts, re-re-bu-e-my mouth-no-viv-shi-mi - all the customs of the Right-glorious Russian Church from-no-si-tel-but ka-no-for-tions of pleasing their Gods , already half-used, the Council of Bishops found it good to realize a lot of good things -numerous in-chi-ta-te-lei pa-me-ti in Bo-ze-chiv-she-th saint So-froniya. De-i-ni-i-mi So-bo-ra was determined-de-le-but: to accomplish the glorification of the saint of So-phronia, the third bishop of Ir-kut-skogo, including him among the holy-pleasures of God, the honorable ancestors -in the glorious Church-view; The sacred remains of the saint, collected in a ark, are placed in a shell.

The very same celebration of pro-glory, the deadline for something de-i-ni-i-mi determine the Ir-kut-sko-mu ar-hi-herey itself, in consultation with me pat-ri-ar-ha and the place-now- we conditioned-vi-ya-mi, ori-en-ti-ro-voch-but pla-ni-ro-va-los on June 30 - that was the opinion of the pre-holy but Ioan-na, ar-hi-epi-sko-pa Ir-kut-sko-go and Ver-ho-len-sko-go. At the same time, to the address of pat-ri-ar-ha and Si-no-da po-stu-pi-la for a letter from the clergy of Ir-kut-skogo ka-fed-ral-no with a request to hold off from the funeral festivities of the saint at least until October 8th. The basics are really weighty.

Because we're afraid we won't be able to meet the deadline until June 30th, we're serious about it -che-skie and eco-no-mi-che-chi-chi-ny. The country was in a state of civil war; for God's servants there is not enough elemental things: candles, flour, vi-na, de-re-vyan-no-go oil la; there were no holy icons; besides everything, to organize the celebration it was necessary to obtain permission from the new authorities, and meanwhile, “the new government in the person of the ko-missars will find the organization of the festivities inconvenient in the near future.” “Finally,” the kli-ri-ki Ir-kut-ska writes, “there is an extremely tense situation in the city at the moment.” formation as a result of the movement of the White Army from the Far East. It’s hard to say what this will lead to in a month or two.”

It would be difficult to argue against such do-hows, and the Pat-ri-arch gave his consent to the re-not-se-tion the timing of the pro-glory is at a more favorable time. But God is not in power, but in truth. At the moment when Saint So-phronius himself appeared about the time of pro-glorification, the arch-hi-episco-pu Ioan - Well, he said to him: “Man up!”, which inspired him to go to the obstacles he saw. The celebration took place exactly on June 30th. The peaceful singing of the glory of the Lord and the pleasure of God in So-fronia was nothing in Russia. His prayer was kept by the holy one before the Most High Table.

That's when Ti-kho-no Sol-y-you was sacred-to-be-at-the-service of the saint, and tro-par and kontakion according to the blessing of the pre-holy Ioan-na-pi-sal about-i-e-ray Ni-ko-laying Po-no-ma-rev. Aka-fist was under-go-to-len hiero-mo-na-hom Por-fi-ri-em and re-cen-zi-ro-van number of bishops, on- ho-div-shih-sya in Ir-kut-sk “according to the circumstances of the time.” The same “circumstances of time” were carried by the ra-ku and the ark with the holy remains in Ir-kut. a temple in the name of the icon of the Vladimir Goddess Ma-te-ri, near Le-zhav-shay ob-nov-len-tsam. Since 1937, after the closure of this temple, the shrine has remained hidden. Nowadays the name of Saint Sophronius, our zealous intercessor, led the movement of the Church , tire-mi-mo-go-work-no-ka, “on-sta-ni-ka mo-na-khov and so-be-sed-ni-ka an-ge-lov”, is honored by everyone right-glorious world.

Saint Sofroniy, Bishop of Irkutsk and all the Si-Bri, reposed before God on March 30, 1771, on the second Roy day of Holy Easter. While waiting for the decision of Saint Si-no-da about burial, for six months his body was not left given to the earth and during this time it was not subject to decay. Already then, in view of this situation, and also knowing the strict, moving life of the saint So-fr- niya, the flock began to regard him as the pleasure of God. Many times (in 1833, 1854, 1870, 1909) his powers were evidenced as imperishable and issuing blessings. year-date miracles. The fire that happened on April 18, 1917 in the Bo-go-yav-lensky village of Ir-kut-ska left only the bones of the saint -ti-te-lya, but did not diminish, but, on the contrary, increased the b-go-go-vey-no-holy-ness of ve -ru-yu-shim at-ro-house.

Local Council of the Russian Right-Glorious Church as determined on April 10/23, 1918 according to -pro-glorify Saint So-fronia, including him among the holy places of God. The very celebration of the number of saints So-fronia to the number of saints was on June 30th. At the second session of the same So-bo-ra, under the pre-sidence of the holy Pat-ri-ar-ha, the ba sacred So-fronia with tro-pa-rem, who was appointed manager at that time of the Ir-kut diocese of the ar-hi -Bishop John, so that all believers have the opportunity to unite the prayer of the holy go-lo-su churches of Siberia, you-so-who honor the memory of your lumin-no-ka and pray-ven-no-ka.

And at the present time, believers turn to St. So-phronius for help. This is evidenced by prayers compiled on the day of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the pro-glorification of the saint -on July 13, 1958, by mit-ro-po-li-tom Nestor (Ani-si-mo-vym), then-by mit-ro-po-li-tom No-vo-si-bir- in 1971, the 200th anniversary of the repose of the saint So-fronia in the Zo-lo-to-nosh-skaya Kras-no-gorskaya women’s abode of the Po-kro-va of God Ma-te-ri and in Ir-kut - diocese ("Journal of the Moscow Pat-ri-ar-khiya", 1971, No. 9) and the good-go-go-vey-noe of his memory - all the believers of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Prayers

Troparion to Saint Sophronius, Archbishop of Irkutsk

From your youth you loved Christ, blessed Sophronia, / you ruled the monastic monasteries well, / and, having been honored with the rank of bishops, / you fell to the Irkutsk flock, / even after the repose of the gift You have received miracles from God,/ and pray to Christ God// to deliver us from troubles and save our souls.

Translation: From your youth you loved Christ, Sophrony, you managed the monastic monasteries well and were honored by the rank of bishop, you spiritually saved Irkutsk, therefore even after death you received from God the gift of miracles and you pray to Christ God to deliver us from troubles and save our souls.

Troparion to Saint Sophrony, Archbishop of Irkutsk

Speedy intercessor in troubles and sorrows,/ Father of the hierarch of the Siberian country,/ Saint Sophronius,/ stands in Heaven with the First Hierarch of the Irkutsk Church and all the saints,/ I am It is the favor of the Lord of glory,/ look upon the people who flock to the honorable remains of your holy relics,/ with faith and love, tearfully asking for your help and intercession, / pray, which you preached to the people of Siberia, / deliver me from the evils and slander of the enemy, / enlighten the people of the who of old ate unbelief of the heart,/ to grant confirmation of the faith of Christ // and save our souls.

Translation: Quick protector in troubles and, Father of the Siberian land, Saint Sophronius, standing in Heaven with the First Hierarch of the Irkutsk Church and all the saints, you always have the favor of the Lord of glory, be merciful to the people who come to the venerated remains of your saints, with faith and love in the tears of those asking for your help and protection, pray to Whom you preached to the people of Siberia for deliverance from the approaching troubles and machinations of the enemy, for the enlightenment of human hearts that have been dried up by unbelief since ancient times, for the granting of confirmation of the faith of Christ and the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion to Saint Sophronius, Archbishop of Irkutsk

The same wisdom of the hierarch,/ a great decoration for the Church of Irkutsk,/ our father, Saint Sophronius, with love we praise all the faithful,/ for he is the guardian of the city and the land of sowing // and pray A book about our souls.

Translation: synonymous with wisdom (Greek name Σωφρόνιος (Sophrony) from σωφροσύνη - wisdom), a special decoration of the Irkutsk Church, our father Saint Sophrony will be glorified with love by all believers, because he is the guardian of this city and country and the prayer book for our souls.

Kontakion to Saint Sophronius, Archbishop of Irkutsk

Shepherds to the Chief, Christ, / you labored, Saint Sophronius, / in the pasture of the spiritual northern country of ours, / you delivered the pagans of Mongolia from the deception and filth of idols, / I stand to the light of the faith of Christ,/ and now, from the Angel, I stand before the Master Throne,/ Pray unceasingly for all of us, // to deliver us from troubles and save our souls.

Translation: For the Leader, Christ, you worked, Saint Sophronius, in the spiritual pasture of our northern region, having delivered the Mongolian people from filth, you led them to the light of the faith of Christ, and now, standing with the Angels, pray without ceasing for all of us, for our deliverance from troubles and the salvation of our souls.

Prayer to Saint Sophrony, Archbishop of Irkutsk

Oh, Holy One of God, Holy Hierarch of Christ, good shepherd of the spiritual flock, man of God, new miracle worker and constant prayer to God for this country, Father Sophronius, look down from on high Heavenly ones are upon us, who with faith and love worship your image and the honorable remains of your holy relics, for our consolation to those who have escaped from the all-consuming fire. Look, Holy One of God, and see our disorder and strife, our tightness, sorrow and heart disease, from the deprivation of abiding brotherly love. Ask from Christ God for each of us the grace of humility, the knowledge of our sinfulness and self-reproach, and, listening to our conscience, let us stop judging our neighbor, slandering and slandering, but united to love each other, let us live peacefully in humility for the rest of our lives and improve our Christian life death. Yes, united in the future life with all the saints and with you, our shepherd, let us glorify the One in the Trinity, glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Akathist to Saint Sophronius of Irkutsk

Kontakion 1

Chosen Voivode, Creator of the ages, Lord, King of glory, with the depth of wisdom thinking what is beneficial in the generations of generations about His Church, seeing our lack of faith, sinful sleep and coldness , the miracle was given only after the burning of the relics of His saint, thereby showing his great boldness towards the Lord, yes all the people of the Siberian country, kindled with faith and love, will sing to the new wonderworker and healer and prayer book to theirs: free us from all troubles, Father, who call upon you:

Ikos 1

Creator of angels, Lord Almighty, by His grace elevating people to the first dignity in heaven, choose you, Father Sophronius, to serve Him in the angelic rank and become monks on earth. We, remembering your youth and exploits, use the verb sice:

Rejoice, spiritual child of spiritual parents; Rejoice, you who made a good beginning from your youth.

Rejoice, you bear the same name as Chief Deacon Stephen; Rejoice, thou who was worthy to hear the heavenly voice in the temple.

Rejoice, beloved son of the wisdom of God; Rejoice, you who were tonsured Sophronius.

Rejoice, still young, former teacher of monks; Rejoice, loving and strict ascetic Father.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 2

Seeing Elizabeth, the crowned Queen, your good behavior and holiness of life, by the will of God I chose you to be the head of the Lavra of Nevsky, and just as you glorified God in the south of Russia, so also in Ever, in the capital city, teach the monks and Beltsy to continually sing the angelic song to God: Alleluia .

Ikos 2

Reason, gifted from the wisdom of God, cannot hide in you, but like a bright star rises at the height of the bishopric and teaching, illuminating the entire country of vast Siberia with its teaching, inspiring The faithful children of the Church cry out in gratitude to their enlightener:

Rejoice, God-chosen and hardworking saint; Rejoice, for you are not afraid of the difficult path with hardships.

Rejoice, for we accept you as a friend of God; Rejoice, for you also had a soul friend, the righteous monk Sinesia.

Rejoice, man of desires, bearer of God’s grace; Rejoice, Archpastor of Irkutsk, Saint Innocent, Second Deputy.

Rejoice, hierarch chosen by God and favored by the people; Rejoice, joyfully received from the holy cathedral and from the inhabitants of the city of Irkutsk.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 3

Having been endowed with power from above, Saint Sophronius, going around the cities and villages of your flock, fatherly chastising the clergy and priests, let them serve God with fear, according to the dignity of their dignity, and teach Children, fathers and mothers wisely sing the heavenly song: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having zeal for God, like the prophet Elijah, you taught everyone who has power the right to walk in the law of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, to intercede for the weak, the orphaned and to save you from misfortune, to be merciful to the poor, to please you, so with the verb:

Rejoice, Father, lover of right paths; Rejoice, destroyer of evil morals.

Rejoice, proclaimer of the truths of the Gospel; Rejoice, pacifier of the evil ruler.

Rejoice, for you were the first visitor to the city of Nerchinsk; Rejoice, for through your service you leave a memory for your children and parents.

Rejoice, pour out grace to everyone from the vessel of your heart; Rejoice, granting heavenly blessing to the land of Nerchinsk.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 4

A zealot of piety cannot endure the storm of internal unrest, since the gospel does not honor church hymns in the liturgy, vespers and matins; Also burning with love for the glory of God, you commanded that it is Worthy, that you cried out to the Lord and struck the Most Honest in the campaign, so that Christians, in their homes and on the way, may hear the voice of the Church, praise to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Having heard the saying of the Lord: whoever creates and teaches, this great one will be called in the Kingdom of Heaven. By deed fulfilling the word: you accepted prayer, fasting, prostrations and all the yearning of the flesh, and besides, you did not abandon your love for mankind to the lesser brethren, for before your death you were able to The value of acquiring, for this, accept this praise:

Rejoice, Father, forsaking earthly love for Christ’s sake; Rejoice, even for the sake of all red, you are not responsible for anything.

Rejoice, you who kissed the bliss of spiritual poverty; Rejoice, fallen through the fear of God by the passions of sin.

Rejoice, you who took the yoke of Christ upon your shoulder from early childhood; Rejoice, thou who marched steadily along the narrow path to the highest city.

Rejoice, owner of incorruptible blessings in heaven; Rejoice, wondrous glory in the holiness of the saints to the contemplator.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 5

With the rich blood that renewed the human race, you followed Christ, O blessed one, offering Him a bloodless sacrifice for the remission of the sins of your people, and you also offered everything for yourself burnt offering, being a source of healings, a demon driver and a spectator of the secrets of the heart, exciting people to see miracles, sing To God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Having seen the son of great Siberia, your wonderful life, even in the last summer you shone in the newly enlightened country, Father Sophronius, both the ancient fathers were honored with honor, equal to the gift You received this miracle and creation from God, and thanks to Him, we salute you with these greetings:

Rejoice, hierarch, zealot of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; Rejoice, faithful imitator of the wondrous Innocent.

Rejoice, neighbor in the highest to all saints; Rejoice, being a guardian of the earthly from temptations.

Rejoice, thou who observest piety and faith undefiled; Rejoice, you stand before the Unvespers Light in a crown of glory.

Rejoice, you who appeared into the world when Christ was born; Rejoice, for you reposed in the Lord on the bright days of Easter.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 6

Former preacher of the faith of Christ and the knowledge of the truth in the Mongols and in every language of near and far Siberia, you have come to your limit, which is: earth you are and to earth you have gone deshi, giving up your spirit to God, but leaving your body to the faithful for many years in the cave, yes those who come sing a funeral hymn: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

The sun that rose in the land of Irkutsk, Saint Sophronius, in his old age came to know his west, having left earthly life, he received from the hand of the Lord the eternal good, which we know from miracles and healing powers inherent in his holy relics, and being amazed, we sing to him this:

Rejoice, shepherd, vigilantly shepherding the flock of Christ; Rejoice, the hope of the unreliable and the greater joy of the heart.

Rejoice, for you have gone away to receive the crown of glory; Rejoice, for the judgment of God's righteousness has been vindicated upon you.

Rejoice, for your soul is included in the faces of the saints; Rejoice, for this bliss will endure forever.

Rejoice, for your body remains incorruptible; Rejoice, for this miracle has been revealed to the entire Russian Church.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 7

Although the Lord comforted His chosen people, oppressed by internecine temptation, shaken by the wave of unbelief and persecuted together with the shepherds, He revealed the glory of His most blessed one, Nanago Sophronia, who is with the saints in heaven, may people flock to his prayerful help, sing to Christ God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

A wondrous sign began to appear at the reliquary of your holy relics, Reverend Father. For thou hast healed, first of all, tongue pain, and also tooth pain, and thou hast extinguished the power of fireweed, for which we offer thanks to thee in these songs:

Rejoice, free doctor and giver of healing; Rejoice, by the anointing of the oil to ease illnesses.

Rejoice, pour out mercy on the learned, the intelligent and the simple; Rejoice, renew faith through the temptation of the wavering.

Rejoice, by your appearance you deliver from shameful death; Rejoice, through your prayer you have tamed the fierce horses.

Rejoice, warm consolation to all those who are persecuted and mourning; Rejoice, representative of the Lord for all who come running to you.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 8

It’s a strange miracle how parts of the bones of holy martyrs exude healing; behold, now we see the bones of Saint Sophronius exhausted by fire, and hidden from us sinners, wounds and harm are healed, and all the anguish of the sorrowing souls is turned to joy. Truly a glorious miracle! For this reason, for the sake of miracles, we sing to the giver of God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

You are all, Father, dwelling in the highest, but also in the lower, us sinners, who have sunk to the ground through sorrow and the spirit of despondency, do not abandon us, for we always help those who come to you, sorrow is upon us. You trade poverty and poverty for contentment. For all this, pleasing you, with the verb sitse:

Rejoice, source of grace-filled healings; Rejoice, free women from difficult births.

Rejoice, bring back reason to the astonished minds; Rejoice, by appearing in a dream you can correct broken bones.

Rejoice, deliver the fearful from nightly fear; Rejoice, driver of the prodigal demon and giver of chastity.

Rejoice, looking down upon the monastic monastery with your eye from above; Rejoice, you who show your power with a pillar of fire in the ignition of the city.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns with unquenchable love for God.

Kontakion 9

Every law of nature surpasses what you do, oh, great miracle worker! Appearing from the depths of the earth, you say to the elect: glorify me and I will glorify you; and you command that they create a fence over your tomb, so that the holy place is not trampled under foot, but, with fear, people walking around sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The branches of multiplying, not understanding the mystery of God, even about Sophronia, when they saw the smoke of burning from the holy relics, with a great voice, on the streets of the city and in the houses, they wisely shouted Orthodox nom: Wow! Where is your faith? Where is the holiness? Where are the relics? If Sophronius were holy, why not resist the fire? And I curse the faith of Christ. Having also seen many miracles more than before, having learned that God is not mocked: I looked at myself, lit a candle, fell to the honorable remains of the holy relics, I beg in Persia And, in deep silence, I cried out with my heart:

Rejoice, Sophronie, newly revealed miracle worker; Rejoice, grant forgiveness in repentance to those who humbly ask.

Rejoice, you have the power to knit and decide; Rejoice, and with your might you have sent down the greatest power of grace.

Rejoice, thou who united with fiery action the face of the holy martyrs; Rejoice, merciful father, to the one who understands the relics of your blasphemers.

Rejoice, protect your flock from the devil’s plans; Rejoice, giver of blessings at the beginning of good undertakings.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 10

To save your city from a bloody battle, the peace-making Father, you appeared to your co-throne, Archpastor John, glorifying you. Take courage, you tell him. Also, first appear, showing your coffin and the verb: this coffin is old, unneeded by you, even a banner of self-offering as a propitiatory sacrifice for the city. It is impossible for John to know this secret. When what was said came true, he and all the people sang the praises of God with tenderness: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

The stone wall is straight, the wall is at your right hand, the wall is in the cave where your body is kept, servant of Christ, as it is not possible to penetrate there with flame. Moreover, Christ the Lord, through His wisdom, arranges what is useful for the Church, He allowed that your tomb and your body may be burned, showing by this that there is no dogma of Holy Orthodoxy sensual and tangible, but comprehended by heartfelt faith and possible through hope, and teaching you to sing love:

Rejoice, mental exponent of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, thou who carefully gave up thy relics for burning.

Rejoice, thou adorned with the crown of a holy martyr upon repose; Rejoice, meekest father, who reproaches no one for their passion.

Rejoice, honest instrument of God’s truth and wisdom; Rejoice, thou who foreshadowed John in a dream - to be.

Rejoice, for having amplified miracles after combustion; Rejoice, for these miracles rejoiced the people of Irkutsk.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 11

You offered up all-contrite singing and fervent prayer to God in the time of civil war for your city, our great intercessor, as not a single voice of arms was heard in the on the day of your glorification, and so the holy cathedral and the multitude of the faithful were able to sing praises to you and God in peaceful silence : Alleluia.

Ikos 11

The lamp of the Church - the third bishop of Irkutsk - God made you, glorified in three Hypostases, blessed Sophronie. The All-Holy Spirit, God almighty, all-wise, self-ruling, self-commanding, filled you with the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, and with these gifts of the Holy Spirit lead people to salvation, crying out to you:

Rejoice, repository of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, purifier of human evil.

Rejoice, freeing drunken people from passion; Rejoice, you free your head, teeth and stoma from pain.

Rejoice, establish the flow of blood and water in the body with your touch; Rejoice, and with the sap laid on your tomb, give health.

Rejoice, make homes for the needy to live in; Rejoice, you who have no means, where you can bow your head, who gives shelter and food.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 12

The grace given to you from God, leading, we diligently ask you, Father Sophronius, now pour out your warm prayer for us to the Lord, and despise all our sins, grant us A good life, filled with love for each other. May he preserve the cities and churches not to be destroyed, may he grant an abundance of all fruits of the earth, and may he save and have mercy on us all; With a grateful heart we will sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing wondrously in His saints the Heavenly King, who glorified you, His faithful servant, your merciful presence in all our needs, we glorify your help and, thanking God, joyfully with the verb:

Rejoice, great Siberian intercessor; Rejoice, perfect man in virtues.

Rejoice, imitator of saints and holy martyrs; Rejoice, good and kind teacher of monks.

Rejoice, known propitiator of the Most Holy Theotokos; Rejoice, patron of prayer for our city and the whole country.

Rejoice, all-bright radiance of the light of the Gospel; Rejoice, enlightening illumination for those living in the darkness of sin.

Rejoice, Sophronie, who burns towards God with the fire of unquenchable love.

Kontakion 13

Oh, glorious miracle worker and our intercessor, God-wise Sophronie! Accept this small prayer of ours, just as Christ accepted two mites for the widows, and through your God-pleasing intercession, beg the Lord to give us the power from above to correct our lives, so that He may benefit for those who have been cleansed from their sins, to be delivered from Gehenna, and for the good things to come in heaven to gain, cry out to Him: Alleluia.

[This kontakion is said three times. Also ikos 1st: Creator of Angels, Lord Almighty... and kontakion 1st: Chosen Voevodo, Creator of Ages...]

Prayer to Saint Sophronius

Holiness of God, Saint of Christ, good shepherd of the spiritual flock, man of God, new miracle worker and constant prayer to God for this country, Father Sophronius! Look down from the heights of heaven upon us, who with faith and love worship your image and the honorable remains of the holy relics, which for our consolation were delivered from the all-consuming fire. Look, Holy One of God, and see our disorder and strife, our tightness, sorrow and heart disease, from the deprivation of abiding brotherly love. Ask from Christ God for each of us the grace of humility, the knowledge of our sinfulness and self-reproach, and, listening to our conscience, let us stop judging our neighbor, slandering and slandering, but uniting Walking towards each other with love, let us be honored to live peacefully in humility for the rest of our lives and improve the Christian death. Yes, united in the future life with all the saints and with you, our shepherd, let us glorify the One in the Trinity, glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Everyone has their own guardian angel and their own intercessor icon, which is given from birth. Pray to your icon, ask the Lord through it for healing and it will definitely come.

Every profession, every direction has its own unspoken heavenly patron. According to tradition, in ancient times all believers had an icon of their saint at home. All icons are sacred. Many of them emanated a radiant light, others streamed myrrh or smelled fragrant. Icons have more than once saved cities from fires, capture and destruction. There are countless icons in temples, and they are all revered. First of all, icons give people help - they heal, they deliver from death and destruction. All icons somehow manifest miracles, with their help we find peace and strength.


For each person, the word “faith” means something different. Some people go to church and pray, others simply believe in their souls and believe that going to church every week is not at all necessary. And everyone is right in their own way. After all, faith is in our soul, in our heart. Almost every believer has Orthodox icons in their home, and if someone doesn’t, then these people go to church and pray there. Although an icon is not at all necessary for prayer. In the history of Christianity, icons play a huge role. In essence, an icon is a certain form of Divine revelation. And its purpose is to cleanse the souls of people who contemplate it and pray in front of it. They pray in front of the icons. And prayer can be different. Sometimes people ask for help, sometimes they thank you for it. At the same time, the icon is revered, but not worshiped, since only God can be worshiped.
The past is an endless distance, and the more we look into it, the better we see how deep the roots of human history go back centuries. But there are events that unite all centuries, all peoples, and then time, which, at first glance, mercilessly measures out the earthly human path, seems to cease to exist.

Those born from December 22 to January 20 will be protected by the “Sovereign” icon of the Mother of God, and their guardian angels are Saint Sylvester and Venerable Seraphim of Sarov.
Before Your Sovereign Icon
I stand, embraced in prayerful trepidation,
And Your royal face, crowned,
Draws my tender gaze towards Him.
In a time of unrest and inglorious cowardice,
Treason, lies, unbelief and evil,
You showed us Your Sovereign Image,
You came to us and meekly prophesied:
“I myself took the scepter and the orb,
I myself will hand them over to the King again,
I will give the Russian kingdom greatness and glory,
I will nourish, console, and reconcile everyone.”
Repent, Rus', unfortunate harlot...
Wash away your desecrated shame in tears,
Your Intercessor, Heavenly Queen,
He pities you and protects you, the sinner.
S. Bekhteev


Icon of the Mother of God “Sovereign”
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Sovereign” they pray for truth, heartfelt joy, unfeigned love for each other, for peace in the country, for the salvation and preservation of Russia, for the protection of the throne and the state, for deliverance from foreigners and for the granting of healings of body and soul.
Icon of the Mother of God “Vladimir”
Those born from January 21 to February 20 are protected by Saints Athanasius and Cyril, and they will be protected by the icons of the Mother of God “Vladimir” and “Burning Bush”.
The “Vladimir” Icon of the Mother of God has been revered as miraculous for several centuries. Before her, they prayerfully ask the Mother of God for healing from bodily ailments, in particular, diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system. People turn to her for help during disasters, when they need protection from enemies. In front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in all centuries they prayed for the preservation of Russia. Every home should have this icon, because it reconciles those at war, softens people’s hearts, and helps strengthen faith.
The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.” In 1131, the icon was sent to Rus' from Constantinople to the holy prince Mstislav († 1132, commemorated April 15) and was placed in the Maiden Monastery of Vyshgorod - the ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga .


Icon "The Burning Bush"
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Burning Bush” they pray for deliverance from fire and lightning, from severe troubles, and for the healing of ailments. The icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” is depicted in the form of an octagonal star, consisting of two sharp quadrangles with concave ends. One of them is red, reminiscent of the fire that surrounded the bush seen by Moses; the other is green, indicating the natural color of the bush, which it retained when engulfed in fiery flames. In the middle of the octagonal star, as if in a bush, the Most Pure Virgin with the Eternal Child is depicted. At the corners of the red quadrangle there are depicted a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle, symbolizing the four evangelists. In the hands of the Most Pure Virgin is a ladder, leaning its upper end against Her shoulder. The ladder means that through the Mother of God the Son of God descended to earth, raising all who believe in Him to Heaven.
It used to be: the gray-haired church
Burning Bush,
Crouching in a white snowstorm,
Flashes at me from the silence;
In front of the thoughtful icon case -
Unquenchable lantern;
And falls lightly
Under the light there is a pink snowball.
Neopalimov Lane
The blizzard is boiling with pearl barley;
And Our Lady in the alley
He looks thoughtful with tears.
A. Bely


Icon of the Mother of God "Iverskaya"
The icon of the Iveron Mother of God is the intercessor of those born from February 21 to March 20. Their guardian angels are Saints Alexius and Milentius of Antioch. The history of the Iveron Icon can be traced back to the first century, when, out of indescribable love for people, the Mother of God blessed the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke to paint its image during the days of Her earthly life. The Monk John of Damascus wrote: “The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, at a time when the Most Holy Mother of God still lived in Jerusalem and dwelt in Zion, painted Her Divine and honest image on a board with picturesque means, so that, as in a mirror, subsequent generations would contemplate her and childbirth. When Luke presented this image to Her, She said: “From now on all generations will bless Me. May the grace and power of Him who was born of Me and Mine be with you.” Tradition attributes to the brushes of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke from three to seventy icons of the Mother of God, including the Iveron icon.
Before the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos they pray for deliverance from various misfortunes and for consolation in troubles, from fire, for increasing the fertility of the earth, for deliverance from grief and sadness, for the healing of physical and mental ailments, in difficult circumstances, for help to farmers.


Icon of the Mother of God “Kazan”
Those born from March 21 to April 20 need to ask for protection from the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, and they are protected by Saints Sophrony and Innocent of Irkutsk, as well as George the Confessor. We do not know by whom and when the icon of the Russian Mother of God Hodegetria was painted, which translated from Greek means “Guide”. The image of the Kazan Mother of God belongs to this type of icon. An ancient Russian monk-icon painter, inspired by the image of the Byzantine Hodegetria, which is believed to have been painted by the Evangelist Luke during the life of the Mother of God, paints his own version of this icon. Its iconography, compared to the Byzantine one, is slightly changed. The Russian version can always be recognized by its barely noticeable warmth, softening the regal severity of the Byzantine originals.
The Kazan Mother of God and her holy, miraculous, saving icon (she returns sight to the blind, gives strength to the weak) are considered practically official intercessors, defenders of Russia from external and internal enemies. It is also popularly believed that prayer before the Orthodox icon of the Mother of God protects and frees the praying person from his visible and invisible enemies, i.e. from evil people and from evil spirits...


Icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”
The icons “Support of Sinners” and the Iveron Mother of God will protect those born from April 21 to May 20. Saints Stephen and Tamara, Apostle John the Theologian are their guardian angels. The icon received its name from the inscription preserved on it: “I am the Helper of sinners to My Son...”. Many miraculous healings occurred from the miraculous image. Surety of sinners means Surety for sinners before the Lord Jesus Christ. Before the miraculous image of the Mother of God, “Helper of Sinners,” they pray for the granting of repentance, in despondency, despair and spiritual sorrow, for the healing of various ailments, for the salvation of sinners.
For the first time this image became famous for miracles in the Nikolaev Odrina monastery in the Oryol province in the middle of the last century. The ancient icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”, due to its dilapidation, did not enjoy proper veneration and stood in the old chapel at the monastery gates. But in 1843, many residents discovered in their dreams that this icon was endowed, by God’s Providence, with miraculous power. The icon was solemnly transferred to the church. Believers began to flock to her and ask for healing of their sorrows and illnesses. The first to receive healing was a relaxed boy, whose mother fervently prayed in front of this shrine. The icon became especially famous during the cholera epidemic, when it brought back to life many terminally ill people who flocked to it with faith.


Icon "Recovery of the Dead"
If your birthday falls between May 21 and June 21, you must ask for protection from the icons of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost,” “Burning Bush,” and “Vladimirskaya.” Protected by saints Alexei of Moscow and Constantine. According to legend, the icon of the Mother of God “SEEKING THE LORD” became famous back in the 6th century in the Asia Minor city of Adana, saving the repentant monk Theophilus from eternal death, who subsequently achieved the highest spiritual perfection and was glorified by the Church as a saint. The name of the icon arose under the influence of the story “On the repentance of Theophilus, the steward of the church in the city of Adana” (7th century): praying before the image of the Mother of God, Theophilus called it “Recovery of the Lost.”
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking the Lost” they pray for the blessing of marriage; people come to her with a prayer for liberation from vices, Mothers come with petitions for perishing children, for the health and well-being of children, for the healing of eye diseases and blindness, for toothache, for fever, for the disease of drunkenness, for headaches, for the admonition of those who have fallen away from the Orthodox faith and the return of the lost to the Church.


Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”
Queen of heaven and earth, consolation to those who mourn,
Heed the prayer of sinners: in You are hope and salvation.
We are mired in the evil of passions, we wander in the darkness of vice,
But... our Motherland... Oh, incline your all-seeing eye to it.
Holy Rus' - your bright home is almost dying,
We call to You, Intercessor: no one else knows about us.
Oh, do not leave Your children who grieve Hope,
Do not turn Your eyes away from our sorrow and suffering.
Icons of “Joy of All Who Sorrow” and the Kazan Mother of God are the intercessors of those born from June 22 to July 22. Saint Cyril is their guardian angel. “The Joy of All Who Sorrow” is one of the most popular and widely revered miraculous icons of the Mother of God in Imperial Russia, having a number of significantly different iconographic options. Many sick and mourning people, prayerfully turning to the Mother of God through Her miraculous image, began to receive healing and deliverance from troubles.
According to custom, the Mother of God is depicted according to the words of the prayer addressed to her. “Helper of the offended, hopeless hope, intercessor of the poor, consolation of the sad, nurse of the hungry, clothing of the naked, healing of the sick, salvation of sinners, help and intercession of Christians for all,” - this is what we call the image embodied in the icons “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”


Icon "Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary"
Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Elijah the Prophet protect those born from July 23 to August 23, and the icon “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” protects them. In Orthodox Rus', the word “pokrov” means both veil and protection. On the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Orthodox people ask the Queen of Heaven for protection and help. In Rus', this holiday was established in the 12th century by Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Having learned that Saint Andrew, the Fool for Christ's sake, saw the Mother of God holding Her veil over the Orthodox, he exclaimed: “Such a great event cannot remain without celebration.” The holiday was established and immediately accepted by all the people in the joyful conviction that the Mother of God tirelessly keeps Her cover over the Russian land. All his life, Grand Duke Andrei fought against the discord and disunity of his land. He sacredly believed that the cover of the Mother of God would protect Rus' “from arrows flying in the darkness of our division.”
The Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great Orthodox holiday in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God in the Blachernae Church in 910 during the siege of Constantinople. The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is a sign of the grace of God covering us, strengthening us, and preserving us. The icon depicts a procession to heaven through the clouds, to the Savior. The procession is led by the Mother of God, holding a small veil in her hands, and behind Her are a host of saints. The icon symbolizes the prayer of the entire Heavenly Church for the human race.


Icon "Passionate"
Those born from September 24 to October 23 should seek protection from the icons of the Pochaev Mother of God, “The Burning Bush” and “The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.” They are protected by Saint Sergius of Radonezh.
Those born from August 24 to September 23 should ask for protection from the Burning Bush and Passionate Bush icons. Their guardian angels are Saints Alexander, John and Paul. The “Passionate” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos received its name because near the face of the Mother of God two Angels are depicted with the instruments of the Lord’s passion - a cross, a sponge, a spear. The holy image was glorified during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich.


Icon "Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord"
“When you pray before that image with faith, you and many others will receive healing.”
Those born from September 24 to October 23 should seek protection from the icons of the Pochaev Mother of God, “The Burning Bush” and “The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.” They are protected by Saint Sergius of Radonezh. The honest and life-giving Cross of the Lord was found in 326 in Jerusalem not far from the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In memory of this event, the Church established a holiday on September 14/27. The legend of the discovery of the Cross of Christ is closely connected with the life of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen and Constantine. The Savior showed the life-giving power of His Cross through the revival of the deceased, to whom the Cross was attached. When the Cross was found, in order to give everyone gathered for the celebration the opportunity to see the shrine, the patriarch erected (raised) the Cross, turning it to all cardinal directions.
Saint Paul is the guardian angel of those born from October 24 to November 22. The icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and “Jerusalem” protect them.

Now for us the cross is a sacred, most important and most expensive symbol. More than two billion people on earth (more precisely, 2 billion 100 million - that’s how many Christians there are on the planet) wear it on their chests as a sign of their involvement in the true God. Two thousand years ago in Palestine, and in many other places, the cross was just an instrument of execution - just like the electric chair is now in America. And Mount Golgotha ​​near the city walls of Jerusalem was a common place for carrying out death sentences.
About three hundred years have passed since the death on the cross and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity, despite severe persecution, spread more and more throughout the entire earth, attracting both the poor and the rich, the powerful and the weak. Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, his father was a pagan, his mother, Queen Helena, a Christian. After the death of his father, Constantine had a war with the ruler of the city of Rome. On the eve of the decisive battle, when the sun began to set, Constantine and his entire army saw a cross in the sky, with the inscription “This way you will win.” In a dream, at night, Constantine also saw Christ with a cross. The Lord ordered him to make crosses on the banners of his troops and said that he would defeat the enemy. Constantine fulfilled God’s command, and having won the victory and entered Rome, he ordered a statue with a cross in his hand to be erected in the city square. With the accession of Constantine, the persecution of Christians ceased, and the emperor himself was baptized shortly before his death, because he considered himself unworthy to accept this sacrament earlier.


Icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”
Saint Paul is the guardian angel of those born from October 24 to November 22. The icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and “Jerusalem” protect them. The history of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” goes back more than a millennium. According to legend, it is contemporary with the founding of the Athonite Dochiar monastery and was written in the 10th century with the blessing of the founder of the monastery, the Monk Neophytos. It is believed that the icon is a copy of the revered image of the Mother of God, located in the city of Alexandria. The icon received its name, now known throughout the Orthodox world, later - in the 17th century, when a miracle occurred from it. In Rus', the miraculous Athonite icon “Quick to Hear” has always enjoyed great love and veneration, because it became famous for its miracles. Particularly noted were cases of healing from epilepsy and demonic possession; she provides quick help and consolation to all who come to Her with faith.
In front of this icon they pray for spiritual insight, for various infirmities, for cancer, for help in childbirth and for feeding with milk, for children. And first of all, they pray to the Quick to Hear when they do not know how best to act, what to ask for, in confusion and bewilderment.
According to the pious Tradition of the Church, some of the ancient miraculous images of the Mother of God were painted by the first icon painter, the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, even during the earthly life of the Ever-Virgin. These include Vladimir, Smolensk and other icons. It is believed that the image of the Jerusalem icon was also painted by the Apostle Luke, and this happened in the Holy Land, in Gethsemane, in the fifteenth year after the Savior’s ascension to heaven. In 453, the image was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople by the Greek king Leo the Great. In 988, Tsar Leo VI presented the icon as a gift to Grand Duke Vladimir when he was baptized in the city of Korsun (present-day Kherson). Saint Vladimir gave the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God to the Novgorodians, but in 1571 Tsar Ivan the Terrible transferred it to Moscow to the Assumption Cathedral. During Napoleon's invasion in 1812, this icon of the Mother of God was stolen and taken to France, where it remains to this day.


Icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem”
Those born from November 23 to December 21 should ask for the intercession of the icons of the Mother of God “Tikhvin” and “The Sign”. Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Saint Barbara are their guardian angels.
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Jerusalem they pray in grief, sadness and despondency, for healing from blindness, eye diseases and paralysis, during a cholera epidemic, for deliverance from the death of livestock, from fire, during relaxation, as well as during an attack by enemies.


Icons of the Mother of God “The Sign”
Those born from November 23 to December 21 should ask for the intercession of the icons of the Mother of God “Tikhvin” and “The Sign”. Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Saint Barbara are their guardian angels. The Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God is considered the patroness of infants; it is called the children's icon. She helps children in illness, calms the restless and disobedient, helps them choose friends, and protects them from the bad influence of the street. It is believed to strengthen the bond between parents and children. Helps women during childbirth and pregnancy. Also, people turn to the Mother of God in front of Her Tikhvin icon with prayer when there are problems with conception.
One of the most revered shrines in Rus'. It is believed that this image was created by the holy evangelist Luke during the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Until the 14th century, the icon was in Constantinople, until in 1383 it unexpectedly disappeared from the Blachernae Church. According to the chronicle, in the same year in Rus' the icon appeared before fishermen on Lake Ladoga near the city of Tikhvin. The miraculous Tikhvin Icon from the Tikhvin Monastery is currently kept in Chicago in the USA.
The Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” became famous in the 12th century, at a time when the Russian land was groaning from civil strife. The Vladimir-Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, in alliance with the princes of Smolensk, Polotsk, Ryazan, Murom and others (72 princes in total), sent his son Mstislav to conquer Veliky Novgorod. In the winter of 1170, a huge militia laid siege to Novgorod, demanding its surrender. After fruitless negotiations, the Novgorodians refused to surrender, and the battle began. The defenders of Novgorod, seeing the terrible strength of the enemy and exhausted in the unequal struggle, placed all their hope in the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos, since they felt the truth was on their side.
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Sign” of Novgorod they pray for an end to disasters, for protection from enemy attacks, from fires, for protection from thieves and criminals and for the return of what was lost, for deliverance from the plague, for the pacification of the warring and deliverance from internecine warfare...


Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Iverskaya Goalkeeper”
In every home it is desirable to have the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (Goalkeeper), which protects the house from enemies and ill-wishers. The Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most famous and revered in the Orthodox world. According to legend, Iverskaya was written by the Evangelist Luke, for a long time it was located in Nicaea in Asia Minor, and from the beginning of the 11th century. permanently resides in the Iveron Monastery on Holy Mount Athos (in honor of which it received its name).
Not far from the Iveron monastery on the seashore, a miraculous spring has been preserved to this day, flowing at the moment when the Mother of God set foot on Athos soil; this place is called Klimentova pier. And it was to this place that the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, now known to the whole world, miraculously, in a pillar of fire, appeared across the sea. The veneration of this image is evidenced by the fact that the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain alone wrote four canons to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.


Here is what the famous Russian pilgrim-pedestrian of the 18th century Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky writes about the “Goalkeeper”: “In this beautiful, built temple at the inner gates of the monastery, in the iconostasis, instead of the local ordinary Mother of God, there is a certain holy and miraculous icon, named after the ancient monks Portaitissa, i.e., the Goalkeeper, extremely terribly transparent, with great feathers, holding Christ the Savior on her left hand, her face blackened by many years, both showing the entire image, and everything except her face is covered with silver-plated gilded clothing, and in addition, dotted with valuable stones and gold coins, from various tsars, princes and noble boyars given for many of her miracles, where I saw with my own eyes the Russian tsars, queens and princesses, emperors and empresses, princes and princesses, gold coins and other gifts were hung up.”


A family icon is an icon depicting the namesake saints of all family members. A family icon is a shrine that connects all family members and unites their spirit. A family icon is part of a family heritage that is passed down from generation to generation. The presence of a family icon in the house brings the family together, strengthens their faith, and helps in various family matters. The spiritual power of such an icon lies in its conciliarity; when offering their prayers, each family member prays not only for themselves, but also for their parents, children and loved ones.
Recently, the tradition of the family icon has been revived everywhere. On a family icon, the patron saints of family members are depicted all together. Here, as if outside of time, saints gather who pray for this clan, for this family. Among them may be the patron saints of parents who have already passed away - the founders of the clan. To paint such an image, the names of each saint are selected, and rare saints are also found.

Faith is just that: it doesn’t need proof. Nevertheless, over the past two thousand years, so much evidence has been collected for each episode of the gospel history that only a not very informed person can doubt that all this actually happened.

Performing a miracle, that is, fulfilling a prayer, first of all depends on the faith of the person praying. If the one who pronounces a prayer with his lips does not have a conscious and heartfelt appeal to God, then even in front of the miraculous icon itself, the prayer will remain fruitless...
HOW TO CORRECTLY PLACE ICONS IN A HOUSE OR APARTMENT:
The house is a continuation of the temple; in the past, every Orthodox family - both peasant and urban - always had a shelf with icons, or an entire home iconostasis, in the most prominent place of the home. Moreover, the quantity and richness of the decoration of the icons indicated the wealth and position in society of the owner himself. The place where the icons were placed was called differently: front corner, red corner, holy corner, shrine, icon case or ark.
The icon in the apartment is a window to the Kingdom of God. The red corner with icons is the place where the day of an Orthodox Christian begins and ends: morning and evening prayers are read here and therefore everything should be subordinated to one goal - concentrated prayer to God.
When praying, it is customary to stand facing east; Orthodox churches are built with the altar facing east. Therefore, it is advisable to place the icons on the eastern wall of the room. But what to do if the house is oriented so that there are windows or doors in the east? In this case, you can place the icons in any other accessible place, as it is sung in Psalm 112, “from east to west praise is the name of the Lord.” The main thing is that there is enough free space in front of the icons, so that the worshipers do not feel crowded when praying together.
Some people arrange a red corner above the bed - this way the cramped space is used more effectively, cabinets and windows do not interfere, and you sleep under the shadow of shrines.
You can place icons on a special shelf, and if there are a lot of them, hang them on the wall, following a few simple rules. For example, if icons are hung haphazardly, asymmetrically, without a thoughtful composition, then this causes a constant feeling of dissatisfaction and a desire to change everything, which very often distracts from prayer.
Icons can and should be placed in other rooms. The icon should also be in the kitchen. There must be a holy image in the children's room (for example, an icon of the Guardian Angel or an icon of the child's Heavenly Patron).
According to tradition, it is customary to hang an icon of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the entrance to a house or apartment. Although it could be any other icon or cross.

This article contains: Saints Sophronius and Innocent of Irkutsk prayer - information taken from all over the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

Memory: February 9 / 22, June 10 / June 23 (Cathedral of Siberian Saints), November 26 / December 9

Saint Innocent is the first Irkutsk bishop, enlightener, blessed lamp and spiritual collector of Eastern Siberia, temple builder, missionary, seer and miracle worker. Heavenly patron of missionaries and catechists. People turn to him for prayer help to admonish unbelievers and people of other faiths, sectarians, in need, drought, illness, to overcome the vices of fornication and drunkenness.

Saint Innocent of Irkutsk, Icon 1970s. Icon painter Nun Juliania Sokolova

Troparion to St. Innocent of Irkutsk, tone 3

O most radiant lamp of the Church, illuminating this country with the rays of your kindness and glorifying God with the many healings that flow to you with faith, we pray to you, Holy Hierarch Father Innocent, protect this city with your prayers from all troubles and sorrows.

Kontakion to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk, tone 4

Let us praise with love the integrity of the same-named shepherd, preacher of faith in the Mongolian pagans, the glory and adornment of the Irkutsk flock, with all faith: he is the guardian of the Siberian country and the prayer book for our souls.

First prayer to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk

To you, holy of God, as to a quick helper and prayer book for my salvation, I, unworthy and sinful, fall down and pray: do not despise me, despondent, weak, fallen into many iniquities, and sinning all the days and hours, but take in my soul, as I grieve , and beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, Who now stands before Him in the joy of the saints and with the faces of the Angels, to have mercy on me and to bring my soul out of the prison of sin, before I even leave here and whoever is not ready will appear at His judgment. Hey, father! do not disgrace me, who flows to you with faith, even though I am unworthy of your intercession and intercession, but you, being an imitator of God’s love for mankind, make me worthy by turning from evil deeds to good living, so that I am healthy in soul and body, I glorify and I sing of our God, wondrous in my saints, and of your warm intercession always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Second prayer to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk

Holy Hierarch, Father Innocent! Look upon us, servant of God (names), and upon this parish (house); Pray to Christ God to send down His Holy Spirit to us as a gift, to make us wise to walk before Him in all piety and purity. We constantly err from the path of salvation: guide us, our merciful mentor. We are weak in faith: strengthen us, orthodoxy to the teacher. We have done a great deal of good deeds: enrich us, treasure of mercy. We are constantly slandered by enemies, visible and invisible, and embittered: help us, helpless intercessor; Let us glorify the name of God day and night, and let us be worthy to be an heir and eternal life, and let us glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Akathist to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk:

Canon to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk:

Hagiographic and scientific-historical literature about Saint Innocent of Irkutsk:

• Saint Innocent of Kulchitsky, Bishop of Irkutsk(short life) – Pravoslavie.Ru
• Saint Innocent of Irkutsk– Orthodox Encyclopedia

Read other prayers in the "Orthodox Prayer Book" section

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Saints Sophronius and Innocent of Irkutsk prayer

Prayer to Saints Sophronius and Innocent of Irkutsk

Saints of Christ! Standing at the throne, look down from heaven on us, sinful and unworthy servants of God. (names). Warm the hearts of weak people and call them to repentance and correction of their spiritual lives. Strengthen us with your gracious help, your intercession and prayers, protect this parish from all evil and slander of the enemy, save and preserve us in the name of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, to Him we bring glory forever. Amen.

Saint Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk

Saint Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk

After the first Irkutsk saint Innocent (Kulchitsky) rested in Bose, another Innocent (Nerunovich) turned out to be his successor. He ruled the diocese for fourteen years, but on one of his trips he suddenly died, and the department became vacant. At the request of Metropolitan Anthony (Narozhnitsky) of Tobolsk, it was temporarily abolished, “so that the wealth of learned people would not breed thin priests there.” The affairs of the diocese again came under the jurisdiction of the Tobolsk Metropolitan, who himself examined candidates for parish positions. But seven years later, the department was restored, and Saint Sophronius (Kristallevsky) ascended to it, having won from the Lord the crown of a saint of God through the feat of love for his flock. “Warm the human world with the deeds of preaching and the lamp of love, for only from love does love ignite and lead to all zeal for God,” - this is how Saint Sophronius instructed the Irkutsk clergy and missionaries, and this is how he lived himself. Blessed Sophrony (in the world Stefan Kristallevsky), was born on December 25, 1703 in the town of Berezan, Pereyaslavsky district, Poltava province. Raised by pious parents (his father was a cleric) in the spirit of devoted love for God and His Holy Church, he was sent to the Pereyaslav Theological Seminary, after which he entered the Krasnogorsk Intercession Monastery of the Poltava Diocese. After three years of obedience, he was tonsured a monk and soon elevated to the rank of priest. Having experienced all the degrees of obedience and having received a full seminary education, Sophrony was very soon made abbot of this monastery and served in this rank for thirteen years.

The ascetic life, strict piety, wisdom in managing the monastery, and education of Sophrony became known to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, and by her will he was transferred as governor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Here he served for eleven years.

Having got from the quiet Krasnogorsk monastery to the capital's Lavra, Father Sophrony immediately felt the difference in the mood of the monks of these monasteries. Always striving for quiet monastic deeds, he established the Trinity-Sergius hermitage, where he himself mentally rested, and gave the opportunity to undergo obedience to the monks of the Lavra, who were burdened by the noise of capital life. In the life of the Lavra itself, the rector tried to introduce strict monastic life and himself set an example of tireless work, strict adherence to church rules both in worship and at meals. For his high ascetic life and for the zeal with which he worked for the glory of God in the capital's Lavra, he acquired a special position with the empress, who proposed to the Holy Synod to appoint Archimandrite Sophrony to the Irkutsk See and elevate him to the rank of bishop. The consecration of His Beatitude Sophronius took place on April 18, 1753, and the saint arrived at the place of service, in Irkutsk, only on March 20, 1754.

The journey itself took about four months, but the rest of the time, more than six months, he was busy selecting those whom he could rely on in distant Siberia. Saint Sophrony, of course, knew about the thorns that accompanied the apostolic path of Saint Innocent, about the state of affairs in the Irkutsk diocese, and therefore he prepared for the journey especially carefully. The choice of his closest collaborators turned out to be happy for him; he appointed many of them as abbots of monasteries. Among them was the rector of the Ascension Monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Sinesius, who was later glorified by the earthly Church as our venerable representative in Heaven.

Immediately upon his arrival in Irkutsk, the saint devoted himself entirely to arduous work in the field of Christ, correcting what had been missed during the seven-year period of closure of the department.

The saint's great concern was the state of the clergy of the diocese, their educational and moral level. Some clergy did not even know how to write, part of the diocesan clergy was by no means up to the height of their calling (even corporal punishment was used against many - cutting with rods). It was not at all unusual then for the ordering officer (dean) to report to the diocesan authorities about a “section without mercy.”

Another problem was the need for priests. If some of the parishes had at least some clergy, then the other part of the churches were simply empty after the death of the rectors. It was then that the painstaking work that the saint carried out in the capital, selecting future employees for himself, bore fruit.

The Mongolian school at the Ascension Monastery greatly helped Saint Sophronius in selecting candidates for priesthood. Saint Sophrony transferred it from the monastery walls to the bishop's house in order to personally supervise the course of education and upbringing of future shepherds, increased the number of subjects taught in it and expanded their scope. He also found time for teaching work - he himself taught Slavic and Russian languages ​​at school.

To become directly acquainted with the clergy of the vast Irkutsk diocese, the saint “not by necessity, but by will and according to God” diligently visited the cities most remote from Irkutsk: Nerchinsk, Yakutsk, Kirensk. He spent entire months, without sparing himself, on the road, often moving through the Siberian wilds on horseback. Of course, meetings with the flock, who had never seen a bishop before, much less a bishop's service, had a profound educational effect on her. The saint entered into the closest communication with priests and laity, he wanted to see everything with his own eyes, he rewarded zealous ministers, and removed the unfit.

The seven-year widowhood of the Irkutsk department also had a negative impact on missionary activity. Restoring the department, the saint composed and sent out an admonishing message throughout the diocese, instructing the ordering officers (dean) as follows: “Call all idolater priests (idolaters) to the knowledge of the True God: teach the faith and right dogmas to those who have received holy baptism as briefly as possible, applying them to the acts of the apostles; those who wish would be baptized, the simplest people would be taught to read and write and shown that there is a Christian law.

Those who received holy baptism would be reported to the secular team for the granting of benefits from yasak, and to the consistory for information, and the newly baptized would be given a ticket from themselves.

Those who have been baptized are warned not to go to shamans, not to listen to their teachings, not to have idols and not to bow to them.

There would be no long daily prayers, if only according to the fourth commandment they would gather on holidays, and every day - in the morning and, going to bed, they would pray with short prayers; and those prayers, if possible, should be translated into their language and, most importantly, the prayer before starting a task, the prayer of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos.

Fasts with distinction between foods would not be imposed, but constant abstinence would be taught at any time of the day, and they would say that gluttony and drunkenness are great sins.

They would admonish that every year at a certain time, with abstinence from carnal pleasure and with sincere (as possible) confession, they would partake of the Most Pure Mysteries, and that they would have a desire for such a great sacrament, with faith and hope of forsaking their sins.

The sick, and especially those in despair of the stomach, would be exhorted and honored with communion, although without hunger.

We would teach about deeds of mercy, so that everyone should give from what they have to every brother who has nothing.

They should make sure that the newly baptized do not adhere to shamanism, sorcery, sorcery and witchcraft, signs of happiness, that is, verbal and non-verbal, and other superstitions.

After communion of the Holy Mysteries, the newly baptized would be punished so that they would live reverently and abstinently, as is fitting for Christians.

They would inquire whether the newly baptized had two wives, and whoever had such would be separated and ordered to live with one wife with whom he wished, marrying them and ordering them to live abstinently and chastely.

Report to someone who is obstructing preaching among idolaters.

Those who do not desire holy baptism, after conversion and exhortation, should not impose coercion or make any threats, since Christian preaching must be loved with humility, meekness and quietness, since the human heart cannot be forced.”

The gentle and heartfelt message of Saint Sophronius revived the state of the mission. But the situation of the newly baptized was difficult. Their relatives looked at them as renegades. Therefore, many of those converted to Christ left their families and entered the service of the Russians or lived with their successors. But there were cases when the unusual conditions of the new life and melancholy forced them to run away to their native uluses. Investigative cases appeared “about newly baptized people running away to their uluses.” All kinds of measures taken by the clergy to wean the newly baptized from pagan influence were not always effective. And the saint forbade the use of force here. So, they were refused to send a detachment of Cossacks to Baikal, “to search for the newly baptized fugitives, so that the Cossacks could not cause fraternal insults and ruin.”

While beautifying the Church from the inside, which was expressed in vigilant care for the flock and shepherds, the saint spent a lot of strength and energy on beautifying the Church from the outside - building new houses. In the Ascension Monastery a stone cathedral church was built in the name of the Ascension of the Lord, into which the relics of St. Innocent were transferred in 1805; in the Znamensky Convent a stone church was built in the name of the Sign of the Mother of God. In the city itself, four churches were built, and at the Epiphany Cathedral a chapel was built in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, in which the builder himself, Saint Sophrony, was subsequently buried. A stone bishop's house was also built with a stone fence around it. The consistory, located in the Ascension Monastery, was transferred to Irkutsk, to a new building.

The saint made every effort to open new parishes, supply churches with decent utensils, a sacristy, arrange bell ringing, and better organize singing in churches.

The saint loved the statutory service very much, he himself often served and always took care of the splendor and solemnity of the service, which disposed the hearts of those praying to tenderness, instructing the clergy by his example in the beauty and sublimity of the service. This was also facilitated by the bishop’s holy vestments, which had never been seen by pilgrims before. At his consecration, he was the first of the Irkutsk bishops to be granted the privilege of performing divine services in the sakkos. Before this, bishops served in ordinary priestly vestments.

The bishop's archpastoral labors were combined with his truly ascetic lifestyle. He ate sparingly, slept on some skin on the floor, prayed incessantly and never missed the monastic prayer rule. Until the day of his death, he labored like a father who loved his flock. The generosity of Saint Sophronius knew no bounds. He devoted himself entirely to the cause of charity - he did not eat a piece without sharing it with someone. His home and the entire Ascension Monastery were overcrowded with the sick, homeless, and orphans. And truly, from such love the hearts of his flock were inflamed: it was not he who was looking for people in need of Orthodox enlightenment, but they themselves, without distinction of tribes or faith, came to him in thousands and gave their souls and hearts, multiplying the flock of Christ.

For seventeen years the lamp of faith burned on the candlestick of the Irkutsk church, illuminating the path to the Kingdom of Heaven for the flock, but the Lord was pleased to take the soul of Saint Sophronius in order to reveal His glory to the world with his incorruptible remains. The saint's earthly feat ended on March 30, 1771, at two o'clock in the afternoon. “Having been possessed for a considerable time by a cruel internal illness,” the unforgettable saint died.

The first miracle was revealed after his dormition. After his death, which occurred on the second day of Holy Easter, the covered coffin with the body of the saint stood for six months and ten days on top of the floor in the Kazan chapel of the Irkutsk Cathedral that he had built. And only on October 8, 1771, he was committed to earth. All this time the body remained incorrupt, which, together with the feat of Christian virtue that was in everyone’s memory, convinced the residents of Irkutsk of the holiness of the deceased hierarch. And soon from the saint’s tomb miracles and healings of the sick began, who with faith turned to him for prayerful help. Even before the canonization of the saint, there were sixty-eight such miracles, only recorded and verified.

How much invisible, gracious help was given to those suffering in soul and body after prayer at the saint’s grave! His tomb in the Irkutsk Epiphany Cathedral served as a refuge for the mourners, an unquenchable altar for their prayers offered daily. Year after year the number of those praying at the saint’s tomb increased. Not only residents of Irkutsk and Transbaikalia, but also the suffering and sick from all over Siberia began to come to his grave.

The growth of veneration of the saint was also facilitated by the results of repeated examinations of his holy relics, which took place: in 1833, under Archbishop Meletius (during the opening of the floor in the Kazan chapel); in 1854, under Archbishop Neil (also during the remodeling of the cathedral floor); in 1870, under the Archbishop of Parthenia, this time by a special commission (during major repairs); in 1887, under Archbishop Benjamin.

On March 8, 1909, a special commission consisting of Archbishop Tikhon, Bishop John of Cyrene, vicar of the Irkutsk diocese, rector of the Irkutsk Seminary Archimandrite Eugene, missionary preacher Archpriest John Vostorgov, sent by the Synod, and members of the local cathedral carried out an official examination of the remains of the saint, and the following was discovered : after one hundred and thirty-eight years, despite the proximity to water (the Angara River flows nearby), despite the constant dampness in the cave and under the floors of the cathedral, especially in the summer, the coffin, robe and body of St. Sophronius remained incorrupt. During the inspection, which lasted about two hours, some of those present felt the fragrance from the relics of the saint.

On June 19, 1909, the second official examination of the relics took place by a commission consisting of Archbishop Tikhon, Cathedral Archpriest of Thebes, Clergyman Vernomudrov, and Hieromonk Procopius. And again everything was found in the same form and condition as during the 1909 inspection. The results of the inspection could not help but become public knowledge to the pious admirers of St. Sophronius and further inflamed faith in his holiness and hope for his speedy earthly glorification.

Prompted by reverent veneration of the memory of the saint, hierarchs, secular authorities, and the Orthodox believing people petitioned the Synod for the speedy glorification of Bishop Sophrony as a saint of God. In 1909, a Missionary Congress was held in Irkutsk, which by its resolution expressed a zealous desire to petition for the glorification of St. Sophronius before the Holy Synod. The following year, on March 19, Irkutsk Archbishop Tikhon (Donebin) addressed the Synod with his personal petition. In 1914, Archbishop Seraphim of Irkutsk made a detailed report to the Synod about the life and miracles emanating from the incorruptible relics of St. Sophrony. The same desire was expressed by the pastoral meeting of the clergy of Irkutsk. The City Duma and City Council, in their submission to the governor, also asked to support the petition.

The wish for the speedy glorification of the bishop was expressed by the 48th diocesan congress of the clergy of the Irkutsk diocese. However, the Lord judged the glorification of the saint to be timely only in 1918. But before this joyful and long-awaited event took place, the faith of the admirers of the saint’s memory, like gold, was tested. The holy relics of the saint continued to rest in the Kazan chapel of the Irkutsk Epiphany Cathedral until April 18, 1917. By God's permission, on this day, for an unknown reason, a fire broke out in the church, destroying the tomb and the incorruptible relics of St. Sophronius. It is significant that this event coincided with the day of the saint’s consecration, which was in 1753, and with the new holiday of the future godless government - May Day (April 18, old style), at that time already celebrated quite widely and in its own way - with drinking, fights and “red roosters,” as the fires were called then. But the grief of the loss of the relics of the saint not only did not diminish the veneration of his memory, as the evil one hoped for, observing the fruits of his activity from the sidelines, on the contrary. The believing children of the Church have united into a union of Orthodox Christians, which has the goal of protecting the inviolability of the holy places of Orthodoxy and protecting them from desecration by enemies of the Church.

A special commission of clergy, laymen, representatives of the judiciary, medical experts and one chemist examined the ashes and bones of the saint, preserved after the fire, and reverently placed the remains in a special reliquary. A new period of the saint’s earthly glory began.

Immediately after the fire, the number of his admirers increased many times, and the number of funeral services increased, already in front of the reliquary. Signature sheets had previously circulated among pilgrims demanding the speedy glorification of the saint of God, but now their number has increased significantly. The number of statements about new miracles and signs that took place through the prayerful intercession of the saint increased, and many of those who experienced such a miraculous phenomenon testified about this at the Irkutsk diocesan congress in front of all those gathered. The congress received appeals from other dioceses supporting the desire of Irkutsk residents to glorify St. Sophrony. Appeals came not only from Siberia, but also from distant Tver, Kyiv and other dioceses. The Irkutsk diocesan congress decided to initiate a petition through His Eminence Archbishop John and elected representatives from the diocese to accelerate the process of universal glorification of the third Bishop of Irkutsk and canonize him. This petition was initiated before the Holy Synod and transferred from there to the council of the All-Russian Holy Council. In addition to the report of the Most Reverend John of Irkutsk, the Council was presented with all appeals and statements describing miracles verified by a special commission, sheets with signatures of over 18,000 people, reviews of the Council participants, doctors Klevezal and Volobuev about some of the most striking cases of miraculous healings through the prayers of the saint based on the display of data under oath. Having given praise to the wondrous Lord God in His saints, who was pleased to reveal the new lamp of the Russian Church as a new and great sign of His benefits to the Orthodox Church and the Russian people, and taking into account that all the preliminary acts required by the established customs of the Orthodox Russian Church regarding the canonization of saints of God have already fulfilled, the Council of Bishops found it timely to fulfill the pious desire of numerous devotees of the memory of the late Saint Sophronius in God. The acts of the Council determined: to glorify St. Sophrony, the third bishop of Irkutsk, numbering him among the saints of God, honored by the Orthodox Church; The sacred remains of the saint, collected in a reliquary, are placed in a reliquary.

The celebration of glorification itself, the dates of which, by the acts of the Council, was proposed to be determined by the Irkutsk bishop himself, in accordance with the opinion of the Patriarch and local conditions, was tentatively planned for June 30 - this was the opinion of the Right Reverend John, Archbishop of Irkutsk and Verkholensky. At the same time, the Patriarch and the Synod received a note from the clergy of the Irkutsk Cathedral with a request to postpone the celebration of the saint’s burial at least until October 8. The reasons given were really compelling.

In addition to fears of not meeting the time remaining until June 30, political and economic reasons seemed serious. The country was in a state of civil war; There were not enough basic things for worship: candles, flour, wine, wood oil; there were no icons of the saint; In addition, to organize the celebration it was necessary to obtain permission from the new authorities, and meanwhile “the new government in the person of the commissars finds the organization of the celebration inconvenient in the near future.” “Finally,” write the clergy of Irkutsk, “the situation in the city is currently extremely tense due to the movement of the White Army from the Far East. It’s hard to say what this will lead to in a month or two.”

It was difficult to object to such arguments, and the Patriarch agreed to postpone the date of glorification to a more favorable time. But God is not in power, but in truth. In a moment of disagreement about the time of glorification, Saint Sophronius himself appeared to Archbishop John and said to him: “Take courage!”, which inspired him to go against visible obstacles. The celebration took place on June 30. The peaceful singing of glory to the Lord and the saint of God Sophrony was not disturbed by anything. It was preserved by the prayer of the saint himself before the Throne of the Most High.

At the same time, priest Tikhon Soldatov composed a service to the saint, and the troparion and kontakion, with the blessing of the Right Reverend John, were written by Archpriest Nikolai Ponomarev. The Akathist was prepared by Hieromonk Porfiry and reviewed by a group of bishops who were in Irkutsk “due to the circumstances of the time.” The same “circumstances of the time” transferred the reliquary and the reliquary with the holy remains to the Irkutsk church in the name of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, which belonged to the renovationists. Since 1937, after the closure of this temple, the shrine has been kept under wraps. Nowadays the name of Saint Sophrony, our zealous intercessor, the great ascetic of the Church, a tireless worker, “mentor of monks and interlocutor of angels,” is revered by the entire Orthodox world.

Saint Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk

After the first Irkutsk saint Innocent (Kulchitsky) rested in Bose, another Innocent (Nerunovich) turned out to be his successor. He ruled the diocese for fourteen years, but on one of his trips he suddenly died, and the department became vacant. At the request of Metropolitan Anthony (Narozhnitsky) of Tobolsk, it was temporarily abolished, “so that the wealth of learned people would not breed thin priests there.” The affairs of the diocese again came under the jurisdiction of the Tobolsk Metropolitan, who himself examined candidates for parish positions. But seven years later, the department was restored, and Saint Sophronius (Kristallevsky) ascended to it, having won from the Lord the crown of a saint of God through the feat of love for his flock. “Warm the human world with the deeds of preaching and the lamp of love, for only from love does love ignite and lead to all zeal for God,” - this is how Saint Sophronius instructed the Irkutsk clergy and missionaries, and this is how he lived himself. Blessed Sophrony (in the world Stefan Kristallevsky), was born on December 25, 1703 in the town of Berezan, Pereyaslavsky district, Poltava province. Raised by pious parents (his father was a cleric) in the spirit of devoted love for God and His Holy Church, he was sent to the Pereyaslav Theological Seminary, after which he entered the Krasnogorsk Intercession Monastery of the Poltava Diocese. After three years of obedience, he was tonsured a monk and soon elevated to the rank of priest. Having experienced all the degrees of obedience and having received a full seminary education, Sophrony was very soon made abbot of this monastery and served in this rank for thirteen years.

The ascetic life, strict piety, wisdom in managing the monastery, and education of Sophrony became known to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, and by her will he was transferred as governor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Here he served for eleven years.

Having got from the quiet Krasnogorsk monastery to the capital's Lavra, Father Sophrony immediately felt the difference in the mood of the monks of these monasteries. Always striving for quiet monastic deeds, he established the Trinity-Sergius hermitage, where he himself mentally rested, and gave the opportunity to undergo obedience to the monks of the Lavra, who were burdened by the noise of capital life. In the life of the Lavra itself, the rector tried to introduce strict monastic life and himself set an example of tireless work, strict adherence to church rules both in worship and at meals. For his high ascetic life and for the zeal with which he worked for the glory of God in the capital's Lavra, he acquired a special position with the empress, who proposed to the Holy Synod to appoint Archimandrite Sophrony to the Irkutsk See and elevate him to the rank of bishop. The consecration of His Beatitude Sophronius took place on April 18, 1753, and the saint arrived at the place of service, in Irkutsk, only on March 20, 1754.

The journey itself took about four months, but the rest of the time, more than six months, he was busy selecting those whom he could rely on in distant Siberia. Saint Sophrony, of course, knew about the thorns that accompanied the apostolic path of Saint Innocent, about the state of affairs in the Irkutsk diocese, and therefore he prepared for the journey especially carefully. The choice of his closest collaborators turned out to be happy for him; he appointed many of them as abbots of monasteries. Among them was the rector of the Ascension Monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Sinesius, who was later glorified by the earthly Church as our venerable representative in Heaven.

Immediately upon his arrival in Irkutsk, the saint devoted himself entirely to arduous work in the field of Christ, correcting what had been missed during the seven-year period of closure of the department.

The saint's great concern was the state of the clergy of the diocese, their educational and moral level. Some clergy did not even know how to write, part of the diocesan clergy was by no means up to the height of their calling (even corporal punishment was used against many - cutting with rods). It was not at all unusual then for the ordering officer (dean) to report to the diocesan authorities about a “section without mercy.”

Another problem was the need for priests. If some of the parishes had at least some clergy, then the other part of the churches were simply empty after the death of the rectors. It was then that the painstaking work that the saint carried out in the capital, selecting future employees for himself, bore fruit.

The Mongolian school at the Ascension Monastery greatly helped Saint Sophronius in selecting candidates for priesthood. Saint Sophrony transferred it from the monastery walls to the bishop's house in order to personally supervise the course of education and upbringing of future shepherds, increased the number of subjects taught in it and expanded their scope. He also found time for teaching work - he himself taught Slavic and Russian languages ​​at school.

To become directly acquainted with the clergy of the vast Irkutsk diocese, the saint “not by necessity, but by will and according to God” diligently visited the cities most remote from Irkutsk: Nerchinsk, Yakutsk, Kirensk. He spent entire months, without sparing himself, on the road, often moving through the Siberian wilds on horseback. Of course, meetings with the flock, who had never seen a bishop before, much less a bishop's service, had a profound educational effect on her. The saint entered into the closest communication with priests and laity, he wanted to see everything with his own eyes, he rewarded zealous ministers, and removed the unfit.

The seven-year widowhood of the Irkutsk department also had a negative impact on missionary activity. Restoring the department, the saint composed and sent out an admonishing message throughout the diocese, instructing the ordering officers (dean) as follows: “Call all idolater priests (idolaters) to the knowledge of the True God: teach the faith and right dogmas to those who have received holy baptism as briefly as possible, applying them to the acts of the apostles; those who wish would be baptized, the simplest people would be taught to read and write and shown that there is a Christian law.

Those who received holy baptism would be reported to the secular team for the granting of benefits from yasak, and to the consistory for information, and the newly baptized would be given a ticket from themselves.

Those who have been baptized are warned not to go to shamans, not to listen to their teachings, not to have idols and not to bow to them.

There would be no long daily prayers, if only according to the fourth commandment they would gather on holidays, and every day - in the morning and, going to bed, they would pray with short prayers; and those prayers, if possible, should be translated into their language and, most importantly, the prayer before starting a task, the prayer of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos.

Fasts with distinction between foods would not be imposed, but constant abstinence would be taught at any time of the day, and they would say that gluttony and drunkenness are great sins.

They would admonish that every year at a certain time, with abstinence from carnal pleasure and with sincere (as possible) confession, they would partake of the Most Pure Mysteries, and that they would have a desire for such a great sacrament, with faith and hope of forsaking their sins.

The sick, and especially those in despair of the stomach, would be exhorted and honored with communion, although without hunger.

We would teach about deeds of mercy, so that everyone should give from what they have to every brother who has nothing.

They should make sure that the newly baptized do not adhere to shamanism, sorcery, sorcery and witchcraft, signs of happiness, that is, verbal and non-verbal, and other superstitions.

After communion of the Holy Mysteries, the newly baptized would be punished so that they would live reverently and abstinently, as is fitting for Christians.

They would inquire whether the newly baptized had two wives, and whoever had such would be separated and ordered to live with one wife with whom he wished, marrying them and ordering them to live abstinently and chastely.

Report to someone who is obstructing preaching among idolaters.

Those who do not desire holy baptism, after conversion and exhortation, should not impose coercion or make any threats, since Christian preaching must be loved with humility, meekness and quietness, since the human heart cannot be forced.”

The gentle and heartfelt message of Saint Sophronius revived the state of the mission. But the situation of the newly baptized was difficult. Their relatives looked at them as renegades. Therefore, many of those converted to Christ left their families and entered the service of the Russians or lived with their successors. But there were cases when the unusual conditions of the new life and melancholy forced them to run away to their native uluses. Investigative cases appeared “about newly baptized people running away to their uluses.” All kinds of measures taken by the clergy to wean the newly baptized from pagan influence were not always effective. And the saint forbade the use of force here. So, they were refused to send a detachment of Cossacks to Baikal, “to search for the newly baptized fugitives, so that the Cossacks could not cause fraternal insults and ruin.”

While beautifying the Church from the inside, which was expressed in vigilant care for the flock and shepherds, the saint spent a lot of strength and energy on beautifying the Church from the outside - building new houses. In the Ascension Monastery a stone cathedral church was built in the name of the Ascension of the Lord, into which the relics of St. Innocent were transferred in 1805; in the Znamensky Convent a stone church was built in the name of the Sign of the Mother of God. In the city itself, four churches were built, and at the Epiphany Cathedral a chapel was built in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, in which the builder himself, Saint Sophrony, was subsequently buried. A stone bishop's house was also built with a stone fence around it. The consistory, located in the Ascension Monastery, was transferred to Irkutsk, to a new building.

The saint made every effort to open new parishes, supply churches with decent utensils, a sacristy, arrange bell ringing, and better organize singing in churches.

The saint loved the statutory service very much, he himself often served and always took care of the splendor and solemnity of the service, which disposed the hearts of those praying to tenderness, instructing the clergy by his example in the beauty and sublimity of the service. This was also facilitated by the bishop’s holy vestments, which had never been seen by pilgrims before. At his consecration, he was the first of the Irkutsk bishops to be granted the privilege of performing divine services in the sakkos. Before this, bishops served in ordinary priestly vestments.

The bishop's archpastoral labors were combined with his truly ascetic lifestyle. He ate sparingly, slept on some skin on the floor, prayed incessantly and never missed the monastic prayer rule. Until the day of his death, he labored like a father who loved his flock. The generosity of Saint Sophronius knew no bounds. He devoted himself entirely to the cause of charity - he did not eat a piece without sharing it with someone. His home and the entire Ascension Monastery were overcrowded with the sick, homeless, and orphans. And truly, from such love the hearts of his flock were inflamed: it was not he who was looking for people in need of Orthodox enlightenment, but they themselves, without distinction of tribes or faith, came to him in thousands and gave their souls and hearts, multiplying the flock of Christ.

For seventeen years the lamp of faith burned on the candlestick of the Irkutsk church, illuminating the path to the Kingdom of Heaven for the flock, but the Lord was pleased to take the soul of Saint Sophronius in order to reveal His glory to the world with his incorruptible remains. The saint's earthly feat ended on March 30, 1771, at two o'clock in the afternoon. “Having been possessed for a considerable time by a cruel internal illness,” the unforgettable saint died.

The first miracle was revealed after his dormition. After his death, which occurred on the second day of Holy Easter, the covered coffin with the body of the saint stood for six months and ten days on top of the floor in the Kazan chapel of the Irkutsk Cathedral that he had built. And only on October 8, 1771, he was committed to earth. All this time the body remained incorrupt, which, together with the feat of Christian virtue that was in everyone’s memory, convinced the residents of Irkutsk of the holiness of the deceased hierarch. And soon from the saint’s tomb miracles and healings of the sick began, who with faith turned to him for prayerful help. Even before the canonization of the saint, there were sixty-eight such miracles, only recorded and verified.

How much invisible, gracious help was given to those suffering in soul and body after prayer at the saint’s grave! His tomb in the Irkutsk Epiphany Cathedral served as a refuge for the mourners, an unquenchable altar for their prayers offered daily. Year after year the number of those praying at the saint’s tomb increased. Not only residents of Irkutsk and Transbaikalia, but also the suffering and sick from all over Siberia began to come to his grave.

The growth of veneration of the saint was also facilitated by the results of repeated examinations of his holy relics, which took place: in 1833, under Archbishop Meletius (during the opening of the floor in the Kazan chapel); in 1854, under Archbishop Neil (also during the remodeling of the cathedral floor); in 1870, under the Archbishop of Parthenia, this time by a special commission (during major repairs); in 1887, under Archbishop Benjamin.

On March 8, 1909, a special commission consisting of Archbishop Tikhon, Bishop John of Cyrene, vicar of the Irkutsk diocese, rector of the Irkutsk Seminary Archimandrite Eugene, missionary preacher Archpriest John Vostorgov, sent by the Synod, and members of the local cathedral carried out an official examination of the remains of the saint, and the following was discovered : after one hundred and thirty-eight years, despite the proximity to water (the Angara River flows nearby), despite the constant dampness in the cave and under the floors of the cathedral, especially in the summer, the coffin, robe and body of St. Sophronius remained incorrupt. During the inspection, which lasted about two hours, some of those present felt the fragrance from the relics of the saint.

On June 19, 1909, the second official examination of the relics took place by a commission consisting of Archbishop Tikhon, Cathedral Archpriest of Thebes, Clergyman Vernomudrov, and Hieromonk Procopius. And again everything was found in the same form and condition as during the 1909 inspection. The results of the inspection could not help but become public knowledge to the pious admirers of St. Sophronius and further inflamed faith in his holiness and hope for his speedy earthly glorification.

Prompted by reverent veneration of the memory of the saint, hierarchs, secular authorities, and the Orthodox believing people petitioned the Synod for the speedy glorification of Bishop Sophrony as a saint of God. In 1909, a Missionary Congress was held in Irkutsk, which by its resolution expressed a zealous desire to petition for the glorification of St. Sophronius before the Holy Synod. The following year, on March 19, Irkutsk Archbishop Tikhon (Donebin) addressed the Synod with his personal petition. In 1914, Archbishop Seraphim of Irkutsk made a detailed report to the Synod about the life and miracles emanating from the incorruptible relics of St. Sophrony. The same desire was expressed by the pastoral meeting of the clergy of Irkutsk. The City Duma and City Council, in their submission to the governor, also asked to support the petition.

The wish for the speedy glorification of the bishop was expressed by the 48th diocesan congress of the clergy of the Irkutsk diocese. However, the Lord judged the glorification of the saint to be timely only in 1918. But before this joyful and long-awaited event happened, the faith of the admirers of the memory of the saint was like gold. was put to the test. The holy relics of the saint continued to rest in the Kazan chapel of the Irkutsk Epiphany Cathedral until April 18, 1917. By God's permission, on this day, for an unknown reason, a fire broke out in the church, destroying the tomb and the incorruptible relics of St. Sophronius. It is significant that this event coincided with the day of the saint’s consecration, which was in 1753, and with the new holiday of the future godless government - May Day (April 18, old style), at that time already celebrated quite widely and in its own way - with drinking, fights and “red roosters,” as the fires were called then. But the grief of the loss of the relics of the saint not only did not diminish the veneration of his memory, as the evil one hoped for, observing the fruits of his activity from the sidelines, on the contrary. The believing children of the Church have united into a union of Orthodox Christians, which has the goal of protecting the inviolability of the holy places of Orthodoxy and protecting them from desecration by enemies of the Church.

A special commission of clergy, laymen, representatives of the judiciary, medical experts and one chemist examined the ashes and bones of the saint, preserved after the fire, and reverently placed the remains in a special reliquary. A new period of the saint’s earthly glory began.

Immediately after the fire, the number of his admirers increased many times, and the number of funeral services increased, already in front of the reliquary. Signature sheets had previously circulated among pilgrims demanding the speedy glorification of the saint of God, but now their number has increased significantly. The number of statements about new miracles and signs that took place through the prayerful intercession of the saint increased, and many of those who experienced such a miraculous phenomenon testified about this at the Irkutsk diocesan congress in front of all those gathered. The congress received appeals from other dioceses supporting the desire of Irkutsk residents to glorify St. Sophrony. Appeals came not only from Siberia, but also from distant Tver, Kyiv and other dioceses. The Irkutsk diocesan congress decided to initiate a petition through His Eminence Archbishop John and elected representatives from the diocese to accelerate the process of universal glorification of the third Bishop of Irkutsk and canonize him. This petition was initiated before the Holy Synod and transferred from there to the council of the All-Russian Holy Council. In addition to the report of the Most Reverend John of Irkutsk, the Council was presented with all appeals and statements describing miracles verified by a special commission, sheets with signatures of over 18,000 people, reviews of the Council participants, doctors Klevezal and Volobuev about some of the most striking cases of miraculous healings through the prayers of the saint based on the display of data under oath. Having given praise to the wondrous Lord God in His saints, who was pleased to reveal the new lamp of the Russian Church as a new and great sign of His benefits to the Orthodox Church and the Russian people, and taking into account that all the preliminary acts required by the established customs of the Orthodox Russian Church regarding the canonization of saints of God have already fulfilled, the Council of Bishops found it timely to fulfill the pious desire of numerous devotees of the memory of the late Saint Sophronius in God. The acts of the Council determined: to glorify St. Sophrony, the third bishop of Irkutsk, numbering him among the saints of God, honored by the Orthodox Church; The sacred remains of the saint, collected in a reliquary, are placed in a reliquary.

The celebration of glorification itself, the dates of which, by the acts of the Council, was proposed to be determined by the Irkutsk bishop himself, in accordance with the opinion of the Patriarch and local conditions, was tentatively planned for June 30 - this was the opinion of the Right Reverend John, Archbishop of Irkutsk and Verkholensky. At the same time, the Patriarch and the Synod received a note from the clergy of the Irkutsk Cathedral with a request to postpone the celebration of the saint’s burial at least until October 8. The reasons given were really compelling.

In addition to fears of not meeting the time remaining until June 30, political and economic reasons seemed serious. The country was in a state of civil war; There were not enough basic things for worship: candles, flour, wine, wood oil; there were no icons of the saint; In addition, to organize the celebration it was necessary to obtain permission from the new authorities, and meanwhile “the new government in the person of the commissars finds the organization of the celebration inconvenient in the near future.” “Finally,” write the clergy of Irkutsk, “the situation in the city is currently extremely tense due to the movement of the White Army from the Far East. It’s hard to say what this will lead to in a month or two.”

It was difficult to object to such arguments, and the Patriarch agreed to postpone the date of glorification to a more favorable time. But God is not in power, but in truth. In a moment of disagreement about the time of glorification, Saint Sophronius himself appeared to Archbishop John and said to him: “Take courage!”, which inspired him to go against visible obstacles. The celebration took place on June 30. The peaceful singing of glory to the Lord and the saint of God Sophrony was not disturbed by anything. It was preserved by the prayer of the saint himself before the Throne of the Most High.

At the same time, priest Tikhon Soldatov composed a service to the saint, and the troparion and kontakion, with the blessing of the Right Reverend John, were written by Archpriest Nikolai Ponomarev. The Akathist was prepared by Hieromonk Porfiry and reviewed by a group of bishops who were in Irkutsk “due to the circumstances of the time.” The same “circumstances of the time” transferred the reliquary and the reliquary with the holy remains to the Irkutsk church in the name of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, which belonged to the renovationists. Since 1937, after the closure of this temple, the shrine has been kept under wraps. Nowadays the name of Saint Sophrony, our zealous intercessor, the great ascetic of the Church, a tireless worker, “mentor of monks and interlocutor of angels,” is revered by the entire Orthodox world.

Saint Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk and All Siberia, miracle worker, known under the name Kristalevsky, was born in Little Russia, in the Chernigov regiment in 1704. His father, Nazariy Fedorov, was “a Polish-Lithuanian man, his Baltsy, Sophronia, was called Stefan,” in honor of the first martyr Archdeacon Stefan. He had two brothers and a sister, Pelageya. The name of one brother is Pavel, the name of the other, older one, is unknown, but there is information that he was subsequently the abbot of the Krasnogorsk Zolotonosha Monastery.

Stefan's childhood years were spent in the town of Berezan, Pereyaslavsky district, Poltava province, where the family settled after his father was dismissed from service. As Stefan grew older, he entered the Kyiv Theological Academy, where at that time two other future saints were studying - Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod (September 4 and December 10), and Paul, Metropolitan of Tobolsk.

Having received theological education, Stefan entered the Krasnogorsk Transfiguration Monastery (later renamed Pokrovsky, and since 1789 transformed into a convent), where his older brother was already asceticizing. On April 23, 1730, he took monastic vows with the name Sophronius, in honor of Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (March 11).

On the night after being tonsured as a monk, the monk Sophrony heard a Voice in the Church of the Intercession: “When you become a bishop, build a temple in the name of All Saints,” which predicted his future service. Two years later, in 1732, he was summoned to Kyiv, where in the St. Sophia Cathedral he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, and then hieromonk. About the subsequent period of the life of Saint Sophrony, his form says the following: “After his dedication in this Zolotonosha monastery, he was treasurer for two years, and then was taken by order of the Pereyaslav diocese of the Most Reverend Arseny Berlov to his bishop’s house, in which he was a housekeeper for 8 years upon his capture in Alexandro- Nevsky Monastery, from which in those years in 1735 he was sent to St. Petersburg for his bishop’s affairs, for which he remained in intercession for two years.”

These data quite specifically indicate the connection of the Saint with his native Pokrovsky monastery. While undergoing obedience to the ruling bishop in Pereyaslav, he often retired to his monastery, spending his days in silent contemplation and work, setting an example of monastic work for the brethren.

During Hieromonk Sophrony's stay on bishop's affairs at the Synod, special attention was paid to him. And when the need arose to replenish the brotherhood of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, the future saint was summoned among the 29 monks summoned from various monasteries in Russia. A year later, he was appointed treasurer of the monastery, and in 1746 he was confirmed in the position of vicar of the monastery, which he held for more than seven years.

To help him, he summoned his fellow countryman, a native of the city of Priluki, Hieromonk Synesius and appointed him the builder of the New Sergius Hermitage, assigned to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. From that time on, the friendship of the two ascetics - Hieromonk Sophrony and Hieromonk Synesius - became increasingly stronger in their single pastoral work; they were already inseparable until their death on Siberian soil. During these years, Saint Sophronius put a lot of work into improving the monastery and improving teaching in the seminary located at it. Together with Archbishop Theodosius, he took care of the proper stocking of the monastery library.

Under him, a two-story church was built: the upper one, in the name of St. Theodore Yaroslavich, the elder brother of St. Alexander Nevsky, and the lower one, in the name of St. John Chrysostom.

In 1747, Bishop of Irkutsk Innocent II (Nerunovich) died. For six years, the Irkutsk diocese, the largest in territory, remained without spiritual guidance.

Finally, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1741 - 1761), by decree of February 23, 1753, recommended to the Holy Synod the pious abbot of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery Sophrony, as “a person not only worthy of the episcopal rank, but also fully capable of justifying the desire and hopes of the Empress and the Synod - to raise the burden of episcopal service on a distant outskirts and to meet the needs of the flock in a harsh country, among wild nature and human tyranny."

On April 18, 1753, on the Sunday of Thomas, in the Great Assumption Cathedral, Hieromonk Sophrony was consecrated Bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk.

Anticipating a difficult ministry in the remote Siberian region, the newly ordained Saint did not immediately go to the Irkutsk diocese, but began to select educated and spiritually experienced employees. At this time, Saint Sophronius visited his first Krasnogorsk monastery. He also visited the shrines of Kyiv, where he asked the Kiev-Pechersk saints for a blessing for his service. The saint's constant companion was still Hieromonk Sinesius, who zealously shared his friend's life difficulties.

In Moscow, the Archbishop of Moscow and Sevsk Platon, who participated in the consecration of Hieromonk Sophrony, rendered great services to the saint. He gave him fatherly instructions for the upcoming feat, since he was well acquainted with the peculiarities of the Siberian spiritual life, warned him about the willfulness of the local authorities and advised him to select reliable assistants.

On March 20, 1754, the saint arrived in Irkutsk. First, he stopped by the Ascension Monastery, the place of residence of his predecessors, and prayed at the grave of Bishop Innocent (Kulchitsky), asking for his blessing for the upcoming feat.

Having become familiar with the state of affairs in the diocese, the saint began reforms in the Spiritual Consistory, monasteries and parishes, and turned to the Holy Synod with a request to send worthy people to serve in the priesthood in the Irkutsk diocese.

By the time of Saint Sophrony’s arrival, the Irkutsk monasteries already had a history of almost a century. The founders of these monasteries were filled with an ardent desire for a monastic, ascetic life. The insightful saint appointed pious, wise, active people, with great life and spiritual experience, as abbots of the monasteries. In 1754, His Grace Sophrony elevated his friend and associate Hieromonk Synesius to archimandrite of the Ascension Monastery. This memorable abbot served the monastery for thirty-three years before his blessed death. In September 1754, the Saint issued a decree, which noted concern for the training and education of the children of the clergy. The decree charged the clergy with the duty of teaching their children the Book of Hours, the Psalter, singing and the primer, and the teaching “had to be done with all diligence and extreme diligence, so that the children could fulfill the sacristan and sexton duties according to their merits.”

Carefully studying people and situations, in sermons and personal conversations, the saint tirelessly encouraged everyone to higher moral ideals. He paid special attention to the reverent and correct performance of Divine services and the Sacraments by the clergy. and also monitored the moral purity of the laity, took care of the position of women in the family, and protected them from unfair treatment of them. The saint tried to establish the statutory Divine service everywhere, for which he summoned priests, deacons, sextons and sextons, who during the bishop's Divine service participated in the choir and served as subdeacons.

While traveling around the diocese, the saint noticed that due attention was not paid everywhere to church evangelism and censing, and therefore, by decrees, he restored the correct censing and evangelism.

Called to apostolic service in this region, Saint Sophrony realized that, in addition to enlightening Christian believers, he would have to bring idolaters, of whom there were very many in Siberia, to faith.

It was difficult to bring pagans to the Church of Christ, since sometimes there was no one to serve even in churches, and even more so to engage in missionary work. Knowing how the bishop's divine service has a beneficial effect on foreigners, the saint not only served reverently himself, but also demanded the same from all clergy.

Saint Sophronius took care of the way of life of small peoples and promoted the development of sedentism and culture in the local population, offered them monastery lands for settlement and tried in every possible way to isolate them from the influence of paganism. Numerous visitors constantly came to the saint and came from distant places for blessings.

But among many concerns, he did not forget about his inner, spiritual life and eternity and led an ascetic life. There is evidence of this from the cell attendant of St. Sophrony, who reports that the saint “ate the simplest food and in small quantities, served very often, spent most of the night in prayer, slept on the floor, whether sheep’s fur, deerskin or bearskin and a small simple pillow - that’s all his bed for a short sleep.”

His ascetic spirit corresponded to the general upsurge of the Christian spirit in Russia due to the glorification of Saints Demetrius of Rostov (September 21), Theodosius of Chernigov (September 9) and especially with the discovery of the incorruptible relics of his predecessor, Saint Innocent of Irkutsk (February 9). This event gave Saint Sophronius great strength and inspired hope for the help of Saint Innocent in his work to organize the diocese.

Until the end of his days, Saint Sophrony retained his love for the Krasnogorsk Zolotonosha monastery, which nurtured him in the days of his youth. He constantly contributed to maintaining its splendor, sending the necessary funds for this.

Feeling his health deteriorating, Saint Sophronius submitted a petition to the Synod to retire him. But they delayed the answer from St. Petersburg, because it was difficult to immediately select a worthy successor. Saint Sophronius spent the last days of his life in feat of prayer.

The light that shone forth in the good deeds of Saint Sophronius continues to testify to this day of the glory of the Heavenly Father, “mercifully strengthening His saints.” And now, not only in Siberia, at the site of the last exploits of Saint Sophrony, but also at the site of his first exploits, the holy memory of him is reverently preserved.