In St. Petersburg there is a home church of the icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, and a huge number of Orthodox people and others know about Ivan Mironov, the rector of the temple. Here he conducts services and helps people. This old man is an amazing person with a difficult fate and incredible strength. People turn to him when it is necessary to receive healing from physical and mental ailments. Its power is especially clearly expressed when ridding people of drug addiction, excessive gambling, alcoholism or violent passions.
He did not always have the opportunity to take care of the health of those asking for help. There were many dark pages in his life, filled with camps and war, persecution and hunger. His faith helped him go through all these stages and withstand incredible trials, showing him the path of an Orthodox priest for the sake of consoling his soul and caring for loved ones.
The childhood years of Ioann Mironov
From the very birth of Father Ioann Mironov, it was not the luxury and elegance of the rich houses of that time that surrounded him. He was the son of an ordinary peasant living in the village of Shabany, located in the Pskov region. The future priest was born on November 25, 1926, when repression and famine were spreading throughout the country.
Since Ioann Mironov’s parents were believers and refused to join the collective farm, they were sent to forced labor. They were assigned to develop peat bogs in the Sinyavsky swamps. They were transported there in ordinary freight cars, not suitable for transporting people. We had to live in frozen barracks.
Life in the barracks was not easy. In addition, from 1932 to 1935, famine began to reign here. During these days, the future elder lost his three brothers and sister, his uncle, and his mother fell ill with tuberculosis. 1936 brought some relief, as fresh bread appeared on people's tables, and children began to receive candy as a reward.
The boy often saw how the authorities left many families to perish, arresting the innocent and taking the only breadwinners to prison in 1937. Few of the members of such families received a real opportunity to survive.
It was very difficult for children in those years, because they had to become part of the working class from childhood and were given standards almost equal to adults. John was able to start studying only at the age of nine. He also had to weave baskets and carry peat into them. Combining work and study, the boy had practically no time for children's games and sleep.
Parish life
Regular parishioners of the church are active people and can tell many stories about their priest; they speak of him with great respect. Father John helps everyone who comes to prayer in the church, first in word, and later in deed. According to those who turned to him with requests for prayer, he radiates love for his neighbors and knows how to console in the most difficult moments of life.
The church has all the conditions for giving up bad habits - on the ground floor there is a gym for teenagers and young people, above the main part of the church, on the fourth floor, the Orthodox theater “Strannik” gives performances and performances.
War time
September 1941 brought with it occupation. The Mironov family needed (like others) to leave the lands occupied by the enemy. They began to make their way into the territory of the Pskov region.
The difficult journey along the front line brought the family many hardships and problems. Nobody wanted to help the refugees, so getting to the right place had great difficulty.
A turning point in the war had passed, and German troops began their retreat. During this period, life became even more terrible. Tragedies multiplied, hundreds and thousands of people died in the camps. When the Germans left, young John was only 17 years old. He was sent to fight at the front, where the guy became an artilleryman.
Mironov never hid behind his colleagues and acted openly. For his services, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree. When the war ended, John was awarded the medal “For Victory over Germany.”
Entry into the Priesthood
The war passed, but life did not become easier. At that time, my father was sent into ten-year exile, but my mother did not last long: in 1946, she quietly left this mortal world. Vera was already leading the young man. Even on the front line, he often wanted to become a priest, to help at least the souls of killed soldiers, to support those around him. During these years, the decision only became stronger. It was only necessary to receive the instruction necessary to enter the seminary. The blessing was not received immediately. Only in 1948 was he blessed to study within the walls of the Leningrad Theological Seminary by Elder Seraphim Vyritsky.
Seraphim Vyritsky
Elder Seraphim's visits became frequent. The young man most remembered their first meeting. Ivan reached Father Seraphim’s house on holidays. He met two seminarians whom he became acquainted with. People here were waiting for a reception or a sermon. The cell attendant came out to the audience. She invited the seminary students to the elder, but Ivan remained in the yard. A little later, the cell attendant came out again and called the seminarians again, pointing to Ivan. In the cell, the young man revealed his secret aspiration and was blessed by the elder to study. Later, the elder predicted that he would study within the walls of the Theological Academy.
In 1948, his training began. The number of seminarians was small. The future Metropolitan John and the future Patriarch Alexy were studying in parallel with Mironov. Students had to conduct liturgies in existing open churches and temples that did not have their own priest and were located in the Leningrad region. They did this according to the instructions of the manager.
The period of study gave the student Ivan Mironov the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage, which the young man took advantage of, heading his way to Kuksha (Velichko) from Odessa. During a conversation, the wise elder offered the young man the path of service in monasticism, but John refused it. Then Kuksha gave a prophecy according to which Mironov would replace many churches and parishes.
Venerable Kuksha of Odessa
The year 1956 brought joy to the life of Ioann Mironov: in the winter days he was married to his bride Nina. In the spring, in April, the future elder was ordained to the rank of deacon, and 3 months later his priestly ordination took place. The first appointment in the village. Borisovo became the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elder Kuksha.
The next appointment was with. Miraculous. Here the wife was relieved of her pregnancy and gave the young priest her eldest daughter, Olga. Later, Father John was sent to Staraya Russa. Then the second daughter, named Seraphim, saw the light. Then Mironov was sent to serve in the church in the city of Petrozavodsk. Here God gave him and his wife a son, Alexander.
The Khrushchev “thaw”, which came in the early 60s, did not bring anything good to the life of the priest. Mironov fell out of favor with the authorities. In those days, at the invitation of Father Alexander Ilyin, the young priest served in Veliky Novgorod. After Gagarin’s flight into space, of course, many said that when visiting outer space, the astronaut did not see God. They even came up with a saying about it.
Outraged by the changes in the mood of the people, the future elder was indignant. He could not contain his impulse and did not keep silent about it during the service, recalling the words of a church hymn.
The competent authorities could not ignore this attack. As a result, the priest (along with his entire family) moved to a very small rural parish, located next to the Mstinsky Most station.
Father John never doubted the Faith. She was deep and unshakable in his heart. The miracles happening around us especially contributed to this. One of the miracles happened when the priest became very ill, as a result of which he ended up in the inpatient department of a local hospital. The ward filled with patients was stuffy, so sleep did not come. In the silence of the night, three nuns entered the room. They prayed for the priest’s health and approached each of the patients lying there.
While observing the nuns, the priest noticed that they approached patients in different ways. They prayed near some, and just stopped quietly next to others, after which they continued on to the next one. Later, Father John learned that everyone for whom the strange night guests prayed quickly recovered, and those who did not receive such a blessing through prayer quickly and quietly passed away.
Having recovered, the priest turned to church books. He found out one interesting fact: that day, on the night of which there was a strange vision, was the day of veneration of the three martyrs, sister-nuns Agapia, Chionia and Irina:
Similar miracles have been revealed more than once to Fr. John, however, the elder is in no hurry to talk about everyone.
The year 1964 was marked by receiving the title of archpriest. During the entire time he spent as a parish priest, he changed 15 churches. In the wild 90s, he was the spiritual mentor of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine, located in the village of Murino, located in the Leningrad region.
Just before the beginning of the new millennium, the priest was transferred to serve as rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, located at OJSC ATI Plant in St. Petersburg. Here he has remained to this day, watching how the previously practically empty temple is filled with people and lives an active Orthodox life.
Reviews
In 2021, Father John Mironov celebrated his 90th birthday and is considered the oldest active archpriest; his pastoral ministry has also approached the milestone date and is marked by 60 years of experience. Famous guests and ordinary people came to congratulate the birthday boy on his anniversary. The leaders of the church congratulated the hero of the day and spoke of him as an outstanding person and shepherd. In his address, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsanuphius wrote that John Mironov began serving God in difficult times, when priests were persecuted and deprived of not only their freedom, but also their lives. Having passed all the tests, Father John remained faithful to God, the church and continues to bring light and benefit to people.
Bishop Nazariy noted that all believers are in joy that there is such a shepherd in the world and expressed confidence that by the Lord’s grace the years of John Mironov extended to 90 years. He also said that the contribution and life path of the elder are invaluable and serve as an example for subsequent generations. He noted that an elder is a person who shows “how it is necessary to live in any age—both fat and lean, how it is necessary to believe in Christ and love Him and His creation.”
The parishioners sincerely love and appreciate Father John Mironov. The reviews about him are touching; in them, spiritual children call the abbot “sunny father.” According to the testimonies of many people who turned to the elder, John’s prayer heals from alcoholism, drug addiction and other forms of destructive addictions. Officially, the church does not comment on such statements, but popular rumor spreads the healer’s fame throughout Russia. They travel to the priest from afar for help and guidance and certainly receive help.
Sometimes Father John refuses prayer, but this is done for the benefit of the person asking. According to him, there is no point in the prayers of strangers, even priests, if one’s own soul is lazy.
Activity
Like other priests, Father John continues the usual service of the Church, combining it with modern methods of presenting information to bring the Word of God to the world. Thus, he organized the “Orthodox Radio of St. Petersburg”, publishes the information bulletin “Teetotaler's Leaflet” at his parish, and became the father of the All-Russian Society “Temperance”.
The idea of creating societies for meetings of like-minded people also belongs to him. This is how the “Wakefulness” and “Sretenie” societies appeared, a center opposing sects was formed, as well as a Sunday school for children. Elder John became the pebble that pushes a huge pile, creating a collapse, because with his blessing, all kinds of sobriety societies are formed throughout the diocese.
These include:
- A community formed at the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine in the city of Luga;
- A community that began its activities in the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra;
- Processions of the cross, held on the territory of the Lavra since 2001 on the day of remembrance of St. Martyr Boniface, that is, on the first day of the new year, in which numerous participants in the temperance communities of the northern capital and others take part.
Father John Mironov is no longer young. In 2021, he celebrated his anniversary: 90 years since his birth. The trials he endured throughout his life did not break the soul of the believer, since he accepted them with truly Christian humility and faith in God. The works of the wise old man did not go unnoticed. They were awarded many awards from both secular and ecclesiastical authorities. He was given a patriarchal charter. At the moment, Elder John Mironov has been awarded the high title of the white clergy: mitred archpriest.
The authorities of St. Petersburg entered the name of the elder into the “Golden Book of St. Petersburg.” Every year the names of those who brought changes to the city that positively and actively influenced the development of the city, as well as its history, are added to the pages of this tome.
Now the elder is the oldest archpriest who continues to serve in the temple. For 60 years now he has been in the service of protecting human souls, and many rejoice at this. His prayers and the miracles that happen next to him again and again strengthen the faith of Orthodox Christians. His example shows us how to live both in years of hardship and hunger, and in a well-fed life. Elder John is a bright personality who shows others how to love God, believe in the Savior and love the Lord’s creation.
Factory Parish
Many who have heard stories about the amazing priest have a question; Where does John Mironov serve? Father John is the rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”. The construction of a house church at the ATI plant (Tsvetochnaya St., 16) was initiated by the plant's teetotaler community in 1996. The architect of the project was Yu. P. Belov, now an active worker in the parish.
The consecration of the temple took place in the spring of 1997 with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir. Since January 1998, Archpriest John Mironov became the rector of the church. “The Inexhaustible Chalice” is the Theotokos icon, prayer near which frees the believer from harmful addictions. And the miracles in the temple are hard to miss. According to the testimony of parishioners, during the church’s activity, at least 1,000 people got rid of alcoholism, smoking and gambling.
The parish community actively promotes giving up bad habits, involving psychologists and narcologists in their work. The position of the rector and parishioners is active and offensive, and it is reflected in all endeavors and is implemented in all available ways, which includes Internet broadcasting of the Orthodox Radio radio station, sermons of the rector, printed materials and personal conversations with the suffering.
