Childhood and youth of Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt
There were many priests in the family of John of Kronstadt. He himself was born on October 19, 1829, in the Arkhangelsk province, in the village of Sura, Pinega district, in a Christian family. The family did not have much wealth, but they were distinguished by their zeal for God and piety. John's father, Ilya Sergiev, served as a psalmist in a local church. His wife, Theodora, mother of John, stood out for her simplicity of character and deep faith.
John was born sickly and very weak: so much so that his parents, worried about his life, were forced to rush into baptism. The name was chosen in honor of St. John of Rila. After Baptism, the boy began to recover, gain strength and get stronger.
It is noted that even in childhood he witnessed a miracle: one day John saw a luminous angel in the upper room, who, seeing the child’s confusion, calmed him down and informed him that he was his Guardian Angel and would protect him until the end of his earthly days.
In the sixth year of his life, with the help of his parents, John began to learn to read. His father often took him to church and introduced him to the services and liturgical books. Over time, John became imbued with their spirit and content. They say that from childhood, the villagers noticed in him a special disposition towards God.
When the boy grew up, his parents, having difficulty raising the necessary amount, enrolled him in the Arkhangelsk Parish School. At that time he was about ten years old. At first, learning was not easy: it was not possible to properly understand and remember the material being taught. This greatly saddened young John: on the one hand, he was and was known to be lagging behind, and on the other, he understood how difficult it was for his poor parents to pay for his stay at the school.
One day, after a heartfelt prayer before going to bed, John, according to his personal confession, felt as if he had been shaken, as if a curtain had fallen from his eyes and his mind had opened; the teacher and the lesson clearly appeared to him; he remembered its contents. In that fervent prayer, he asked God for help, and God answered him. Then his soul was filled with joy, and he fell asleep as peacefully as he had never slept before. At dawn, getting out of bed, John picked up the books and began to read. And, lo and behold, he suddenly noticed that an internal transformation had occurred in him: he easily absorbed and remembered what he read.
Since then, when attending lessons, he both felt and behaved completely differently: he understood the educational material well, answered well. Gradually, John moved from the last disciples to the best. Upon completion of the course, he was transferred to the seminary, and upon completion, in 1851, he entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy at public expense.
While studying at the Academy, his father died. The plight in which the family found itself after the death of the breadwinner weighed heavily on John. Feeling pity and his personal responsibility to his mother, John began to look for possible income and found it. Knowing about his limited circumstances and good handwriting, they met him halfway, offering him a position as a clerk. For this work, John received up to ten rubles monthly. Sending money to his mother, he was sincerely glad that he could support her.
One day, coming home after a walk in the academic garden, John fell asleep and saw in a dream that he was a priest and served in a cathedral, which he had never been to before. Soon what he saw in the mysterious dream came true in reality.
Donations
Thousands of people turned to John of Kronshadt, whose grave is in St. Petersburg, for help. In addition, they began to donate huge sums of money to him, which he spent on the construction of temples, hospitals, schools, churches, and charity.
The grave is located in St. Petersburg
In one day, thousands of beggars came to John of Kronstadt (few know where the benefactor is buried), to whom he gave 20 kopecks. This money was enough for lunch, dinner and overnight stay. According to some reports, about 1 million rubles passed through his hands annually. in year.
Towards the end of the 19th century, John of Kronstadt (you can learn more about his life from the video) no longer had the opportunity to serve such a number of pilgrims. He decided to hire a staff of employees who made a good fortune for themselves by deceiving people who turned to them for help.
It is also known that John is the man who saw the death of the ruler Alexander III. Moreover, a few hours before his death, he anointed him with oil and held his head in his hands until the emperor died.
Soon John of Kronstadt, whose icon is of great importance for the Orthodox, began to fear his glory. After all, it became difficult to move due to the huge number of Christians pursuing him, and something always threatened the safety of his benefactor.
The priestly feat of Father John of Kronstadt
In 1855, John graduated from the academy with a candidate's degree in theology. Due to the fact that he united himself in marriage with the daughter of Archpriest K. Nesvitsky, who served in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, he was invited to take the place of a clergyman in the same church. On December 10, 1855, John was ordained a deacon, and already on December 12, the same year, a priest. Having visited the cathedral for the first time, he recognized it as the one he had seen in his dream.
The pastoral life of Father John took place during a difficult time for the country, marked by a massive weakening of faith, the beginning of rebellious sentiments, and the fermentation of revolutionary ideas. The city of Kronstadt served at that time as a concentration place for people expelled from the capital. Vagrancy, idle wandering, constant drunkenness, begging, extreme poverty - these are just a few aspects of the social stratum that made up a significant part of his flock and needed special attention and care. Great were the difficulties that lay before the shepherd, but great was also the sense of pastoral duty, great love for God, mercy and compassion for others.
The married life of Father John developed like this: having announced to his wife his desire to preserve virginity and by agreement with her, he lived with Elizabeth as brother and sister. Until the end of his life, John maintained chaste purity.
Initially, many did not understand and did not even accept the impulses of the extraordinary shepherd. But over time, seeing his kindness and patience, seeing his diligence and, not least, the material assistance that he provided to those in need, people began to realize: God had given them a kind and heartfelt mentor, a sensitive, responsive, wise trustee. They say that while visiting dugouts, huts and poor apartments, the monk distributed his salary, nursed children while mothers did housework, looked after the sick, could give boots and clothes to the poor, and at the same time prayed, exhorted, encouraged, and consoled.
The selflessness and mercy of Father John reached the point that he himself was left without funds. Seeing such an unprecedented state of affairs, many, some out of envy, some out of stupidity or hardness of heart, reproached the saint for insincerity, pandering to parasites and deceivers, slandered, scolded, mocked, not only verbally, but also through the press. Due to the striking dissimilarity of John of Kronstadt to many other shepherds of the Church, he was, among other things, accused of foolishness.
With the support of the diocesan authorities, his colleagues ensured that the priest’s salary was received by his wife. But the Wise Lord did not leave him without the opportunity to help the hunger. He kept the payment he received for teaching the Law of God at the local Kronstadt Real School to himself, and donated it to those whom he considered necessary.
Over time, the rumor about the great lamp spread so much that huge crowds of people began to flock to it, and so many messages and telegrams came to its address that the Kronstadt post office was forced to organize a special department to process its correspondence. They wrote to John not only from different parts of the state, but also from abroad. In order to carefully analyze all these messages, he was forced to resort to the help of secretaries.
Along with those seeking soul-saving benefits, material resources also flocked to John. One can only guess about the size of the sums of money at his disposal: he immediately donated them to charity and distributed them to the poor. They say that it happened when they handed him an envelope, he immediately, without opening it, gave it to someone.
During all the years of his priestly service, Fr. John celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral almost every day, and in the last 35 years of his life he served daily (last time - December 10, 1908).
Father John got up very early. Having gotten up, he began to prepare for the Divine Liturgy. When he went to the temple, he was met by crowds of believers eager to receive the blessing. There were also beggars present, whom he gave alms to.
During the morning service, Father John himself read the canon, carefully and attentively, attaching high importance to this reading. Before the start of the Liturgy, Confession took place. Over time, due to the huge crowd of people, both local and pilgrims, who certainly wanted to confess to John of Kronstadt, he was forced to introduce general confession into his practice (according to various estimates, St. Andrew’s Cathedral accommodated 5-7 thousand people). They say that this sacred rite made an indelible impression on participants and eyewitnesses. Inspired, shocked by the pastor's word and jealousy, people loudly shouted out their sins, including the most vile ones, and repented out loud, as if not ashamed of the witnesses crowding them on all sides. It is said that as a result, believers actually experienced a sense of liberation from the burden of sin. The service was characterized by a single, fiery, prayerful impulse.
After about seventeen years of pastoral service, the Lord vouchsafed Father John to organize a special institution in Kronstadt - the “House of Diligence.” On this occasion, he addressed the people with an appeal, proposing to carry out this godly deed through joint efforts. The appeal was published. The response was sincere and widespread. The foundation stone for the building took place on August 23, 1881, and the opening took place on October 12, 1882. Gradually, the activities of the House of Industriousness developed, positively affecting the interests of different social groups and strata. At the House of Industriousness there were workshops, a public canteen, a school, shelters, a library, and a reading room.
The role of John of Kronstadt in relation to women's hermitages and monasteries is also worthy of admiration. In particular, with his direct participation, a convent for women was founded in his native village, as well as in St. Petersburg on Karpovka. He supported many monasteries, contributing to their expansion, blessing the entry of sisters into them, and serving in the monastery churches.
Due to the nature of his pastoral activity and at the call of his Christian heart, Father John regularly visited St. Petersburg, visiting those in need of care and the sick. In order to carry out his service to God, he traveled to remote corners of the Russian Empire. Contemporaries noted the special healing power of his prayers for the sick, his healing gift. In addition, John was awarded by God the gift of miracles and clairvoyance.
Tens of thousands with reverence and fear of God waited for their beloved priest in various places of his probable appearance. When he rode in a carriage, people were ready to rush towards him right as he went. Even the fear of being broken or maimed did not stop them. When Father John was traveling on a ship, the believers ran after the ship along the shore, many knelt down. In addition, the saint found respect at the royal court. Another would seem to have broken down and become proud under the onslaught of collapsing glory. But not Father John, a true warrior of Christ, a lover of God. Just as the temptations of attacks and slander could not break his steadfastness, so the temptation of fame could not blacken his meek, humble attitude.
A memory that will always be
In Christianity
John of Kronstadt was canonized as many as 2 times. The first time this happened was almost 50 years after his death: in 1964. Then he was recognized as a saint by the Russian Church abroad. And for the second time, the Moscow Patriarchate, on June 8, 1990, confirmed the holiness of the Kronstadt priest.
The Day of Remembrance of John of Kronstadt is celebrated on January 2 (this is the day of his death according to the new style), and June 14 (new style) is the day of veneration of Fr. John. According to the old style (Julian calendar), the celebration takes place on December 20 and June 1, respectively.
These holidays of the saint, revered by the people, gather large numbers of people in churches. People come to churches and pray to the saint for healing, protection and other help. And even after his death, Fr. John helps everyone in need.
From the collected works, sermons and creations of the priest, as well as teachings on confession and repentance, and entries from his diary, a religious collection of works by John of Kronstadt “My Life in Christ” was obtained.
Separately, collections of teachings and numerous predictions of the miracle worker about the last times, prophecies about the Antichrist, about the apocalypse, as well as his prophetic vision about the future of Russia are published.
In religious publications you can definitely find rules and advice for the laity, as well as prayers to John of Kronstadt for teaching, for healing from demons, from drunkenness; a prayer to John of Kronstadt for the healing of the sick is very important - to help those who ask for the prayer help of St. John in our days .
People's memory
In 2021, the installation of a bronze statue of I. Kronstadt began in Voronezh. Copies of this four-meter monument are planned to be installed in different countries.
In many cities of Russia and other countries there are monuments to John of Kronstadt: of course, in the city of Kronstadt itself and in Moscow, in Irkutsk and others.
And one of the Minor Planets in our sky (No. 16395) was called “John the Righteous.” “John of Kronstadt” was the name of the ship on which Rear Admiral Makarov made his Arctic voyage. Soon after this, the ship was renamed. And now the name of the saint has been assigned to a communications boat of the Russian Navy.
And unexpectedly... On the island of Niue (New Zealand) a silver coin was minted with the image of I. Kronstadt at St. Andrew's Cathedral. The coin weighs approximately 28 grams and its denomination is 1 New Zealand dollar. Just like that! Know ours, what they call it!
If you are in Kronstadt, be sure to visit all the memorable places associated with the name of the popularly beloved shepherd. Look at their location on the city map (click “+” to zoom in on objects or “-” to zoom out).
All the sights of St. Petersburg, Kronstadt and its environs, where I was able to visit, are on this map.
Share in the comments what other interesting facts from the life of St. John of Kronstadt you know.
The illness and last days of the earthly life of Father John of Kronstadt
The time of death was revealed to Father John in advance. Towards the end of his earthly life he was susceptible to bodily illnesses and began to weaken. He was tormented by severe pain, which sometimes subsided during the service of the Liturgy. On December 10, 1908, Father John, having gathered his will and strength, celebrated the last Liturgy. In the last period of his earthly life, he received communion every day at home. On December 20, 1908, at 7:40 a.m., the saint’s heart stopped, he rested peacefully in the Lord and joined eternity.
Personal life
After graduating from the academy, John was offered to marry the daughter of the rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Elizaveta Konstantinovna. He agreed, but the marriage was fictitious. The priest needed marriage to cover his pastoral affairs. The couple led a chaste lifestyle and remained virgins until their death. They treated each other like brother and sister.
John of Kronstadt and his wife Elizaveta Konstantinovna
The couple raised two daughters of Elizabeth's sister.
Father John indicated in his personal notes that since the 1870s his wife had shown jealousy, hostility, and sometimes disrespect for her husband. In the last years of her life, Elizabeth suffered a serious illness, as a result of which she lost her legs.
Spiritual heritage of a shepherd
During his priestly ministry, Father John delivered an innumerable number of sermons and left many written instructions. He is rightfully considered one of the best church writers.
Within the framework of moral writings, Father John assures us of the need for sincere faith, love for God and neighbor, arranging life in accordance with the way of life of Christ, a constant spiritual struggle against sinful passions and vices (see on this subject: My life in Christ; Conversations on Beatitudes of the Gospel). Father John confirmed the truth of the moral teaching taught to us by his life, the feat of pastoral and general Christian work.
The theological works of John of Kronstadt reveal a wide variety of themes in the doctrine of the Church: about God; about the salvation of man; about the veneration of the Cross (see: On the Cross of Christ), the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints; about repentance and prayer (see: Prayers of our holy righteous father John of Kronstadt the Wonderworker); about the Church; about the fate of the world and the last times (see: The beginning and end of our earthly world).
Service in the Church
Even despite his illnesses, St. John of Kronstadt did not stop praying. Every morning at exactly 4:00 he came to St. Andrew’s Cathedral and prepared for the service. Each time he gathered a huge number of Orthodox Christians in the temple.
Each time he gathered a huge number of Orthodox Christians in the temple
The priest was known for having a strong love for people. Immediately after the liturgy, he took everything he had and went around the city to distribute his property. He returned home without clothes or shoes.
Later, John of Kronstadt, whose brief life is described in the article, founded the Church of John of Ryl, shelters for the poor and homeless, hospitals and much more. However, he called his main goal spiritual cleansing and the revival of faith in people. This is the answer to the question of why John of Kronstadt was canonized.
Prayer to Saint Righteous John, Presbyter of Kronstadt, Wonderworker
O great wonderworker and wonderful servant of God, God-bearing Father John! Look at us and listen compassionately to our prayer, for the Lord has vouchsafed you great gifts, so that you may become an intercessor and constant prayer-book for us. Behold, we are overwhelmed by sinful passions and consumed by malice, we have neglected the commandments of God, we have not brought heartfelt repentance and tears of sighing, for this reason we are worthy of appearing through many sorrows and sorrows. But you, righteous father, having great boldness towards the Lord and compassion for your neighbors, beg the All-Bountiful Lord of the world to add His mercy to us and tolerate our unrighteousness, not to destroy us for our sin, but to mercifully grant us time for repentance. O Saint of God, help us to immaculately observe the Orthodox faith and piously preserve the commandments of God, so that all iniquity may not possess us, the Truth of God will be put to shame in our untruths, but may we be honored to achieve a Christian death, painless, shameless, peaceful and partakers of the Mysteries of God. We also pray to you, righteous father, for our Holy Church to be strengthened until the end of time, and for our fatherland, seek peace and prosperity in the Truth of God and save us from all evils, so that our people, preserved by God, are in unanimity of faith and in all piety and In purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, sobriety and harmony, they testify: that God is with us! In Nemzhe we live, and we move, and we are, and we will abide forever. Amen.
“Love us little blacks”
On the left - with his wife Elizaveta Konstantinovna, 1890s.
On the right - with his own nephew Igor Shemyakin, before 1900. The photographs were taken in the village of Martyshkino, St. Petersburg province. From the fund of TsGAKFFD St. Petersburg. Website: spbarchives.ru Married to his wife, Fr. John lived like brother and sister, remaining a virgin. According to his ideas, this seemed necessary for a servant of God who strives to devote himself entirely to the Church and people.
“There are many happy families, Lisa, even without us. And you and I, let’s devote ourselves to serving God,” he told his wife on the first day of their marriage.
Carefully hiding his asceticism from people, Fr. John was the greatest ascetic. His amazingly sincere diary “My Life in Christ” is an honest testimony of the struggle with sinful thoughts, mistakes and their experiences, and the most ardent self-condemnation.
At the heart of all the asceticism of the “secular priest” Fr. John had, firstly, reckless and devoted faith and love for God. Love and compassion for people, pity for them and prayer for them were based on this faith and love.
Strict fasting, both mental and physical, was required from Fr. John and the daily celebration of the Divine Liturgy, which he set as a rule.
At the first meeting with his flock, Fr. John saw that here he would have no less work for missionary work than in distant pagan countries. In Kronstadt - the place of administrative expulsion of vicious people from the capital St. Petersburg - unbelief, heterodoxy and sectarianism reigned.
Many laborers also lived there, working mainly in the port. They all lived, for the most part, in miserable shacks and dugouts, begging and drinking. City residents suffered a lot from these degenerate people, who were called “posadskys.” It was not always safe to walk through the streets at night—there were attacks.
It was to these “lost” people, despised by everyone, that Fr. turned his main attention. John. He is not limited to preaching from the pulpit and passionate calls to “live correctly.” He goes to the homes of the “lost”, talks, consoles, cares for the sick, helps financially, giving away everything he has, sometimes returning home undressed and shoeless.
Kronstadt. House of Industriousness, founded by St. right John of Kronstadt. Photo from the site mir.zavantag.com
And it was these Kronstadt “tramps”, “scum of society”, who were first touched by the love of the good shepherd, who were the first to “discover” the holiness of Fr. John. And then the “discovery” was very quickly confirmed by all believers in Russia.
He spoke unusually touchingly about one of these cases of spiritual rebirth thanks to Fr. To John, one artisan: “I was then 22-23 years old. Now I’m an old man, but I remember well the first time I saw the priest.
I had a family, two children. I worked and drank. The family was starving. My wife slowly collected from all over the world. We lived in a crappy kennel. I come once, not very drunk. I see some young priest sitting, holding his little son in his arms and saying something to him affectionately. The child listens seriously. It seems that the priest was like Christ in the painting “Blessing of the Children.”
I wanted to swear: they were wandering around... but the priest’s eyes, affectionate and serious, stopped me: I felt ashamed. I lowered my eyes, and he looked—he looked straight into my soul. He started talking. I don’t dare convey everything he said.
He talked about the fact that I have paradise in my closet, because where there are children, it is always warm and good, and that there is no need to exchange this paradise for the children of the tavern. He didn’t blame me, no, he justified everything, but I had no time for justification. He left, and I sit and remain silent... I don’t cry, although my soul feels the same as before tears. My wife is watching... And since then I have become a man...".
House of Diligence of John of Kronstadt: more mercy than labor
Second prayer
Oh, holy and righteous Father John, All-Russian lamp and wonderful miracle worker! From your infancy you were chosen by God and, with a fiery spirit, like a true shepherd, you served the people in your life, in your words, in your love, in your faith, in your purity. For this reason, we pray to you, righteous father: pray to God, the Lover of Mankind, to protect the holy Church with peace and silence, to preserve the Russian land in prosperity, to fill the shepherds of grace and truth abundantly, to make the authorities wise, to strengthen the Orthodox army, to heal the weak, to correct the corrupt, to educate the young, the elders and widows to console us all in the Kingdom of Heaven to be honored with all the saints to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The lifetime miracles of the holy righteous man
The Rev. Archpriest John of Kronstadt never refused the righteous. He was always ready to provide all possible help and turn on the right path. The saint helped everyone, regardless of the social status of the person asking.
St. John of Kronstadt helped regardless of faith and social status
There is evidence confirming miraculous acts performed during the life of the saint. So, in 1901, priest John, who was at that time in the village of Konchakovskaya, cured a demon-possessed woman. Eyewitnesses said that it took the saint only a few minutes for complete healing.
The artist Zhivotovsky in his works described the miraculous shedding of rain in an area where there was a long period of drought and fires. The saint prayed for a long time in the church, asking for God's mercy. His prayer requests were heard by the Almighty: torrential rain descended on the dry land.
St. John of Kronstadt helped young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy. The saint's selfless help continued after his death. You can pray and ask for help not only in front of the image of the saint, but also at his grave and near his relics.
Prayer three
O great servant of Christ, holy and righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: Your name is Love: do not reject me, the erring one. Your name is Strength: strengthen me, who is weak and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me. Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. By your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, enemies, visible and invisible. With the light of your face, incite the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to an infant, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes! Die, most miraculous and visionary, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the scattered, deceived converts and unite the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the Everlasting Light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
Real examples of miracles
In the Ioannovsky Monastery, a record of modern miracles of the Kronstadt shepherd is kept.
This is help in everyday affairs, spiritual support. But the healings are especially numerous.
Healing Cancer
In 1990, Valentina, who lived next to the monastery, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The patient was discharged home. In search of consolation, she came to the monastery. The journey took an hour and a half, the patient was so weak.
The priest told her about the need for confession and Communion. The woman began to go to the monastery every day, prepare for death, and comprehend life. And after a month of such spiritual work, doctors stated “spontaneous remission.” The disease is gone.
