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Commemorated on February 10 and on the 3rd Sunday of Pentecost
The Sobor /
Assemblage of Novgorod Sainted-Hierarchs is celebrated, besides 10
February, also on 4 October and on the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost. On 4 October
1439 Sainted John (+ 1186, Comm. 7 September) appeared to the then presiding
Sainted-hierarch Evphymii (+ 1458, Comm. 14 March) and ordered him to establish
a special panikhida – in memory of those buried, at the Sophia cathedral,
among the Russian princes and Novgorod archbishops and all the Orthodox
Christians – on the day of memory of the priest-martyr Hierotheos, Bishop of
Athens. There was then uncovered the incorrupt relics of Sainted John (the
account about whom is located under 7 September). Afterwards, as a measure of
the glorification of the Novgorod hierarchs, there was established on the day
the Sobor /Assemblage. E. E. Golubinsky writes about these sainted-hierarchs to
the effect that, the time of their glorification remaining unknown, that he
determined the date of their in-common celebration to the period between the
time of the Moscow Sobor / Council of 1549 to the time of the formation of the
Holy Synod (E. E. Golubinsky. History of the Canonisation of Saints in the
Russian Church. M(oscow), 1903, p. 157).
In the Sobor /
Assemblage of Novgorod Sainted-hierarchs is included: Sainted Joakim of Korsun,
first bishop of Novgorod (988-1030); Sainted Luke the Jewish, bishop (1030,
1035? - 1060, + 15 October 1060); Sainted German, bishop (1078-1096); Sainted
Arkadii, bishop (1157-1162, Comm. 18 September); Sainted Grigorii, archbishop
(1187-1193, + 24 May 1193); Sainted Martyrii, archbishop (1193-1199, + 24
August 1199); Sainted Antonii, archbishop (1212-1220, 1226-1228; + 8 October
1231); Sainted Vasilii the Lame, archbishop (1331-1352, + 3 July 1352); Sainted
Simeon, archbishop (1416-1421, + 15 June 1421); Sainted Gennadii, archbishop (1484-1504,
Comm. 4 December); Sainted Pimen, archbishop (1553-1571); Aphonii, metropolitan
(1635-1648, + 6 April 1653). The relics of these saints were buried or
transferred to the Novgorod Sophia Cathedral (except for Saint German, Saint
Gennadii and Saint Pimen, wherefore in some sources their names are not named
amongst the Sobor).
The 4 October
celebration was established in connection with the memory of the holy nobleborn
prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Novgorod (+ 1052), and the 10 February Sobor of
Sainted-hierarchs is celebrated in connection with the holy nobleborn princess
Anna of Novgorod (+ 1056). Besides those mentioned, sainted-hierarchs that have
separate commemorations are: Sainted Nikita the Hermit, bishop (+ 1108, Comm.
31 January); Sainted Nyphontii, bishop (+ 1156, Comm. 8 April); Sainted John,
archbishop (+1187, Comm. 7 September); Sainted Theoktist, archbishop (+1310,
Comm. 23 December); Sainted Moisei, archbishop (+ 1362, Comm. 25 January);
Sainted Evphymii, archbishop (+ 1458, Comm. 11 March); Sainted Jona, archbishop
(+ 1470, Comm. 5 November); Sainted Serapion, archbishop (+ 1516, Comm. 16
March).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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