The Monk Stephan, Hegumen of Pechersk, Bishop of Vladimir-Volynsk

Commemorated on April 27

The Monk Stephan, Hegumen of Pechersk, Bishop of Vladimir-Volynsk, pursued asceticism in his youthful years at the Kievo-Pechersk monastery under the guidance of the Monk Theodosii (+ 1074, Comm. 3 May) and was his favourite student. The Monk Theodosii sometimes entrusted him in his place to exhort the brethren with words of edification. Before the death of the Monk Theodosii the monks petitioned him to appoint as hegumen Saint Stephan, who was the domesticus (chief arranger for the choir). "He grew up under thy hand, – they said, – and he served thee; give him to us". And the Monk Theodosii transferred the guidance of the monastery to the Monk Stephan. During his hegumenate was built the foundation of a spacious temple in honour of the Uspenie (Repose) of the Most Holy Mother of God begun under the Monk Theodosii. The cells of the brethren were moved near the new church, and at the front of the place were left several cells for monks, who were entrusted with burying the dead and to make daily Divine Liturgy with commemoration for the dead.

The Monk Stephan,
Hegumen of Pechersk, Bishop of Vladimir-Volynsk

In 1078 the Monk Stephan was compelled to forsake the monastery. On another hill – not far from his native monastery, he founded a new monastery in honour of the Most Holy Mother of God (in memory of the Placing of Her Robe at Blakhernae) which was called Klovsk. The monastery was founded in thanksgiving for the blessed actions of the Mother of God towards the Pechersk monastery. The Monk Stephan beheld how master stone-workers were come from Greece with the icon of the Mother of God and they told him of the appearance of the Heavenly Queen at Blakhernae. And because of this, Saint Stephan also made at Klovsk a church in honour of the Mother of God.
In 1091 Saint Stephan was made bishop at Vladimir-Volynsk and he participated in the transfer of the relics of the Monk Theodosii from the cave to the monastery (Comm. 14 August). He laboured much at converting the inhabitants of Volynsk to Christianity. Sainted Stephan died on 27 April 1094 during the 6th hour of the night.