The PriestMartyr Kuksha and the Monk Pimen the Faster
Commemorated on August 27
The PriestMartyr
Kuksha and the Monk Pimen the Faster died after the year 1114. Sainted
Simon, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal' (XII Century, Comm. 10 May), in a missive
to the Monk Polykarp, Archimandrite of Pechersk (+ 1182, Comm. 24 July), wrote
thus about the Monk Kuksha: "How can I worthily proclaim the glory of
those saintly men, dwelling in the holy Pechersk monastery, in which pagans
were baptised and became monks, and Jews accepted the holy faith? But I cannot
keep silent about the Blessed PriestMartyr and Black-Robed Kuksha of this
monastery, about whom everyone doth know, that he cast out devils, baptised the
Vyatichi, caused it to rain, dried up a lake, did many other miracles, and
after many torments was killed together with his disciple Nikon". The
death of the PriestMartyr Kuksha was discerned by the Monk Pimen the Faster.
Standing amidst the Pechersk Great church, he loudly exclaimed: "Our
brother Kuksha was killed at dawn".
The Vyatichi, among
whom the PriestMartyr Monk Kuksha preached and died, lived along the River Oka,
and they occupied the locale of the Orlov and Kaluzh districts. They were
pagans. The Monk Nestor the Chronicler (Comm. 27 October), writing about the
Vyatichi, was shocked by their brutal customs and he added, that they thus live
"furthermore only for the present day", remaining unacquainted with
the Law of God and instead making their own law. The PriestMartyr Monk Kuksha
preached to the Vyatichi during the era of Sainted Theoktist, Bishop of
Chernigov (1113-1123, Comm. 5 August). He was buried thus, as was the Monk
Pimen the Faster, in the Nearer Caves (Comm. of Monks of the Nearer Caves is 28
September).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.