Troparion in
Tone 1
As a zealous advocate of the Orthodox faith,
As a caring Solicitor for the land of Russia,
Faithful to the rules and image of a pastor,
Preaching repentance and life in Christ,
An awesome servant and administer of God's sacraments,
A daring intercessor for people's sake,
O Good and righteous Father John,
Healer and wonderful miracle-worker,
The praise of the town of Kronstadt
And decoration of our Church,
Beseech the All-Merciful God
To reconcile the world and to save our souls!
Troparion in
Tone 4
With the apostles your message has gone out to the ends of the world,
And with the confessors you suffered for Christ!
You are like the hierarchs through your preaching of the word;
With the righteous you are radiant with the grace of God.
The Lord has exalted your humility above the heavens
And given us your name as a source of miracles.
O wonder-worker, living in Christ for ever,
Have mercy on those beset by troubles;
And hear us when we cry out in faith,
O our beloved shepherd John!
Kontakion in
Tone 3
This day the pastor of Kronstadt
Appears before the throne of God
Praying fervently on behalf of the faithful
To the chief pastor Christ, who has promised:
"I will build my church, and the powers of death
shall not prevail against it!"
John was born in the
village of Sura in Archangel province on October 19, 1829, and was called
John in honor of St. John of Rila (August 18). His parents were very poor
but were very devoted to the Church. Even though he was poor, as a young boy
John learned to feel compassion for others in their misfortune. His
neighbors frequently asked him to pray for them, as they noticed this
special grace-endowed gift in him. When John was ten, his parents were able
to raise some money and send him to the local school which was attached to
the church.
At first, the boy had an extremely difficult time
with his studies. He worked for days on end, but still failed to keep up.
Writing about his life he once recalled an evening when everyone had already
gone to bed. "I could not sleep, and I still failed to understand anything I
was taught. I still read poorly and could not remember anything I was told.
I became so depressed I fell to my knees and began to pray. I don’t know
whether I had spent a long time in that position or not, but suddenly
something shook my whole being. It was as if a veil had fallen from my eyes,
and my mind had been opened, and I remembered clearly my teacher of that day
and his lesson. I also recalled the topic and the examples he had given. I
felt so light and joyous inside." After this experience he did so well he
became one of the first in his class to be chosen to go to seminary, and
after seminary to the Theological Academy in Saint Petersburg (a great honor
at that time).
Throughout his studies, John thought about the
importance of forgiveness, meekness, and love, and came to believe that
these were the very center and power of Christianity, and that only one path
- the path of humble love - leads to God and the triumph of His
righteousness. He also thought a great deal about the Savior's death on the
Cross at Golgotha, and pitied those who did not know Jesus Christ. He wished
to preach to them about His death and Resurrection. He dreamed about
becoming a missionary to distant China, but saw that there was a great deal
of work for a genuine pastor of Christ’s flock both in his own city and the
surrounding towns.
When John graduated from the Academy he met
Elizabeth Nesvitsky who lived in the town of Kronstadt. They dated, he
proposed, and they were married. After his studies, John still desired to
learn more about his faith and his Church.
It was in this frame of mind that he prepared to be
a priest and to enter public ministry. He was ordained a deacon on December
10, 1885, and then priest on December 12. He was assigned to Saint Andrew’s
Cathedral in the city of Kronstadt. He said, “I made myself a rule to be as
sincere as possible in my work, and of strictly watching myself and my inner
life.”
Father John wanted most of all to earn the love of
the people in his care, because only a loving attitude could provide the
firm support and help he needed as he faced the difficult work of the
priesthood. His constant thought was how he would come before the Last
Judgment and have to give an account, not only for his own deeds, but also
the deeds of his flock, for whose education and salvation he was
responsible. To him no one was a stranger; everyone who came to him for help
became a friend and relative. He would tell people “The Church is the best
heavenly friend of every sincere Christian.” He conducted divine services
daily and offered the prayers of the faithful. He called all who rarely
receive Holy Communion to prepare themselves and live their lives in a
Christian way so that they could receive more often. Listening to Father John, many people changed their
lifestyle, repented sincerely, and joyfully received Holy Communion on a
regular basis.
At that time the government exiled murderers,
thieves and other criminals to Kronstadt. Life was horrible for the exiles.
Even children of exiles would become thieves and criminals. He would go to
their dugouts, hovels and shacks to visit with them. Not satisfied with
staying for five or ten minutes to administer some rite and then leave, Fr.
John believed he was coming to visit a priceless soul, his brothers and
sisters. He would stay for hours, talking, encouraging, comforting, crying,
and rejoicing together with them.
From the beginning he also concerned himself with
the material needs of the poor. He would shop for food, go to the pharmacy
for prescriptions, to the doctor for help, many times giving the poor his
last few coins. The inhabitants of Kronstadt would see him returning home
barefoot and without his cassock. Often parishioners would bring shoes to
his wife, saying to her, “Your husband has given away his shoes to someone,
and will come home barefoot.” He would also write articles for the newspaper
exhorting the people of Kronstadt to “support the poor morally and
materially.” These appeals touched the hearts of many and Fr. John organized
many charitable efforts. Realizing that his individual charity was
insufficient for aiding the needy, he founded the Orthodox Christian House
Parish Trusteeship of St. Andrew the First-Called. This brotherhood
coordinated many charitable efforts throughout the city and helped many
needy people.
In 1857, he began teaching in the local city
schools. He would tell people, “If children cannot listen to the Gospel, it
is only because it is taught like any other subject, with boredom and
indifference. Such teaching defeats the purpose of the Gospel. It fails
because it forces students only to read words and memorize them instead of
making them live in their lives.” To Father John there were no incapable
students. He taught in such a way that poor pupils as well as good ones were
able to understand. His attention was aimed not so much at forcing students
to memorize as to fill their souls with the joy of living according to
Christian values, sharing with them the holy thoughts which filled his soul.
When speaking to other priests about their vocation
he would say, “You are a representative of the faith of the Church, O
priest; you are a representative of Christ the Lord Himself. You should be a
model of meekness, purity, courage, perseverance, patience, and lofty
spirit. You are doing the work of God and must not let anything discourage
you.”
Saint John has performed more miracles than almost
any other saint, with the possible exception of Saint Nicholas. Through his
prayers he healed the sick, gave hope to the hopeless, and brought sinners
to repentance.
Fr. John labored endlessly in his work for the Lord
preaching, teaching, and helping those in need. Having spent his entire life
serving God and His people, Father John fell ill and died on December 20, 1908.
Almost immediately, people from near and far began to make pilgrimages to
the monastery where he was buried. Even today millions of Orthodox
Christians in Russia and around the world pray to him to intercede for them
as he had always done from his childhood.
