Saint righteous John of Kronstadt - saints - history - catalog of articles - unconditional love. Family and biography of John of Kronstadt

It would seem that this place was not adapted for evangelical preaching. However, here, too, a man appeared who managed to proclaim to people the joyful news of Christ. And his words - not even words, but life itself - changed the fate of hundreds and thousands of Kronstadters, and then millions of citizens of vast Russia. Thanks to him, many completely degraded people, lost to society, regained their place in life, woke up from sinful dope and saw God. This man was the holy righteous John of Kronstadt.

He was born on October 19, 1829 in the Arkhangelsk province, in the family of a deacon. Father always took little Vanya with him to church and instilled in him a love for worship. With the last funds, the father took the lad John to the Arkhangelsk parish school. The diploma was given to the boy badly. This made him very sad, and he found consolation only in prayer. And so, after one of the fervent prayers, John "suddenly seemed to shake everything."

From that moment on, the lad began to study well: he brilliantly graduated from college, the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary. He was admitted free of charge to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

Once in a dream, John saw himself as a priest serving in the St. Andrew's Cathedral in the city of Kronstadt, where he had never been. Soon the dream came true. After graduating from the Academy, John was offered to marry the daughter of the archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in the city of Kronstadt.

On December 12, 1855, John became a priest of this cathedral. He told his wife Elisaveta: “There are many happy families even without us. Let us devote ourselves to the service of God.” Until the end of their days, husband and wife remained virgins, living like brother and sister. Marriage was needed to hide the selfless pastoral deeds of the saint.

Having already become a well-known church leader, Father John traveled around almost all of Russia preaching. And everywhere it was enough for people just to see him, to hear his artless speeches, in order to catch fire with the fire of the gospel faith. The believers were especially impressed by the divine grace that overwhelmed the saint when he served the Divine Liturgy.

The Liturgy is the most important event that takes place in the world. At every liturgy, the greatest miracle is performed. Bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. In this Sacrament of Sacraments, man unites with God. God enters into the very depths of human existence, and man joins the true life in God.

The holy righteous John of Kronstadt felt with all his being the reality of the miracle of the Eucharist. He didn't just serve. His soul was filled with boundless joy and reverent awe. This was evident to all the faithful who were present at the Liturgy.

Tens of thousands of people specially came to Father John to see the divine service he performed and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The whole life of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt was permeated with love for God and people. Moreover, this love was wise and active. In Kronstadt, he set up the House of Diligence. In it, many people who lost all their livelihoods were able to find work and shelter. It is impossible to tell about all the charitable organizations, schools, hospitals, almshouses, arranged by the efforts of the saint.

He did not shy away from the holy and social activities. He was one of the first to warn Russian society of what tragic consequences the work of numerous revolutionary organizations could lead to.

He also fought various sects and schisms that then swept over Russia. Thanks to the convincing words of the saint, many followers of false teachings turned to the true faith.

In 1990, the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt was canonized by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. His memory is set to be celebrated on December 20 (January 2, according to a new style) - on the day of his blessed death.

Advocate of the Orthodox faith, the sadness of the Russian Lands ... the righteous Father John ... praise the city of Kronstadt and our decoration of the church, pray to the all-good God to pacify the world and save our souls.
From the troparion to the holy righteous John of Kronstadt

Childhood

With holy righteous John of Kronstadt (real name Ivan Ilyich Sergiev) Born October 19 (November 1 New Style) 1829 in the village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province - in the far north of Russia - in the family of a poor rural deacon Ilia Sergiev and his wife Theodora. The newborn seemed so weak and sickly that the parents hurried to baptize him at once, thinking that the child would not live to see the morning, and they named him John, in honor of the Monk John of Rila, celebrated on that day by the Holy Church. Soon after the baptism, the infant John began to noticeably recover.

R Vanya's parents were simple and deeply religious people. Father, Ilya Mikhailovich, sang and read prayers during worship in the local village church. From early childhood, he took his son to church and thus brought up in him a special love for worship.

F Living in the harsh conditions of extreme material need, the lad John early became acquainted with bleak pictures of poverty, grief, tears and suffering. This made him concentrated, thoughtful and self-contained, and at the same time instilled in him a deep sympathy and compassionate love for the poor. Not being carried away by the games characteristic of childhood, he, constantly carrying the memory of God in his heart, loved nature, which aroused in him tenderness and admiration for the greatness of the Creator of every creature.

At in childhood, he was characterized by a special sensitivity to the manifestations of the spiritual world: at the age of 6, John was honored with the appearance of his Guardian Angel. Little Vanya was often sick and sometimes spent long days in bed. He not only saw his mother praying for his health, but he himself prayed with her.

AT At the age of 6, his father bought Vanya a primer and began to teach his son to read and write. Diploma at first was given to him with difficulty, as it was to St. Sergius of Radonezh, and just like the Monk, through prayer, the lad John acquired the ability to teach. One night, when everyone was sleeping, six-year-old Vanya saw an unusual light in the room. Looking closely, he froze: the Guardian Angel soared in an unearthly light. Confusion, fear and at the same time joy seized the child. Seeing the boy's excitement, the Angel calmed him and, promising to protect him from all sorrows and troubles, disappeared.

Young John prays on the way to school

Studies

With At that time, lad John began to study excellently: he was one of the first to graduate from the Arkhangelsk parish school, in 1851 he graduated from the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary and for his success was admitted to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1855 with a degree in theology work "On the Cross of Christ in the denunciation of imaginary Old Believers."

E while studying at the seminary, he lost his dearly beloved father. As a loving and caring son, John wanted to look for a place as a deacon or a psalmist directly from the seminary, in order to support his old mother, who was left without a livelihood. But she did not want her son to lose his higher spiritual education because of her, and insisted on his admission to the Academy. And the obedient son obeyed.

P having entered the Academy, the young student did not leave his mother without care: he got himself a clerical job in the academic board, and all the meager earnings he received completely sent to his mother.

Start of ministry

Thinking once about his future service to the Church of Christ during a solitary walk through the academic garden, he, returning home, fell asleep and in a dream saw himself as a priest serving in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, in which he had never actually been before. He took it as a command from above. Soon the dream came true with literal accuracy.

After completing his spiritual education in 1855, he became a priest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, where he served for 53 years.

He married the daughter of the archpriest of the same church, Konstantin Novitsky, Elizabeth, but had no children. The spouses "took upon themselves the feat of virginity." His marriage, which was required by the customs of our Church for a priest who is serving in the world, was only fictitious, necessary to cover up his selfless pastoral deeds. In fact, he lived with his wife like brother and sister.

John of Kronstadt with his wife

12 December 1855, he was consecrated to the priesthood. When he first entered the Kronstadt Andreevsky Cathedral, he stopped almost in horror on its threshold: it was exactly the temple that had been presented to him in his childhood visions long before. The rest of the life of John and his pastoral activity took place in Kronstadt, which is why many even forgot his last name "Sergiev" and called him "Kronstadt", and he himself often signed it that way.

In December 1931 Andrew's Cathedral was closed. In the second half of 1931, the warehouse of the purchasing cooperative was located in the premises of the cathedral. In 1932 the cathedral was demolished. In 1955, a monument to Lenin was erected on the resulting square. The square was called Leninsky. In 2001, this monument was moved to the square of the Young Leninist. In 2002, the Andreevsky Union installed a memorial granite sign with the inscription:
“At this place stood the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, in which the Great Prayer Book of the Russian Land, the Holy Righteous Father John of Kronstadt, served for 53 years. The cathedral was consecrated in 1817, destroyed in 1932. Let this stone cry out to our hearts for the restoration of the desecrated shrine.”

R located on the island of Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, 46 miles from St. Petersburg, Kronstadt of those times was not an ordinary city. On the one hand, a powerful naval fortress, parking and base of the Baltic Navy. On the other hand, it is a place of exile for beggars, vagabonds and people who are guilty of something. There were also many unskilled laborers who worked in the port and in the factories. These residents huddled around the outskirts of the city. Whoever could, built shacks for himself from half-rotted logs and boards. Others dug dugouts. People lived in hopeless need, in cold and hunger. Not only children begged, but also their drinking fathers, and sometimes desperate mothers.

And Father John drew attention to these unfortunate and degraded people, despised by all. The young priest began to visit the poor quarters.

With With his troubles for the Kronstadt “unfortunate tramps,” Father John annoyed many, and especially the authorities and high-ranking officials. Many did not believe in the sincerity of his intentions, mocked him, spread slander and slander about the priest, called him a holy fool. But in spite of everything, Father John went his own way.

« H it is necessary to love every person both in his sin and in his shame, - was talking about. John - no need to confuse a person - this image of God - with the evil that is in him». With such a consciousness, he went to the people, conquering everyone and reviving with the power of his true pastoral compassionate love.

In understanding fallen people and praying for them, donating money and things to the poor, Father John also helped the sick. Sometimes he was called to the patient at night, and he, without hesitation, rode, not being afraid of even the most contagious. For his trips to the sick and for the prayer service for healing, Father John never asked for anything. He only reminded me to give thanks to God for everything.

Discovery of the Gift of Miracles

With A marvelous gift of miracle-working was also revealed in Father John, which glorified him throughout Russia and even far beyond its borders. There is no way to enumerate all the miracles performed by Father John. Our unbelieving intelligentsia and its press deliberately hushed up these innumerable manifestations of the power of God.

P about the prayers of John of Kronstadt and the laying on of his hand, the most serious illnesses were cured, when medicine was lost in its helplessness. Healings were performed both in private and with a large gathering of people, and very often in absentia. Sometimes it was enough to write a letter to Father John or send a telegram for the miracle of healing to happen.

With There are many testimonies of healings.

O especially remarkable was the miracle that happened in front of everyone in the village of Konchanskoye (Suvorovskoye), described by the Suvorov commission of professors of the military academy who happened to be there at that time (in 1901). A woman who had suffered from possession for many years and was brought to Father John in an insensible state, after a few moments was completely healed by him and brought back to the normal state of a completely healthy person.

X The artist Zhivotovsky described the miraculous rainfall in an area that suffered from drought and was threatened by forest fire, after Father John offered up his prayer there.

M Many miracles were performed through the prayers of the blessed shepherd. Father John especially pitied those subject to the passion of wine-drinking and healed many from it.

O Father John healed with the power of his prayer not only Russian Orthodox people, but also Muslims, Jews, and foreigners who turned to him from abroad. This great gift of miracle-working was naturally a reward to Father John for his great deeds - prayerful labors, fasting and self-sacrificing deeds of love for God and neighbor.

"All-Russian Father"

AT soon all believing Russia flowed to the great and marvelous miracle worker. The fame of him as a famous pastor, preacher and miracle worker quickly spread everywhere. The second period of his glorious life, his exploits, began. At first, he himself went to the people within the boundaries of one of his cities, and now the people themselves from everywhere, from all over Russia, rushed to him. Thousands of people came to Kronstadt every day, wanting to see Father John and get some help from him.

E He received an even greater number of letters and telegrams. Together with letters and telegrams, huge sums of money for charity flowed to Father John. Their size can only be judged approximately, for, receiving money, Father John immediately distributed everything. According to the most minimal estimate, at least one million rubles a year passed through his hands (an enormous amount at that time!).

St. John of Kronstadt brings homeless children to an orphanage.

H and with this money Father John daily fed a thousand beggars, set up a wonderful institution in Kronstadt - the "House of Diligence" with a school, church, workshops and an orphanage, founded a convent in his native village and erected a large stone church, and in St. Petersburg he built a convent monastery on Karpovka, in which he was buried after his death.

D having achieved a high degree of prayerful contemplation and dispassion, Father John calmly accepted the rich clothes presented to him by his admirers, and dressed in them. He even needed this to cover up his exploits. Some people blamed Father John for expensive clothes. However, according to eyewitnesses, he did not order it for himself, and accepted it only in order not to offend those who gave him, who sincerely wanted to thank him or serve him. In fact, carefully hiding his asceticism from people, Father John was the greatest ascetic. At the heart of his ascetic feat lay unceasing prayer and fasting.

P The donations he received he distributed everything, to the last penny. So, for example, having once received a package from the hands of a merchant at a huge gathering of people, Father John immediately handed it over to the outstretched hand of the poor man, without even opening the package. The merchant was excited: “Father, yes there is a thousand rubles!” - "His happiness" Father John replied calmly. Sometimes, however, he refused to accept donations from certain individuals. There is a known case when he did not accept 30,000 rubles from a rich lady. In this case, the foresight of Father John was manifested, for this lady received this money in an unclean way, which she later repented of.

B Father John was also a wonderful preacher, and he spoke very simply and most often without much preparation - impromptu. He did not look for beautiful words and original expressions, but his sermons were distinguished by extraordinary power and depth of thought, and at the same time by exceptional theological scholarship, for all their accessibility for understanding even by ordinary people. In every word he felt some special power, like a reflection of the power of his own spirit.

"In the Serossiysky priest "(as Father John was called) he himself constantly traveled around the country, visiting its most remote corners. These trips were a real triumph for the humble servant of Christ. Everywhere, wherever he appeared, a crowd instantly grew up around him, eager to at least touch the confluence of people was determined by tens of thousands, and everyone was seized with feelings of heartfelt faith and reverence, the fear of God and the thirst to receive a healing blessing.During the passage of Father John on the steamer, crowds of people fled along the shore, many, as the steamer approached, knelt down.

To When on July 20, 1890, John of Kronstadt served in the cathedral church of Kharkov, over 60,000 people gathered on Cathedral Square. Exactly the same scenes took place in the Volga cities: in Samara, Saratov, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. Wherever it became known about his arrival, many people gathered in advance: crowds gathered around him and literally tore his clothes (once the inhabitants of Riga tore his cassock to pieces, each wishing to have a piece).

In this house on the second floor there was an apartment of the clergy of St. Andrew's Cathedral -

John of Kronstadt lived in it from 1855 to 1908

Under John of Kronstadt, the house was two-story, but in Soviet times two more floors were added to it, which greatly confused historians when they were looking for an apartment. In the photo: the layout of the house, as it looked before

Daily routine of John of Kronstadt

AT Father John got up every day at 3 am and prepared for the service of the Divine Liturgy.

O around 4 o'clock he went to the cathedral for matins. Here he was already met by crowds of pilgrims who were eager to receive at least a blessing from him. There were also many beggars to whom Father John distributed alms.

Living room of the apartment-museum of John of Kronstadt

W and in the morning, Father John certainly always read the canon himself, attaching great importance to this reading. There was a confession before the beginning of the liturgy.

And Because of the huge number of people who wanted to confess to Fr. John, a general confession was introduced to them. This general confession made an amazing impression on all participants and eyewitnesses: many repented aloud, loudly shouting out their sins without shame or embarrassment. St. Andrew's Cathedral, which could accommodate up to 5,000 people, was always full, and therefore communion took a very long time, and the liturgy did not end before 12 noon. On other days, he confessed for 12 hours and took communion during the service continuously for 3-4 hours.

Sermon in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt.

P according to the testimony of eyewitnesses and those who served with Father John, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Father John is beyond description. The service of Fr. John was an uninterrupted fervent prayer impulse to God. During the service, he was truly a mediator between God and people, interceding for their sins, he was a living link that connected the earthly Church, for which he interceded, and the Heavenly Church, among whose members he hovered in those moments in spirit. The reading of Father John on the kliros was not a simple reading, but a lively, enthusiastic conversation with God and His saints: he read loudly, distinctly, penetratingly, and his voice penetrated into the very soul of the worshipers. And during the Divine Liturgy, all exclamations and prayers were pronounced by him as if with his enlightened eyes he saw the Lord before him face to face and talked with Him. Tears of tenderness flowed from his eyes, but he did not notice them. It was evident that Father John during the Divine Liturgy experienced the whole history of our salvation, felt deeply and strongly all the love of the Lord for us, felt His suffering. Such a ministry had an extraordinary effect on all those present.

H Not everyone went to him with firm faith: some with doubt, others with distrust, and still others out of curiosity. But here everyone was reborn and felt how the ice of doubt and disbelief gradually melted and was replaced by the warmth of faith. There were always so many who took communion after a general confession that sometimes several large bowls stood on the holy altar, from which several priests communed the believers at the same time. And such communion often lasted more than 2 hours.

AT during the service, letters and telegrams were brought to Father John directly to the altar, and he immediately read them and prayed for those who were asked to remember him.

P After the service, accompanied by thousands of believers, Father John left the cathedral and went to St. Petersburg on countless calls to the sick. And rarely when returned home before midnight. It must be assumed that many nights he did not have time to sleep at all.

T How could one live and work, of course, only with the presence of God's supernatural grace-filled help!

Teaching activity

And oann of Kronstadt was also a wonderful teacher and teacher of the law. For over 25 years he taught the Law of God at the Kronstadt City School (since 1857) and the Kronstadt Classical Gymnasium (since 1862).

O he never resorted to those methods of teaching that often took place then in our educational institutions, that is, neither to excessive severity, nor to moral humiliation of the incapable. With Father John, marks were not measures of encouragement, nor measures of intimidation of punishment. His warm, sincere attitude both to the very matter of teaching and to his students gave birth to success. Therefore, he did not have "incapable".

H and in his lessons everyone, without exception, eagerly listened to his every word. The lesson was waiting for him. His lessons were rather a pleasure, a rest for students, than a heavy duty, work. It was a lively conversation, a fascinating speech, an interesting, attention-grabbing story. And these lively conversations of the pastor-father with his children were deeply imprinted in the memory of the students for the rest of their lives. In his speeches addressed to teachers before the start of the academic year, he explained this method of teaching by the need to give the fatherland, first of all, a person and a Christian, pushing questions about the sciences into the background.

H Often there were cases when Father John, having interceded for some lazy student sentenced to expulsion, himself began to correct him. Several years passed, and from a child who seemed to show no hope, a useful member of society was developed.

O Father John attached particular importance to the reading of the lives of the saints, and he always brought separate lives to the lessons, which he distributed to students for reading at home.

In 1887, John of Kronstadt was forced to leave teaching.

Spiritual Diary "My Life in Christ"

H Despite all his extraordinary busyness, Father John, however, found time to keep a kind of spiritual diary, writing down daily his thoughts that came to him during prayer and contemplation. These thoughts constituted a remarkable book, published under the title "My life in Christ."

Throughout his life in Kronstadt, St. John kept a spiritual diary for more than 50 years. Extracts from it were published in two volumes under the title "My Life in Christ" back in the time of St. John. After World War II, some of the diaries were lost.

This book is a true spiritual treasure and can be put on a par with the inspired works of the ancient great fathers of the Church and the ascetics of Christian piety. In the complete collection of works of John of Kronstadt edition of 1893, "My Life in Christ" occupies 3 volumes of more than 1000 pages. This is a completely original diary in which we find an unusually instructive reflection of the author's spiritual life for every reader. Every word is from the heart, full of faith and fire; in thoughts - amazing depth and wisdom; in all striking simplicity and clarity. There is not a single superfluous word, there are no “beautiful phrases”. You cannot just “read” them - you must always re-read them, and you will always find something new, alive, sacred in them.

Soon after its publication, My Life in Christ attracted so much attention to itself that it was translated into several foreign languages, and among Anglican priests it even became a favorite reference book.

This book will forever remain a vivid testimony of how our great righteous man lived and how all those who want not only to be called, but actually be Christians should live.

The main idea of ​​all the written works of John of Kronstadt is the need for true ardent faith in God and life by faith, in an unceasing struggle with passions and lusts, devotion to faith and the Orthodox Church, as the only saving one.

Socio-political position

B Inspired by the image of meekness and humility, love for every person, regardless of nationality and religion, John of Kronstadt treated with great indignation all those godless, materialistic and free-thinking liberal trends that undermined the faith of the Russian people and undermined the thousand-year state system of Russia.

R revolutionary cataclysms, including in Kronstadt, John of Kronstadt perceived as demonic possession, argued that “if things go like this in Russia, and atheists and insane anarchists will not be subject to the righteous punishment of the law, and if Russia is not cleansed of many tares, then it will desolate like ancient kingdoms and cities.”

O The object of special fears of John of Kronstadt was the activity of the revolutionary anti-church intelligentsia. He considered the falling away of people from the Church as the main reason for the revolutionary ferment in Russia.

With In the early 1890s, he sharply criticized the popular and influential writer in society, Count Leo Tolstoy. He criticized the fact that the latter “perverted the whole meaning of Christianity”, “set out to ... lead everyone away from faith in God and from the Church”, “mocks the Holy Scriptures”, “taunts the Church with satanic laughter”, “perishes along with the followers”. He believed that Tolstoy's teachings increased the "corruption of the morals" of society, that his writings "poisoned many young men and women," that the Tolstoyists "disprove Russia and prepare her political death."

P After 1905 and the subsequent liberalization of censorship, the Russian press began to print negative articles and caricatures of John of Kronstadt, sometimes of an obscene and mocking nature. He was criticized for his speeches against Tolstoy, for his sharp rejection of the revolutionary movement and for his support of the autocratic form of government. The newspapers wrote that John of Kronstadt surrounded himself with unworthy people who plundered a significant part of the donations that controlled the communication of pilgrims with him, allowing mainly those from whom it was possible to receive a bribe; that a special source of income was the distribution of prayers allegedly composed by John of Kronstadt, crosses and other items “consecrated” by him.

With The most notable anti-church work was the story of Nikolai Leskov "Midnight Occupants" (1890). For the most part, the story critically illuminates the activities of John of Kronstadt. The shepherd was depicted as a pseudo-healer, and his supporters as sectarians.

AT In the 1880s, a group of fanatical admirers separated from among his admirers, which received the name ioannites who revered him as the incarnated Christ again (which was regarded as a kind of whip sect; they were recognized by the Holy Synod as a sect on April 12, 1912); Father John himself rejected and condemned them, but its very presence created a scandalous reputation in certain circles.

Death of John of Kronshadt

To The difficult feat of serving people in the last years of the life of John of Kronstadt was joined by a painful personal illness - a disease that he meekly and patiently endured, never complaining to anyone. He resolutely rejected the prescriptions of the famous doctors who used him - to support his strength with fast food. Here are his words: “I thank my Lord for the suffering sent down to me for the purification of my sinful soul. Revitalizes - Holy Communion.

X Although the illness caused a lot of suffering, Batiushka did not change his rule - he performed divine services every day, partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Only in the last days of his life he could not celebrate the liturgy and took communion at home. The last time he served a liturgy at St. Andrew's Cathedral on December 9.

O Father John accurately predicted the day of his death. On December 18, as if forgetting himself, he asked Mother Superior Angelina: What is the date today? She answered: "Eighteenth".— "So, two more days," Father said thoughtfully. Shortly before his death, he sent out postcards for Christmas to all the postmen, messengers, etc. people who carried out his orders. "Or they won't get it at all" he added.

AT Serossiyskaya shepherd died December 20 (old style) 1908 at the age of 80 and was buried in the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka in St. Petersburg.

AT The burial of John of Kronstadt was attended and attended by tens of thousands of people, and at his tomb, both then and in the following time, many miracles were performed.

H that was an extraordinary funeral! The coffin with the body of John of Kronstadt was exhibited in St. Andrew's Cathedral for farewell. The people continuously went to the temple all night from 21 to 22 December. Throughout the entire space from Kronstadt to Oranienbaum and from the Baltic Station in St. Petersburg to the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka, there were huge crowds of weeping people. Until that time, such a number of people had not been at any funeral - this was a completely unparalleled case in Russia.

P the guard procession was accompanied by troops with banners, military bands performed “Kol is glorious”, troops stood in tapestries along the entire road through the whole city. The funeral service was performed by the St. Petersburg Metropolitan Anthony, at the head of a host of bishops and numerous clergy. Those who kissed the hand of the deceased testify that the hand remained not cold, not stiff. The funeral services were accompanied by general sobs of people who felt orphaned. Shouts were heard: “Our sun has set! To whom did the father leave us? Who will come now to help us, the orphans, the weak? But there was nothing mournful in the funeral service: it rather resembled a bright Paschal matins, and the longer the service went on, the more this festive mood among the worshipers grew and increased. It was felt that some kind of grace-filled power was coming from the coffin and filling the hearts of those present with some kind of unearthly joy. It was clear to everyone that a saint, a righteous man, was lying in the tomb, and his spirit was invisibly hovering in the temple, embracing with its love and affection all those who had gathered to pay their last debt to him.

Hearse with the coffin of John of Kronstadt near St. Andrew's Cathedral

Funeral procession with the coffin of John of Kronstadt on the ice of the Gulf of Finland

AT Dova Elizaveta Konstantinovna survived Father John by only a few months, and was buried on May 24, 1909 in the cemetery near St. Andrew's Cathedral (at the end of her life, Elizaveta Konstantinovna underwent a serious operation, after which she lost her legs).

Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka

Relics of John Cre Onstadt

M the eyes of the righteous John of Kronstadt rest under a bushel in the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka.

Tombstone over the relics of John of Kronstadt in the Ioannovsky Monastery in St. Petersburg

W here are the well-known icon of St. John with his stole and his vestments.

H There is also an astica epitrachili in the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg, in an icon that is an exact list from a monastery icon.

Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Life-Giving Trinity) in Rogozhskaya Sloboda

AT In Moscow, the icon of John of Kronstadt with a particle of relics is located in the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Life-Giving Trinity) in Rogozhskaya Sloboda (metro station "Ilyich Square", Nikoloyamskaya St., 57-59).

At the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on June 7-8, 1990, St. rights. John of Kronstadt was canonized, and it was established to celebrate his memory on December 20 / January 2 - the day of the blessed death of the holy righteous.

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt (real name Ivan Ilyich Sergiev) Born October 19 (November 1 New Style) 1829 in the village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province - in the far north of Russia - in the family of a poor rural deacon Ilia Sergiev and his wife Theodora. The newborn seemed so weak and sickly that the parents hurried to baptize him at once, thinking that the child would not live to see the morning, and they named him John, in honor of the Monk John of Rila, celebrated on that day by the Holy Church. Soon after the baptism, the infant John began to noticeably recover.

Vanya's parents were simple and deeply religious people. Father, Ilya Mikhailovich, sang and read prayers during worship in the local village church. From early childhood, he took his son to church and thus brought up in him a special love for worship.

Living in the harsh conditions of extreme material need, the lad John early became acquainted with bleak pictures of poverty, grief, tears and suffering. This made him concentrated, thoughtful and self-contained, and at the same time instilled in him a deep sympathy and compassionate love for the poor. Not being carried away by the games characteristic of childhood, he, constantly carrying the memory of God in his heart, loved nature, which aroused in him tenderness and admiration for the greatness of the Creator of every creature.

Already in childhood, he was characterized by a special sensitivity to the manifestations of the spiritual world: at the age of 6, John was honored with the appearance of his Guardian Angel. Little Vanya was often sick and sometimes spent long days in bed. He not only saw his mother praying for his health, but he himself prayed with her.

At the age of 6, his father bought Vanya a primer and began to teach his son to read and write. Literacy at first was given to him with difficulty, as it was to St. Sergius of Radonezh, and just like the Monk, through prayer, the lad John acquired the ability to teach. One night, when everyone was sleeping, six-year-old Vanya saw an unusual light in the room. Looking closely, he froze: the Guardian Angel soared in an unearthly light. Confusion, fear and at the same time joy seized the child. Seeing the boy's excitement, the Angel calmed him and, promising to protect him from all sorrows and troubles, disappeared.

Studies

Young John prays on the way to school

From that time on, lad John began to study excellently: he was one of the first to graduate from the Arkhangelsk parish school, in 1851 he graduated from the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary and for his success was admitted to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which he graduated in 1855 with a degree in theology, defending the work "On the Cross of Christ in the denunciation of imaginary Old Believers."

While still studying at the seminary, he lost his dearly beloved father. As a loving and caring son, John wanted to look for a place as a deacon or a psalmist directly from the seminary, in order to support his old mother, who was left without a livelihood. But she did not want her son to lose his higher spiritual education because of her, and insisted on his admission to the Academy. And the obedient son obeyed.

Entering the Academy, the young student did not leave his mother without care: he got himself a clerical job on the academic board, and all the meager earnings he received completely sent to his mother.

Start of ministry

Thinking once about his future service to the Church of Christ during a solitary walk through the academic garden, he, returning home, fell asleep and in a dream saw himself as a priest serving in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, in which he had never actually been before. He took it as a command from above. Soon the dream came true with literal accuracy.

After completing his spiritual education in 1855, he became a priest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, where he served for 53 years.

In December 1931 Andrew's Cathedral was closed. In the second half of 1931, the warehouse of the purchasing cooperative was located in the premises of the cathedral. In 1932 the cathedral was demolished. In 1955, a monument to Lenin was erected on the resulting square. The square was called Leninsky. In 2001, this monument was moved to the square of the Young Leninist. In 2002, the Andreevsky Union installed a memorial granite sign with the inscription:
« On this place stood the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, in which the Great Prayer Book of the Russian Land, the Holy Righteous Father John of Kronstadt, served for 53 years. The cathedral was consecrated in 1817, destroyed in 1932. Let this stone cry out to our hearts for the restoration of the desecrated shrine».

He married the daughter of the archpriest of the same church, Konstantin Novitsky, Elizabeth, but had no children. The spouses "took upon themselves the feat of virginity." His marriage, which was required by the customs of our Church for a priest who is serving in the world, was only fictitious, necessary to cover up his selfless pastoral deeds. In fact, he lived with his wife like brother and sister.

John of Kronstadt with his wife

On December 12, 1855, he was consecrated to the priesthood. When he first entered the Kronstadt Andreevsky Cathedral, he stopped almost in horror on its threshold: it was exactly the temple that had been presented to him in his childhood visions long before. The rest of the life of John and his pastoral activities took place in Kronstadt, which is why many even forgot his last name "Sergiev" and called him "Kronstadt", and he himself often signed like that.

Located on the island of Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, 46 miles from St. Petersburg, Kronstadt of those times was not an ordinary city. On the one hand, a powerful naval fortress, parking and base of the Baltic Navy. On the other hand, it is a place of exile for beggars, vagabonds and guilty people. There were also many unskilled laborers who worked in the port and in the factories. These residents huddled around the outskirts of the city. Whoever could, built shacks for himself from half-rotted logs and boards. Others dug dugouts. People lived in hopeless need, in cold and hunger. Not only children begged, but also their drinking fathers, and sometimes desperate mothers.

And Father John drew attention to these, despised by all, unfortunate and degraded people. The young priest began to visit the poor quarters.

With his troubles for the Kronstadt “unfortunate tramps,” Father John annoyed many, and especially the authorities and high-ranking officials. Many did not believe in the sincerity of his intentions, mocked him, spread slander and slander about the priest, called him a holy fool. But in spite of everything, Father John went his own way.

« It is necessary to love every person both in his sin and in his shame,- was talking about. John - no need to confuse a person - this image of God - with the evil that is in him". With such a consciousness, he went to the people, conquering everyone and reviving with the power of his true pastoral compassionate love.

By admonishing fallen people and praying for them, donating money and things to the poor, Father John helped the sick as well. Sometimes he was called to the patient at night, and he, without hesitation, rode, not being afraid of even the most contagious. For his trips to the sick and for the prayer service for healing, Father John never asked for anything. He only reminded me to give thanks to God for everything.

Discovery of the Gift of Miracles

Soon, Father John also revealed the wondrous gift of wonderworking, which glorified him throughout Russia and even far beyond its borders. There is no way to enumerate all the miracles performed by Father John. Our unbelieving intelligentsia and its press deliberately hushed up these innumerable manifestations of the power of God.

Through the prayers of John of Kronstadt and the laying on of his hand, the most serious illnesses were cured, when medicine was lost in its helplessness. Healings were performed both in private and with a large gathering of people, and very often in absentia. Sometimes it was enough to write a letter to Father John or send a telegram for the miracle of healing to happen.

There are many testimonies of healings.

Particularly remarkable was the miracle that happened in front of everyone in the village of Konchanskoye (Suvorovskoye), described by the Suvorov commission of professors of the military academy who happened to be there at that time (in 1901). A woman who had suffered from possession for many years and was brought to Father John in an insensible state, after a few moments was completely healed by him and brought back to the normal state of a completely healthy person.

The artist Zhivotovsky described the miraculous rainfall in an area that suffered from drought and was threatened by forest fire, after Father John offered up his prayer there.

Many miracles were performed through the prayers of the blessed shepherd. Father John especially pitied those subject to the passion of wine-drinking and healed many from it.

Father John healed with the power of his prayer not only Russian Orthodox people, but also Muslims, Jews, and foreigners who turned to him from abroad. This great gift of miracle-working was naturally a reward to Fr. John for his great deeds—prayerful labors, fasting, and self-sacrificing deeds of love for God and neighbor.

"All-Russian Father"

Soon, all believing Russia flowed to the great and wondrous miracle worker. The fame of him as a famous pastor, preacher and miracle worker quickly spread everywhere. The second period of his glorious life, his exploits, began. At first, he himself went to the people within the boundaries of one of his cities, and now the people themselves from everywhere, from all over Russia, rushed to him. Thousands of people came to Kronstadt every day, wanting to see Father John and get some help from him.

He received even more letters and telegrams. Together with letters and telegrams, huge sums of money for charity flowed to Father John. Their size can only be judged approximately, for, receiving money, Father John immediately distributed everything. According to the most minimal estimate, at least one million rubles a year passed through his hands (an enormous amount at that time!).

St. John of Kronstadt brings homeless children to an orphanage.

With this money, Father John daily fed a thousand beggars, set up a wonderful institution in Kronstadt - the "House of Diligence" with a school, church, workshops and an orphanage, founded a convent in his native village and erected a large stone church, and in St. Petersburg he built a convent monastery on Karpovka, in which he was buried after his death.

Having reached a high degree of prayerful contemplation and dispassion, Father John calmly accepted the rich clothes presented to him by his admirers, and dressed in them. He even needed this to cover up his exploits. Some people blamed Father John for expensive clothes. However, according to eyewitnesses, he did not order it for himself, and accepted it only in order not to offend those who gave him, who sincerely wanted to thank him or serve him. In fact, carefully hiding his asceticism from people, Father John was the greatest ascetic. At the heart of his ascetic feat lay unceasing prayer and fasting.

The donations he received were handed out to the last penny. So, for example, having once received a package from the hands of a merchant at a huge gathering of people, Father John immediately handed it over to the outstretched hand of the poor man, without even opening the package. The merchant was excited: Father, yes there is a thousand rubles!» — « His happiness”, Father John answered calmly. Sometimes, however, he refused to accept donations from certain individuals. There is a known case when he did not accept 30,000 rubles from a rich lady. In this case, the foresight of Father John was manifested, for this lady received this money in an unclean way, which she later repented of.

Father John was also a wonderful preacher, and he spoke very simply and most often without much preparation - impromptu. He did not look for beautiful words and original expressions, but his sermons were distinguished by extraordinary power and depth of thought, and at the same time by exceptional theological scholarship, for all their accessibility for understanding even by ordinary people. In every word he felt some special power, like a reflection of the power of his own spirit.

The “All-Russian Father” (as Father John was called) himself constantly traveled around the country, visiting its most remote corners. These trips were a real triumph for the humble servant of Christ. Everywhere, wherever he appeared, a crowd instantly grew up around him, eager to at least touch the miracle worker. The confluence of the people was determined by tens of thousands, and all were embraced by feelings of heartfelt faith and reverence, the fear of God and a thirst to receive a healing blessing. During the passage of Father John on the steamer, crowds of people fled along the shore, many, as the steamer approached, knelt down.

When on July 20, 1890, John of Kronstadt served in the cathedral church of Kharkov, over 60,000 people gathered on Cathedral Square. Exactly the same scenes took place in the Volga cities: in Samara, Saratov, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. Wherever it became known about his arrival, many people gathered in advance: crowds gathered around him and literally tore his clothes (once the inhabitants of Riga tore his cassock to pieces, each wishing to have a piece).

Daily routine of John of Kronstadt

In this house on the second floor there was an apartment of the clergy of St. Andrew's Cathedral - John of Kronstadt lived in it from 1855 to 1908

Father John got up every day at 3 am and prepared for the service of the Divine Liturgy.

Under John of Kronstadt, the house was two-story, but in Soviet times two more floors were added to it, which greatly confused historians when they were looking for an apartment. In the photo: the layout of the house, as it looked before

At about 4 o'clock he went to the cathedral for matins. Here he was already met by crowds of pilgrims who were eager to receive at least a blessing from him. There were also many beggars to whom Father John distributed alms.

Living room of the apartment-museum of John of Kronstadt

During Matins, Father John always read the canon himself, attaching great importance to this reading. There was a confession before the beginning of the liturgy.

Because of the huge number of people who wanted to confess to Fr. John, a general confession was introduced to them. This general confession made an amazing impression on all participants and eyewitnesses: many repented aloud, loudly shouting out their sins without shame or embarrassment. St. Andrew's Cathedral, which could accommodate up to 5,000 people, was always full, and therefore communion took a very long time, and the liturgy did not end before 12 noon. On other days, he confessed for 12 hours and took communion during the service continuously for 3-4 hours.

Sermon in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt.

According to the testimony of eyewitnesses and those who served with Father John, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Father John defies description. The service of Fr. John was an uninterrupted fervent prayer impulse to God. During the service, he was truly a mediator between God and people, interceding for their sins, he was a living link that connected the earthly Church, for which he interceded, and the Heavenly Church, among whose members he hovered in those moments in spirit. The reading of Father John on the kliros was not a simple reading, but a lively, enthusiastic conversation with God and His saints: he read loudly, distinctly, penetratingly, and his voice penetrated into the very soul of the worshipers. And during the Divine Liturgy, all exclamations and prayers were pronounced by him as if with his enlightened eyes he saw the Lord before him face to face and talked with Him. Tears of tenderness flowed from his eyes, but he did not notice them. It was evident that Father John during the Divine Liturgy experienced the whole history of our salvation, felt deeply and strongly all the love of the Lord for us, felt His suffering. Such a ministry had an extraordinary effect on all those present.

Not everyone went to him with firm faith: some with doubt, others with distrust, and still others out of curiosity. But here everyone was reborn and felt how the ice of doubt and disbelief gradually melted and was replaced by the warmth of faith. There were always so many who took communion after a general confession that sometimes several large bowls stood on the holy altar, from which several priests communed the believers at the same time. And such communion often lasted more than 2 hours.

During the service, letters and telegrams were brought to Father John directly to the altar, and he immediately read them and prayed for those who were asked to remember him.

After the service, accompanied by thousands of believers, Father John left the cathedral and went to St. Petersburg on countless calls to the sick. And rarely when returned home before midnight. It must be assumed that many nights he did not have time to sleep at all.

It was possible to live and work like this, of course, only with the presence of God's supernatural grace-filled help!

Teaching activity

John of Kronstadt was also a wonderful teacher and teacher of the law. For over 25 years he taught the Law of God at the Kronstadt City School (since 1857) and the Kronstadt Classical Gymnasium (since 1862).

He never resorted to those methods of teaching that often took place then in our educational institutions, that is, neither to excessive severity, nor to moral humiliation of the incapable. With Father John, marks were not measures of encouragement, nor measures of intimidation of punishment. His warm, sincere attitude both to the very matter of teaching and to his students gave birth to success. Therefore, he did not have "incapable".

In his lessons, everyone, without exception, eagerly listened to his every word. The lesson was waiting for him. His lessons were rather a pleasure, a rest for students, than a heavy duty, work. It was a lively conversation, a fascinating speech, an interesting, attention-grabbing story. And these lively conversations of the pastor-father with his children were deeply imprinted in the memory of the students for the rest of their lives. In his speeches addressed to teachers before the start of the academic year, he explained this method of teaching by the need to give the fatherland, first of all, a person and a Christian, pushing questions about the sciences into the background.

Often there were cases when Father John, having interceded for some lazy student sentenced to expulsion, himself began to correct him. Several years passed, and from a child who seemed to show no hope, a useful member of society was developed.

Father John attached particular importance to the reading of the lives of the saints, and always brought individual lives to the lessons, which he distributed to students for reading at home.

In 1887, John of Kronstadt was forced to leave teaching.

Spiritual Diary "My Life in Christ"

Despite all his extraordinary busyness, Father John found, however, the time to keep, as it were, a spiritual diary, writing down his daily thoughts that came to him during prayer and contemplation. These thoughts constituted a remarkable book, published under the title "My Life in Christ".

Throughout his life in Kronstadt, St. John kept a spiritual diary - more than 50 years. Extracts from it were published in two volumes under the title "My Life in Christ" back in the time of St. John. After World War II, some of the diaries were lost.

This book is a true spiritual treasure and can be put on a par with the inspired works of the ancient great fathers of the Church and the ascetics of Christian piety. In the complete collection of works of John of Kronstadt edition of 1893, "My Life in Christ" occupies 3 volumes of more than 1000 pages. This is a completely original diary in which we find an unusually instructive reflection of the author's spiritual life for every reader. Every word is from the heart, full of faith and fire; in thoughts - amazing depth and wisdom; in all striking simplicity and clarity. There is not a single superfluous word, there are no “beautiful phrases”. They cannot only be “read”—they must always be re-read, and you will always find in them something new, alive, sacred.

Soon after its publication, My Life in Christ attracted so much attention to itself that it was translated into several foreign languages, and among Anglican priests it even became a favorite reference book.

This book will forever remain a vivid testimony of how our great righteous man lived and how all those who want not only to be called, but actually be Christians should live.

The main idea of ​​all the written works of John of Kronstadt is the need for true ardent faith in God and life by faith, in an unceasing struggle with passions and lusts, devotion to faith and the Orthodox Church, as the only saving one.

Socio-political position

Being the very image of meekness and humility, love for every person, regardless of nationality and religion, John of Kronstadt treated with great indignation all those godless, materialistic and free-thinking liberal currents that undermined the faith of the Russian people and undermined the thousand-year state system of Russia.

Revolutionary cataclysms, including in Kronstadt, John of Kronstadt perceived as demonic possession, argued that “if things go like this in Russia, and atheists and insane anarchists will not be subject to the righteous punishment of the law, and if Russia is not cleansed of many tares, then it will desolate like ancient kingdoms and cities.”

The object of special fears of John of Kronstadt was the activity of the revolutionary anti-church intelligentsia. He considered the falling away of people from the Church as the main reason for the revolutionary ferment in Russia.

From the beginning of the 1890s, he sharply criticized the popular and influential writer in society, Count Leo Tolstoy. He criticized the fact that the latter “perverted the whole meaning of Christianity”, “set out to ... lead everyone away from faith in God and from the Church”, “mocks the Holy Scriptures”, “taunts the Church with satanic laughter”, “perishes along with the followers”. He believed that Tolstoy's teachings increased the "corruption of the morals" of society, that his writings "poisoned many young men and women," that the Tolstoyists "disprove Russia and prepare her political death."

After 1905 and the subsequent liberalization of censorship, the Russian press began to publish negative articles and caricatures of John of Kronstadt, sometimes of an obscene and mocking nature. He was criticized for his speeches against Tolstoy, for his sharp rejection of the revolutionary movement and for his support of the autocratic form of government. The newspapers wrote that John of Kronstadt surrounded himself with unworthy people who plundered a significant part of the donations that controlled the communication of pilgrims with him, allowing mainly those from whom it was possible to receive a bribe; that a special source of income was the distribution of prayers allegedly composed by John of Kronstadt, crosses and other items “consecrated” by him.

The most notable anti-church work was the story of Nikolai Leskov "Midnight Occupants" (1890). For the most part, the story critically illuminates the activities of John of Kronstadt. The shepherd was depicted as a pseudo-healer, and his supporters as sectarians.

In the 1880s, a group of fanatical admirers separated from among his admirers, which received the name ioannites who revered him as the incarnated Christ again (which was regarded as a kind of whip sect; they were recognized by the Holy Synod as a sect on April 12, 1912); Father John himself rejected and condemned them, but its very presence created a scandalous reputation in certain circles.

Death of John of Kronshadt

The difficult feat of serving people in the last years of the life of John of Kronstadt was joined by a painful personal illness - a disease that he meekly and patiently endured, never complaining to anyone. He resolutely rejected the prescriptions of the famous doctors who used him - to support his strength with fast food. Here are his words: I thank my Lord for the suffering sent down to me for the purification of my sinful soul. Enlivens - Holy Communion».

Although the disease caused a lot of suffering, Batiushka did not change his rule - he performed divine services every day, partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Only in the last days of his life he could not celebrate the liturgy and took communion at home. The last time he served a liturgy at St. Andrew's Cathedral on December 9.

Father John accurately predicted the day of his death. On December 18, as if forgetting himself, he asked Mother Superior Angelina: “What date is it today?” She answered: " eighteenth». - « So two more days", - said Father in thought. Shortly before his death, he sent out postcards for Christmas to all the postmen, messengers, etc. people who carried out his orders. " Or they won't get it at all.', he added.

All-Russian pastor died December 20 (old style) 1908 at the age of 80 and was buried in the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka in St. Petersburg.

Tens of thousands of people participated and were present at the burial of John of Kronstadt, and many miracles were performed at his tomb both then and in subsequent times.

It was an extraordinary funeral! The coffin with the body of John of Kronstadt was exhibited in St. Andrew's Cathedral for farewell. The people continuously went to the temple all night from 21 to 22 December. Throughout the entire space from Kronstadt to Oranienbaum and from the Baltic Station in St. Petersburg to the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka, there were huge crowds of weeping people. Until that time, there had never been such a number of people at any funeral - this was a completely unprecedented case in Russia.

The funeral procession was accompanied by troops with banners, military bands performed “Kol is Glorious”, troops stood in tapestries all along the road through the whole city. The funeral service was performed by the St. Petersburg Metropolitan Anthony, at the head of a host of bishops and numerous clergy. Those who kissed the hand of the deceased testify that the hand remained not cold, not stiff. The funeral services were accompanied by general sobs of people who felt orphaned. Shouts were heard: Our sun has set! To whom did the father leave us? Who will come now to help us, the orphans, the weak? But there was nothing mournful in the funeral service: it rather resembled a bright Paschal matins, and the further the service went on, the more this festive mood among the worshipers grew and increased. It was felt that some kind of grace-filled power was coming from the coffin and filling the hearts of those present with some kind of unearthly joy. It was clear to everyone that a saint, a righteous man, was lying in the tomb, and his spirit was invisibly hovering in the temple, embracing with its love and affection all those who had gathered to pay their last debt to him.

Hearse with the coffin of John of Kronstadt near St. Andrew's Cathedral

Funeral procession with the coffin of John of Kronstadt on the ice of the Gulf of Finland

The widow Elizaveta Konstantinovna survived Father John by only a few months, and was buried on May 24, 1909 in the cemetery near St. Andrew's Cathedral (at the end of her life, Elizaveta Konstantinovna underwent a serious operation, after which she lost her legs).

Relics of John of Kronstadt

Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka

The relics of the righteous John of Kronstadt lie under a bushel in the Ioannovsky monastery on Karpovka.

Tombstone over the relics of John of Kronstadt in the Ioannovsky Monastery in St. Petersburg

There is also a famous icon of St. John with his stole and his vestments.

His reckoning as a saint - canonization - took place in 1990.

He is prayed for in all family and household needs and in illnesses, as well as for deliverance from drunkenness.

Sayings:
“You must love every person, both in his sin and in his shame. No need to confuse a person - this image of God - with the evil that is in him.
- "You hate the enemy - you are stupid ... love the enemy - and you will be wise."
“We must remember that the Christian faith consists in loving enemies.”
“Look at every person, whether he is home or a stranger, as a constant news in the world of God, as the greatest miracle of God's wisdom and goodness, and your habit of him may not serve as a reason for you to neglect him. Honor and love him as yourself, constantly, unchangingly.”
“What are human souls? This is one and the same soul, or one and the same breath of God, which God breathed into Adam, which from Adam and hitherto extends to the entire human race. All people, therefore, are the same as one person, or one great tree of mankind.
“Pray that the Lord will help you according to your faith.”
“I foresee the restoration of a powerful Russia, even stronger and more powerful. On the bones of the martyrs, as on a strong foundation, a new Russia will be erected - according to the old model, strong in its faith in Christ God and the Holy Trinity; and it will be, according to the testament of the Grand Duke Vladimir, as a single Church ... The Russian people have ceased to understand what Russia is: it is the Foot of the Throne of the Lord. A Russian person should understand this and thank God for being Russian.”
“Democracy is in Hell, but in heaven is the Kingdom of God.”
– “Do not be merciless judges of people who work for God and fall in life into contradiction with themselves, that is, with their piety; they are brought into conflict with themselves by the devil, their evil adversary; he grabs hard with his teeth at their heart, compels them to do the opposite.

Documentary film: HOLY. John of Kronstadt

Movie Information
Name: Saint. John of Kronstadt
Released: 2007
Genre: Documentary
Production: RTR, Special Correspondent
Director: Arkady Mamontov

John of Kronstadt, in the world Ivan Ilyich Sergiev (1829-1908), archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, spiritual writer and thinker, righteous saint.

In his sermons, he openly testified to the trials that were coming in Russia. “The time is near,” said the saint in 1903, “that the people will be divided into parties, brother will rise against brother, son against father, father against son, and much blood will be shed on the Russian land. Part of the Russian people will be expelled from the borders of Russia; the exiles will return to their native lands, but not so soon, they will not recognize their places and will not know where their relatives are buried.

Before his death, the saint prophesied: “The Russian people and other tribes inhabiting Russia are deeply corrupted, the crucible of temptations and disasters is necessary for everyone, and the Lord, who does not want anyone to perish, burns everyone in this crucible.”

The word of John of Kronstadt is relevant and in demand in our time ...

Even during his lifetime, John of Kronstadt was extremely popular not only among his parishioners, who believed in his miraculous power. He was loved by beggars and merchants, unbelieving youth and even ardent monarchists. He earned special respect for his charity. They said about him: “Leaving the house in a fox coat, he comes back in one cassock.” Despite the fact that during the years of Soviet power the Andreevsky Cathedral was destroyed, and the military enlistment office was located at the burial place of John of Kronstadt in the Ioannovsky Monastery for a long time, the saint continued to be worshiped. In 1990, although he never belonged to the black clergy, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The film crew of Arkady Mamontov managed to meet with the descendants of St. John of Kronstadt, as well as to capture the stories of the clergy about the fate of this unusual person, archpriest, miracle worker.

Documentary film-investigation from the cycle "SAINTS".The fulfilled prophecy of John of Kronstadt

Movie Information
Name
original name: THE SAINTS. The fulfilled prophecy of John of Kronstadt
Released: 2010
Genre: Documentary series
Director People: Oleg Baraev, Denis Krasilnikov
Leading: Ilya Mikhailov-Sobolevsky
Expert: Arkady Tarasov

About movie: On August 8, 2002, in Kronstadt, a seven-meter cross, installed on the dome of the main naval cathedral, fell on a crowd of thousands. Many saw in this evidence of the most tragic and most mysterious prophecy of the great Russian Saint John of Kronstadt. He wrote down his thoughts in his diaries. For the second century now, scholars and historians have been searching for the last notebook of diaries in which the saint spoke about the future of Russia.

(1829–1908)

The 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, Pinezhsky district, in a Christian family. The family did not have much wealth, but it was distinguished by zeal for God and piety. John's father, Ilya Sergiev, served as a psalm reader in the local church. His wife, Theodora, mother of John, stood out for her simplicity of disposition and deep faith.

John was born sickly and very weak: so much so that his parents, worrying about his life, were forced to hurry with baptism. The name was chosen in honor of St. John of Rylsky. After Baptism, the boy began to recover, gain strength and grow stronger.

It is noted that even in childhood he witnessed a miracle: once John saw a luminous angel in the upper room, who, seeing the embarrassment of the child, reassured him and said that he was his Guardian Angel, and would protect him until the end of 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, introduced him to the service and liturgical books. Over time, John 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, with difficulty collecting the necessary amount, placed him in the Arkhangelsk Parish School. At that time he was about ten years old. At first, the training was not easy: it was not possible, as it should, to comprehend and remember the material being taught. This greatly saddened young John: on the one hand, he was known to be lagging behind, and on the other, he understood how hard it was for poor parents to pay for his stay at the school.

Once, after a heartfelt prayer before going to bed, John, by his personal confession, felt that he was as if shocked, as if a veil had fallen from his eyes and his mind had opened; he had a clear vision of the teacher and the lesson; he remembered its content. In that fervent prayer he asked God for help, and God answered him. Then the soul was filled with joy, and he fell asleep as calmly as he had not 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 taken place in him: he easily assimilated and memorized what he read.

Since then, attending classes, 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 after its 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 a possible income and found it. Knowing about his cramped circumstances and good handwriting, they went to meet him, offering him a position as a clerk. For this work, John received up to ten rubles a month. Sending money to his mother, he was sincerely glad that he could support her.

Once, having come 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 a mysterious dream came true.

The Priestly Feat of Father John of Kronstadt

In 1855, John graduated from the academy with a Ph.D. in theology. In view of the fact that he united himself by marriage with the daughter of Archpriest K. Nesvitsky, who served in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, he was asked to take the place of a clergyman in the same church. On December 10, 1855, John was ordained a deacon, and on December 12, the same year, a priest. Having visited the cathedral for the first time, he recognized in it the very one that he had seen in a dream.

The pastoral life of Father John took place in a difficult time for the country, embodied in the massive weakening of faith, the beginning of rampant rebellious moods, and the fermentation of revolutionary ideas. The city of Kronstadt served at that time as a place of concentration for people expelled from the capital. Vagrancy, idle wandering, deep drunkenness, begging, extreme poverty - these are just a few aspects of the social stratum that made up a significant part of his flock, needed special attention and care. Great were the difficulties that lay before the shepherd, but great was the sense of pastoral duty, great love for God, mercy and compassion for neighbors.

The married life of Father John developed as follows: having announced to his wife about the desire to preserve virginity and by agreement with her, he lived with Elizabeth, like brother and sister. Until the end of his life, John kept chaste purity.

Initially, many did not understand and did not even accept the impulses of an extraordinary pastor. But over time, seeing his kindness and patience, seeing his zeal and, last but not least, the material assistance that he provided to those in need, people began to realize: God gave them a good and hearty mentor, a sensitive, responsive, wise guardian. They say that visiting dugouts, shacks and poor apartments, the monk distributed his salary, nursed the children while the mothers did the housework, looked after the sick, could give the poor man boots and clothes, and at the same time he prayed, exhorted, encouraged, consoled.

The disinterestedness and mercy of Father John reached the point that he himself was left without means. Seeing such an unprecedented state of affairs, many who, out of envy, some out of stupidity or callousness of heart, reproached the saint for insincerity, indulgence of parasites and deceivers, slandered, scolded, mocked, and not only verbally, but also through the press. In view of the striking dissimilarity of John of Kronstadt to many other pastors of the Church, he was, among other things, accused of foolishness.

With the support of the diocesan authorities, the colleagues ensured that the wife received the priest's salary for him. But the All-Wise Lord did not leave him without the opportunity to help the poor. He kept the payment received for teaching the Law of God at the local, Kronstadt Real School, with him, and from it he donated 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 him, and so many messages and telegrams came to his address that the Kronstadt post office had to organize a special department to process his correspondence. John was written not only from different parts of the state, but also from abroad. In order to carefully analyze all these messages, he had to resort to the help of secretaries.

Along with those who sought soul-saving benefit, 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, distributed them to the poor. They say that it happened when an envelope was handed to him, he immediately, without opening it, gave it to someone.

During all the years of priestly service, Fr. John celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral almost every day, and for the last 35 years of his life he served daily (the last time was on December 10, 1908).

Father John got up very early. Getting up, he began to prepare for the Divine Liturgy. When he went to the temple, he was met by crowds of believers who were eager to receive a blessing. There were also beggars, whom he bestowed with alms.

During the morning Fr. John himself read the canon, carefully and attentively, giving this reading a high value. Before the beginning of the Liturgy there was a Confession. Over time, due to a huge gathering of people, both local and pilgrims, who wanted to confess without fail to John of Kronstadt, he was forced to introduce general confession into his practice (according to various estimates, St. Andrew's Cathedral could accommodate 5-7 thousand people). They say that this sacred ceremony made an indelible impression on the participants and eyewitnesses. Inspired, shocked by the pastoral word and zeal, people loudly shouted out their sins, including the most vile ones, repented aloud, as if not ashamed of the witnesses who crowded them from all sides. It is claimed that as a result, believers actually experienced a sense of liberation from the heavy burden of sin. The service was characterized by a single, fiery, prayerful impulse.

Approximately after seventeen years of pastoral ministry, the Lord vouchsafed Father John to organize a special institution in Kronstadt - the "House of Diligence". On this occasion, he appealed to the people with an appeal, offering to carry out this charitable work by joint efforts. The appeal has been published. The response was sincere and broad. On August 23, 1881, the laying of the building took place, and already on October 12, 1882, the opening took place. Gradually, the activities of the House of Diligence developed, positively reflecting on the interests of different social groups and strata. At the House of Diligence, there were workshops, a folk canteen, a school, shelters, a library, a reading room.

Worthy of admiration is the role of John of Kronstadt in relation to women's sketes and monasteries. In particular, with his direct participation, a convent 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, serving in monastic churches.

By the nature of his pastoral activity and by 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 also traveled to remote corners of the Russian Empire. Contemporaries note the special healing power of his prayers for the sick, his healing gift. In addition, John was awarded from God the gift of miracles and insight.

Tens of thousands with reverence and fear of God were waiting for their beloved father in various places of his probable appearance. When he rode in a carriage, people were ready to rush to him right on the go. They were not stopped even by the fear of being broken, crippled. When Father John traveled on the steamer, the believers ran after the steamer along the shore, many knelt down. In addition, the saint gained respect in the royal court. The other one, it would seem, under the onslaught of the collapsed glory, broke down and became proud. But not Father John, a true warrior of Christ, a God-lover. Just as the temptations of attacks and slander could not break his stamina, so the temptation of fame could not blacken his meek, humble attitude.

Illness and the Last Days of the Earthly Life of Father John of Kronstadt

The time of death was revealed to Father John in advance. Toward the end of his earthly life, he was subject 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, gathering his will and strength, celebrated the last Liturgy. During 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 peacefully rested in the Lord and communed with eternity.

Spiritual heritage of the pastor

During his priestly service, 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, an unceasing spiritual struggle against sinful passions and vices (see on this occasion: ; ). Father John confirmed the truth of the moral teaching given to us with his life, the feat of pastoral and general Christian work.

In the theological works of John of Kronstadt, the most diverse themes of the Church's doctrine are revealed: about God; about the salvation of man; about the veneration of the Cross (see:), the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints; about repentance and prayer (see:); about the Church; about the fate of the world and the last times (see:).

Troparion to Righteous John of Kronstadt, Tone 1

Advocate of the Orthodox faith, / sadder of the Russian land, / rule as a shepherd and faithful image, / preacher of repentance and life in Christ, / reverent servant of the Divine Mysteries / and bold prayer for people, / Righteous Father John, / healer and miracle worker, / city of Kronstadt praise / and our adornment to the Church, / pray to the All-good God // pacify the world and save our souls.

Kontakion to Righteous John of Kronstadt, Tone 3

Today the shepherd of Kronstadt / stands before the Throne of God / and earnestly prays for the faithful / Christ the Shepherd, / who gave the promise: I will build My Church, // and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.

Prayer to the holy righteous John, presbyter of Kronstadt, miracle worker

O great miracle-worker and marvelous servant of God, God-bearing Father John! Look upon us and listen graciously to our prayer, as if the Lord vouchsafed great gifts to you, may you be an intercessor and a constant prayer book for us. Behold, we are overwhelmed with sinful passions and consumed with malice, we neglected the commandments of God, did not bring repentance of the heart and tears of sighing, for the sake of many sorrows and sorrows we are worthy to appear. But you, righteous father, having great boldness towards the Lord and having compassion for your neighbors, implored the All-Generous Lord of the World to grant His mercy to us and tolerate our iniquities, sin will not destroy us for our sakes, but graciously grant us time for repentance. O saint of God, help us to observe the Orthodox faith without blemish and keep the commandments of God piously, may not any lawlessness possess us, the Truth of God will be put to shame in our iniquities, but may we be able to reach the end of the Christian, painless, shameless, peaceful and sacraments of God involved. We also pray to you, righteous father, about the hedgehog of the Church of our Saints until the end of the age of being affirmed, but for our fatherland, ask for peace and prosperity in the Truth of God and save from all evils, so our people, God keep, in the unanimity of faith and in all piety and purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, sobriety and harmony testify: for God is with us! In Nemzha we live, and we move, and we are, and we will abide forever. Amen.

Prayer two

Oh, holy righteous Father John, All-Russian luminary and marvelous miracle worker! You were chosen by God from infancy, and, with a fiery spirit, like a true shepherd, with life, in a word, love, faith, purity, you served people. For this sake, we pray to you, righteous father: pray to the Lover of God, protect the holy Church with peace and silence, preserve the Russian land in prosperity, fulfill the shepherds of grace and truth abundantly, make the authorities wiser, strengthen the Orthodox army, heal the weak, correct the depraved, educate the young, elders and widows 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 forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer three

O great saint of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wonderful shepherd, quick helper and merciful intercessor! Giving 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, exhausted and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Grace: do not cease to have mercy on me. Now, grateful for your intercession, the All-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and the weak, make us worthy to bear the fruits of repentance and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. Strengthen your faith in us by your strength, support us in prayer, heal illnesses and diseases, deliver us from misfortunes, enemies, visible and invisible. With the light of the face of your servants and primates of the Altar of Christ, move on the holy feats of pastoral work, grant upbringing as a baby, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of temples and holy cloisters! Die, miracle worker and seer of the most wonderful, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine strife, squandered gather, deceived convert and gather the Holy Councils and Apostles of the Church. By your mercy, keep marriages in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to those who are monks in good deeds, give cowardly comforts, those who suffer from unclean spirits of freedom, have mercy on the needs and circumstances of those who exist, and guide us all on the path of salvation. Living in Christ, our Father John, lead us to the Non-Evening Light of eternal life, may we be vouchsafed with you eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

Icon of St. John of Kronstadt - miraculous help

John of Kronstadt is a saint who has the grace to help in many situations, in different areas of life. Find out where the saint's relics are, how to pray to him

St. John of Kronstadt - miraculous help from the icon and relics of the saint through prayer

John of Kronstadt is a saint whose name is known throughout the Orthodox world. Even during his lifetime, he, a priest of a large cathedral near the capital, the founder of a large metropolitan monastery, was known throughout the Russian Empire. Even during his lifetime, he performed wondrous miracles. And today, people continue to share testimonies of his help orally, in print and on the Internet.

It is important that the holy righteous John of Kronstadt has the grace to help in many situations, in different areas of life.

Icon of St. John of Kronstadt

It is easy to recognize on the image of the saint: he is depicted with a Chalice for Communion in his hands (since in his sermons and instructions he wrote and spoke a lot about the need to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often and with due preparation).




The saint is dressed in the priest's red or green vestments (phelonion - the upper brocade cape, the cassock - usually white and epitrachelion - a wide ribbon descending from the neck).




On the chest of Father John is a pectoral priestly cross.




He is depicted as an elderly man with a round gray beard and white hair.

Life of John of Kronstadt

The future All-Russian pastor, Archpriest John of Kronstadt, was born on October 19, 1829, into a poor but very pious priestly family of the Sergievs. My father was a psalmist in Sura, a northern village.

The saint was born a very weak child, but recovered immediately after Holy Baptism. Already at the age of six he had a vision of his Guardian Angel, who promised to protect him. With great difficulty, the parents raised funds to send Ivan to the Arkhangelsk parish school and seminary. The future saint studied with great difficulty, but with zeal, he was well versed not in theological, but in spiritual matters. After graduating from the seminary, the future father John was sent to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy as the best student - at public expense.

In 1855, Ivan Sergiev became a candidate of theology and married the daughter of a Kronstadt priest, Elizaveta Nesvitskaya. This predetermined his entire fate: he was ordained a priest of the Kronstadt Andreevsky Cathedral. And with his wife, by mutual agreement, they lived, as it were, in monasticism - like brother and sister, keeping chastity for the sake of God.

Even during his lifetime, the most desperate people received the help of St. John. St. John of Kronstadt was also called the Paschal Father - he always rejoiced at any circumstances of life, he even confided his grief to God and did not grumble, but prayed.

A simple priest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, a suburb of the then capital of Russia - St. Petersburg, he was glorified by God for his virtuous life, filled with prayers for the needy, caring for the poor and alcoholics, of which there were many in the port of Kronstadt, preaching and missionary work. He had no children of his own, and the good shepherd, the modest priest, seemed to have adopted all the unfortunate people who came to him. Millions donated to him, and he distributed everything to the poor and needy, asking for support. Rumors about healings, the exorcism of evil spirits from people, a miraculous change in destinies after the prayer of Father John went throughout the country.

Father John died exactly 10 days after his last Divine Liturgy, before Christmas - on January 2, according to the new style of 1908.

Prophecies of John of Kronstadt

Alcoholism and other types of addictions: drug addiction, gambling, tobacco smoking, inhalation of smoking mixtures - unfortunately, have become a sign of modern society. No matter how much humanity hoped that scientific progress would lead to moral progress, kill social vices, on the contrary, the twentieth century, which stepped forward in technical terms, gave society the most terrible wars and diseases. Why?

The answer to this question was known to the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, who predicted the moral disintegration of the world, and revolution, and sorrow, according to legend, with his prayer for a long time kept the Russian Empire from a bloody fall. This simple priest, the archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, a port suburb of the capital of the Empire - St. Petersburg, was known throughout Russia, and today he is honored by people all over the world.

Relics of John of Kronstadt

Under Patriarch Alexy II in the 1990s, the revival of the Ioannovsky convent (in honor of St. John of Rylsky), founded by the holy righteous John of Kronstadt on the Karpovka River, began, and the acquisition of the relics of the most holy righteous John of Kronstadt began.

Before the revolution and after, to this day, his relics give healing and help through prayers to the saint. And during his lifetime, the saint helped people, and after his death, miracles were immediately noticed through prayers to him. It is known that 80 bishops buried the righteous man.

Ioannovsky Monastery was closed in 1923, and at the beginning of June 1926 the relics were examined: they were in a coffin, which was covered with zinc, buried at a depth of more than a meter and the floor was concreted on it.

In 1990, the All-Russian Father John was canonized, the relics were found according to the prophecy of Father John himself: he said that in the terrible godless years his burial place would be lost, and then reappeared.

Remember that you need to pray to the Lord and His saints not only in troubles and difficulties, but also in joy - a prayer of thanksgiving. On the day of the memory of St. John of Kronstadt, you can read an akathist to him or order a prayer service, or simply come to the church for the All-Night Vigil (the night before) and the Liturgy in the morning.

Prayer to John of Kronstadt for drunkenness and getting rid of addiction

It is known that at the request of drunken sailors, at the tearful entreaties of their wives and children, the good shepherd, Father John, prayed to God - and the ailment of addiction passed irrevocably.

And today, people continue to share testimonies of his help orally, in print and on the Internet. The rumor about healing from drunkenness - then there was no gambling and drug addiction - and the help of Father John went throughout the country. Today, those who suffer from bad habits, addictions and addictions also pray to him.

You can pray to St. John of Kronstadt for deliverance from alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, and gambling. Often people turn to a saint with a prayer when all means have already been tried - the more obvious the miracle is when passion disappears. Relatives and friends of dependent people often pray to the saint, this is a good deed, and these prayers are also heard.

It is known that in order to be healed, a person must recognize the dependence himself and begin to work on himself. After turning to St. John of Kronstadt, even the most drunken people sometimes realize the depth of their fall and for the first time agree to a request for treatment. Note that in each diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church there is a Department for the fight against alcoholism and drug addiction, so you can back up your prayer with action, turning to the Church, passing an Orthodox rehabilitation course.

“O holy righteous John of Kronstadt! Pray to the Lord for the servant of God (name), may God have mercy on him and save him from addiction to the carnal pleasure of drunkenness (drug addiction, gambling, smoking). May the Lord grant him to know the joy of abstinence and a quiet life in love with all his neighbors and in the house of God. Amen."

John of Kronstadt's advice and his rules on how to stop drinking

It is known that at the request of drunkards, for the sake of the tears of their wives and children, Father John prayed to God and alcoholism in a person disappeared forever. But he did not leave people without attention and advice. For all alcoholics, he created rules on how to stop drinking.

The main thing in this is prayer, the priest said. He himself composed a prayer for alcoholics, which must be said with strong confidence in God and the determination not to drink:
“I renounce you - the swill of Satan! I unite with You, Lord Jesus Christ! Save me, I'm exhausted. The insidious and cunning enemy overcomes me. Give strength, firmness and constancy in my sincere decision to free myself from drunkenness. Let your will be done!”
Father John advised to supplement this prayer with your own words, from the heart, to speak with God, to beg him to get rid - or save your loved one - from harmful addiction.

Further advice from John of Kronstadt on the treatment of alcoholism:

• Don't procrastinate, start refusing and fighting right away.


• Do not rely only on yourself, be treated by doctors.


• Control yourself, do not give indulgence even on holidays, paydays.


• If a relapse occurs, repent, continue treatment again and abstain from alcohol,


• Cut ties with drinking friends and companies


• Find a job that is useful for yourself and others (or a hobby, helping people by volunteering),


• Attend divine services in the temple, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ,


• To eradicate pride and selfishness in oneself, to pray more and in temptations always mentally ask God for help.

Prayer to John of Kronstadt - help in many life difficulties

Even during his lifetime, he worked marvelous miracles, being glorified by God for his virtuous life, filled with prayers for the needy, caring for the poor, of whom there were many in the port of Kronstadt, preaching and missionary work.

Righteous John of Kronstadt lived in a big city, he saw and healed many ailments. It is known that the saint healed serious illnesses even in children.

Through prayer to the righteous, people to this day get rid of diseases, from the most terrible diseases. It is difficult for a sick person to force himself to believe in the best, and only the grace of God, through the prayers of the saints, consoles and calms, gives strength.

You can read a prayer to St. John of Kronstadt not only about your recovery, but also for sick relatives and friends. And if a miracle happens - do not be proud, but rejoice that through the prayers of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, the Lord created it.

Read online prayer according to the text below:

“Oh, the great and glorious saint of God, Father John of Kronstadt, a wonderful shepherd of all people, graciously giving us his intercession for us before God!
You yourself wrote a prayer and glorified God, glorified in the Trinity, with these words:
“Your name is Love: do not reject me, the erring one; Your name is Strength: strengthen me, exhausted and falling.

And now, thankful for your prayers and intercession before God, the Orthodox of all Russia pray to you: O righteous saint of God, named after the beloved disciple of Christ, John the Theologian! Shine the light of your love on us, sinners and weak souls and bodies, help us bear the spiritual fruits of repentance for sins, pray sincerely during divine services, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ! With your grace-filled power, strengthen our faith in the Lord, support us in prayer, heal our illnesses and ailments, deliver us from all attacks of visible and invisible enemies; with the light of God's grace emanating from your face and your icon, inspire the priests who stand for the Church on earth in front of the Altars of the temples of God, for spiritual and prayer feats, for missionary work.
Help people who believe and pray to you to raise babies, be a mentor to the youth, support the elderly, preserve the shrines of the churches and holy monasteries of Russia; save in peace the peoples of our country and neighboring countries, O great seer and miracle worker! By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, deliver us from civil wars, gather people who have been removed from the Motherland, deceived by occult teachings and sects, gather in the Holy Orthodox Church, from the apostles of Christ, lead your succession!
By your grace, keep all the spouses in unanimity, love and mutual understanding, give the monks help and strength in their labors, free those suffering from the influence of sorcerers and demons, have mercy on those in need and trouble, and direct us all to the path of salvation.
Lead us to the eternal light of Christ in eternal life, so that we may be worthy of conversation with you in the Kingdom of Heaven and stay there in eternal joy with all the saints, praising the mercy of God forever and ever. Amen".

Through the prayers of the good shepherd of the Russian Land, Father John, may God bless you!