24.04.2013 Views

the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

222<br />

"And how much I heard about Vladyka when I visited him once in<br />

Moscow, where he sometimes went for a certain time! The son <strong>of</strong> some<br />

relatives recovered through <strong>the</strong> prayers <strong>of</strong> Vladyka, in ano<strong>the</strong>r family <strong>the</strong><br />

husband stopped drinking and became a good family man. One woman said<br />

that she came to Vladyka and suddenly noticed that she had lost her wedding<br />

ring. She was terribly upset, and Vladyka sent her to look for <strong>the</strong> ring on <strong>the</strong><br />

street. She set <strong>of</strong>f with complete faith that she would find it, and she found it.<br />

"Vladyka himself suffered all kinds <strong>of</strong> everyday life unpleasantnesses.<br />

There came a time when he had to be ejected from <strong>the</strong> flat he was occupying.<br />

With great difficulty his hieromonk and cell-attendant succeeded in finding a<br />

basement and making it habitable. And again this basement was done up in<br />

such a way that on entering one felt cosiness and order; and with <strong>the</strong> blessing<br />

and through <strong>the</strong> prayers <strong>of</strong> its master, people left it having received <strong>new</strong><br />

strength and spiritual support.”<br />

Once <strong>the</strong> representatives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> authorities arrived in <strong>the</strong> house so as to<br />

arrest Mo<strong>the</strong>r Mariamna, but <strong>the</strong>y did not find her at home. They ordered <strong>the</strong><br />

landlord Popov to go to <strong>the</strong> police immediately she appeared. But<br />

immediately she arrived, Popov warned her <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> danger. The nun managed<br />

to hide while Popov suffered: since he had warned her, he was arrested and<br />

sent into exile.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1933 or 1934, Bishop Nicholas was arrested by <strong>the</strong> Kiev<br />

OGPU in accordance with article 58-10 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ukrainian code, and was in<br />

prison for four months. According to one source, he was in prison with<br />

Schema-Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze). His fellow prisoners remembered<br />

his exceptional kindness and unacquisitiveness. He would literally share his<br />

last piece <strong>of</strong> bread with <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

He was released, and told to go to Moscow. Before leaving, he told Fr.<br />

Pitirim (according to ano<strong>the</strong>r source, it was ano<strong>the</strong>r cell-attendant <strong>of</strong> his, Boris<br />

Vetvitsky, a native <strong>of</strong> Saratov, who usually accompanied him to church):<br />

"Leave immediately, we are going to Golgotha."<br />

Before he left Kiev, relates Eugenia Grigorievna, "our universally revered<br />

batyushkas, Fr. Michael [Yedlinsky] and Fr. Alexander [Glagolev, who was<br />

also martyred] visited Vladyka. Both derived very much from this parting<br />

conversation with Vladyka and <strong>the</strong>y said:<br />

"'What spiritual strength, which we had with us in Kiev, we are losing<br />

now. The Lord is taking it from us.'<br />

"Vladyka himself also highly valued <strong>the</strong>se batyushkas <strong>of</strong> ours. He was<br />

sometimes in <strong>the</strong> church <strong>of</strong> Fr. Alexander and liked to pray with him.<br />

222

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!