the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

225
and of “tormenting the Komsomol member Guryanova”. She was also
accused of participating in “an underground group organized by Bishop
[Nicholas] Parfenov in Kirchach”. Nothing more is known about her.
From the court records: “… There existed an underground counterrevolutionary
organization of churchmen and monastics, the so-called ‘All-
Russian Brotherhood’, headed by Archbishop [Theodore] Pozdeyevsky and
Archimandrite [Simeon] Kholmogorov on the basis of the counterrevolutionary
platform of the exiled bishops, ‘The True Orthodox Church’…
A series of counter-revolutionary cell-groups of the organization was created.
They were united in so-called ‘illegal house churches’ (‘sketes’, ‘communities’,
etc.)…”
After the beginning of the war with Germany, in 1942, Saratov was
buzzing with rumours about the return of “the little batyushka”, Bishop
Nicholas. It appears that people met him in the church and near the church.
One of those who witnessed to this is the still-living Protopriest Vsevolod
Kuleshov. Bishop Nicholas would talk with his spiritual children for a short
period about their spiritual life, past or future. Others who did not know him
he would “burn” with his glance, and would then disappear into the crowd,
forever sealing his image in their memory…
Bishop Nicholas was canonized by the Russian Church Abroad on
November 1, 1981.
(Sources: Vestnik Russkogo Khristianskogo Dvizheniya, 145, III-1985, pp.
243-245; Russkiye Pravoslavnye Ierarkhi, Paris: YMCA Press, 1986, p. 54; M.E.
Gubonin, Akty Svyateishago Patriarkha Tikhona, Moscow: St. Tikhon's
Theological Institute, 1994, p. 984; Evgenia Grigorievna Rymarenko,
"Remembrances of Optina Staretz Hieroschemamonk Nektary", Orthodox
Life, vol. 36, no. 3, May-June, 1986, pp. 42-43; Bishop Ambrose (von Sivers),
personal communication, January 7/20, 1996; "Episkopat Istinno-Pravoslavnoj
Katakombnoj Tserkvi 1922-1997g.", Russkoye Pravoslaviye, N 4(8), pp. 8-9;
Protopresbyter Michael Polsky, Novye Mucheniki Rossijskiye, Jordanville,
1957, part 2, p. 126; Tsvetochki Optinoj Pustyni, Moscow: Palomnik, 1995, pp.
59-67; Lev Regelson, Tragediya Russkoj Tserkvi, 1917-1945, Moscow:
Krutitskoye patriarsheye podvorye, 1996, p. 537; Aleksij Rufimskij, “Biografia
sviaschennomuchenika Nikolaya (Parfenova), episkopa Atkarskago, radi
Khrista yurodivago ‘malen’kago batiushki’”, Pravoslavnaya Rus’, N 17 (1782),
1/14 September, 2005, pp. 4-8; “Vospominania o Vladyke Nikolae
(Parfenove)”, Pravoslavnaya Rus’, N 14 (1803), 15/28 July, 2006, pp. 7-10;
http://www.pstbi.ru/bin/code.exe/frames/m/ind_oem.html?/ans)
225