the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

339
Fr. Philip's son, Ivan, was imprisoned for eight years in Archangelsk. He
wrote: "Papa, there are people like you here, and they give us what you give
us (i.e. communion)." Soon he died from hunger.
In his last years Fr. Philip used to sit most of the time on his bed - he could
no longer use his legs. He died on April 17, 1974. His flock was looked after
by Fr. Andrew from Chuvashia, and later Fr. Nicetas Lekhan from Kharkov.
Protopriest Philip Sychev was born on July 16, 1892 in Perm. After the
army he joined the monastery in Solovki. His obedience was at the mill, then
he built roads. With the blessing of his elder he returned to Perm, where he
was appointed reader. Soon he married, and later Bishop Pavlin ordained him
to the priesthood. He did not recognize Metropolitan Sergius, and
commemorated Bishop Nectarius (Trezvinsky) and Bishop Barlaam
(Lazarenko). For belonging to the True Orthodox Church he was arrested and
sent to a camp in the north, where he was forced to clean lavatories. He was
imprisoned for ten years, and was on the Volga-Don canal. Towards the end
of his term he became blind and deaf and developed an illness of the legs. The
medical commission threw him out of the gates without a certificate. He
managed to reach a friendly woodman, and lived with him for a year while
he healed. Some novices bought him a little house in Izhevsk. He served
secretly, early in the morning. People came to him for services from Perm. He
died on March 16, 1978, and was buried by Fr. Michael Rozhdestvensky.
After his death his flock was looked after by Hieromonk Paul from
Kazakhstan, and later on his advice people went to Fr. Nicetas Lekhan from
Kharkov.
In Sergach the church had been destroyed, and many believers from the
town and nearby went for church services to Varenka. On great feasts and at
Pascha up to 70 people came to her. When there was no priest there would be
services at Varenka's according to a "catacomb typicon" which took place
quite openly. The authorities knew about them but did not touch her.
Varenka was too well-known, and knew too much, not only earthly things
but also heavenly (in all she had spent 101 days in heaven at various times).
In spite of her weak health, she was a great faster. During Holy Week she
ate nothing. Once at the beginning of the Great Fast her novices brought her
some soft white bread and began to persuade her to eat it. She obeyed and ate
a little piece, after which her ulcer became worse and she ate nothing during
the whole of the Great Fast. Her head was constantly aching, and her liver
was also painful. So as to relieve her sufferings somehow, she artificially
made herself vomit, but she never complained, and was always joyful.
She knew the day of her death in advance. A week before her death the
Mari Protopriest Gurias gave her communion, and it was he who buried her.
339