the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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with article 58-10 of “counter-revolutionary agitation”. The court heard: “The
authority of Mogilev has grown so much that before sowing the citizens come
to him for a blessing: ‘How much to sow, whether it is necessary to take a loan,
whether it is necessary to trample on the seeds”. He was sentenced to three
years exile in Siberia. They took him from Orenburg on September 8, 1929, the
day of the Nativity of the All-Holy Birth-Giver of God. On that day they
allowed the people to say goodbye to him. And there were many people.
While saying goodbye he said to the believers: "Stand, brothers, stand
courageously in the Orthodox Faith. Have no communion with the sergianist
heresy, with its heretical 'church'. This heresy recognizes the antichristian
authorities to be 'from God'... If anyone deviates into this heresy, then not even
martyrdom will save him from this great sin... I would wish you to follow me
and be where I am. I pray the Lord to strengthen me and you for this exploit,
sealed with holy martyrdom for the true Faith, the Orthodox Faith... I beseech
you, stand in the Orthodox Faith, stand firmly, unshakeably. I pray the Lord
and I pray you that you entreat Him to strengthen me, to grant me His mercy,
that I the unworthy one may receive holy martyrdom for Him. But if I return
from prison, do not trust me and do not come up to me. That would mean that
I had betrayed Christ. All those who are strong in spirit and faith leave for
'there', but they never return from there... Children, I beseech you, I entreat
you, stand unshakeably... Recognize nobody after me... They have all, all fallen
away... What can we do? We shall suffer together, although in different ways...
O what joy it would be for me if I appeared before the Lord and He asked me:
'Pastor, where is your flock?' and I would turn to you and say: 'Lord, here is
my flock!' You know, you are my justification, and you are also my reproach...
As is the pastor, so is his flock!.. But what shame, what disgrace and horror it
will be for me if I turn and behind me there is – no-one!.. My dear children,
beloved in Christ! Once more and now for the last time I entreat you: Stand
with the Lord, do not enter into communion or come into any contact with the
antichristian heresy!.. May the Lord Himself, our Saviour and God, Jesus
Christ, now bless you for a long struggle, year after year, and I bless you for
this labour and spiritual feat..." Thus spoke Father Simeon as he said goodbye
to the people. And it was amazing that no-one hindered him from speaking in
this way... From Orenburg they took him to Novosibirsk, from Novosibirsk to
Abakan. According to one account, he was shot in Abakan, as was officially
communicated to his brother on his inquiry. However, according to another
source, he was arrested again while in exile, and on August 16 a special
conference of the OGPU decided, after convicting him of “anti-Soviet
agitation”, to release him under guard while depriving him of the right to live
in six regions and fixing him to one place of residence for three years. On
February 6, 1931 he was arrested and cast into the Domzak in Samara. On
March 31, 1931, at 22.20 p.m., he was shot in Samara. In his will Fr. Simeon
wrote: "I leave you my old mother and family of nine persons" (he sheltered
orphans). "Look after them... I am going where the Lord calls me..."
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