Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Great 19th Century Orthodox Archbishop and Teacher Glorified a Saint

Dr. Alexander Roman alex.roman@unicorne.org

The Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Volodymyr of Kyiv and Ukraine recently met to ratify the glorification/canonization of a number of new Saints.

Among them are included the Ihumena of the Topliv monastery Paraskeva (Rodymtsiv +Dec. 12, 1928) from the Eparchy of Simferopil.  Also, from the Kherson Eparchy, the blessed ascetic Domnika Likvinenko (+Oct. 6, 1967).

The Hlinsk Stauropeghial Poustinia of the Holy Nativity of the Theotokos was enriched with the canonization of the following new Hlinsk Venerable Fathers:  Sche-Metropolitan Seraphim (Mazhuha), Sche-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukasha) and Sche-Archmandrite Seraphim (Romantsiv).

Four new saints were glorified as Venerable Fathers who struggled spiritually in the Sofronievo-Molchansky caves monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos:  Archimandrite Theodosy (Masliw);  Hieromonk Serapion;  Elder Sophrony (Batovrin); and the Fool-for-Christ’s Sake, Sergius Tikhoniv.

In addition, the Venerable Fathers and Venerable Martyrs of the Zverynetsky Monastery in Kyiv (the ancient monastery that pre-dated the Kyivan Caves Lavra near the St Jonah Monastery) will now be honoured liturgically each year on the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast (Lent).  October 3rd will be the feast of the Holy Prince-Martyr St John of Putyvl. 

Finally, one of the great Orthodox Fathers and Teachers living in the 19th century was glorified a saint, Philaret (Humilevsky), Archbishop of Chernihiv (whose feastday will be August 22nd). 

St Philaret belonged to the “group of the three Holy Philarets” of that time which included St Philaret Metropolitan of Kyiv and St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow.

Born Dmitry Hrihorievich Humilevsky in 1805 as a son of a priest, he received his surname (in truth, his real family name was “Konobeiv”) in the seminary as a play on the word “humility” owing to his short stature and humble character.  Having completed his seminary studies with the highest possible scholarly acclamations, he was tonsured a monk as “Philaret” and was appointed theology and history professor.  Since he read widely, he could teach numerous theological and secular subjects and was not only an accomplished historian but also an archaeologist . . .

He founded the academic journal “The Writings of the Holy Fathers, translated from the ancient languages.”  In 1841, he was consecrated as Bishop of Riga in Latvia.

While in the Baltic countries, he was sympathetic to the desire of the Latvians and Estonians to have spiritual literature available to them in their own national languages.  Philaret the scholar then went back to his study desk and soon mastered those languages himself.  He also expected Orthodox priests working in Latvia and Estonia to be fluent in all three Baltic languages and began translating and publishing religious literature for his Baltic flock.

In 1848, St Philaret was transferred to Kharkiv in Ukraine and in 1857 he was consecrated as Archbishop and assigned to Chernihiv where he continued to upgrade the theological and cultural education and development of his flock.

It was in Chernihiv that the Holy Hierarch Philaret produced his “Orthodox Dogmatic Theology” and his “History of the Church of Rus’” as well as a volume on literature. 

A great practitioner of the Jesus Prayer and reader of Holy Scripture, St Philaret was an ascetic in the best traditions of Orthodox Patristic spirituality.  His great devotion to study earned him the respect of both religious and secular scholars of his day.  And he came by his new surname quite naturally.

His deeply moving spirituality and humility can be seen in his eyes in the pictures of him that are extant.  Covered in the robes of his high Archiepiscopal office with Crosses and Panaghias hanging from his shoulders with many books and papers in his hands, St Philaret’s “heart-piercing” piety made a great spiritual impression on his flock throughout Eastern Europe. 

No wonder tens of thousands lined the streets and roads to pay their last respects to their great Pastor during his funeral and begin his local veneration that has continued to this day, culminating in his formal Glorification as a new Hierarch-Saint of our Church!

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