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ST. TIKHON,
BISHOP OF AMERICA and
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW
- (1865 - 1925)
- Feast Day: March 26th
-
The American Orthodox Church was blessed to have as its bishop
for 9 years, the recently glorified ST. TIKHON, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW (1865-1925).
Throughout his life he was known for his simplicity, humility, kindness, uncompromising
devotion to Truth, and a boundless love for the Church and Her people. In 1898 the young
Bishop Tikhon, named for St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, arrived in America as the bishop of the
one, united Orthodox Diocese. He did much for the Church in America. He established a
seminary in Minneapolis, a monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, dedicated to St.
Tikhon, and the St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. He consecrated 2 auxiliary
bishops to serve Alaska and non-Slavic immigrants. With true spiritual vision, he stressed
the unique missionary nature of the American diocese, its need for multi-ethnic unity and
its destiny to be self-governing.
After being recalled to Russia, he was elected Metropolitan of Moscow in
1917, and, in the middle of the Communist Revolution, presided at the
1917-18 Council that re-established the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He
was chosen by lot to become the first Patriarch in 200 years. Under the Soviet regime, he
defended the Church and its people and refused to compromise the Faith, for which he was
tortured and imprisoned. Even while in prison, his peacefulness, patience, humility,
compassion, strength and faith during great suffering were an example and inspiration to
his people, then and now. He was buried at the Donskoi Men's Monastery, and now his relics
have been placed in a beautiful reliquary and transferred to the main Cathedral of the
monastery, up front, on the left, by the solea.
This article was written by Jane M. deVyver, M.Th., Ph.D.
The icon at the top was painted/written by Fr. Theodore Jurewicz, of Erie, Pennsylvania,
and is located in St. Innocent of Irkutsk Orthodox Church in Redford, Michigan.
If you liked this article, you might be
interested in the FIREBIRD book, RECENTLY CANONIZED
ORTHODOX SAINTS: Their Lives and Icons, from
which, in large part, this article is excerpted. It is listed in the Products/Books section,
and is FIREBIRD item #46.
-
You also
might be interested in the video, PILGRIMAGE
TO HOLY RUSSIA, Part 1, in which
- scenes of the Donskoi Men's Monastery are shown, including the interior
of the main cathedral, where St. Tikhon's relics are located. The audio track that
accompanies the visual portrayal is comprised of a narration that tells of life of
St. Tikhon, plus beautiful, well-integrated sacred music. It is listed in the Products/Videos in English
section, and is FIREBIRD item
#3.
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ST. INNOCENT/
