She who prays with us in heavens

Pointing to the Gospels and to her heart: “from here I take, in here I keep”

In the monastery, on our sisters’ shelves with icons, side by side with the depictions of saints, one can often see a photo of a simple Russian woman. Here she is: This is the schema-nun Evfrosiniya (Mezenova), or Annushka, as she has been affectionately called. She lived a hundred years ago in a small village of Shilovo of Kamensky district in the Urals. In the neighborhood she was known as a foreseeing and righteous woman. People used to come to her from many villages to hear her spiritual admonitions. People’s memory has passed unto us amazing testimonies of her selfless life in Christ: all-the-year-round fasting, the gift of healing and instruction, the gift of foreseeing and prayer. Herself being greatly patient, she was also able to strengthen others spiritually for bearing afflictions. “If you love God and the Mother of God, you should also love the sorrows that they send to you” — Annushka used to say. She was able to feel from a distance the spiritual condition of her children, sending them her prayerful help at the right times. Sometimes the number of people who came to her for spiritual advice was so great that Annushka would faint from exhaustion, but she remained faithful to the precept of her spiritual father, hiero-martyr Varlaam Belogorsky: “Better die at your obedience, but do not abandon it!” Schema-nun Evfrosiniya passed to the blessed eternity in 1918. Her bodily strength was carried away by a galloping consumption. By earthly standards she was still in the prime of her life: she just turned 40. But her soul was already ripe for life eternal.

The sisters hope that soon Annushka will be glorified with the saints

As a 12-year-old girl Annushka tried to join the Novo-Tikhvinsky monastery, but God’s providence for her turned out to be different: a secret taking of the veil, monasticism in the world. But then a multitude of her spiritual children came to the monastery. Even now, many years after her bodily departure Annushka is loved and venerated here at the Novo-Tikhvinsky monastery. The memories of the wonderful life of Annushka — schema-nun Evfrosiniya, her photo and her letters were given to us by schema-nun Nikolaya (Zasypkina) and nun Georgia (Yarutina). Her hagiography was composed on the basis of these sources.

By the holy tomb

The memory of schema-nun Evfrosiniya is celebrated twice a year: on October 25th -- the day of repose, and May 31st — the day of transferal of her relicts to the cemetery of the Maminskoye village. Every time big groups of people who venerate her come to visit the humble grave. It has been noticed by quite a few of those people: the prayers at her holy tomb help to fortify spiritual strength. As far as possible, on the days of Annushka’s commemoration the sisters of our monastery also come to Maminskoye. After Liturgy in the cathedral of Michael the Archangel everyone goes to the cemetery. Pannychida becomes a great spiritual event for everyone who keeps the memory and significance of it as a jewel in his soul. The tradition is then to go to Shilovo — to visit the place where the cell of schema-nun Evfrosiniya stood, to see the windmill where she worked as a girl, to draw water from Annushka’s well: this well was dug by her father, and Annushka used it all her life. In any weather, while reciting a prayer, the sisters wash their faces and some of them even take a shower-bath with this well-water. As they do this, in their minds or outloud they ask for Annushka’s spiritual help. The wise maiden who kept the oil in her lamp — the schema-nun Evfrosiniya sends her invisible help to priests, monks, and the laity.

Our abode collects the testimonies of people’s veneration, of her miracles and spiritual help for applying to the Synodal Committee on canonization of saints.