The Visit of Metropolitan Amphilochius

Metropolitan Amphilochius

In the first days of his stay in the Ekaterinburg diocese, Metropolitan Amphilochius, accompanied by the Ruling Archpastor, visited the sacred places of the Verkhoturskaya land. Having venerated the relics of St. Simeon in the St.-Nicholas monastery of Verkhoturye, the archpastors arrived at the metochion of our abode in Merkushino village. Here they went down to the burial place of St. Simeon, drank from the healing fountain and then venerated the imperishable relics of hieromartyr Konstantin Bogoyavlensky.

In the church with the foster girls

A day later metropolitan Amphilochius came to the orphanage in honor of holy martyr Elisaveta that has been opened at our monastery. The children in the church greeted the Metropolitan with songs and even with "Eis polla eti, despota" which they have learned especially for his arrival. The Metropolitan said that as he looks at the pure faces of the children, he vividly remembers the Russian ascetic Fr. Tikhon on Mt. Athos. He was able to achieve such extraordinary gentleness, meekness, and simplicity, that even his face had become beautiful with the unrepeatable inner beauty. The Metropolitan quoted the words of the Savior: "Truly I say unto you, unless you turn and become like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3) and he wished to the foster girls to grow in their senses and to preserve their God-given purity.

In the skete church

The next day Metropolitan Amphilochius visited the monastery skete named in honor of St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). It was joyful to hear that in Chernogorye St. Ignatius is also loved both by monastics and laypeople. When our ruling Archpastor, archbishop Vikentiy asked the Metropolitan to instruct the sisters, he replied that he is at a loss for words, since the sisters are gathered under the protection of such heavenly instructor that they could not possibly find a better one. And he has told us simply about a Serbian ascetic Stefka (Stefanida) whom he venerates, who lived very recently (she passed away in 1944). Her life is amazingly similar to the life of our Ural ascetic Annushka, she also since her childhood had been called by the grace of God, being different from other children in her piety and yearning for prayer. Both of them are our contemporaries, both had spent their lives in virginity and fast, but in the world and not in the monastery. Metropolitan Amphilochius said that he has the letters of Stefka -- "what a pure soul!" Of course, there was no need of instruction after this brief story which spoke for itself.

Then the archpastors visited our workshops and, leaving, Metropolitan Amphilochius spoke again in a monastic way: "The external things should be kept well, this is right, but the main thing is: do not abandon the keeping of the heart."