St. John of Kronstadt

The first concert of the choir "Visson"  is associated with the parish of St. John of Kronstadt.  The senior priest of the church and the regent of the parish choir provided a room for presentations, advertising and other support, so important for a young team. Then the chorus was presented with a priceless gift - painted icon of St. John of Kronstadt, who has heard more than one prayer from our group of members of the choir since that moment.

So the “good father”, as it is called by the people, St. John of Kronstadt  became the patron of the choir singers.  Amen.

Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt

   Commemorated on 20 December (Old Style)/ 2 January  (New Style).

   Saint Righteous John (Ioann Ilyich Sergiyev) named John of Kronstadt was born in a poor family in a village of Sura of the Arkhangelsk province on 19 October [N.S. 31 October] 1829. Thinking he would not live long, the parents baptized him right after his birth with the name of John in honour of Venerable John of Rila, a great light of the Bulgarian Church. But the baby was getting stronger and growing up.

   When John was nine years old his father took him to a parochial school in Arkhangelsk. It was difficult for the boy to learn reading and writing and he grieved deeply. Then the boy prayed to God for help. Once, at midnight when all were sleeping, the boy was enduring such a sorrowful moment. He got up and began to pray more fervently than usual. The Lord heard his prayer and the Divine Grace descended upon him and according to his own words, "it was as if a curtain disappeared suddenly from the eyes". He remembered everything that was told in a classroom and his mind became somehow enlightened. Since that time he had been making great progress in studies. He passed from the parochial school to a seminary and graduated from it as the best student. Owing to his brilliant successes he was admitted to Saint Petersburg Theological Academy at public expense.

   In 1855 he graduated from the Academy with a degree of the candidate of theology. In that same year the young graduate was ordained to the priesthood and appointed a priest of Saint Andrew's Cathedral in a town of Kronstadt.

   Father John devoted his life entirely to serving the Lord from the very first day of his ordination. He began to celebrate the Divine Liturgy every day.

   Prayers of Father John were extraordinarily powerful. Knowing this, not only the dwellers of Kronstadt sought Father John’s help but also people from every corner of Russia and even from abroad. Father John healed people of all ages and estates; apart from the Orthodox there were the Catholics, the Jews, and the Muslims.

   Father John was not a skillful preacher. He spoke simply and clearly without any rhetorical modes but with all his heart. And this was the reason he won the hearts of his listeners and inspired them. His sermons were published in serial form and distributed all over Russia in large numbers.

   Every morning he got up at 3 a.m. and prepared to serve the Liturgy. Around 4 a.m. he went to the Cathedral for the Matins. There were already crowds of pilgrims waiting for him and eager for seeing him and getting his blessing. There were also a lot of beggars and Father John gave alms to them. Right after the Matins he conducted the Confession. Then Father John served the Liturgy with a very long Communion in the end of it. After the service they brought letters and telegrams to Father John straight to the Altar. He read them at once and prayed for those asking for help. Then followed by thousands of the faithful Father John went to St. Petersburg to visit countless numbers of sick people. Very seldom he came back home till the midnight. Some of the nights he spent without sleeping at all. Such was his life without a rest - day by day, and year after year. Of course, he could live and work in that way with a God’s supernatural help only.

   Father John passed away on 20 December 1908 [N.S. 2 January 1909] at the eightieth year of his life. Even after his righteous decease he quickly responds to the prayers of all asking for his help.