Saint Abraham of Rostov

Abraham of Rostov, Archimandrite of Rostov, in the world Abercius, was born in the tenth century in Chuhloma, which is in Kostroma region near Galich, Russia. Born Abercius, he was very ill as a child. He converted to Christianity in his youth after, according to tradition, being cured of illness through prayer. He decided to become a monk at Valaam and with the new name Abramius (Abraham) settled at Rostov on the shore of Lake Nero. Not far from his hut was a temple where the local tribes worshiped the stone idol of Veles, a source of superstitious fright in the whole neighborhood. His legend recounts a miraculous vision of John the Evangelist, who gave him a staff, crowned with a cross, to destroy the idol. In commemoration of this, at the site of the temple, Abraham erected a monastery in honor of the Theophany. He also built a church dedicated to Saint John the Theologian and preached the Gospel in his area. Convinced by his preaching, many pagans were baptized. At the petition of the Rostov princes Avraham was ordained to the rank of archimandrite of the monastery of the Theophany. Abraham died in old age and was buried in the church of the Theophany by his disciples. His relics were found during the time of Grand Prince Vsevolod Georgievich (1176-1212). According to Golubinsky the general church canonization of Abraham was held already by the time of the Makaryev Sobors of 1547–1549. The divine service devoted to Abraham of Rostov, compiled in the imitation of the like to Sergius of Radonezh, was first mentioned in the manuscript collection of the 15th century. In 1551 Ivan the Terrible, during his military campaign against Khanate of Kazan, made a pilgrimage to the Abraham Monastery before the battles. He took the staff of the saint and upon the successful defeat of Kazan khans he returned it back and ordered the construction of the stone Cathedral of the Theophany in 1553- 1555.