Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye

Simeon of Verkhoturye (Russian: Симеон Верхотурский; 1607–1642), also known as Simeon of Merkushino (Russian: Симеон Меркушинский), is a Russian Orthodox saint. He is the patron saint of the Ural region. The main feast day of Saint Simeon is 18 December (OS), or 31 December (NS). Believers pray to God asking for Simeon for help, consolation, strengthening, correction, treatment of the soul and body, and delivering from evil. Needy people pray to Simeon to escape from death. Often believers with eye diseases or palsy refer to Simeon for help. The facts of the life of Simeon are very short and only known through the hagiography compiled by Metropolitan Ignatius (Rimsky-Korsakov) of Tobolsk and Siberia in the late 17th century from stories by his contemporaries, after the priest had examined the translation of the relics of Simeon. The title of the story was "A Story Known and Witnessed on the Manifestation of the Sacred Relics and in Some Measure the Legend of the Holy and Righteous Simeon, the New Siberian Wondermaker". According to the hagiography, Simeon was born to a noble boyar family in the European part of Russia. After the death of his parents during the Time of Troubles, Simeon moved to the Ural Mountains and settled in the town of Verkhoturye. In 1620, he moved to the village Merkushino (about 53 kilometres (33 mi), from Verkhoturye), in and around which he spent most of the rest of his life, hiding his origin and living simply.(Russian: социальное опрощение). In Merkushino he visited the local wooden Archangel Michael church. In summer, Simeon cloistered himself for prayers along the bank of the Tura River ten verst (about 10.66 km, or 6.21 miles) from Merkushino, obtaining his living from fishing. In winter he sewed coats for the village peasants of the Verkhotursky Uyezd.