Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus helps the infertile. Orthodox shrines of Kuban

With the blessing of His Eminence Theophylact, Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Circassia in Mineralnye Vody solemnly celebrated the memory of the venerable confessor Theodosius of the Caucasus. Thousands and thousands of people from different parts of Russia and abroad strive these days to visit the Intercession Cathedral, where the holy relics of the saint reside.

The celebrations began on August 7 with an all-night vigil. Then, throughout the night, worship was performed in the temple. At 3 o'clock in the morning the early Divine Liturgy began, which was performed by the inhabitants of the Assumption of the Second Athos Beshtaugorsky Monastery, at which about five hundred people took communion, at 5 o'clock in the morning the 2nd Divine Liturgy was celebrated, at which about three hundred people took communion.

At 9 o'clock the late Divine Liturgy began, which was led by the rector of the Intercession Cathedral, Archpriest Ilya Ageev, he was concelebrated by deans and clergy of the Pyatigorsk diocese, as well as guests from Moscow and Marseille, more than three hundred people took communion. Then a religious procession took place around the temple.

The service ended, but pilgrims, throughout the day, in a constant stream, arrived at the temple to pray on this holiday near the shrine with the relics of the venerable confessor.

Venerable Theodosius of the Caucasus

Hieromonk Theodosius (in the world Fedor Fedorovich Kashin) was born on November 4, 1862 in the Perm province.

His parents, Fyodor and Catherine, were pious and deeply religious Christians and, despite poverty and having many children, they taught their children to live piously. With his mother's milk, the future great ascetic absorbed the words of psalms and chants.

It is not surprising that, possessing a deep religious mood and a desire for an ascetic life, Theodore Kashin in 1889 directed his steps to Holy Mount Athos. In the Iversky Monastery, over the course of several decades, he went from a novice to the abbot of the cell of the Position of the Precious Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, subordinate to this ancient monastery, and after 8 years he was ordained to the priesthood.

This is what the certificate of ordination of “a Russian native, the Most Reverend Theodosius, firmly adhering to Orthodox teachings and leading an immaculate life and recognized by everyone as such,” says, which was performed on December 12, 1897 by Metropolitan Nile, formerly Carpathian and Kassky. “Since the above-mentioned priest has all the qualities required for a confessor, we therefore give him permission to confess the thoughts of those wishing to begin confession /:/; and he is obliged to test and examine in detail those elevated to the rank of priesthood, as required by the Apostolic and Conciliar Law. him to tonsure and become a monk with testing them and to be their successor.”

From 1909 to 1913, the future confessor made a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem, where he repeatedly served at the Holy Sepulcher.

In 1913, Hieromonk Theodosius returned to Russia, where he visited his parents’ home, but still chose not the Urals as his place of residence, but the North Caucasus, where he settled in the village of Kavkazskaya with the intention of setting up a “hospital-almshouse with a house church” there.

After 1917, Hieromonk Theodosius settled near the village of Temnye Buki (Gorny farm), 27 kilometers from the city of Krymsk, where a female monastic community gradually formed. In the vicinity of Krymsk, rumors about the extraordinary old man spread instantly. People began to come to him for blessings and advice. He denounced some, healed others from illnesses, and healed others with words. He treated everyone with sympathy and directed them to the path of salvation.

In March 1927, two weeks before Easter, Father Theodosius was arrested and sentenced to 3 months in prison.

In 1929, by decision of a special meeting at the OGPU board, Father Theodosius was imprisoned in a concentration camp for a period of three years. A little later, the concentration camp was replaced by deportation to Kazakhstan.

Father Theodosius remained in exile until 1932. After his release, he came to Mineralnye Vody, stayed here to live and accepted the feat of foolishness: he walked the streets, dressed in a colored shirt, played with children who called him “Grandfather Kuzyuka.” Probably, this was the only right decision for that time and the situation in which Father Theodosius found himself, and the only one possible to do good to people. Mineralovodsk residents tell many unusual cases in which Father Theodosius lifted the veil of the future.

In the last years of his life, Father Theodosius lived with the novices in a small house. Father lay almost all the time, and got up using a rope tied above the bed. He was silent almost all the time. He knew the Gospel by heart. Sometimes, without any books, he read aloud without interruption; the lamp and candles in his room did not go out for days. Shortly before his death, the elder asked to be taken to the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. In the temple, Father Theodosius was literally transformed, his face shone with an unearthly light, he was completely filled with grace-filled power and was in a state of true spirituality.

The life of Father Theodosius is a continuous striving towards God, a continuous feat, the most sublime service. All the deeds that he did in his earthly life were deeds done for the sake of Christ.

Marvelous and the death of Father Theodosius. Fortunately, witnesses and eyewitnesses of his death, which occurred on August 8, 1948, are still alive. Servant of God Antonina says: “Before his death, seeing our confusion and our grief, Father Theodosius consoled us with the words: “Don’t worry about me. God will manage everything."

This is what S. G. Didik, a resident of Mineralnye Vody, tells about the burial of the confessor. “After the death of Father Theodosius, the funeral service was held - Nikolai, from Grozny, and other priests. There were no people, no way to get through. They sang so that everything was shaking. I carried the coffin - it was so light, because my grandfather was small. There were so many cripples at the funeral! We walk, and they fall under the coffin: He had a gold cross on a string. When I nailed the coffin, I saw that my grandfather’s cross was glowing.

Father Theodosius lived a long and godly life on earth. He instructed many with wise advice and showed the way to eternal life. The blessed elder himself told his spiritual children that he could live longer, but it’s time.

He often said before his death: “Whoever remembers me, I will always be with him.” And these words came true. Believers have long venerated St. Theodosius, make pilgrimages to the place of his burial, and many, very many receive what they ask for. The people's path to the elder's grave is not overgrown to this day. And how could it be otherwise, because with God everyone is alive, our God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living (Luke 20:38).

Thousands and thousands of believers of the Caucasus and all of Great Rus' strive for the grave and holy relics of the saint, having a living faith that they will receive what they ask for through the intercession and prayers of Elder Theodosius, our Caucasian saint of God.

The memory and veneration in the church consciousness of St. Theodosius as a true saint of God and a man of prayer for the land of the Caucasus, which was reflected in the hearts of many, many Orthodox Christians, both within the Stavropol diocese and throughout Russia, led to the consideration by the Diocesan Council of the Stavropol diocese of the issue of glorification in the ranks of the locally revered saints, Elder Theodosius as the patron and prayer book of the Caucasian land, a selfless shepherd, filled with deep humility and for the sake of devoted love for God and people, performed feats of prayer, fasting, abstinence, foolishness, imprisonment, standing at the Holy Sepulcher.

After a thorough study of this issue by the commission for the canonization of saints at the Stavropol diocesan administration, at the beginning of 1995, the Diocesan Council, having given praise and thanks to the Lord Savior and Provider of the whole world, who gives unfailing mercy to His Church, decided to submit a petition to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to bless the veneration of the confessor Theodosius in the ranks of the locally revered saints and commemorate the memory annually on August 8 - the day of his blessed death.

On April 11, 1995, on Tuesday of the sixth week of Lent, the solemn discovery of the honest remains of the confessor took place in the city of Mineralnye Vody.

On August 8, 1998, on the fiftieth anniversary of the blessed death of the Elder, the remains of Elder Theodosius were transferred from the Archangel Michael Church to the Intercession Cathedral in Mineralnye Vody. More than seventy thousand city residents and pilgrims took part in the procession and services, arriving not only from all over the Caucasus, but also from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, near and far abroad.

Sources:

1. RGIA. F. 796, op. 204, 5 departments, 1 station, building 44

2. Archive of the Office of the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, No. p20857. Case No. 66943.

3. Letter from Archimandrite Leonid (Senov), head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem No. 249 dated September 12, 1912.

The Lord has glorified many saints over the long centuries of the existence of the Church. And today, despite the seeming impoverishment of believers, and especially saints, in the world, despite the flow of information denigrating the Church and promoting sin, people are learning about many miracles in our time. This is how the Monk Theodosius of the Caucasus was recently glorified. He is still little known among the people, but truly he is not only an unusual saint, but also a unique person of our time. Witnesses of his life and lifetime miracles are still alive.

In Soviet times, he did not hide abroad, but lived in the USSR and, under the guise of foolishness, under a bright shirt with flowers, he hid his spiritual exploits and high erudition - suffice it to say that he was fluent in fourteen languages. For the abbot of the Athos monastery in honor of the Position of the Belt of the Mother of God, this is not surprising; What is more amazing is that he survived the exiles and prisons prepared for him by the Soviet regime and in life he carried out a triple service: monastic, holy fool and senile (spiritual).

From our article you will learn the life of the miracle worker of our time, the miracles he performed, the history of the discovery of holy relics, and you will also find in it a powerful, rare prayer and akathist to Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus.

ICON OF AN ELDER

The image of the elder is similar to the image of many venerable saints of the Church. Please note that each icon is signed, so any saint is always easy to recognize by looking closely at the inscription.
Icons of the saint are painted from his photographs, in an academic (pictorial) style. Often the photograph of a saint with a halo becomes an icon. You can also pray for her.

In the image the monk appears as an old man with gray hair and a voluminous beard. He is dressed in a brown cloak with a black schematic hood; under the cloak one can also see part of the schematic vestment - paraman (black, consists of a hood and a wide strip of fabric embroidered with special crosses). Sometimes the saint holds in his hands the image of the Kazan Mother of God.

LIFE

Many trials befell the elder’s life. He was born in the north of Siberia, but ended up in the south of the country - in the Caucasus; he was the abbot of a monastery, but became a holy fool.

According to researchers of the saint's biography, he was born around 1862 into a poor peasant family of the Kashins, and at birth had the name Fedor. His parents were believers and churchgoers; they raised their children in faith and piety. However, even the birth of the future saint was already marked by the unusual character of the child for this family. The woman who had already delivered the baby, the midwife, predicted to the parents based on some signs that the boy would become a priest. As a child, he asked his mother to sing psalms, and he listened and memorized them. Then, from an early age, the future elder fell in love with praying in the forest: according to legend, he said his childhood prayers at a stone, and a certain heavenly voice said that this stone was called Raev (Paradise).

Many people saw that the baby was God’s chosen one. His joke was called Father, thus reminiscent of the midwife's prediction. Fyodor’s parents witnessed a miracle: during a shared family dinner, a white dove appeared from behind the icons and flew straight into the boy’s hand. Having stroked it, the future elder sent the dove up, and it again disappeared behind the images.

According to various sources, when the saint was either 9 or 19 years old, he secretly left for Athos from his parents: just walking along the river bank, he boarded a barge and sailed away from the village unnoticed, and then with pilgrims reached Athos. The Holy Mountain is one of the most fertile places on Earth, a Greek peninsula inhabited by monks since ancient times and under the special protection of the Mother of God.

In the Iverskaya monastery, known for keeping the great Orthodox relic - the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos - the young man, burning with the desire to devote his life to God, remained for the time being. He was accepted into the monastery when he called himself an orphan - usually they were taken into the monastery only after receiving a parental blessing. However, he did not receive any discounts or pity; on the contrary, he worked in the most menial jobs, growing in humility and obedience.

Even before being tonsured as a monk, he performed a miraculous healing of the sick wife of a Russian general. As you know, women are not allowed on Athos to avoid temptations for monks. This custom was started by the Most Holy Theotokos Herself. The general came to the monastery because his wife was possessed: she was possessed by a demon, and they could not drive him out for a long time. One day in a dream she was told by an Angel or the Lord Himself that only a young Athonite monk of the Iveron monastery would help her. Among the monks, the general did not recognize the savior described by his wife, and only by chance saw Theodore - they considered it impossible that he had spiritual gifts so quickly, since he had not yet been tonsured. It was he who was shown in a vision to the general’s wife, and through his prayer a demon came out of the woman.

According to legend, after this the brethren of the monastery began to envy him. Having learned from somewhere that Theodore was not an orphan, they conveyed this to the abbot, who sent the novice home for his parental blessing. However, the hardships of the journey did not break the ascetic: he returned from his native Urals with the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, blessed by his parents, and was tonsured a monk with the name Theodosius. For several decades he worked in the Iveron Monastery, and became the abbot of a cell - a small skete belonging to the monastery, a place where only a few brethren lived - and the confessor of the monastery, despite the fact that in Greece such obedience is given only to experienced elderly monks, called " Geronda" ("elder"). He represented the Iveron Monastery in Constantinople, where he lived for a long time, and in Jerusalem, where he made pilgrimages to worship at the Holy Sepulcher several times.

In 1913, the saint in the rank of hieromonk (a priest tonsured into monasticism) returned to Russia. There is no information about what prompted him to do this, nor is it clear why he left for the Caucasus. It is known that by that time he already spoke many languages, was an experienced leader, and a spirit-bearing monk. It is possible that he foresaw the trials that awaited Russia during the war and revolution. There is evidence that a certain military man arrived in Jerusalem, where he was staying, and persuaded him to leave for Russia, promising to help create a monastery in his native land.

In the North Caucasus, the saint settled in one of the villages, where he first set up a nursing home with a hospital and a small church, and after the revolution he founded a convent near the village of Temnye Buki, not far from the city of Krymsk. (Similar cases of the founding of monasteries from female admirers of the elder were in the Russian Orthodox Church, for example, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Ambrose of Optina). This region was in many ways not enlightened by the light of Christ's faith, but the rumor about the new hieromonk, who helped many with advice and miraculous prayer, spread so quickly that people began to visit the newly formed monastery in large numbers.

With the help of pious people, a church and cells were created in the monastery. The monks made their living by teaching children. During these years, the saint accepted the great schema (the highest rank in monasticism with the imposition of great responsibility for exploits), becoming a hieroschemamonk. Before Easter in 1925 or 1927, the monk unexpectedly said that they would celebrate without him: and indeed, on Holy Saturday they came to arrest him. He told the officers that he had been waiting for guests for a long time, and even bowed to the ground before the persecutors.

It is unknown where the father served his six-year sentence - probably in the terrible Solovetsky camp, which became the site of martyrdom for many saints of the Church. After his release, he was able to return only to the city of Mineralnye Vody. It was here that a number of the elder’s famous miracles took place, here he took upon himself the feat of foolishness, and in the same city he rested in 1948.

THE HOLY AND JESUS PRAYER

Records of the life and miracles of the saint were left by his spiritual daughters. It is known that he commanded many to pray the Jesus Prayer - this is a well-known powerful prayer used by both monks and laity of the Church for thousands of years.

It is believed that the Jesus Prayer was created in Greek and was always especially practiced by the Athonites, that is, the inhabitants of the monasteries of Holy Mount Athos. Obviously, they brought it to Rus', and then actively distributed it in Russia. The ascetic was one of these people. There are several versions of the Jesus Prayer in Russian. It has both long and short forms, but the meaning is the same: with these words we ask the Lord Christ to have mercy on us. That is, a person turns to God with a request for mercy, mercy, so that the Lord does not leave him with his help in earthly life and saves his soul after death. Please note that the main word in this prayer request is the appeal “have mercy”:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
Lord have mercy.

You can read the Jesus Prayer once (one time), for example, if you suddenly find yourself in danger; were afraid of something; found themselves in a sudden difficulty before making a decision, etc. You can read it morning and evening instead of the prayer rule. It is worth repeating the words of the Jesus Prayer when you are in a state of irritation, embitterment, anger or rage: you can harm your neighbor with a word or deed and sin before the Lord, but the prayer will turn your heart to God and calm you down.

They use the Jesus Prayer to protect themselves from damage and the evil eye. It is known that a person who rarely visits church and rarely prays, and does not begin the Sacraments of the Church, may be susceptible to the influence of witchcraft. But if you turn to God in prayer and try not to sin, the Lord will protect you from evil. In danger, start reading the Jesus Prayer, the 90th Psalm or a prayer to the venerable man himself online and by heart:

You gave your whole life to the Lord Christ, O Reverend Father, feats of prayer, exile and imprisonment, standing at the Holy Sepulcher, fasting and abstinence, even foolishness for the sake of Christ you endured to the end. That is why Christ Himself glorified you with longevity and miracles, and today people throughout our country come to your relics with faith and hope and receive what they need. Our Father and Wonderworker, pray to the Lord God and Master of all people for the preservation of the Orthodox faith in the country of Russia, the salvation of the world and our entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

In the practice of Orthodox Christians, the Jesus Prayer is read a certain number of times, for which a rosary is used. This is a thread or wire with beads made of stones or ordinary plastic strung on it. In 10 minutes you will read the Jesus Prayer in its most common form: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” about 150 times. Each time you say this prayer, move the bead. That is, by repeating the Jesus Prayer 150 times, you will pass a segment of 10 small beads between the large ones 15 times. This prayer replaces the morning and (or) evening prayer rule.

MIRACLES AND POWERS

Before his arrest, people from all over the USSR went to the ascetic’s monastery (it is not surprising that he was exiled to camps, because he instructed people in Orthodoxy and preached the faith of Christ by his example). There are a number of cases of his insight:

- Of the group of seven pilgrims who arrived, he blessed only six, and told one to return to the city, return her husband to her wife and her father to her children, and only then come under the blessing (obviously, the woman sinned by having a relationship with a married man).

- During the war years, already in Mineralnye Vody, a person witnessed how the saint alone rolled three wagons with ammunition several tens of meters. They were standing not far from the hospital, and a bomb fell in their place - if not for him, the carriages would have exploded and destroyed the hospital with the wounded.

- Using the game, the holy father led the children and teachers out of the kindergarten, which was then hit by a shell. The children loved the saint and called him “Grandfather Kuzyuk.” No one suspected that this was one of the smartest people of his time. The saint wore a shirt with flowers, which was remembered by many residents of the town, and was always telling something. So it was that time - running up to the children, he called them: “Guli-guli, children, run after me,” thus leading them away from the building, which suddenly burst into flames from the bomb.

In the 1990s, 40 years after the saint's death, the Church decided to study evidence of the saint's miracles and his remains. In 1995, on April 11, they were found, that is, taken out of the ground, placed in a reliquary - an ark for relics - and exhibited for general worship.

They are kept in the new Intercession Cathedral of Mineralnye Vody. In 1998, during a religious procession of seventy thousand admirers of the saint, who came from all over the country to the Caucasus, the relics were transferred here from the Archangel Michael Church, where the ascetic often went to services. Not far from the cathedral, in the cemetery they show a grave, the former burial place of the saint, which is also revered by the people. It is known that a pillar of shining light is sometimes visible above it - an indication of the saint’s holiness.

The cathedral constantly records miracles through prayers to the saint. He is revered as a local saint, his canonization took place through the efforts of Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol and the Caucasus. There is evidence of the following help, which you can also ask from the saint:

Healing from nervous diseases of children and adults. There has been a recorded case of a child being cured of a serious illness after being anointed with oil from the relics.
Removal of polyps, getting rid of benign and cancerous tumors.
Assistance in real estate transactions, apartment sales.
Making vital decisions.
Getting rid of danger.
Strengthening faith and trust in God.
Healing various wounds and diseases.
Help in family peace and mutual understanding.
For depression, suicidal thoughts, about protecting loved ones from suicide.
In wartime, if necessary, participation in conflicts.

PRAYERS TO THE SAINT

Many vacationers in the Caucasus venerate the holy relics of the saint. However, if you cannot go on such a pilgrimage, you can always pray at home. In the church of your region, unless you live in the territory of the Stavropol and Vladikavkaz diocese, there will not be an icon of the saint: the Church reveres him as the venerable one. The meaning of this title is that there is little evidence about the life of the saint, and only oral traditions, veneration in memory of the saint by people of a certain area (in this case, in the Caucasus) can tell about his holiness.

Prayer is a conversation with a saint, in no case a conspiracy. Words by themselves have no power, but “work” only in your mental circulation, dialogue, desire to hear the will of God.

- Start praying by going within yourself. Stand in front of the image, wait for a while. Cross yourself twice, bow, kiss the image of the saint on the hand or hem of your clothing, then cross yourself again and bow. Light a thin wax candle purchased in the temple on a candlestick or lamp - if possible, this is not necessary.

- Read the words of the prayer slowly, or out loud. After each prayer, cross yourself.

- Don’t forget about praying in church and attending services.

- You can pray in your own words, especially if your soul is heavy.

You can read the prayer to the saint online in Russian:
O holy saint of God, our reverend father Theodosius! From your youth you loved the Lord Jesus Christ, followed only Him alone, went to the Holy Mount Athos, to the inheritance of the Mother of God, from where you came to live at the Holy Sepulcher. There, in the rank of priest, you remained for many years and made fervent prayers for the Russian land, the Orthodox Church and the entire Russian people.
When the terrible years of godlessness came in Rus', you forgot both Athos and Jerusalem, and returned to your Fatherland to share the troubles and suffering of your people and the Holy Orthodox Church, as a faithful monk and priest, having found yourself in prison. But your faith and humility, meekness and patience touched even the cruel hearts of the people imprisoned with you.
During the war years, you, Father Theodosius, helped Orthodox people in the battle with the enemy, you saved many from despondency and those who tried to commit suicide. With your help, faithful people were strengthened in their hope that the Lord would not abandon our Fatherland, that His Mother would preserve Her country, and the wrath of God, sent for the sins of our fathers, would be replaced by mercy.
Your feat of foolishness in many works surprised the people on earth and the Angels who appeared to you: the prayer of a righteous man with strong faith can do anything. You know, our reverend father Theodosius, our needs and troubles and sorrows, you know our desire to always be with the Lord. Walking the difficult and thorny path of earthly life, you yourself bore the burden of sorrows and attacks from your brothers, and from non-believers, and from relatives. Remember us, Elder of God, at the Throne of the Lord, because you promised to help everyone who turns to you, remembering you in prayers. Your memory does not disappear, our father Theodosius, in the Caucasian land to this day: therefore, with faith and hope, all Orthodox people come to your grave and the shrine of your honorable relics, asking for intercession before God and prayerful help.
We ask you, O Reverend Father Theodosius: help us in the difficult days of our lives, in all troubles, sorrows and sufferings, pray to the Lord, the Chief of the whole world, so that He will soften the evil and hardened hearts of people, so that He will give peace to the peoples of the Caucasus, destroy incorrect meetings of schismatics and heretics attacking the Holy Orthodox Church.
Through your prayers, saint of God, may the Lord forgive us all our sins, may the arrows and intrigues of enemies, temptations and temptations of the devil pass us by. Ask us from the Creator and Lord of our life for time for repentance, deliverance from death, health for the sick, correction for those who have sinned, consolation for the sorrowful, education for children in the fear of God, those leaving for the afterlife of the good abode of heaven, for those who have passed away, peace and the Kingdom of Heaven for eternal life.
Be, our father Theodosius, the patron and helper of all Orthodox Christians of the Caucasian land and all of Russia. Let the Holy Orthodox Faith grow stronger and multiply there and throughout Great Rus', but we, through the prayers of your saints, strengthened by the Lord, may we glorify the Most Holy Trinity and your intercession and intercession today and forever. Amen.

In 1948, Father Theodosius of the Caucasus died in Mineralnye Vody. The life and death of this man was associated with many miracles, some of them were documented, but most were preserved in the form of legends and popular rumor. In our time, St. Theodosius of the Caucasus is considered the patron saint of the city of Mineralnye Vody and the entire Caucasus as a whole. Pilgrims in Minvody visit two places at once - the chapel on the site of Theodosius’ grave and the temple in which his relics are located.

Venerable Theodosius of the Caucasus

The biography of St. Theodosius of Jerusalem (Caucasus) claims that he lived 148 years. Theodosius was born in 1800 near Perm, his name was Fedor Fedorovich Kashin - one of the children in a large peasant family. At the age of 3, he ran away from his parents' home on Mount Athos to Greece, being declared an orphan, and served there as a novice until he was 14 years old. Then he was tonsured a monk and received the name Theodosius.

Although miracles accompanied Theodosius from birth, his fate was not easy. In 1907, he arrived from Mount Athos to Jerusalem and accepted the schema. Then he returned to Russia, lived and served in the Caucasus until 1925. Afterwards he was exiled to Solovki, where he remained for 6 years. After the link about. Theodosius came to Minvody and lived here until his death, acting like a fool and begging. The Monk Theophan did not accept the official “Soviet” church and performed services in the catacombs. Over the years, Feofan saved many lives, healed and guided hundreds of people on the true path, and after his death, people were healed at Feofan’s grave.

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Over the course of 5 years, from 1992 to 1997, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, striking in its size, grandeur and unique architecture, was built in Mineralnye Vody. The author of the temple project is an Orthodox Ossetian, Koerbek Makheev. The cathedral was illuminated on October 14, 1997, and in August 1998, in a solemn religious procession led by His Eminence Gideon, Metropolitan of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz, the relics of St. Theodosius of the Caucasus were transferred here.

The entrance to the Temple is a massive stone gate with an arched entrance, made in the best traditions of Russian architecture. The large yard is beautiful with a variety of greenery and flowers. The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary consists of several buildings - the temple itself, the administrative building and cells for pilgrims visiting the temple. The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos itself has restrained, almost canonical forms. It is based on an equal-pointed cross, and the temple is crowned with 9 domes. There are 8 bells in the belfry, they were tuned by the chief bell ringer of Russia Igor Konovalov.

Inside the temple has amazingly beautiful, but at the same time practically academic and corresponding to all canons, painting. The four-tiered iconostasis amazes with its decoration. But most often pilgrims come and go here to venerate the relics of St. Theodosius of the Caucasus. They say that everything you ask the Holy Wonderworker for is fulfilled, people are healed of illnesses and find happiness.

The temple is located in Mineralnye Vody, on Pyatigorskaya Street, 35.

Chapel of St. Theodosius the Wonderworker

In the cemetery where Theodosius was buried, or rather, on the site of his grave, a chapel was erected in 1998. The white stone building with classic chapel architecture, which is crowned with a golden dome with a cross, is noticeable from afar and is a place of pilgrimage. Inside, in a tiny space, parishioners see a white marble tombstone with an Orthodox cross at the head. There are always flowers and burning candles at the grave.

Finding the chapel is easy. It stands on the territory of the cemetery in the village of Leninsky, you can get there from Mineralnye Vody by train to the 3rd kilometer station or by minibus No. 103 from the Mineralnye Vody railway station.

“The Church will not lose Grace as long as the Bloodless Sacrifice is offered and the Eucharist is celebrated without deviation...

In the last times, people will be baptized who are not properly prepared for the holy Sacrament of Baptism;few people will follow the rules associated with preparing for the Holy Sacrament of Communion;the dead will be buried without thinking aboutAre they worthy of it?

From the predictions of St. Theodosius of the Caucasus

Venerable Elder Theodosius of the Caucasus (1841-1948):

About the Orthodox Faith: « Our faith was brought from Heaven, so do not submit to the circumstances of this age. A true Orthodox Christian fears not earthly death, but eternal death. The worst thing is to fear anything more than God, and therefore sin.”

About mortal memory: “Always have mortal memory with you, and also constantly keep in mind the thought - whatever you do, you do in the presence of God.

If people knew what awaited them after death, they would pray to God day and night, otherwise they think he’s dead and that’s the end of everything. Our life after earthly death is just beginning - through earthly suffering we earn Eternity. He who knows God endures everything.”

About salvation: “Salvation is given only through awareness of sins and heartfelt repentance, as well as through endurance of sorrows. Whatever happens, accept it with humility and love. Save your neighbors as much as you can - those who can still hear. Do not disdain either the old or the young - even a drop of holiness spilled into the soul of your neighbor will give you reward.”

About sorrows: “Martyrdom for Christ’s sake is our path, and if the Lord punishes us, it is for the sake of our salvation from eternal torment. Accept all earthly sorrows with gratitude.”

About silence: “Whoever speaks no more than seven words a day will be saved. Silence protects from all evil..."

About love for neighbors: “...Save your neighbors as much as you can - those who can still hear. Do not disdain either the old or the young - even a drop of holiness spilled into the soul of your neighbor will give you reward.”

Brief biography Elder Theodosius of the Caucasus.

At a very young age, moved by the Holy Spirit, Fedor (that was the name of the venerable elder in the world) left his home and, joining a group of pilgrims, went with them to Athos. The abbot of the monastery of the Position of the Belt of the Mother of God arranged for Fyodor to live. There the boy grew up, learned to read and write, and carried out monastic obediences. Finding him dutiful, capable and diligent in prayer, the abbot took him to his place and gave him a cell. The young ascetic spoke only in cases of extreme necessity, prayed with inspiration, remained in humility, the Jesus Prayer did not leave his lips, his mind and heart were given to the sweetest Name. With extraordinary warmth, he tearfully prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos, and She became his Zeal Intercessor and Helper for the rest of his life.

His piety and virtues became the subject of envy and jealousy of the monastery brethren. The boy was mercilessly beaten and mocked, but he humbly endured all the humiliation.

When Fedor was fourteen years old, a certain Russian general arrived at the monastery. He brought with him a very sick wife. Leaving her on the ship, the general began to ask the abbot for help. He ordered to call Fyodor, and the young prayer book performed the first miracle - he healed a sick woman from an illness.

The monastic brethren continued to hate Fedor. He tried to serve God and his brethren with humility and obedience, had no grudges against anyone, prayed for everyone and resignedly endured all the intrigues. During his trials, the Lord miraculously helped him: several times the Most Holy Theotokos and Archangel Michael saved him from imminent death.

The time for tonsure was approaching. The abbot sent the young man to his homeland so that he could receive his parental blessing. Fyodor returned to Perm, found his father and mother and, having received a blessing, with a pure heart he again left for Athos, to his monastery, where he took monastic vows with the name Theodosius. After some time, he was ordained a hierodeacon, and then a hieromonk.

When the embittered brethren accused Theodosius of a sinful relationship with a woman whom he allegedly settled in his cell under the guise of a monk, Hieromonk Theodosius was in custody for some time in Constantinople, but through the intercession of the Angel of the Lord he was released.

For about five years, the future great elder carried out obedience in the courtyard of the Russian hospice, receiving the poor, the sick and everyone who needed his help and instructions.

Deciding to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Hieromonk Theodosius went to Jerusalem. Having visited many shrines and worshiped them, he remained to serve at the Holy Sepulcher. Here Hieromonk Theodosius served for many decades, although we do not know the details of this service. But, probably, it was here that he grew spiritually stronger, praying for his people, his Church and his homeland. Subsequently, the people began to call Hieromonk Theodosius the Father of Jerusalem and the Elder Theodosius of Jerusalem.

At the end of the 19th century, Father Theodosius returned to Athos - the place where his spiritual life began, his childhood and taking monastic vows. Having returned after such a long absence to the monastery of the Position of the Belt of the Mother of God, he, by revelation from above, remained to serve there in obedience to the abbot Ioannikiy until 1901. After the death of Father Ioannikiy, Hieromonk Theodosius, by succession, became the abbot of the monastery. But he was burdened by his new responsibilities in leading the monastery; he was drawn to living prayer to God. In 1907, at strong request, he was relieved of his position as rector and again retired to Jerusalem, where he soon accepted the schema.

By the Providence of God, a retired general came to Jerusalem from Russia. Having met with Father Theodosius, the general urgently asked him to move to his homeland. After some trouble, having bowed to the Holy Land, Father Theodosius went to Russia in 1908.

Hermitage of Feodosius of the Caucasus village of Gorny (Dark Buki) Novorossiysk

He lived for only a year on the general’s estate in Platnirovka, and then settled near the village of Temnye Buki (Gorny farm), twenty-seven kilometers from the city of Krymsk. Here he founded a hermitage, where several nuns from a nearby monastery lived with him, as well as two teenage girls brought to him by Divine Providence - Anya and Lyuba. It was they who, being next to Father Theodosius for thirty years, testified about him after the righteous death of the elder, compiling manuscripts about his amazing life. In the vicinity of Krymsk, rumors about the extraordinary old man spread instantly. People began to come to him for blessings and advice, as he possessed the gift of spiritual vision.

He denounced some, healed others from illnesses, and healed others with words. He treated everyone with sympathy, guiding them on the path of salvation. He knew in advance who would turn to him and with what request, and foresaw the future life and death of his interlocutors. Here, in the desert, through the prayers of Father Theodosius, a source of spring water began to flow, which has the ability to heal the afflicted.

In March 1927, two weeks before Easter, the Monk Theodosius was arrested and taken to Novorossiysk. He was under investigation until January 1929, after which, sentenced to three years in the camps, he was sent into exile. The novice Lyubov went there for the elder and served him until the end of his term. At the same time, mothers Tabitha and Natalia came from the desert to Minvody, where, with God’s help, they purchased a hut and stayed to live, awaiting the return of the priest.

The Monk Theodosius remained in exile until 1932. After his release, he came to Minvody, stayed here to live and accepted the feat of foolishness: he walked the streets, dressed in a colored shirt, played with children who called him Grandfather Kuzyuka.

Probably, this was the only right decision, given the terrible time and the situation in which the Monk Theodosius found himself, a decision that helped the elder do good to people.

During his feat of foolishness, he spoke many foreign languages. Mineralovodsk residents tell many extraordinary cases in which the Monk Theodosius lifted the veil of the future.

One day, Father Feodosia’s neighbor was driving a cow from the herd and saw that the elder ran up to the yard and threw something into her hallway. She comes up and sees a white sheet. “The holy fool, whatever comes into his head, he does,” the woman thought. And in the morning, her son was brought in dead: killed by the coupling of the carriage.

Elder Theodosius came to another neighbor with a broom and began sweeping from window sills, shelves, and from all corners. A neighbor complained to the novices: “Your grandfather is crazy, don’t let him in!” The next morning a police car drove up to the house, the property was confiscated, and the family was expelled.

A year before the war, God’s servant Alexandra came to Elder Theodosius, and he told her: “There will be a war as terrible as the Last Judgment. People will die. The wind will blow them away like ashes, and no sign will remain. And whoever calls on God, the Lord will save him from disasters.”

During the Great Patriotic War, Elder Theodosius was one of the most zealous prayer books for the victory of Russia, constantly praying for the health of the defenders of Russia and for the repose of the fallen soldiers, especially since the Lord even revealed to him the names of some of them. Bearing his feat of foolishness, he boldly preached, edifying people and performing miracles of extraordinary power.

During the war, there was a city hospital near the railway tracks in Minvody. There was a huge tank of gasoline on the rails. One day the switchmen noticed the Monk Theodosius running quickly. In one hand there is a cross, in the other he is trying to push the carriages out of place. “What a wonderful grandfather, should he be able to move such a weight?” As soon as they thought about it, they looked and couldn’t believe their eyes. The carriages slowly moved and rolled along the tracks. And as soon as they managed to roll away, a powerful explosion shook the air. A bomb fell on the place where the carriages had just been standing, without causing much damage to either the hospital or the people working nearby.

Soon after the Germans approached Minvody, such an incident occurred. Quickly, quickly, not at all like an old man, the Monk Theodosius runs up to the kindergarten and says to the children walking on the street: “I’m walking, I’m walking, follow me, kids! Run after me! For fun, the children ran after the old man, and the teachers ran after the children. Meanwhile, a shell hit the kindergarten building and destroyed it. But no one died - the perspicacious old man brought everyone out.

Grateful folk memory has collected many such examples, passed on from mouth to mouth by believers.

The elder often instructed to say the Jesus Prayer and said that if people knew what awaited them after death, they would pray to God day and night.

In the last years of his life, Elder Theodosius lived with his novices in a small hut. It was damp there, the ceilings were low. The elder lay almost all the time, and got up using a rope tied above the bed. He was silent almost all the time. He taught his spiritual children laconicism and silence. He taught to be baptized not only with the cross, but with mental prayer on the lips. He said before his death: “Whoever calls me, I will always be with him.”

The elder knew the Gospel by heart. Sometimes, for a long time, without a break, I read it out loud from memory; the lamp and candles in the room of St. Theodosius did not go out for days... I advised my children to read the Revelation of John the Theologian more often.

A few days before his death, the elder lay sick and said: “In three days the end of the world” - people thought that in three days the Lord would come to judge and there would be an end to the earthly world, but he spoke about his death. He was the lamp of the world, and this lamp was going out.

Shortly before his death, the elder asked to be taken to the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. He was bundled up and taken on a gurney during the daytime when there was no service. In the temple, the Monk Theodosius was literally transformed - his face shone with an unearthly light, he was completely filled with grace-filled power and was in a state of true spirituality. For several hours in a row, the elder cried out to the Lord in fiery prayer for the strengthening, expansion and prosperity of the Russian Orthodox Church. He came out, swaying, covered in tears...

Elder Theodosius greeted the numerous pilgrims who arrived with the words: “How did you manage to catch me?”

He reminded everyone that Since the time of the Savior’s life, nothing has changed in Orthodoxy and it is necessary to strictly adhere to the Apostolic teaching and the rules of the Holy Fathers.

The elder predicted that the Church would not lose Grace as long as the Bloodless Sacrifice was offered and the Eucharist was celebrated without deviation, but noted with regret that in recent times people would be baptized who were not properly prepared for the holy Sacrament of Baptism; few people will follow the rules associated with preparing for the Holy Sacrament of Communion; the dead will be buried without thinking about whether they deserve it.

The life of Elder Theodosius is a continuous striving towards God, a continuous feat of sublime service. All the deeds that he did in his earthly life were deeds done for the sake of Christ.

Just before his death, the elder said: “I could live a little longer, but it’s time. I’ll hide for a little while - that’s what God wants now, but when the Lord comes in glory, you won’t believe your eyes where I’ll be...”

“In essence, no one has truly comprehended this extraordinary old man. The strength in him was spiritual - almost apostolic. But all his strength was secret,”- this is what the servant of God Nicholas, who knew him during his lifetime, said about the elder.

On August 8, 1948, the elder asked to wipe his hands with blessed water, blessed all his novices and, closing his eyes, quietly departed with his bright soul to the Lord.

Based on the book: “Great Russian Elders. Lives, miracles, spiritual instructions. M.: Trifonov Pechenga Monastery; “New Book”, “Ark”, 2001.

Some saints of God had to go through a lot. Theodosius of the Caucasus was born and raised in Siberia, he ended up in the South as an adult, and here he met the end of his life. The monk is a locally revered saint, but pilgrims come to his grave from all over the country.

Life of Theodosius

The exact date of birth of the saint and the circumstances of his life before he appeared in one of the monastic monasteries on Athos - where the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos is kept - are unknown. The brethren accepted him, soon the young man was ordained to the priesthood, and also had the right to take confession (in Greece this is not given to everyone; usually the confessor must gain experience). It was in 1897. Theodosius of the Caucasus was cultivating the land in the monastery with his brethren.

The Life of Theodosius of the Caucasus is compiled from various sources. It does not describe the exact reasons why he left the holy mountain. Father often traveled to Constantinople, where he closely communicated with his spiritual daughters. There, a small community formed around him, which the monastic authorities were dissatisfied with - it was customary for monks to live only on Athos.

One of his admirers in men's clothing came with Theodosius to Athos. After the exposure, a loud scandal and expulsion followed, as secular sources testify. The monk retired to Constantinople, where he lived for several years. Then he moved to the holy land, where he served near the Holy Sepulcher. There Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus met an influential official who persuaded him to return to Russia. Thus, the elder returned to Russia, stopping in the Caucasus.

Life of Theodosius of the Caucasus in Russia

Theodosius of the Caucasus settled in an old house on the site of a destroyed monastery. Miracles accompanied him constantly - people came in an endless stream. He prayed for hours in the gorge, and was even honored with the appearance of the Mother of God, as the legend says. During revolutionary times (in the 20s), the elder was arrested. According to the testimony of his spiritual children, he told them to prepare for Easter, and he himself expected that they would come for him. And so it happened.

It is not known exactly where the elder stayed, perhaps on Solovki. He was gone for six years. Then he was released from prison and lived for a long time. In Mineralnye Vody he became known as the holy fool. He wore a bright shirt and ran with the kids. The people loved the kind old man very much.

Miracles

People from all over the country traveled to the deserts of Theodosius of the Caucasus - he healed many and gave instructions. But he refused to some - he ordered one woman to return home and leave her illegitimate husband. Only after that he promised to accept her. During the war years he also performed many miracles, which were narrated by his spiritual daughters.

One day Theodosius of the Caucasus passed by wagons with ammunition. Eyewitnesses saw how he moved them to the side with the power of prayer. Later there was a raid and an enemy shell hit this place.
During the German offensive, the elder took the children out of the kindergarten. It later came under fire, but no one was killed.

The saint also taught local children to read and write, and they brought food instead of payment. He commanded his visitors to pray - to always recite the Jesus Prayer. After his departure to another world, people continued to come to the desert asking for help. In the 90s, the church decided to study the life of the ascetic, since he was revered by the people as a saint.

Relics

The relics of Theodosius of the Caucasus were raised in 1995. Today they are kept in Mineralnye Vody, in the Intercession Cathedral. Suffering people continue to come here and leave testimonies of help.

Healing a child from diseases of the nervous system through prayer and after anointing with oil from the relics.
The woman developed polyps that she had suffered from for many years.
Help in selling an apartment.

You can contact the monk for any need. A prayer and an akathist have been compiled for Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus - you can read it in front of the image at any time.

Prayer to Theodosius of the Caucasus

You gave your whole life to Christ God, Reverend Father Theodosius; you endured the feats of prayer, standing at the Holy Sepulcher, fasting, abstinence, foolishness, and imprisonment for His sake to the end. In the same way, Christ enriched you with longevity and miracles, as to this day the people of our land flow to your power with faith and receive what they ask for. Wonderful Our Father Theodosius, pray to the Lord God and the Master of all for the preservation of Orthodoxy in the country of Russia, the pacification of the world and the salvation of our souls.

Theodosius of the Caucasus - icon, relics, life, prayer was last modified: June 11th, 2017 by Bogolub

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