Biography
Joseph of Zaonikiev
About Joseph of Zaonikiev
Joseph came from Obukhovo Kubensk in the Vologda region and was called Hilarion before becoming a monk. His Orthodox Life relates that he suffered from an eye disease and sought help through prayer. It attributes his recovery in 1588 to an encounter with an icon of Mary in a forest. The healing is part of the received religious account.
He built a chapel at the site and settled nearby under his monastic name, Joseph. A monastery grew around this beginning with the blessing of the bishop of Vologda. According to the Life, Joseph declined to become its superior, leaving that responsibility to another monk. He is remembered for prayer and humble work. He died on September 21, 1612, and was buried in the monastery.
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