Biography
Sergius of Malopinega
About Sergius of Malopinega
Sergius was born Simeon in 1493, the son of Markian and Apollinaria. His father’s family had left Novgorod after its subjugation by Moscow and settled in the northern lands. The church account describes an education that fostered Simeon’s love of books. His parents themselves later entered monasteries.
Ordained at thirty, Simeon served the Transfiguration and Saint George churches in the Malopinega district. The account remembers his missionary work among the Chud people and a pastoral character marked by kindness, courage, and self-denying help for poor people. Near the end of his life he entered the great schema, taking the name Sergius. He died on November 16, 1585, and was buried near the altar of the Transfiguration church in accordance with his wishes. A chapel and reports of miracles at his grave subsequently sustained his local veneration.
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