Xenia of Saint Petersburg
Xenia of St. Petersburg | |
---|---|
Born |
c. 1719–1730 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
Died |
c. 1803 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
Venerated in | Eastern Orthodoxy |
Canonized | 1978 and 1988, United States and Russia by Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Russian Orthodox Church |
Major shrine | Smolensky Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Russia |
Feast | January 24/February 6 |
Saint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg (Russian: Святая блаженная Ксения Петербургская), c. 1719–1730 – c. 1803 born Xenia Grigoryevna Petrova (Russian: Ксения Григорьевна Петрова) is a patron saint of St. Petersburg, who according to tradition, gave all her possessions to the poor after her husband died.
Her husband had been Colonel Andrey Fyodorovich Petrov, a chanter at the Saint Andrew Cathedral. After his death, Xenia became a "fool-for-Christ" and for 45 years wandered around the streets of St. Petersburg, usually wearing her late husband's military uniform.
St. Xenia's grave is in the Smolensky Cemetery of St. Petersburg. It has been marked by an ornate chapel since 1902. She was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on February 6, 1988. Her feast day in the O.S. is January 24, which is February 6 in the New Calendar.
St. Blessed Mother Xenia is noted for her intercessions in helping those with employment, marriage, the homeless, for fires, for missing children, and for a spouse.(*http://www.serfes.org/lives/stxeniaofpetersburg.htm)[] She is venerated in several countries. There are about 40 churches and chapels built in her name.[1]
Hymns
Troparion (Tone 4)
- Having renounced the vanity of the earthly world,
- Thou didst take up the cross of a homeless life of wandering;
- Thou didst not fear grief, privation, nor the mockery of men,
- And didst know the love of Christ.
- Now taking sweet delight of this love in Heaven,
- O Xenia, the blessed and divinely wise,
- Pray for the salvation of our souls.
Troparion (Tone 8)
- In you, O mother was carefully preserved what is according to the image.
- For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
- By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away,
- But to care instead for the soul since it is immortal.
- Therefore, O Blessed Xenia, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.
Kontakion (Tone 3)
- Having been as a wandering stranger on earth,
- sighing for the heavenly homeland,
- thou wast known as a fool by the senseless and unbelieving,
- but as most wise and holy by the faithful,
- and wast crowned by God with glory and honor,
- O Xenia, courageous and divinely wise.
- Therefore, we cry to thee:
- Rejoice, for after earthly wandering thou hast come to dwell in the Father’s house.
Kontakion (Tone 7)
- Having loved the poverty of Christ,
- You are now being satisfied at the Immortal Banquet.
- By the humility of the Cross, you received the power of God.
- Having acquired the gift of miraculous help, O Blessed Xenia,
- Beseech Christ God, that by repentance
- We may be delivered from every evil thing.
Literary References
St. Xenia is a major figure in the historical fiction novel "The Mirrored World"[2]
See also
- Basil Fool for Christ
- Blessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-Christ
- John the Hairy
- Sign of contradiction
References
- ↑ "St. Xenia Parish in Concord CA". Saintxeniaparish.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ↑ Dean, Debra (2012), The Mirrored World, New York: Harper Collins, pp. 132–136, ISBN 978-0-06-123145-2
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xenia of Saint Petersburg. |
- Life Of Saint Xenia Of Petersburg by Nun Nectaria McLees
- Life of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg by Jane M. deVyver
- Saint Xenia of Petersbourg Parish in Canada
- St. Xenia Orthodox Church, Methuen, MA, USA (founded 1989)