The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-06-12
FATHER JOHN, OF RUSSIA.
The Greatest Man in That Country
Next to the Gear.
Tie l. Regarded by the People Gs a True
Physician Of the Gospel and Be
Iieved to Possess Wonderful
Healing Powers

Two Jubilee celebrations have re-
Gently attracted attention in Russia
one the centennial anniversary Of the
storIning and capture OF the Turkish
fortress of Ismail on the Danube under
Souvaroff and the other. the thirty-fifth
anniversary of the entry into the ortho-
doX ministry OF Father john Scrgeyeff,
one of the most remarkable and popu-
lar men in the Russian empire. 1t needs
no comments. SAYS the London Times,
| To explain the patriotic outpOurings of
the Russians over the historic siege and
savage reduction of Isrnail, but Of the
celebration in honor of Father John Of
| Cronstaat, there is much to relate that
| is strange and interesting.
Father Ivan. or John, Of Cronstadt,
known and rcvered in every nook and
corner of Russia, has hitherto been al
! most entirely unknown to English
readers; but circumstance just re-
! ported by the British chaplain at Cron-
| stadt seems 10 indicate that the Chris
/ tian influence of this remarkable priest
of the Russian church has 1T last found
its way even into the United Kingdom.
| a short time ago "a letter reached the
British clergyman at Cronstadt ad-
dressed in English 70 the parish priest
! of that port It came from a CORE
/ spondcnt in county Kerry, Ireland, and
/ earnestly begged for the prayers Of
! Father John on behalf of the writer,
who appeared To be in great distress of
mind and body.
This is Il curious proof Ct the in
fiuenee and reputation Of this wonder
full man, who, in the midst OF his Rus
! sian surroundings, seems 70 approach
as nearly rs anyone perhaps could ap-
| proach in these days to the first apos-
tles. He is, indeed, a true physician Of
! the Gospel His extraordinary healing
! powers, and the spiritual and bodily
/ cures effected by the faithful accept
ancc of his earnest consultations, are TT
tested on all sides by many sorts and
| conditions OF men. To those who be-
| lieve in Father John-and their name
! Is legion-thc age OF miracles is not yet
| over. Crowds press round him when
| ever he leaves his humble abode, and
are happy if they can only touch thc
hem of his modest rarb. Father Johns
life is one of uninterrupted and solf-
sacrificing charity and Christian minis
tration among the poor, the sick and
needy. not however refusir,~- his pres
| ence and prayers to the well 10 do and
rich, who send for him when ali other
parts OF the country. He has 10 vsSt
! business organization of charity and no
corybantic Christianity like "Gcn.7
Booth. and no religious politics like
Archbishop SicRuor. OF Odessa Al
though enormous sums OF money have
passed through his hands - the Rus
sian poor in all directions, he is still a
poor man, living in the humblest pos
sfile. Lx-ur and trains in
which he Journeys 10 and fro on his
truly Christian work are besieged with
such crowds that the police have 70
protect him from their prass-re.
The report Of his appearance in any
house in St Petersburg-aDd the news
spreads like wildfre-brings throngs OF
poor people running Inndly from all the
surrounding streets To get within the
range of his healing presence, to re-
ceive his blessing. or u implore his
attendance at the sick bed OF relatives
or friends.
He advocates no impractIcable Chris
tian theories like Tolstoi: his life is one
entirely of good works, and his in
fiuence for good among the Russian
masses, who have not yet reached the
state OF cynical unbclicf of the lower
orders in other countries, is greater,
perhaps. than any other Russian under
the car.
The festival in his honor at CrOn-
stadt, an island most difficult and in
convenient of access in winter, was at
tended by great crowds Of people, rich
and poor, who made their way across
the ice Of the gulf to the isolated port
| from ST Petersburg and other places.
Thirty priests ofiiciated at the church
service on the occasion. and dcputations
! from various benevolent and other 50
ciesics, including even the bcggars, pre-
sented the reverend father with gifts of
silver-bound Bibles and holy pictures.
| The most touching sight OF all was the
| gift OF a small bunch Of flowers by u
| poor sicbly woman with Il child in her
| arms. An eyewitness states that the
crowd and Father John We're moved to
tears. At a banquetin the evening. At
which the governor and admiral Of the
! port presided, paupcrs, mendicants and
moujicks sat cheek by jowl with ladies,
officials and naval officers, TO drink to
the health and long life of Father John.