The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02
MOST POPULAR PRIEST.
r1rgER JOHN or CR0NSTADT. AND
HIS MANY CHARITIES.
u. VA. Calied to Pray at the Dsashbsd OF
IN. Czar-Psrsonslity of the Supposed
Miracle Yorker.

to the Minister OF the ~ -, + am
Nlcholaevitch Durnovo. stating that = on,
a coYrespondent for American a.,
papers and as SUCH have 10 reque,Hn, Tor
foreign and American papers cOli'i na1sor
me should not be detained by the ceiso,
but should be delivered to me as soo on
as received. My request was grahteu Oa
the very next day. and hencelorth ,hie
the whole course or our stay III anars
country we received the foreign papelss
without the least erasure Of the pIIiitve
text; once or twice. In the beslh:,Ih5,
the Sunday Issues Of American papsto
came with the wTspPer nsr cut o ope" suspic-
ious Of their abnormal bulk. But even
that was soon discontinued. mehtio ~
this incident mainly Tor 1ne pu az pRmseia
showing how It was that living IN hueS.a
we continued to be fully posted as 10
the Judgment being passed on Russian
affairs abroad. " e.. hitch
ali things are Judged, as far as RUSSIA rs
concerned, once more showed tsen III
the sensational announcement dppedt.hs
IN one of the Berlin papers as, as 10 1oC Gro one
stadt. was taken hold of by the CzdI
niece, the Queen Of the Hellenes, anu
stealthily hurried from the city 70 lai
away Livadia to pray at the Dea9 snh IN Ol
ference was that Father John, OF 1tonn
stadt. was taken TO the CriInea steaiet ny
people as to the desperate CONDITION Vi
the Cars health. Meantime any one
who had stayed in Russia-and chiefly
in st. Petersburg-any length OF uile
could tell you that none OF the move,
ments of this priest are ever heraIdeu
beforehand for fear of attracting en moi
nous crowds OF people on the ehtire IodG
Of his passage. so great Is me laine ol
this "tncrowned Pope of Russia, as
the German papers absurdly nlckhaileu
him.
MODERN SAINT,
Were II generally known that Father
John. of Cronstadt. were TO be taken
south through the entire country; trans ans
leading to the CTimea ana the SANITY
man carried by sheer force TO the Ded-
side of some less distinguished suHercT;
Such is the faith Of the masseS-aS Wen
as the claeseS-in the power OF TINS
gentle unassuming man, as far as IN
tercession by prayer before heaven IoI
sufferers is concerned.
wonderful. intensely RUSSIAN; pcIson-
atty is that of John of Cronstadt,a pure
outgrowth of the life Of the nation 10
which he belongs-heart, BODY ana souI SOU.
Were the man possessed OF any Worlqiy
ambition were he less childIke In hls
faith and of his conception OF his own
role in the world, he could nave saved
millions at his own Will in Russia, ana
could become an immense power IN tilal
country. As il Is, he retains the same
position now for two entire decades;
| poor priest attached to the eathedra
of Cronstadt. refusing all ecclesiastlCdI
honors. giving all his time for praying
AZ the bedsidee of sick people or at the
homes of the afflicted, and giving away
all the money that is donated nm d
fast as IT is laid in his hand. ,.-.-
| You have but TO mention Father Johh
name in the course Of conversation IN
any circle OF the capital where you may
happen to find yourself in order 10 assuIe
| yourself of the big place he. holds IN tl,e
minds Of the public. The time Of cheap
ieering a the wonder priest has decld-
| eddy gone by. IT Is no longer soou
| g 1. g.. rfn
! and his work. Even rank atheists 40
| not care to do so. Nicholay SemenoVltch
| Leskof. a well-known and highly esteem
| ed novelist who has made special ana
| stadt, and his influence over the people,
| told me the other day that when' Eot
| long ago. he undertook 10 investigate
| the matter he found that in the course
| of the one month of May, 1899, Father
| John. of Cronstadt, received no less thdh
| 1900 roubles as voluntary offerings by
| people who asked him TO pray Tor those
| near and dear to them.
| POSSIBLE POWER.
| Imagine three millions ard over, what
| a power it is when yearly Moving out OF
| the hand of one man, and that man
| owing and rendering accounts 70 noDody
And that sum easily might nave peeu
| doubled BY the contributions in money
| that are gwen TO John of Cronstadt IN
| person as he makes his round OF calls
| at the request Of afflicted people wanting
| him to pray AT IDtlT HOlllto' nus 81
| few days ago, on aliehting from his car
| riage as he was about 10 make q slch
| call the priest was accosted by your
| woman asking for his blessing as sne
| was to marry a young man as poor a.
| herself and required strength Tor inc
| Hfe's struggle that awaited her. dl.e-
| John listened patiently never taxing ms
eyes off the girls race anu Oiuui"s b tr
he was called 10 pray al the BEDSIDE oi
a rich sufferer on coming out OF the
| place he handed to the young woman the
| unopered envelope that was handed MN
| NV Wav of thanks for his call: that was
"to be the young brides dowry;" he said
The envelope was found 10 contain 3'"'
roubles in bills. ,., ,.
| of Father Johns contributions to all
kind of charities, to asylums, hospitals
and to schools; not untreQuenlly ne gives
work of the regulation of emigration 10
holm TO families Of criminals sent 10
Siberia for the establishment or lea
houses TO compete with barrooms Inc
other day he sent a couple or hundred
az his donation TO a philathropic women 5
club that was going TO be established
in St Petersburg
| And vet the same man Is nothing but q
| common priest, most chldlike IN his
| faith and simplicity, Notwithstanding
the fact that some forty years ago-being
| now i'm his Goth year-he was graduated
with high honors from ~. feteIsDuIt
|
studies for many years afterward.
| Rorn in dire poverty, son OF poo:
struggling church attendant I'm one OF
| tho PARKWAY nOrthern Governments OF
| russia. John was sent early TO schoo
and kept there at the price Of heay!
sacrifices on the part or MS famlly
Knowing this and being extremely FOND
Of his parents. the ten-year-old sensitive
| how was quite distressed at his own IN
ability to master his lessons. lie was
very slow to understand what was tauSh
| at school and was almost heart-broket
over il. when it happened that one even
INC retiring to bed with his poor littl'
| head crammed with ill-disested facts anf
figures. little John put his whole near
in his prayer, begging OF God 10 clear M
understanding and TO help him Jusll!
his parents expectation.
HIS UNswERvING FAITH.
And lol as If I'm direct answer TO to,
| child's ardent prayer, a veil seemed to b,
ufsed off his mind, and the very mex
day, all studies came easy TO him
Nightly impressed by the efficacy OF hi.
prayer. from that DAY on John neyel
swerved In his faith IN the power %
| prayer, greatly prOspered in his studio:
and almost made up his mind TO be 4
missionary; but before entering that
field he had once more recourse to ar
dent prayer and in some way reached
} the conclusion that his lfe's work would
bear richer fruit were IL to be cast In III,
ordinary ruts among his countrymen anC
| tOwnSmen and accepted the place q
parish priest at the Cathedral OF thu
port of CIonstadt a position he retain.
10 the present day.
No man, unless he be a monk living II
a monastery, Is ever consecrated prizes
in the Greek church unless he is safely
married; thus John had 10 follow the es
| tablshed rule and married the daughte