The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
THE NEWEST RUSSIAN SAINT
All THE EMPIRE ACCLAIWS THE
HOLINESS SSERAFIM.
A simple Hermit and Counsellor Of inc
People Who Died. Seventy Years AGO
Gar Joined In the Dcmand TOT
Ills CanOuizatiOn soon 10 Take P1ace'

which there are about a dozen on the lower
East Side and up in Harlem. are dong
rushing business in gaudily colored images
of the new saint whose canonzatlon mas
been decreed by the Holy Russian SYNOD
and approved by the Car.
The canonization will take place at the
Ssarowskaja Monastery in the province OF
Tambow, where the remains Of the holy
man selected for this rare honor are buried
1t will be an affair of national proportions.
attended by the Sovereign in person and
drawing pilgrims from every nook ana
corner OF the vast empire. A week will
not suffice to complete the ceremonies
proper, and the pilgrimage of worshippers
will continue for months and months.
until hundreds OF thousands have acquired
merit by kissing the grave Of the saint.
Among those present at the canoniza-
tion will probably be Bishop Tychon OF
Alaska. the head of the Russian Church
in North America, who is now In this city
attending the national convention OF the
Greek Orthodox Mutual Benefit Society OF
the United States. He will sail for Russia
on May 2s and expects to stay In his native
country long enough TO take part in the
great event at Tambow.
The Russian Church is chary of the high
posthumous honors it is in its power to
bestow During the last century only
three new names were added to the list OF
Holy Miracle Workers. as the saints are
called. One canonization toook place in
1921, the next in 1866 and the last one in
1897. In each of these cases the honored
member OF the church had been dead for
centuries. The present case is an eS-
ceptional one, as the man to be declared
saint died only seventy years ago. He was
In his lifetime known only as Brother
Sserafim, simple hermit living near the
Ssarowskaja Monastery
Brother Sserafm had in his day an in
fuence and reputation with the Russian
people equalling although not surprising,
that now enjoyed by the famous Father
John OF Cronstadt. But while Father
John is man Of action, a soul-stirring
preacher who converts the crowds by
thousands and sways them by his voice
as If they were ears Of grain bending to
the wind, Brother Sserafim was mystic
and an ascetio. He gained fame at first
through his holy life only As his fame
spread and pilgrims began to appear.
he earned a new reputation as adviser
in worldly matters as well as in things
spiritual; rs helper and as counsellor
When Father John confesses. thousands
kneel side by side before him. Moved
almost to Mysteries by. his appeals they
shout their crimes and vices. and the vol
ume of sound is 30 mighty that nobody
is able to hear what his nearest neighbor
says. Brother Sserafim received one at
a time those who came to see him. He
took full confession from each who cared
to give it, listened patiently to all the COM
plants, and finally gave his view as TO
what should be done. 1t is recorded.
even by seeptics. that the advice given
by Brother Sseraf1m was to the point as
a rule and was attended by success If fol-
lowed.
They explain his success in various ways.
His power over all who came in contact
with him was the result of rarely mag
netic nature and received further strength
ening from the mans intense sincerity OF
purpose. Beyond this, they say that the
constant opportunity given to him OF look
ing into the most secret hooks of the hui
man heart gradually developed in him
power Of reading human nature that bor-
dered on the miraculous. To-day, IL his
achievements had been made public.
Brother Sserafim would have been de-
clared the greatest mind-rea,ier that ever
lived. To the supplemented Russian
peasants he was a saint, and when he died
they wandered to his grave as they had
formerly wandered to his cell when he
was alive.
As the years passed without any abate-
ment in the freshness of his memory IN the
minds OF the peasants, r'lmors grew that
miracles had been performed at his grave:
The rlmors became so strong at last and
the reverence shown by the people to the
memory of the holy man continued to
grow at such a rate that the Holy Synod
found 1t wise 10 take cognizance OF the
matter -,
cation and canoIization OF new saint
are pretty much he same in the Greek Cath
ole Church as in the Roman Catholic Church
The principle difference seems to be that the
Russian Church pays more attention TO
evidence furnished by the laity. The
Holy synod appointed special commits
sion in 1894 for the purpose of investigating
the claims OF Brother Sserafim to place
among the saints. The commission went
TO Ssarowsk and spent two years gather
ing evidence.
II reported then that ninety-iour authentic
cases Of miracles performed at the grave
Of the holy man had been put on record.
Yet the canonizaton did not follow and 1t
might not have come for years had not the
Car given heed to the wishes OF the people
and Interested himself in the matter When
the birthday of Brother Sserafim WIGS cee-
brated all over Russia in 1902, the day hav-
ing practically the character of a national
holiday, the Car received representative
OF the MRTe'T CleIRy III ou'uchsc ohA "a
pressed to them a strong wish that the
sanity character of the Ssarowskaja hermit
be recognized as soon as possible.
The Car is the head Of the Russian
Church The hint he dropped did not fail
to have the desired result The official
press organ of the synod made haste to
publish the news that the Gar shared the
belief of his people In the holiness OF Ssera..
finn Early this year the synod submitted
a report to the effect that he remains
must be regarded as holy relics and he
himself counted one OF the blessed, as II
had been proved to the satisfaction of the
synod that miracles we're constantly being
performed at his grave. The Car added
his approval in these words;
Read with feelings Of sincere joy and
deep emotion"
The message was published broadcast
and repeated in every peasant hut IN Russia,
where already the portrait Of the new saint
had occupied a place of honor among the
images OF the Holy Virgin. the Car and
Father John of Cronstadt. The Czarina
gave out OF her private funds the means
needed to provide magnificent sarcoph-
agus OF enamelled gold and silver. which
il to he placed in the Ssarowskaia Monas-
terry and which for the future will hold the
remains of the saint
The Metropolitan of Moscow will prob
ably officiate at the canonization. A dozen
Bishops and a small army Of clergyman of
lower degree are to assist him. The Ger
vices will continue night and day for weeks.
II liz expected that the pilgrims coming
from all DartS of the country to attend