The Monk Tryphon of Pechengsk and Kol'sk
Commemorated on December 15
The
Monk Tryphon of Pechengsk and Kol'sk, in the world Mitrophan, was born in
the Novgorod governance into the family of a priest. The pious parents raised
their son in the fear of God. From his early years Tryphon had resolved to
devote his life to apostolic deeds and to go with the preaching of Christ to
the pagan Lopar people. He knew of them only threw the accounts of
fish-vendors. Once during a time of prayer in the forest he had heard a voice:
"Tryphon, an empty and thirsty land awaiteth thee". Forsaking his
parental home, the saint went out onto the Kola Peninsula and halted at the
banks of the Pechenga River, where dwelt the Lopari. There he began to carry on
trade with them. The saint first acquainted himself with the pagan beliefs of
the aboriginal people and studied their language, and then began to preach the
Christian faith to them. The Lopari greeted the words of the saint with acute
mistrust. The holy preacher had occasion to suffer much hardship, to endure
hostility and even beatings. But gradually, by his wise and kindly words and
mildness many were converted to Christ.
With
the blessing of the Novogord Archbishop Makarii, the Monk Tryphon together with
Blessed Feodorit (Theodorit) and the priestmonk Ilya built a church for the
newly-converted; and for those fervent for monastic life he founded in 1532 the
Pechengsk Trinity monastery – "of the cold sea, on the frontier of
Murmansk". Tsar Ivan the Terrible helped him and richly endowed the
monastery. The Enlightener of the Lopari died in old age in 1583, having lived
at the Pechenga almost 60 years. Local celebration was established soon after
the death of the saint. In 1589 the Swedes destroyed the Pechengsk monastery.
Later on, by order of tsar Feodor Ioannovich, the monastery was transferred to
the Kol'sk Peninsula. On the site of the restored monastery was built a church
in the name of the Monk Tryphon, and over the grave of the saint was
constructed a church in honour of the Meeting (Sretenie) of the Lord. Saint
Tryphon has many a time come to the aid of perishing seamen, who with faith
called upon his name.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
