The Monk Kornilli of Komel'sk
Commemorated on May 19
The Monk Kornilli
of Komel'sk was descended from the boyar (noble) family Kriukov. His
brother Lukian served at the court of the Moscow GreatPrince. When Lukian,
getting up in years, decided to set off to the monastery of the Monk Kirill of
Beloezersk, there also followed after him Kornilii, who from a young age
yearned after the solitary life. Having taken vows, the young Kornilii began
his monastic exploits with a difficult obedience – he wore heavy chains in the
bakery, and in his spare time of rest he occupied himself with the copying of
church books. Because of his love for solitude, the Monk Kornilii later left
the Beloezersk monastery, and he visited Rostov. At Novgorod Sainted Gennadii
(Comm. 4 December) attempted to hold on to him, but the ascetic settled in a
desolate spot not far from Novgorod. When people began to visit here also,
yearning for the monastic life, he moved on to the Tver' Savvatiev wilderness
monastery, and later in the year 1497, he settled in the Komel'sk forest, not
far from Vologda, where he built himself a cell. To this place of the ascetic
activity of the Monk Kornilii monks began to gather, and in 1501 he built a
wooden church there in honour of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy
Mother of God. And in that year Metropolitan Simon ordained him priest-monk. In
1512, when the number of brethren had grown, the monk constructed a stone
church and he wrote down for the brethren an Ustav (Rule), compiled on the
basis of the Ustavs of the Monks Joseph of Volotsk and Nil of Sorsk. This was
the third Ustav, written by Russian saints for monastics. The Monk Kornilii of
Komel'sk distinguished himself with liberality towards the unfortunate, and
during a time of famine he constructed an orphanage for children on the
monastery courtyard. For his love towards the poor and orphaned, the Monk
Kornilii was many times granted graced vision of the Monk Anthony the Great
(Comm. 17 January), for whom he had a especial reverence, and he raised up a
church at his monastery in honour of the great ascetic. The strictness of life
of the saint provoked some of the brethren to grumbling, and the Monk Kornilii
was compelled to leave the monastery and he settled at Lake Sursk, 70 versts
from his monastery. At times also he pursued asceticism at the Trinity-Sergiev
Lavra. Interceding for the monks of the Korniliev monastery, GreatPrince
Vasilii Ivanovich urged the monk to return to his own monastery. The ascetic
gave in, and having returned to his own monastery, he transferred its guidance
to his disciple Lavrentii and secluded himself in his cell.
During the time of a
Tatar incursion against the Vologda region the Monk Kornilii, in protecting the
brethren, set out with them to the Beloezersk outskirts. The monk died at age
82 on 19 May 1537. Many disciples of the Monk Kornilii were also glorified by
sanctity of life: the Monks Gennadii of Liubimograd (Comm. 23 January), Kirill
of Novoezersk (Comm. 4 February), Irodion of Iloezersk (Comm. 28 September),
Adrian of Poshekhonsk (Comm. 5 March), Lavrentii and Kassian of Komel'sk (Comm.
16 May).
The all-church
celebration to the Monk Kornilii (19 May) was established on 25 January
1600 by Patriarch Job and a council of bishops. The Life of the Monk was
compiled by his disciple Nathanael in the year 1589. There exists a service and
a praise to the Saint, and the Ustav written by the Monk Kornilii has been
preserved.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
