06 — Repose and Glorification
The end of St. Alexander’s earthly life and the beginning of his veneration: his death on 30 August 1533 and the testament he left his brethren, and his swift canonization at the Makarian council of 1547 — one of the first Russian saints glorified in that great wave of canonizations — with the two feasts on which the Church commemorates him (30 August, his repose; 17 April, the uncovering of his relics).
Tradition: Russian Orthodox
This section covers the transition from the saint’s life to his cult. Alexander died as he had lived, an old man among the brethren he had gathered, having given them a final testament; and within fourteen years he was formally glorified by the Russian Church at the council of 1547 convened by Metropolitan Macarius — a swiftness that testifies to the strength and immediacy of his veneration.
The two files below treat, first, the repose of 1533 and the testament to the brethren, and, second, the canonization of 1547 and the establishment of his feasts.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| the-repose-of-1533.md | His death on 30 August 1533 at the age of about eighty-five; his final testament and counsels to the brethren; his burial at the monastery. |
| the-canonization-of-1547.md | His glorification at the Makarian council of 1547, within the great wave of Russian canonizations under Metropolitan Macarius; the composition of his service; the feasts of 30 August and 17 April. |
See Also
- Abbot Against His Will — the brethren to whom he left his testament
- The Life by Irodion — the Life written for the canonization
- The Finding of the Relics 1641 — the later feast of 17 April
References
- Irodion (Herodion Kochnev). Life of St. Alexander of Svir. Composed c. 1545. In the Great Menaion Reader of Metropolitan Macarius.
- “Makaryev Sobors.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makaryev_Sobors.
- “Venerable Alexander, Abbot of Svir.” Orthodox Church in America. oca.org/saints/lives/2021/08/30/102423.